The Result of a Change

December 10th.

I spent the past few days sleeping. I thought I should get enough of it before I die although dying is sleeping but never waking up, I needed to enjoy it before the attack. Tomorrow’s my 18th birthday and I have no idea whether this fact should make me happy or stress me down. The first step I should make at the moment, is getting out of bed.

I hear a knock at my room’s door.

“Come in!” I shout as I get on my feet.

Jo pushes the door open and comes in.

“Why did you sleep like an elephant?” She asks narrowing her eyes.

I shrug, “Because sleep is precious and I don’t know whether tomorrow will give me a new life or end the only one I have.”

She raises her eyebrows and rests her hands on her hips.

“Whatever. Are we ready?” I ask.

She nods.

“And the weapons? Are they in a proper amount?”

“More than required. Jimmy did a great job.”

I smile, “I knew it. Now, get out let me take a shower.” I say as I push her out of my room and close the door.

I can hear her frowning but that just makes me laugh.

I step into the bathroom and let the hot water brush my hair and relax me for a while. I can’t believe we’re just on the edge. It’s more like now or never, there’s no looking back. We should either take the risk and fight with full bravery or step back like cowards. No, I ain’t a coward and I’ll never be. Max should help us and give us the serum or at least tell us what it does. I need to talk to him and get the information quickly before I pull my hair off. I never stopped thinking about it not even in my dreams. It’s hunting me and I should get it as soon as possible.

I slip into my clothes and get out of the washroom.

For the first time since I landed here, I notice the great difference between this room and my room in Polina. This room is plain, having white walls that look as boring as an empty cave and nothing else fills it except for the queen sized bed in the middle of it. My room was beautiful, to me. The walls were painted in dark aquamarine with delicate grey and black designs. A little home library stood on one corner few centimetres away from my bed while a simple mirror hung on the wall opposite to it. My bed was quite simple and wasn’t uncomfortably huge rather it was moderate. My cupboard stood opposite to the bed. I miss my home, Polina. This place just makes me feel worse everyday. I try my best to get distracted on the Internet but people there just make it worse. They go for hating their lives for no particular reason or just complain about not having the latest version of .... Everything. I was shocked to see how large numbers of people may easily die out of starvation on the other side of this planet while here, they’re just wasting the food they have.

I mean, being social on Internet now is a sort of a disease to me. I’d better remain alone for the rest of my life if such people are to be the ones around.

I can’t help but frown over the fact that I’m one of them. I have to stay here after the mission. Who knows? I may not see my home again or inhale it’s life taking air and sense its safety.

I wish I never knew the truth, I wish I remained an alien with no human interference in my race but apparently, an alien invaded my human genes. I’m glad it did, I mean, at least I’m not purely one of these creatures.

I throw all these thoughts at the back of my head. I grab the gun, put it in my pocket and walk out of my room to the kitchen.

I pass by Peter and get some milk and boil it.

“How did you get the gun?”

I startle as I hear his question.

I change the subject, “Do you want me to make you coffee with me?” I say as I put two spoons of coffee in my cup.

“No, thank you. Answer my question.”

I turn to him and look at his eyes. Well, he’s actually serious and I don’t think there’s a way out of it.

“Is it important for you to know?” I ask turning back to make my coffee.

“I wouldn’t have asked if it weren’t.”

I clear my throat, “I stole it.” I say as I pour the milk to my coffee.

“What! From who? And how?”

“Remember the day we got arrested on my 16th birthday?”

He crosses his eyebrows, “The day we sneaked into a grocery store and started a water fight? Yes, I remember it well.”

“When you were in the cell and I was talking on the phone to my parents, I stole it from a police officer and I kept it since then.”

He raises an eyebrow, “And didn’t he notice?”

“He was asleep.”

He laughs.

“Why are you laughing?” I question him.

“You’re so clever, I mean, not every 16 year old girl would ever think of stealing a gun. Are you sure you’re not a failed project of a boy?”

“HAHA funny.” I roll my eyes, “Girls aren’t always what you think they are. They can be stronger than you but we just don’t show it much.” I say.

He smirks, “Come on.”

He hits my shoulder playfully.

I raise an eyebrow.

“All right I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, I understand you don’t want to admit that you’re grateful I had a gun.” I smirk as I take my cup and leave the kitchen.

“Well, yes I am but why were you hesitating to tell me and it’s actually quite fine?”

