The hopefuls

Chapter nine: Feathers

I open my eyes to a piercing bright light gaping through the slightly open curtains. I blink I few times trying to adjust my eyes to the light. 

"Ugh morning already" I moan.

I roll over plopping my hand on the bed, causing a feather to puff up into the air and back down on my arm. I pick it up and admire it. Such a precious thing, delicate. Yet the power it gives some of us Gen z children is more dangerous then can ever be imagined. I flop my legs out of bed sitting up. I stretch my whole body hearing a few cracks from my back. I haven't slept that good in forever.

I walk over to my curtains and whip them open, I open the window to bring in some fresh air. I gaze outside for a few moments, the birds where chirping and the trees where blowing lightly in the wind. Well it's a nice day.

I take my time getting dressed, I put on a red top with a print on along with black jeans and a cat eyed belt to match. I look in the mirror and think for a moment. Something not right. I grab my top and tie a knot in the middle creating a tighter fit. Much better. 

Pleased with what I'm wearing I walk out my room seeing a tired Hunter sat outside the room that Alex was in. Oh no, I just remembered what happened yesterday. 

I walk up to Hunter who was sat on the floor. 

"Are you okay" Hunter nods.

"Yeh I couldn't sleep last night at all, so I was happy to have something to do and watch Alex" He replies. I know he's young and should be asleep but I'm not his parent and I have no right to tell him what to do. As long as I guide him in the right way that's all I can say for now. 

"Okay good did Autumn take a turn?" I ask

"No she said she couldn't be bothered. She was on the phone with someone.. but it's all good I was happy to stay" Autumn agreed with Jax that she would take a turn. Not only that she has a PHONE! She's in for a nice treat. The only reason I remember what a phone was is because sometimes I'd see guards outside my cell bars talking on these brick things and sometimes hearing weird music come from them throughout the long narrow hallways. 

"Okay well you can go get breakfast now if you want, or even some sleep" I say to him.

"Mmm I might go see if Aidan's up" 

"Okay but leave him alone if he's still asleep"

He smiles whilst running away.

I shake my head laughing.

"Right then, let's get this party rolling" I laugh to myself.

I open the door, which can only open to me. The room smelt of.. I'm not sure something nice, like a spray. 

I look around the room, there was only the bedroom and an en suite so it's not like it would take me forever to find him. I knock down on the door that was opened. 

"Alex?" 

With that he walks out of the bathroom with just a towel wrapped around his waist and a tooth brush in his mouth. 

"What's up doll" he had a posh accent like he was from.. oh what's it called .. ah yeh London. Did he have a cup of tea this morning or something.

"I'm okay thanks, how about you get some clothes on and come for breakfast" I wasn't really asking him, I was telling him.

He walks up close to me. I was trying to intimidate me. But I'm not scared of anyone or anything so good luck with that sir. 

As he gets closer he keeps a stern face, he doesn't smile nor even thrown. Just walks closer and closer. I look at his chest, he was covered in tattoos. Both arms all the way to his neck covered in it. I would say they're disgusting. However his tattoos are more like art. So it bearable for me to see.

"Do you like what you're looking at?" He says smirking.

I look straight in his eyes, he was testing me. " I was expecting more from a guy like you" I laugh whilst walking away. 

"You know what they say" I shouted 

"What do they say" I look at him and smile. I don't reply to him but only close the door. Hopefully he'll follow me down for breakfast. 

As I was walking down the Hall way I heard a small buzzing. It's that's stupid phone. It was coming from Autumns room. 

I walked into her room, and looked for her. The room was pretty. It had leaves everywhere and the walls was an ivy green colour. I saw her phone on the bed side table. Well that's not very well hidden, saying we're hiding away from the world. 

I placed my had over the phone, it became ice cold and rock solid. The phone was frozen solid. That's sure to break it. 

I pick it up and carry it down the stairs with me. As I walked down the stairs I smelt something amazing. I couldn't put my finger on it but it smelled good. I walk a little faster excited to what I would find. 

I walk into the kitchen greeted by everyone but Alex, who I presume was still getting dressed. 

"That's smells beautiful, what is it ?" I ask looking around wondering.

"You've never had bacon before!" Hunter shouts at me

"Haha nooo, it's not like I was a vip in the prison" I laugh replying.

"Did you have a good nights sleep" Aidan asks me hugging my leg. I look down seeing him gleaming at me.

"Yes I did thank you, did you?" 

"Yes thank you, best nights sleep ever!" I smile laughing. He lets go of my leg running away with Hunter. They're both adorable.

"Try this" Jax walks up to me. Handing me a plate. It was a sandwich with Bacon in side.

"That look yummy" 

"It is trust me" he replies. I take a bite of it. And with that I eat all of it in seconds.

