Tomorrow Lost

Two: Burning Hill

Everything tilted.

The earth was shaking angrily, roaring as it tore itself apart. The rumbles continued as I heard other parts of the building collapsing. Even the flooring in my room had cracks appearing in it as the ground shifted and jutted.

My heart began to race in my chest. What was happening? Debris fell from the ceiling, clouds of dust coming to rest on me and my bed. I coughed as it invaded my lungs, standing up and moving towards the door on the opposite side of the room.

Confusion and anxiety filled my being as I made my way across. Was everyone all right? Was Laura? They were only human, so their bodies were weak. I was afraid a situation like this would hurt them. Even worse, kill them. My heart leapt in my chest.

I could only hope that they were all right. Tears began to prick at my eyes. This could not be happening again. This wasn’t my fault. But I could not lose everything. Not again. A heavy lump formed in my throat, holding down my entire body. I bent over, dry heaving and attempting to force it out of my body.

No, no, no.

This couldn’t…

It wasn’t real. This was another dream. It was just… yes, it was just like that time.

I swallowed, tasting bile.

The lump remained.

My eyes squeezed shut. I could hear them crying. Begging. They did not want to die. And I could not save them. My stomach flipped once again.

This was real.

Images of white ash falling from the sky drifted in my mind. I had first believed that I had been transported into a winter wonderland. Then I realized the ash was the remnants of the city and the people that lived within it. It covered my body.

Another shake. More debris came down from the collapsing ceiling.

I felt the guilt coming back. This was not my doing, so it was not my fault, but it felt like it. And that was enough. How many people were going to die again? I did not know the number of employees that worked here, but I knew that it was more than enough. Any number was more than enough.

There didn’t have to be any more death. I did not want that. Lives were beautiful. They should be cherished.

The retching continued. Nothing but saliva dripped out of my mouth. I hacked a few more times, my throat growing raw.

Keep it together, Thea.

I had to at least find Laura. I couldn’t let her down. All these years, she had taken care of me. It was within my abilities to find her. To help her. She would do the same for me. I knew that she would. I had to—

The door slid open. I momentarily wondered if Laura was the devil, because there she was. She was bleeding from a head wound and covered in dust, and there were scrapes that tore up her clothe, and she was gripping a more severe cut on her side—but she was alive. Relief flooded my body.

The pain in my stomach subsided. I took a step forward. “Laura,” I called out, a smile breaking out on my face.

Her expression twisted cruelly and I watched her slowly raise her arm. To my surprise, there was a gun in her hand. “Don’t you dare come near me,” she spat.

I froze. She was hunched over, obviously in pain, but she was brandishing the weapon confidently, her hands not even trembling in the slightest. “Laura?” I wanted to take another step forward, but something was holding me back. “What are you doing?”

The barrel was in line with my heart. A sneer formed on her bloodied face, hatred reflected in her eyes. It was so pure and unfiltered that I could almost feel it cutting through my being. “I should have killed you sooner.”

“Laura!” What was she doing? Slapping me was one thing… but pointing a gun at me? What had I done? I never hurt her. I would never hurt her. I would have thought that this was a joke, but Laura did not tell jokes. She did not laugh or smile. And why was she looking at me like that?

She pulled the trigger.

Out of instinct, my body jumped to the side. Well, it was more like I had teleported away from the speeding bullet. I did not recall having this ability. My head felt very light. Dizzy. I wasn’t used to it. I leaned against the wall, trying to gain a sense of my surroundings. My vision kept going in and out and was splotched with black spots, so I wound up sliding down to the ground, unable to hold myself up.

Pain radiated from my temples, pulsating through my brain.

Where had I wound up? Where was Laura? The disgust and contempt that colored her eyes reflected in my memory. I gagged. No, this did not make sense. Laura and I were not like this. And she was hurt. I had to help her to safety. Get her away from this place before she… Laura couldn’t die.

I coughed, raising my hand to catch the spray I felt rising up in my throat. A metallic taste filled my mouth. It weighed heavily on my tongue. Blood? Gazing at my palm, I saw that it was now covered in bright red. A frown formed on my face and I absentmindedly wiped my hand clean on my dirty gown. Was it the effects from teleportation? I did not know much about it because I had never done so before.

Moments passed as I tried to regain control of my body. A few more hacks escaped me, but no more blood came out along with them. I rested a hand on my stomach, feeling the unease clamping down on it relentlessly. My sight had gradually returned to normal, and I was able to recognize that I had sent myself to the main lab—well, what remained of it.

The ground was ruptured, opening into large cracks that lead into a dark abyss. All of the equipment was ruined and beams, tubes, pipes and other objects that were normally hidden now hung from the ruined ceiling or were revealed through the walls.

My eyes roamed around the wreckage, but I did not see any bodies. There were some bloodstains, but the people they belonged to where not there. Whether or not that meant they were safe, though, I did not know.

What was I supposed to do now?

