Reveille (The Hybrid Disasters, Book One)

Chapter 15: Devil In Me

I jolted awake. It took me several seconds to recognize my surroundings. I was in a cleaning closet of all places. My senses were still struggling to awaken, but the scent of bleach and various other chemicals was undeniable. 

What in the hell happened to me? 

I checked my watch. The time read 0553. I had less than seven minutes to get to the agent physical training session. I exited the closet and sighed in relief that I was still in DPO's Headquarters. I was on the reception floor, two floors from where I needed to be, but still, things could have been a lot worse. I closed my eyes and transported to my room. Once there, I felt incredibly lethargic. Whatever that powder was last night was still affecting me. I changed as quickly as possible and prayed I could muster one last transport. 

I opened my eyes and nearly collapsed into the toilet of the stall I appeared in. Thankfully, no one else was using the stall when I arrived. That would have been awkward to explain. I checked my watch again. With two minutes to spare, I made my way out of the lady's room and around the corner to the gym.

"One, two, one, two, one," Mr. Wilkes counted. "And two," he stated, pointing at me. "Miss Harper, do I have to remind you of our attendance policy?"

My face reddened with embarrassment. "No, sir. I am on time."

"Barely," snickered another student.

"On time is late, and early is on time. Understood?"

"Understood," I repeated defeatedly. Lolly ran up to me and handed me a breakfast burrito.

"I've been looking for you all morning!" she hissed. "I hope the overnight rendezvous with Lyric was worth it. Don't screw this up for us, Addy," she begged.

I wanted to tell her it had nothing to do with Lyric, but Mr. Wilkes ushered her away.

"I said ones pair with twos, Miss Ward. You and Miss Harper are both twos," the instructor chastised.

I took a bite of the burrito and moaned. I immediately felt better. I was one bite from finishing my breakfast when a bump to my shoulder rudely spun me around. I was face to face with Trixie the Witch. More like Trixie the Bitch.

"Trouble getting to class this morning?" she inquired with a mischievous glint in her eye. My instincts told me she was behind the attack last night. I shoved the last bite of burrito in my mouth.

"You did this to me," I blatantly accused once I finished chewing.

"Me?" she scoffed. "And what evidence do you have to support this outlandish accusation?"

"The powder. It must have been something you brewed."

She grinned. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but from an outside perspective, you should see a psychiatrist. Sleepwalking and hallucinations are serious signs of acute mental illness."

"Alright, twos, your job is to subdue the ones," Mr. Wilkes announced.

"Game on, Witch." I threw the balled-up burrito wrapping to the ground. My eyes lit just as Mr. Wilkes blew his whistle. 

Trixie muttered something foreign under her breath, and several replicas of herself appeared. All versions of herself began chanting 'abomination,' 'freak,' and 'mutant' over and over again. I tried swiping at her several times, but the apparitions were always out of reach. The words grew louder and faster in my head. 

My rage at being unable to block her onslaught built more and more until I felt an internal snap, a shift in consciousness. I suddenly had no control. I felt a stranger, wilder side of me basking in the release. I didn't move. Couldn't move. The grin on my face was not quite mine. My arm rose unbidden by me. The rage ever present at my core moved up my chest and down my arm in a force so strong it exploded in a great wind out of my hand toward Trixie and her multiple copies. The force dispelled her clones, leaving just her standing windblown, shocked, and afraid.