The Kidnappers

The Kidnappers - PowerLamp (Chapter 6)

CHAPTER 6 

- Sapien's POV  

Dese and I are standing in the dim hallway, she is wearing a black leather jacket and her sword is strapped onto her back, her cinnamon aroma filling the small space up. My gun, Ruby, yes I have named my weapon, what can I say it's a cherished object, it is tucked in between my belt and my jeans but is covered by my black t-shirt and green jacket. We're both ready to go; now we just need to wait for Zeki. As always.  

"Hurry up Zeki!" hollers Dese down the wood floored hallway.  

"I'm here. Keep it together Dese, I know how much you miss me." Zeki emerges from the living room after extinguishing the fire and is rewarded by Dese's icy look. Standard. If looks could kill he would be vaporized by now, with the amount of coldness that Dese directs towards Zeki.

It is peculiar witnessing the chemistry they share, when fighting together but when they are not in battle, they can't stand each other. They have the definition of a love and hate relationship, mostly hate but they are incredibly loyal when they are kicking some ass. Well mostly Dese is kicking ass and Zeki takes the left overs.  

They both step outside greeting the unusual bitter summer air, whilst I follow behind, rummaging in my pocket for the metal key.

"This time Sap, actually lock the door because I do plan to sleep tonight." Zeki says, turning around in the middle of the stone driveway. I roll my eyes.

"For your information it is already night and you're running around looking for kids." I point out, just to rub it in.

I check to see if everything is in its place, one last time and step out the heavy navy door.

Our boots crunch down the gravel driveway. Then just before we step into the cobbled street, the power hits us like a high speed collision, knocking the breath out of out lungs.  

Everything comes into focus, as if an elastic band has snapped into place. becoming more defined.

My ears pop, I can hear the ants arguing below, the breeze brushing the blades of grass between the cobble stones. I can see every dent and hole in the bricks of the houses aligning the cobbled street, making me blink with the brightness flowing into my eyes. My senses are even more sensitive now, I feel my cells elongate, causing me to grow an inch, my brain pulsates, now my features are more established.

My powers have returned, finally. I am feeling slightly power-crazy but when you are used to having above average senses and more brain power than the average human, you usually tend to miss them.

Then again there are those that hate having their powers, which confounds me at the least. Why would you dislike abilities, which makes your life easier? 

I hear Zeki gasp beside me; he is having a thirty second film clip of future events. I often ask him what he sees and he always replies with the usual "you will spoil the surprise". It makes me wonder how bad can the future, be that he doesn't not want to share it with me.

In the corner of my eye I can see Dese flipping through a whole series of images, all her features distorted. But that's what I see, in fact anyone who happens to look at her, they would see her flickering through numerous images, whilst she would remain herself. She can fiddle with peoples' brains to make them think she is someone else. Useful. But extremely irritating at times.

However, the benefit of knowing her for so long has caused Zeki and myself to look past the various images she puts up, by distinguishing her from the little characteristics that define Dese, her posture, walk, the subconscious hand always hovering over her weapon. 

We can never control our powers when there is a power overload, it is almost a worst experience as travelling through a Power-lamp. We face the road as all the street lamps in turn on, illuminating their small confined areas.

I internally shiver, as we near the dreaded transport. The Power-Lamp.

 The Power-Lamp system is the most rapid and efficient method of transport now, there used to be contraptions called "cars" hundreds of years ago, but scientists realized that they had been affected by the storms, that gave us the powers. So the cars only work when the power is out.

Travel must have been such a comfortable experience being able to physically control the machine and most importantly being able to see your surroundings, whilst travelling. Neither of these sadly, occur when travelling in a Power-Lamp.  

The nearest Power-lamp is at the end of the street, it is connected to other Power-lamps that are situated around London and other cities so they are all connected in a loop. However, they don't work when our powers are off, although there are emergency backup Power-Lamps system in place they are not as efficient. Therefore if it starts to rain, causing electricity to go and you are in the Power-lamp, there is a massive probability you can get stuck in the Power-Lamp limbo.

The experience is so mind-numbing , it's almost as if being sucked into the vacuum, colours whizzing around you, wind deafening your ears but nowhere out. I despise them, but I would not dream to confess this to my team members, it is is inevitable I would be tormented by their jibes of being a weakling. I would not be surprised if they too loathe them just as much as me but are far too proud to admit it. 

"Let me lead the way to the centre, since I know London way better than you." Zeki insists, his breath puffing out in the bitter cold air.

"Be our guest, show off." Dese mumbles, she's probably hoping like me, that it is not bravado and he does know the city as well as he claims.

We all touch the black lamp post, it appears to be a regular electric street light but looks can deceive as I learnt when I met Dese. No pun intended there. 

We are inhaled into the kaleidoscope of extremely bright colours. As if the roar of the wind ricocheting off our eardrums, isn't enough the tune "Greensleeves" is blasts out loader. It is another attempt by the Society to make Power-lamp travel a "better experience". Yes a better experience of trauma and sickness.

Hollows, with the view of the street and the Power-lamp in it, are glimpsed at the sides of the whirlwind of vivid colours, in rapid succession. It does not matter if you don't know what the street looks like, only the number of the Power-Lamp destination needs to be known. I desperately focus on the large black numbers inscribed above each hollow, I hope Zeki is faring better than me, as he is the one guiding us. 

Zeki's lips begin to move but his words are swept away. He must be saying the next street is our stop. I glance at Dese she must have come to the same conclusion as me, our eyes meet and we nod to each other in agreement.

Here it comes...we're going to get out of this...

I hurl myself out, landing on the pavement, I stumble slightly. My head is spinning and my stomach is doing cartwheels, it is as if I have a whole circus in me. And it is about to come out...

I am not going to be sick... no way am I going to do that in front of Dese and Zeki. There would be no end to the teasing after. "Oh, no wonder you're called Sap, you just throw up your insides, all gooey like sap. Too bad it's not useful like tree sap." I can imagine them sniping and the tree jokes will soon follow. 

Dese glances around, there are still housing estates running against the pavement and the gravel road. No bright lights. No clopping of horses hooves. No excited voices of people preparing to enjoy their Friday night. This is so clearly not the city centre.

Marvelous. Wrong Street. Dese spins around rapidly with irritation flashing in her eyes; Zeki is going to have it now. He should've kept his mouth shut about "knowing the city".

I'm sorry I can't help you Zeki. You brought it on yourself. I shake my head in displeasure at our current situation and the much worse situation after. 

"You idiot, Zeki! This is the wrong street. Why the hell can't you count? Did you think you were too cool for Maths? Well let me correct you, you're too stupid for maths! Now we have to walk God knows how many miles to get to the city centre and if we get attacked along the way, I'm not gonna save you like I always have done." She rants and furiously in his face then shoving past him, so he stumbles back, flinching.

She stomps towards the general direction of the more brightly lit area ahead, at the end of the road.