"Well you enjoyed that" Jax laughs taking my plate from me. 

"Ahah i did, thanks for that".

"Anytime" Jax says smiling.

With that there was a loud knock on the kitchen door.

"Have you two stopped eye f*****g each other yet?" Alex says making his presence known.

"That language isn't appropriate here Alex. So if you want to stay, not only do I have to gain your trust, you must be polite" I pause. And he doesn't respond.

"No promise" he smirks walking over and grabbing a bacon sandwich. 

"So what we doing today" Alex says.

"I'm not sure, why?" 

"Well, I haven't seen my brother for a while. Why don't we go see him" 

"Your brother?" Jax says 

"Yeh why not, you should meet everyone. They want to see you" 

"Ahah erm, I don't think that's a good idea since we're supposed to be in hiding" 

"Yeh I agree with Eighteen, it's too dangerous Alex" Jax says

"Well.. i suggests you go see him, it might explain a lot" 

I think for a moment, perhaps if it's just me, Jax and maybe Autumn then it might be fine.

"We'll think about it" I sternly say.

"I'm in, Alex" Autumn says walking in whilst neatly tying her now brown hair. Where did she get the dye from? It was once ginger but now a shade of dark brown. She then looks down on the kitchen island and noticed her phone I just place on it. She looks at me surprised.

"You, Jax and I, will go with Alex. However, you have some explaining to do before hand".

"Where did you get that from?!" Jax says shockedz

"That's what I'm asking Autumn".

"That's for me to know and for you to never find out" 

"Autumn" I say walking closer to her.

"if you're going to risk the lives of Aidan, Hunter and all of us. Then you can walk out on your own with no where to go" she looks at me.

"Do you understand?" 

She replies "yes I get it" 

"Does anyone know who we are or where we are?" 

"No, no one knows anything?" She says, that's doesn't seem confident enough to me.

Hal walks in at a pace "then who was the guy you was talking too?" I knew he could read minds so Autumn's been caught red handed.

"Er er.. I met a boy on the app tinder.. he only knows my name" She stutters. What's tinder?

"You shouldn't be on that Autumn, there's a time and place" Jax says. I agree.

"Right then, here's your phone. Good luck if you're gonna try to get it fixed" I add, it was well and truly broke if she tries to fix it. 

"Hal can I talk to you for a moment?" He nods following me out the room.

"You okay?" He says to me.

"Yes I'm fine thanks, are you?" 

" Yes I'm good thanks, do you want to explain to me what's on your mind?" He can read my mind so there's no point explaining.

"You knew that Alex was going to show up here?" I also remember his ability was seeing the past, present and future. Which is a pretty cool power if I do so myself.

"Yes I knew"

"You also know what's going to happen to us, don't you?" I ask him. Eager for his response.

"Yes..." he pauses and looks down. "I know what's going to happen".

"You can't tell me can you?" 

"Unfortunately not, if I do then I could change the natural course of fate and trust me. We definitely don't want that to happen" He says while shaking his head through out.

"All I can say is ..." he speaks carefully as if someone might be listening to us "Follow your instincts".

"Okay.. thanks Hal. Autumn, Jax, Alex and I are going to go meet Alex's brother, are you okay watching the boys?" I say to him.

"Yep that's perfectly fine" he nods and walks away.

I walk into the living room where everyone had moved to. 

"Right then, Alex how long will it take for us to get to your brother?" 

He smiles, "A full day to get there, so we should probably sleep when we get there" s**t this is going to be a day trip. I huff. 

"Ugh okay, we'll set off now, get there tonight, sleep. Spend the day with them maybe and then return the following day" 

"Hal are you sure you'll be okay with Hunter and Aidan?" 

"I'm certain we will be fine" 

"You're leaving us?" Hunter asks. His eyes starting to well up.

"Only for a few days and then we'll come straight back.. okay?" I reply as he nods.

"Okayyyy" he says grumpily.

"Right lets all get some things of ours and go. Leaving in 15 minutes, yeh?" 

"Yep that's cool" Jax says and everyone else's nods.

I leave the living room and run up the stairs, going into my bedroom. I grab a rucksack and put 3 days worth of clothes in there, along with some spare shoes and of course can't forget my toothbrush. 

I changed into a pair of jeans, some trainers and a random top I found in my wardrobe. With my bag and make my way back down stairs again. Everyone but Autumn was there. We talked for a few minutes before we heard some growling.

Wolf comes running down the stairs, he patters along the floor with his little feet. Followed by a moody Autumn. 

"Autumn, wolf cant come with us. Leave him here" 

"It's fine he'll do just okay".

"No I'm not having another problem to worry about" 

"Ugh okay" she replies. Wolf sits there staring at me.

"Sorry wolf" I say whilst stroking his head. 

