The Powered People

Chapter 5

 Evian woke up first, and a little bit before everyone else. For the third morning in a row, she was wide awake way too early. The room was almost completely dark, as the lantern in the middle of the ceiling was out. But Evian could still make out shapes and faces. She glanced over the edge of her bunk bed to see Nolan uncomfortably asleep on his mattress. He slept on his side, curled up in a ball. A little river of drool escaped from his mouth.

Giggling, Evian hopped right off her bunk. Luckily, she didn't hit Robbie on the bottom bunk (this time). She tip-toed out of the room, passing by Macabre in her bunk. Evian couldn't help but feel bad for the girl but was glad Macabre had made it there. I gotta feel terrible for Desmond, though, Evian thought. Kicked off his own bunk...

Getting through the downstairs unnoticed was an even more complicated task. There was a big table right in the middle, plus the beds along the walls. She'd gone through the same situation before, and it did not always go well. One primitive example had occurred years before. When Evian was just around eight, her old friend Harry was captured. It was the very first time that she'd the power of the people from that lab. Evian couldn't believe it at first. She couldn't fathom that he was gone. So, one time at midnight, she'd tried sneaking out. Sadly, her jailbreak was nipped in the bud because she forgot that midnight was the only time that Demetri was wide awake for "peace and quiet." And even sadder, Evian never saw Harry again.

But that was six years before. The experience did make her more careful. Just in a different way...

Evian tiptoed across the room, narrowly avoiding contact with anything but the air and the floor. Before she knew it, she was at the door. She twisted it open just wide enough so that she could exit. Unfortunately, an extremely thin ray of light tried to make its way inside. But Evian swiftly slipped right outside and closed the door behind her.

She didn't even have to bring her coat. Not enough light had poured through the trees, but one ray escaped and pointed right at the house. Evian leaned her back against the wall, so she could slip back in if she spotted anyone. Summer mornings seemed to be starting earlier and earlier. The sun would rise at about 5:30 in the morning. Not to mention the sun refused to leave until later in the evening.

Evian leaned her back against the wall of the house and looked up at the gaps in the sky. The air was warm, but not yet hot. Morning sunlight highlighted the greenness of the trees. The spots on the ground where sunlight peeked through looked like tiny spotlights. There wasn't a sound to be heard, other than crickets who refused to stop their songs until noon.

She couldn't wait to show Nolan this world from how she saw it. She couldn't wait to bring him to her lake and take nature walks and bond. And oddly enough, she couldn't wait for them to fight about petty stuff. And to disagree. And punch each other "playfully." He was new and not too smart, but not a lost cause.

Nolan woke up to Macabre staring down at him. It was the freakiest thing he'd ever seen. Next thing he knew that little brat Evie was pulling on his shoe, telling him, "Wake up! It's breakfast!"

He wasn't even fully awake and he was already incredibly annoyed. He sat up and looked around the room. Only half of the people there were awake. Why was he getting called out? He glanced at the top bunk and realized that Evian wasn't there. He bit his lip and tensed up his muscles.

"C'mon!" Evie groaned. He then glanced at the wall to his left and saw that Imani wasn't there either. The child continued to pull on his sleeve. "We'll eat without you!"

Nolan reluctantly followed Evie down to the first floor, Macabre still staring at him. God, she was freaky, He thought. Downstairs (or down-crappy ladder), all the kids gathered at the table. They munched on what looked like stale bread while the older people in the house slouching against the walls, tired. Imani was sitting on the floor with Taiga. Evian was against the wall near the door, her arms and feet crossed.