Chapter 19
I must have fallen asleep from exhaustion in my cage because the next thing that happened, I was being woken up by the bright light shining through the doorway into the room. I shielded my eyes from the light and looked at the figure in the doorway. It was my mother.
"What do you want?" I asked her coldly, although it hurt me inside to treat her like that.
"You're being moved," She replied, "I managed to convince them to give you a room. I wanted to keep an eye on you."
"Great," I replied sarcastically, "Just when I was getting comfy in my little cage."
Two Erasers stepped in through the door and approached my cage. I noticed they were extra wary of me and wondered why, then remembered the fight that happened yesterday and smiled. At least they knew to be careful around me. I exited my cage and stood upright, hearing my back click as I stretched it and walked towards the door. I passed my mother at the door. She had a cold and impassive face on, but I could see the hurt in her eyes from the way I was treating her.
They led me down a bleak white corridor after bleak white corridor until I began to notice most of the people walking down the hallways were either Erasers or winged people, people like me. They gave me curious glances as they walked past, but otherwise said nothing. Eventually we reached a white (what else?) door with a window set in the top half of it and a cold steel handle. My mother opened it and walked in, leaving the Erasers at the door, on either side. I walked in to look at the average room. It was white walled, white roofed and grey carpeted (Wow they had grey carpet? That was different).
"Those that get moved here get an extra request," My mother said, turning to face me, "A request for things like books, a TV or a stereo. Anything you want?"
"Where is Laura?" I asked her; surprised that was the first question I asked. Normally I would have asked for a TV with a playstation, I guess things like this change people.
My mother looked uncomfortable at my question, not sure about whether to answer it or not. She eventually caved seeing that I was going to be stubborn about it and sighed.
"She's being held separate from the others," She replied, "They don't want her here with the others. She used to live here until she failed. That's why they want to keep her separate."
"My request is," I started, "That she moves into the room next door. I know it's empty I saw it as we went passed. She's about the only person keeping me sane here, and I don't trust you enough to leave her alone with you. She's been through enough here."
"I'll check and see about that," My mother replied then muttered under her breath, "you care more about her than your family."
"I care about my family mother," I replied, "that's why I was going to ask where Danielle and Jake are. I haven't seen them since my arrival. Are they ok?"
"Jake's fine," My mother replied, "he's become an Erasers. He's enjoying it though, seems to think it's cool being a were-wolf. Danielle…"
My mother broke off when she mentioned my sister's name. I knew that something bad had happened then, when I saw the look on my mothers face. I saw the sorrow in her eyes and the tears she held back.
"She didn't make it," I replied, shock making my voice sound numb, deadened, "She couldn't handle the transformation, could she?"
"No," My mother replied, "She couldn't."
My mother exited the room, fighting to hold back tears and I collapsed onto the floor in shock. My sister was dead? No it couldn't be! She was always so stubborn, when she was fully awake that was. I sat there for ages before I began to feel emotion again. When it returned a wave of grief washed over me and I let out an anguished cry as it finally sunk it. I began to smash my fist against the wall, repeating no over and over, not wanting to accept it, not caring that my fist was slowly losing the feeling from the repeated pounding I gave it on the wall. Eventually I exhausted myself and curled up in a ball on the floor, tears falling silently down my cheek. Danielle was dead… and it was all my fault.
Chapter 20
The day went by in a blur. I didn't pay any attention to them. I barely ate and spent most of my time sitting in my room crying or smashing the wall, as both grief and anger swept through me until I was so emotionally I exhausted I fell asleep. My mother visited me twice, only to find me unresponsive to her attempts at starting a conversation. The only thing I could remember her saying was Laura was allowed the room next door, that the higher up's seemed to be interested in me and Laura.
I attended my lessons on both self-defense and Flying, but my heart wasn't in it. I just wanted to curl up and to have the world leave me alone and let me rot to death. I no longer cared any more. It was only at her funeral that I started to become the person I used to be, but with a new determination. I had to fold my wings and hide them from the public at her funeral. The story was that she died from a drunk driver in a car accident and that I had been away from school from grief. People accepted this story, knowing how close we used to be, even though we were always arguing.
They cremated her. I suppose partially because it was to make sure no-one could dig her up and find out she had wings. I had wanted to be cremated when I died. I believed it left nothing behind for the soul to remain and let it's journey continued forwards to the afterlife. Danielle shared the same belief and dying wish I did. It was while watching the coffin; I made a promise to Danielle to not let them beat me and that I would escape. I made her a promise to survive for her, and to be strong. I couldn't promise her I could look after Jake. He was taking being an Eraser too well; he seemed to enjoy torturing things when he went out hunting with the rest of the pack. I could see it had warped and twisted him. But I did make her the promise to look after Laura, because she was the one who showed us the truth.
I flashed back to the night in which I had slept in fathers study, across the hall from Danielle. I remember hearing Danielle sneak out of her room to talk to Laura, listened to their whispered conversation in my room through the wall. Danielle had asked so many questions about Laura, and Laura asked Danielle about the real world. I don't know what it was that allowed them to bond so fast, perhaps it was a girl thing, but I made that promise to Danielle to look after Laura.
When her ashes had been scattered I walked back to the car that had bought me here, a single tear fell down my cheek. I held a new determination in my heart, one to escape, to protect Laura from the whitecoats, the scientists and to be free. I was going to learn, go to my classes and excel at all of them, biding my time to escape until the moment was correct. I was going to wait and plan the escape well. I would use my ability to see all possibilities and fix any problems that might occur. They had messed with the wrong person and I was going to make sure they paid for it.
The drive back to Haven was quiet. My mother and brother not saying a word and I stared out the window at the sun setting the sky on fire as it set below the horizon. It burned an unnatural red to mark the death that had been mourned today, and the new spark of life that now sat inside me, fueling me on. Once we arrived, I ignored all the people that showed up to give the family sympathies and tell us how sorry they were for our loss. I didn't need that, it would have only fuelled the anger that I was trying so hard to control inside me.
Laura was in her room as I walked down the corridor and came out to greet me. I could tell she was sad about my sister's death. Her eyes showed the tell tale signs of crying, but she had seen death before, once you have seen death, it doesn't scare you any more. It doesn't hold the same effect it once used to. I told her to lay low and do what they wanted for the time being, while I prepared our escape. I didn't want to be here any second longer than I needed to. Laura was just happy I was back to being myself.
I entered my room and saw that most of my stuff from my home at room had been transferred in and wondered who had done that and why. I knew when, it was while I was at Danielle's funeral. I hadn't had time to ponder it, I was exhausted over all the events that had happened to day and putting up with the sympathies and placing on an act all day that as soon as my head hit my old pillow I fell asleep straight away.