With they Jax unlocks the door and we go out side.

"Let's go" he says with a firm voice.

"Follow me" Alex says waving his hand. We follow him around the Lord to a field near by.

"Move these branches" he says. There was something under it. I help take them off one by one, with the others helping. There was a fair few. Obviously Alex was trying to hide something. With the last branch removed. It revealed a big black car, which looked more like a truck. It said Hummer on the front of it. 

"Wow, that's well cool" Autumn says, "Bagsy front seat" she then shouts. What's does bagsy mean ?

Alex jumps into the drivers seat with Autumn next to him, I was behind Alex and then Jax on the seat behind Autumn. The car was massive. I'm not sure I should even call it a car it's more like a truck.

"Don't forget your seatbelts" Alex says to everyone. I strap in with everyone else doing the same. Autumn had her elbow on the side of the door leaning on it, whilst also gazing over at Alex. She so fancied him, even though he's about 4 or 5 years older then me and I'm older then her as well. Well she can look but she can't touch. 

We start moving in the car, I watch the Lord slowly move away from us. We pull out of the old car park we was in. The Lord was surrounded by trees and large hedges. If you was on the over side you would probably just see the roof of the Lord along with the opposite side having a river flow by it. We was well covered and safe there.

The only problem is. We aren't in the Lord now. We was protected by walls we knew, along with the abilities the six of us had together but now I've invited a stranger into the heart and soul of us. Is that the right decision? But now not only that, three of us have gone with the stranger causing the six to become 3. 

"Jax" I whisper nudging him. He looks and nods.

"Have I made the right decision?" 

"Yes, you didn't make the decision. It was your idea and our decision to peruse it" he says. That suddenly made me feel so much calmer in my head. They chose to do this and not felt forced to.

I look out the window watching the road. Streets full of shops yet empty with people. 

"Alex? Why is there no people here?"

"Well Hull, the city we're in. Go so badly damage in the Zd War, the economy was never able to grow back up. So the only people that live here are elderly people who have money maybe some families who have riches and fame and the odd few farmers. You've picked a good place to hide to be honest with you" 

"Hmm" I wonder.

"Where did everyone go?" I continue.

"Well Hull is a city at the end of the road kind of place. So no one would come here unless they had a reason to. When the war started Hull been mainly full of working class people, stood up against the government and tried to save and look after their children. They blocked off any entries into the city and locked down. The government couldn't get in, however one day one of the children made a plea with the guards and let them in. The children soon disappeared and then later on the adults with no reason to stay in Hull they all just... left" 

"That's really sad" Jax says. I agreed with him. It's hard to think. The reason all this happened was because those around my age caused it including me. But on the other hand, the government shouldn't have handle it the way they did. They scared us before we scared them.

I continue watching out the window. Luckily most people believe Gen z's meaning people with abilities and black blood, have basically been extinct. So if anyone sees us, they'll probably think we're just like them. 

After about 2 hours of driving Alex asks if we could stop so we could get more petrol for the car.

"Does anyone want any snacks, there's a petrol station just up the road" he shouts to the back where me and Jax was sat.

"Yes please, could I get a drink and some crips"?! Jax shouts back almost desperate to tell him.

"Could I have the same please?" 

"Course you can" he says whisky parking up. 

He puts in some petrol and the goes into the petrol station.

"You having fun their Autumn?" Jax says, 

"It's nice to get out of the Lord" she replies.

"Yeh I'll agree with you in that one" 

We sit for a while waiting for Alex to return. It's not like there's a queue or anything, what's taking him so long? 

With that Alex return me back. He hands out some bottles of water and snacks. 

"I can't wish to get this down me" I say to myself.

"I can't wait for this to be in my belly" Jax says whilst screwing the lid back in the water and staring at the crips he had in front of him.

I take a sip of water and then continued looking out the window. With that I feel a massive whack in my legs. Jax has just flopped his whole body in me. 

"You okay Jax?" And then as if on q. Autumn flops down, with only the seat belt. 

I look at Alex, he was staring me with his eyes feeling like the could pierce my skin. 

"You.." I say pointing at him followed by everything suddenly going dark.

—-

A/N 

Ooo I wonder what's going to happen Is Alex on the good side or the bad side?!!! Who knows .

Hi guys, I hope you're all okay. I'm writing this during the coronavirus lockdown so I have more time on my hands then I normally would. This is the shortest chapter in my book! Only 3000 words, where as my other books are 4000 plus. I normally do bigger chapters however that takes more time to write. Because of the lockdown I thought it was best I post more often (so shorter chapters) so you guys can be entertained along with the fact it keep my mind flowing. 

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you're enjoying it so far. The next chapter is in the making! 

Stay safe! xoxo

M.L.M