CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

At the pop, a pair of big brown eyes of a little girl peered up at me in terror.

I scanned the room at the toys and purple paint. It wasn’t a makeshift doctor’s office anymore, but a child’s room. The garbage pail clattered to the floor and the girl screamed, “Mommy!”

I scrambled to my feet and ran into the hall. The girl continued to wail.

“Baby? What’s wrong?” a woman’s voice said from a room further down the hall.

I clamored in the opposite direction, through the same living area I’d just been in and fled to the front door, swinging it opened. Flying outside, I scrambled toward the bushes to hide. Moments later, a woman peered out the front door and scanned the street. Then she clicked her DOD watch face open. “Yes, I need the authorities. We’ve had a break-in.”

Thankful for the cover of night, I darted around trees and trellises and ran through the backyards lined against the wall. Above me the guns rested in their turrets. I wouldn’t have believed they’d worked until witnessing it. What did Memphis do after I disappeared? Was he still waiting on the other side of the wall? Continuing on, I contemplated what to do. There was no way I could get to Elle’s without being seen and no way over the wall. If only I had the map, I’d know how to get underground, or get out. I was trapped.

The sirens wailed in the background, long and lonely. Reality that I’d become what I feared settled in. And now I didn’t belong anywhere. The nightmare grew by each second. I stopped to catch my breath and stared across the street. My house was only one block over.

Then magically, the sirens stopped. I swallowed down my fear and walked toward home. Everything inside me wanted to step inside and pretend nothing had happened—if only nothing had happened. Oddly, my light was on in my bedroom. Had they left it on as a vigil for me? My heart ached and thoughts of what Kaden battled with the night he took me resonated deep. I was here to do the same thing, only I had no way to kidnap my parents. I had to convince them to abandon their way of life. This was impossible.

I snuck to the door and turned the knob like I had every day of my eighteen-years of life. It wouldn’t budge. They’d locked it? No one locked their doors.

My neighbor’s dog began to bark and I swiveled around. Roofus growled at me for a second, then wagged his tail. Kaden hadn’t done anything to him after all—just like he’d promised. Actually everything he’d ever said had been the truth. Guilt over the fact that I’d betrayed him by asking Memphis for help hit hard.

The porch light clicked on and the door swung open before I could hide. Mom stood in her bathrobe, angered at first. Her face was fuller, her hair so much grayer and the soft wrinkles around her eyes showed her age.

“Abby?” she asked breathless. “Is that really you?”

My eyes darted to her naked wrist and I blew out a relieved breath. She never wore her DOD to bed.

“Oh, my stars!” she enveloped me into a hug and pulled me inside the house. “Where have you been?”

Tears glittered on her cheeks and I smiled as she inspected me from head to toe. “They said that that thing had taken you over the wall. That you’d never survive.”

I bit my lip as tears slid down my cheeks, speechless at where to start. “It’s a long story…”

Dad came around the corner and froze. He, unfortunately, did have his DOD watch on. I couldn’t chance the EA knowing I’d returned, not yet. His lips opened to speak and I hushed him.

Then I motioned for him to remove his DOD watch. Luckily, he nodded in agreement.

“Well, that’s odd, Maggie. I swore I heard something. Let’s go back to bed.” He lifted his finger to signal, “give me a second.”

Mom held onto me and we watched Dad disappear around the corner. Moments later he returned without his DOD on and pulled us into his arms.

“I can’t believe this… You’re home,” he breathed and kissed the top of my head. “The nightmare is over.”

I sucked in air and pretended for a small moment it was really over and enjoyed every second of it. If only it could be that simple.

“What happened?” Mom asked.

I stared at their inquisitive faces, still unsure what to say. “I was kidnapped by a Sasquatch. She took me over the wall and…” I wasn’t sure where to go from there.

“She?” Mom’s eyes grew.

“Yes, it was a girl.”

“Did it hurt you?”

