Project Radioactive

The Begining

                  

We sat around the fire, Me in Zander's arms. My brother, Marcus sat on my right holding hands with Jayden. Charlie, my best friend since birth, sat closer to the water letting the current through his hands. I put my head on Zander's chest, feeling his heart beating through his sweatshirt, smelling the Carolina forest around us. This was the first camping trip we've been on where we decided not to bring any electrical devices except flashlights. A night out with my closest friends felt good unlike at my stupid private all-girls school full of snobbish kids with the is eyes glued to laptops and phones.

                The full moon felt brighter now that we were out of the city. Thousands of blinking stars filled the ink black sky like another world.

                "Hot dogs, anyone?" Marcus asked. Leave it to my brother to be the one in charge. We may look alike with the same light brown hair and brown eyes but we are nothing alike. Jayden grabbed one and put it on the end of her stick. All I wanted was to stay in Zander's warm arms, but he started to shift, my cue to follow along. I watched in silence as the meat blacked in the white-hot flames.

                "How about that BMX tournament?" Charlie asked. He, Zander, and Jayden were on a BMX team until Jayden broke her wrist. Her father forced her to quit. Charlie was in New York for a week and hadn't been able to make the tournament.

                "We lost by a lot," Zander said. "We desperately need someone like Jayden, or Jayden to win."

                "Trust me," Jayden said, "If it was my choice, I'd choose biking over school, but dad is not putting up with anything 'dangerous.'"

                Charlie nodded. "I'd prefer the tournament over New York. All I did was see my uncle and he lectured me about the glories of finances." Charlie rubbed his wet hands on his jeans. "I hate how everyone in my family is business freaks," he sighed. "I just want to be 14, you know?"

                I knew exactly what he meant. Dad wanted Marcus and I to become doctors like him. I hate it when adults expect things to go their way with my life! Marcus was the obedient one, I was the rebel.

                "Just being outside makes me feel good," Charlie continued. "I want to do what I want with my life, not what others want. I wish I could be like you, Zander!"

                I felt Zander's muscles tighten. "Trust me, you don't"

                Zander's parents don't give a crap about him. His brother is the attention hoarder being a strait a genius and skipping a grade. Zachary was twelve and was already taking high school math! Zander on the other hand was failing in 2 classes and barely staying on top of his work. I guess his parents just gave up on him.

                I decided that now would be the best time to change the subject. "So Jayden how is your wrist?"

                She gave me a sideways glance seeing that we had to talk about anything but Zander's folks. She was a year older than me and eight months younger than Marcus. Marcus had to supervise every single camping trip because he was the only one who could drive.  "It's healing, but not fast enough! Video games are impossible with this," she held up her left hand which was wrapped in an Ace.

                "Don't worry," Marcus said. "As soon as the time comes, we will go back to Mario cart."

                We all laughed. Jayden was into violent games, the ones with the parent warnings and everything. Even though she could beat us at Mario cart any day of the week, she enjoyed the thrill of guns and weapons on her scream.

                It felt so nice being here with my best friends, but that moment past and was replaced by a giant rock, falling from the sky.

                Hurtling towards us at alarming speed was a meteorite the size of a beach ball, glowing in the Carolina night. I didn't have a chance to scream when it hit the center of the fire sending out rays of light. One hit me in the eye and I was instantly blinded. Jayden screamed. Zander passed out with me still in his arms. I heard voices in my head speaking gibberish and then everything was blackened. I started to yell, but I was silenced by a rock that smacked my head.

                The radioactive ones....... Rare specimens.......... How the hell is she not dead? Voices, different ones filled my head as if everyone were speaking at once. I couldn't feel, smell, or see anything. The voices were the only things I heard for a very long time.