The Everblooming Flower [Book One of The Dreamers Series]

Chapter Sixteen

The train ride back didn't feel like it took nearly as long as the train ride to the city. Zak and I remained silent for most of the ride, occasionally mentioning something about what the outside of the window looks like. Pretty bland, sorry.

The train finally stopped at Joondalup station, and we left. There was the usual cue at the tag off and tag on machines, but it didn't take more than a minute. Unfortunately, Samara would be at work, so we had to wait a few minutes for our bus to arrive. Waiting a few minutes for a bus however was a lot more desirable than taking one hour to walk back.

When it arrived, we hopped on and took seats at the back of the bus, in hopes everyone else would remain in the front section and we could talk in private. One person sat in the second section, but they sat right next to the doors, so they wouldn't be a problem if we talked quietly. Which we definitely needed to do.

Not only would the Clark Corporation be trying to track me down, they'd also be hunting for Zak now that he knew. He was in as much danger as I was.

"So, I think we both know that the Clark Corporation isn't going to give up," I started. "Do you have a plan for if they target you?"

"Why would they target me?" Zak asked. "I'm not immortal?"

"Yes, but you know things," I rolled my eyes. "Haven't you watched any sci-fi movies? When people know too much, they get killed."

"Oh," Zak crossed his arms, "that does make sense."

"So, what is your plan?" I persisted.

"I don't know," Zak shrugged, starting to bite his nails. "What do you usually do?"

"Run," I stated as though it was obvious. "I did, one time, climb onto someone's roof. But I don't know how they keep finding me. It's like they don't have to watch me to know exactly where I am."

"Tracker?" Zak suggested. "Is it possible you were chipped?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I think I would know if I had been chipped, Zak."

"Well what other options are there?" Zak asked. "What happened the day this started?"

I thought back to what happened. The flowers outside of the window in my Currency class, telling me I was in danger. Then when they appeared again while I was on the bus. It was strange, I hadn't been doing anything that would cause me harm, and nothing happened when they appeared. As though they were trying to warn me of something that wasn't even happening. But they had never worked that way before. It was always immediate danger that they warned me of.

I shrugged. "I don't know. It was a normal day. But... Something was off."

"Off?" Zak raised an eyebrow. "Off how? Like, off milk kind of off, or Ciara not making some historical comment kind of off?"

"Off as in unusual and eerie," I replied.

"So, Ciara not making some historical comment kind of off then?" Zak joked.

I cracked a smile. "Yeah," I nodded. "Something like that."

Zak nodded in thought. "So, what was so off then?"

"Well, I sort of see certain types of flowers blooming depending on the situation," I explained. "For example, when we went rock climbing with Ciara, I saw irises. Dedicated friendship. And I kept seeing all these flowers that typically warn for danger, but nothing was happening."

"Is it possible you weren't in any physical danger?" Zak suggested. "What was going on specifically at the time?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I was talking to Gabe the first time, and the second time I was on the bus drinking water."