The Gifted

Dan

I watch Emms weakly talk with Jordyn from afar. Her brown eyes so dull to what they used to be shining with authority and strength. It's weird to see her so weak. So shaky.

Her hands still shake from the first time she woke up from her surgery. My father and I knew her abilities would kill her if she didn't know how it was for the whole world screaming at you.

When she woke up, I was ready with the small fraction of the same substance in the bullets of soldiers to take abilities away from the Gifted. Her eyes abruptly opened and started to pant uncontrollably at the sound of the world in her head. Nikki and Kat held her tight and my hands shook as I tried putting in the substance in her veins. Her side started to bleed out and I panicked. Blake quickly went up to Emms to talk to her, but her wide eyes showed that she was only a thin voice out of the millions of thoughts in her head.

Then my father took the syringe from my shaking hand and put it in her IV himself. I stepped back in shock and watched afar like I am now. She could've died and it would've been my fault. This is all my fault. I should have finished days ago the project and I'm nowhere close.

I slowly walk back to the living room above the Lab and see everyone talking there. They started without me. I let them be as I quietly sit to the side and observe my father telling everyone the lastest news on Emms.

"She's doing well. We're keeping her down with a small glimpse of the Serenity Serum for Gifted people. That will keep her calm. The problem will be bringing her back to getting used to controlling all those thoughts."

My eyes go to where Blake is sitting by Kat. Kat as usual, her face serious and her dark blue eyes sad from all the information my father is saying. But there's something that has grown on her. This...odd strength I can't quite explain. I'm not sure if it's Sam who taught her, but they are quite similar in that aspect now. Quietly observing and showing off that hint of gentle toughness in their persona.

"What is the Serenity Serum?" Genesis speaks up now. I'm surprised she's even here with us. It's risky if her father was the one that started all of this.

Nikki gives her an annoyed look I've seen so many times on Dom as she says, "Serenity Serum is what they shoot to the Gifted. One touch of their bullet and it causes all your genes to reverse into what a Normality would have. Unfortunately, for some, death could be the result of it...." Her eyes turn distant at this last part and I know that this must have something to do with her father.

"Then that's what Emms got?" Adeline gently says but Dom, as usual, ignites the fire within her with his comments.

"Of course, Miss First Lady. The fact that you don't know what's going on, tells us that you are not--"

"Shut up, FireFace!"

"Alright!" Gabriel holds Adeline back and glares at her. "We already have enough problems than to create more, don't you think?"

"I agree with Gabriel," Sam says now with his commanding voice. His back straight and eyes determined as he looks around. "We need to stay together as much as possible. And that means in a literate way. No more roaming around the city without someone with you. If we want to get the information to bring the walls of Jericho down. We'll do it."

"The what now?" Dom says with a furrowed brow.

Sam seems to be a bit embarrassed for some reason as a small blush starts on his cheeks when he notices everyone except Kat and Gabriel give him a confused look.

"It's a story from the Bible," Kat says with a small smile.

"Yes. It's quite a powerful story of a leader who had to lead an army around a city surrounded by walls for--"