Running From Time

Chapter 7

"Who?" I asked stupidly and she just rolled her eyes.

"Oh my God, you're so clueless. I'm the one who gave you that pill. I've been helping to kill you." My jaw dropped and she smiled. I just stared at her and slowly reached for the door handle.

"Why?" I asked, stalling.

"I can't tell you that, Christopher. That's for Ser - I mean, my master to tell you."

"So you've always been trying to kill me?" She nodded and I gripped the door handle tightly.

"I would appreciate it if you would remove your hand from the handle, Chris. You're not escaping anytime soon." I released it slowly and she locked my door.

"Can I at least open the window?" I said, an idea forming in my head. She still didn't know about my power and I was thankful for that.

"Yeah, I guess, but only slightly." That was all I needed. The window wound down by about an inch and I turned to the front, breathing in the fresh air. Lydia eyed me weirdly before turning back to the road. I closed my eyes, concentrating hard and, slowly but surely, I felt myself begin to dissolve. Just before my senses disappeared, Lydia looked over at me and screamed, but it got softer as my hearing went. Feeling my way, I slipped out of the window and hovered by the side of the road, not sure what else to do at this point. I felt my car stop and silently prayed that I wouldn't suddenly remodel or something stupid. Sure enough, my body stayed in this form and the car started to move again.

Half an hour later, I was still floating by the side of the road, making sure that Lydia was definitely gone. Cautiously, I started to remodel again and smiled as my senses returned. A car way off in the distance was making its way towards me and I panicked for a second. But as it got closer, I saw that it wasn't my Lamborghini. This car was a Range Rover, and it was a completely different colour to mine. The driver had obviously spotted me and they started to slow down as they reached me.

"Chris?" The driver rolled down one of the tinted windows and I gasped. Hoodie Girl.

"Let me guess, you're gonna kidnap me now."

"Actually, I'm here to rescue you. I knew Lydia - well, Ms. X, was bad news from the start." I looked left and right, not sure if I trusted her.

"OK. But if you try anything, I will kill you." I wasn't really serious about my threat. After all, I wasn't a killer. Reluctantly, I jumped into the passenger seat next to the girl and she turned to me.

"Do you want to know who I really am?" She asked. Her voice sounded...familiar.

"Yes. You sound very familiar." She threw back her hood and grinned at me. I gasped in shock and just stared for a second.

"Thalia?! You're the one who's been stalking me?" She laughed at that and I looked at her in confusion. What the heck was going on?!

"I wasn't stalking you." I gave her an incredulous stare and she rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess I kinda was. But I was actually protecting you."

"Protecting me?! But you killed my friends!" Now it was her turn to look confused.

"What?! Why would I do that?" She asked in surprise.

"So it wasn't you?"

"Of course it wasn't me! It was probably Ms. X, to be honest." Ms. X. So Thalia knew her by her code name.

"I'm confused. You know her?" She nodded and I stared out of the windscreen at the road.

"Yeah. She works for Serpius, who is extremely powerful. When I saw you using that power on the plane, I couldn't help but think of him. He has very similar power." I was staring at her again, realising that although she was trying to give me answers, I was just thinking of more and more questions.