“You have to let me out,” Zola begged.
“You want to go back to the mad doctor?” I sneered.
“You don’t understand,” she muttered.
She lifted her hand away from her chest and blood spread, wetting her black coat, like spilled milk on a table.
“Oh God,” I said, “Olyvia help her.”
Olyvia slowly sat up but was in no condition to help Zola. Bright red blood ran down the front of Olyvia’s brown and grey striped coat. I reached for Olyvia and pulled her coat to the side. She too had been shot in the chest and was bleeding at an uncontrollable rate. I watched helplessly as she struggled to breath. When I thought things couldn’t get any worse, they did. Screams echoed out and the sun was almost completely gone. Shadows danced around, waiting to make an appearance. I glanced at the others in the van.
“I know a way to the warehouse. We will be there in minutes,” Lucy stated.
She drove faster down the beat up roads. We whipped around corners.
Olyvia choked on blood and whimpered out in pain. Sally pushed on Olyvias gushing wound. Nate helped me with Zola.
“Layla,” Zola said barely above a whisper, “you can’t bring me to the warehouse with you. You have to leave me.”
We rounded the corner and the warehouse came into view. We were close. We drove as fast as the van would go and made it to the gate. The gate slid open but we weren't alone. A trail of screamers followed behind us. Familiar faces appeared as we entered the parking lot. Guns fired off as the gate closed slowly. Screamers jumped at the gate. I watched Addy take out every screamer that approached. I had almost forgotten how fast she was with a gun. The gate finished the last click and locked securely into place. I slid the van door open and called for help. Lucy also exited the van. We rushed Olyvia and Zola into Dr. Nickels lab. The lab was packed with supplies and equipment. They had set up three more rooms and much to my surprise I found seven bodies occupying beds. Something had happened in the days we were gone. A sudden wave of nausea came over me followed by lightheadedness. A sharp pain came from my shoulder. I glanced down and found blood running down my arm. I moved my coat and saw a bloody wound in my shoulder. I felt woozy at the sight. My legs went numb and my eyes became too heavy to keep open.
Day 107:
One week slowly passed by after the encounter with the soldiers. Olyvia recovered at a remarkable rate. By the next day she was up and moving about. She attempted to heal me but her gift was in a weakened state. Zola was barely hanging on and had lost too much blood. Dr. Nickels spent endless hours working on keep her alive. She was in critical condition and had slipped into a coma. Dr. Nickel’s said the likelihood of her pulling through was slim to none. I had hope she would pull through. Zola was strong and a natural fighter.
When I woke I found Silas and Gabe at my bedside. It was nice to see Silas there but I was hurt and mad at him. I didn’t understand why we had drifted apart. I turned my head away from him without speaking and found Gabe staring at me. He gave me an awkward smile and patted my arm.
“Where the hell were you?” I demanded.
“Nice to see you too,” Gabe shot back, “I told you I had never teleported four people before. It drained me. I woke up the same day you got here. Why didn’t you wait at the bunker for me? I said I would come back.”
“It’s a long story,” I explained.
“Layla, how are you feeling?” Silas gulped.
“Why should you care?” I snapped.
I didn’t want to fight with Silas or Gabe but I was angry and my shoulder hurt. I was a teenager and I had been shot for christ sakes. How many teenagers got shot? I was mad at myself for leaving the doctor at the facility alive. I wanted to blame someone else for all my mistakes.
Silas flinched like I had struck him. My words were a weapon and I wanted to feel sorry but I couldn’t. Silas stood and walked out of the room.
I yelled after him, “Sure just walk away. You’ll do anything to get away from me won’t you! Better get back to Dr. Nickels and Mabel, don’t want to keep them waiting.”
I must have hit a nerve because Silas turned and marched back into the room.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” He countered, “I’m actually doing something important. While you and your boyfriend take off to get some alone time at the bunker. The world isn’t what it used to be. If you could stop feeling sorry for yourself for more than five minutes, maybe you could put your ability to use. All you’ve done since I meant you is whine about how unfair everything is. To be honest with you, I’m sick and tired of all your whining. You are a spoiled little brat that has no idea what the world has become. So wake the hell up and while your at it, grow up. It’s not all about you Layla.”
With that Silas stormed out of the room leaving me speechless. I hadn’t realized tears had betrayed me and were running down my face until Gabe wiped at one.
“Go away,” I snapped.
Gabe jerked his hand back and stood. I knew I had hurt him too but he made his way to the exit. He paused at the door as if he was going to say something but then thought better of it and kept walking. I was so mad I wanted to scream. I wasn’t self consumed in pity. Was I? Time ticked by and I laid in bed replaying Silas’ words. Maybe he was right and I was acting like a spoiled brat. I did want things to be normal again. I knew I consumed myself in my own thoughts most of the time. Maybe that was why no one liked me. I was once again stuck in my own head when I heard a light knock on the door. Quinn peaked his head in, he was smiling. At least he wasn’t mad at me for kidnapping his girlfriend.
