Inside, Pt. 1

by Kyra Anderson

  “So, we organize another event and then, when we are sure that people are watching and that we have some live coverage, we expose the experiments. Maybe a parade?”

  “That’s what I was thinking,” Mykail agreed. “It will have to be delicately planned, and even then, there is no guarantee that the news will reach a lot of people. We will have to have some of our own secretly filming to post on the internet and give copies of the video so that as many people as possible see the Commission experiments. The more people know, the better chance we stand.”

  I turned the ideas of our brainstorming over, knowing I would have to run everything by Clark and get his opinion about ways we could expose what occurred within the Commission of the People.

  I yawned into my hand.

  “We can ask Clark what he thinks.”

  “You should get some sleep,” Mykail noted. “We can talk more when Clark comes here.”

  “It’s alright,” I assured. I did not want to go back to my room and face the traumatic hallucinations and dreams of Dana standing at my bedside. “I haven’t been able to really sleep lately, that’s all…”

  He stared at me for a moment and then cleared his throat, turning his eyes away.

  “If…if you want, I can stay by your side until you fall asleep…” he said. I stared, surprised and a little embarrassed by the proposition. “I know what it’s like…” he whispered, still looking at the ground. “I understand what it’s like to always be afraid…”

  I blinked stupidly. A part of me wasn’t sure I could trust Mykail, despite the fact he was so adamantly against Dana and was plotting with me to take the Commission down. But, the thought of him watching over me while I slept, being sure that Dana was not in the room, was surprisingly comforting. I took a deep breath.

  I stood from my kneeling position and went into my room, grabbing the key to his door off my desk. When he saw me reappear with the key, he stood, his eyes wide. I unlocked his door carefully before fixing him with a strong look.

  “I’m trusting you, Mykail…”

  “Thank you,” he said. “I promise, I would never do anything to harm you.”

  Slowly, feeling a smile creep over my lips, I opened the door. For some reason, when Mykail stepped out of the room, it seemed different than all the other times I had seen him around the house. I felt very nervous and self-conscious as I walked the short distance to my room, feeling Mykail’s presence following. I set the key back on my desk and turned to Mykail who was standing in the doorway of my room.

  “You can come in…”

  He stepped forward hesitantly. My heart raced. This would be the first time I had had a boy in my room that I had a crush on. I looked over his beautiful wings and strong shoulders as he glanced around my room, unaware of my scrutiny. Dex saw him and hissed, something he had done every time he saw Mykail. He had not warmed to the experiment. Mykail jumped away from the cat as he moved from the foot of my bed to his bed by the window, snarling.

  “Just ignore him.” I took a deep breath and built up my courage, walking past Mykail and closing the door to my room before turning to see him looking at me. I bit my lower lip, trying to decide how brave I was going to be that night.

  I walked forward, nerves shaking my legs. He retreated a step, unsure what I was doing.

  I was unsure what I was doing.

  “Can I…” I reached forward and then hesitated. “Can I touch your wings?”

  He stared at me for a moment and then nodded, turning so I could see the profile of his wings. I gently rest my hand on the large wing. The feathers were soft and smooth, but when my hand touched them they lifted and fluffed as the muscles in his shoulders twitched.

  “How heavy are they?”

  “Heavy,” he admitted. “But, they work, so that’s what counts.”

  “You really can fly?”

  “I love flying…” he breathed, his eyes brightening. “As cliché as it sounds, I feel so free…”

  I fell silent, not sure what to say in response to the confession. I ran my hand over the feathers, watching the wings move, feeling oddly calmed by the touch. Soon, my hands were running over the long flight feathers, my fingers wrapping around them, embracing the soft texture.

  He turned to me and gently put a hand on my face. I stared at him, calm, relaxed, and mesmerized by his beauty, not at all remembering the short amount of time I had known the experiment.

  His thumb brushed over my cheek.

  “You’re not afraid?” he whispered.

