The Awakening

Going Back Home

             She sluggishly averted her eyes open. She heard a white noise; the wind, the bike, it all combined into a generic sound. She breathed in and smelled the mossy, earthy scent of the riverbank as the road dipped down towards the intersection. They were travelling at a rate of speed faster than a car, so the smells changed more frequently. The adrenaline was dwindling over and she felt like her regular self; dependent, terrified, and insecure. She glanced at Jake's back. She was truly putting herself at the mercy of the rest of the world, keenly aware of her own mortality. She trusted these people like she already knew them.

           "Where do you live?" Jake inquired. Alexandra could already distinguish the lights illuminating from Annex. She was in the vicinity of her home. "Just past the carnival and a little more blocks down the road." She watched the others driving their bikes calmly.

"How come your sister got to do the examination, isn't she supposed to be seventeen?" Sav queried.

"She's actually eighteen." Alexandra slipped. Too late to take that back.

"That explains a lot, her powers, her strength and all. But you're only supposed to take the test when you're sixteen, how did she take it at eighteen?" 

Jake looked back at Alexandra. They both knew she couldn't answer Sav's question. The only reason why Caitlyn was able to get in the examination was because her father was the Advisor and Crux gave a leeway to the both of them; and Jake knew that. It was pretty obvious.

"I think Alexandra has gone through enough for today. Let's ask her questions when we're settled." Jake had temporarily saved her ass but she had to think of an answer sooner or later.

Alexandra hesitated but continued, "Where are you guys going?"

"We'll drop you off then we'll be going back to our—" Jace faded gradually. Alexandra knew they were going back to their families, that's what she would do. "It's okay you can say it." No one responded but she knew they all felt bad for her. She didn't need their pity, she just needed someone.

•••

She unlocked the front door while the others followed along, parking their bikes at the side of her modern house. Her house was clear-cut, nothing extraordinary, and nothing luxurious.

"Hey, did you leave your fireplace open?" Erick asked.

She shrugged, "I don't know–Um, no."

           He shifted towards the fireplace, probing it. "So if your sister is in Terran with your father, then who opened the fireplace?" Alexandra's heart dropped. Someone or something was in her house. At a balanced measured velocity, she traipsed to the kitchen ready to attack. She got nearer and nearer, five—four—three—two more steps and she would come face to face with the intruder.

"Lexi, I don't think you should." Kyle insisted.

"It's my house. There's nothing left to lose. Trust me."It broke her heart how true it was. She had nothing left to lose.

             She leaped in her offensive position, her heart palpitating and face immersed in sweat. She had dealt too much today and she knew nothing worse could happen. The adrenaline filled her whole body once more; the agitating yet thrilling feeling surpassed her confidence to a new sensation; she relished it. One last step, she thought to herself. Right before she could lash out on the intruder, her heart descended six feet down under, her adrenaline evanescing out of her system.

Yup something definitely worse. She was expecting to see an outsider but she only saw a familiar face, a face that only seemed like a part of a vision. She softened her stance feeling vulnerable. "What are you doing here?"