Origin (Book 2)

Chapter 27

When I reached ocean water, it occurred to me that I could portal myself to the Afterlight facility.

After all the power switch-outs, I had, I often became confused about which ones remained and those that didn't. I mixed up teleportation with portal-making.

Now that I had enough gas in the tank, metaphorically, I could make a portal to the facility at any time. I would get close, but not on the inside. I needed time to make a plan.

Di-men stirred within me at the thought of unleashing it again. It was as ready as I was.

Settle down. I took immediate control over it, and it succumbed to my demand. I am never letting you out again.

It recoiled within me, but did little to protest. I held a firm grip on it, one that wouldn't let it slip.

Seeing no reason not to, I opened a portal close to the facility, then went through it.

The cold hit my skin, and I felt uncomfortable as my hands nearly went numb in the few seconds it took me to realize it was freezing. I tucked them into my pockets.

My cheeks were beginning to turn red from the cold, but I could deal with that. It was the rest of my body I was concerned with.

That's it, I thought.

I approached the facility cautiously, wondering if I should reveal myself or stay hidden. But when the door slid open by itself, I knew it was already too late to turn back.

Blink walked out of the door and grabbed me by the shoulders. "Jay!" he shouted. "Is that you?"

"It's..." My teeth chattered, my lips almost blue. "It's...me."

Blink pulled me inside. The door closed shut.

I took my hands out and rubbed them quickly. I took pleasure in the warm air inside.

After getting me through the security passage, Blink sat me down on the couch.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

My body was shaking in addition to me teeth. "I...escaped."

"You escaped from Zero?"

He was buying it. Good.

"I just...b-barely made it," I said. "I stole...some clothes...and...flew...away."

"I'll call everyone up," he said, raising his watch to his face.

"No!" I said, way too loudly. "I need...to go. I...stopped by...to say goodbye."

"What?" He seemed alarmed. "You can't leave! We need you here."

I almost smiled hearing that. "That's not true."

As I warmed up, my teeth stopped chattering. I wasn't shivering so much, either.

"It's too dangerous," I said. "They want to kill me. If I leave, you guys will be out of danger. From me as well as them."

He paused at that.

"You...you...you nearly killed us," he said quietly. "You lost control."