My eyes flew open to see the campfire that grew bigger, engulfing the wood. Maddie, Serenity, Mike, and Alex were mumbling about some topic, not noticing that I was asleep in the first place.
"Maddie!" I stiffened. I had tilted more towards the ground and messed up the muscles in my neck. An expecting throb in my head started to pound mercilessly behind my eyes.
"Yes?" Maddie's face beamed. I paused, trying to think through my dream, carefully picking out the most important points of the dream.
"Eh, this might sound weird to you, but did you say that each mutated gene has a normal gene to it, so there is one time that they are fighting for dominance?" I hesitated.
"Yes, why?" Maddie put her fingers to her lips.
"Alex, did we make that plan with the maps?" I tapped him on the shoulder. He shook his head.
"She fell asleep you guys. Can't you see that? Must have nodded off while you were thinking." Serenity laughed. Mike looked at me with a huge smile on his face. Amusement? Or was he glad to see me again?
"What are you guys talking about?" I changed the mood.
"About the weirdest things we have been through. Mine is this one." Mike yawned.
"Hmmm…. I have seen a lot of weird things… I think it would be that bathtub water test thingy." I stretched happily. Alex blushed and Serenity seized the opportunity to tease me yet again.
"Aw. Are you guys dating?" She winked.
"How did she know? Did you tell her about that thing?" I sighed to Alex.
"No… I never even told Mike…" Alex stopped and thought for a moment. "Maddie."
"What? Wasn't much of a secret at the compound." Maddie emphasized with a look in her eyes.
"So what is it? Dating or not?" Mike nudged Alex. Alex and I exchanged glances. His eyes softened and shimmered in the moonlight. I could make out that there is a possibility that he does want us to be dating, so I nodded. Whatever would come out of his mouth I would have to accept,
"Yes. Yes we are." Alex smiled like I had never seen him before.
"Awwwwww." Mike, Serenity, and Maddie squealed in unison. I had to smile. Whether I liked it or not, I had to smile. This is going to be hard to tell Dad. Unless Alex told him what he has been trying to do for a while now. But even then, I think my dad would be a bit skeptical because I am not only his only daughter, I am his only child. He has been seeing everything as a danger to me ever since Mom died. I never really minded that though. The thought that my dad is keeping me safe, well, makes me feel safe. Now that I am dating, he is going to be sending Serenity to spy on us, I am sure. She would do it anyway, so that is expected. Alex being a mutant might just ease Dad's mind. And Alex has a useful mental power. Which, now thinking about it, could make my dad even more paranoid about me because Alex could use that on me. There is no way out of this! I guess I will just have to deal with my dad constantly asking me questions, looking at my email, nagging me, and defiantly grounding me when I am five minutes late to anywhere. Oh boy this should be really fun.
"So… How did you guys meet?" Serenity eyed me playfully. Alex leaned on me and I did like wise, just to over iterate that we are now a couple. Our breathing synchronized and the cold did not matter anymore to my sensitive cuts. Mike answered her with a more dramatic hold on the story.
"It was fate! Renee was hanging on a ledge, half conscious, and he grabbed her hand with such passion that Renee woke up. Oh what a sight! They literally lit up the black night into a bright sunny day. Alex gave her his good luck charm and said 'I shall come back for you, my dear, for my love burns a thousand suns for you!' They kissed and then Renee would not let go of his hand for her love would not permit her so. She knew she must let go to see her 'Romeo' again –" Mike's hands molded a mental picture for us all. Alex muttered something under his breath, chuckling at the dramatic situation. His storytelling cleared the murky atmosphere and Serenity joined in.
"Then a tragic scene followed the true lover's tale. Mike had fallen, in his duty to save Renee and me. The grief stricken girl would not believe her past love is dead and raced to find a way to save his handsome face. Alex stopped her, ' Love, it is too dangerous for us to be seen as you and me. You must be in a disguise.' –" Serenity stood and stressed each word of her story. Mike joined her in a dance depicting the tale of Alex and me. Maddie dropped her head down to her knees and burst out laughing. My face heated up, my laughter sprinkled with tears from not being able to breath.
"Off they went together in the sneaky adventure. Renee had to pass a test of her durability, almost dieing. But if it was not for the knight in shining armor, she would be a popsicle, eaten by the man-eating dogs—" Mike let Serenity have her fun next. At this point, Mike was picking Serenity up with her limp and lifeless.
"In the end, they get married in a small chapel the next day with the approval of her father, the king! Mike and Serenity get mansions and Alex and Serenity live a full life of true love." Serenity ended with her and Mike holding hands, bowing at the applause. Alex held me closer with the happiness overflowing in his soul.
"You guys should make a show or something." Alex high-fives Mike as he sat back down.
"Hahaha, this would be a great story to tell our teacher when we get back, eh Mike?" I coughed, recovering from good-hearted laughter.
"I don't think she would believe us." He yawned again. I leaned backwards, resting my hand on a cup of water, longing for a sip of water. The refreshing taste of the clean water washed thoroughly, swishing around my teeth and into my throat. I couldn't stop drinking the water, it is so… So tempting, unlike any water I had tasted before. Wait, what am I doing? We never had any water at all. No food, no water, nothing.
"You guys…" I burped. A sharp pain sliced through my thoughts and I was unconscious. There was no time to feel the poison take affect on me before I was out like a light.
My lungs struggled for air to flow in and out of my body. Hyperventilating, my eyes open once more, but to a blinding light and a weight on my chest. Gasping between coughs, another pounding throb in my head stuck every nerve in my brain. I close my eyes to block the white light from penetrating my painful thoughts. Each shallow breath is a twinge of pain.
"OW!" I screamed. A needle injected itself into my neck. I could feel the solution force itself into my bloodstream.