I slowly rose to my feet. As I did so, I felt presences nearing mine. My neck snapped in the direction that they were coming from.

“Oh, there she is.”

“I told you we’d find her over here,” a familiar voice retorted, sounding smug.

The lightness of their tones did not fit in with the scenery of destruction. My eyes narrowed as two figures emerged from the billowing clouds of dust.

A woman with long, hip-length dreaded hair emerged first. She was dressed in black leather pants and corset with a low neckline that revealed a brilliantly shining golden gem that stood out against her dark skin. A mirthful smirk was spread out on her face, and it grew even wider when her strange, amethyst-colored eyes landed on me.

Next to her was a tall and lanky white guy. His outfit was far tamer than hers—a simple printed t-shirt and some jeans. His reddish hair came down to his shoulder in soft waves and there was an inexplicable kindness that radiated from his soft face.

The two of them next to each other was a contrasting sight as their vibes were polar opposites. Either way, I didn’t like them. Both of them were Strangers. It was obvious given their age and the undeniable connection I felt with them. And I was the only Stranger that occupied this entire facility. Which meant that they were intruders.

“Hi,” the woman greeted, wiggling her eyebrow. Her face had plenty of piercings: her eyebrow, her nose, cheeks, the space in between her nose and her mouth, and her smile revealed a ring that rested over her top teeth. I had never seen anyone like this, so her appearance was a bit shocking.

“Were you the ones that did this?” I demanded, feeling anger lick at my insides. My hands formed into fists at my sides, their shaking matching the tremors of the building.

She laughed. What was funny? How could this be humorous to her? People were hurt. Dying, even. “Us? No. But we can take you to the one that did. You can take up your issues with her.”

I glared, not trusting her words. Why on Earth would I?

“Ricki,” the man warned lowly. He turned to me and nodded his head. “I’m sorry, Thea, I tried to communicate with you, but you cut me off.”

“What? How do you know my name?” The trembling intensified. The building let out a pained moan. He was sounding more and more familiar. “Are you…” I recalled the voice that constantly interrupted my thoughts while I was here. It was him--he was that telepath! “I told you that I don’t need your help! What have you done?”

“We haven’t done anything. And we’re on your side. Do you think we would risk all of this if we weren’t?” he stated, voice growing hard. He seemed to notice his change in tone and stopped for a moment, inhaling deeply before continuing, “Listen, I get that you’re confused and that they haven’t told you anything. But, please, believe us.”

I didn’t respond. Who did they take me for? I felt my short nails beginning to cut into my palm, sending jolts of pain through me. My breath felt hot as I exhaled, eyes growing wet. I think that I was crying. I felt the tears burning as they streamed down my dirtied cheeks. “Who are you guys? What have you done?” My vision was growing blurry again, this time, it was from the sobbing.

He took a step forward, raising his hands up in a peaceful manner. “My name is Reed and,” he gestured to his partner, “this is Ricki. Okay?”

“Okay.” I nodded.

“Neither of us are here to hurt you--”

My eyes flashed over to a bloodstain. “You hurt everyone else,” I accused.

Reed shook his head and offered his hand out to me slowly. At some point, he had arrived in front of me. “You can touch me. It’s okay.”

I stared at his bare hand and swallowed thickly. Laura had forbade me from touching others long ago. Once, when I was younger, I had tried to hold her hand, and our minds had linked momentarily. Both of us had been shocked--me because I had never done this before and Laura was unnerved for obvious reasons. She had quickly shaken me off. Another time, I had touched a technician and they fainted, nose bleeding profusely--that was the last time I felt real human contact. “I… No.” My mouth felt dry.

“You won’t hurt me,” Reed said patiently. “I just want you to trust me. Okay?” He outstretched his hand out further, encouraging me to take it. “Thea, I’ll be fine.”

I sniffled then hesitantly reached out my own hand to hold onto his. Our skin touched. His hand was warm and soft. I had forgotten what human felt like. What life felt like. It was as if I could touch the delicate veins that existed underneath the thin barrier of his skin. A small gasp escaped me as the connection deepened.

The experience was transcendental.

Reed opened up his mind to me, allowing me to see and feel the same that he did. It was as if our existences had merged for the moment. This was a sentence beyond words. Things that could not be explained through language were explained. I understood him. He understood me. We were nothing but souls connected.

The one that ended the moment was me. It was too much to handle. He was trying to tell me everything and I was not ready for that. It send shivers of pain through my brain. I stumbled a step backwards, my fingers tingling.

“I…” Information was swirling around. I couldn’t decipher it all at once. “Ah…”

My brain began to sort the mass that had flooded inside of it, trying to pick out what felt like the most important pieces. There was a lot; it was hard to form a hierarchy.

Eventually, I figured out something like this:

People like Laura in facilities like this were keeping Strangers prisoners. They experimented on them until they died. Or they just killed them--the weak ones, at least. Reed and Ricki were part of a rebel force. And now they were here to save me.

