A tapping noise woke me up. Rubius was tapping on the glass of my capsule.
"You're next." He mouthed the words.
Tatum, Willow, and Melanie were gone. The capsule moved, and I was put into the room. He didn't even bother to hesitate.
He left and shut the door, then immediately pulled down the lever with its big red handle. Pain shot up my back, and I suddenly became ice-cold. I kicked and squirmed, but the pain kept creeping up my spine. Rubius smirked.
I couldn't help it. I screamed. The wings grew from my back, and the horns and halo appeared out of nowhere. I could see him mouth his favorite word. He pressed a button, and the capsule disappeared. I collapsed on the cushioned floor.
"Now your assessment begins."
A whirring sound came behind me, and two camera-like machines appeared. Bullets started shooting from them. Before I could think, my wings blocked my body. My eyes flashed, and my wings dropped back down. A force field was protecting me! Once they were gone, he opened the door and walked up to me.
"Soon, you'll be unbeatable."
As quick as Tatum, and kicked him in the shin and bolted for the door. Once I was out, Rubius got up and started limping towards me. I slammed the door, hard. Nobody could hear his screams, but I knew he was calling for help. I ran down the hallway, dodging other scientists working there.
They didn't know I wasn't supposed to be roaming the building without Rubius or one of the guards.
"Aspen!" A hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.
"Thank God you're OK!" Zariah hugged me tightly. "Where is Rubius?"
I chuckled nervously. She understood. "Let's get you out of here."
We quickly walked back to my room so nobody suspected anything. She unlocked the door and looked around. "You get them, I'll stand guard."
I nodded and ran inside. She left the door open a crack. Tatum ran and wrapped his arms around me.
"You're alright!" Melanie squealed.
I pulled Tatum away. "We have to go before Rubius gets here."
Nobody asked any questions, and we all walked out. "Zariah, you're helping us too!?" Willow stood, shocked.
"That doesn't matter now. We have to get out of here."
I nodded in agreement with Melanie. Zariah led us quickly down the hall towards the back exit door. "Go through this door, then run all the way to the woods. They won't be able to get there."
She noticed we were all confused. "You'll see soon enough."
We filed out the door while nobody was looking, but Zariah stayed behind. "Zariah, you have to come with us!"
She shook her head. "I have to make sure he doesn't get out this door."
I grabbed her hand. "I'm not losing you. He already knows."
She quickly turned around and saw Rubius running with his guards. "Please, Zariah."
Tatum, Willow, and Melanie were already halfway across the parking lot and heading towards the trees.
She let go of my hand and bolted out the door with me. Rubius was at the door by the time we were halfway there. The others were already under the canopy of leaves, waiting for us. Rubius shoved himself in front of his guards and started chasing us.
As if that triggered an alarm, the guards followed closely behind. "Get back here! I'm not going to hurt you!"
I yelled back, "That gun says otherwise!"
He stopped abruptly and aimed the gun at my friends. I leaped at them. Willow squealed as my eyes glowed.
I stretched out my wings and blocked the bullets from hitting them. Melanie gasped. Zariah finally reached us and smiled. Once I heard Rubius reloading, I pushed Zariah and my friends, and we started running again. Once we were far enough, we turned around. Rubius wasn't coming.
"I told you. Only people with magical powers can come into the forest."
Of course, we all stared at Zariah. She hesitated, then showed us her power. Poison ivy started growing up my legs, and Zariah smiled.
"I can capture people with my poison ivy."
Willow crouched down once Zariah took away the ivy, and Willow touched the poison. "This poison ivy doesn't affect me."
Tatum shrugged, and we started our long trek.
<><><><><>
"So how did you get to the lab?" I asked Tatum.
Willow was born there, and her mother had died at birth. Her father died a week before, for he was shot by an unknown person. Melanie had been dumped at their doorstep when she was nine. Her parents thought she was a freak after she accidentally killed her aunt.
"Well, I was in cross country when I was seven. Rubius was there, but I didn't know why. Once he saw how fast I was, he paid my dad over $2000 to take me to his lab."
I nudged his shoulder. "What about your mom?"
He replied, "She was at home. She was the only one that truly wanted me."
Zariah spoke up. "Now y'all have nowhere to go?"
They shook their heads and glanced at me. "I live at an orphanage with a kind lady named Gloria. My mom was killed by Rubius, but I didn't know my dad."
We walked in silence for a few minutes before stopping at a clearing of grass and brush.
"I guess we'll sleep here tonight." Zariah said finally.
We were all secretly exhausted. I used my devil side and started a fire while Willow went out to find edible fruit. I sat down with Melanie and Tatum.
"I wonder how long we'll be on the run. We can't hide out here forever." Tatum sighed.
We both knew it was true. Soon, Rubius would find a way to get to us, and he'd kill us for sure. Either that, or we'd be turned into his test subjects. Willow crept up behind Melanie and gave her a pile of berries.
