THE PRODIGIES

Chapter XXXIII

Blaring explosion.

White light.

Glass shattering.

Immense pain.

Those are the words I would use to chronicle the way the explosion feels. My body is thrown into the air. I'm launched backwards.

As I am catapulting back, I feel the shards from the box enter my skin where my suit isn't covering. My face, neck, and hands all feel like I have numerous paper cuts on them. I can also hear numerous screams from everyone in the room. I hear Mila and Bree. I can only imagine that they're getting thrown into the glass as well. Everything seems to be happening in slow motion. But I'm still not able to see anything. I just see white. That's all. I'm relieved that I can now hear, but being able to hear and not see sort of puts me in an eerie mood.

I feel the cool breeze on my face. I know that I am flying back. I just don't know when I'll finally hit the ground. Nothing seems to be real. I try to flail my arms around so that I can touch something but I can't feel anything around me. The more I move, the deeper the glass seems to dig into my hands. It's almost as if I'm stuck in the middle of two dimensions. I'm in a battle between myself on which one I should be in. My mind is replaying so many things, but all I'm thinking about right now is how I just saw this figure standing near me before the explosion happened. She looked so calm, so serene. My head is playing tricks on me. Maybe I'm in that moment right before you die. I didn't think this was how this would feel.

What is this space that we're in right now even called? Where are we really?

Wham!

Suddenly my back hits the wall as I slide down to the floor. The sense of agony takes over me as I yell at the impact. My eyes automatically close hoping that would ease the pain just a little.

"Rainey? Bree?" Mila whispers.

My eyes shoot open as soon as I hear my name. I can't seem to look at Mila because the condition of the room is all I'm concentrating on. The damage is insane. Pieces of the box that me and my sisters were once in, are clattered about the room. The same is for the box that Skylar and Penelope were in. I look over to see their bodies laying by a wall. They are not the only bodies laying around. The agents are all laid out, as well as the kids. The metal fences seem to have unraveled as the material is sprawled out on the floor.

We need to check on everyone.

Bree stands up quickly but doesn't take any steps. Mila follows suit, but I stay put. I am trying to regain my composure. I don't have the power to heal others or to heal quickly, so I'm just trying to remember to breathe because I'm feeling a lot of discomfort and soreness at this point.

Bree and Mila start pulling shards out of their skin. I watch as Mila's red cuts appear but then vanish before my eyes. Bree doesn't even seem to be bleeding.

I start pulling fragments out of my left hand ignoring the lines of blood.

"Are you okay?" Bree directs this question to me.

"It just hurts." I answer.

Bree starts to walk closer, and Mila does the same. Bree squats in front of me, and I see that there's no traces of glass on her anymore. While Mila continues to pull out the glass, Bree places her hands in both of mine. I feel some of the pieces slip out of my hands instantly. The cuts are fading away as well. The pain is completely gone. I feel fine. My head isn't pounding. My back isn't throbbing. Bree reaches for my neck and face, and the process repeats. There's still some pieces of glass that are stuck but I pull them out easily. Bree helps to pull me up once all the shards are gone.