Sorry for the wait! I blame school, but I guess that's what I get for having to many honors classes. My English class is basically turning me into a beta reader. :( I've read so many short stories that my head is going to explode! Annotate this, and read that, just give me a brake so I can write!
It's amazing how many death threats you can get from a bunch of fangirls. It's even more disturbing when you think about what they would do to you if they actually found you... especially when you're a boy... (gulps) Anyway, now that the truth is out and Felix and Phoenix are together, I can actually start to move on with the story. Hooray for plot development! If you read my other story, then what I am about to do will be familiar. Horrifically familiar, but none the less vital to the story. If you didn't then it may be confusing, but just keep reading.
On a more casual note, I hope that you all had a good start to the school year.
I own nothing! (Oh how I wish I did...)
Chapter 4: More then just a Name
I was walking down the hallway towards the laboratory, the lights on the ceilings clicked on with every step I took. The scientists were sitting at there computers punching in the daily minutia and test data. Each of them seemed to be staring blankly at the screen, not even giving any indication that they knew I was there. I didn't care, I just walked through the lab, passing by machines that were buzzing with activity. On my left were cabinets full of beakers and test tubes full of variously colored fluids, and on my right was a panel of buttons and lights that were the controls for the numerous testing rooms in the School.
At the other end of the room was a door that led to the specimen holding room, where the avians were stored. I morphed into my Eraser form after I soundlessly slipped through the door. My hands became padded and my fingers grew long as they turned into claws. My mind shut out the over whelming urge to kill whatever I saw next. The biggest bonus to being the first Eraser that worked was I had the strength of will to over come the blood lust. I remembered all the times when I wanted to become an Eraser but Jeb forbade it, he didn't want me to become another Locke. As a result I was able to consciously witness the transformation, it was surprisingly seamless, then again, it always was.
I walked towards a cage and crouched down to find my favorite little avian curled up in a ball at the back of her cage. Her white fluffy wings tucked close to her body, and her blond hair fell over her innocent face. I looked over a few cages, there was another avian, his eyes were a cloudy blue. He was blind, a failure. I remember hearing a while back about how they were working on giving the avians better vision, I was amazed, they almost never failed at anything. My gaze shifted back to the little avian in front of me. I never let the avians see me real face, to them I was a monster and I wanted to maintain that relationship.
I lifted my paw and let it pass through the bars of the cage. I paused, not knowing whether or not I should disturb it. I dismissed the thought immediately, it was a freak, a monster, doomed to die as it lived, in a cage. My claws barely touched it's wings, and the avian stirred. It opened it's eyes and brushed it's golden locks out of it's face. It would have jumped to the back of the cage, if the cage wasn't so small, instead, it pressed it's body against the back of the cage, and began to hyperventilate. It must have been terrifying, to see an Eraser right out side of your cage, not knowing whether or not you would live to see the lights turn on in the morning. I wasn't going to kill it, the scientists needed it after all.
I smiled bearing my fangs at the same time, it tried to swat away my paw, but I grabbed it by the wrist and pulled it to the front of the cage. I could see my reflection in it's eyes. I felt it's other arm grab my neck, somehow the bars on the cage had disappeared. I released my grip on it's other wrist out of shock, but then it had both of it's hands around my neck and began squeezing. It was trying to strangle me. It's face changed from one of fear to one of anger. To me this was foreign, it was trying to fight for it's freedom. Was it really that foolish? I could snap its neck without a second thought.
Slowly it's began to smile, and it's grip on my throat seemed to tighten. Eventually, it began to hurt more and more. I glanced at its hands as best I could, they had morphed into paws. Eraser paws. It let go of my neck and threw me on to the floor, each of the other avians sprang out of there cages and held me down. I fought to get back to my feet but each of them seemed to have other worldly strength. The little blond one crawled onto my chest and grabbed my neck again, it began to throttle me like I was a toy, my head bouncing up and down, giving me a serious case of whiplash.
"What is your name? This isn't a nightmare!" It screamed at me in an almost demonic voice. I started to black out as the blood flow to my head was cut off. "What is your name?" It was taunting me, the other avians were laughing. It placed it's claws on my neck and started to press down. Everything went black when my neck finally gave out. "What is your name?" My lungs where on fire, crying out of the lack of oxygen. The pain faded, and I seemed to slip right into another dream.
My eyes snapped open in sequence with my alarm clock. I was in bed, just the way that I had fallen asleep. I got out of bed and changed suits, they were all identical, but it was a force of habit. I ran my finger through my hair, as I stepped out of my room. What is my name? I'd had weird dreams in the past, but that was a perfect ten out of ten. I walked over to the break room and sat myself down in my armchair. I looked at my reflection in the mirror on the other side of the room, I looked like a wreck, almost like I hadn't had any sleep last night. Last night, it was the first time that I had kissed Phoenix, the first time I told her I loved her. My heart fluttered at the memory.
The door slid open and I composed myself just as Phoenix and Odin came in. Odin walked over to the billiards table that he claimed was his, an Phoenix sat on the couch next to my arm chair.
"What, no Inferno today?" she said with a devilish smile on her face. I shot the same look back at her and she giggled, ever so slightly embarrassed about what happened last night. From the way Odin was acting, he seemed completely oblivious to what happened, he also seemed to have cooled down from last night's break out.