"These are for you." she said quietly.
She went back behind the bush then appeared again with more. After three stops, she had given everyone a pile of berries. She sat beside me, but she wouldn't make eye contact whenever we spoke.
"I think it's time we went to bed." I yawned with enthusiasm.
"I guess I am pretty tired," Tatum said.
"Of course you are. You've been running your mouth all day. Maybe your voice is faster than you." Zariah joked.
She sat by the fire, making sure it didn't go out. Willow and Melanie went off to the side, while Tatum slept by the fire. Me and Zariah fell asleep in our spots.
By morning, we were so energized, we made it out of the woods and started walking around town, hiding in alleyways so we wouldn't be spotted.
"Please! He doesn't have a home!" Willow begged.
She had found a nice, ginger cat, but I shook my head again. "When did you start taking the lead? Let her keep it." Melanie said.
Tatum nodded in agreement.
"Guys, isn't it obvious something is wrong with it?" I ventured.
They all shook their heads.
"Melanie, take your gloves off, and kill the cat. If it dies, Willow can revive it."
Zariah took a step back. "Aspen, it's going to die, so what's the point?"
I gave her a hard stare, and she seemed to understand. Tatum held the cat while Melanie took a glove off.
Willow whimpered, but only I could hear it. Tatum held the cat out, and Melanie touched it with the tip of her pinkie. As I had thought, the cat didn't die.
"What!?" Tatum yelped and dropped the cat.
"I'm not touching that thing. It could leave traces, so I need you to lift it." I said, turning to Zariah.
She nodded and used her poison ivy to lift it up to my chest. While Melanie put her gloves back on, I took a deep breath.
"Everybody take a step back."
They didn't hesitate. They were as scared as I was. I put out one of my hands and took another deep breath.
In my head, I counted. 1… 2… 3! Fire burst out of my hand, and soon, the robot cat was melting.
"I knew we were being watched, but I didn't know they would choose a decoy like this." Willow mumbled once I finished.
Zariah let the half-melted cat fall to the ground.
"They seem to know our weaknesses and our location." Zariah said.
I nodded in agreement. Tatum looked around, trying to find somewhere better to hide. "There's barely anywhere to go."
Melanie gave him a look.
"We know that, dummy! Maybe girls are smarter than boys after all." She tried to cheer us up with her joke, but Tatum was right.
There was nowhere to go. Willow groaned and leaned against the nearest wall.
"Hey, cheer up, Willow. We'll find somewhere to go." I could see the desperation in her eyes. Nothing could hide her growing hope growing thinner and thinner. Suddenly, a loud bang sounded behind us.
Then, there was a slight chuckle. "You won't escape this time, my little monsters."
Listen to me Aspen. Don't let this man get you. Run across the town, and go back into the forest.
"Guys, did you hear that?" Nobody answered, but then, Zariah spoke up. "We can't worry about that now. Run!"
Suddenly, Rubius leaped at us. I jumped back in sync with Willow and Tatum. We didn't hesitate. We ran out of the alleyway, and when I started heading to the safety of the woods, everyone else followed. We didn't stop until we were sure we were safely away from Rubius.
Rubius's guards were standing in our way, and they reached for Willow and Melanie. I scowled and leaped at the first one. My eyes flashed red, and my horns grew. Soon, I was tackling them to the ground holding my hand over his face. As quickly as I had leaped, his face was smoke black, and his stomach stopped moving.
"You killed him!" I glared at the other guard.
"Let Willow go and I'll let you slip!"
He immediately dropped her, and she fell awkwardly on the pavement. Blood trickled down the side of her mouth. "You hurt her…"
He started to go for me, but Tatum sped around him, causing him to fall. Melanie took one glove off and touched his heart. "This will kill him faster."
Once he was dead, she put her glove back on, and we started running again. We successfully made it to the woods, but we didn't see Rubius anywhere.
Tatum let out a big sigh and fell on his knees. "Gosh, that was a close one!"
Willow walked over to him and touched his heart. "You'll be fine. Just relax for a little bit."
Nobody argued, and we all sat down in the smooth grass.
"I could sleep for days!" groaned Melanie.
I laughed. Zariah was the only one standing, and she had her hands on her hips. She looked back to make sure Rubius wasn't watching. "It's getting colder. Soon, winter will be here, and we'll all freeze to death."
Willow nodded. "I can't heal dead people y'know."
Once we all got our breath back, we walked along the edge of the forest, trying to get farther away from Rubius.
"Maybe we'll find a hotel around here." I stared at Tatum like he was dumb.
"Hotels cost money." I sighed.
Suddenly, Willow started jumping up and down.
"Uhm, Willow? Are you okay?" Melanie asked.
She squealed. "I just had the best idea!"
Tatum stared at her. "This better be good."
