The Genesis Project Prophecy of the Seven

by C. L. De Leon

  The world had changed so much since then, though. We wouldn’t survive here long even with my gifts. Too many people would either want to use me or hurt me. I knew this now.

  I got up and went to my desk. I took the teddy bear off and set it on the middle of my bed facing the door. I walked back to my desk and took my photo album out and took out three photos. One of Mom and I at the ‘Welcome to Texas’ sign, one of Mom and I standing inside the caves, and one of Mom and I at my graduation. I hoped my photos weren’t too obvious but I wanted Dad to have a chance of finding us.

  I laid the pictures in front of the teddy bear. I had no idea if people would raid the house when they saw we were no longer on the premises.

  I had no idea if he would even come, if he even wanted to come. I know that he sent the letter to Mom somehow, whether out of love or guilt, I didn’t know. I hoped from the bottom of my heart it was out of love more than guilt, which I’m sure he battles with.

  I took my photo album and held it close to my heart, I stood in the door and looked back at my room knowing that this would be my final day as an innocent child and my becoming and adult would happen far faster that I had ever hoped shut the door which echoed in my mind and soul as final and proceeded down stairs so we could make our way out of Tennessee toward Texas.

  I found my Mom in the kitchen writing a note of her own. She folded it and placed it in the cookie jar on the counter. I didn’t ask, I already knew.

  I gave her a small reassuring smile.

  “Are you ready, Mom?”

  Mom walked over to me and clutched me in a way that only a mother could to her child; a simple hug that spoke in the volumes of love that pulsed with every beat of her heart and soul.

  “No, love, but what else are we going to do? “Mom said, giving me the reassuring smile I had just given her. I hugged her back trying to make her feel as safe as she made me when I was in her arms. We both knew we wouldn’t be safe for long, at least not until we could get to the caves and make sure we could secure it. If we couldn’t do that, I had no idea what we were going to do.

  We had no backup plan. This had to work.

  “Alright, Mom. We need to go before light,”

  I said, grabbing her hand for the strength and support I knew we both needed right now.

  This wasn’t just our house… It was our home; our place of security and comfort and now we had to leave out into the unknown.

  “Let’s go, love, before I lose my nerve and try to figure out a way to stay.”

  She laughed a little at that only because she knew it was impossible and crazy.

  The amount of attacks on people and people disappearing were increasing in our area. We knew it was now or never. We knew it was past time we left.

  We got into my Jeep. I was driving. I figured I’d be driving a lot considering mom didn’t know how drive a stick.

  Mom opened the garage door that was supposed to be electric with the emergency exit lever.

  She pushed it up and I cranked the engine making a face at how loud it sounded. I turned to start backing up so I could get the car out fast and she could get in as soon as she shut the garage.

  A scream erupted from behind the Jeep. I grabbed my softball bat and jumped out the Jeep ready to smack a homerun up the side of someone’s face if they tried to hurt my mom.

  “MOM!” I screamed coming to her aide.

  “MOM! Where are you?! Are you okay?”

  “Reigh, oh my! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to scream… Blaine… It’s Blaine, Reigh… It’s okay,” Mom said, coming over to me hugging me and helping me to lower my bat. I was shaking. I was beyond words at the moment. I went from being ready to smack someone into another lifetime in 1.3 seconds.

  “Blaine? What are you doing here? I thought you left for Boston with your parents.”

  “Reighlyn, they’re gone. They’re gone.”

  Blaine’s voice cracked as tears spilled over his gorgeous blue eyes. Keep your mind right, Reigh…, I thought to myself.

  I shouldn’t be thinking of his beautiful six foot three frame or his blue eyes that are so blue they looked like they were made out of ice.

  How I loved this jerk. From his sandy blond hair and chiseled jaw to his firm strong frame that made every girl and woman around him drool, including me.

  Mind on the present Reigh, I coached myself back into the present.

