Barely Human

Chapter 14

hey guys! sorry its taken so long for me to update... again. but hey, what can i say. school is absolutely crazy right now and i'm sure most of you understand my struggle. also thanks to anyone who has stuck with me so far through this it means a lot that so many people like my story.

Happy Reading!

Chapter 14

"Well this definitely puts a kink in my plan," I stated quite calmly while the rest of the lab seemed to be in complete chaos outside of the locked door keeping Emma and I trapped.

"You think!?" Emma yelled incredulously. "We are being attacked for crying out loud!"

"Well yeah, but this could work to our advantage," I say calmly while Emma starts to freak out. I walk over to the only possible exit to this room, the door through which we both came, and proceed to kick the handle hoping that it will break.

In a stroke of good fortune, the handle breaks off quite easily and I am able to push the door open allowing for a quick escape.

"Come on," I call to Emma. "Door's open. Now is our chance."

This snaps her out of her panic induced trance and she looks at the open door behind me. "Well what are you waiting for?" She asks as she jogs toward me. "Let's go."

We exit our temporary prison and set out cautiously throughout the halls. Everything is white; the floor, the walls, the ceiling, even the lights are a blindingly white color. It’s kind of creepy how clean everything is. Like before, I lose track of how many turns we take but I just keep going up, thinking that if we could just get to the top of the building then it should be easy to fly down.

"Hey wait up," Emma calls from behind. "You're walking too fast. I- I can't keep up.

I slow down my pace until I am moving at a leisurely walk. It is not the safest speed to be moving at but I won't leave Emma behind; not now that I've finally got her back.

"So what have you been doing these past years?" She suddenly asks.

"Same as ever. School, school, and even more school. Almost got to finish my freshman year at Pine View before everything fell apart," I reply quietly still keeping an ear out for approaching boots.

"Then why did momma say you were dead?"

I shook my head just as puzzled as she was. "I don't know. I've been with her all along up until about five months ago."

"Well then why'd you leave? If you were happy at home why'd you suddenly run off?"

"I didn't run off," I said. "I was sort of kidnapped by a guy who I thought was a regular person. Turns out he's a freak like me and was living with a bunch of others just like us."

"Wow," Emma said. "Impressive. So you stayed with the guy who kidnapped you?"

"Yeah. But I never really saw it like that. I mean, the only life at home that I had was going to school every day to sit in a desk learning a bunch of pointless stuff that has no relevance to life. And now I actually have a purpose."

Emma laughed at that and the grin stayed on her face for the next several minutes. "So what? Y'all are all cozy now? You and your kidnapper?  Is he at least cute?"

"Very."

She laughed again and this time I couldn't help the smile that inches itself across my face. It had been forever since I had been able to talk to someone like this- so carefree and light with not a worry in the world. It almost made me forget that I was currently running for my life from a group of deranged scientists who wanted to kill me.

Almost.

I turned one final corner and suddenly staring me in the face was the door to freedom. I picked up my pace, grabbing Emma’s hand and sprinted toward that door. When we reached it, I lashed out with all my strength and kicked the door. To my utter surprise, it sprung open and I dashed through.

Once we were out in the open air, I grabbed Emma under the arms and took off from the ground. It took a little longer than usual to reach a good soaring distance what with carrying another person and all, but before long we were miles away.

“That was,” I hear Emma say below me, “absolutely fantastic!”

I scrunch up my face in disgust and, although I know she can’t see me, shake my head. “Try living in my shoes for about a week and you won’t be saying that anymore, I promise.”

I feel, rather than hear, her laugh. “I don’t see how you’re complaining. I mean, sure our dad is some kind of evil mastermind who used his own kid for experiments. But you have wings for crying out loud! Who doesn’t’ want that?”

Again, I just shake my head and keep flying south, the marvelous scenery passing by beneath me.

***

Eventually, when I become too tired to continue on and Emma has fallen asleep in my arms, I bring us down to land in the middle of a densely packed forest. I set Emma down against the trunk or a particularly thick tree while I scout around for a relatively safe place to spend the night.

Even in the relative darkness, I can see almost perfectly. I don’t know why but I have always been able to and now, in the dark, alone, at night, I am thankful for that talent.

I wander the dark forest, weaving my way between the trees. It seems to be endless, stretching forever in all directions, though I know it cannot because I just crossed over the top a short while ago. The bushes and grasses grow untamed at my feet, ensnaring them multiple times on my hike through the dark. Although you would think that there would be at least some semblance of a place to rest on the ground, I still find nothing. I search for what feels like at least an hour before giving up and deciding to just sleep in a tree.

I wander back to where I left Emma, only to find that she is not there.

“Emma?” I shout into the darkness. “Emma, where did you go?”

I look around for her but still do not see any sign of where she may have gone. There is no way I am losing her again, I think to myself. I just got her back.

I start sprinting around the dark woods looking in every nook and crevice where she may have gone or gotten stuck.

“Emma,” I call out again.

“Casey?” I hear a voice respond. “Is that you?” It is not Emma.

The mystery voice is male and, though it sounds strangely familiar, I cannot place it and do not want to take the risk of it being some former friend turned evil. I turn around and start walking the other way to hopefully shake whoever it is off of my trail.

I can’t believe my luck. I mean, less than six months ago I was just a normal high school freshman. I got picked on by my classmates, the upperclassmen, just about everyone in that school except the principal. Okay so maybe it wasn’t such a normal life. But at least I knew what each day had in store for me! Because, come on, who wakes up in the morning and thinks ‘hey, I think I’m going to be abducted by a fellow mutant kid from my class and thrown in to a life of running like a convict?’

Suddenly I stop. I hear the crunch of leaves and twigs coming from behind me. footsteps. I was being followed.