The Innates (Book #1)

Chapter 11

"So what's next?" I asked.
"Anything." Robert said.
"Anything?"
"Anything you want. What do you want to do? 'Cause all the backstories you have are... depressing. You need some adrenaline."
"Oh, no thanks. I told you I'm not a physical person."
"I wouldn't call it physical. Let's just let gravity do all the work."
"So you're saying..."
"Yep." He smiled at me.
"I don't really want to." I said.
"Come on, Jess, take a risk for once in a while."
"I got chased by two cops while looking for you guys."
"Oops... but this time, you won't be arrested or handcuffed or get locked inside your cage."
"He's right." I turned around and saw the blonde-haired Jackson climbing up the ceiling of the elevator. "Hello, Jackson." I greeted him.
"Hi." He greeted with a big smile. "Have a goodnight sleep?"
"Yeah, the best one ever."
"Hope you have enough energy before the fall." Robert said.
"You guys can't be serious. I mean, skydiving? I'm probably gonna die after 20 feet." I might be exaggerating a little bit. Jackson gave Robert a serious glare.
"Now." He said.
"You're not going anywhere, Jess." Robert said. His fingers enclose on my wrists tightly.
"What are you doing?"
"Don't worry, we'll get to it." He pulled both of my arms behind me and entangled a long piece of rope around my wrists.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"You'll see." Jackson said.
"Please don't tell me you're gonna push me--" Before I could finish my last words, Robert forcefully shoved my frail body out in the clouds where the gravity pulled me down.
"Robert!" I yelled with an unyielding echo. I kicked continuously out of fear. I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I tell myself. I've reached the building's half in a matter of seconds. I'm not gonna die, but I won't lie, so I am gonna die. They wouldn't have done this to me if they didn't have a reason. So there is a reason. They're so desparate for new members, of course they're testing me.
If they want a good show, I'll give them something good. I'm not only doing this for them, I'm doing this for me. That's what they were all telling me this whole time; to stay out of my comfort zone and explore new things. I should just escape now. My arms were cramping up. Those tiny ant-people below walk inside and outside the building, not seeing my zooming, hovering shadow. They grew larger and larger. I folded my legs towards my chest and swung my tied-up hands forward from below. It was like the entire universe stopped around me, leaving me suspended as if I'm tied to a string. I was trapped but able to escape at the same time. My head falls first and I see my reflection on the side of the building. Those things that I said about myself, the "negatives", weren't actually true. After seeing myself do something so marvelous and spectacular, I felt like I was wrong. I am not worth something that should be harmed by anyone because of his own weaknesses.
No fear had overcome me for the past few hours after I woke up. Even that time with Mr. Andre, but I was anxious not afraid. The two have a great difference, people just don't know it yet. Falling off the building was the best way for me to start over. It was abrupt, but suitable.
The people below looked up at me in terror. All the glares and all the horrifying gasps. I stretched out my two legs and let myself fall and dive into the opaque sidewalk. Heavy as a weight, but didn't damage the sidewalk. I swim around the particles of the hard solid. As you can see, I survived the high fall.
I hear the people's screams turn into a fainting applause with a hint of whooping. I slowly rise from the ground and gasped for air. I stand up with my numb feet and my shivering toes. Why is everyone looking at me? Is it because of the fall? I'm alive aren't I?
"He's a Passer." A boy who was taller than me said. "Passers are rare. Most of them got executed during the war, based on my theory... hey, kid, what's your name?" People are actually proud of what I did.
"Jess." I stated.
"Do you want to join my group, Jess? We're Seekers. Are you a Seeker? It'd be ashamed if you weren't."
"Woah, woah, woah, slow down, Last." The who surrounded me were shoved away by Robert and Jackson.
"He's ours." Said Jackson, putting his hand on my shoulder.
"Unless he doesn't want to be a Seeker." Robert said.
"Of course he wants to be a Seeker, he just survived a 500-foot fall." Jackson said. "What do you say? Wanna be a Seeker?"
"Yeah c'mon, Jess." The other kids urged. I took a long, exasperated sigh. This is so much pressure, but no more stalling. That is my old self. Now I am reborn. I'm not a loser anymore who's afraid of being himself. I am a new person now. This is a good change.
"Yeah... yes! Yes, I'm going to be a Seeker." I said aloud. They all cheered and raised their fists in the air. They chanted my name in a unison. Their booming gleeful voices took over.
"Now take off that rope." Robert said. I shook down my arms and let the tight rope fall free, causing the students scream more and more. The three of us cover our ears and laughed our way inside the building with everyone still cheering.
Suddenly, a blonde girl with bouncing jaws ran towards me and wrapped her arms around me like a serpent. She lets go after a second.
"Hi, Jess, I'm Sarra. Your teammate... oh my gosh, I was so excited to hear myself say that!" She squealed. "Excuse my squealing, I was just so excited meeting my new teammate."
"How'd you even know? It only happened like a minute ago." I said.
"A falling student alerted me... I'm talking about you, Jess." She said, hopping like an energetic bunny. "Okay, Jess, see you in class tomorrow." She ran back into the hallways waving at us.
"She's weird." I whispered.
"Tell me about it. But don't worry, she's crazy fast." Jackson said.
"Why? Too much sugar?"
"No. Good guess though." Robert kidded.
"Wait a sec, tomorrow? I thought I had a week to prepare." I said.
"Yeah, for regular classes. Being a Seeker is a big deal. I mean, you're gonna be saving lives, fighting bad guys, and increase our population. We have an entire planet to ourselves, let's occupy it." Jackson said. Unbelievable.
"You'll be alright..." Robert says sincerely. I made an open smile.