  “What do you mean they’re gone? Who’s gone and what are you doing here its 4 am. Don’t you know what’s going on? Aren’t you afraid of the Militia and of all the loons out here killing people for nothing?”

  I asked Blaine He looked at me as if his entire world had been ripped from his hands.

  “Reigh. I…” Blain stuttered trying to say his piece.

  “My parents are gone Reigh.”

  Mom and I gasped at the same time. I began looking around, remembering we were outside in a new dangerous world, one we didn’t know anymore.

  “Where’s your Mom and Dad? What happened? Where’s Becca Blaine?” I waited looking at him but making sure I kept an eye on our surroundings.

  I didn’t know how to control my gifts on a large scale. I could do little things but I didn’t know if I would be better with my gifts or my bat.

  I knew Blaine would be able to do some damage but we’d be hard pressed if we were confronted by more than a few. I looked back to Blaine waiting, wishing we could just get out of there already.

  “Blaine it’s not safe out here. Either come with us or tell us what you have to say and say it quick. This place isn’t the safe neighborhood we grew up in any longer,” I told Blaine. I loved this big jerk, but I knew we needed to go. We could make room for him if we needed to and I knew he would be a huge help.

  “Blaine,” I started to say again, reaching my hand out to touch his arm. He recoiled at my touch which confused me. I’m sure he realized I was hurt by his reaction to my touch just by the look on my face.

  “Blaine,” I said again with more force, throwing out my hand toward my Jeep, trying to get through to him that we were leaving. “Reigh, they took them. They would have taken me too but I had went out to get supplies. We were trying to get things we needed to head to a safer place. We heard that some people were forming a rebel army to deal with this militia. Dad wanted to go join. He said it was our duty that we should do whatever we could to protect the people and others like us.”

  Blaine paused, looking directly at me. My mouth dropped.

  “Blaine? What do you mean protect others like us?”

  He looked ashamed.

  “Blaine, are you gifted? Is that why they took your family?”

  He looked at me for what seemed like hours, when I knew in fact it was but a few seconds.

  “Reigh, it’s why I broke up with you. I wanted to protect you. My dad said it wouldn’t be fair to you. That you may not understand.”

  “What can you do?” I asked him trying to not be peeved. My heart still hurt for him.

  How could I have thought he was a jerk? He was protecting me. Well I still believed what he did was jerky.

  “I can...” He paused trying to find words to explain. “I can electrocute things. My body acts as a conduit. I can throw electricity from my hands or send it though items, even send it through every orifice of my body to turn myself into a weapon. My Dad can do the same thing just not on the level that I can and my Mom could send out shields, and Becca hasn’t shown her gift yet, if she has one. Sometimes, only one child is gifted… Sometimes they all are; at least that’s what dad said,” he paused waiting for me to take this all in as if it was a shock and it would have been, had I not knew exactly what he was talking about.

  “Blaine, I’m not shocked…I’m shocked you broke up with me over this. Do you have any idea what I’ve been going through? You’re not the only one with problems and gifts!”

  I yelled at him and turned to get back into my Jeep.

  “Mom, let me back out please,” I said as if exhausted.
Blaine looked shocked that I was more upset over the break up than over the fact he had a gift.

  Good. Serves him right, I thought.

  “Get in, Blaine. You’re not the only special one around here.”

  I backed out and watched Mom close the garage door while watching for uninvited guests.

  We needed to get out of here. We’ve been outside for too long and looters may have taken notice of us and our loaded down vehicle.

  Mom jogged back and hopped into the back while Blaine came around and hopped in the front; the only place his long legs would allow him to fit. He looked over at me as I put the Jeep in reverse.

  I looked at him and gave a half grin speaking volumes of mischief. I slammed the Jeep in first gear as I headed toward the highway.

  “You’re not the only gifted in this car, Blaine.” I said again, glancing at him and back at the road.

  “You and your mom?” he asked as if it couldn’t be possible. I laughed for the first time in a long time.

