Casey Harvell

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Charged

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Charged ~REBOOT~

Electric Series Book 1

Casey Harvell

Copyright © 2013 Casey Harvell

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events and companies portrayed are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.

Cover Art by No Sweat Graphics

Formatting by Fancy Pants Book Formatting

ISBN: 1493515241 ISBN-13: 978-1493515240

Dedication

To my readers, you guys rock! Thank you for your support <3 To my kids: Thanks for your patience while mommy is off with her

imaginary friends. .

Contents

Dedication ............................................................................................. v

Acknowledgements ............................................................................. i

Prologue ............................................................................................... iii

Chapter One ......................................................................................... 1

Chapter Two ....................................................................................... 15

Chapter Three ................................................................................... 33

Chapter Four ..................................................................................... 47

Chapter Five ....................................................................................... 57

Chapter Six ......................................................................................... 77

Chapter Seven ................................................................................... 93

Chapter Eight .................................................................................. 101

Chapter Nine ................................................................................... 117

Chapter Ten ..................................................................................... 131

Chapter Eleven ................................................................................ 147

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Chapter Twelve ............................................................................... 157

Chapter Thirteen ........................................................................... 165

Chapter Fourteen........................................................................... 179

Coming Soon..................................................................................... 188

About the Author ........................................................................... 189

Books by Casey Harvell ................................................................. 190

i

Acknowledgements

Monica: Without you, Charged wouldn’t have been this great. There are no words to express how grateful I am for all of your help.

Rachel: Thanks you for making The Electric Series shine on the outside as

much as the inside.

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Prologue

I’ve always thought of myself as a nice person, a good person.

These days, I’m not so sure. Even if you’re well aware that extreme

situations can change people, you’ll still never be prepared for it.

Nothing could have ever prepared me for this current insanity.

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1

Chapter One

Meet

“Well, isn’t that brilliant?” Brianna complains, sarcasm dripping

from her words.

“I don’t think he meant it that way, Brie.” I answer. “I know he

wants us to play—just not tonight, I guess.”

“Whatever.” Brie says. It’s her favorite go to expression when

she doesn’t want to deal with a situation, such as the one we are in

presently.

Brie and I make up a two person rock band, think the White

Stripes with chicks. Brie rocks the drums, while I play the guitar and

sing. Our friend Joel said he had a gig for us tonight. We show up

with our equipment in tow, just to find plans have changed. I get it,

beggars and choosers and all. But hello? A text message maybe?

“We should go. I still have to study for that biology test

tomorrow.” That isn’t entirely true, but if I know Brie, she hasn’t

studied yet.

“Ugh. I flipping hate biology.” She grumbles. “Let’s go.”

We pile everything back into the station wagon and head back to

her house. At seventeen, Brie gets to do stuff like borrow her mom’s

car. With my own seventeenth birthday a few days away I’m hoping

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to obtain some kind of transportation of my own soon. First, I guess

I need to obtain a driver’s license. But I like to consider both of those

things minor details.

Brie flicks on the headlights and windshield wipers. It begins

raining, and the temperature of this early fall evening switches from

mild to chilly. It also lengthens our quick twenty minute drive back to

our sleepy town in the northwestern corner of Connecticut to a half

hour at least. Wet leaves cover the winding roads, making the roads

slick. Luckily, Brie is a cautious driver to begin with.

“What did your mom say about this weekend?” Brie asks.

“The usual, keep my phone on and text her when we get back to

your house.” I roll my eyes.

“Kickass, are you excited?”

I shrug. “I guess. It’s just another birthday.”

“Please. We are going to throw you the party of all parties. You’ll

see.”

I decide to throw her favorite word back at her, “Whatever.”

“Mom, I’m home!” I yell, walking through the kitchen door.

“I’m in here, Kat!” I hear her call back from the living room,

knowing what she’s doing before I appear.

My mom has an affinity for sappy old movies. She can, and

does, watch them for hours on end. Tonight, she’s watching White

Christmas on DVD. It was only a couple of years ago that I

discovered it’s odd to watch holiday movies year round. I don’t

complain though. If this is her chosen idiosyncrasy then I guess it

could be worse. Like poor Brie, for instance. Her mom collects

porcelain clown figurines. I shudder; those little smiling faces are

creepy. I won’t venture into Brie’s mom’s room for anything.

