CHAPTER ONE- LEAVING HOME, FOR GOOD
"Miranda, Miranda Rose! Come down these steps this second, you're going to be late."
"Coming mom! Hold on one-second ok? I thought you would want me to stay as long as I could!" I smiled racing down the meager stairs. "You know, this is the last time you might see me." I smiled a weak smile.
"Mirada, I will see you again, just…" She hesitated, "it will be awhile, I will miss you so much. Nevertheless, you will be going on to do better for yourself you have gift, use it and please be safe. I am so proud of you."
"Mom I am going to miss you, and thanks, thanks for everything." She pulled me in for one last hug and one last kiss. One last moment , I was about to pull away but she pulled me in closer. In a whispered tone she said,
"Mirada, don't work for these people," her voice got softer, "when you are stationed at a location far from here run. And leave this, this seeking stuff a live a new life. I love you maybe, maybe," her voice cracked, "I will see you again." With that, my mother pushed me out the door into the clutches of the guards; I was still dazed with the words of my mother. She like me saw it the way I did-differently. She was not happy that I was being taken from her, nor was she happy that I would be working for them. She understood, and that was a feeling that I can't put into words. But my journey had just began, from my cozy little house I was hosed into a black hummer-handcuffed. The windows were pitch so it was impossible to see where we were going. All thought the guards say we were going to the White House, to be briefed on my assignment
I know there is not a lot to base any kind of tangent on, but somehow I know we aren't going anywhere near that White House.
The hours pasted like days, I couldn't see anything because of where I was placed in the car and because of the large maybe, even bullet proof black windows. But the car came to a stop, I didn't know if I was to get out of the car. So I sat there waiting for someone to get me out, sounds helpless I know. But was I really in the position to do anything but?
A bang on the glass broke my train of thought, followed by a husky tone voice.
"Seeker" What did he mean me?
"Seeker!" this time this man sounded mad. So I opened my car door to see three guns pointed at my mid-section. I slowly slipped down from the Hummers passengers' seat; with my body, the weaponry followed. I was in a jungle that could have passed for a rainforest. Why was I here?
"Men at rest" A small short man spoke it looked like he was there leader.
"Amanda, right?''
"No it was not Mr. Short Man, but nice try my name is Miranda." I would have loved to say that to him.
But sheepishly as ever, I Just said "Well actually my name is Miranda." I shut me eyes tight and waited for the blow, but nothing no one came at me. It was surprising but it didn't make me content I was still shaking in my boots.
"Oh, right."
"Miranda do you know why you are here?"
"Yes Mr. Short man I do know why I am here, I am here to find the helpless people like me and take them to you. For you to first, torture them then kill them." I wanted to say that, but being the coward I am I didn't.
"Sir, I am here to help you," the words burned in my throat, " This is my job now, to seek the ones like me?"
"Very good Miss, but that's only the half of it." I looked down at the patches of dirt and grass, not wanting to hear the next words to come out of his fat lips.
"Miss, you are here to look for them, however there is something you should know," I felt his eye burn holes in to my face.
" We told the island that you were here to look for people like you, that's not the entire truth." I knew it, I hate liars.
"What are you trying to say sir?"
"Have you ever heard of the Phoenix ?" was this guy off his meds? A Phoenix is a mythological bird, why would they be after that?
"Do you mean the bird?" at that moment, I heard footsteps behind me rustling in the foliage.
"You're on the right track Miranda," When did he have permission to call me M?
"If you don't mind me saying, is this the proper place for this discussion."
"What are you talking about? There is no one in fifty miles of us." But he was so wrong there were about eight men about three yards away. With guns, four per man and a reason to kill each person that surrounded me. They were getting closer. I moved closer to Sir so that no one could hear,
"We are being watched, there about two yards away, listening to each word you have spoke."
"What do you say we do?"
" Why is the world ask me?, you're the ones with the guns and stuff. Leave me out of this. I can take care of myself." Which was true, but were to hide…
"M-
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
More shots, more of us went down, but I couldn't worry about them. I had to find a place to hide, but I couldn't move. It wasn't one of those interdissions going on, I physically couldn't move. I started to freak out; I was standing in dead center of the war zone. My breathing exzialrated and I closed my eyes. I thought of something terrible, one by one the trespassers fell. I amplified that feeling into something deeper. More men fell.
"M keep it up, we got them now." I wanted to cry as I hear each ear-piercing gunshot; I was much more than a Seeker. I could read minds yes, but also go into the mind and touchier them. So much that they would do anything to stop the imagery ache.
