Lost at Sea ✔

Chapter 8

Lost at Sea

Chapter 8

Broken

    Alene reluctantly opened her eyes. She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain exploded within her head. She groaned as she held her head in her hands.

    She heard a voice call her name from somewhere nearby. When her vision cleared she was able to see that she was inside of a tent, resting on a cot.

    "W-wanda?" Her voice cracked as she spoke. She sounded like a toad. Suddenly, she broke out into a coughing fit.

    Wanda was at Alene's side in an instant. She picked up a bottle of water and put the lid to her chapped lips. "Drink," she insisted. She greedily slurped it down. "Woah, slow down," Wanda chastised, but her lips wore a small smirk. Once she was done drinking, she placed the now empty bottle aside. "How are you feeling?"

    Alene cleared her throat, testing her voice before speaking, "What happened?"

    "You tell me," Wanda responded, "What is the last thing you remember?"

    She thought for a few moments before it suddenly hit her. Her emerald eyes widened as they met Wanda's. "The vision," She whispered.

    Wanda held Alene's hands in a tight grasp. "Alene, tell me, please. What did you see? What happened?"

    Alene shook her head in denial. "I'm not entirely sure. It was all in quick flashes. There was shattered glass everywhere." She said. Her eyes were distant as she thought of what she had seen. "The lights were flicking off and on like they do in the middle of a gigantic storm. People were screaming and there were gunshots and explosions around every corner. Then," Her voice cut out, turning into whimpers. She started to shake.

    Wanda pulled Alene into a bear hug. "Hey, it's okay. You're okay, Alene. You're safe." She reassured her. She made a soft clicking sound in her throat that always helped calm her down.

    "Oh, Wanda!" She exclaimed. She burst into uncontrollable tears and hid her face in Wanda's armpit. She held the sobbing girl tighter, but not so hard that she'll break. Alene was fragile like she would shatter and break whenever she was touched. "It was terrible. He- he...Ultron was there."

    "What? Where was he?" She brushed the hair away from Alene's face.

    She whimpered into her jacket. "With my family." Wanda's eyes widened. Her family?  She thought. This revelation was so sudden that she felt like she was hit by a train.

    "Hey, Wanda," Pietro's shout pulled Wanda from her thoughts. He raced into the tent. He was a little out of breath, but he didn't seem to notice or care. "You need to hear this." She noticed then he was carrying a portable radio in his left hand. He set it down on the cot and turned the volume up so they all could hear.

    The signal was a little cracky, but the three could still make out what the person was saying, "Last night, the Avengers were attacked inside of their headquarters, Avengers Tower, by an unknown individual. Reports are varied, but an insider tells me they have uncovered a CCTV video from inside the tower showing what appears to be the aftermath of a fight. Now, the video is blurry, but the viewer can make out a busted up object. 'There...are...no...strings...on...me,'" A raspy, robotic voice said. Pietro and Alene stared at each other in shock before looking at Alene, who was now fast asleep. Just a couple of hours ago she was saying the exact same words heard in the CCTV video. The twins shot each other questionable looks.

    "What are we going to do?" Pietro asked in a low whisper. "Her visions are becoming much worse and more common than normal. I hate to admit this, but we cannot care for her right now with the current state she is in."

    Wanda gaped at him in shock. "Then what do you suggest we do, Pietro?" She snapped in a quiet voice, not wanting to wake the sleeping girl. "Are you suggesting we take her back to the base?"

    "That might be the best option for her, Wans." He tried to reassure her but she was having none of it.

    "And give up this entire thing." She said, "We cannot go back. If we do, we'll be severely pushed. We abandoned them. We cannot go back. Besides, the whole reason we left in the first place is to get to the Avengers so we can warn them about Ultron."

    Pietro shook his head in disagreement. "No, that would be stupid. They would arrest us on sight."

    "But it's worth a shot," Wanda took a deep breath. She chose her next words carefully. "We should return her to her family."

    He almost laughed at the suggestion. "Her family," he repeated. "Are you being serious right now?" She nodded her head. "How in the world are we going to find her family? We have no idea who or where they are. Alene doesn't have any memory of her life before she came to the base. We are all she has ever known." He sat down on a stool. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Wanda, but what you are suggesting is impossible."

    "But the Avengers can help us find them."

    Pietro laughed again. "They would arrest us before we can get any words out, remember?" Wanda thought for a few moments. Suddenly, her face lit up when she came up with an idea. She quietly walked over to the still sleeping Alene. Her brother gave her a confused look. He asked her, "What are you doing?"

    "Isn't it obvious?" She asked with a small smirk. She knelt down next to her, being extremely careful not to make a sound and risk waking her. She pushed a lock of brown hair behind her ear. She carefully traced her fingers over the girl's head. "I'm searching for her family within her own mind." 

Word count: 983