“That was an awfully quick show,” my Mom says, not tearing

her eyes away from the TV.

“Yeah, Joel forgot to text us to tell us it was cancelled.”

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“That stinks.”

“Yeah, it does. I’m going to head upstairs, goodnight, Mom, love

you.”

“Goodnight, Kat, love you, too. Sorry about your show.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

After reaching the destination, my stuff is dropped in the chair

by my closet. I’ve been living in this house for as long as I can

remember. My interior decorating skills come to light for my

fifteenth birthday. So, it was out with the frilly white curtains and

pink walls and in with the steel colored paint and purple drapes.

Overall it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I like it. A study

reminder is sent to Brie via text from my phone. After she sends a

grumpy face in response, my lips break into a smile.

I set out clothes for tomorrow and grab my pajamas so I can go

take a shower. Once done, I get lost in the contents or my ereader

and get lost for a while. I’m not really tired, but the clock says

midnight, so it’s time to get some sleep. I turn off my light and wait

for sleep to come. While mentally reciting biology terms, I’m out in

minutes.

Brie and I walk into school the next morning and she’s still

griping about the biology test. I remind her that at least she has a

study hall first period, where as I get to go to PE, my least favorite

thing in the world. She admits I have the crappier deal, and she asks

to borrow my notes and biology book. Being a great best friend I

hand them over and watch her skulk off to study hall. After turning

around, I plow into a broad chest. Blushing, I look up into an

unfamiliar, really gorgeous face.

I’m too busy collecting myself to say anything when he speaks.

“Do you know where the office is?”

Still stuck on stupid, I point down the hall to the doors marked

‘Main Office’. He gives me a smile, that does nothing to help my

brain kick back into gear, and moves a piece of my auburn hair out of

my face before turning and disappearing into the office doors. I give

myself a small head shake and continue down the hall. I mutter to

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myself under my breath. “Real smooth Kat, real smooth.”

“Talking to ourselves again, Kitty?” The voice makes me cringe

inwardly. It also makes me want to hit something, particularly its

owner. “You do know that’s a sign of insanity, right?”

Kiera has been a pain in my ass for as long as I can remember.

Ever since we were little, she’s made it her goal to harass me. It’s not

enough that her long, straight blond hair always behaves itself,

whereas my wavy auburn locks are constantly doing unwanted things.

Or that she’s the most popular girl at school. Nope, she has to be a

bitch, too.

“We already knew that, Kiera.” Her friend Shelby chimes in.

“Why, just look at her. She’s the very definition of a hot mess.”

I’m already not in the best mood, so I decide to ignore them and

continue on my way. I don’t think of myself as a ‘hot mess’. Granted

I’m not as polished as Kiera, Shelby and their friends, but I’m not that

out of it. My hair, well, I learned to accept that a while back. I have a

baby face, much to my dismay, with big green eyes and pouty lips. It

certainly doesn’t help me to be taken seriously. I’m not very tall, and

my body is more curvaceous than other girls my age. Not fat—just

full of hips and other things that haven’t fully developed on the other

girls yet. I glance down at my jeans, t-shirt and sneakers. At least I

don’t have on some micro-skirt, with my assets out for the world to

see.

The perfect mood is set for PE. I go to the locker room and

change, making it to class just as the bell rings. My mood brightens

minutely when I find out we’re starting basketball. I don’t totally suck

at basketball, but I do totally suck at badminton, which we were

playing last. My mood brightens even more when I get picked for the

team that doesn’t have to wear the stinky jersey.

By the end of class my team’s winning and I’m even scoring

some shots. I get the ball and make one last three-point shot as the

PE teacher blows the whistle signaling the end of class. My male and

female teammates cheer, making fools of themselves. I’m just happy

to be able to contribute after weeks of not. As I’m grinning the back

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of my neck tingling. I turn to look, and see the mysterious, gorgeous

guy I plowed into and went mime on earlier. He’s directly en route to

the locker room. Perfect.

I put my head down, hoping that he associates my flushed

complexion to playing the game rather than seeing him. I’m almost to

the safety of the locker room door when he speaks again. In my

previous stupor I didn’t notice the calming effect of his baritone

voice. “Nice moves out there.”

