Gifted Ones

Chapter 29 Amber

I am brought into consciousness by the sound of someone calling my name. It takes a second for me to fight off the sleep haze and process the sound. But it's not one of the guards bringing me food as it has been every time in the past. This voice is soft, feminine, and as familiar as my own. Haven.

My eyes snap open and I sit up, strangely without the familiar pain of my burns. But something is different. Instead of the dim overhead light of the corridor, there is a strong white glare coming from beyond the bars. I throw a hand up over my face, squinting against the blaze. It's blinding.

Haven stands directly at the source of the light, her head held high and her expression like that of a warrior angel. The dress she wears is like a nightgown, long and pale, the hem falling to just below her knees. The girl's long golden brown hair falls in waves down her back, making me almost self conscious about the oily, unwashed mess that is my own hair.

"H-haven?" I ask.

She doesn't respond, regarding the solid bars of my cell with cool consideration. The light behind her pulses suddenly, and the bars are gone, inexplicably. I don't question it, standing and taking an experimental step towards this new version of my best friend.

"Amber," she calls again, holding out her hand for me to take. "Come with me."

I grasp her hand without asking any questions, somehow trusting her to help me, despite the odd set of circumstances. And then I'm flying, enveloped in the white light as we shoot through the air. Wind blows past quickly, caressing my skin and making me smile. The cell is gone, Gabriel is gone, theses "Gifted" people are gone. I'm safe. I'm alive and I'm safe and I'm free.

Looking up towards the direction we're going, I see a small black rectangle hovering in the empty white space. It slowly gets bigger and bigger as we shoot towards it.

"What's that?" I ask Haven, looking up at her.

She doesn't take her eyes off the dark spot, her words carefully measured. "That's our way back."

I study it, realizing that it's a door. A door just floating in the air.

"Back where?" I ask urgently.

This time Haven actually turns to me, and her green eyes are shining with happiness as she says, "back home."

The door flies open as she reaches out to cover my eyes with her hand. I feel something shift in the atmosphere around me and the wind stopping. There is something different. I can tell that I'm sitting on something soft, and I hear Haven counting down from ten just behind me. My clothes are different, too. I'm wearing shorts, I think. And some kind of loose t-shirt.

"Three, two, one!" Haven finishes, taking her hands away from my face and letting me see. I look around at the pale blue walls, the white furniture, the purple curtains, and the bookshelves across from me. We're in her room, sitting on the bed. There is a long, slim box in my hands, and inside are three concert tickets for one of my favorite bands. That's right! It's my sixteenth birthday and Haven came over to give me her present! How could I possibly have forgotten?

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaim, taking them out and running my fingers over the ink in disbelief. "These are. . . Mine?"

Haven grins at me, her whole face lighting up. She looks different though. Maybe a little younger? But that's not possible. "Yeah! My mom is taking us on the tenth next month! We're going to drive up to DC and stay in a hotel for two days!"

"That's. . ." I don't have words to describe my excitement. "Awesome! Thank you so much!"

She pulls me in for a hug, squeezing me tightly with a cheer. "It's going to be so amazing! I really wanted to tell you sooner, I really did!" Then her grip loosens, and in a quieter voice she says, "if only this could've lasted forever."

I frown, pulling away. "What do you mean? We're going, right? This isn't a joke?"

This time her smile is sad, the green of her eyes downcast and muted. She pushes the tickets to the side like they're nothing, turning to face the floor length mirror in the corner and directing me to do the same.

My reflection stares back at me, but it's not what I look like. I'm different in the mirror. My face is older-looking and I look extremely weary and sad. My expression is haunted, and my hair lies limp and stringy past my shoulders. The clothes I wear are different, too. I'm in a generic white cotton dress, the fabric thin and cheap. And my left arm and leg are wrapped in bandages all the way down. This isn't me. . . But it is, isn't it?

"We already went to the concert, remember?" Haven says, speaking directly into my ear. Suddenly I notice the burning ache in my side, and I look down to see the bandages running up my side. I'm wearing the dress, too. I am the reflection. The reflection is me.

"Remember the stadium? The lights? The music?" Haven whispers, and I do remember, squeezing my eyes shut as the memories come back. I remember the hotel, the stage, the audience. The energy was contagious. We jumped up and down while the band played, nodding our heads in time while we sang out every lyric as loud as we could. It was one of the best nights of my life.

When I open my eyes I'm standing in the crowd, watching the band on stage. But the music is quiet, just background noise. I couldn't tell you the song if you paid me. But the people don't seem to mind. They cheer and rave and dance like nothing's wrong. From a few feet away I even see Haven and me fangirling and head banging. But that's not right. If I'm standing there, how am I over here?

The other Haven puts her hand on my shoulder, seemingly cool and collected. I watch the crowd in slow motion, seeing our younger selves dancing with all we have, and I feel a twinge in my chest. That was before. . . The cell. And this. . . This is a dream?

"Wake up, Amber," Haven tells me. But her voice sounds deeper, more masculine. "Wake up, Amber. Wake up. Damn it, we don't have all day! We're moving! Get the f*** up!"

I awake to a guard yelling at me through the bars of my cell, the sheet clutched tightly in my fist and my pillow wet with tears.

*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•

I am dragged out of my cell by two unarmed guards, each with a hand on my shoulder. They blindfold me so that I can't tell where I'm going and push me through numerous hallways and up many flights of stairs. Now that I'm out of it, my cell seems almost inviting. What are they going to do to me? Are they going to take me to that room? The one Margot went to and never came back? Are they going to kill me?

I just sit back and let it happen, unable to fight back. Not that fighting would make a difference. I'm never getting away. They wouldn't allow it. Whatever Gabriel wants to do to me, he will, and I can't do anything about it, so it's not worth trying.

After a while I hear the rush of a door opening and feel the ground change under my feet. There are voices, too. I'm outside now, I think. There is a light breeze that blows against my skin, reminding me of the wind in my dream. I wanted so badly for that to be real, it hurt.

"Stop!" One of the men orders, and I halt without question. I feel a hand on the small of my back and suddenly I'm being lifted into the air. I let out a yelp of pain as someone's hand grazes my healing injuries.

Then the man sets me down in the leather seat of a car. I hear doors open and slam soon after. People climb into the vehicle and I hear more hurried voices all around. I'm frozen in terror and apprehension. I dare not move. Something keeps me rooted in place, even when I hear the engine start up. I feel the car lurch forward as it rolls forward to God knows where, with me inside.

Aaaaand there's the second chapter I've written in two days! How's this streak, huh? Although this is relatively short. Don't worry, a Haven chapter is next!

-iambibliophilic