I am Number Twelve

14

14

I sleep. And I dream of nice things. I dream that Jake and I are on an amazing road trip, trying to find our long lost friends. Having fun along the way. Getting along with everyone. Then right before the dream ends, Jake and I are in the car, and he leans over, eyes still on the road, and whispers 'I love you.'

When I wake, I am depleted. Feeling worse than before I slept. This road trip is not amazing. We have no idea whatsoever where our friends are. This is not fun, we have an evil army probably tracking us this very minute.

I stretch my arms, and sit up properly, my bum making a weird noise because of the red leather seats. 'G'morning,' Jake says, 'how was your dream?' he asks.

'Uh, fine, actually. Thanks for asking.' I reply. 'You know, Jake, sometimes you creep me out. How'd you know I was dreaming?'

'I know I creep you out.' Then he just points his index finger to his brain while keeping his eyes on the road. 

Can he read minds? Shit. Everything I've ever thought about him has been broadcast in his mind. Including this. Shit!

'Incase you were wondering, no I do not read minds. I can create and manipulate peoples dreams.' Even though I believe him, it still creeps me out, but it does seem like an awesome Legacy.

'Wow, can you transport into them? The dreams, I mean.' I say.

'Ah, now, later, you have to help me with that. I haven't quite figured out how to do it safely yet.'

'Safely?' I ask.

'The dog died. Probably painfully. I tried it on him, I was in there 7 seconds before he somehow forced me out and I panicked when he did. I killed him while I was inside his dream. I still don't know how I did it. I haven't tried again, but that-'

'Thats where I come in.' I say grimly.

'Yep.' He replies in the same tone. 

'Are you scared?' I ask.

'Of what? Dreams, the Zens, death, life on earth. Yes. You? Not so much.' He smile as he says this. He stops smiling when I reach for the cigarette lighter and ignite the flame. I sweep it around his head.

'Um, but, you're still up there! I promise! Please, I have no source of water, don't scorch me!' He shrieks, but still in his manly voice.

'Ok, ok, but you might not be so lucky next time. Got it, Eleven?'

'Yes, I got it Twelve.' He says, this time making eye contact with me.

Things get tense. Jake asks me about my story. I don't want to spill all my secrets just yet, so I make it basic.

'Jack and I were placed with our greeters, I don't remember, but Jack told me the man's name was David. I think it was in Canada. I think all of our greeters were in Canada. From there I'm pretty sure we went to Oregon. We were there for a couple of months, I think before the first scar came. I was like 5 and a half. We were like five and a half. Then we lived on the road, constantly for about 10 months. When I we stayed in a place called Ohoma, Kansas I think.

      'The second scar came when I was 7, and we moved to a little town in Wyoming, I forget its name, but we were there for a while I think.  When I was nine, I was at school, and this really annoying girl called Jordyn pulled my hair because I bet her in the sprints on sports day. I completely lost control and I broke her wrist and her collar bone. I was called to the principals office where I was given a lecture while Jordyn was taken away in an ambulance. I didn't like what they were saying, so I ran. I ran home, told Jack, and we left that evening. Jack told me she was in hospital for weeks.

' We stayed on the road, never spending more than a month in each house from then on. When I was ten, we were on our way to Paradise, when we came across a woman who had been run over. It was Lola.'

'Did you know, then?'

'No. I got the third scar shortly after. Jack died. And Lola and I had been living there for like a year  on our own, that is until I got the fourth scar.' I say. What I don't say is 'until I got the fourth scar and nearly burnt myself to death.'

We sit in silence for a few miles. We just get into very dry, bushy terrain when Jake starts.

'We left our greeters after a week. We moved and moved. All the time. I don't remember where, I only remember that it was always near a hospital. Cath had a nasty form of epilepsy. When I was 7, we were in California, hiding in plain sight, when I got the second scar. She told me that she had also found some kind of mind hypnotist who could supposedly cure her epilepsy. I was seven, and I knew it was a bad idea. When we got there, we were attacked. I wasn't dead, of course, but the Zens were harsh on Cath. A man, saved us. I didn't know who it was. His name was David and only, now you mention your greeter, I know that that was who it was.

'Then, when I was ten and the third scar came, Cath was finally having a break from her epilepsy. It stopped. And when I got the scar, it started again. I felt so guilty. I ran away. She found me a week later, unconscious in a ditch. I don't remember. On our way to Mississippi, we came across Jack. He knew who we were. We helped him, and I promised to look out for you. We lost you, though. I couldn't remember where Jack said you were. Only Cath did, and after she had an epilepsy attack, she forgot some of what Jack told her, including your location. We found you a week before  you and Lola moved. Cath wasn't convinced, so I set out to watch you. I was the one watching your fire. I was watching you train and I also stopped the water when you set Lola's hair on fire.'

He looks down at his lap for a second then turns his observant eyes back to the road, looking guilty.

He's spilt some secrets, so I figure I should released the one that's worrying me most. The one only Jake, a hunky Aquillian 15 year old, could understand.

'You know, Jack told me in a letter that we're soul-' I get cut off.

'Mates. I know, Cath told me.'

'Wait, you knew, and didn't tell me?' I say quietly. He knew from when he met me that we were destined to be together.

'I didn't want to scare you.'

'You of all people, wouldn't have scared me. I promise.'

'Ok,' he starts, 'I, Eleven, Jake, Eli, whatever, love you.' He takes his eyes off the road then looks at me. 

'We are meant to be together Zeda. I don't know everything about you, but I do want to know. All your perfection, all your imperfection. I'm going to get to know it all. And I'm already falling in love with your striking Aquillian beauty, your fiery personality, your sweetness. And it's destiny.'

He look serious. His eyes pierce my soul. I nod and place my hand on his knee. A look of relaxation comes over his face, and his mouth turns into a half smile. His eyes smile too, and his slightly olive skin compliments his nearly shoulder length hair. He places his hand on top of mine. Its soft, but rough. His fingernails are short, and a few have a little dirt under them. They're bigger than mine, and he weaves his fingers through mine.

I smile at him. and he clears his throat. 'I think I need a hair cut.'

'I have the perfect thing for that.' I say, thinking of the shavers I packed at the last minute.

'Cool. I think we're nearly in Texas, so we should get a motel and stop for the night. Sound good?'

'Good.' Even though I want to say 'Um, lets keep going.' When he says 'Get a motel and stop for the night.' All I think of is seedy motels, and one-night-stands. I don't want to get too serious when I barely even know him, and I don't want him getting any ideas. He rubs his thumb back and fourth in circular motions. It calms me and I feel my eye lids getting heavy.

'Go to sleep. We'll be in Texas when you wake up. And then, only then do I realise that Jake isn't a legal drive. Oh well. It's not the first time I've broken the law.

And oh, it's a sweet slumber, sitting next to Jake. I feel his warming presence reach out to me as I drift off, towards the grey puffy clouds created by him.