Misfits

Chapter 4

            The house was quite different from what was expected from the outside. A table sat in the center of the room, several people around it eating. A poker table sat in one corner, complete with chips and a dealer seat, and a counter with a soda fountain and normal tap ran along the front wall. A few people looked round as they entered, then waved.

            “All go well?” asked one person from the table. Dusk jumped as she saw that his eyes were pitch black with no visible iris or pupil. The others at the table looked around as Monica answered.

            “Off without a hitch,” she said. “Where’s Daniel?”

            “He’s upstairs,” said one bald man coming around the corner. “He was getting worried that you guys had gotten lost,” Monica laughed quietly and turned to go around the corner the man had come from. Josh and the other stayed behind. Monica led her around the corner and up a spiral staircase. Dusk was nearly dizzy by the time they reached the top.

            Upstairs was just as odd as the downstairs. A large bar stood in the center of the room, and a TV sat overlooking a living room in the corner. A pool table sat nearby the stairs, and a hall led off into some other rooms. Monica led Dusk down the hall and into a small study.

            Behind the desk sat a man with long brown hair and glasses. He was reading a book entitled The Art of War. Dusk remembered hearing about the book, but had never bothered to open it. Seeing Monica and Dusk enter, the man stood up to greet them.

            “Hello,” he said, extending his hand to Dusk. “I’m Daniel. Sorry about how I acted over the phone.” Dusk accepted the handshake, but let go quickly. “Did everything go well?” Daniel added to Monica. Monica nodded. “Good, thank you,” Monica nodded again, then left the room. “Take a seat,” Daniel said, indicating a cushioned chair. Dusk sat, and Daniel went to the other side of the desk.

            “How did you get my number?” Dusk asked, holding up the phone her father had given her. Daniel leaned back in his chair.

            “Monica tapped it,” he said. “She did explain what she was, right?” Dusk nodded. “She was able to duplicate your phone onto a second one, then get the number from there. The other party that wished to get their hands on you tapped you’re dad’s phone and listened in on the conversation you guys had while on the train.” Dusk felt her tail swish around her feet; it always did that when she was nervous.

            “What do you guys want?” she asked, still feeling like they only wanted her as a means to an end. Daniel looked at her for a moment, then sighed and leaned forward onto the desk.

            “Dusk, you are part of an ever growing race. We aren’t human, but we are still people, but a lot of people don’t see it that way.”

            “Okay, you better start explaining what the hell’s going,” Dusk was losing patients. She was out in the dead of night with complete strangers; she wanted answers.

            “I understand,” said Daniel. “Dusk, you probably won’t believe this, but we have absolutely no idea what we are. Some think we’re the next step in evolution, other’s think we’re gods. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that I know what we are, but I know we’re special.” Dusk sighed.

            “Why are the government and other people after us?” Dusk demanded. “Give me reason for that.”

            “They’re scared of us,” Daniel explained. “To them, we are a threat, and they don’t like threats. They see us as a major possibility for warfare, and if they can duplicate some of our abilities, it would make great for technology advancement. Others want to find a way to duplicate us and sell the information they have to other countries.”