“Of course not.” I held my breath. How did I tell them about the colony? About the lies? “Mom, in fact, there are no zombies on the other side at all. It’s beautiful over there and clean. I didn’t get sick. Actually, I’ve never felt better. We don’t have to live in this manufactured world where the EA controls every move we make. We can be free.”

Mom gasped and grabbed me, holding me to her chest as if I were a small child about to be ripped from her arms. This side of her was directly opposite of the fiery girl who wanted to turn me in.

She scanned to the walls as if someone could overhear us. “Don’t talk like that.”

Dad had had a permanent frown on his face ever since I’d mentioned the word Sasquatch.

“We can’t stay here anymore. It’s not safe,” I whispered. “And I know where we can hide.”

Dad leaned forward, his eyes wild. “Abigail. Stop talking like that.”

“Dad,” I peered beseechingly at him. “I can’t help it. I’m the Oracle.”

His face blanched as his chest rose and fell rapidly. He stood, clutching his heart. “That’s not possible.”

Mom rose and grasped onto Dad’s arm. “I thought the Oracle died.”

“Yes, so… you can’t possibly be the Oracle, Abigail.”

I hated that Dad kept using my formal name. His eyes, though, were everywhere other than on the two of us which was a dead giveaway he was lying.

I took his hand. “Look at me. Please. I promise you. I’m telling the truth.”

His eyes swung to mine like a scared rabbit. “You can’t be the Oracle, so stop this nonsense.”

I swallowed and closed my eyes for a moment, praying for help. I had no way to prove to him I was the Oracle. “I’ve already begun to see things in the past. I saw Mom before you were married. She worked as an assistant to Dr. Wilderman, after she was Chosen.”

Mom gasped and put her hand to her mouth as Dad’s glower found her and deepened.

Dad grabbed my arms. “How do you know that?”

“I was there. I saw it.” I trembled under his murderous look.

“Jeff,” Mom quietly pleaded as she clutched to his arm. “Abby did nothing wrong.”

“I know,” Dad’s gruff voice trembled. “But do you realize what this means?”

Mom wiped her eyes and sniffled, shaking her head. This was my moment of truth. They had to listen.

I took both their hands and demanded they look at me. “This is why we have to leave tonight. The EA knew I was a Glitch, but once they figured out I was actually the Oracle, my Complement sent someone from the zombie zone to save me—a Sasquatch. Because… she knew what would happen to me. I’m in danger. We all are.”

Just then someone beat on the door. Mom jumped.

“Police! Open up!” A man yelled from outside.

Dad grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the kitchen with Mom following closely behind. We halted before the sliding glass doors. Men dressed in blue, held guns and batons on the other side of the glass.

The taller one rapped on the door. “Open up, Mr. Masterson.”

“Jeff,” Mom said breathless. “Why are they here?”

Dad hid me behind his back. Then he swiveled around. Tears were streaming down his face. “Don’t tell them anything. Please. Promise me. Just say you’re sorry.”

“Dad?”

“Just promise me.”

I agreed to pacify him, but it didn’t matter. The EA already knew who I was and I’d failed at my quest. This was so much bigger than he could have possibly realized. Escape was impossible now.

Once the men broke through the door and flooded my parent’s tiny perfect house, everything happened in a hurried rush. They grabbed and cuffed me before I could struggle, then escorted me outside. My father watched on, doing nothing. Only my mother’s shrieking voice could be heard over the oddly quiet group. Had he tipped them off?

With my head held low, I tried to hide from the gawking neighbors lining the streets as the two men ushered me to the closest car. But I wasn’t the only person arrested that night. Kaden looked back at me from the backseat of the opposite police car and I felt a scream quelling in my throat as they shoved me inside.

Swiveling around to try and see him, I tried not to be too obvious. The last thing I wanted was to tip off our relationship. How did they find him? But worse, what would they do to him?

Once the cop slid into the driver’s seat, I demanded to know why I’d been arrested. He ignored my questions and pulled behind the car that held Kaden and headed toward downtown. Once we neared the EA buildings, Kaden’s car turned left when we turned right.

