The Haven Project

Chapter 4

        Growing closer to Sydney has helped me some, but I still dread having to face life every day.  Today is no different.  I go through my daily routine: wait for a half hour to use the bathroom (I let the younger kids go first), spend 5 minutes showering, throw on whatever close are on the top of the pile, and grab a muffin on my way out the door.

        When I arrived at the school, something seemed off.  I looked around and didn't notice any changes physically, but I could definitely feel something wrong.  I tried to push the feeling out of my head as I was being pushed off the bus by a wave of people anxious to start a new day.  I, however, was only anxious to find out what was causing my stomach to churn.

        I finally made it off the bus and started making my way towards the school.  As usual, the school bullies kindly decided to take time out of their important lives to come over and mess with me.  When they reached me, I couldn't help but smile to myself about how much they reminded me of a group of kittens chasing after me like I was a ball of yarn.  There was an uncanny resemblance between the situations.

        The next few minutes were filled with the usual name calling, shoving, kicking, and even some spitting.  When they finally left I rushed to first hour: European History.  History is my least favorite class, mostly because I doze off and have more 'visions.'  If I'm going to figure out what is making me feel like a sock in the washing machine, it will be in the next forty-five minutes.

        Mr. Henry started to drone on as soon as the tardy bell rang.  He was babbling on about some war but his monotone voice was already making me tired.  My eyelids began to feel like they were tied to rocks, and I could feel the vision coming.  They come as if they are in a slingshot.  It was being pulled back ever so slowly, my mind wearily giving in to what images it beheld.  Then suddenly, the slingshot fired, and I was drowning in blackness.

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        I opened my eyes cautiously, fearful of what I might see.  I was still sitting in my desk, surrounded by my classmates, and Mr. Henry was still talking.  Everything seemed fine at the moment, but that never lasted.  About a minute passed and I was beginning to think it was a false alarm.  Usually something happens within the first thirty seconds or so.  I was still wondering what was about to happen when there was a sudden knock at the door. Just one: clean, crisp, and to the point.  Mr. Henry walked over to answer it, and as soon as it opened, a single gunshot to the head dropped him to the floor.

        All the students around me screamed as three men in black suits entered the room, each carrying a gun.  They studied the room for a moment, almost as if they were looking for something.  They all stopped looking as their eyes fell on me.

        I didn't know what was happening as they made their way across the room, weaving in and out of frazzled students trying to run out of the room.  I was frozen to my seat in fear, unsure of what to do next.  They reached my desk and boxed me in, as if I was going to even breathe with three guns aimed at my head.  One of the men, most likely the leader, opened his mouth and began to speak.

        "Hello Bryson.  We know about you.  Everything.  We know what you eat in the mornings, what you sleep in, what you take from the fridge in the middle of the night.  We also know about your gift.  We have studied you and your powers for years without your knowing.  We know more about you than you will ever know about yourself.  We also know one more thing: you will come with us, or you will die."