"Stop hurting her!" A familiar voice scolded whoever gave me this injection.
"Oh shut up!" A voice hissed. Oh no! Not him!
"We will leave her alone for this to work." A softer, mocking voice reassured the man that defended me. My nose itched and burned, my hand wrestling for freedom to scratch my nose.
"Renee, sweetie?" My dad sniffed. Right there. Right at that moment, my eyes peeled open, ignored the painfully bright light burning into my skin, searching for my dad's malnourished face.
"Dad?" My voice cracked. My dad's face, right across from me, darkened by mud and dust, bruised from the beating he has endured, and the relief for seeing that his daughter is alive.
"Why did you come to get me? Not that I am not happy to see you, but I didn't want to see you get hurt."
"But they got to the house… They tried to get me. Either way I was going to get hurt… And you are the only family that I have, dad. If I lost you, what would I do?"
"… Do you have a plan?"
"Nope. Why did they drug me? Freaking could have hit me in the head or something." I winced. The pain from the sedatives continued to burn my head, the heat increasing every minute.
"I don't know. Maybe they know that you have a hard head."
"Very funny. "
"Ren, you must be wondering why I am here."
"Very much so, yes. Why did you create the panels?"
"Your mother became paranoid with the news of bad mutants killing non-mutants and mutants who had different beliefs when you were a baby. I had to balance the bad with the good on that thing. Took me years to figure out how to absorb the powers without killing the mutant."
"Is there anyway that you can be stronger than the panel?
"If I knew, there would be no problem right now." Dad cleared his throat. The light had lessened in my eyes and I was able to make out the objects next to me. The icy surface I lay on is really just wood. Just like the one that I was tied to when that shape shifter caught me, deceiving me. Various torture devices glued themselves to a shelf. Blood crusted on the edges, they are all the same: sharp, big, and contorted pieces of metal twisted around them. There is nothing I can throw up. Maybe the sedatives, but that would make me feel worse than I already feel. Just looking at these stung my mind with images of the victims. A memory formed in my brain. Not mine, not anyone's that I knew, but someone else's. Someone still alive, scarred and broken.
"Where is Theodore Thomas?" Something growled.
"I don't now! I admit, I know him, but that is all. I haven't seen him in years!" A high-pitched voice seemed to have told the truth.
"How do you know him?"
"I was the teacher of his daughter when she was in elementary school… She should be graduating by now." A woman revealed her face to me. Mrs. Smith?
"Where is he? You should know where he lives." The all to familiar serpent picked up a knife and held it against her arm. My teacher's breath turned from full breaths into rigid gasping. She doesn't know! She wouldn't know! She only knows my dad from teacher conferences. STOP!
"I am telling the truth. I. Don't. Know." Mrs. Smith cried. The knife sliced her arm, but she just kept her mouth shut, keeping the pain inside her. Someone was next to her… Two people, actually.
"If nothing is working on her, then we go to her son." The same petite woman sniffed. J…Jimmy? Is that how….
"No!... No." Mrs. Smith pleaded with all her heart. A silver pistol found its way the to head of her son, scared and shaking. Two clicks pierced the air.
"Tell me where he is." The serpent hissed.
"Okay…He lives in Georgia now. Job change." Her voice wavered. She was lying through her teeth, She has no clue where the heck my dad is… er was. True, there was a job change, but he declined moving. A shot filled the air and the shaking stopped. Jimmy's young life snatched away from him just like the others.
"NO!" Mrs. Smith screeched. "No Jimmy! Why did you kill him you worthless…"
The snake like person stuck her head, knocking her out. The memory faded away, but the voice still remained in my head.
"Don't let this happen to either of you. Even if your dad does give them what they want, they are going to kill one or both of you." Mrs. Smith informed me.
"D…Dad…" I gagged.
"Yes?"
"Did they use these on you?" I whispered. He took a long pause before he answered me.
"No."
"Tell me the truth dad. I am not a kid anymore… Not after this." I raised my voice.
"They did not use anything on me. They used mental torture. Okay?" I hardly heard my dad speak. Why are they doing this to him?
"Listen, I hold a secret that no one can ever get out of me, even if they did cut me up." My dad's voice traveled to my ear. I lost it. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I am beyond angry now. My heart became polluted with the tainted blood rushing back and forth in my limbs. Writhing, my wrists scraped against the chains, bloodying the cuffs of my sweater. I caught the bottom of flip flops and dug my heels into the wood.
"Renee, stop! You are going to wear yourself out and they are going to hurt you in more ways than you have already been hurt!" My dad urged, his face blending into a frantic redish color.
"To late!" I retorted. I found that one crack that would free us once and for all. I felt along the ragged line with my covered elbows. Three seconds and that is all I need. Thumps behind the door distracted my determined thoughts.
"Just say it is the sedatives!" My dad hissed. No, I am not lying again! I whipped my head from Dad to the door.
"Whatever happens Dad, you didn't do anything. Remember…" I sucked in a sharp breath of air. Both elbows went up in the air. Quick and easy, right?
"And that is why…. What are you doing?" The serpent held out a gun.
"No!" My dad pleaded. Ramming my elbows into the crack multiple times, I broke free of the chains, both my hands and feet.
"Got your back." A voice whispered fast into my ear. Serenity! The wood snapped and I propelled myself off of my prison bed. Pain couldn't stop me now. Where is that panel? Two shots were heard and I ducked, covering my neck. I refuse to look back at these… these things! Somersaulting underneath a table, something cracked. Bingo.
"Remember you can't heal yourself…" Another voice whispered in my ears. Alex! I crawled out of my hiding place, empowered.
"No…" The word spilled out of my mouth.