by Aella Black
Speaking of which…
I spotted some kids walking toward what looked like an outdoor field. Thank goodness. I didn’t think I’d stay sane being stuck indoors for the next year or so. But even from where I was standing, I could see the tall concrete walls that kept the kids from looking out… and others from looking in.
Not that there was anything in the vicinity of Leavenworth. Nope, we were all on our own out here.
Rocky had told me her parents turned her in, but did they know she was here? If so, what type of parents would willingly let their kid rot away in jail? I mean, my mom had never been the warm and fuzzy type, but I had a hard time thinking even she would send me off to prison.
One thought led to another, and suddenly I saw everyone in the rec room in a different light. What kind of lives had they lived before being dumped here? And how much fear and frustration had they felt when they discovered they had these powers? For that matter, why did any of us have these unique abilities in the first place?
As soon as I walked outside, I spotted Birdie across the yard, her head tilted up to the sky. I wondered if she was talking to a bird and moved to join her when a mammoth of a boy stepped in front of me—well, more like a wolf of a man.
“So, you’re the new girl on the block.”
Up close, Wolf looked even bigger and more menacing than I’d anticipated. Taking a step back, I said, “Um, yeah, I guess.” I had absolutely no desire to talk to him. I didn’t like the way his eyes moved over me as if sizing me up.
Wolf moved in closer, looming over me. This guy was a giant. He had to be at least a foot taller than me.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Wolf.” Yeah, I got that, thanks. “And I don’t take kindly to those who claim to be indestructible.”
My breath hitched. “I never said—”
“Phoenix.” He spat my nickname out like venom. “That’s what they call you, right?”
I tried stepping around him, but Wolf gripped my shoulder, squeezing painfully. I yelped and then attempted to get out of reach of his meaty hands. “Let go of me!”
I hated that I sounded like a weak, little girl—and worse, I felt like one too. Especially as more bodies pressed in around me. The pack was here, and their intimidation game was strong.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dizzy move behind me. I prayed he wouldn’t use his power, since I already felt like I was going to be sick.
Wolf’s voice dipped low. “We’ll just have to test out how breakable you really are.”
Bile climbed up my throat. Someone touched me, and a shock of electricity caused me to jump. Then I threw up. All over—
“Wolf!” one of the guards barked. He shoved himself between me and Wolf, a mistake he realized instantly. “Ah, this is disgusting,” he said, moving backward as fast as his overweight body would allow. Before he did, I caught a whiff of cheese puffs. “Y’all are goin’ to make me lose my lunch.”
I stepped back too, because I did not want to see those come back up. More importantly, I needed to put as much distance as possible between me and the rabid-looking Wolf in front of me.
If looks could kill, I’d already be a corpse. Then again…
“We’re gonna see if your new name fits you, Phoenix.” He slid a finger across his throat, and my eyes widened. I looked to the guard to see if he’d tell Wolf off—or better yet, tase him.
Instead, he laughed. “You’ll get your chance, you mangy mutt. But not here. Now get!” He clapped his chubby hands, and Wolf and his pack stalked off. The guard didn’t so much as look at me, much less ask if I was okay, before ambling away.
Before he left, I caught the name stitched on his shirt: Luther. Wasn’t Lex Luther the villain in the Superman comics? Actually, maybe it was “Luthor.” Whatever. I hoped the guy choked on one of his cheese puffs. I hoped someone flushed the toilet while he was in the shower. I hoped—
Feeling all the adrenaline rush out of my body, I slumped to the ground. Maybe going outside wasn’t such a good idea after all.
Who needed Vitamin D anyway?
9
Woody was suddenly at my side. “You okay?”
No. No, I was not okay.
In fact, I was shaking from head to toe. But I knew I needed to get a hold of myself. Prisons—supernatural or otherwise—weren’t for sissies. Not that I’d ever been to one before, let alone live there, but showing weakness never worked to the advantage of the prey where predators were concerned.