"M, its over let's get to headquarters." I opened my eye to a sight that would make anyone's stomach churn. There were limbs every which way I stepped. But I finally made it into the car. A guard looking only seventeen opened my door for me, as he did he said "Miss I am so wretched-
"Why? You didn't do anything." I got into the back seat and he closed my door. Slowly he move to the front of the car, Motioned to a tall bloody looking man.
I listened closely. "Mark, I will take her from here your all marked up."
"Fine man, it's your funeral."
"Ha, very funny see you at headquarters." Well this will be something; I don't know what he would like to talk about me. I could cheat, but I won't not this time.
"Okay all set, ready to go?"
"As ready as I can be."
"Funny." He turned around in his seat to face me,
"Hi I am Luke, I am you trainer, teacher and um…" he hesitated
"A friend if you what one."
"Miranda."
"I am not in the mood for talking to you so stop." Oh, how I would love to say that. But I am not going to be rude for the heck of it. I mean this Luke character is cute… NO, NO, NO I cannot do this, I can't fall for him.
"So what was live like for you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well for one, is it normal?"
"Define normal? I mean yea I listen to my mother and do what I am asked."
"More along the lines of do you listen all the time?"
"Promise not to laugh?"
"Why would I laugh at you, you must have a legit reason for any thing you do."
Wow, this guy is so, not what I would have expected. So nice and well just that nice.
"I love to, it's all pure felling. But I don't I made a pact to myself that I wouldn't, not till I am in control of myself." I never opened up like this before, but I knew somehow I could trust Luke.
"That's- wow ,something."
"Is something good."
"That depends." This guy didn't like to explain much, what if he was testing me. Just to see if I keep my word, I could go along with it but Luke might think that I was reading him. Or I could ask more questions that he doesn't want to answer. He's good.
"Luke," What was I saying?
"Yes Miranda."
"What's with the good cop routine, but it's really not in your rep."
"Are you going to judge me on the words of others? Because if we are going by reps I wouldn't be talking."
"No on personal experience."
" Miranda, just because some of the guys ruffed you up doesn't mean that there are bad people." He didn't know what he was talking about, who he was talking to. He underestimated me as what I am, this just added to my building anger. Let it begin.
"Luke how long have you been at this…place?"
"That's none of your business I don't have to tell you anything." However, I kept at it,
"Did you come to my Island last year?" He is in for it now.
"Um…no I-
"You see Luke; people like you have a rep for rape and murder. And that rep is devised in full. My father was killed by one of you trying to save my mother from the sick pevs that came there. I would have thought you would have been briefed on those special trips. See they were nice to us just like you are being now fake." Just then all those painful memories came out of that deep dark part of my mind, holding back quiet tears I went on.
"I know all the roomers and talk about me and I can't say that it isn't true. But I was made this way, do I devise this? I wouldn't want this on my greatest enemy. I try hard to control myself and in most cases, I do. I try to change, you people don't. I could have let those men kill you, hell I could have helped them. And I thought about it for awhile, as you can see I didn't .I don't know why I didn't but I did and I am proud of myself."
"Miranda, I didn't know I-
"Save it, I don't want to know."
The next three or four hours went by quick, maybe because I was sleeping for them. I wonder what Luke is thinking, I better not read him I am way to angry about this I might hurt him. Finally I opened my eyes and the car stopped
"Luke are we here, here at headquarters? No answer, but something did happen; my car door swung open to what looked like a diamond city. The high skyscrapers touched the more then blue sky, this was a gated commity though. So of course the gates were made of pure gold and not the cheep look-alike. I jumped down from the mucho car and saw that the sidewalk was lined with glittery silver. How much money did these people have? I know that our taxes that we pay can't cover this. It is probably gorvement funded.
"Hey Miranda, get a move on we are going to be late."
"Right, sorry." I started to walk toward the gate when I felt a strong pair of hands seize my fragile arms and slam my body against the cool car.
"What the hell are you doing?" I was starting to hate this guy, he had no right to do this.
" I must have forgotten to tell you, ha image that." Yea forgot, why he was being such a jerk right now.
"Care to explain?"
"Its protocol to have these metal handcuffs on you, when you are not in your room our training room, we still aren't completely sure on what you are capable of yet.
With that the hard metal shackles were put on, these weren't like the regular police ones though. For one they we heavy, as soon as this metal touched my skin my mind was clouded and I couldn't even remember my name. A burning sanction stared in my toes and set all over my body. My breathing got short and scarce. What this my kryptonite? Now it didn't matter, I was floating away.