I sit on the sofa, “Because it’s better to have little secrets than none at all.” I say as I take a sip from my coffee.

He jumps beside me and starts staring at the ceiling.

I wonder what’s he thinking about? Better check.

“Don’t you dare.” he threatens while his eyes are still fixed on the ceiling.

“Don’t I dare do what?” I ask pretending to be innocent but hey, how do my friends know that I’m about to sneak into their minds? That’s a mystery I never solved.

“Don’t sneak.”

“Can I ask you something? ”

He turns his gaze to me, “Yes, ask.”

“How do you know I’m about to do this?”

He smiles, “Have you ever been to the school library?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“I’m not changing it, have you?”

“No.”

“There’s a book there titled as ‘The Undiscovered Abilities’. It says that if the friendship bond between you and your friends is strong, then you’re going to sense what they’re planning to do in the near future only and only if it’s related to you.” He explains with a grin.

My eyes widen, “Interesting.”

“Yeah.”

I jump off the sofa after hearing the sudden crashing sound from downstairs.

I glare at Peter, “What was that?”

“Follow me.”

I nod and take the gun out of my pocket.

Peter raises his eyebrows.

“What?” I ask.

“Nothing, just come.”

I follow him downstairs to the basement while holding the gun, ready for any unexpected attack.

The stairs creak beneath me and my heart races.

Peter pushes the door open and gets inside. I stand at the basement door examining what might have caused that sound but, to my surprise, nothing seems wrong.

I slip inside.

I turn my gaze to Peter, “Did you find anything?”

He shakes his head, “No, I think something on the edge fell.”

I spot a shadow in front of me.

I open my mouth to tell Peter about it but something is pressing it shut.

My view blurs and the last thing I could hear is, “Happy Birthday, sister.”

Nothing but darkness is what invades my sight.

“How much time is left?”

“7 hours.”

I open my eyes a little and see two blurred figures on my sides. As soon as my eyes get focused, my heart pounds. Max is on my side talking to someone else. Why am I here?

I straighten up. He turns his gaze to me and smiles lightly.

“How are you feeling? ”

“Where am I?”

“In my place.”

“Why?”

“To protect you.”

“I need no protection! Leave me complete my mission.”

He frowns, “You’re not allowed to.”

“As if I care.” I say rolling my eyes.

“Zoey, get back to your senses. You hate earth then why do you think you should save it?”

“I think we’ve dealt with this before.”

“Yes, but come on, I miss you and we can live happily away from everyone, as a family.”

“I can’t destroy it and it’s our place.”

“It’s not.”

“It originally is.”

He furrows his eyebrows, “How can you be sure?”

“Can I trust you?”

“Of course.”

“I time travelled and contacted my grandpa, Mr. Gray Anderson.”

“You what?”

I nod.

“He told me the truth. We’re the result of Experiment 1156.”

“This was made on humans and failed.” he says coldly.

“Those humans were our ancestors.”

“No.”

“Yes.” I argue.

“This can’t be true.”

“Believe it or not, it is.”

He stands up and turns to leave but I take hold of his arm.

“What does the serum do?” I ask holding in my frustration at the memory of his betrayal.

“It cures you.” he says over his shoulder.

“From what?”

He turns his gaze to me, “Your powers.” then walks away leaving me in a total confused mess.

The thought of my brother being on the enemy side, fighting me, makes me cringe. We’ve always been connected by heart but now, he crashed everything. I look around and find myself surrounded by white walls with guns hanging on them. I know some people can be stupid, but not that stupid.

I get up from the bed and snatch one of the guns. As I’m unaware of the time, I decide to escape now.

I examine the room. No windows, only the door Max went through.

I find something on the ceiling.

It’s a trapdoor.

I stand beneath it and stretch my hands to pull it down. Luckily, I could reach it. I pull it down with ease.

This proves how stupid Xoliners are for leaving it unlocked but right now, it’s in my favour.

I climb up, close it and rub the dust off my jeans.

I look around for any ventilators and find a window on my side.

I make my way to it, stepping carefully on the wooden floor, trying to avoid causing any sound. I try pulling it up but it remains shut. It’s locked. I take the gun I just stole and fire at the glass, causing it to spread around me.

I hear footsteps below me. I better run now.

I get on the window frame, ready to jump.

The trapdoor opens, I take a breath and fall over.