Thank you guys for all the support! Here's Chapter 2!
Sasha sat at the dinner table with her current foster mother and father, Dalton and Marie Coolidge. She hadn't touched her dinner yet, even after prayer, and there was an atmosphere of tension in the room as her parents debated to themselves how they would start this conversation.
"What exactly happened in school today, Sasha?" Dalton finally asked her.
Sasha stared down at her plate. "A man came up to me. He knew my name. He said he was a friend," she said softly.
"When did this happen? Where?" her mother dropped her fork and began to squawk.
"In the forest, behind the school," Sasha explained.
Dalton and Marie exchanged worried glances.
"Sasha, if you ever see that man again, get to your teachers right away," Marie advised her.
"Why?" Sasha asked as she looked up from her plate at her foster mother.
"I… I don't know how to explain it to you," Marie dabbed at her mouth with a napkin, although it was unnecessary. It was only a nervous gesture.
"He's not really your friend, Sasha. Don't trust him, don't go near him, whoever he is," Dalton explained to her. Sasha appeared worried. She kept quiet and moved her food around on the plate with her fork.
Dalton noticed her sad expression. "Don't get so down Sasha. Tomorrow, we are leaving to Aunt Beatrice's house," he told her with a smile.
Sasha perked up excitedly. "How long will we be staying?" she asked curiously.
"Two weeks at least," Dalton replied and chewed on his steak, "You're on Spring Break after all."
Sasha had forgotten. She may not have heard the announcements, due to her constant daydreaming to escape the monotony of class. She was nonetheless excited. Aunt Beatrice was actually Marie's aunt, making her the great aunt of foster child, Sasha. Beatrice lived on the East coast in North Carolina. She had a big estate with a huge garden in the back that eventually extended right out onto the beach. Sasha loved the garden. Every time they would visit Aunt Beatrice, she would spend all her time in the garden. She felt at peace there.
When Sasha had finished eating and excused herself to go to bed, her parents began to whisper amongst themselves. Marie's calm expression changed instantly to a worried, terrified look. Dalton could feel her tension.
"Oh, Dalton!" she whispered loudly, "Do you think she really did that to that boy? I mean, he was torn up really bad. Didn't his mother say he was cut almost to his internal organs?" her voice became high and squeaky.
"Yes but Sasha couldn't have done it. She is so small and timid. Sure, when she gets upset, she can lash out but she couldn't have done that," Dalton tried to assure her.
"He kept talking about a tree grabbing him. But trees don't move," Marie looked at him curiously.
"Evos can make them move," Dalton said outloud.
Marie's eyes widened. She leaned in to her husband. "You don't think that Sasha is an evo, do you?"
"I highly doubt it," Dalton told her, doubting himself.
Sasha slumped against the wall on the stairwell, just an earshot away from the dining room. She heard everything and she knew the truth. She was one of those freaks you hear about on TV who get mutated by the nanites in their body. That was why that man came to her. He must have been an evo too. Soon, she would probably turn into some freak and get blown up by Providence. Sasha covered her face with her fists and clenched her teeth. She didn't want that to happen. She wanted a friend, not to be blown up. She wanted that man to come back and save her from being blasted sky high.