  “No, just me.” I replied, waiting for the question I knew was going to come.

  “How? If you didn’t get it from your mom? I mean you got the gift from your dad, obviously, but you didn’t tell me either. Reigh what can you do? What did your dad do?”

  “Not so many questions, Blaine,” I stopped him.

  “Yes, I got my gifts from my dad.”

  I paused waiting to see if he heard the emphasis I put on gifts.

  Blaine grabbed my right hand that I had rested on the gear shifter of my Jeep

  “What can you do Reigh?” he asked in a quiet voice.

  “I can control all the elements and move objects with my mind. My dad could control air and fire. I don’t know how strong his gift was but l haven’t used mine much except for small things. I haven’t exercised it to know what I could really do.”

  “Well, I need to figure out how to get my family back. I can help you, Reigh, but will you help me? Please, I need you, Reigh. I needed you before I knew this but I need you even more now. I’m sorry I broke up with you the way I had. I didn’t know how to tell you and if you would even accept me. Please forgive me, Reigh.”

  He lifted my right hand from the gear shift and pressed it to his lips. I felt my hard reserve melt at the feel of his full lips.

  I hated that his family had been captured, but I was glad he came to me. I was more than glad he would help me and had the experience of growing his gifts to help me with mine.

  Even more ecstatic, he wanted me gifts or no gifts and we didn’t have to hide from each other any longer.

  I looked back to see my mom had curled up and fallen asleep. She looked exhausted, even in sleep. I knew it would be a while before the worry lines on her face smoothed out.

  She was so strong. I hoped I had half the strength she had; I couldn’t go wrong if I did. I told Blaine about our plan and agreed in our logic. We’d have what we needed in the caves to work out my gifts and a clean water source, which was a major deal.

  So south we went, eyes searching every vehicle that came to close to ours, knowing that we had to get there as soon as we could and that the longer we were on the open road, the longer we chanced one of the vehicles being the Militia and not others fleeing.

  CHAPTER 4

  We were heading west on I-40 toward Texarkana.

  I looked at the map again; nothing had changed in direction but for some reason looking at the map gave me comfort.

  I thought of my iPhone again and groaned at the loss of technology that had been my great friend. I missed my GPS; I gave a little laugh thinking how silly I was being.

  Grieving over technology as if it had been a person. I shouldn’t think of things so trivial when we were literally fleeing for our lives. The longer we spent on the road and further west and south we traveled the fewer vehicles we saw on the road. A shiver passed through my body.

  I didn’t know if that was a good sign or bad. I looked at my mom still in the back resting… Well, attempting to rest if rest was possible. We’d have to stop soon. We needed to refuel. We had enough gas in gas cans in the back, but I wanted everyone alert before we stopped.

  I could see the green of the sign I was approaching. I squinted to see if I could read it. I knew it would be a town name or a sign gauging the distance to the next largest city. I was hoping for the latter. I had been driving all day and night and really wanted to switch spots with Mom and let Blaine drive.

  I cringed a little thinking of someone else driving ‘Beatrice’ I bought her with my own money and restored her to her current glory myself.

  From her motor to pulling dents to hand sanding her down and putting on her beautiful black gloss paint.

  I loved my Jeep; she was a reflection of sheer determination and will. I smiled, remembering all the books I’d read and tutorials I’d watched on YouTube to learn how to fix her. I wanted to do it myself and once I started, I was not going to allow anyone else to put their hands on her.

  I blew out my breath, the sign was with in reading distance:

  TEXARKANA - 5 MILES

  Alright, I thought, time to gas and go.

  “Mom, Blaine…Hey, it’s time to wake up. We need to put some gas in the Jeep and I need to switch with Blaine. I’m beyond exhausted.”

  Blaine and Mom both came awake more than alert and ready at the sound of my voice.

  Mom jumped and tried standing, hitting her head on the roof of my Jeep. I was glad I had opted for the soft top when I restored her or mom would have had a nice lump.