“I heard you had quite the adventure while you’ve been gone,” he smiled warmly.
I couldn’t help but smile back. He had a nice smile and I could see how Lucy found him appealing.
“I take it you are up to date on all the drama?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t call it drama, sounded more like one hell of an adventure to me,” Quinn replied.
I shuffled around in bed until I was in a sitting position. I pulled at a loose thread on the quilt that covered my legs and waist. I wound the yellow thread around my finger until the tip started to turn red and purple.
“I am glad you made it back to us. I wanted to ask you a question but first I wanted to thank you for getting everyone home safely,” Quinn stated.
“You know this isn’t home. This is just a place we are all stuck at,” I snapped.
“Yeah, you are right, this warehouse definitely isn’t home but I’ve worked here for the past eight years. I used to joke with my friends, I’m heading to my home away from home.” I never thought I would actually be living here,” he explained, “I know things have been hard for you since you arrived. You’ve been through alot of shit and you feel like an outcast. Even before all this shit happened every single person here was different. We all are outcast just pretending to fit in. I think the reason you are struggling so much is because you haven’t gotten a handle on your ability. With that said, I would like to help you learn what exactly your ability entitles.”
“You want to help me?” I asked surprised.
“Yes, I believe you have a powerful ability. You haven’t even reached past the surface of what you can do. You are allowing your emotions to control you and then your energy shoots off like malfunctioning fireworks, causing negative reactions from the twelve others. You all are connected but I think you are like an electrical transformer of sorts. The others can function without you but they are not at full power and I think they fuel your ability too. I don’t think water is the key for you, although it is still needed for your survival. Does this make sense to you?”
“I guess but how can you help me? I asked.
“I have a plan and with help from the others I believe together, we can help you,” he answered, with great enthusiasm in his voice.
I agreed and we talked about everything that had happened over the past couple weeks. He explained while I was gone seven people had fallen ill and they had to set up
a room for the sick. Doctor Nickels wasn’t sure what the illness was but thought it was some form of the flu and needed to run its course. They didn’t want to take any chances though; that was why they set up the room across the hall from me. I leaned forward and glanced into the room across the hall. I saw people laying in beds, the beds were lined in two rows. Quinn always needed, was called away and I was left alone in the room. I decided to try and get up. I was sick of laying around. My body felt weak and I was drained. I made it to my feet and slowly made my way to the lab. The lab was quiet for the most part. Dr. Nickels and Mabel were out and the two screamers laid quietly. There was another bed added to the room. The girl Gabe and I found at the farm occupied that bed. With everything that had happened I had completely forgotten about her. I stepped closer to her bed and realized she was breathing but still in a deep sleep. She was wearing the same dress as the screamer in the bed near her. They looked almost identical. I looked back and forth between them. The only difference was one had grey skin and a horrible odor. I glanced at my reflection in a mirror hanging on the wall. I too was a match to these two girls in the beds. I swallowed hard and wondered what the hell was going on.
Zola laid motionless in a hospital bed. The bed was in a corner of the lab. I walked over to find she was in a deep sleep too, only her sleep was a coma. Her red hair flowed down to her shoulders and rested peacefully there. Her white skin with freckles appeared to be a yellowish color. Tubes and cords exited her body from all directions.
I rested my hand on top of hers and the room began to spin wildly. The room shrunk in around me and I felt my body leave her bedside. I entered into a different kind of laboratory. I fell to the floor with a hard grunt. I got to my feet and surveyed my new surroundings. The laboratory was familiar but different at the same time. Two men in white lab coats walked in through a sliding door. Speaking to each other in hushed whispers they walked towards me. I put my hands up and called out but they didn’t stop, they walked through me like I was a ghost. I couldn’t help but cry out as they continued on with their business. I gathered myself and followed behind them as they walked through another set of sliding doors on the other side of the room.
This room was filled with lots of children. These children were very young, maybe four years old. They all had red hair and emerald green eyes, they were covered in light freckles and they had matching pale white skin. Sitting on the floor, they were huddled together. They were all wearing plain white pants and shirts. This made them appear ghostly. I regarded each child, one girl in particular stood out. It was a much younger Zola and she was sitting by herself on the floor. A man in a lab coat roughly grabbed one of the children and dragged him to a chair. He restrained the little boys hands and ankles to the chair. I watched in horror as the man injected a needle into the boys arm. The boy cried out for help but his cries were on deaf ears. The other man slapped the little boy in the face. I reacted immediately moving forward and swinging a solid fist at the mans head. Only instead of making contact my punch went right through the man's head causing me to lose my balance. I very ungracefully fell forward and landed on the floor.
“Where am I?” I thought to myself.
The boy cried after being struck two more times in his face. I was filled with rage but all I could was watch. The shorter man pulled out what looked to be a tattoo needle and started piercing the back of the little boy’s neck. I watched Zola stand up and make a run for the exit. She made it through the first door but was captured by another man at the next door. The man was tall and he carried her back to the other children. He dropped her like a piece of trash to the floor. Two more men entered the room. One of the men pushed another red headed child to the floor with the children. I knew this man, he was a much younger version of the mad doctor. The man next to him had a small little girl with him and she was holding onto the man’s leg.