  I shook my head. My mind had gone blank. I was safe. I knew I was safe with Mykail.

  He leaned closer, gently pressing his lips to my forehead. My eyes closed and my lips parted, prepared for him to kiss me.

  But he didn’t. After he pulled away from my forehead, he took my hand and kissed the palm before guiding me to the bed, lifting the covers for me. I looked at him and then at the bed, wondering if he was going to also lay with me. The thought made me blush and my body lit up with fire. I guessed that was a teenager thing. Hormones ruled all.

  I slid under the covers as he pulled them over me, sitting on the bed.

  “Sleep well, Lily…”

  “Are you going to stay here until I fall asleep?” I asked, feeling the weight of my eyelids.

  “Yes,” he assured. I reached out my hand and he took it with a gentle smile. Then he extended his wing and carefully stretched it over me, placing me in the safety of his warm, soft wings. I felt the feathers brush my shoulder and neck as my eyes slid shut.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I woke with a start from a dreamless sleep. My first thought was wondering where Mykail was. He was not in my room. My door was shut and the numbers on my clock read eight-thirty. My brain was automatically running through everything from the previous night. In my hurried thoughts, I also remembered that Clark was coming over to discuss treasonous acts, like killing Dana Christenson and dismantling the Commission of the People.

  As frightened as I was by Dana, I could not stop the excitement that bubbled in my belly at the thought of organizing a movement behind Dana’s back. It was thrilling to think about facing him and triumphing.

  We would figure out a way to bring him down. We would gain back the power we had lost to him.

  Seeing Mykail’s barred door closed when I left my room, I peeked inside to where Mykail was sleeping.

  It was the first time I had seen him asleep, and I felt myself melt at the sight. He looked peaceful, laying on his side, his wings spread, nearly falling off the bed as he slumbered. I looked down at the closed door, noticing that it was still unlocked.

  I wanted to go in and get a closer look at the slumbering angel but hesitated, remembering the noise that the door made. I was sure that my parents, early risers that they were, were already awake. I went down the stairs, listening to the noises around the first floor.

  Sure enough, my mother was already cooking breakfast. That meant that my father was be sitting at the table, working.

  I hesitated before hurrying to my room to dress. After I quickly pulled on my jeans and blouse, I brushed my hair, my eyes flicking to the makeup on the vanity.

  I shook my head quickly, messing up my hair again, wondering what the hell was wrong with me. I never used to care about wearing makeup and now, just because of Mykail, I was becoming a girly-girl.

  I forced myself not to put on makeup, determined not to change because of a boy. It was far too dangerous to get involved with Mykail, as it was.

  Throwing my hair into a messy pony-tail, I went downstairs, trying to be quiet so I did not disturb the still-sleeping Mykail.

  I walked into the kitchen and my parents smiled, greeting me as they always did.

  “What are your plans today?” my mom asked. I sat with my father at the table, trying to act nonchalant.

  “Clark is going to come over and help me with a school project.”

  “What kind of project?” my father asked. I faltered, trying to think of so
mething on the spot.

  “It’s for J.A.N.E.,” I said. “A presentation-type thing.”

  Nice…really smooth… I scolded myself.

  “Oh,” my father said. “Are you enjoying that book?”

  “It’s interesting.”

  “Do you know what time Clark will be over?” my mother asked. “I was going to go grocery shopping. But if you’re busy, I’ll just have your father help me.”

  My father hung his head.

  “You know I hate grocery shopping,” he groaned playfully.

  “But I need a strong, strapping man to help me with the bags,” my mother teased, walking over and kissing him on the head.

  “Well…when you ask so nicely…” he grinned, winking at me.

  I was happy to see my parents acting normally, but it also startled me. It felt like I was in the times before we had become part of the Commission, back in the days when we were just a family in the Western Region. At first, it surprised me, then it frightened me. Did this mean that my parents were willing to accept what the Commission was doing and carry on as though nothing was wrong, like the other members who had fallen under Dana’s spell?