At least, they thought that they were saving me.

Out of everything, these were the most pressing matters. But I did not want this. They had to understand this. I had more than enough death and destruction for one lifetime by age ten.

“I don’t want any part of this,” I murmured, gripping the short strands of my hair. Why? Why couldn’t they just leave me they alone? Why were they rebelling? The humans were just afraid of us. They were only afraid because they could not understand what we were… so, it was better to let them be. “Please leave.”

“No,” Ricki spoke up. She had moved to stand next to Reed; her arms were crossed against her chest and her expression had lost its playfulness and grown serious. “We came here for you, and we aren’t leaving without you.”

I glared at her. “I did not ask you to come here. I--”

“It doesn’t matter. The revolution can’t wait any longer, Thea. They’re killing us--they’re killing children like us.” She stepped closer to me, towering over me with the extra height her platforms gave to her. “Are you going to sit in hiding for another decade, or are you going to get off your ass and do something?”

Reed snapped, “Ricki! You aren’t helping.”

She shrugged. “I’m just saying the truth that you won’t. I’ve never seen somebody so afraid of what they are.”

“If you were me, you’d understand,” I retorted, firmly believing that there was no way that she could comprehend.

“You’re right. I don’t get it. You’re being presented with the opportunities to save others, and you refuse to take it because of what happened when you were a child. Instead, you want to stay in your little box instead of taking action. You aren’t taking control.”

“I’m not harming anybody else. Like you all have.” They wanted me to fight for their cause. To use me. I did not want to. “That’s why I’m going to remain here. You all can leave. I will fix the mess that you’ve made,” I spoke with growing confidence in my voice.

She shook her head. “No. These people are murderers. They aren’t worth your attention.”

“I’m a murderer.”

“All right,” Reed cut in before Ricki could say anything else. “Thea, there is nothing left for you here. We won’t ask anything from you. Just come along with us.”

I hesitated, looking around once again.

“I’m going to be honest with you. After an incident like this, there is no way that they will let you to continue living. If you go back to them, they will kill you. Do you understand?”

My foundation shook once again. I knew that his words were the truth based off what had been shown to me. Now that the rebels had shown interest in me and collapsed probably the most secure facility they had, I was more of a danger than anything, so it would be better to eliminate me.

Handing myself over to them was suicide. I did not consider myself to be a very selfish person, but I did not want to die, even if I knew that others would be better off from it. When I laid to rest, I wanted it to be peaceful and clean. A tidy ending. That was what I desired.

“I…”

Reed continued to speak, “I promise that we won’t try anything with you, Thea. We’ll let you make the decision on your own after you’ve seen both sides, but I can’t allow you to deliver yourself to your own demise this way.”

“Do you have the authority to make such a promise?” I knew that he was not the leader. Somebody else was… Myra. The one who had done this to the building. It would be a lie if I said I did not want to meet her. Stare her down and ask what drove her to make such an extreme decision. Did she know the consequence?

Ricki snorted.

“Yes,” Reed said. “Nobody is here to force you.”

I glanced at the sneering face behind Reed. “Nobody?”

“I’m not forcing you to do shit.” Ricki laughed. “Even if you’re a coward, that’s your own problem.”

She was not wrong; I was a coward. I knew that much about myself.

“What’s your decision?” Reed urged.

I could tell that they wanted me to hurry up. There was probably not much time before the reinforcements appeared. A two-way path was laid out before me: I could escape with the rebels or I could wait to be taken away once more. There were probably more options, but they were not coming to me, and I was not a fighter. “I’ll go with you,” I murmured. For now, at least.

Reed and Ricki share a quick look. I wondered what it meant, but the two of them quickly began to walk away--back the way that they had came from.

“Follow us,” Reed said, turning back to look at me.

“Oh.” I realized that I had not moved from my spot. I trailed after them, my heart thumping loudly in my ears.

Was this truly happening right now? Where we were going to go? Ah… there was something about a base, yes, that’s where they hide. Were they going to take me there first? How were we supposed to get here? I had not been outside of this place for ten years, but I knew that it was under heavy security. My stomach twisted even more. What happened to those people? Where was everybody?

I looked around as we made our way down a wing I had never been down. Like everything else, it has been destroyed. Because of that, I wasn’t able to tell what it used to be. Some of the doors had been opened because of the wreckage, revealing rooms filled with equipment I had not seen before or others would be storage areas with shelves full of vials and other things.

All of this existed here?

I was coming to the realization that I had only explored a small section of this building: my room and the main lab. Or at least what I assumed was the main lab. I scratched my dirty arms. This was strange.

I was coming to terms with my own ignorance. It did not feel good. If anything, it was oppressive.

Simply within the place that I had resided in for over half of my life, I wasn’t aware of so much. I began to feel very small. Stupid.

I was the girl who knew nothing about anything.

Once again, I felt like retching. Even though there was nothing in my stomach. I was empty.