Rudeness is not in my vocabulary—my mom made sure of that.

I glance up before my gaze settles on his sneakers. Maybe if I don’t

look directly at him my brain will continue working. “Thanks…you

must be new here. I’m Kat.”

His hand lifts my chin, so I can meet his gaze. “That’s better.”

He smiles and a connection somewhere in my brain fries a little. “Hi

Kat, I’m Mason, it seems we keep running into each other.”

I can’t help myself; I’m a sucker for bad puns. “Quite literally at

times. Sorry about that, by the way.”

He shrugs. “Never hear me complaining about having a pretty

girl throw herself at me.” My cheeks become warm, and before my

brain processes he called me pretty, the bell rings.

“I should go before I’m late.” I motion towards the locker room.

“Yeah, maybe I’ll see you later.”

“Maybe,” I half mumble to myself as I walk into the locker

room. I dress in a daze before meeting Brie in Biology. She’s already

there and gives me back my notes and textbook before we enter class

and take our seats.

“Did it help any?” I ask.

“Yeah, thanks.” She faces me and strikes her gossip pose. Brie

loves her gossip. “Did you hear we have a new guy?”

“Um, yeah, we’ve met actually.”

Her jaw drops. “Is he as cute as I keep hearing?”

The bell rings before my reply so I nod my head and focus on

Mr. Murphy who is handing out our tests and giving us verbal

instructions. Forty minutes later the test is done and I’m feeling

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pretty good about it. Brie must have done alright because instead of

her usual bitching she jumps right back to questioning me about

Mason.

“So, the nod was yes to cute, right?” She asks.

“Yes, Brie, he’s adorable.” I roll my eyes. “Our conversation

lasted for all of two minutes.”

“I can’t believe you talked to him!” Brie practically squeals as we

start walking down the hallway.

“Neither can I!” Kiera chimes in, always behind us at the wrong

time. “Why anyone would want to talk to Kitty is beyond my

comprehension.”

Brie goes on the offensive. “Please, Kiera anything that’s not

slathered in cover-up or pumped full of silicone is beyond your

comprehension.” The two glare at each other. Brie takes a more

aggressive stance in response to Kiera and her friends—I definitely

appreciate it.

“Says the weird girl- now move before you make me late,” Kiera

struts off, an overwhelming cloud of perfume left in her wake.

“What a bitch!” Brie comments.

“Yeah, she really needs a hobby.” I agree. “Anyway, off to

calculus. See you at lunch.”

Calculus is usually boring, but today being good at math has

some advantages. Two rows over I see Mason take his seat and this

grabs my attention. I pretend to read my text book, and when I sneak

a glance in his direction he’s smiling at me. My heart races and my

insides swoon a little, but I return his smile before the bell rings and

class starts.

Between paying attention to Ms. Fletcher, and staring (hopefully

inconspicuously) at Mason, the class goes more quickly than usual.

I’m surprised when I stand up to find him beside me. “Oh! Hi,

again,” I try to act like I wasn’t staring at him this whole time.

He again flashes that smile. “Hi…I don’t suppose you’re going

to lunch now?”

“Actually, I am with my friend Brie. You’re welcome to sit with

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us, if you’d like.” I catch myself right before I walk into the

doorframe.

He slightly shakes his head. “That’d be cool. Um, do you walk in

to stuff a lot or is it just for my benefit?”

Before I can answer Brie joins us, obviously overhearing

Mason’s question. “Nope, she does that all the time.” She grins at

me. “Hi, I’m Brie. You must be Mason.”

“Yep, I might as well have a sign that says ‘New Kid’.” Mason

looks around. Sure enough we are attracting everyone’s attention.

“I think it’s more than just that,” I accidently murmur.

“What’s that?” Mason asks.

Brie quickly notices my panicked look. “She means this is a small

town. We’ve all known everyone forever. So, when fresh meat arrives

we know it.” Brie says, ending with a big smile.

I breathe a sigh of relief, and give a look of gratitude. I focus on

not saying anything else that’s stupid or embarrassing. Once we arrive

at the cafeteria, it’s too loud to talk anyway, until we get to our table.

We’re almost there when I hear Kiera’s. Today just isn’t my day! It’s

apparent her sweet tone isn’t directed to me.