  The thought of Dana turning my parents into true members of the Commission of the People was terrifying, and I was starting to feel the pressure of taking down Dana before his influence could spread to my family.

  “I don’t know when Clark will be here,” I admitted. “Probably around ten or so.”

  “Okay, Thomas, seems like you’re coming with me,” my mother chuckled. “Breakfast is almost ready,” she said, turning to me. “Will you go and wake Mykail?”

  “Sure.”

  I tried not to hurry to the stairs in fear of raising suspicion, and then I hesitated before opening his door, just to be sure that my parents weren’t listening for anything strange.

  I opened the door and moved to Mykail. The noise of his door opening had stirred him, but he was still half-asleep. I gently placed my hand against his shoulder, shaking him.

  “Mykail…”

  His eyes fluttered and he groaned, acting like a young child who did not want to wake up. He buried his head into the pillow and sighed heavily. I chuckled.

  “…what’s so funny?” he grumbled into his pillow.

  “You’re acting like a little kid,” I said, keeping my hand on the warm, soft skin of his shoulder.

  He turned to look at me, a small smile on his lips.

  “Did you sleep well?” he asked. I couldn’t help but blush, realizing that he was tired because he had stayed up talking to me, and then sat with me as I fell asleep.

  “I did,” I said. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He grinned. “Your key.” He extracted it from under his pillow, handing it to me. “Thank you for trusting me, Lily.”

  I blushed fiercely again.

  “Breakfast is almost ready,” I said. He nodded silently and took a deep breath, heaving himself upright, his wings ruffling as he moved. He groaned and stretched his arms, his wings stretching across the expanse of the room.

  I held the door open for him as he walked past me. I saw the cuffs on his wings and the cuts that the stretching had made on his back. My heart broke.

  I walked downstairs with Mykail and brought him to the kitchen, where my parents greeted him. He bowed his head, remaining silent. I had meant to ask why he did not feel comfortable talking to my parents, but I had forgotten after the treasonous topics of the previous night’s conversation.

  The family moved into the dining room and had a mostly-silent breakfast. Around nine-thirty, when I was helping my mother clear the table, our doorbell rang.

  My mother was the one who answered the door.

  “Clark,” she greeted, inviting him into the foyer. I turned to Mykail with a discreet smile.

  “I am sorry for coming over unannounced, Mrs. Sandover,” Clark greeted. “I hope I am not disturbing you.”

  “No, not at all,” my mother assured. “Lily told us you were coming over.”

  Clark looked at me, and I could see hesitation in his eyes.

  I smiled gently to reassure him.

  “I see I have caught you at the end of breakfast,” Clark said apologetically. “I am so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Oh, you are such a sweetheart.” My mother grinned broadly. “No, that’s alright. You and Lily go have fun.”

  I looked at Mykail and then at my mother.

  “Do you want me to put Mykail back?” I asked, trying to think of a way to get the angel back upstairs so that we could include him in the conversation.

  “Oh, no, Lily. Let him stay out here for a while longer. He has been cooped up in the room too long. I’ll put him back when we leave, alright?”

  “Okay.” I threw a quick look at Mykail and then nodded to Clark as we moved through the house to my room. I closed the door behind Clark and he sighed, looking at me seriously.

  “What did you tell them?”

  “Nothing. I told them you were coming over here to work on a school project for J.A.N.E., that’s all.”

  He visibly relaxed, moving to my desk chair and sitting down as I sat on the bed.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered, rubbing a hand over his face. “I’m just nervous about this whole thing.”

  “But you agree that we need to do it.”

  “Of course I do,” Clark nodded. “But…you’re talking about something that is nearly impossible. Dana is the most powerful man in the world. Taking him down will not be easy, and it will do nothing to stop what the Commission is doing.”

