The Vanishing

Chapter 28

White, hot dread stopped me dead in my tracks.
Dread didn’t stop my mouth from saying something stupid.
“Why don’t you come out here and stop us?” I ask the speaker that’s attached to the ceiling.
“And miss the show? I wouldn’t dream of it.” Damien’s sneer was audible even through the intercom.
What the hell does that mean? I tried not to look too frantic as I took in our surroundings.
“Coward!” I yelled. Patrick had gone completely still, listening.
Suddenly, he shoved me to the ground just as shots were fired in our direction from a gun hidden in the wall. I wasn’t sure how he heard that considering I was fairly positive this was an ordinary hallway a second ago. But that would have been too easy.
Before I could understand what we were doing, Patrick pulled me into a run. I was desperately trying to keep up with him, but I was failing miserably. He grunted, looked me in the eye, and suddenly, I was being slung onto his back as he sprinted blindingly fast. He shouldn’t have been able to do that because of the power dampeners. Maybe we were far enough away? I tried my powers, but nothing.
More shots rang out from all around us, and Patrick dodged them expertly. I clung to him uselessly. If we weren’t in such a life-threatening situation, I would have remarked on how embarrassing this was.
After a few paces, I felt different. More alert, everything looked like it was in sharper focus. I lifted a hand from Patrick’s shoulder and gave everything I had. Fire erupted from my palms. I didn’t have time for my usual wonder about this strange power and how it didn’t burn me. I didn’t have time to wonder how Patrick was able to get his powers back before me, even though we were the same distance away from the power dampeners. I didn’t have time to worry about the people I might harm or kill in this process. If I didn’t do something, we were going to die. I hurled ball after ball of fire at the machine guns that were shooting at us. I missed a few times and scorched the ground and walls behind us. All it took was one hit to one gun mounted on the wall.
BOOM. The explosion was massive and shook the entire corridor, sending heat rushing in our direction and knocking us to the ground. I looked back to see a giant hole where the hallway should be, but I didn’t dare to slow down. I didn’t wait for the second explosion as the fire caught the exposed wires in the walls. By some miracle, we were both fully intact, though I could see burns healing on Patrick's skin. My skin remained unscathed, and I tried not to marvel at it for too long. We scrambled up and ran beside each other hand in hand.
I didn’t have time to mourn my innocence or the casualties that would undoubtedly be injured or worse in the aftermath of the explosions and the fire that was raging behind us. I wickedly hoped Damien would be subject to that aftermath, but I knew better. There was no way he would have willingly locked himself in anywhere with me, even with power dampeners in place. He was always one step ahead. You know, they say “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” but really people should be more concerned with entitled boys who can’t handle rejection. If I knew Damien was this unhinged when I met him, I would have stayed the hell away from him in the first place. I didn’t know he would hunt me down. I didn’t know he would try to kill me for defending myself against him after he tried to force himself on me. I didn’t know I would be paying for the consequences of his aggression with my innocence. I didn’t know anything. I was so blind, so stupid to the world around me that I didn’t see what was going on. Never again.
When we got back to school, Patrick seemed different, lighter.
I eyed him from across the room as he avoided telling our friends about our encounters. No one asked us where we were; everyone was acting like everything was normal. It was infuriating.
“Why is everyone acting like everything is normal? We could have died. We almost did!” I exclaimed.
Everyone looked at me, bewildered. Including Patrick. This has to be some sort of sick joke, I thought. Or something else is going on.
Moments later, they resumed the conversation as if I hadn’t said anything.
Why am I the only one who's concerned?
I backed out of the room slowly, and no one even noticed. Was this some kind of trauma response? Mass hysteria?
Am I losing my mind?
I was on my own; I knew it as clear as day.
What do I do now?
I walked swiftly to my room, hoping no one could see my distress.
Evie materialized from the wall next to me, scaring me half to death.
After I got my heartbeat under control, I asked, "Do you remember?"
"Remember what?" She asked.
"Artemis," I said as hot tears welled in my eyes. I was so frustrated and so tired, and no one remembered.
"What about them? Did something happen?" She asked.
I whipped my head back up, and she jerked back as if startled.
"You remember!" I exclaimed.
"Well, they did kill me. Kinda hard to forget." She shrugged.
"All day I've felt like I've been losing my mind. No one noticed that Patrick and I were gone. Then, when I brought it up, they just ignored me." I asked.
A crease formed between her eyebrows. “Strange.”
I huffed a short laugh. “No kidding.”
“I don’t know what to do,” I said after a moment, mostly to myself.
"Cut off the head" Evie replied.
I looked at her incredulously for a second before my brain started up again. I laughed. "For a second, I thought you meant I should cut off someone's head."
She laughed so hard she snorted. "No dumbass! Cut off the head, the body dies."
Right. And what if more grow back?
"Okay,” I said. “I’m going to have to go back aren’t I?" I asked.
She nodded sadly. "I've been spying. There's this woman. She's definitely the boss. Everyone reports to her, even Damien." She said.
"Okay. Can you tell me what she looks like?" I asked.
I have to go back. I have to show them the damage. Then they'll understand.
"Tall brunette lady that looks like a strong wind could blow her away" she said.
I huffed a laugh at her bluntness.
"Where can I find her?" I asked.
"That's the thing. She's here. She's the headmistress." Evie said.
"She's what? You couldn't have led with that?" I asked, putting my face into my hands.
"Yeah, but that was way more fun to see the look on your face," Evie said.
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It has been SO LONG (because life, ya know?) since I updated this but I'm in a reading slump so I figured I'd write. I swear we are getting so close to the end.
As always, COMMENT and VOTE if you liked it!
Jess
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