Hellbound - 001/Henry Creel/Peter Ballard

011

I was never meant to live a normal life, a casual life with everyday problems, and a loving family. I had accepted the fact that I would never return to what I knew before all of this, I would never grow up to be the teenager I thought I would be at five years old.

I had made peace with that thought and would strangle every silly hope that would arise now and then. I knew what to expect, what my future withheld.

I was so comfortable with the idea, but also sick of it. I longed for something more than the everlasting routine of the lab. Wake up, train, eat, train, sleep. I burned inside with a rage so blinding I could barely contain the fire.

And now, now I don't know how to handle myself. I have no fire burning, there is no need since my only dream came true, I have no idea of what lies ahead and what happens next.

I am sinking in an ocean of uncertainty, the only thread holding me back is Henry and his speeches about world domination and something larger than I could fathom.

I must admit, his plans sound a bit too fictional. His aspirations are larger than we are, larger than the space between us and the sky. His plans have room for him and him only, and I don't know where I fit.

He made promises of making me more powerful than I ever expected, he said I'd be respected and worshipped. We would be unstoppable the two of us, a pair made to rule.

He promised the stars and the moon, but he doesn't know that this is more than enough for me. A life not trapped in a white wall cage.

Late at night, when he falls asleep right next to me, I think of where this situation could lead to.

We never talked about the life that would follow after the escape. We planned such a meticulous escape but didn't think of the little details of a life far too foreign for the both of us.

We are living in the depths of the forest, living off whatever animal we manage to kill, sleeping on a mattress of leaves with a blanket stolen from some campers that wandered around.

We are living like thieves, like criminals that are being hunted down. Henry thinks we are. We are apparently of great importance and quite useful to the US government. But we are also criminals and dangerous individuals thanks to our powers.

We are most definitely being hunted down and in even greater danger than before.

"Good morning." I hear Henry's gravelly voice in my ear, light as a whisper.

His hand -wrapped around my waist- is pulling me tighter against his chest, the warmth of our bodies a strong contrast against the numbing cold of the early spring.

"Good morning." I say back to him, placing my hand over his.

I have been awake for quite some time now, thinking of all the new problems that appeared the moment that we stepped out of that goddamn lab.

"We need to destroy all evidence of us ever being here and search for our breakfast." He removes his arm off me and I already miss the warmth and weight there.

Lately, his touches have been fueling a part of me that was once upon a time hidden in the deepest corners of me. I crave for every whisper of a touch of his, whether that is accidental or intentional.

I don't know Henry's feelings, or if he feels this undeniable desire in him too. I hope that he does and this is not just me.

I can barely understand this feeling, the feeling of needing him so acutely that the absence of him brings such a somber feeling to me.

We get up, leaving the warm nest of our blanket, and face the bitter cold that settled onto our bones for the rest of the day.

We are not properly dressed of this weather, my flimsy hospital dress and stolen loose pants on my body do nothing to protect me from the cold winds and the droplets of ice cold rain.