Survival

23

His head was always pounding. His limbs were always shaking. His stomach was always churning.

His flare was always trying to get out.

He knew it was trying to do something; it was trying to...change. It was the same things as before, where it was trying to change them. Shifting for the first time had hurt because the flare was changing them. This time, it was trying to change them once more.

But change them into what?

Thompson had taken all three of them into separate rooms once they had all collapsed. Tory had been close, he could feel her as he always could. He had woken on a hospital bed, handcuffed by the wrists and ankles. The doctor from before, who had done an exam on them all, had been there and welcomed him kindly.

They must pay him extra to act kind.

Thompson had asked questions, many questions that Hi had tried to dance around. Lies spouted out of him freely until his listener had finally had enough. Now he was sat on the bottom bunk, drained of energy. But that was when the headache had started.

SNAP

Hi gasped; the flare was sudden.

Tory was close.

Then, by some miracle she was bursting through the door into the room. His golden eyes met her frantic ones. She was wearing the handcuffs like bracelets on her wrists and ankles. He hadn't seen her since the car park, when he was lying on the ground.

Not my most shining moment.

"Hiram" her voice was so weak, so broken. Hi launched to his feet, ready to grab her as she stumbled and fell. But he wasn't quick enough, despite his flare. As soon as she hit the ground, his flare left him.

SNUP

He shook away the feeling of shivers running through his body, slithering down his spine. Luckily his eyes had changed back before agents rushed in to grab the now unconscious Tory on the floor.

"Leave her alone" he meant it to be a shout, but it was a pathetic plea that only made the agents look to him questioningly. Not one looked guilty or regretful of what they were doing to them. They carried Tory out between them, and Hi was left alone.

What was he going to tell the others?

Why didn't you stop them, idiot?

"Shut up, Hiram" he mumbled to himself. Then he shook his head. "You've got me talking to myself, you jerks!" he screamed to the ceiling as he flung his head back. Anger did not sit well with Hiram Stolowitski. He was his mother's son.

For five minutes, he was pacing his cell agitatedly. He was muttering under his breath, the pain subsiding almost completely. It was almost eleven when the door opened once more. Shelton came through, although he was nothing like the boy Hi knew him to be.

Two agents held the limp boy between them while another came to hold Hi back when he tried to punch them. The scrawny doctor followed behind them, looking genuinely concerned.

Definitely paid.

"What did you do to him?" Hi demanded, watching as his friend was placed on the single bed that Ben had been sleeping on. "What did you do to Shelton?"

No one answered him, but filed out of the room as the doctor knelt next to the unconscious boy on the bed. Shelton was whimpering, eyebrows twitching. Hi felt a whole new pulse of anger. He watched helplessly as the doctor performed a treatment to his friend as he stood to the side. First Tory, and now this.