~Chapter Six-Something Has To Be Done~
For reasons unknown to Serena, the Children still wanted to get an education. At their age, she'd have been more than happy to have no adults around, and the choice not to go to school. But then again, these Children were Different. It was late afternoon when Serena approached the Tokyo Tower. Erin and Dominique had come to her at noon and told her when to report for "class", and now, she was here. It was not out of fear, but rather anger and sadness that a sigh escaped her. If only she could go back in time and change her decision about having her baby. She wished they all had killed them as soon as they knew. A wish she knew she and her friends all had, even Setsuna, wherever she was...
* * * * *
"Mother," Crysta began, not looking up from her textbook, "you're late."
"Funny," Serena retorted, "I, too, have my own life." Crysta glared at her mother, then stood. The other Children did the same.
"Are you ready to teach us?" She asked.
"Yes."
"And yet you wonder, why do we still wish to learn?"
"I don't see why you would. Normal children wouldn't want to."
"Our minds need to absorb more knowledge of our world." Came the simple explanation.
"Bullshit." Serena scowled. Crysta blinked in shock, then frowned.
"Believe what you will." The girl took her seat; the others did the same. "Shall we begin?"
* * * * *
Chad didn't stare up ate the Tokyo Tower like the others did. He didn't think about the evil inside, shudder, then take a deep breath and trudge in slowly. Chad just walked right in. As the elevator doors opened, Chad quickly picked out Dominique and went over to him.
"Where's Serena?" He inquired, not taking his eyes away from the boy.
The Children only stared and started to form a circle around Dominique. Chad ignored this action.
"Come on, Dominique." He held his hand out.
"Your mother wants to see you again. She's worried about you." Erin moved protectively in front of her partner.
"Dominique doesn't want to go with you."
"I don't care what Dominique wants! His mother's frantic!" Chad again made a move toward Raye's son, nearly reaching him. The Children's eyes began to glow, all except Laura's. She bit her lip and slowly shrank away. Chad tried to look away or run, but found he couldn't move. At least, not of his own free will. Chad slowly turned around and stepped back into the elevator. The door closed; the elevator went up one more level. Its doors opened again to reveal the very top of Tokyo Tower, for maintenance only. He stepped out on a narrow ledge and edged his way toward the center of an even narrower beam. Chad spread his arms apart, then took a deep breath. The pressure on his mind increased, and Chad leapt off the beam. He plummeted fast toward the earth below, and for a single moment, Chad felt his will return. Only, by that time, it was too late…
* * * * *
"They're calling it another suicide." Raye sniffed again and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Lita, who had been standing beside Raye, gave her friend a sympathetic hug.
"This getting serious," Mina remarked. "We can't let them keep on killing innocent people!"
"You know we're next on their list." Serena spoke up. "I mean, Chad was close to a father to Dominique, and Darien was…"
"How are we going to do this without the Children knowing?" Amy asked. "It's no longer a matter of blocking our thoughts from them. Their powers are growing, and soon they'll know. Like all the others…"
"'All the others', Amy?" Raye repeated, swallowing.
"I wanted to tell you guys sooner…" Admitted Amy. "But I had to believe it was real myself, first."
"You've kept a lot of secrets from us ever since the Children were born," observed Serena. "Is this the only one you have left?"
"Yes." Amy assured her, sighing. "Ours isn't the only city to have a blackout and mass-pregnancies. There are about three others-maybe more. In one, all six Children were born at the same time, then died ten minutes later." She paused and lowered her voice. "All the towns were destroyed."
"How long have you known about this?" Demanded Mina.
"Since the Children were born. And the reason I didn't tell you was because until Tokyo's 'suicide' rate skyrocketed, we didn't suspect there was anything wrong with them."
"And after you knew for sure it was the Children?" Raye sniffed again.
"I didn't know how we could save Tokyo." Amy told them. "Then, the incident with the saline…"
"We're wasting time!" Lita shouted, surprising everyone. "We have to evacuate Tokyo!"
"That would take days!" Serena reminded her. "And how could we possibly keep the Children from knowing?"
"Keep them in the Tokyo Tower for a few days." Lita suggested. "We'll have everyone gather their things and get out, then give you the signal when it's safe to let the Children out."
"Won't they'll get suspicious when they see that thousands of people not in their homes?" Mina queried.
"The streets of Tokyo are always empty when the Children come out." Raye attempted to grin sarcastically. "I don't think they'll notice."
"Well," Amy began, sighing, "what other option do we have? If Serena can keep her thoughts together, it should work." Serena half-smiled, then glanced at Lita. A frown came quickly to shadow her face.
Because Lita was thinking of her daughter, and crying to herself.
