Don't give up on me ✓

[14] They're Nuts

One person's craziness is another person's reality - Tim Burton

[14] They're Nuts

I returned to the dining room and sat down as if nothing happened. My face was flushed from... well, Nathaniel.

The others barely noticed. They were onto their second bottle of wine.

"Thank you for your kindness, Mrs Maythorne. It's been a dream of ours to come here. They say you're a friend to our people," the woman said.

"You're welcome, Silver," Mrs Maythorne nodded curtly, "Before you leave, I need to know about the people chasing you. You've led them close to my territory. I'll have to make sure that none follow."

"They were trying to recapture Zander. He's been in that prison for a long time."

"Then we will ask you everything about that place. If Kaya is still there, we're going to break her out," Mohan said.

"It's not only Kaya. There are many more," Zander replied, "But if you're going back, I will help you."

Zander looked at his travel companions, sorry to be separating from them. They must have formed a close bond on the road. Silver and the third companion (a man who had not spoken once) nodded in silent acceptance.

We all looked at Mrs Maythorne.

"If our motives our aligned, you may stay at the Manor. But I will have to be convinced of that."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Our guests were tired, and they went to bed early. The rest of us stayed downstairs. Emily brought in the bucket that had the dead people's possessions inside. Mohan turned it upside down. Together with Hugo, they inspected every wallet and phone. They wrote down the identities and information of each person.

Nathaniel returned from his run and joined us. He passed me by and his fingers brushed against my arm. I felt my whole body tense and he smirked. The jackass did it on purpose - he knew how I reacted around him.

I looked at him as he grabbed a glass of water next to me. I watched him drink, his lips downing the cold liquid. My eyes traced the movement of his adam's apple as he swallowed. I wanted to... No, I need to stop.

He wiped his mouth and leant both his hands on the table. "See what you can find in the phones and then destroy them. We don't want to be tracked."

Hugo nodded from across the table and got to work. Nate's head turned slowly in my direction. He looked me up and down, drinking me in, and said, "You too, Red."

I blushed.

"Unless you want to stare at me for the rest of the night," he added.

That made me move. I went over to Hugo's side, trying to put as much distance between me and Nate as possible. Nate must think I'm a child with a crush.

Mohan started looking at a map that marked out Zander and his companions' paths over the last two months. A circle was drawn around the area that they guessed included the prison.

"How do you not know where the prison is?" I asked, grabbing my own glass of water. Watching Nate drink made me thirsty. "Shouldn't that be a landmark? Prisons are big."

Prisons must be on maps. I took a sip of water.

"It's not a real prison. In this place, it's the bad people that keep innocents hostage."

"Just like us then," Jesper said.

I almost spat my water out. It was the first thing he'd said all night and he had delivered a fire of a comment.

Jesper and I were like prisoners at Maythorne.

"The men we killed were murderers," Mohan said, "They go after gifted people and imprison them to use them. They would have killed us all, just like they've killed before."

"How bad are we talking though?" I asked, "Because you killed ten people. More crime is not the way to end crime."

"OK Gandhi," Hugo said, "We're talking centuries of murder. It's a war among our kind."

"And when you say 'our kind', what are you talking about?" Jesper asked.

Finally. Finally the question we need to know.

"Will everyone leave Georgia and me alone for a moment, please." Mrs Maythorne said.

Everyone cleared out and the door closed on us with a spooky creak.

"I was right about you," Mrs Maythorne said.

"Maybe you can be more specific..."

"You came face to face with your true self today. Yet you still deny it."

She wasn't going to come out and say it. She wanted me to.

"I'm strong," I finally admitted. It was all I could say. I didn't want to go any further.

"Supernaturally strong," Mrs Maythorne said, "You lifted a giant metal object that no human could. You saved your own life."

"Is it because of the lightning strike?"

"No. You were born to a different race. Humans raised you and in that process you mentally blocked your own abilities. You never tested your strength."

"Do I have other abilities?"

"We are our weakest in this world. I will train you, so you can visit your home and become a powerful version of yourself."

"What's that place called?"

"Enough for now. I need to know that I can trust you first. We have survived a long time based on our secrecy."

"Is Jesper safe here?" That's the main thing I cared about.

"He will be. We're a family here but he won't be happy with us. It's up to you to decide when he leaves. He's only here for you."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

I knocked on the door to Jesper's room. It was dark outside and a half moon was shining bright.

"Come in Georgia."

The door creaked open and I saw him doing press-ups on the floor. I sat on his bed and waited for him. I was grateful for the time he gave me to collect my thoughts. Watching him workout was easing. It was a comfortable, familiar sight.

He got up and wiped a towel across his face. Then he looked me directly in the eyes.

"What happened down there?"

"She told me I was different. Apparently, I'm not human," I shook my head, realizing how confusing I sounded, "I come from somewhere else, outside of earth, where people have powers like this."

"I mean," Jesper was a bit lost for words, "They're nuts."

"But the junkyard. They all had... abilities. Fighting abilities that normal people don't have," I waved my hands to emphasize my point, "Normal people can't sense the direction of a bullet with their back towards it. Normal people can't rip an arm out of a shoulder socket with their bare hands."

"There must be some explanation other than aliens. They're drinking some wacked up Kool-Aid."

"She didn't say we were aliens."

"Don't say we. Don't talk about yourself and them as if you're the same," he said, "Please."

"But what happened to me back there? I lifted the..." I couldn't say it.

"I know," he said softly and brushed the back of my head, "G, it's going to be ok. You're not like them, ok?"

"How strong am I?"

"I've always told you you're strong."

"But supernaturally strong?"

He gave me a funny look. "Let's test you. Come over here."

A/N: Sorry this one doesn't have as much action but it was important for explaining some things! Plot development and all that. The next one will be more juicy ;)