Changes // Toni Shalifoe (DISCONTINUED)

1:8

Day 6

Toni

"So this is the black box you're familiar with, correct? Supposedly equipped with a GPS beacon." Agent Young tells Toni.

"Why does seeing that make you smile?" Dr Faber asks.

"I-I don't mean to it's just, that thing is a cocktease"

"I'm wondering if you can expand on "cocktease"?

"Like we were so hyped when we found it. We thought that rescue would show up right away, but three days go by and nothing. It just started to feel like a sick joke."

~~~

So the cave was a bust and we once again have to make our way to the beach. I carry some of the supplies with Leah and I'm drenched in sweat with how hot it is right now. I look over at Toni and Dot, who are talking around the signal fire about how Dot had a literal Bat shit in her mouth. I turn away from them before they can see me looking and look down at Leah who's assessing her book.

"You know I read that once." I tell her, "Wasn't really my favourite. No offence, I know you really like that book." She doesn't respond to me, "I had this one book that I absolutely loved, The Institute by Stephen King. At first I was bored, but then it got really interesting. Basically there's this institute in the forest that's run by these fucked up people who experiment on kids that they kidnap and separate from everyone else. They want to expand their telekinesis or telepathic skills. And see, everyone kinda knows there's some fucked up stuff going on, some try to escape, some just go with it, but the main character is most skeptical of it all." Leah just stares at me.

"How does it end?"

"You really want me to spoil it?"

"Well I may never get the chance to read it." Leah replies back.

"They escape. After one of them sacrifices himself. It's bittersweet." I tell her, "They go through a lot of shit first though."

"What are you saying?"

"I don't know. It just... popped in my head, I guess." Leah nods slowly at me. I look over at Martha who's hopping around in joy at the fact that her ankle is now healed and she can walk around normally. I smile at the joy that radiates off her, it's nice.

"Leah, Emma, look. It doesn't even hurt." Martha tells as as she twirls before walking over.

"Whoah," Leah says with a slight laugh. I just smile at Martha, "Oh you took your splint off." Leah comments.

"Yeah, I feel like a brand-new woman." Martha replies before sitting down on the other side of Leah, "I wonder if I'll actually say that and mean it one day."

"I kinda hope not. 'A brand new woman.' They only say that in old shampoo commercials."

"Well, you get what I mean. I want to be changed by something."

"You don't think all of this will do the trick?" Leah comments.

"I mean by something good.... like Love." I move my eyes to Martha who is looking down at the book in Leah's lap, "What's it like? Like, really being in love?"

"Cool, so what did Fatin tell you?" Leah asks annoyed.

"Nothing. She just read me some of the notes in the bo-"

"Great, so any hot takes on what a creep he must have been and that I'm nothing but a teenage fetish object?" I raise my eyebrows in surprise since I had no knowledge of this prior.