The Haven Project

Chapter 14

"Bryson! Help me! Please!"

I could hear Sydney's cries.  I knew I had to find a way to get to her, but the darkness surrounding me pulled me down.  I was drowning in the nothingness.

"Please, help me!"

I could hear her sobs, but there was nothing I could do.  I tried to run towards her voice, but I was suspended in place, hovering about absolute nothingness.  Ahead, I could see a light.  It looked to be some sort of exit.  I tried my best to move towards it, but I only succeeded in flipping over onto my back.  I began to concentrate, willing myself to go closer to the light.  Except, that wasn't right.  I was willing the light to come closer to me.  I felt pressure on my stomach as I pushed, and the light began to grow, getting bigger and more luminous.  It was racing towards me as lightning speed when suddenly, I emerged from the darkness.

************

Alone.

The word echoed through my mind as I sat in the quiet cell with nothing but my thoughts.  While I was out, they had taken Sydney to who knows where and taken the cot out of the cell.  Now I was the only thing occupying the empty space.  I lost track of how long I had been here; all the days blurred together, and there were no windows to let me watch the moon or sun.  There were less people in the cells now.  What once had been hundreds of scared faces crowding the cells was now just one cell, filled with probably thirty or so people.  Whatever they were doing, they were making quick progress.  It was only a matter of time before it would be my turn to get hooked up to whatever machine that girl was connected to.  I still couldn't piece together what exactly had happened.  I guess her mind had not been strong enough to go though whatever test they were doing.

Her eyes still haunted my soul.  She knew I was watching, and in some way I felt that I should've done something.  I could've broken the window and saved her, but I just sat there.  The agony of thinking that it was somehow my fault plagued my mind with dreadful thoughts of self loathing.

Coward.

Sitting there, pondering all the dreadful events of the past few days, it finally dawned on me that this had to stop, and I had to be the one to stop it.  I also knew that, in order to lead a revolution against this "Haven Project," I need to unlock the full potential of my powers.  I thought back to when I lifted off the floor, to the feeling of power that surged throughout my body, and focused on that.  I felt a warmth welling up inside me, spreading though my entire body.  The sensation overwhelmed me, pushing everything else out.  I felt my body begin to rise as I grew warmer.  A fire was sparked in my soul, and it only grew as it took over.  My feet lifted off the ground and I could feel my eyes burning with the power that was surging inside me.  It was a fire of destruction, but of control; it was a fire of passion and revenge that consumed anything and everything in its path.  My fingertips radiated an orange glow, and I turned towards the door.  I pointed my hand towards it and shot out a burst of sizzling hot energy in its purest form.  The door exploded in a cloud of ash and embers.

I floated into the hallway, my feet a foot above the ground.  I made my way towards the only occupied cell.  Everyone in it had their eyes wide with fear and bewilderment.

"Stand back."  My own voice shocked me with the power and authority it commanded.  I pointed my finger at the door and focused.  This time a more controlled burst vaporized the lock on the door, and it swung open lazily.  No one moved; they were all frozen in shock.  A little girl was standing right at the edge, holding a teddy bear that had seen better days.

"It's ok," I said, my voice soft.  "I'm gonna get you out of here."

She reached out with her free hand, and I took it in mine.  It was soft and warm, the most comforting thing in the world at that moment.  I lifted her onto my back, and she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Hold on tight," I told her, not wanting her to fall off or be left behind.  I turned back to the cell and spoke three words that I could never go back on. 

"We're leaving.  Now."

************

When you're leading a group of thirty prisoners out of a huge compound and you have no idea where you're going, you are most likely going to be noticed.  It took about ten seconds before alarms were blaring and a plethora of guards were making there way to us.  I led the group down two halls, each looking exactly the same.  I still had to find Sydney before I could get everyone out.  We rounded a corner and a wall of guards with big guns blocked our way.  I was about to fill them with ten thousand volts of Bryson-level rage when the girl on my back hopped down to the floor.  She walked up to the guards, still holding her teddy bear, and simply yawned.  Almost instantly, every single guard slumped to the floor.  The little girl turned around and smiled, showing her missing front tooth with the permanent one just coming through.  I liked this girl more and more.

I scooped her back up and we kept making our way through the maze from hell.  Each turn placed us deeper into the compound with no sign of an exit.  We finally came around a bend with a staircase leading to a door.  I shot the door open and sunlight poured in.  We made it!  Everyone began to pile up the staircase, but I couldn't leave.  Not without Sydney.  I put the girl on the ground and looked her right in the eye.

"Go with these people.  I'll be right back."

"No."  Her tone of voice surprised me; it was full of sass and confidence.

"I'll only be a minute.  Just go outside and follow them."  She was not making this easy.

"No."  She glared at me and I knew I would never win this fight.  I put her back onto my back and turned back towards the way we had come.  I closed my eyes and tried to find Sydney in my mind.  I was drawn to a door that was only a few yards away.  I cautiously moved towards it and opened it slowly.  It was dark within the room, so naturally I turned on the lights with my mind.  What I saw made my heart sink.  Sydney was strapped to a chair with tape over her mouth.  Behind her, Dr. Spencer held a remote of some sort.  The worst part, however, was that standing right to the left of Sydney was Samuel, or what was left of him.  It was exactly as I had seen in the nightmare.  His blank eyes penetrating to my core.

"Hello Bryson," Dr. Spencer spoke with a calm, even voice.  "Shall we chat?"