Re:trct

Prologue

Erin woke up in the backseat of a car, her hands cuffed behind her back, lying on her side.

"You're awake," observed the man at the driver's seat, looking at Erin through the rearview mirror. She struggled to get a good look of him since her right eye could hardly stay open while she had been blinded in her left earlier that day.

Erin had been at the park when it happened. Her and her friends had been sitting at their usual spot by the fountain when she felt it.

The hardening had began with her left hand. Her veins were swelling on the surface of her skin forming a network of hardened black marks with a reddish glow beneath the skin. She had held it in front of her in the light where she could get a better look, finding the process mesmerizing, which also meant her friends had a clear view of it.

They all watched in silence as the fingers on her left hand turned a light grey. They all knew what it meant. They would never see each other again.

The greying stopped at her wrist.

The strange feeling returned again but this time it was on Erin face. Hardening never happened on one's face.

Erin's friends ran as fast as they could from her. The children that had been playing in the park were now crying and pointing at her. They had been taught about the Deformed and the threat they were to Society. She would do the same thing if the tables were turned.

Her head was throbbing and blood had begun to cloud her vision.

All she heard was noise which greatly bothered her.

'Silence them' was the thought that ran dominant in Erin's head. Was this the single-minded line of thought that possessed the Deformed to carry out their heinous crimes?

Erin would never have thought this could happen to her. There was a one in ten million chance she would experience Modifications that led to her being a Deformed.

The driver's phone rung.

"Hello...yes,yes...it's true...okay, I won't...in a few minutes...fine," He hung up tossing his phone to the co-driver's seat.

"You can stop your wailing now, you're not getting killed. Not yet, at least. Then again what you'll be going through Is worse than death," said the man with an upsetting smile. Erin had not even noticed she had been crying.

Erin tugged at the cuffs as she sat up. Her head pounded, disagreeing with all her movements. As she tugged she realised her fingers were back to normal. She turned back to the rearview mirror to see the last bit of grey disappear from her left cheek. She was back to normal. She could go back to her friends. Her family. It was all a misunderstanding. But she still could not see in her left eye which was now white. Maybe she was dreaming. She gasped turning the man's attention back to her, who stared at her with eyebrows knotted in confusion.

Finally turning back to the road he said," Well this makes things even more interesting. Congratulations Erin, you might just be the breakthrough we're looking for."

Erin had hoped the change back meant she would be set free but apparently no such thing. She sat back, no more tears coming from her eyes. Until her eyelids were to heavy to hold up.