"No not today. How's Hades doing?"
"He's doing alright, Jeb patched him up after he had Locke locked up again." She ran her hand over my back, lighting my skin on fire with each and every touch. I leaned in close to her.
"You didn't tell him?"
"No, he would kill both of us if he found out." I sat back down in my chair and let out a sigh. I got up and ran my fingers across her cheek as I walked towards the door. "Where are you going?" She asked inquisitively.
"I have to go see Jeb about something, I'll be right back." A lie. It wasn't my place to lie, especially to her. But I didn't want to make her worry. I hurried to the laboratory, racking my brain with questions. What is my name? It's Felix. Why would it be anything else? I was just about to go down the hall that led to the laboratory, when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
The air grew seemed to grow bitterly cold around me, and for a second, I thought that I could see my breath. Something tapped my shoulder and I turned around to see nothing. Some thing seemed to be calling me down the hall. I took a step away from the lab and I could feel something pulling me towards the holding unit.
Oh Felix, why don't you come and pay me a visit?
Locke.
I walked down the hall, passing through countless security door. It seemed every time that I came here there was at least one more. I stopped in front of a massive door. I stepped onto the pressure pad, placed my hand on the scanner and had my retina scanned, and the tumblers in the door began to unlock. The door hissed as it slid open. I took two steps into the room and the door literally slammed shut behind me.
I was in the dark, well almost. There was a light bulb hanging from the ceiling, it was flickering almost to the point of a strobe light. The room almost looked like a castle dungeon. Locke sat in the center of the room, his wrists and ankles were in brand new chains. He sat in the center of the room, his book open in front of him on a blank page. He had a pen in his hand and a smile on his face. His Eraser fangs were showing, and his fingers were almost claws. He looked like a monster.
"What is it Locke?" I wasn't in the mood for this. I wasn't his biggest fan, frankly somewhere deep down, I was a little afraid of him. He was the only Eraser before me, and I could have easily wound up as him. Mad, and locked up in a cell, deep within the confines of the School.
"I was wondering if you had put any thought into our little conversation that we had last night?"
"No I haven't."
"Oh but there is something else on your mind then isn't there." He raised an eyebrow at me, knowing that he was right. "Come, come now. There is no point in trying to hide anything from me."
"It was a dream." I crossed my arms over my chest, and he picked up his book and placed it on his lap. He placed his pen on the page, and waited for me to continue. "I was visiting the avians, and the little blond one asked me what my name was. Then it told me that it wasn't a nightmare." He scribbled down everything word that I said like he was a stenographer. It's amazing that he can even read his own he was done he chuckled, not even attempting to hide it.
"What is your name? Now there's an interesting note." He stopped and stared at his book, flipping back through the pages. "It is interesting that you should dream such a dream, Felix. Do you know what it means?"
"No, why would I?"
"Of course you wouldn't. But everyone else does." He stopped again. "Have you ever noticed how odd of names we Erasers have? There is a reason. When a person would become an Eraser, they are given a name from mythology. I created this rule to help them transition, to lose themselves in the transformation. To brake down their old identity, so that they can be more malleable, so that we could raise them into the blood craving beasts that they are!" He flipped back to the page where he had written down the notes on my dream. "But you, Felix... You are different. You have a regular name, and yet, how do you know that that is indeed your true name?"
"Because, I was created. Everyone else was already a person."
"No, remember what we talked about last night. Erasers are made from people. You are assuming that Jeb created you, as an eight year old boy. No Felix, you were before, but your past eludes you."
"If I did, then why don't I remember anything? That's because I was created. You're lying to me Locke."
"Am I Felix? Do I have any reason to lie to you? Have I ever given you a reason to distrust me?" He looked back up at me and smiled. I wouldn't trust him no matter what he said. He was insane. A genius, but insane none the less. I turned away from him and took a step towards the door, and stopped. I didn't look back, I didn't want to see his black soulless eyes staring at me. "Think over what I've told you Felix. In time, you will except the fact that I'm right. There is more to you then you could possibly imagine." I opened the door and slammed it behind me.
I wondered my way towards the laboratory, I had to talk to Jeb about what Locke had said. It was the only way that I could put my mind at ease. I couldn't tell anyone else what happened, talking to Locke was strictly taboo. That and I didn't want Phoenix to worry about me. Jeb was the only one that could make sense out of Locke's ramblings anyway. I passed through the door to the laboratory door to find Jeb and some scientists hovering over an unconscious avian.
"The thing passed out because of exhaustion. I'm surprised it held out as long as it did. What do you make of it Jeb?" Said one of the scientists.
"I wouldn't have expected any less. Not with all of the work that we've put into them." Jeb looked up and saw me. He smiled, got up and took off his gloves.
"Jeb, I have a few questions for you."
"Whatever could they be Felix?" I put my thumbs in my pockets and sighed.
"I need to talk to you in private." Jeb glanced at one of the scientists and one by one, they got up and left the room.
"Now you were saying?"
"I need to talk to you about names."
Ah yes. The meaning behind your name. I've been wanting to play that card for a while (shuffles deck of literary devices while laughing maniacally). Plus let's not forget the dreams, you gotta love those crazy dreams.
Anyway, once again, I apologize for the lateness of this update. Darn school. But anyway, it's good to be back. Please continue to read, and review. TBC, so all in due time. (Unfortunately)