I Am Number 4

chapter 1 || in the beginning,

I wished things were different. I wished that things were stable, that I wasn't constantly on the run. I wished that, somehow, my life wasn't a bad retelling of  Superman, and how Krypton - in the wake of it's destruction - sent someone to carry on the species, or even to save Earth. Unfortunately, as unoriginal as it sounds, that's exactly what my life turned out to be like. My fate was predestined the minute I, and my eight counterparts left Lorien. In a last minute hail-mary, our leaders - the Elders - sent us to Earth for our safety. Safety from what, you ask? Well, that's where it gets rather complicated. 

I leaned my head against the frame of the car door, staring into the window of the house I would be leaving. Noah walked out with the rest of our things, throwing them into the cab of the truck carelessly. Ridiculous. This was the seventh move, the seventh time I've had to give everything up and start over. I couldn't help my eyes rolling, as I climbed into the passenger seat. He wasn't finished. I knew he wasn't. My Cêpan was very particular about leaving no evidence of us ever being on the premises. He had been this way ever since we had gotten to Earth. I often wondered if he had been trained for this - if the Elders knew that the Mogadorians would invade, leaving us with no option but to flee. They selected the nine of us, one to represent each Elder. Although they couldn't keep us from being hunted, before we departed they casted a charm, making sure that the Mogs could only kill us in a particular number sequence.  I didn't remember any of it. I was only a baby. Noah tells me bits and pieces when he can. He talks about the beautiful mountains and flowing streams - the animals, but most importantly, the people. Our people: the Garde.

I watch as he reaches into his pocket, pulling out a box of matches. I can see the tiny trace of liquid leading from his boots to the patio of the house. He must have already covered it in gasoline. Noah strikes the match, and in one fluid motion, destroys the last remaining piece of my old life. I watch the flame dance along the foundation of the walls, and reach down to touch the three scars on my legs, as if to remind myself of my purpose. Yet I can't help the tears that begin to fall from my eyes. Noah hops into the driver's seat, turning the key in the ignition. As soon as he turned to look at me, I looked away, ashamed. I should be used to the moving by now. The non-stability was the only thing that was stable in my life, and it kept me focused. I was fighting for something. I was fighting for me, I was fighting for Noah, I was fighting for Lorien - for the right to rebuild my planet, and start over for the last time. It was the fight I was born for. 

"Are you okay?" He asked me. The man knew how much I hated living out of a suitcase, how attached I'd become to the normalcy of a teenage life. Every beginning, he'd warn me of it's dangers. Every time, I didn't listen. I felt his hand rest on my shoulder, a gesture of comfort. I didn't respond, until he tugged a piece of my blonde hair. I let out a sigh.

"Yeah," was all I could muster.

I remembered getting my first scar. I was six years old, and Noah was teaching me to ride a bike for the first time. I remember him saying it would be pointlessly human to learn, but seeing the expression in my eyes - the longing to take a break from combat training and be normal for a little bit - wore him down until he finally agreed. He had finally taken the training wheels off and as I sped down the street by myself, I felt my leg catch fire. I fell off my bike, clutching onto my calf. My skin began bubbling. It formed a scar in a similar shape of my Loric pendant. I screamed, and before I could even get the first syllable of his name out, Noah was at my side. 

"Shit." He had murmured, picking me up, and whisking me into the car. At this point, I was crying, trying my hardest to be brave, to get past the pain. It felt like molten lava. Looking back on it now, I imagined it was a similar feeling to being marked with a branding iron. As young as I was, I was surprised I didn't pass out from the pain. I sat up, only to catch the wood exterior of our house go up in flames. I wondered if it was crying too. That was the first time we had moved. Number 1 was dead. The first of the Loric children had died, and it made the message clear - our battle started now. The Mogadorians would hunt us down until we were dead. 

The second scar came to me in the eighth grade, during a choir concert. I started to feel the burning sensation under my black dress, and feared that the material would catch fire. My soft notes turned into a loud shriek, when I collapsed onstage, trying my best to choke down the pain. An ambulance was called, and Noah refused for me to be transported to a hospital. We left that hour for a new home, a new life. We've been on the run ever sense, never staying in one place for too long. We were leaving again, just for safe measure, and I was miserable. That didn't matter though. Nothing did, not until last night when I got my third scar.

"I'll let you pick the next place," Noah murmured, pulling out of the burning complex. It was a few minutes until I replied.

"Honolulu," I said dryly. 

"Planes." 

"We can take a boat." 

He shook his head, casting me a glance. We were driving on the main road now, embarking on our way to the middle of nowhere. 

"Fine, then what about California? We could keep a low profile. They have high population." 

"So does Texas," he retorted, scratching his scruffy beard. 

"No. You said I could pick. California."

He replied with silence, punching directions into our GPS. I saw a path light up green our map, and I knew we were on our way. 

They killed Number 1 in Malaysia.

Number 2 in England.

Number 3 in Kenya. 

I am Number 4. I am next. 

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Hey guys! My name is Aimee. I hope you guys liked the first chapter of this Alternate Universe I Am Number Four series. 

I am so sorry to those of you who were disappointed when I didn't update this. I had actually forgotten the password to my login, and didn't even know that there was this much interest. Rest assured, I jumped right on and wrote this first chapter that hopefully will steer people in. Please comment and let me know what you want to see and what you think! Tell me about your favorite part in Pittacus Lore's series, and what you look forward to in mine! I love you all, and thank you for your support and giving me the motivation to write this chapter! :) I'll post the next one tomorrow.