“Hi, Mason!” She sticks her chest out more than usual, and

throw up stalls in my mouth. “I saved you a seat.”

He turns towards me and Brie, and I brace myself for the

letdown that is my life. “Um, sorry.” my eyes lower to avoid his. “I

already have plans today with Kat and Brie, maybe some other time.”

I look up and my mouth gapes open. Kiera has a similar

expression, but she’s more pissed off than shocked. She’s

unaccustomed to not getting her way. “Well, just so you know, being

new and all, you may want to be careful who you associate with here,

just saying.” She flounces back to her table.

Brie starts mumbling, but stops when I elbow her arm. Mason

looks at us. “Wow.”

“Yeah, sorry about that; she kind of hates us.” I say.

“Nah, she’s just a spoiled bitch.” Brie pipes in.

I’m about to chastise her when Mason laughs. “That’s pretty

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much what I was thinking.”

“I think we’ll get along just fine.” Brie tells us.

Mason looks right at me, “Me, too.”

The rest of the afternoon is pretty mundane. Mason is in two

more of my classes, and even gets a seat next to me. I try not to over

think how friendly he is towards me. Someone who looks like him

could never think of me as more than just a friend. My imagination is

just running away with me. Once he sees how beautiful Brie is

without all of her punk makeup, I’ll be a distant memory. Which is

fine, really.

The last bell announces freedom and you can hear the relief waft

off all twenty-something of us in the classroom. English class I love;

Homer’s Odyssey, not so much. Mason looks at me. “What do you

do for fun around here?”

I laugh—has he seen the town yet? “Not very much; Brie and I

usually practice at her house after school.” I leave it open ended,

unsure if my ego can handle a refusal from this guy.

“That’s cool. What do you practice?” He falls in step beside me,

so I assume he’s coming with us.

“We have a band. It’s just the two of us, though.” I watch where

I’m walking, so I don’t look foolish again.

“That’s sweet! What’s it called?” Mason asks. He sounds sincere,

excited and impressed. Huh…it’s not the typical reaction we receive

around these parts.

“Hot Noise,” I feel silly so I add, “it sounds better when Brie

says it.”

“It sounds awesome. Would you guys mind if I watched you

practice?”

His eagerness takes me by surprise, “I guess so—if you want to,

I mean.”

He smiles that smile again, the one that stops my brain from

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working, and I quickly turn forward. “Kat, I wouldn’t have asked if I

didn’t want to.”

“Oh. Okay, then, sure.”

Soon Brie, Mason and I are in Brie’s garage. Brie flicks on all of

her equipment. All I know is that whatever it is that she does, it

works. All that techie stuff is her deal. I pick up my guitar and make

sure it’s tuned. Mason appears surprised, but he doesn’t say anything.

Brie gets behind the drums and starts tapping out the opening to

one of our songs. I smile. Figures she chooses this one first—it’s our

only slow number. She swears she’s near tears every time I sing it.

I’ve never played it for anyone else, other than our moms. Mason’s

presence increases my nervousness, but my anxiety doesn’t hit my

fingers, which have the song memorized themselves. I close my eyes

and start to sing a sad ballad about a lost lover. My eyes stay closed

the whole time, to prevent gauging Mason’s reaction.

When I’m done, it’s cricket chirping silence. My eyes open to

find Mason’s jaw dropped in amazement. “Holy crap, Kat, you

freaking rock!” His excitement is palpable, and his reaction relaxes

me. I hadn’t realized how much his approval meant, until he

articulated it.

“I keep telling her that, but she never listens to me.” Brie throws

out. “Maybe you can change her mind.”

“Well, thanks, but really that’s the only song like that we have.” I

desperately try to change the subject. “Let’s play some other stuff,

Brie.”

Maybe an hour or so later, we finish up and Brie flips off all of

her equipment. She grabs three bottles of water out of the mini-fridge

that she keeps stocked and passes them out. “We’re getting better.”

She declares.

I nod too busy chugging water to speak.

“I think you guys have some real potential.” Mason says. “Have

you played anywhere yet?”

Oh, no. Here we go. I open my mouth to answer, but it’s too

late. Brie’s already beginning her rant. “We’ve played a couple places.

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We’d play more if our loser, quote unquote, manager did his job.”

