The Infinity Trilogy

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

I didn't know how long I'd been out when I could finally open my eyes.  My entire body was tingling from the short bursts of electricity that were running through my body still.  My head was cushioned on something and I opened my eyes to see Arin above me.  Her face was covered in dirt and there were trails where her tears streaked through it. 

"Oh, my God!  We thought we lost you," she cried, looking down at me.  Her tears fell on my face as she hugged me even in the awkward position it put us in.

"What happened?" I croaked out.  "Where's Chloe?  I just saw her running..."

Arin leaned up and started shaking her head.  "She's fine.  We all are aside from a few cuts and bruises.  I don't know about the mall, though.  It's going to need some repair."

Slowly - and painfully - I sat up.  There was a sharp pain in my side, but I went through it until I was turned around looking at her. 

And it was just her.

"Where's everyone?" I asked, still looking around.  I wasn't in the center of the mall where the fountain was anymore.  We were in the back of one of the stores. 

"They're still out there trying to fight," she said.  "Carlos is the main one we were trying to get, but we just can't figure out just which one is truly him.  And every time we kill on of his doubles, two more pop up out of nowhere.  I think he's just liking playing with us."

"Alex?" I asked. 

She just shrugged.  "We know he's still in the building, we just don't know where.  We can't find Owen or Sawyer or whoever he is right now either.  They disappeared right after we got to you."

Painfully, I started to stand up and make my way out of the store. 

"What are you doing?" Arin asked, walking quickly up behind me.  "Don't go out there!  When we don't know where Alex is..."

"I don't care," I said.  "I've just got to find Owen and get Sawyer out of his body.  We have to get him away from Alex..."

"Lola, no," Arin said, grabbing my hand to stop me from stepping out of the store.  "He's gone.  I thought you were going to get over it.  I know you want to get him out of Alex's control, but we just can't right now.   You've got to let him go."

I pulled my hand from hers.  "No!" I yelled.  "I'm not just 'giving up' and letting him stay with Alex!  I can't believe you would even say that!  It's like you don't care about him at all!"

Arin looked like I just slapped her.  "I do care about him, but right now I'm more worried about you.  You're going out blindly to find him.  You don't even know if you can get him away from Alex.  I just want you to be safe."

"Well, I want him safe, too," I said. 

Without looking back at her again, I walked out the door of the store.  My head started spinning as I breathed in the cool air.  That wasn't right, though.  It shouldn't have been cool air.  I looked up and saw that the glass roof had been completely shattered.  Outside I could hear the beating of helicopter blades and the sirens of police cars and ambulances.  The shop windows were almost all broken also.  The contents of the shops that were in the displays of the windows were strewn out onto the floor. 

I started running toward the center of the mall again, ignoring the pain in my side.  I couldn't see anyone as I ran, but I could hear blasts coming from behind me. 

And when I got to the center of the mall where the fountain was, the exact place I'd been who knew how long ago, there was Alex with Sawyer, who was still in Owen's body.  When Alex saw me, he smiled.