She huddled us closer, and for a second, I thought she was just going to say something stupid. "This may sound dumb, but here in Georgia, they have races in all seasons."
I shrugged. "What does that have to do with anything?"
She looked at me, dumbfounded. "Tatum can participate!"
We all looked at Tatum. "What's the prize?"
Willow stared at a leaf on the ground. "I-I don't know. But it could buy us a hotel room for a week!"
Zariah crouched to match her height. "You better have luck on your side, because if one of us dies, I'm blaming it on you."
Willow nodded with determination in her eyes. We started walking again, but Willow stayed in the back. By the time the sun was setting, we had finally found the race track.
"We'll sleep here tonight then sign up in the morning." Zariah said, motioning towards the small area.
Tatum was the first asleep, not even caring about dinner. Melanie had saved some berries from the night before, so we ate the rest of those and went to bed.
You will win, but someone will get badly injured. Stop it from happening. I fluttered my eyes open, and I was at the race track. "Hello? Melanie? Zariah?"
Nobody answered. It was so desolate and quiet, I didn't notice the stadium behind me. People were chanting and cheering, but they were transparent ghosts. I'm dreaming!
Suddenly, Willow was there. Melanie and Zariah were at a hotdog stand nearby. I was right beside them. Why was Willow alone, in the stadium?
A big, burly man sat in front of her, and soon, I couldn't see her face. I could hear her voice though. "Could you please move? I can't see."
He didn't budge, so she tapped him on the shoulder.
"Why don't you just shut up and watch the race!?"
That triggered me. I couldn't move, but Willow did. She slapped him across the face. I was proud for a second, but then I realized how big he was. He threw his hotdog down and lifted her by her collar.
Before anyone could do anything, he slammed her down. There was a loud snap, and her leg twisted in a weird way. I screamed. Someone slapped me, and I fell to the ground unconscious.
When I got back up, Zariah was prepared to hit me again. "What was that for!?"
She let her hand fall. "You screamed. I thought you were having a nightmare."
I nodded. "Thanks, I guess."
I stood up and pulled the leaves out of my hair. Tatum was stretching.
"Today's the last day to sign up because the race is at 3:00 pm," he said.
I let out a big yawn. "I'm not a fan of running, but if it gets us a hotel room, then I'll be fine."
Melanie laughed at my joke. Soon, we were walking over to the track, and cars were starting to pull in.
"I hope it's not super crowded. I'm not a fan of large groups." Willow muttered shyly.
I nudged her shoulder. "Hey, you'll be fine. I promise I'll keep you safe."
The nightmare I had last night popped into my head. I'll keep you safe, Willow. We finally made it, and Zariah picked up a few dollars on the way.
The only excuse she said was, "On days like this, people are always losing money."
Tatum went to the host of the race while Melanie and I found seats. Zariah had taken Willow to the bathroom, for she had started feeling queasy.
We were one of the first ones there, so there were multiple spots to choose from. In the end, we chose a spot in the far right corner, near the food stands. This is exactly like my dream! Before I could object, Zariah and Willow were walking towards me.
Willow hopped up the stadium and collapsed at our spot. "The bathrooms are so far away! Why did you choose a spot up here?"
Melanie shrugged, and we all sat down. The runners were lining up at the starting line. I could barely see Tatum between two high school boys.
They looked fast, but I knew Tatum would beat them easily. Then, a gun was fired, and the runners bolted. Tatum kept his speed, and once he was half a mile away, he sped away like Sonic. The other runners were shocked, and they sped up a bit.
Suddenly, Melanie and Zariah stood up. I glanced at them. "We're getting something to eat, wanna come?"
I stood up and nodded, but then I remembered what had happened to Willow. "Actually, I'll just stay here."
"Okay, we'll get you something."
I let out a long sigh. Willow gave me a sympathetic look. "You didn't have to stay with me, you know."
I shook my head. "I don't trust anyone here, so I'll stay with you."
She didn't argue, and soon, people were chanting and cheering, just like my dream. The bulky man sat in front of us, and Willow started leaning left and right to see.
"Hey, let's go somewhere else." I said.
She glared at me. "We shouldn't give up our space just because I can't see."
I had to think fast. If we didn't move, then by the end of the race, Willow's leg would be broken, and we wouldn't have enough money to take her to the hospital.
I grabbed her arm just as she was about to poke him. "Aspen, what are you doing? We can just tell him to move."
I shook my head. "Willow, you can't. I know we were here first, but I had.. a dream."
She just stared at me. "You may continue." She said hesitantly.
I told her the whole story and didn't leave out anything. She smiled sympathetically. "It was just a nightmare. You worry too much."
The man in front of us turned around and glared. "I hear you talking about me. Why don't you just shut up!"
Willow gasped, obviously offended. "Willow, no-"
Before I could say another word, she stood up."Well, I can't see! Could you please move?"