Inhaling a deep breath, I released it slowly, satisfied it only shook a little on the way out. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Just like my dad was “fine” every time someone asked him how we were after my mother left us. And because I learned from the best, the same way I was “fine” after he left me alone to fend for myself.
I looked up at Woody when I was certain I appeared to be “fine.” Our gazes met, and he looked away quickly.
“Wolf’s a jerk,” he said, crouching down next to me.
That might have been the understatement of the year. “I noticed.”
And though I was angry at Luther, the guard wasn’t my enemy. He hadn’t been the one to threaten my life. He didn’t put his hands on me. Just like in a schoolyard, Luther was the one who could have said something—who should have said something—to the bullies but chose not to step up and take a stand.
Wolf was the threat. And I needed to stay far, far away from him.
I spied Birdie in the same spot as before and saw Cathy was with her now. Good. Safety in numbers. I’d learned just how important that was the hard way. “Where are the others?” I asked Woody.
“Cal and Tex are playing a board game. I got bored watching the news and decided to go outside. That’s when I saw Wolf, well… yeah. Stay away from him.”
He saw all of that? What happened to him having my back?
Another rush of anger flooded through me. “It wasn’t like I was trying to get in his way. He’s got a major problem with me.”
Woody shrugged. “He’s got a major problem with everyone.”
“So does Rocky, but you don’t see her threatening people’s lives.”
Woody’s eyebrows rose beneath his long hair.
Wait, Rocky did do that, didn’t she? Right after we met, in fact. But Woody didn’t know that. Apparently, Rocky’s reputation preceded her.
“I’m going back in,” I said, more irritated than angry now. Woody followed me inside. It appeared others had gotten their news fix, too, and were now participating in other activities. “Anything interesting going on?” I asked.
“You mean, other than you showing up?”
I looked at him. “I was talking about outside the prison.”
Woody’s face reddened, and he started speaking quickly. “Yeah, New York City was just declared uninhabitable. They’re evacuating like millions of people. I think it’s going under next.” He shrugged like it was no big deal. I guessed to him it wasn’t. “I’m going to see what Tex and Cal are playing.”
“I’ll come with you.” No way was I flying solo again. I tossed a nervous glance around the rec yard for Wolf. When I didn’t see him, I assumed he went to wash my lunch off his clothes.
Breathing just a bit easier, I joined Woody at the table that Tex and Cal occupied. They both looked up from their checkers game and gave me wide grins. “Phoenix! Long time, no see,” Tex said.
It was impossible not to smile back. “Right? Half an hour was so long ago…” I took a seat next to Tex, suddenly feeling the need to be near someone strong who didn’t want to hurt me.
Cal stared at the board, then made a careful move. Tex claimed three of his pieces, chuckling as he did so. “You haven’t gotten any better at this, you know.”
“Come on, dude. I didn’t see that coming.”
“You’ve gotta pay attention.”
“And how do I know you’re not changing the color of the checkers when I’m not looking?”
“Like I said, pay attention,”
Tex replied with a cheeky grin.
As they continued to play, my gaze wandered. I spotted Rocky sitting by herself, toying with a yo-yo as her eyes roamed lazily around the room. When they met mine, she scowled. Maybe it was because I was sitting next to Tex, or perhaps it was because I’d just been thinking about predators vs. prey, but I didn’t look away this time.
“So, Phoenix,” Tex drawled. “How’d that fire start?”
My attention was drawn back to the table. “Huh? Oh. I… don’t know.”
“Saw there were two kids who escaped. They your siblings?”
I shook my head. “No, I was babysitting.”
“Ouch.” Cal made another move. “Maybe it’s a good thing the homeowners think you’re dead then, am I right?” He grinned at me.
I shrugged. It wasn’t like I could tell them Mr. Fletcher knew I was still alive. That would open up a buttload of questions to which I had no answers.
“What was it like to die?” Woody asked, sitting across from me.
