Chapter 8
Without a heartbeat
I was running, through a forest. Running. Running. But from what? I had no idea. I chanced a look back. Behind me were 3 large burly men, in black. Suddenly their skin melted away and they were robots coming after me, their heads shaped like skulls. I ran faster.
To my right I heard a scream, but not just any scream, my mom’s scream. My mom. She was in trouble. I veered to the right, towards the scream. The men followed me but I didn’t care. If my mom was in trouble I was going to save her.
I reached a clearing and my mom was on her knees, her hands tied behind her back.
“Mom!” I yelled. The robots caught up to me and had me by the arms. Suddenly my mom started melting away, just like the robots skin. I screamed for her, fought with all my might. The robots held strong and I didn’t stand a chance.
I broke down into tears and clenched my fists. Something soft was in them, and suddenly I felt warm.
My eyes flew open to more yelling. I was sweating and red lights danced in my vision. Nico was standing over me yelling. I stood up to fast and my head spun. I turned to see what he was staring at.
My bed was on fire. Great, just what I needed. I easily extinguished the flame and dropped onto the charred covers. Nico was staring at me questioning until he finally said, “Bad dream?” I nodded not wanting to talk about it.
Sweat trickled down my forehead as I closed my eyes and tried to calm down. I shivered at the thought of my dream. Then I realized what had just happened. I had just started my bed on fire in my sleep! This was bad. If I did this every night, people could get hurt.
I ran my fingers through my damp hair. Disgusted I went down the hall to the bathroom and turned on the hot water in the shower. I stood there; clothes and all just letting the water wash away my worries for a minute. When I came out I just stood under the drier and waited for the hot air to dry me off.
I had only been here 2 days but I couldn’t have been more homesick. I wanted to learn how to control my powers but I didn’t want to leave me mom by herself. I had to get home. I went back to my room and changed into some dry clothes. Nico watched me cautiously as I grabbed a bag and stuffed an extra pair of clothes in it.
“Where are you going?” he asked me. I guess I saw that one coming though.
“I’m going home,” his face became perplexed and I wondered what he was thinking.
“What did you dream about?” he asked. I wasn’t expecting him to make the connection but since he did I might as well tell him.
“My mom. She was kidnapped by those robots. She just melted away; I couldn’t do anything to stop them. I’m not going to let that happen. I’m going to be there to protect her.” I was not going to sit back while she was in danger.
I slung the bag over my shoulder and walked out the door. I got all the way down the stairs before Jack came rushing from the kitchen. His face worried.
“What?” I asked harshly. He seemed to become even more devastated.
“Um, how do I put this?” he stumbled, “Alec, come sit down, we need to tell you something,” I groaned, knowing they would try to make me stay, but followed him into the kitchen and sat down anyway.
I waited for him to start talking but when he didn’t I but in, “What?” I said almost violently.
He flinched and started talking, “Umm… Well, last night we had gotten a call from one of out agents. They said your mother went missing. We were going to tell you in the morning, but an hour ago we got another call,” he paused and looked at me meaningfully. I was gripping the bottom of the chair I was sitting on, knowing what he was going to say, but not wanting to believe it. “They found your mothers body in a dumpster near you house. I’m so sorry.”
He waited for my response. I didn’t give one. I was lost, gone already. Nothing could bring me out of the blackness I fell into at that moment. I felt warmth all around me and in the back of my mind, noted that I was probably setting the whole house on fire right now. I didn’t care. What was there to care about? Nothing mattered anymore.
Someone had once told me that when you’re in your mom’s womb, you grow accustomed to her heartbeat. It’s your one constant in a changing world. When you are born and laid in your mother’s arms, you hear it again and calm down. As you grow up, you always go to her to hear the heartbeat. You never realize your listening to it but it comforts you. The thought of never hearing that heartbeat again scared me to death. I was suddenly alone in a big and cruel world.
That’s when I blacked out.
