Disclaimer: I own only what and who I make up.


"I want to believe that the dead are not lost to us." —Fox Mulder


William. I am William.

That is the name I was born with.

And that is the name I will live with. Again.

I have to. This is not the end. I refuse to let it be.

This was the mantra of the man in the river.

He had been felled. Sunken.

Down. Down. Down. Until the mantra formed.

He would not die. Not tonight.

So… He swam back up to the surface.

And it was not lost on him that he had even been miraculously healed of the wound that should have ended his life. How it happened… William didn't know. Or have the energy to contemplate.

And when the water did break again, it was far enough away that his parents didn't notice them.

William longed to go to them. Both were traumatized. Grieving. And… Doing their best to comfort each other.

He almost joined his parents. But on balance, he elected to stay back. Giving them a jolt just then would be cruel. Especially for his mother.

William even peaked into her mind. Just to see what she would say to comfort her other half.

Did William expect to have a vision of his mother happily and hugely pregnant? No. But it didn't anger him. Or cause jealousy.

If anything... William felt peace. His parents had a reason to not give up. He would find them again. Eventually.

And William swam off. Away from his only living family. Towards the opposite direction.


FIVE MONTHS LATER

SOMEWHERE NEAR ROSARYVILLE, MARYLAND


Twenty-one weeks.

Five, almost six months.

Of exploring, figuring out his new life.

He couldn't back to what he knew before. And for many a reason. His old life was gone. In more ways than one. He had to go forward.

Emergence from that river had been a sign from the universe to start a brand-new chapter.

Plus... He still wanted to find his parents. And meet his new sibling.


However…

The supplies William were beginning to run low. Next to be depleted? Surely his monetary funds. Conservation attempts found him stealing. Or dumpster-diving. William hadn't gotten caught (yet) owing to... what he could do.

Still... Even though he was no longer being hunted... He kept his 'gift usage' to a bare minimum.

Caution would keep him alive.


But…

Then he'd heard her voice. It was haunted. Frightening.

Can you hear me? I need help. Must leave. Before it's too late.

And he did hear the woman as he wandered through the woods. Time and again. Sometimes loud. Other times, quiet. Like a whisper. But always terrified.

And William felt compelled to find her. Could explain it? Especially because her voice was now like a home beacon to him? Not at all.

But William would be damned to hell if he turned his back now.

And... If William's recent misadventure with his biological parents had taught him anything, it was to be brave. Even in the face of insanity. Or when fear lurked.

Truly not wanting to besmirch the values of the people who had made him, William surged forward. In the woods. Away from any bad company. But on an actual quest for a woman he couldn't even see.

Capping all of the new madness off? It was all in William's head.


Where are you? Please come soon!

William physically staggered as he traversed through the woods.

He had been paying more attention to the traffic of a nearby service road he'd located earlier that day. It was his best lead in awhile. But what threw him was that the woman's voice was louder today. And more clear. This was new.

He soon understood why. Through the thicket, he saw the end of the line: a menacingly large governmental building. Of some sort.

It was with a great rush that William realized he'd found the rainbow's end. His newfound friend had to be close. Right?

But William calmed himself. Reached out.

I'm close by. Where are you? he sent.

In a room. We're always here. But… Time is truly running out.

William's heart skipped an unwanted beat. 'We'? This development was a liter unforeseen plot twist.

But he tried again. Are you in this building?

William projected an image of the building to her. Telepathically.

The woman sounded confused once she got the message. Yes. But how…?

Doesn't matter. I'm outside. What is your name?

I can't tell you. Not yet.

Okay. Then just keep talking to me. Please.

And so she did.

William was hosted to a fear-filled narrative.

His companion's emotions were intense. Nearly crippling.

And… To William's great surprise… He was becoming in sync with what this woman felt. Literally.

And he had no idea how. But what intrigued him just a tad bit more was their telepathic communication. It was oddly effortless.

The sun was high in the late summertime sky when he finally noticed the roadside signage.

'SERVICE ROAD — NO TRESPASSING — AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY'

Foreboding filled William. And only that.

More foreboding filled him when he saw the next sign. 'GOVERNMENTAL FACILITY — KEEP OUT'

Just what had he gotten himself into?


Inside the building, it seemed William's companion was having a hard time of things.

