Interlocked

PART 1: DISCOVERY

Chapter 1-

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

Ugh. Stupid alarm. I despise the sound of it. To me, my alarm is like nails scratching on a chalk board: irritating, annoying and stupid.

I turn around to see the numbers 6:00 blinking at me, as if mocking my tiredness. I slam my hand on the off button and unwillingly pull myself out of the warmth of my bed, and into the bitter coldness of the winter morning.

I had another nightmare last night, about my mom. My mom disappeared about a year ago. I don't know where she went, but I'm sure it wasn't at all her choice. My dad tells me he don't know where she went, or who took her, but I swear he does. My dad spends all day at work and then hours in his study room which he refuses to let me into, even when he is in there, it is out of bounds to me and my siblings: Chris my brother, and Ethan my younger brother. Sometimes, he goes in there very early in the morning, that's if he slept at all.

I believe my mom is dead, but my dad refuses to think that way. He knows where she is, even if he denies it. So I agree with him, but I still have my doubts.

I stumble out of my bedroom and into the hall. I peep into my dad's room to find he isn't there; that means one place he could be: Study Room. I sign. I turn around and go to the bathroom. I lock the door behind me and turn the shower on. I undress myself then get into the shower, letting the warm water comfort me as I wash myself.

After about 20 minutes I turn the shower off and wrap my towel around myself. I looked at myself closely in the mirror. Will my fate be the same as my mom's? Will I disappear too? Where did she go? Why is it so private?

"Jasmine, are you ok?" Chris asks. 

"Yeah, I'm getting out now!" I call back. I quickly grab another towel for my hair and wrap it around my head concealing it from the air. I quickly walk to the bathroom door and unlock it. I open the door revealing a very sleepy looking Chris. Chris, well he is always cheerful. I have my thoughts that he knows where our mom is, but I never ask because whenever someone talks to him about mom, he breaks down. Sometimes I think she was taken by someone by the way he reacts. Was he there to witness our mom being taken? Me and Chris don't really have any secrets, we tell each other everything, and I mean everything. Secret relationships, crushes, detentions. There are loads of things we tell each other but keep from our dad. Ever since our mom went missing, our dad has been very protective over us all, especially me. I admit, sometimes it pisses me off, but I do know it is for my own safety and good will, but still. Why be so protective? Something obviously isn't right about the situation with my mom, and I don't understand why I am not allowed to know the deep secrets behind it. 

"Good morning, beautiful" Chris says smiling at me. 

"Morning, handsome" I laugh back. We always say this to each other first thing in the morning, as if mocking the way we look when we awake from our night's sleep. 

"Did you have another nightmare last night?" He asks curious. He knows I have nightmares about our mom, he comforts me some nights if he hears me screaming from my room, sometimes I get into his bed with him. He always lets me do this, he is a really good brother to me. Particularly after the day our mom disappeared.

"Yeah" I admit. 

"Really? I never heard you screaming or anything, and you surely didn't come into my bed" He states. 

"Oh..well I had one either way" I tell him. 

"I believe you. Anyways Jas, we need to get ready for school" He urges me. I nod and let him into the bathroom by making my way down to my bedroom. I switch on my light and open my wardrobe to get my uniform. I grab my uniform and lay it on my bed ready for me to get dressed. I begin to dry myself down head to toe, when something interesting happens. I sudden light that burns my right arm. I lift my arm up to look. A strange mark engraved onto my arm. It looks like a circle. Just a plain circle. That is definitely not normal! I quickly finish drying myself off and get my uniform on. I hear Ben getting out the bathroom.

"CHRIS!" I call.

"Yes?" he answers.

"I need you to come here" I tell him.

"I need to finish getting ready!" he reminds me.

"It's important!" I tell him. I hear him sign, but I know he is coming. He opens my door and looks at me,

"yes?" he asks.

"I need to show you something" I tell him. I slide my school jumper up revealing the engraved mark. He gasps, obviously recognising the mark, But from where?

"What is it, Chris? You recognize it don't you?" I ask him. I begin to tense up because from his reaction, it obviously isn't a good thing. What the hell is this mark?!

"I...I...I need to tell dad...come with me!" He grabs my arm and starts dragging me down the stairs. We weave through the house until we reach our dad's study room. Chris knocks and barges in. 

"What have I told you two about not coming in here?!" My dad screams obviously annoyed at seeing us. 

"No. Dad. This is very important!" Chris tells him. He shows my dad the symbol on my arm, which is now half blue and half orange. My dad's reaction is the same as Chris's.

"Is someone going to tell me what the hell this mark is?!" I ask them, almost yelling. I am confused, I have no idea what is going on and all these are doing it acting surprised at something like it is my death sentence. 

"Jasmine... Yo...You're....You're one of them..." My dad gets out. One of who? 

"One of who?!" I ask panicked. 

"Dad, what are we going to do?!" Chris asks my dad, scared. 

"She needs to go into protection until it's time!" My dad answers standing up. He grabs his phone and starts to dial a number. 

"Can someone please tell me what is going on?!" I beg. 

"Jasmine, you are...a chosen one" Chris tells me.