For reasons unknown to Serena, the Children still wanted to get an education. At their age, she'd have been more than happy to have no adults around, and the choice not to go to school. But then again, these Children were Different. It was late afternoon when Serena approached the Tokyo Tower. Erin and Dominique had come to her at noon and told her when to report for "class", and now, she was here. It was not out of fear, but rather anger and sadness that a sigh escaped her. If only she could go back in time and change her decision about having her baby. She wished they all had killed them as soon as they knew. A wish she knew she and her friends all had, even Setsuna, wherever she was...
* * * * *
"Mother," Crysta began, not looking up from her textbook, "you're late."
"Funny," Serena retorted, "I, too, have my own life." Crysta glared at her mother, then stood. The other Children did the same.
"Are you ready to teach us?" She asked.
"Yes."
"And yet you wonder, why do we still wish to learn?"
"I don't see why you would. Normal children wouldn't want to."
"Our minds need to absorb more knowledge of our world." Came the simple explanation.
"Bullshit." Serena scowled. Crysta blinked in shock, then frowned.
"Believe what you will." The girl took her seat; the others did the same. "Shall we begin?"
* * * * *
Chad didn't stare up ate the Tokyo Tower like the others did. He didn't think about the evil inside, shudder, then take a deep breath and trudge in slowly. Chad just walked right in. As the elevator doors opened, Chad quickly picked out Dominique and went over to him.
"Where's Serena?" He inquired, not taking his eyes away from the boy.
The Children only stared and started to form a circle around Dominique. Chad ignored this action.
"Come on, Dominique." He held his hand out.
"Your mother wants to see you again. She's worried about you." Erin moved protectively in front of her partner.
"Dominique doesn't want to go with you."
"I don't care what Dominique wants! His mother's frantic!" Chad again made a move toward Raye's son, nearly reaching him. The Children's eyes began to glow, all except Laura's. She bit her lip and slowly shrank away. Chad tried to look away or run, but found he couldn't move. At least, not of his own free will. Chad slowly turned around and stepped back into the elevator. The door closed; the elevator went up one more level. Its doors opened again to reveal the very top of Tokyo Tower, for maintenance only. He stepped out on a narrow ledge and edged his way toward the center of an even narrower beam. Chad spread his arms apart, then took a deep breath. The pressure on his mind increased, and Chad leapt off the beam. He plummeted fast toward the earth below, and for a single moment, Chad felt his will return. Only, by that time, it was too late…
* * * * *
"They're calling it another suicide." Raye sniffed again and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Lita, who had been standing beside Raye, gave her friend a sympathetic hug.
"This getting serious," Mina remarked. "We can't let them keep on killing innocent people!"
"You know we're next on their list." Serena spoke up. "I mean, Chad was close to a father to Dominique, and Darien was…"
"How are we going to do this without the Children knowing?" Amy asked. "It's no longer a matter of blocking our thoughts from them. Their powers are growing, and soon they'll know. Like all the others…"
"'All the others', Amy?" Raye repeated, swallowing.
"I wanted to tell you guys sooner…" Admitted Amy. "But I had to believe it was real myself, first."
"You've kept a lot of secrets from us ever since the Children were born," observed Serena. "Is this the only one you have left?"
"Yes." Amy assured her, sighing. "Ours isn't the only city to have a blackout and mass-pregnancies. There are about three others-maybe more. In one, all six Children were born at the same time, then died ten minutes later." She paused and lowered her voice. "All the towns were destroyed."
"How long have you known about this?" Demanded Mina.
"Since the Children were born. And the reason I didn't tell you was because until Tokyo's 'suicide' rate skyrocketed, we didn't suspect there was anything wrong with them."
"And after you knew for sure it was the Children?" Raye sniffed again.
"I didn't know how we could save Tokyo." Amy told them. "Then, the incident with the saline…"
"We're wasting time!" Lita shouted, surprising everyone. "We have to evacuate Tokyo!"
"That would take days!" Serena reminded her. "And how could we possibly keep the Children from knowing?"
"Keep them in the Tokyo Tower for a few days." Lita suggested. "We'll have everyone gather their things and get out, then give you the signal when it's safe to let the Children out."
"Won't they'll get suspicious when they see that thousands of people not in their homes?" Mina queried.
"The streets of Tokyo are always empty when the Children come out." Raye attempted to grin sarcastically. "I don't think they'll notice."
"Well," Amy began, sighing, "what other option do we have? If Serena can keep her thoughts together, it should work." Serena half-smiled, then glanced at Lita. A frown came quickly to shadow her face.
Because Lita was thinking of her daughter, and crying to herself.