I pinched my eyes shut. Headache. I need a headache. I couldn’t let them arrest me, especially not with Kaden in custody, too. Of course my powers didn’t cooperate.

After being led inside, I sat alone on a bench, freezing, before a round lady frisked me. Without anyone responding to my insistent question of what I’d done wrong, I was booked and taken down a long hallway past a row of shiny bars to an empty cell. Inside a cot held a change of clothes, a blanket, and a pillow. In the neighboring cell a small body lay curled up on the cot under a wool blanket. Apparently Kaden and I weren’t the only criminals in Brighton tonight.

I rubbed at my wrists and sneered at the cop’s ugly glare after she removed my cuffs and slapped on a new DOD watch. I stared at the foreign thing as my date of death jumped around from twenty to fifty. Laughter bubbled from my throat and I waved my wrist at the camera pointed at me on the opposite wall.

“I’m a Glitch, morons!”

“Do you mind?” the girl said from the cell next to me.

I turned, ready to unleash my vitriol, when our eyes locked. She sat up and pushed off a dark shock of hair. My mouth fell open.

“Elle?” I whispered, afraid my best friend would vanish before me.

“Abby?”

We hesitated for a moment, then ran to the bars. I squeezed my arms through, trying my best to not let them impede our hug.

“Holy, living dead.” Tears fell from her cheeks. “They said you were… gone.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” I sniffled, trying hard not to break into sobs. “I was taken.”

An electrical zap lit the bars and I yelped, but Elle didn’t let go of me.

“Don’t say anything,” she whispered in my ear. “Please.”

The air crackled again. A jolt of electricity, stronger than the first, rattled my teeth and cramped all my muscles. Once it stopped, we fell backwards.

“Keep away from the bars,” a voice rang from the speaker.

Elle snarled and flipped off the camera. “Bite me!”

The hair on my arms stood on end and my watch was blank for a second.

“Elle,” I chastised before I could stop myself.

“What?” She threw me a look. “They just freakin’ electrocuted us, the assholes. For hugging.”

I cringed at her language. And then I caught myself as the programmed part of me almost tried to rationalize their behavior. We weren’t at fault here. I slammed my mouth shut as reality sunk in once again. The EA was the enemy.

Elle laughed sardonically and dusted off herself. “A lot has changed since you’ve been gone.”

I held my breath and tried to stay calm. That was an understatement. “What did you do?”

Elle’s eyes slighted and I knew instantly I’d offended her.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean that,” I said quickly.

“I didn’t do anything,” she said through gritted teeth. “Landon felt the need to teach me a lesson.”

My breath hitched. Her brother turned her in? I moved closer, staying clear of the bars. “Why?”

“Power trip. I don’t know. It doesn’t matter.” She pinched her lips together. Despair briefly lit her eyes before thousands of unspoken questions burned between us, ones we couldn’t ask. She recomposed herself and lifted her chin. “I’m just glad you’re alive.”

I fought back the tears and forced a smile. “Me, too.”

“What happened to you?”

Everything bubbled up inside and for a moment, I forgot about the camera. “I was kidnapped by…” Her look of warning stopped me. I collected my thoughts. I’d stick with my story. “A Sasquatch somehow it got over the wall and took me.”

“Wait, what?”

“Didn’t the EA show footage on the news? I mean, someone had to of seen a seven-foot hairy beast roaming the streets.”

She shook her head, eyes larger than I’d ever seen.

I rolled my eyes. If she was acting, she was doing a great job. We both saw one on the feed at Landon’s when we were looking for Kaden. “I guess they’re animal enough, the guns don’t train on them.”

She blinked a few times as if she was letting the information sink in. “Just tell me you saw a zombie.”

I furrowed my brow, then half-heartedly chuckled after remembering Memphis’ response when I’d told him my fears. But I had seen zombies, just not in our timeline. “Yeah, more than I ever want to see again.” I swung my eyes to the cameras, remembering Kaden. He was somewhere in this jail. “The Sasquatch took care of me.”

Elle’s smile faded and her head tilted. “Really?”