Tex reached over and knocked him upside the head with his palm. Woody glared at him. “What? I was only asking.”
“You don’t just ask someone what it’s like to die.”
“No, it’s okay.” All eyes turned to me. “It wasn’t fun, that’s for sure. There must have still been a lot of smoke in my lungs, so I think the worst part was waking up.” Not to mention, the horror and confusion about what had happened. The gut-wrenching fear that I hadn’t done enough to save the twins. The grief when I thought they were dead. That had been almost unbearable.
But I kept all of that to myself.
“So you didn’t get burnt all crispy fried?” Cal asked. Tex none-too-gently let him know that question was equally insensitive. Woody smirked as if vindicated.
“Ow! Just sayin’, dude,” Cal muttered.
“I think I was burned,” I admitted. “I guess they treated me during the time I was knocked out.”
“I’d be crazy fearless if I knew I couldn’t die,” Cal said.
I winced. “Yeah, well, I don’t really want to push my luck.”
“Killer way to find out your superpower… pun intended,” Tex said with a wink. “Mine was lame. I was working on a class project, and I needed a green marker. This chick took it so I reached for blue, thinking it would have to do but wishing it was green. And then suddenly it was green.” He clipped his king across the board, taking the rest of Cal’s pieces.
Cal threw up his arms in defeat and flopped back in his chair. “Cheater.”
“You make it so easy, I don’t have to cheat. Here, hug it out.” Tex pushed away from the table and bent over Cal, crushing him in a one-armed hug. Cal squirmed, trying to get away.
“Nah, man! We’re good, we’re good.”
Tex laughed, a big, full-bodied belly laugh. I couldn’t help laughing too. These were good guys. Sure, Cal was a little goofy and Woody was all kinds of moody, but Tex was an honest-to-goodness sweetheart. Being around him made me feel like things really would be okay. Like this was all normal. Like we were all normal.
Then a voice sounded loud in my head, and I was reminded we were anything but normal.
“Hey guys, it’s Cathy!”
We all looked at one another as if to say, “Who else would be inside our heads?”
“You may want to come outside. Hot Rod is trying to get past the wall!”
“Son of a gun,” Tex murmured, his gaze shifting to the door that led outside.
“What’s happening?” I asked “Who’s Hot Rod?”
“Decent kid. Someone should stop him.” Tex’s lighthearted mood had dissipated, and he started off in the direction he was looking.
I had no idea what was going on, but I hopped up and followed quickly behind. So did the others.
“Poor dude,” Cal said. “I knew he was close to breaking.”
“He’s doing it!” Cathy screeched inside my head. “There’s a small hole in the wall!”
“No way,” Woody said as we made it through the door. I still wasn’t sure which one was Hot Rod, so my eyes darted in every direction, looking for the source of the commotion.
“Hold up.” Tex held out his hand and we all stopped.
Woody nodded to where a handful of guards had appeared. They eyed us warily, hands on their tasers. I assumed they determined we weren’t going anywhere, because they took off toward the yard’s outer perimeter. My gaze tracked them.
I heard a scream, and a chill crept up my back. With dread, I looked over to where Cathy held Birdie, covering her eyes and ears as she pressed the twelve-year-old against her chest. They appeared to be safe, though.
Then I saw the swarm of guards grab a young boy with a shock of red hair and pronounced freckles. They tackled him as if he wore a bomb vest. I watched, terrified for the kid, as they stuck a needle in his neck and he slumped into their arms. They dragged him away from the wall which did, in fact, have a small hole burned through it. It was barely big enough for the kid to stick his arm through.
I watched as two of the guards dragged his unconscious body through the yard. Suddenly, one of them was in our faces. “Rec time is over. Everyone back to their cells!” he barked.
There were grumbles and complaints that rec time was being cut short, but we all began trekking back inside. In The Quad, it seemed everyone also obeyed. Except Wolf and his gang. They continued to play basketball until a guard ripped the ball away from Ghost and threatened her with a taser.
