Thirteen

1.Thirteen

Stephanie 'But why you? Why did they choose your birthday instead... '
Lore 'I guess we need to find this out as the other hidden things.'
Stephanie 'Where should we start from?'
Lore 'We need a very good and fast plan because if Kevin is right, the doctors are going to advance the experiment, making dangerous decisions on our lives and we mustn't give the opportunity of such a terrible move to happen. Let's take one at a time. Firstly, we need to find out the teenager who is helping the doctors. Hmm... Who didn't we see wearing T-shirts at all?'
Stephanie 'Well, Tess never does. Neither do Aiden and Eva.'
Lore 'So, one of them might be the intruder. They should have the specific tattoo and if we were able to see it, everything would be much easier.'
Stephanie 'Let's do exactly the same thing we did with January except the part with the phone. We reach into their places in order to watch them through their windows.'
Lore 'Stephanie, what are you... Well, actually this is a good idea. Let's do it!' I'm heading real fast to the door.
Stephanie 'Wait, now?!' she's following me.

We start with Lyvia.She's one of us.
   Aiden is next. The teenagers' rooms are upstairs, so the only way to get the view of them is... climbling. Uh! I hate it! We found an enough distant tree to make sure not to be seen, but close enough to see. We arrive by the skin of our teeth to a height where we hang a little bit stable and notice the room. Stephanie is obviously doing it better than me, maybe due to her ability.
   One hour waiting only to realise that he is the person who pretends being our friend and stabs us when we turn around. If people are so slippery, why is there such a desire to live? I am of the opinion that the world is already dead. And, unfortunately, we can save nothing or no one from it. Dead means lost.
   There is no point of going to Eva's place since we have already found out what we were looking for.
Stephanie and I arrive to our dorm without being seen by anyone.

Stephanie 'Now what are we supposed to do? We need to let the others know what we have found out.'
Lore 'How? They won't believe us until we bring real proofs. We can't risk being exposed.'
Stephanie 'If they were told the truth, maybe they would help us. Them. This shouldn't be only our fight.' It's strange that I had said almost the same thing right before I exposed the reality to her.
Lore 'We need to go to the hospital to search for the teenager who is missing, but it won't be possible if all of us leave. The doctors will notice and our plan will be in vain. Let's use Kevin and January's help! Both of us could go to the hospital without raising any kind of suspicion up since they are on our side.'
Stephanie 'Or they pretend to be. If Aiden has been faking his loyalty to us, why wouldn't they?'
Lore 'I think the two of them are our only candle in this dark at the moment. We need to keep it lit as long as possible. I don't fully trust them either, but do we have a choice?'
Stephanie 'There is always free will, Lore! Although, you're right. Even if it seems an easier choice, we should go for it.'

'An easier choice'... What is easy in risking so many lives?

Lore 'One week. We can't get later than that. Our friends need us.'

Stephanie is asking January for a way to get to the hospital and she's presented as an option taking the bus. I am not brave enough to tell Kevin about our plan because I'm afraid of him trying to stop us.... or to end up a different person that I have already known.
We are heading to the bus really quickly when, suddenly Aiden shows up in front of us asking questions.

Aiden 'Where are you going?'
Lore 'Hmm, to the hospital. Kevin sent us to take something.' I'm nervous and these are the first words which cross my mind.'
Aiden 'Related to...?' he expects us to continue his idea.
Stephanie 'Jo. To Jo, Melissa, Klaus and Andy.'
Aiden 'Did they discover the cause of their death?'
Stephanie 'We don't know. That's why we're going there.'
Aiden 'Let me come with you! They meant a lot to me. Please, I'm begging you!'

I'm looking at Stephanie and she is glacing back. We must say no, but Aiden will say to the others that we left the town and the doctors could find out.

Lore 'Alright. Let's go.' I stop talking for a second, but I continue. 'Hmm, Aiden, Jo isn't dead.' I create a short fake smile on my face.

The road doesn't last long and here we are in front of the place we hoped we'd never see again. We can't let ourselves to be seen by anyone from here and we have to get what we need in the shortest time.

Lore 'Keep an eye on Aiden. Don't let him talk to somebody because he could expose us.' I whisper Stephanie and she nods.

The guardians replace each other once a day letting the gate unguarded for three minutes. We are waiting for that moment and we are getting inside slowly and quietly. While we're walking on the corridors, some doctors are heard and I drag Steph and Aiden in the nearest ward.

Pacient 'I don't want to take the medicine again!'

   We turn around and see... Melissa. Aiden is speechless, but despite all overwhelming emotions, he pulls himself together and hugs her. The unbelieveble moment is ruined by the door easily open. We don't have time to hide ourselves.

-- 'What are you doing here?!'

   It's Azel - the woman who gave us new clothes to dress in before we left the hospital.

Lore 'Thank God it's you! Without realising, I strongly embrace her. I don't know why, but I have a good feeling about her and something tells me she's a person who we can trust.
Azel 'How did you get in? Why are you here, she's asking puzzled.
Aiden 'The doctors sent us to...'
Lore 'Shut up, Aiden!' I interrupt him. The fact that he's been tricking us for so long makes me more than angry. 'Please, we don't have time for explanations. But we do need your help, Azel!'
Azel 'I thought you didn't notice! I am glad I was wrong!'
Lore 'What are you talking about?' Now, I am more puzzled than she was a few seconds ago.
Azel 'Nevermind, you'll see! Let me get you some proper equipement for the hospital and you'll say what my help consists in afterwards.'

   She leaves.

Stephanie 'We thought you died. The doctors showed us your bodies.'
Melissa 'Something strange is happening. They aren't saying the real reason why we were brought back here!'

   The next second, Azel comes in again with our clothes. We start changing and, being frozen Stephanie and I see that Aiden hasn't got the same tattoo as the doctors. I pull up his arm providing to analyse it more carefully, but all I am able to see it's just a ball used for playing football.

Aiden 'What's wrong with you?' He is surprised by my reaction and drags out his arm from my hands.

   I can't believe we didn't pay attention to something so important. If Aiden isn't the person who betrays us, it means it is... Eva.