  “I know, that’s why I was talking to Mykail about it, and—”

  “Wait, wait,” Clark said quickly. “The angel?” When I nodded, his eyes went wide. “Are you crazy?!” he snapped. I leaned back, startled and offended. “Lily, just talking about this with me is a reckless venture. You cannot just go talking to anyone about it, particularly those who have been so close to Dana. You don’t know where their loyalties lie.”

  “What about you then?” I growled. “I’d say you’re pretty damn close to Dana. Yet, you’re here. Should I be worried about you?”

  Clark’s sighed.

  “Lily…look,” he started, “I have seen the damage that Dana can do, and I have seen how loyal others are to him. We’re going against a master manipulator and a psychopath. We have to be careful in any and every way possible. Otherwise, you and I will be strapped to those tables in the back of the Commission, being turned into who knows what.”

  “I know,” I said strongly. “But, Mykail is the one who told me that he was planning on killing Dana. He has actually been through the testing. He knows how horrible it is. Don’t you think that he hates Dana for it?”

  “Maybe,” Clark admitted with a shrug. “I don’t know. I have seen how some of the experiments are loyal to Dana, worshipping him, even. We can never be sure. I told you before, never think that Dana is not watching. He is everywhere.”

  “I know,” I repeated, exasperated. “Are you going to help me with this, or not?”

  Clark stared at me for a moment, and then took a deep breath.

  “As much as I know I shouldn’t, I want nothing more than to be free of that psycho,” he stated strongly. “I will help.”

  I heaved a sigh of relief.

  “Good, because we could really use your expertise.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Well, at the moment, we’re just trying to think of a way to organize. We are going to need people inside the Commission first, since they already know what the Commission does. Can you think of anyone who may have had thoughts of taking down Dana and the Commission before?”

  Clark looked to the floor, thinking.

  “Maybe a few people, but not many,” Clark whispered. “And they are around our age. I don’t think we can approach the adults about this. Most of them are completely under Dana’s spell.”

  “I agree.” I nodded. “Mykail was talking
about how some of the experiments are against Dana as well. And, if we could get them out—”

  “Get them out?” Clark blinked. He laughed brokenly. “Now you really have gone insane. Do you have any idea the amount of security around the Commission?”

  “No, not yet,” I admitted. “I’ve decided to try and get closer to Dana to learn more, maybe even get into the back of the Commission to see how we could break out the experiments.”

  “That is too dangerous, Lily.” Clark’s eyes were wide. “You might as well run right into the middle of a tornado. If you show the slightest interest in Dana, he will sweep you up and tear you apart.”

  “He hasn’t for you.”

  “No, but I didn’t go looking to get closer to him,” Clark told me. “You have to think about Dana like a dangerous animal. You play too close to him and it will only be a matter of time before he attacks you.”

  “Maybe, but I am willing to deal with it if it gives us a chance to take him down.”

  “You don’t know what you’re saying…” Clark breathed.

  “We have to make sacrifices for what we believe is best, and nothing has ever been achieved without risk. Look at Thomas Ankell,” I said, motioning to the book on my desk.

  “Don’t you think that had a lot to do with luck?” Clark chuckled brokenly.

  “I’m starting to wonder if you want to do this,” I grumbled, pouting. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, groaning.

  “Of course I want to help you, but you’re talking about doing something that is overly-dangerous, and that worries me,” Clark said. “You’re going to try and get closer to Dana, hoping that he will take you on a tour of the Commission so you can figure out weaknesses in the security and break out the experiments?”

  “Yeah, pretty much.”

  “And you want me to try and figure out who would be willing to help us with all of this?” Clark raised his eyebrows. “What then?”

  “We need to find a place to keep the experiments until we are ready to reveal them.” I told him what Mykail and I had talked about already. He did not interrupt, listening carefully, his eyebrows sometimes rising. When I was done, he took several moments, his eyes wide, turning over the information in his head.