The Fate Of The Marked

Chapter Five

I woke up not long later. The room was frigid and even the thick blanket couldn't keep the chill out. I was glad I was no longer feverish. For a brief moment, I uncovered and checked my stomach. The marks were still gone. I flopped back down and closed my eyes. It was barely light out but I knew I wouldn't sleep again. I wasn't very tired anyway.

My only worry was how I was going to explain my lack of injury to anyone. I had healed my head. One of the adults was bound to notice eventually that I was fine. Maybe I could fake being ill later and come back to bed. I would just have to flush the pain pills down the toilet and pretend that I took them. For now, I wanted to go outside and explore the farm. I could only see a little bit from the window. It didn't seem to have any animals, just open space. Fresh air would clear my mind.

I waited until I heard Mick and Max going downstairs before getting up. I hadn't changed but decided to take a shower before going down. I raced to the bathroom and jumped into the shower, trying to keep the heat in my body. Funny how only hours ago I had been too hot.

I dressed in clean clothes and put shoes on, planning on going out straight after breakfast. I wasn't in the mood to speak but knew there would be questions eventually. Everyone was eating in the kitchen when I came downstairs. Jason and Holly were both gone in seconds, racing for the back door, laughing, but Christi, Mick and Max were talking. I sat down and Christi gave me a plate full of food. I knew I wouldn't be able to eat half of it but smiled politely anyway.

"Are the families still coming on Friday?" Mick asked cheerfully.

Max snorted and kept eating, shoveling food in his mouth so quickly I thought he might choke. Christi nodded and I picked up my fork and took a small bite of egg. I wanted to ask what was going on but decided to just keep quiet. Mick looked at me, then at Christi.

"Does Elliot know?" He asked softly, as if I couldn't hear him.

Max jumped up and dropped his plate loudly in the sink,though it didn't break this time, before stalking out of the room. Seconds later, the front door opened and slammed shut. It was silent for a long second before anyone spoke.

"Every few months," Christi said, "A few families come over and look for children to adopt. It makes it easier on the agencies. We normally have around ten or so children at a time here. Ya'll are the smallest group we've had in a while."

I looked at her, startled. People came here and looked at the kids, and picked one, just like that? Christi hastily explained after seeing the look on my face.

"If someone chooses to take you in, you'll move in with them as a foster child while the whole process is going on. You don't go with anyone you don't feel comfortable with."

I nodded and went back to picking at my food. Mick chattered on about Friday.

"How long has Holly and everyone else been here?" I asked softly, not looking up.

"Holly? About two years. Mick and Jordan have been with us for about a year now, and, well, Max isn't the easiest person." Christi said.

"No one wants to take him, because he's so rude, you mean." Mick said.

"Oh, Mick." Said Christi, exasperated. "How many times do we have to talk about this."

I stood and put the rest of my food in the garbage can while they were preoccupied.

"Can I go around the farm?" I asked.

Christi beamed.

"Just be careful not to go too far. Don't get yourself lost."

I left the same way Max had, but much quieter, thinking about the upcoming week. My mind felt so full, it was impossible to process everything. It was cool out but I didn't want to go back inside for a jacket. I set off to the left, toward the woods in the distance. It seemed to beckon to me.

I made it across the barren field in no time. The pine trees were tall and swayed hypnotically in the wind. It was dark underneath their shade. I walked along a well worn path, hands in my pockets, not knowing where I was going. Soon, all noises except for the sound of the wind blowing through the branches faded away. I kept going, stopping when I came to a massive tree that's trunk was so thick, it would have taken quite a few people to wrap their arms around and still might not have been able to touch hands.

The trunk was knotted and covered in places with thick green moss. I touched it and knew that it was older than anything else for miles. I sat down at the base and looked up. I could not see the top. I leaned back and let all the moss cushion me. The ground was still wet from yesterday's storm, but I didn't care.

I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds around me. Birds, animals in the forest. I wondered for a long time if there were others that were strange like I was. There had to be. The only rational thing, as irrational as it seemed, was that the woman was real and she had done this. She had given me the mark on my shoulder. I had no idea what it stood for, but knew it had to mean something. The five circles. The diamond. There had to be somewhere where I could research something about it. There were so many places to start.

It was also a marker for someone to know who I was.

To know what I could do.

I wasn't safe. She had told me that they knew where I was. She had been right about everything else. She wasn't wrong about this, either.

Maybe..

This Friday, people would be coming, looking to adopt. If I went with a family, I could leave here. The woman had warned me that I needed to get out, and soon. If I didn't use my power, if I didn't heal anything, they couldn't follow.

Could they?

It was my best option. I wanted to try to dream, to talk to the woman again, even if it did hurt. She could explain things, tell me who I was. But, I knew I couldn't go to her. She would have to come to me.

I would just have to wait and let what would happen come to pass. The sky darkened, as if sensing my mood, and the hair on my arms stood on end. I closed my eyes again for a long second and decided to stay for a while longer. It was so peaceful, and no one could bother me out here.