“Yeah,” I pinched my lips together. Maybe if I mentioned Kaden’s blue eyes, she’d know I meant Blue Eyes and not the actual Sasquatch. “It’s kinda crazy. He’s got blue eyes.”

Please put two-and-two together, Elle. Please.

Elle’s lips formed an O.

I gulped down my hesitation. “They’re actually very kind and curious and civil.” How did I hint Kaden was arrested, too?

Elle looked down and paced for a moment. Then from nowhere, her cool demeanor surfaced. “Well, while you were out making friends with Sasquatch, people actually thought you were dead.”

I pulled my head backward, shocked at her accusation. “I know. I didn’t plan any of this. I wanted to come home sooner, but I—they wouldn’t let me.”

“I don’t believe you. Look at you. You’re tan and clean, and look like you’ve only lost a few pounds. I bet it was like a vacation.” She slid to the floor and put her back to me.

“What?” I moved closer to her, leery of the bars between us. “Don’t say that. I wanted to come home every day. Please, believe me.”

“Whatever.” Her head tilted and a part of me died inside. Why was she being so irrational? Had she’d misunderstood that I wasn’t with Sasquatch at all, but Kaden? With the damn cameras watching, I couldn’t tell her the truth. I grit my teeth and kneeled on the floor.

“You don’t know how sorry I am. I promise I begged for…” I bit my lip. I’d almost let it slip that Jewels could understand English, which would imply I wasn’t the first human she’d interacted with. “… tried to escape.”

“Yeah, well… I don’t think I can forgive you,” she said over her shoulder.

My chest constricted as I fought back the tears. How could she not understand? How could she think I had any choice in the matter? Her finger, though, was twirling against the floor in a pattern. No, not a pattern. Letters.

N.O.T. M.A.D.

I exhaled hard and rolled up to my feet, then I sat down. The metal coils on my bunk squeaked, adding to my racing heart.

“Fine then.” I rose my chin. Was I supposed to play along? “If you can’t find it in your heart to forgive me over something I had no control over, then I guess we aren’t as close as I thought.”

She drew an unhappy face. “Guess not.”

I crossed my arms to feign my anger, but watched her finger for another clue. We’d played this game as kids except we’d draw letters on each other’s backs and guess. But I wasn’t sure what to say, or even if this fight was real or not. “Have you been here this entire time?”

“What do you think?” Her finger scrawled another message: S.A.Y. Y.E.T.I.

Was that the code word?

I sucked in a breath. “Geez, Elle. I can’t believe you’re mad because a Yeti kidnapped me and took me over the wall.” I blew out a breath. “I didn’t want to go.”

She drew a happy face. We’d made a connection. I placed my closed fists on my cheeks to hide my eyes and watched her fingers through my hair.

“You’re a coward,” she said with an irritated exhale.

I tried not to let her words sting, but she was right. I had been a coward. I should have stood up to Kaden right from the start and not quit until I had all the answers. If only I’d known Elle was locked up over this. Why would Landon turn on his sister? What did he tell them? My shoulders fell. This whole thing was a disaster. Who knew where Kaden was? Or even Memphis. Did they get over the wall together?

Curling my arms around my legs, I leaned my cheek against my knees feeling hopeless. Elle kept writing letters, but after a while they jumbled into a mess of confusion. Every so often I picked out a few things; mostly that the EA couldn’t be trusted, but the frustration began to build inside me and I wanted to know what they were going to do to us. Were we bound to be slaves in Stygos? Would the EA find the location of the colony?

I couldn’t let that happen. We had to escape.

Elle’s fingers twitched a few more times, repeating on the same words over and over, and they finally clicked.

T.H.E.Y. K.N.O.W.

My heart dropped at what that could possibly mean, but at that point, I didn’t give a crap. It was time they gave me answers.

In anger, I jumped up and yelled at the top of my lungs. “I demand to see who’s in charge! I demand to see Vice President Wilderman!”

Elle gasped, her eyes rounded. Only then did my head began to pound.

Date: 2015-02-03; view: 623