He chuckled and also stood up. Then, just like the dream, he grabbed her. She screamed, but I couldn't do anything. Zariah and Melanie heard her, and they were running back to the stadium.
The big man grabbed her shirt collar and threw her down. There were so many people around us, but I didn't care. Melanie and Zariah ran beside me.
"You're next, pipsqueak!" He yelled at me.
Nobody was stopping this fight. Zariah made her ivy trap his legs, and I put my wings around Willow.
Melanie was taking her gloves off.
"Melanie, no! If we kill him, we'll go to jail for sure!" Zariah exclaimed.
I shook my head when she looked at me. Melanie lifted Willow while I stepped up. My horns came out, and the man gasped in shock.
I flapped my wings to make myself levitate and match his height. "Don't ever touch my friends again."
Then, my eyes flashed, and I collapsed.
<><><><><>
Warmth swarmed over me. Something was covering my whole body.
"Aspen, are you alright?" a voice said.
It sounded distant, but I knew the person who had said it was standing right above me.
"What… happened?" I managed to say. It came out in a whisper.
I groggily opened my eyes and sat up. Someone familiar was sitting in a chair next to me. I was laying on a bed, with an actual blanket! Once my vision was clear, I recognised the pretty face of Zariah.
"How long was I asleep?"
She gently grabbed my hand. "You were unconscious for a whole day."
I sighed. "At least I'm not dead. What happened to that man?"
She chuckled. "He was injured pretty badly, but he'll live."
I glanced around the room and saw Willow laying on another bed in the far corner of the room.
"Tatum won, and a kind woman took us to her home. Luckily, she had a friend who was a nurse."
I couldn't see Tatum anywhere, so I couldn't congratulate him on his win. A door creaked open, and light swarmed over me and Zariah.
"I'm glad you're awake, dear."
I recognised the voice, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. "There are other kids here, if you would like to meet them, of course."
I attempted to get up, but soon, I fell into Zariah. "Let me help."
I grabbed her hand again, and she led me to the door. The woman was walking down the hall. Even the hallway seemed familiar. The woman stopped at a door and knocked.
"It's time to meet our guests."
The door swung open and a boy stood in the doorway.
"We're coming. Emma just got stuck in her pillow fort." he said.
He turned around and went back into the room.
"Uhm, ma'am? What is your name? We really need to thank you." Zariah asked kindly.
The woman held her hand to her heart. "You may call me whatever you like, but I most times go by Gloria."
That's when the recognition struck me. "Gloria, where exactly are we?"
She glanced over at me. "Well, it's my home. It was supposed to be an orphanage, but I just loved children so much, I adopted them all."
I let go of Zariah's hand and hobbled over to Gloria. "It's really you!"
She patted my head. "I'm sorry dear, but I don't think we've met before."
I looked up at her, but I didn't let go of her waist. "Do you remember Aspie?"
She nodded quietly. "That's me!"
She crouched and put her hands on my shoulders. "Oh my God, it really is you!"
She stood up straight and hugged me tightly. Zariah looked from me to Gloria, confusion locked in her gaze.
"We'll get this situated in a few minutes." Gloria said.
Zariah went to get Willow while I went downstairs to the kitchen. Gloria was calling for Emma and Grayson by the time Willow, Melanie, and Zariah came down.
Melanie gave me a squeeze and whispered in my ear. "I'm glad you're alright."
Finally, Gloria came down. I was still exhausted, so Gloria explained the whole story. She was an awesome storyteller, and she didn't miss anything. She even told them about the time Emma was sick. There were some parts where they giggled.
Finally, night had snuck up on us, and Gloria started taking us to bed. Willow grabbed my hand and we went upstairs to the balcony. There were still a few marks from the time I went crazy, but it still had a gorgeous view.
Willow let go and stared at the crescent moon. "It's so pretty, isn't it?"
I nodded. "I used to come here when I missed my mom."
She smiled gently. The door opened, and Gloria peeked through. "Oh, I was just going to say goodnight, dears. I'll let you have your moment."
I giggled and looked at the night sky. The stars were bright and pretty.
I caught Willow staring at me, and I nudged her. "What's wrong?"
She let out a long sigh. "Are you going to stay here now that you're home?"
I shrugged. I hadn't really thought about it. "I'll miss this place a lot, but I'm sticking with you until Rubius is gone."
She smiled. "That's not the only thing bothering me."
I took both her hands. "Willow, you can tell me everything. You're my friend, and I care about you."
I glanced down at her foot with its bandages. Her eyes twinkled when I looked back up. "Aspen, I don't want to be just friends. I- I think I like you."
My hands were cold, but my face felt hot. "I think… I think I like you too."
She gave me a tight hug. I smiled and took her hand. She leaned on my shoulder, and we watched the moon rise higher into the night.