  “Mom, it’s okay. Nothing’s happening we just need gas and I’m tired.”

  “Sorry, love, I’ve been having some weird dreams. I think my imagination is getting the best of me,” Mom sighed, wiping her hands across her face.

  “I’m going to find a good spot to pull over. We can use the bathroom and fuel up. Is that okay for y’all?”

  “Yeah,” Mom said. Blaine just gave a nod.

  I merged onto I-30 in Hotsprings/Texarkana and hopped off on the first exit I came to. I down shifted, taking us to a low speed so we could take a look around. This also meant that if someone has fire power of any sort we could be putting ourselves in danger.

  The coast seemed clear. This town looked like it had been evacuated. It seemed so sad without people going about their business buying and selling.

  I pulled up to the Shell station right off the highway, just in case we needed to get out of there quickly. We could get back on the highway and not get lost in an area we didn’t know. I pulled up to the gas pump and thought how nice it would be if they worked.

  “Alright, out on three… Blaine, grab the can. I’ll hop out my side. Mom, do you need to go to the bathroom?”

  “Yes,” Mom said.

  “Alright, everyone on three. One, Two, Three.”

  Blaine and I hopped out of the Jeep at the same time taking in the area looking to see if anyone had been hiding I took deep breaths trying to find the core of my gifts in case I needed to use them.

  It was scary thinking that I would have to use them for protection or to hurt another person knew it was necessary now. I found my core feeling the tingle of power rushing through me like electricity waiting to be tapped into. I waited for Blaine to finish emptying the gas cans into the tank.

  “Hey, should we see if they still work?” I asked Blaine nodding my head toward the gas pump.

  “We can try but I doubt it. We would have better luck dipping a bucket into the fuel reserve tank.”

  “Oh, my god Blaine you are a genius. If you weren’t such a heartbreaker, I’d kiss ya,” I smiled and threw him a wink. I grabbed some empties putting them back in their spot.

  “Hey, let’s see if we can get inside. There might be a bucket we can use and I have rope in the Jeep and maybe we can use the bathroom inside.” I said to everyone.

  “Alright, I’ll pull the Jeep up in front of the store slowly just stay between the Jeep and the store just in case, and wait for me while I lock up don’t
go in without me.” Blaine said.

  We waited on the sidewalk for Blaine looking into the store we could see that it had been looted but there was still a lot left to be had.

  I wasn’t complaining. We could do with a little restock. Blaine came around the side of the Jeep to stand next to us.

  “We going in?” he asked me.

  I looked at mom, When did I become the leader of this group? I wondered.

  “Let’s go,” I said more to myself than anyone else.

  I walked up to the doors trying them to see if they were locked. They were. I didn’t want to break the windows that would be too loud.

  I didn’t want to alert anyone within hearing distance and announce our where abouts or intentions. I put my index finger up to the lock as if it were a key.

  I felt my finger pulse as if it were conversing with the metal lock. I pushed my will, telling the lock to open, to comply with my demand.

  I felt the metal inside the lock seeing the tumblers in my mind fall into place. I knew it was open when I heard an audible click. I smiled and pushed open the door bowing. Mom gave a little laugh and Blaine grinned.

  “Cool trick, Gremlin,” Blaine said as he passed me making my smile all the greater.

  “Let’s find a bathroom first. We’ll do our business while you guard and vice versa,” I called out to Blaine who was making his way through the “employees” area to make sure the building was clear.

  Blaine came back out giving us the all clear. We hurried back to the bathroom, almost coming out as quick as we went.

  “I found some bags we can use,” I called out to Blaine as Mom and I made our way back to the front. I stopped short and pushed Mom behind me as I entered the front and took a step back.

  “Who are you? What do you want?! Leave him alone, we don’t want any trouble!” I called out at the two strangers standing with their back to us.

  How could this have happened?! I screamed in my head. We hadn’t been gone that long… just a minute or two.