Okay, before I get started on this chapter, I need to clarify something.
I am NOT just writing this story simply for reviews. I only made the challenge because I was competing with one of my friends.
It really hurts and disappoints me that some of you think that my writing is purely for publicity or bragging rights. Writing is my passion and I love it more than anything, and I would just appreciate it if you would not question my methods and just enjoy my work for what it is. I accept criticism for my writing, but, I'm sorry, I do not accept criticism of my character.
Please and Thank You.
x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x
*!Bridgette'sxPointxOfxView!*
"How... how could this have happened?" Courtney paced hastily around the small dorm. We had managed to sneak the boys in, and were now crowded on Izzy and Gwen's beds. The room was eerily silent other than the sound of Courtney's steady footfall. Everyone stared at the walls, too afraid of what they might find in each others eyes.
Three thousand. That's how many people had signed the registry for the Naturals. Three thousand people who knew our names, faces, and what we were capable of. Three thousand reasons why we would never be safe again. How many of those people lived in the city? On campus? The odds were so far out of our favor, that the mere thought of gambling a visit to the bathroom was too risky.
I lay on Geoff's chest, listening to the slow rhythm of his heartbeat. It was sort of funny. In the middle of all this chaos and turmoil, I still managed to find my solace in him. Just the mere presence of him eased my soul. Maybe it was the chemistry between our elements, (water conducts electricity, right?), but I felt a certain pull towards him, stronger than any force I had ever known. I just hope that he feels as strongly towards me, because, as of recently, his presence has been like a drug, and I wasn't too sure if I could quit him so easily.
*!Izzy'sxPointxOfxView!*
Was it wrong of me to be sleepy during this madness? Maybe it was a combination of the physical exhaustion of my insomnia and the emotional exhaustion of realizing that you may not be alive to see the sun rise. The only thing I could focus on to keep my brain from shutting down was Noah's almost invisible fingers as his hands glided over the keyboard at an unreal speed. He had ingeniously hacked into the library's data base and was feeding off their internet source from our dorm. He typed in the codes as if they were building towards a beautiful mosaic. His dark eyes reflected the intricate patterns, his lip quivered slowly, a silent conversation to someone none of us were intelligent enough to see.
Trent, sitting on the other side of Noah, leaned over curiously. "What are you doing anyway, man?"
Noah rolled his eyes, as if the question were obvious, "I'm trying to hack into the registry and see if I can get my hands on the names of these people. Hopefully, with a little more digging, I can determine how many 'mercenaries' are within our danger zone."
Courtney stopped her pacing to stare at him, "That's brilliant! Can you actually do that?"
He grinned, never taking his eyes off his masterpiece. "With both hands tied behind my back."
A few minutes passed in unbearable silence. All eyes were resting on Noah, who seemed oblivious to everyone around him. Abruptly, he stopped. Line after line of digital codes ran down his screen. He said nothing, simply stared at the phenomenon.
"Is that... supposed to happen?" Gwen asked, her face looking a hue lighter than her usual paleness.
"I'm not sure. I can try to halt it, but I may-"
The codes disappeared. Leaving a endless void of black. It was creepily quiet as we all watched, waiting to see something, some sign of life.
Well... we got our wish.
A new window had opened. This one appearing to be a video chat. Filling the screen was a broad shouldered man, maybe in his fifties. His white beard took the majority of his face and his beady black eyes glared at the screen. Could he see us? Did he know where we were?
"Ashlynn. Clarissa. Sophie. Elizabeth. Your powers are an act against humanity and against God. You are damned abominations to society, who deserve to be punished. We know your aliases and we know where you are. It would be best to turn yourselves in. We would not want anyone innocent to be harmed. Tell your little boyfriends to stay away if they do not wish to be persecuted. Also, Mr. Sanchez, I am truly sorry, but you should choose your friends more carefully." And with that, the man disappeared, returning Noah's screen into the black void. He began typing, but nothing happened. His face contorted into a mixture of rage and sadness.
"No. No! Come on, come on. Damnit!" he slammed the computer onto the floor. "He crashed my computer. It's unrepairable."
*!Courtney'sxPointxOfxView!*
I was breaking. Every piece of me was shattering into tiny shards, cutting me from the inside. The room had grown eerily silent. Everyones eyes clouded with different emotions. This was too much.
Then sweet and naive Geoff spoke up, "Wait, he didn't say you guys, he said four other girls' names. This was all just a big misunderstanding!"
The group hung their heads. Trent and Bridgette shared a secret, meaningful look. "Uhm, actually, Geoff, there's something I need to tell you."
"I need some air," I excused myself and abruptly fled to the dorm restroom. I ran the steamy water over my hands and splashed them on my face. I was a mess. Dark bags lay underneath my red and wild eyes. My skin looked paler than usual and my hair seemed stringy and thin.
I hated this. I hated being in a situation that no one deserved. I hated the meteor shower. I hated the eclipse. I hated having this ability. I hated this secret organization. But, above all, I hated myself.
I slid down the bathroom wall, my legs suddenly not strong enough to carry my weight. I hugged my knees to my chest, letting the tears fall free for the first time in a long time. All my anger and sadness that had been bottled up for so long was now flowing freely. My strong facade was crumbling to dust.
A slow creak interrupted my sobs. Being that it was four-thirty in the morning, I doubted that it was a girl from the dormitory, so I just stayed still, covering my tear stained face. A strong figure slid down next to me. He said nothing, just rubbed my hair as I silently cried. Oddly enough, it was exactly what I needed. Reassurings about how everything was going to be okay wouldn't help, because we both knew they were lies.
After a few moments, my breathing calmed and Duncan fetched me some toilet paper to dry my eyes. He just looked at me patiently, waiting for me to be ready to talk. The problem was, I wasn't sure if I would ever be ready. But I had to be. We were past the point of self-pity and cowardice. Somehow sensing my hesitation, he started, "You know, I would never let anything happen to you. I will protect you with every ounce of my being. As long as I'm here, no one will touch you. I promise."
"Duncan, this is all my fault."
"What are you talking about? How could the meteor shower be your fault?"
I sighed, "No, not that. We didn't have to be friends, me and the girls. It was my idea to band together after the incident. We called it our 'secret club'. It was my idea to train together and learn to control our abilities. I have single-handedly destroyed their futures for a better life.
"Gwen being shot. The clearing. The witch hunt. It was all orchestrated by that man." I looked down, urging myself to continue and fight through the pain. "He's not after the others, he's after me. He's my dad."
x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x X x
I am sorry for my routine tardiness, but hopefully summer brings more frequent updates.
And I am also sorry if I sounded like a bitch in my opening note, I just really wanted to clarify some things.
I love you all! Please review!
And, as always, Happy Writing!
~xTAx