Misery been her near-lifelong companion.

She'd lived at this place for as long as she could remember. Well… Almost.

One day, she'd been dead. And then she wasn't.

Alive. She was alive. Tremendously ill. But… alive.

In a hospital. Frightened. Alone. But sometimes visited by the word old guy who smoked. At least his companion was kind.

But then… One day... she was better. Miraculously.

All was well... Except for having been robbed of most of her pre-illness memories. Now all she had recorded in a secret journal were naught but fuzzy images of the two people who had cared for her, loved her, all at her own Eleventh Hour.

Any loss of clues to her past absolutely scared her.

Not that any blame could be slung: the horrendous men had done her many horrible wrongs.

She could even perform her own 'wonders,' thanks to what these men had forced on her.

Unfortunately... Knowing that these men would punish her for using these wonders against them, to keep them at bay, was a terrible intimacy.

Her current solace? Because of a glaring new tide-change, she was free of their experimenting. But... Only somewhat. The clock was ticking.

Her cost? Being locked in her 'apartment.'

Such was the exterior space attached to the facility's exterior. It had all she needed. For the most part. What she lacked was regular access to the outside world.

But... At least she'd been educated in different areas by a multitude of tutors over the years. Now she was highly intelligent. And multi-lingual, to boot.

Yet... She'd be remiss to overlook the two bonds she'd formed in recent years. Even though one brought her now only grief. And the other puzzled her.

Still... There were two very big facts that the facility men worked extremely hard to conceal.

Her age.

And the identity of her biological mother.

But... Once more because of her tide-change, the was more more determined than ever to find out the truth about herself.


And then he had crossed her mind. Or at least entered it.

Then… After some trial and error… He answered her. Clearly. With ease.

Because he was different. Just like her.

Then came the day when he was close in proximity.

And she was more grateful than ever: she had received news most earth-shattering. It was all she could do to get out of bed.

Escaping to her savior grew to be her singular goal.

And… Maybe… Just maybe… He could help her find her mother.

Maybe.


Total darkness had come that day before he floated through her mind again.

Where are you? he sent.

Right here. she projected the area of her 'home' to him.

As the spot had been built on to the building after her arrival, it stuck out. Like a sore thumb. The most memorable feature? A tremendously tall 'enclosure.' She could be found here when it was pleasant outside.

This part of her home could be accessed through a side door in her living space.

However… There was a flaw that worked in her favor: no security cameras in or around her 'home.' Her 'caregivers' had stopped continual 24/7 electronic surveillance upon her coming of age.

That being said... The exterior of her enclosure had guards. Every moment. Just in case.

I see your spot. Get what you require. her savior sent.

Donning a jacket and good shoes, the woman double-checked and secured her backpack of necessities. It was full.

She sent a new message as she stood close to her door now. Ready.

Make for the wall closest to the trees. Don't be seen. I will tell you when the coast is clear.

And she did as told.

All while praying to a God she didn't believe in that this wasn't some horrible nightmare.

After the longest five minutes—

Hold on.

"What…?" she murmured aloud.

Then all at once, the quietest pop! sound could be heard.

From on the other side of the wall, William could only stare in surprise. For the woman had materialized next to him. Successfully.

"Woah." he remarked in surprise. "That actually worked."

His companion regarded him with exasperation as she re-established her center of gravity. "What the hell was that? You just teleported me."

And he met her with an equally-pointed expression. "In case you haven't noticed, friend, you contacted me telepathically. First."

"Touché. And thank you. Uh… What's on your shirt?"

As the calvary hadn't any lantern, what light they did have shone down from the overhead full moon. Yet… Some kind of stain stood out on his shirt.

The other person said swiftly, "Best not to think about it."

"And where are the guards?!" she hissed softly.

"Don't look down." he then took her by one wrist. "And don't stray."

"Alright. But my name is—"

William performed a slashing moment across his throat. The signal was clear.

And so she let him lead her away.

But… He was real. So was this moment. It was no dream. This was freedom.

And for a reason that she could not articulate, she had an innate trust in this person.

Why? More than because he'd believed she was real. And still more because he'd performed a miraculous rescue.

No... He felt curiously familiar.

So... She followed him away. On pure blind faith.