Birdie and Cathy caught up with us. “Are you guys okay?” I asked.
Birdie nodded. Cathy spoke rapidly as we walked. We would have to separate soon.
“Little Bird and I were hanging with her bird friends, and I saw Hot Rod. He’s hard to miss with that hair. Then he put his hands on the wall to, you know, do his thing. He just doesn’t have enough power yet, though. I wish he’d made it. I’ve seen him crying a time or two because he misses his mom. It was only a matter of time before he tried to break out.”
Cathy’s words wrung my heart. “What’s going to happen to him now?”
“Nothing good,” Woody said darkly.
“This isn’t the first time someone’s tried to escape,” Tex told me. “We don’t usually see them after that.”
I was horrified. If the SCC—whoever they were—could keep kids captive for no reason whatsoever and detain them however long they wanted, what was to keep them from killing us?
10
No sooner had we sat down to dinner than Birdie’s bottom lip began to tremble.
Her face turned a splotchy red as she tried to hold back the tears. They fell anyway, big, fat drops slowly rolling down her cheeks.
Cathy wrapped a comforting arm around her. “It’s okay, girlie. We’ve got you.”
My heart broke, and I couldn’t help but think of Zoe. Yes, Birdie was older, but she was still a young girl. And young girls needed their parents. Siblings too, if they had them.
What if Zoe had developed a power? I couldn’t even imagine her trapped in this place. It would be like clipping a bird’s wings.
Anyway, what was so dangerous about being able to talk to birds?
Anger boiled deep within me. My eyes snagged on Warden Will chatting with some guards. I stood and pushed away from the table.
“Phoenix…” There was a warning in Tex’s tone.
I didn’t listen.
I marched over to the warden, my gray jumpsuit rubbing roughly against my legs. As I approached, he caught my eye and smiled.
I didn’t smile back.
The guards closed in around him, their hands resting on their belts.
I didn’t care.
“Phoebe,” Warden Will said. “How has your first day been? Are you adjusting well?”
I stopped a few feet away from him and crossed my arms. “No one I’ve met here is a danger to society,” I said. “Why are they here? Why are you locking us up?”
“Back to your table,” a guard growled.
Warden Will
held up a hand to silence him. The older man’s smile had dimmed, and I thought I detected pity in his eyes.
I didn’t want pity.
“It’s Phoenix now, isn’t it?” he asked quietly.
I didn’t respond.
Was I was supposed to be impressed he knew my nickname? I didn’t want the name. What I wanted was to go back to my life.
The warden took a deep breath. “Whether or not your powers are a threat to society, we don’t understand them. If others found out, it could cause hysteria. We’re trying to protect you and the others, and we do the best we can to keep you comfortable.” He paused. “It really is too bad the best housing they could find was a prison. But let me assure you, you’re not a criminal.”
I shot a glare at the guards. “Then why are you treating us like criminals? What happened to Hot Rod?”
“This may be difficult for you to understand, but it really is in your best interest to do as you’re told.” Warden Will’s words were gentle, but there was a subtle undercurrent to his tone. I was also keenly aware that he failed to answer both of my questions.
“Please don’t cause a scene, Phoebe.” I could practically hear the unspoken ending to that sentence. I don’t want to have to hurt you.
Gritting my teeth, I turned and headed back to the dinner table. Along the way, I noticed Rocky watching me from the corner of the room. She probably thought I was a weak coward.
She was right.
I plopped down in my seat, still fuming. The others were quiet. I’d lost what little appetite I had, but I picked up my fork and began to eat anyway.
“You’re not going to talk your way out,” Tex finally said.
I stabbed my fork into the chewy chicken we’d been served.
“That was pretty brave, though,” Cathy said.
Me, brave? What a joke. There wasn’t a brave bone in my body.
It wasn’t like me to question authority. And even if the authority figures in my life were around, I probably wouldn’t.
Heck, I hadn’t even faced the fact that my parents were gone. I had no one in this world. No one.