When Stars Align

Chapter 8

I sit in the dim lighting of the cell and think over my life. I though that your life was replayed when you were actually dying, but I guess this was one of the perks of knowing you're about to die. I think of my childhood, of my family, my friends, but mostly I think of Max. Sitting on the bench with him, our first and only date, our time spent together in the compound, finding out he was dead. I had strong feeling towards him. I might've even loved him, but now I'll never know. He's gone. And pretty soon I'll be gone. We'll be wherever it is that people end up when they die. Maybe we'll meet again, maybe not. Our families will never know what actually happened to us. Max's little sister, Krissie, will grow up without an older brother to protect and defend her.

I hear footsteps and the creak of the door as it is slowly opened.

"Celia, hurry! We have to go!" Nate whisper-shouts.

I didn't realize they were in a hurry to kill me, I think to myself but don't move.

"I'm getting you out of here!" He exclaims.

My eyes snap up to meet his, looking for a sign of him lying, but all I see is worry and nervousness. I stand up and follow him out of the cell, flattening ourselves against the wall when we come to a corner. We hear footsteps and duck into the nearest doorway until they pass. We make our way through the compound slowly and silently, creeping around corners and avoiding guards, but eventually we come to a staircase and start to ascend, pausing on every landing to listen for footsteps. Eventually we make it to the top and Nate opens the heavy metal door and we emerge into what looks like a hospital hallway. People in lab costs start to notice us and shout orders to each other.

"Run!" Nate yells.

I follow him through hallways and rooms and doors, pushing past people, until we come to doors that lead to a busy street. I follow him out and we keep running for a few blocks until we lose them.

"Drink this," Nate commands as he hands me a vial.

I give him a questioning look.

"It will give you your voice back."

I don't hesitate to gulp down the clear liquid, and it feels like I could scream for hours and never get hoarse.

"Thank you," I say, "Where are we?"

"You see that building?" he points to a building marked with, "Pediatric Hospital."

"That's a safe house. The people in there know you're coming. They will give you a place to stay, and they'll show you to a safe place after you get back on your feet."

"What about you?" I whisper.

"I stole enough of the compound's memory-altering serum to give to them. They'll think I tried to stop you."

"Thank you," I look up into his eyes.

"One more time? For old times sake?" He questions. I stare at him, confused, and he leans down and plants a short but firm kiss on my lips, then wraps his arms around me.

"Be careful who you trust. Stay safe," he pleads with his lips right next to my left ear.

"Goodbye, Nate. I won't forget you."

"Celia, this isn't the last time we'll see each other, but next time I can't guarantee whose side I'll be on," and with that he turns back around the way he came from.

I take a deep breath and walk the final steps to the hospital's door, pressing the buzzer. A few seconds later a petite woman probably in her late twenties opens the door.

"Come in, hurry!" She whispers anxiously as she tucks her mousy brown hair behind her ears. I follow her down the hall and into a sitting room.

"You are Celia?" she questions. I nod.

"My name is Emily. I'm going to go get Nicholas, he runs this safe house. Don't worry, you're alive. You're going to be fine."

Soon a man, presumably Nicholas, walks into the room.

"Have a seat," he gestures to the recliner and sits down in the sofa across from it.

"Do you know how long I've been running this place?" He questions. I shake my head.

"Thirty years. Not a single one of the temporary residents has ever been discovered while under my care. If you are to stay here, you must understand a few simple rules. Number one, no contact with anyone outside the house. Two, no electronic devices that can be tracked, which is all of them. Three, you are not permitted to leave this safe house and come back. If you leave, you leave for good. If you tried to come back, you might be followed by agents of the Bureau. So if you don't agree to any of these rules, walk out the door now. Do you agree?"

"Yes, sir. I agree."

"Good. Now, let's do something about your appearance."

"What do you mean?"

"You're a wanted criminal, you have to change how you look."

I nod.

"Follow me."

I follow him up the stairs, past open and closed doors. In the rooms with open doors I see several beds, and several people. We stop in front of a closed door and Nicholas knocks. A young lady opens the door.

"Lauren, please change her hair, then escort her to the dining room for dinner." Lauren nods.

I follow her into the room and sit in the salon-like chair as she starts on my hair. I tell her my story, leaving out the part about Max. It's too painful to talk about.

"How many people stay here?" I question.

"It varies. Right now, twenty one including you, but we've had as many as thirty five at one time. Okay, your hair's all done. Let's get you some food."

I admire my brown-turned-blonde-hair in the mirror and follow her back down the hallway, down the stairs, and to what I assume is the dining hall. She prepares us both a plate of mac and cheese, a roll, and a bottle of water then I sit down at the table next to her. I look up from my plate to see a tall, muscular man walk in. Max had dark brown, almost black, hair, and was always smiling. This man has dirty blonde hair, and a solemn expression. It can't be him. There's no way. Max would never look at me that way. Max is dead. But the resemblance is so close, it has to be him.

"Max!" I shout. I run to him and wrap my arms around him, but he does not return the gesture. He removes himself from my embrace and looks me over with a disgusted look on his face. I didn't think my hair looked that bad.

"Please leave me alone," he says nervously. Everyone stares at me as my mouth hangs open in shock. He steps around me and sits down next to a young man.