The Beginning Of The End

Chapter 11

I open my eyes to see Robin sitting on a chair next to me. A sharp pain shoots through my stomach when I try to sit up.

"Don't strain your stitches."

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

I shake my head.

"Well. I don't think I am the right person to tell you but Megan's dead, you got stabbed and you broke your arm. The doctors said it was by physical contact with metal. It was, wasn't it?"

"It was when I was fighting the Syphons. I think it was a gun or his fist. It must have been metal but it is still a little fuzzy. I can't remember"

Robin just stares at me. How long has he been here? Wait no, better question, how long have I been here?

"How long have I been here?"

"Five and a half weeks. You were in a coma, then the doctors made it longer so your body had more time to heal itself. We were all worried sick. We thought we were going to lose another family member because the doctors said you were going to die."

"I didn't."

"I know." The look on Robin's face tells me he hasn't got much sleep. How much sleep has the others got. Why did the Syphons attack my town? My eyes start to droop.

"Artemis, you need to get some rest. Bye."

"No really, I'm not tired," I insist. I have got enough sleep. Robin is already at the door. He stops and turns around.

"By the way, there is a computer on your left of you get bored."

"Thanks." Now I know what is up with Robin. He's changed, like his whole demeanour has changed. He acts like there is no fun in his life anymore. I can relate. I reach across my body to get the laptop but stop short. My arm is in a strange stretchy cast. I like this cast way more than the human casts. Horrible, fat things. Ouch. The laptop clatters back down on the table next to my bed. Okay. I still can't pick up heavy objects. I try again but with my left arm. Achievement! I start up the laptop.

"Try to break into a NASA satillite, you will find it easier to hack than the Syphon's mothership. "

I jump out of my skin.

"ROBIN! Don't creep up on me like that!" I say, shutting the lid of the laptop with a bang. I hope this doesn't reset the 5 hours of hacking I have done. I open the laptop and get back to work. Now that I think of it, hacking the NASA satellite might actually work. I set about hacking as I say to Robin.

"How long were you there for?"

"Long enough to see what you were doing." He says while walking over to me.

"Got it." I open the satellite feed for my town. And watch the day the attack took place.

The Syphons marched into town from their drop-off point. They gathered at the town's centre to meet with the rest of the patrols. The tallest Syphon speaks up.

"It is time to push the little Tografess out of hiding. Does anybody have any information about them that we should know?"

A smaller Syphon with scaly skin pushes forward with a hologram.

"This is the daughter of Max Smith,( A picture of me projects into the air.) and this is her best friend, ( a picture of Megan floats in the air) and they have been best friends since they were born.

"What about the rest?"

"No information. Their existence was wiped but we know of the eldest from her visits to her friend after the wipe occured."

The leader stands up to addresses the assembly.

"It is time..............to play the bait."

The picture goes dark. I stare at the screen. It was all my fault. I got Megan killed. The warmth rushes out of my body.