For the second time in thirty years, the entire world has fallen asleep...
Thirty years after the Greymen caused the decimation of her people, high school drop out Rain Collins spends her days learning to pickpocket and hold her booze. Yet she long...
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The halls of the hospital led us from Dr. Farrah's room to the lobby much quicker and much more safely than the air ducts had, but they were not safe from Billy's dedicated gaze. Apparently prowling the halls since our disappearance, he discovered me as we left the building.
"What's going on?" he asked, eyeing me, then his mother.
I pointedly ignored his question. While I couldn't stop him from following me or reporting to my father, I could frustrate him. He would not know why I was with his mother, where we were going, what was going on—not until I decided he should know. That was my power and I wasn't letting go—
"The Speaker's," Dr. Farrah said, shattering my thoughts.
"Kayle thought your mother might have some information that would help end all of this," Beth said. "She was right. Now we're going to tell him. Hopefully he can help."
I huffed, hoping it was quiet enough that no one would actually ask what was wrong, but loud enough that they would know it was something.
"What's wrong?" Billy asked.
I licked my lips and glared at him, saying nothing.
"I think you should wait in the stadium," Dr. Farrah said as we approached the Speaker's door. "It will be better if I talk to him alone."
"We can help," I said, stepping forward.
She held up a hand, blocking my path. "It's fine," she said. "The Speaker is a good man, but I am going to have trouble getting anyone on my side if they learn that I divulged this information to a group of children before men of authority." She frowned at my expression. "I am sorry, but you are children and he is a Dreamcaller. You must understand. Trust me."
Kayle put a hand on my shoulder. "Of course," she said, pulling me away from the door. "We'll be in the stadium."
Dr. Farrah nodded, then disappeared behind the Speaker's door, into the small, smoky room.
As a group, we trudged our way over to the stadium. Despite the immense power coursing through me and the opportunity to use it, I felt useless. It wasn't fair. Why should the doctor and the Speaker talk alone? So what if they were Dreamcallers? Hell, we were Dreamcallers now, too! But even when it seemed like I was gaining some trust, some respect, it disappeared just as quickly as it had coalesced.
"Why do you trust my father more than me?" I asked Billy, who walked a few paces behind me.
"Who says I do?" he said, moving to stand beside me.
"You seem to."
He shook his head. "I just want you to be safe."
I turned and he stepped back. "Safe?" I laughed. "Everyone is so worried about keeping me safe. Why? Why are you worried about me? Am I special? Am I important? No. I'm just another person and people are dying all the time! Stop worrying so much about me. Worry about yourself. Worry about someone else. Just stop worrying about me."
