G.U.A.R.D. Book #2: Aberrations

-14-

    I couldn't sleep. My heart beat quickly. My palms were sweaty. And I felt like I couldn't move. I was just too nervous.

I flipped on my back and stared up at the ceiling. After Lady Scarlet left, I had opened the door to see Anthony looking at me with a surprised expression. He was just about to come in. It was like she disappeared into thin air. I considered telling Anthony what happened then and there, but Lady Scarlet made it perfectly clear that she only wanted me, and to come alone. So no one else could know. Not even Slade.

Turning on my other side with an annoyed sigh, I let my mind wander to the "what ifs." What if this didn't work? If the League actually kept Conner with them when I went to hand myself over? Or what if they just killed him on the spot and then took me?

My stomach felt sick as I curled up on the floor. Even though my injuries were worse, I had convinced Anthony that I wanted to sleep on the floor. That way, I could sneak out the room without any springs creaking as I got off a bed. Besides... I was afraid that if I had a bed, I would sleep through waking up at five. Definitely not what I wanted to do.

Eventually, I got up and hoped that a breath of fresh, cold air would clear my thoughts. Picking up one of the keys, I pushed it into the pocket of my basketball shorts and stepped outside. A cool breeze rushed into my clean hair—I had taken a shower before going to bed.

Closing the door softly, I limped to the edge of the metal pathway. My hands grasped the railing, and my shoulder blades bunched in stress. Forcing them to relax, I thought about what was really bothering me: why didn't Lady Scarlet just take me? Everyone else was in the other room. She was already in mine, possibly with some more League backup. So why make the deal? It was just a waste of time.

"Dustin?" a voice whispered.

I gasped, quickly whipping around. Cindy sat on the floor, leaning against the wall.

"What are you doing up?" I asked, wondering how long she had been there. Her feet were bare, and her hair was down in a messy mane, but she still looked incredible to me.

The girl crossed her arms, looking away, and told me, "I could ask you the same thing." Then she sighed. "I couldn't sleep."

I played a little with the chipping paint on the railing. "Me neither."

We were quiet for a bit. Then she said, "Dustin, I'm so terrified." It was in one quick breath, as if she was afraid she wouldn't be able to get it out. But after that, she seemed to be able to talk freely. "Winnie and I were talking about things before she went to sleep... I-I just can't... I don't..." She sniffed, struggling to get the words out. I felt my chest hurt a little. "How do I know I'll wake up again tomorrow? How do I know the others will wake up tomorrow? All my life, I've been afraid of persecution of my powers. Or Mom and Dad learning about my powers and just kicking me out of the house, either to fend for myself on the streets or worse: putting me in a boarding school." She huffed, and I got the feeling she was trying to make a joke. But her voice turned bitter afterwards, saying, "They hate metahumans. And it's not like they spend any time with me, anyway. So why keep the freakish daughter they don't even like with the weird powers? But... but now, my only worry is that I'll never come back home. Never go to another ball, never taste fancy food I completely despise, never wear clothes that were designed for a French model. And what about Jerry? Uh, he's our butler. He must be going crazy over my disappearance. He probably has the police searching the whole state—and I'm in a different country!"

There was a small pause, and I was once again painfully reminded Cindy wasn't a Christian. She was the most scared of us all. She was scared of death. She had no idea what would happen after she passed through that dimension.