Innova

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

DEVIAN'S POV:

I cover my mouth with my sleeve, careful not to take any deep breaths. Quickly rummaging through my backpack, I pull out the gas mask.

By the time I have it over my head, I'm already feeling drowsy and lethargic. I push myself to shove everything I have into my backpack then swing it onto my back.

A quick glance over the room shows that I've been successful in hiding my presence. Soon after I press the cloaking button on my 'suit' the front door comes crashing down. I hide in a corner staying still, while people in white masks flood the room.

Someone waves a detector towards me, searching for life forms. I hold my breath, hoping that the cloaking keeps me concealed.

They quickly move on through the house. I wait patiently for them to leave.

After an hour or two they start wrapping up. I let out a small sigh of relief. My relief is short lived though.

One of the masked men stops, listening to something. Everyone else automatically stops as well. Did they hear me? I panic.

The one listening looks up and says, "They want the girl."

My heart drops to my stomach. Raven.

I can't do anything though. If I try to stop them it could lead to them finding me, which would probably lead to bad things happening to her.

So I watch.

I watch as they carry her limp body out of her room and out the door. I watch as they leave. As I watch all this unfold, I find myself wondering yet again, why do I care?

Why do I care about a girl I don't know?

A girl I've had a maximum of four conversations with?

A girl whose never seen the color green?

What the hell is wrong with me?

I don't know the answers to those questions yet, and I don't know when I'll get them. But one thing I do know, is that I'm not going to let anything happen to her.

Am I bipolar or what?

Raven's POV:

I wake up to an intense throbbing in my head. Slowly my eyes open up and I find myself in a room with off-white walls and no visible door. Forcing myself to sit up, I discover that I am also chained as well. My ankle is chained to the floor, allowing me a little freedom to move around in the room. Where am I?

The last thing I remember is Devian telling me to go sleep. No scratch that, I remember dreaming about someone stroking my hair. It was such a strange dream, and it seemed so real. It was comforting too.

I try to recall that feeling of comfort. A loud clanging sound pops my daydream. I sit up worried and immediately regret moving. Everything aches and it feels like somebody dropped a building on my head.

The clanging sound fills my ears and I realize it's coming from the ceiling. I look up and see a panel slide open revealing a dark shaft. The clanging sound grows louder and I realize something is about to fall into the room. A savory smell fills the room and something falls from the shaft, smashing on the floor. I hear the shaft close and look down at the object that fell into the room. Is it food?

It's a hand.

I scream. Dropping on all fours I crab walk backwards as far as I can from it. The chain tugs sharply on my ankle and I dropp to my elbows. Why did a hand just fall from the ceiling? And why does it smell so good?

A thought comes to me, but I push it as far away as I can. It's not possible. But is it? It's the only logical explanation right now. Dread fills me as I wrap my head around what could very well be the truth. I could be Infected.

Tears well in my eyes. I quickly brush them away and sit up. I pull my knees towards my chest and wrap my arms around my legs, leaning against the wall. I stare at the severed hand, wondering about their owner. Is the person dead or alive? A more chilling thought enters my head. Was the person alive or dead when their hand was cut off? My thoughts start to cloud my head making my eyes droop. I somehow find it in me to drift off to sleep.

<~>

I wake up to the sound of obnoxious chewing. I open my eyes to tell whoever it is to CLOSE THEIR MOUTH WHEN THEY CHEW but instead I find my mouth full of a touch yet juicy substance. I open my eyes and I look down. I'm on my knees and I'm holding the severed human hand. Except this time it has several bite marks in it.

I realize with horror that I was eating it and enjoying it. I spit out the flesh in my mouth with a sob and throw the hand as far away from me as possible. I cry uncontrollably on the floor, curled up in a little ball. What is wrong with me? I'm scared to fall asleep. Scared that I'll wake up and find that I'm doing something even more terrible and horrifying.

I'm a monster.

I'm Infected.

My sobs slow to a stop and I lay there numbly on the floor. What do I do now?

Before I can answer my self, the room starts moving.

Yes, moving. The ceiling starts getting higher and higher which means that that room is lowering. I sit up straight, my legs in a pretzel. I see a door appear on one of the walls. The room stops moving with a dull thud. I stare at the door for what seems like hours, when in reality it was probably a few seconds, or minutes, at most.

I wait with nervousness growing in my stomach. Do I even want to know who brought me here? I stare at the door.

Suddenly the door opens and I jolt a bit in surprise. What happens next only confuses me more.

What is one of the Leaders of the Dome doing here?