Kaya's POV

"Get rid of her, Drake." Caine said.

How the hell did I get myself into this one? How about I tell you my lovely story:

Ok so a few days after the FAYZ had started, I had made a trip down to Perdido Beach for a huge load of food at the grocery store, and then came back here. I basically lived in the middle of nowhere.

But the weeks passed and I eventually ran out of my food. I needed to get more. So, Perdido Beach it was.

Just my luck, I came when the grocery store was being raided, by I think his name was Drake, the one with the strange red whip hand, and his "soldiers".

And so I wouldn't make any trouble, a soldier pressed his gun to my head and made me walk. I ended up at Coates Academy. Drake was asking what to do with me, and...

"Get rid of her, Drake." Haven't we already been through this?

Reg. POV

"Do you have any powers?" Drake asked Kaya impatiently.

"Um... powers?" She asked politely. She cried out it pain as his whip was brought down onto her back. She studied him in her pain, looking him over. He was smiling a twisted smile.

"Why are you doing this? There has to be a reason..." The whip was brought down again; she tried to endure it, not taking her eyes off of him.

"I don't believe that you're crazy. There's something more." His eyes glinted. Another cry of pain. His smile slowly toned down to a smirk.

"I just want to know about you. Why would you... There's nothing wrong with you... I know that... I just want to know..."

She watched without fear or attempt of endurance as his whip rose. She was starting to see red. But she smiled at him.

Then she watched as Drake slowly lowered his whip to his side. With that, she blacked out.

Kaya woke up with a start. Barely any pain. But she was very drowsy. She saw medicine next to her for pain. And Drake in the corner.

Her view of Drake was a strange one. She couldn't understand him yet, and that bothered her. So she wanted, no needed, to know more about him. She also thought of him as handsome. He was handsome in general, with Sandy colored hair and grey eyes, but something lurked in those eyes, and Kaya needed to know what.

"Hi." She said, sitting beside him. He tensed up.

"So you're awake. I only kept you alive in case you are a freak. Are you or not?" He asked.

"If by 'freak' you mean do I have an abnormal, impossible power, then yes." She said.

"Well? What is it?" It seemed he wasn't very patient. He snapped at her when he was talking.

"I can control time. Make it slow down or speed up. Even stop it completely. I also get visions of the future, but I can't control those." She said. He looked deep in thought.

"Yeah, that could help a lot. Alright, you're on our side." He said. Then he tensed up even further, if it was possible, as she touched his whip.

"Weird... but kind of interesting. Where did you get it from? And how?" She asked eagerly.

"What is this, twenty questions? I don't have to tell you anything." He said. But she could tell that it was one of those stories he loved to tell.

"Pleeeeease? I'll show you my power!" Kaya said. He looked slightly interested.

"Alright fine. So, this guy Sam Temple-"

"School bus Sam! I know him!" She interrupted. He looked annoyed.

"Yeah, the lovely kid who burned my arm off, forcing me to get maimed." He snarled.

Her face was wiped of all happiness. She said nothing. She hadn't imagined Sam could do something like that. It was terrible. The agony. Poor, poor Drake.

"But then, the Gaiaphage gave me this-"He wiggled his whip arm around "-and it was all worth it!" He said, darkly gleeful.

'Some memories are more like nightmares. It's easier to cover them up with happiness or a better memory.' She thought.

"Gaiaphage?" She asked. A trigger word. She sat there quietly, listening intently to him describing this 'thing' which could be a 'him'.

"Why are you so interested in all of this? And why the hell were you at Ralph's at such a horrible time?" He hissed.

"I like to learn about people. I don't like it when people are mysterious. And I couldn't have known. I live down in the middle of nowhere, kind of near the forest. And I needed food." She said.

"How stupid. Perdido Beach is way dangerous now that we're here. And what about your family? Did they all just poof weeks ago? Of course they did..."

"No, actually. Basically my whole family is dead, except for my aunt and uncle, who didn't want custody of me, so I have nobody to miss. I stayed alone, where they couldn't find me. They probably thought I was just another runaway orphan that was going to be found dead, but I can take care of myself. I'm fourteen, and I'll be fifteen in two months." She explained.

Drake didn't show the look of pity. She didn't expect him to. But then he spoke of turning fifteen, telling her what to do to avoid the "poof". She listened yet again, nodding her way through.

"Got it? Good. Now show me that power." Drake said. Kaya nodded.

She held her palms out and closed her eyes. She thought of incredible slowness, and then thought one word: Slow. Time immediately slowed to a crawl and she grabbed an old book in a corner and balanced it on Drake's head. She played time again.

The book clattered to the floor and Drake stared at it.

"That was on my head... how did you do that?" He asked, a little bit sharply.

"I slowed time and put that on-"She fell to the ground in a sudden surge of pain.

"The pain killer is wearing off. Let's go find a first aid kit." Drake said, just barely frantic. He took her and they walked out the door.

After a few steps, Drake stopped at the sound of a voice. His eyes turned cold. Colder than before. He turned.

Caine, wasn't it? He was a few feet away from them. Kaya had been at the arrival of the Coates kids on one of her food trips. And Diana. The dark-haired, dark-eyed, beauty... that Drake seemed to hate.

"I thought I told you to get rid of her." Caine said. He turned his palms toward me. I was confused. But then Drake whipped him across the back. A straight, deep, bloody line could be seen.

Caine turned, furious, and threw his palms out. Drake went flying against the wall and crumpled in a heap. He slowly began to get up. Kaya realized that that was what Caine was trying to do to her.

"If you are going to spare her, do not keep her here. We don't have enough food to just usher in new residents." He said, a bit satisfied.

He winced, turned, and slowly crept away, Diana following. But then Diana turned halfway.

"Way to go, Drake. I thought she'd be dead. I guess you're just a bit of a softie." She said, smirking.

His fists clenched and his teeth grinded. Pure hatred surfaced in his eyes. Kaya rushed over to him.

"Are you okay?" Surprise rushed over his face as she asked this. He had forgotten that he had been hurt, and also he was not used to this question.

"Uh, yeah. It happens all the time." He said, hatred toning back to cold and mysteriousness.

"And you don't do anything about it?" She asked. It was her turn to be surprised.

"No. I can't. It's not like he won't just do it again. I may be quick, but not quick enough for him." He said, anger filling his features.

She said nothing. There was nothing she could say that would make a difference. Then she changed the subject.

"Why didn't you tell him about my powers? He would've let me-"He cut her off.

"He would treat you like a dog. Commanding you to do what he wants, and if you don't, he punishes you. And he'll use you and throw you away. He doesn't care about anyone but himself and that stupid Diana. If he didn't have that damn power, I would be ruling this place..."

He was ranting now, but she loved to listen. She seemed to be learning more and more about him as time passed. Ha-ha. Time passed. Still, she was interested.

He had stopped. One of his soldiers was talking to him. Then the soldier ran off.

"Let's go." He said.

"Where? Why am I going?" Kaya asked.

"In case I need you." He said simply.

"But where are we going?" She asked, eager now.

"Be patient, Kaya, was it? Be patient." And with that, he sauntered off, and she had no choice but to follow at his heels, noticing a gun in his hand.