Interception

An original novel

By

Chloe Mae

One

Lyla

The room was hot, uncomfortable. Sweat made my clothes stick to my skin and hair stick to my neck. It was dark; I tried to make out the figure across the table from me. It was a man, I could tell that, however his features were undistinguishable. For some reason though, I felt threatened by him, scared. Then I realized where I was. I was in my dream. The one and only dream I had. Ever since I was 6 and a nazi killed my mom in a blind rage, during and interrogation. I had the dream I was in her position in the torture room. However, I always woke up right before he killed me, for that I was grateful. And enraged. I wished so much for so long to learn the actual means of my mother's death. Father had never told us trying to protect us, trying to be a good parent. I understand his motive, but I don't think he understood the damage it has done to us not knowing. I had a theory that if I knew how mother was actually killed, the dream would go away. My father refused to talk about it with anyone though. I had no idea who the man in the dream was so I couldn't hunt him down like I wanted to so badly. To hunt him down and rip his heart out. Give him the pain he gave our family those ten years ago. My father tried desperately to hold our family together, but being a soldier he was gone most of the time. Leaving me to fend for myself and my little brother and sister, desperate for help. As I was still growing myself. We managed, although my brother did not survive the journey, passing only at age three. I guess its better he died young, it means I have less memories to grieve about. I don't really remember him at all; most of my memories from back then were erased during my transformation. The awful thing is that I don't even remember he last night I saw my mother before she was killed. I can hardly remember anything about her. The longer I go into my new life the less I remember, and the more I get mad about being changed in the first place. No one, not even father could know, and it killed me to keep such a big secret from him. Especially since he founded our desperate family on trust. It felt as though I had stabbed him in the back with an icy knife, keeping that from him. It was for his own protection though, he couldn't know about me or what I was, my fellow mutants needed to be kept in the shadows, no one could know about us. If our secret was to get out, many of us were afraid they would cut us open. Study us. There was no way anyone could know what we were. I woke up from the dream frightened and shaking, my breath uneven and catching in my throat. I opened my window and climbed out onto the ledge. I wished to jump, to try to kill myself anyway I could. But I would not betray my father or sister like that, they needed me. Probably now more than ever. I wished to stretch the budding wings that sprouted on my back, still young because I attempted to run from who I really was. Taken a knife and cut them off. Hating so much what had been done to me, I had just wanted it gone. But quick as clockwork, they had come back. The black scaly wings just came back, no matter what I did they always came back. A sharp pain shot through my back and I winced, the bones were starting to form. I had to run away. It was the truth awful, but the truth. I could not endure this pain by cutting them again and there was no way I could hide full-grown bats wings, they stretched more than ten feet across. I picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number.

"Hello?" the voice rang so familiar in my ears I thought there was some hope for a minute.

"Ash, I need your help," I whispered into the phone, afraid of someone listening in.

"Of course, what do you need?" He sounded worried now, I know he didn't like when I was upset.

"To get away from this place." I stated.

"Well do you want to come here?" he asked. He was so sweet, always putting me first.

"I think that would be nice." And before I knew it he was there. Ready to take me away from the life I couldn't have. We traveled swiftly, completing the journey in minutes. Super speed came in handy. We arrived at the run down apartment building I had visited so many times. Run to when life got harder. It was my sanctuary, and I guess my home now. The thought was too hard, but it was for my family's own good. I kept telling myself that. We walked into the familiar studio. The plaid couch sat in front of an old radio. A mattress on the ground served as a bed. The armoire against the wall held the bare essentials. I had a few pairs of clothes her myself.

'I didn't have time to make a bed for you, I came right over," he explained.

"I'll just sleep on the couch." And we went our separate ways I fell asleep, but of course the dream cam back. When I woke though, I did not scream as I usually did, I kept to myself, not wanting to burden Ash anymore than I already had. I laid there and cried, wishing and longing for my mom to be back. I wanted to hug, to hold her tight. I wanted to feel her chestnut locks brush my forehead as she leaned down to whisper that everything would be all right like she used to. I only rose when the smell of eggs and bacon called me out of bed. I rose to see Ash at the stove plating the food. I was embarrassed though; my face was red and tear-streaked. I tried to hide it, but nothing could hide from Ash's investigative stare.

'I heard you crying last night; you don't need to hide it. You don't need to hide anything, we are the same." He stated as if we were talking about the weather, simple.