“I want to leave Daddy, this is a bad place,” the little voice cried.
“It’s ok sweetheart, daddy has some business he needs to take care of and then we will go,” the man reassured.
My whole body went cold. I stepped closer to the man. I knew this man too. He had a full beard and he was dressed in uniform. The same uniform I saw him wear everyday to work. My stomach sank further and further until I was pretty sure it was completely gone. I stood frozen unable to move for what felt like eternity. My eyes dropped to the little girl hiding behind her father. It was me. I had been in this horrible place before and I hadn’t remembered. I watched the child me glance from behind my father's leg to the children on the floor. A single tear slid down my face and I quickly wiped it away with my little hand.
I followed her eyes to the boy in the chair. He had fallen silent and seemed to be in a sedated state. They removed him from the chair and grabbed another child. This time a little girl. The girl didn’t cry or fight them, she sat and zoned out completely. The little girl in the chair was staring at the child me. She smiled at the child me and I smiled back. I saw I was holding my hand out and a small little spark ignited in my hand and then faded out.
Dr. Mills spoke with my father.
“You’ve brought all the children I requested and for that I will keep to my word.”
He walked to a cabinet and pulled out a briefcase. He then handed it to my father. I watched my father open it, inside the suitcase was money. There was an insane amount of money in the suitcase.
“Where is the medicine?” My father asked.
Dr. Mills went to a refrigerator looking thing and pulled out another briefcase only this one was smaller. He placed it on the counter and opened it. There were three syringes lined in the case with a blueish green liquid stirring and moving around inside.
“Is this going to be enough?” My father asked, examining the contents.
“Yes, I will inject her immediately and then you will inject another in one week and the last injection in one month,” Dr. Mills explained calmly, “It is vital you follow my directions or there could be side effects. This will be her second and final set of injections.”
“I want you to know I am done bringing children to you. I have done everything you requested and I don’t ever want to hear from you again. Is that understood,” my father belted.
Dr. Mills smiled his crooked grin and agreed with my father. I glanced over to the children and thought this can’t be real, my father wasn’t a monster. He was no better than Dr. Mills. Why would he have done this? Zola was staring at the child me and then I swear she looked directly at me and said, “remember.” The room started to spin and I felt my body drifting back to the bedside. My hand slipped away from her hand. I was standing next to the now grown and comatose Zola. I thought Zola must have somehow showed me a memory. A haunting memory that my mind had somehow blocked. Was Zola gifted like me or did we have a strange connection? All these thoughts swirled around in my head. I hadn’t noticed Silas had entered the room and was standing across the bed from me. He reached for the IV bag attached to a pole and changed it. He worked quietly and I was surprised he knew how to change the saline bag and unclasp the lines.
“I’m sorry for snapping at you,” I said.
“Yeah, okay,” was his only reply.
He finished working and exited the room as quietly as he entered.
Day 108:
Quinn promised today would be a great day! I would learn how to control my gift and learn what my ability entitled. I made my way outside to the parking lot and was surprised to find all twelve of the gifted waiting. I approached with caution not sure how happy everyone would be to see me.
“Hi Layla, how are you feeling?” Lucy asked with genuine concern in her voice.
“I’m feeling much better, thanks for asking,” I returned.
“Alright everyone, listen up. Thank you for coming out this morning to help Layla,” Quinn started.
“Like we really have a choice in the matter. If we don’t help her she will probably end up teleporting us to our deaths,” Addy hissed.
> I heard a few chuckle at her comment.
“I’m not forcing any of you to help or be here if you don’t want to. I want you all to understand something. The world isn’t a playground anymore, it’s a battlefield and if you want to survive then I suggest you put your petty differences aside and start working together. It’s us against the screamers. We have found out in recent days, there are other people out there too. We need to work together, here at the warehouse,” Quinn explained.
Silas stepped up and stood next to Quinn, “We all know Layla is powerful and has in one way or another surpassed all of our abilities. I know some of you fear her and are even angry with her for taking your abilities and messing with your emotions. She isn’t doing this to hurt you. Each of us woke up from the sickness with abilities we have had to learn. Layla never complained when she helped us get a handle on our gifts, so let’s just cool it and see what we can do to help.”
I was surprised to hear Silas defend me after the way we fought yesterday. I quietly thanked him.
He acknowledged me with a smile and wrapped his hand around mine. His hand was warm and soft and it made little butterflies dance around in my stomach.
“I would like to know how each of you have learned to control your abilities? Is it the same for all of you? If not this could explain why Layla can’t seem to get a solid grip on her gift,” Quinn said.
“I feel an electric energy in my body. It starts in my head and then moves and pulses around in me,” Sara explained.
“Same for me,” others added.
“And me,” Wes added.
The Demise of Humanity Page 11