The Mutant World [UNFINISHED]

Hugo Has a Plan

"Do we have any more apples?" Milo whines. I am, and have been, sitting in a corner for the entire day. I can tell Jack is beginning to get annoyed with us, although I haven't really done much. I actually think they have forgotten about me. Milo is looking around for food and is near me.

"Hi Milo," I whisper. Milo jumps back and squeals.

"You scared me," he states, holding the top, left side of his rib cage. I knew they forgot about me. I laugh and feel someone staring at me. I look up and see Liz darting her gaze away from me. I smile. She's cute. I really like her hair. A lot of girls in school had light purple hair, but Liz's is hardcore and dark and shiny. She doesn't really have much makeup on either- yes, guys notice how much makeup girls wear. I really dislike girls that just pile on the makeup to make themselves 'better looking', and I feel bad for them. They really think that covering themselves will make them better...

I lean back against the wall and take a look around. Milo is looking for food, Liz is playing with her hair, Jack's arms are crossed angrily, Juno is assisting Jack in any way he can, Nathan is scribbling on a piece of paper, as Tara taps away on her phone. I laugh at myself. I can't believe that I actually followed Alice here, only to be dumped off with these people.

"We have to do something guys," Tara announces, standing up. I turn my head towards her and listen in.

"About what?" Juno asks.

"Alice," Tara explains, "We need to get her out and go home."

"Suppose you find a way to get Alice out, which is impossible," Jack pipes in, "What are you guys going to do? Run from soldiers for the rest of your lives as criminals? They will kill you and anyone you are in any relationships with."

"Well, I agree with Tara," Liz says, "We can't just sit here forever."

"I agree with Jack," Juno adds, "There is nothing we can do."

Silence fills the room.

"We could eat," Milo suggests, receiving a glare from everyone. I stand up and walk to the door.

"Where are you going?" Nathan asks. Now they remember I'm here.

"I'm going to find a way to get into the royal court," I explain.

"Then?" Tara pushes on.

"Find a way to be a servant of some sort and try to help Alice stay calm in there," I explain. Everyone immediately stands and walks up to my side.

"We're in," Tara speaks for the whole group.

"Is there some type of plan?" Nathan asks.

"We can think of one on the way," I suggest. I look to my left and Jack is standing there.

"Are you sure you want to go? They might recognize you," I warn.

"It has been thirteen years since they have seen me," Jack begins, puffing out his chest, "and besides, you'll all die in seconds without me."

As a smile crawls across my face, I nod, open the door, and begin to walk up the stairs. The lights by our feet are very bright. I can tell Jack is excited, so I pick up the pace a bit. I open the floor door above my head and crawl out. We all take in the fresh air around us and begin to walk out of the forest and to the castle's defending wall.

"This is so exciting," Tara announces just as we exit the vast forest. We all nod and murmur in agreement. Jack steps up and begins to go through the wall. Suddenly, cages fall down on us from the sky. I instinctively change to a small bird and fly up into the sky and end up seeing something that I have never laid eyes on. It is a silver flying contraption high above our heads and dropping certain cages on the group. I doge a net shot at me as I fly higher and higher to it. I can see two people in it through the glass. I think they are controlling it from the inside. I'm caught off guard when I notice the royal crest on the side of the contraption and a net suddenly flies on to me, en-wrapping me like a snake squeezes its prey. As I'm falling to the earth I try to change into something else, but I'm unable to shift. I hit the ground hard and a royal soldier grabs me and begins to walk to the royal court with me in his hands. I look over to the group and see that Tara is on fire in a tight cage with metal walls and a small window by her face, Liz is shaking and obviously in pain because I see her screaming. She's in a body tight container made of some type of rubbery glass that must be soundproof. Juno is simply in shock, Jack's hands are melded to the metal bars of his cage around him and so are his feet, Nathan is blotchy and in some parts, invisible, and Milo is banging on the cage walls, which are metal as well. We are all screaming and yelling hoping someone will hear us. But then I realize, we are being attacked by the Queen and King themselves. No one can help us nor do they want to.

I try to flap my way out of the net, but another soldier comes by and pokes me with something. I quickly become dizzy and my vision begins to fade. In my last seconds of consciousness, I turn back to see that everyone is being poked with something silver. I turn and look at where we are headed. The last thing I see is everyone being carried into the castle.

I feel something hit my head. I open my eyes and see that I am my normal self with clothes on. We, shapeshifters, can control our clothing and make it disappear as we change, but as we return normal, they can return. I'm glad to see it worked, but I'm still confused about how I changed back. I see that I am kneeling before someone. I look up and see the king and queen of Tariua. I try not to look amazed, but inside, I'm in awe. I glare at them as much as I could until they speak.

"Do any of you know a girl named Alice?" the Queen asks. I remain silent. I hope Alice is okay.

"So, you do know Alice," the King announces. Shit, he must be able to read my mind.

"Oh yes, I am capable of such things," the King replies to my thoughts, "I am one of the most power telepathic secrets on Tariua."

Jack must be one of the most powerful.

"You know Jack?" the king asks me, amazed. Stop thinking, Hugo!

"Tell us about Jack, now," the queen insists.

"I don't know who you are talking about," I state, receiving a blow to the head. I see a few stars as my headaches with pain.

"Tell us," the Queen demands, "or we will have to kill you."

"You are going to have to kill me then, because I am not telling you one word," I state strongly. I close my eyes and prepare for a swing to my head, but it never comes. I open my eyes slowly. Are they not going to hit me?

"You with the grey hair," the Queen states pointing behind me, "tell us about Alice. Or Jack, if you will."

They must be talking about Juno or- Don't you think it, Hugo. Silence fills the room. I need to shift. I think of an ant and try to change. I wait for something to happen but I remain a male teen.

"You can not use your secrets," the King states, "I am holding them back."

"You can do that?" Milo asks. I can tell he is in awe on the inside as well.

"All with my mind," the King brags, "It's a piece of cake."

Suddenly cake fills my mind. That frosted piece of beauty. Layered, cookie, chocolate, ice cream- all and any type of cake float around my head until the Queen breaks my train of thought.

"Send them down, maybe once they are persuaded they will talk," the Queen instructs the soldiers holding my shoulders. I am pulled up and turned around. I see the entire group in front of me stand as well and face the way I am facing, turning their backs on me. We walk a ways before reaching a door in the wall which the soldiers push open. We are then dragged down a dark stairwell. This can't be good. We reach a door and the soldiers knock on it one time with a short tap after. The door opens, but I don't see any door knobs. The soldiers continue to drag us through the door. I look around and see so many people starving in cages. What did they do to deserve this fate? They drag us through an aisle with cages left and right until we reach a very large cage at the end of the aisle. We are tossed inside the large cage. It is here I discover what sadness and pain personified into one person looks like.