"I sorry I kept you up." It was exactly what I was trying to avoid, stupid.

"Its not your fault I couldn't sleep anyways." He said, I could tell he was lying, trying to make me feel better. Oh, Ash.

"Thanks for trying." I said, he knew he hadn't fooled me. We sat down at the rickety table with the mixed-matched chairs and ate in silence, our gazes never leaving our plates.

Two

Ash

I was sleeping peacefully, not even a dream interrupted. Except for something did, a shrill ringing. I tried to tune it out and go back to sleep. However, it was demanding, right in my ear. I heaved myself up on my elbow and reached for the phone.

"Hello?" I was tired sleep filled my throat and made me sound groggy and annoyed.

"Ash, I need your help." The calm, sweet voice flew through my ears, I was instantly awake, ready.

"Of course, what do you need?" was she hurt, that couldn't happen, I needed her. And she needed me. Nothing could be wrong.

"To get away from this place." She seemed so determined. I could tell she was sad though, it filled her voice.

"Well do you want to come here?" I asked. She needed to be safe. Somewhere safe.

"I think that would be nice." My gosh she was coming here. I ran over at the speed of light. The wind tugged at my hair and whistled through my ears. I could hear all around me. Owls hooting, mothers soothing babies that woken up in the night. Their life was so easy, so simple. I wondered if they even had any idea what people like Lyla and me had to go through just to stay alive. I dug my nails into the cement of a building and climbed up. I took off my shirt and spread my wings. I didn't care if the townspeople saw; I needed to get to Lyla. I stepped back and took a running jump letting them catch the wind. I saw many things I should have stopped, some one getting mugged, beat down. But I couldn't, couldn't play hero tonight I had more important things. I stopped in front of Lyla's house, folded my wings up and put my shirt back on. She wouldn't like if she knew I used them. I ran up to her house, not making any sounds as walked through her room. I entered her room, letting her know I was there. And just like that we were off. Running through the streets at super sonic speed, no one even saw us. It was exhilarating, running with Lyla, the way the moonlight glinted off and made her look mysterious and gorgeous. I felt so happy she wanted anything to do with me in the first place. We needed each other, the person to catch you when you fell. We reached our destination and entered my rundown studio. She looked so happy to be there. Anything for her to be safe…

"I didn't have time to make a bed for your, I came right over." I explained. I should have made up the couch for her or something; I was in such a rush to get to her…

"I'll just sleep on the couch." She seemed so relieved to be here. I let here go to sleep I went back to my little mattress on the ground, I slept uneasily. I was kept up by Lyla's crying. I knew she had had the dream. She was trying not to wake me. She was so sweet. Why did something have to happen to such a wonderful girl? I felt so sorry for her, wanted to comfort her anyway I could. I knew she was trying not to wake me though; I didn't want to upset her. So I laid there and listened to the girl I loved cry her heart out. I wish something like that had happened to me just so I could tell her I knew exactly how she felt.

I rose early, mixing the last of the eggs together. Frying some bacon, simple but I knew Lyla liked it. She smelled it and got up, keeping her head down. I could tell she was trying to hide her face.

"I heard you crying last night; you don't have to hide it. You don't have to hide anything, we are the same." My mother was not killed like Lyla, just taken, the people who changed me took my family away from me, I was unstable. On edge, ready to kill. Dangerous.

"Sorry I kept you up." She seemed ashamed, not what I wanted, not right.

"Its not your fault I couldn't sleep anyways." I tried to cover up myself, but I knew she could see right through me. She was so good at that.

"Thanks for trying." She sounded genuinely grateful, sweet sweet girl.

I took the food over to the table, and we ate in silence.

Three Lyla

We went our separate ways after breakfast. I decided to go to the market because the studio was running low on food. I strolled over, enjoying the nice weather; surprised something in my life was right for once. I walked though the isles, picking up produce and getting some things for the dinner I was planning, I guess to say thank you. I suddenly got a strange feeling I was being follow, and my instincts were never wrong. I turned to see two men dressed in black clothing looking at a shelf. OH NO. My instincts kicked in.

