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The Freaks

~~~two weeks later~~~

It was morning. I had forgotten which day it was, they all seemed to blur into one when you don't have a schedule. I was woken by a loud knocking on my window next to my bed. I yawned, my mouth stretching wide with sleepiness as I sat up on my elbows.

"hahaha well damn Halley that was hot!" the person outside my window laughed

I turned quickly pulling up the covers over my body before realising who it was - my friend Cassia. I relaxed again and clumsily brushed matted blonde hair out of my face before sliding up the window so she could lean in. "Don't get me wrong I'm happy to see you Cass, but what are you doing here so early?" I asked groggily - mainly wanting to go back to sleep.

Cassia sighed "It's noon Hal."

"Well shit" I said looking over at my clock. "Whaddaya know?"

"I'm here because poor Phoenix is worried sick. You got fired from the sewing factory after one week? you've started drinking and staying out all night, getting into fights with Phee? We're all worried, Halley, whats going on?" she said pleadingly. 

I looked over at her. She had light brown hair and the classic Invio tanned skin. Her slanted eyes and perfect complexion showed her Chinese heritage, way back from when the earth was separated into over 190 different countries and heritages - or so they said in history class back in school. She was wearing a checkered shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, sand goggles pulled back into her hair that was kept in a loose braid. She looked well - and I was happy for her. "I suppose you could say I'm having an existential crisis." I said finally. She raised her eyebrows. "Or a breakdown?" I said.

"Let me take you out tonight. We can talk about it, ok?" she asked

"I don't have any money Cass."

"It's on me hun. Pull yourself together, I'll be back to pick you up at 8" she said waving and walking back to her speeder, a bounce in her walk and a smile on her face.

 I hadn't seen much of Cassia recently, she had bought herself a new speeder, expensive looking too - a sleek shiny white one, she'd have to be careful out here in the outskirts. Cassia's family were well off - her parents owned a speeder repair company that has done extremely well, and she had moved back to the inner city with them a few months back. She told me that the move was due to her parents work situation, however I think there were also some personal reasons. Cassia was besotted with Phoenix. She would talk about him for hours, laugh at all his bad jokes and make her sweet advances plainly obvious, however a few months ago she had asked him out, and he politely declined - it was all very awkward. I didn't even find out until Phoenix brought it up a few weeks later when I said to him Cassia was acting odd around me. It seemed she had though the reason Phoenix declined was somehow to do with our relationship? It was a shame that all went down because in it I had though I lost a good friend, and Phoenix would have been lovely with her. 

But that had changed. Cassia was back! Phoenix had persuaded her to talk to me? He must be extremely worried to turn to Cassia in the inner city - and so I decided I should probably attempt going out tonight with her.

I pottered around the house, alone since everybody was at work and the kids at school. I thought maybe trying to help out around the house would make up for the fact I wasn't bringing any money in to help with the bills. Phoenix was the oldest of 4 kids, Luna was 15, and the two twins Oscar and Cosmo were 13 . There were many hungry teenage mouths to feed.  I brushed the sand that always makes its way through the little cracks under the doors and if ever windows are open back out onto the driveway, hung the washing out to dry, which it would very quickly, and began dusting and wiping the surfaces. Before I knew it it was 5 o'clock and Phoenix was walking through the door in his turquoise scrubs. 

"Hey Hal" he said glancing at me as he kicked off his vintage adidas sneakers by the door. "You cleaned?" he asked looking around.

"Yeah, I know right" I laughed at his raised eyebrows. We both then stood there scuffing our toes in silence. "Phee, look I'm sorry I've a been a little.. distant recently. Its just ever since Felix fired me and I've stopped being distracted by work I've realized that I don't really have a future. It's kinda depressing." I said going over the the couch and sitting back, resting my head on my hands. "Damn Invio" I sighed. 

Phoenix came and sat next to me, putting his long arm round my shoulder and pulling me into his side comfortingly. His body was warm and smelt like the hospitals lemon antiseptic. We rarely hugged and he was broader than I remembered, more muscular than I always imagined. The bony 14 year-old I used to be taller than was no more. 

"Of course you have a future Hal, you're smart, and tough and resourceful, you just need to find your calling." He murmured into my hair. 

"Easy for you to say dr.nexttopgeneralpracticionerofInvio" I said pulling away and playfully punching his arm. "Anyway, how was work?" I asked

"Oh yeah!" he exclaimed excitedly fumbling with his scrubs pocket until he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. "The weirdest thing happened - this person came in to talk to us about these people, showing up with, well, like mutations." He said handing me the article. "All over Invio in all the major cities.." The article had been cut out of Invio weekly, the newspaper that was still delivered in the outskirts because hardly anyone had the money for tablets or interactive devices. It read that people had been going into the doctors all over Invio with what seemed to be DNA mutations, it didn't delve into the complex science of things which made Halley think that they didn't really know for sure what it was, but ordinary people were turning up with random "monstrosities" as the paper named them. Some were simply increased human abilities such as sight, strength, however some were, what could only be explained as supernatural, hovering, telekinesis, it was rumored one in the capital had even sprouted a tail!

"Incredible" I breathed handing the paper back. "What did they say to you?"

"Exactly my thoughts" Phee replied, but then his brows furrowed, he looked down, "But the officials said they were extremely dangerous - and if any came in to the hospital we had all these emergency procedures put in place to contain them." He said expressively. It sounded more like capture than containment. We sat there for a moment taking it in. "The head official called them "the freaks" said Phee looking down at the paper. 

"Harsh" I replied. "Surely these mutated people didn't exactly have a choice if their DNA mutated?" 

"That's the thing - suddenly people are coming out of nowhere with insane, dangerous, mutations? all at the same time? Seems odd. Very cool I'll admit but shady." 

So Invio government thinks it's the Torva. Poisoning waters or food. It seemed plausible. They'd convinced Phee at least and he's the most intelligent person I know. But why would the Torva increase peoples natural abilities? Weren't they supposed to be killers? What was the aim?

"Well I'm gonna shower" Phee said standing up and walking over the the bathroom "Talk more later?" 

"I can't I'm going out with Cassia?" I said raising my eyebrows "The one you called and asked for help?, brown hair, attractive, has a nice shiny speeder.."- "I know who she is Halley" Phoenix said frowning, turning his back to be he pulled his scrubs shirt over his head, "Have fun."

There's a little Phee for ya up the top :-)