Just when she felt as though her feet would surely fall off—

"And here we are." said the rescuer. "It's home until the morning."

She took in their surroundings. Her companion had brought them to an abandoned junkyard. Well away from the facility. Deep in the wood.

And before them? One old RV from nineteen ninety-something.

William opened the door and motioned for her to go first. "Go on. I stayed here last night. Cleaned it up."

Placing further trust in him, she climbed the stairs to the interior.

Watched William close the door. Barricade it. Cover the windows up. Seal them. A sudden consistent pattering on the glass clued the RV occupants in on the beginnings of a rainfall outside.

William shuffled over to nearby miniature dining table, switching on a camping lantern there. He then fetched meager food supplies from an overhead cabinet. Laid them out across the tabletop.

He said, "It's not much, but…"

The woman smiled at him kindly.

Perching on a bench opposite him, she laid out from her backpack a supply of actual emergency camping rations. They were professional-grade.

"Wow." mused William. "What was that place we left behind? A doomsday bunker?"

"Except for two people, that place was a right hellscape. Thank for you for getting us out."

Now the woman sat so that her feet hung off the booth of a seat and her back was against the window. Relief.

"Do not be surprised if they seek us out. Those monsters treated me like I'm… their property. But thank you. Very much."

William heard her words, but was yet hung up on one part. "I… When you say, 'getting us out,' uh…"

His voice trailed away as he followed the movements now of her hand, also noticing a bright wedding ring on one hand.

But… More to the point… William watched his companion use her hands to frame her middle, and outline what he realized was a prominent baby bump.

Now he understood the urgency: she was pregnant.

"Oh…" was all that William could say now.

"If all goes well, my girl will be born into freedom."

The woman looked at William. Curious about him. Now that they were in a refuge, she could finally let herself slow down.

"I have so many questions for you. But I'm sure it's the same on your end. Please: go first."

William's question came out before he could stop it. "How old are you?"

His companion did not immediately reply. But only because she'd now taken time to study him.

Through their journey in the moonlit night, she'd only really been able ascertain that there was a height difference between them. 'Comical' was the word.

But now… By the light of their camping light… she finally saw him.

He was younger than she'd originally taken him for. But he was also pale-skinned, lanky, and a person of both dark hair and dark eyes. As for his facial features… They brought on familiarity. Like from a dream of a dream. She felt very safe. And she couldn't understand why.

But what she noticed even more was that her companion's face was covered in cuts. And several gnarly scrapes. Whatever he'd been up to, on the way to find her… It had to have been difficult. At the very least.

She beckoned for him to lean over the tabletop. William obliged. He felt as much trust in her as she did in him. Clearly, she had no will to be violent or flee in fear. All she wanted was a friendship. Now, because of their circumstances, they were bonded. For life.

So he'd indulge her.

With a light effort, she channeled what could only be pure energy from her hand to his face when she held it with one hand. Visible faint green sparks could be seen. Harmless. Coming in a surge from her whole hand.

William soon felt not only great peace, but… also as if something was at work in him. Literally.

The interaction lasted only moments.

By the end, William also felt dazed. Because how could he have been expecting such a thing?

So he sat down. Hard. Felt his (formerly) marred face. With both hands. To make sure.

"Did you just…" even for all the insanity since the prison break, William was now truly astounded.

"I did." said his companion. "For complicated reasons I'd rather not discuss just now, those bastards gave me… abilities. And one of them is the power to heal."

"Incredible…" murmured William.

"You think so? I've been treated like a freak for what I can do… but I didn't even ask for telepathy. Or healing. Not once."

"I really do find it cool. And not just because I can also do stuff. Maybe I can even help you more? I am willing. But," William cleared his throat. "About my question from before: don't worry about it."

The woman lifted an eyebrow, playful. "Are you saying that because I'm a lady?"

William realized he was being gently teased. "Maybe…?"

"Well," the woman made herself comfortable in the once more. "I will tell you that the answer to your question about how old I am is one very solid, 'I have no idea.' At all."

Dozens more new questions came to the forefront of William's mind. But he reeled himself in. Quick.

"Okay. My name is William." he indicated himself before extending one hand. "You tried to tell me your name before. Want to go again?"

"I accept your offer of help. Safety in numbers. For both of us now." she shook his hand. "But how do you do? My name is Emily."