"EVERYONE RUN!" I screamed the innocent people didn't need to see this. The men instantly jumped on me. Pinned me to the ground. I used all my strength and sent them flying, slamming them into the shelves. I turned and clapped my hands over one's ears, bursting the eardrums. Then I slammed my hands into his throat, breaking it. He fell to the ground, blood gurgling in his mouth. I felt bad, kind of. The other one took my by surprise, grabbing me and slamming me into the ground. I lashed out trying to free myself, but he was almost as indestructible as me. The wind was knocked out of me, I laid there and struggled to get my breath to return, it wouldn't. Ash suddenly appeared, his face grim with worry and fear. He saw me, barely alive, the man I had killed, and the man trying to kill me. He went into action fighting came so naturally to him it was almost scaring. The man lunged at him but he ducked and pulled him legs out from under him and pinned him down. He punched and there was a horrible crunching sound where his fist connected with the man's nose. He took hold of the man's arm and pulled. A horrible tearing sound rang out and he threw the torn limb to the side. He put a hand on either side of the man's chest.

" You tried to kill my Lyla, I'll kill you!" and he pushed, crushing the man's ribs and puncturing his lungs. Red saturated the black, and blood was everywhere. He continued to rip and tear the corpse apart, so mad they had tried to hurt me. I tried to muster up enough breath to say something, and I did.

"Ash, stop, you already did what you had to do, stop." I said with all the breath I could find, then I blacked out.

The first thing I remember when I woke up was a extreme pain in my chest that got worse when I moved. I tired to lift myself up and screamed out in pain. What had happened to me? Then I remembered the market, everything that had happened. Ash, ripping our enemies to shreds. He had called me "His Lyla", what did the mean? Did he have more feelings for me than I thought, deeper feelings? I didn't have time to think about that now, I had to figure everything else out. Where was I? I tied to look around but I hurt took much, I stopped. I heard rustling and my attention was instantly there. Ash was getting up, coming over to me. I pretended to still be out and listened. He seemed so sad, looking over me. I felt his hand run down my face and I pretended that woke me up.

"Hey, what happened?" I acted like I didn't remember anything, except I remembered everything.

"There was I fight in the market, but I couldn't get there in time. They had already hurt you. But I saw you had killed one of them, so I guess you put up a pretty good fight." I winced again at the pain and he looked sorry, like it was his fault.

"Why am I in so much pain?" It was almost unbearable, the pain.

"They had hurt you before I could get there, all of your ribs on the left side are broken." Wow that explained it, but why didn't he take me to a doctor? Almost like he had read my mind, he answered.

"They closed off the hospitals to Jews, they wouldn't let either of us in. I evened explained you were badly hurt, they didn't care. Trust me I tried. But your super human, you'll heal in a few days." He explained trying to make everything better. I was getting tired from the events of the day so I went to sleep. I felt something brush my cheek, Ash's lips? Maybe he did have feelings for me. All I cared about right now was that I was safe, maybe. I drifted to sleep and for the first time on ten years, I did not dream.

Four

Ash

After breakfast Lyla said she was going to the market. I didn't think anything of it and let her go; I decided to go hunting. I ran through the city, to the outskirts of town, where I saw a house out in the middle of nowhere. I went up on the porch and looked in the screen door. You could tell and elderly couple lived there. There was knitting needles and yarn in the living room and dollies everywhere. I walked in and looked around, I could tell that there was only one person home, towards the back of the house. I instantly went into hunting mode, letting my instincts take over, I didn't even think about what I was doing went I let that happened. I walked towards the back of the house; the smell of blood rang strong in to air. I took all my strength not to charge in and drain the person completely. I stalked in a crouch trough the door and found an old lady rocking in her chair, knitting needles clacking away. I felt me fangs slowly slide down, my incisors growing to double their original size. She saw me and smiled, not knowing what was in store for her.

"Are you the maintenance man I phoned?" I guess she needed maintenance; well that wasn't my area of expertise.

"No." I said a smile playing around my fanged mouth.

"Oh, then who are you?" she asked still sweet, wow she was totally oblivious.

"Just and eighteen year old boy." I said and readied myself to jump.

"Um, why are you-" Before she could finish, I lunged. Opened my mouth and sang my fangs into her neck. She struggled but her blood ran hot and delicious down my throat, I could feel myself being revitalized. The attempts to throw me got weaker, though they weren't strong in the first place. She went limped when her blood was gone and I shoved the old lady off of me. I licked to blood off from around my lips, but wasn't satisfied yet. Her husband came in through the front door and I ran out to get him. I didn't waist any time and jumped, draining him as I had his wife. Then something rang out in my head, Lyla's signal screaming for help. What was wrong? She was a the market, I ran, and ran, and ran until I reached the market.