"I think she is coming to." What? Who said that? Where was I? I was too scared to open my eyes.
Ouch. What did they shoot in my arm? so many questions that have been raised and unanswered. I could… no I made a promise to self not to. But what if I am in danger? Well… it won't hurt just to know what happen to me. I would really love to know. Maybe Luke is here! Yes, he will know exactly what is going on. I think he is talking to someone named Jim. They were outside the weird room I was in, I could see them. I have never listened to the left inferior frontal gyrus (which is just fancy talk for the part of your brain that picks out our words for us) no less of two people. Okay here it goes…
"Man, how long has she been out?"
"Four days and… three hours give or take."
"Geez, what did she do to you ? I mean you were the one that thought that you could handle her. Almost killing her is not handling her.
"It was an actsadent okay? I didn't know that the handcuffs would have that kind of effect on her."
"Hey we all rather have her dead then you I-
"Shut up Jim, I almost killed that girl, I didn't sign up to kill anyone."
"Oh I see, you like her don't you? Um?"
" I don't even know her."
"I know what you see in her."
"Yea, what do I see in her other than a student?"
"Lucy."
"WHAM" that was all I heard an all I wanted to hear, but I wasn't even listening and I heard more.
"DON'T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT LUCY LIKE THAT AGAIN, OR,OR YOU WILL BE THE FIRST PERSON ON THIS DAMMED PLACE KILLED BY ME."
I think I will stay asleep a little longer, this was about to get worse I could tell. But the hours pasted and I heard nothing more about the subject. I could tell it was getting later and that later was turning into night, Why would why do with me now?
Ouch! What just went in to me , in an instant I felt the dark cloud that almost took me before drift my way.
"Hey, what did you just give her?" That's Luke's Voice, what is doing here ?
"just a little of contents of the handcuffs ."
"That's the stuff that got her here right ?"
"Yes and no, she came in because she went in to shock and you gave her way to much of the Phoenix's aura."
"What? Isn't aura invisible ?"
" Not with the Phoenix, you just need there DNA for it. Then here we copy its DNA."
"Is she in pain at all?"
"You mean the seeker?"
"Her name is Miranda." Thanks Luke
"Right , well Miranda is now in a lot of pain, when she wakes up she probably won't be able to talk. This stuff is only because no one wants to work the night shift."
"Can you take Miranda off the extra if I watch her ?"
" I suppose, but you know you will not get the morning off."
" I don't have a job till she is better."
"Okay, but here use this if she tries anything funny." I opened my eyes a little and saw that the nurse handed him weird looking button of some sorts.
"Well just don't stand there, get that stuff out of her system." Just like that the burning was all gone.
"M I know you are a wake."
"How long have you known ?"
"Since you started to eardrop on Jim and I."
"Lucas I didn't mean, I didn't know what was going on and I heard you and-
" Calm down its fine, I did not know you could pick up on those waves."
"Wait how you know what I was doing to you."
"Didn't anyone tell you that special people like you and me can sense an intrusion of the mind?" I sat up to see his face, it was perfect as ever.
"You."
"Yes, me." Wow someone like me, different like me I wonder what he can do.
" What are you then ?"
"I am what they would call a "seer" . Wow being able to see the future by touch is something.
"So how long have you been alive then ?"
"About an century or two, you?"
" I am only fifteen, I think I stop at twenty and I stay that way till well… no know."
" Do you mind if I change the subject M?" Since when am I called M ?
"Okay L , what do you what to talk about."
" I am sorry, I got weird and defensive, it was rude of me to act like that to you."
"Forgiven." What else would I have said? I didn't want to fight with a seer
" Well I am Tried L,-
" I won't call you M if you don't like it."
"No its okay, but can I call you Lucas? Instead of Luke ?"
" I would love that, I will let you rest now."
"Night."
"Night."
I was at peace with all around me, it did not matter that I was in a place that was strange from me and people that I could live without seeing. I was strangely happy as I drifted into sleep.
CHAPTER TWO- NIGHT SCHOOL
"Miss, Miss, are you feeling okay ?" Why do people not wait till I am wake to talk to me I am much more pleasant. Though I have never seen this face in this room before but then again I don't know anyone there (not counting my teacher).
"You know that you are the only person here to ask me that-ever? I am okay no complains."
" Are you kidding me ? they are treating you terribly the doctors are putting you on strange medication and doing tests."
"Whatever they are doing they are not going to kill me just yet, I just got here."
"Ha, ha, ha ,ha my name is Eve ."
"Miranda, but I think you already know that."