I don’t know why I always feel the need to defend Joel to her,

maybe because he’s always been so supportive. Either way, I begin

my calm rebuttal, “Brie he tries, but he’s got other things going on,

too.”

She looks at Mason. “No, he doesn’t.”

Mason is now standing with his hands out in front of him.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to start anything.”

Brie exhales noisily. “It’s not your fault. I’m not really even mad

at him, just frustrated. Sorry, done flipping out now.”

“I should get going anyway.” I grab my bag. “I’ll see you guys

tomorrow.”

“Bye,” Brie says.

“Wait, Kat, I’ll walk with you.” Mason calls, “Thanks for having

me, Brie. I got to get going, too.”

Brie shoots me a look that guarantees she will be calling me later.

I suppress an eye roll and wait for Mason to join me. He’s by my side

in seconds. “Where’s your house?” I ask.

“We moved into a house on Bruyn Ave. Do you know where

that is?”

“Sure, that’s around the corner from my house. Which house is

it?” I think I know exactly which one, but wait for his confirmation.

There weren’t a lot of houses for sale on that road.

“It’s white, with dark blue shutters.”

I smile. “That’s funny. Ironic even, just follow me.”

I take the side yard, past the dining room. I pray my mom is in

the living room so she doesn’t bombard me with embarrassing

questions when I get in. When we get to the backyard, recognition

hits his face. “Hey,” He gives me that smile again. “We’re neighbors.”

For the first time I return it. “Yeah, we are.”

He shuffles his feet a bit and looks uncharacteristically nervous.

“Thanks for letting me hang out with you today. I had fun.”

Now his nervousness makes me nervous. “Thanks, anytime.

Really, I mean it’s usually just Brie and me.” I bite down on my lip to

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decrease my babbling.

Mason chuckles a little. “Can I walk you to school in the

morning?”

I grin. “I’ll see you then.”

Looking thoughtful he steps towards me. “Goodnight, Kat.”

“Goodnight, Mason.” I turn to go, but he grabs my hand and

spins me to him. I’m about to question him, when he pulls me to him

and quickly, gently lowers his mouth to mine. My entire body ignites

into a very pleasant tingling sensation. Everything is amplified while

our mouths are joined. I’m frozen in disbelief as he pulls away. From

the smile on his face, he enjoyed it as much as I did.

“Was that okay?” He asks me, with a smile playing on his lips.

Grinning and nodding, I’m unable to speak. He releases all of

me, except my hand.

“I’ll see you in the morning?”

I smile and nod some more—feeling kind of like a moron, but

not caring. He chuckles and plants one last chaste kiss on my hand

that’s entwined with his before he lets go. He starts walking to his

house and turns around halfway. “Goodnight, Kat.”

“Goodnight, Mason.” I manage to say again, before I head back

to my own house. That was…nice. A thought crosses my mind. I

know that that was my first kiss, but I’m hoping it wasn’t obvious.

This is what’s rambling through my brain as I make my way inside. I

wave a quick hi to my mom, barely making it to my room before my

phone goes off. I don’t have to look to know its Brie.

“Hello?” I answer.

“He was so making eyes at you!” Brie replies.

“I have to admit, I wasn’t sure if he was…until we walked

home—his house is the one right behind mine by the way and, well-“

“Spit it out, Kat!” I love getting her worked up.

“This stays between us, for now. When we got to the backyard,

we said goodbye. Then, he sort of kissed me.”

I hear Brie whoop loudly on the other end of the phone. “It’s

about freaking time, Kat! I was wondering when a guy would finally

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catch your eye. How was it?”

“Freaking phenomenal! If that’s what kissing someone is like, I

have no idea what took me so long.”

“Trust me; it’s not always a pleasant experience. I’m actually kind

of proud of you for waiting until you found a ‘freaking phenomenal’

guy to practice on.”

I smile. “He seems pretty great. He wants us to walk to school

together tomorrow.”

“Then I’ll get my mom to drive me,” I start to protest, but she

continues, “a one-time deal mind you. This way you two can have a

little time to get to know each other better. But once you hit school

grounds, all bets are off. I’m going to have to get used to sharing

you.”

“Thanks, Brie. You know you don’t have to share me, though.”

“Yeah—as your best friend, I kind of do. Now go get all

beautified and rested, so you can knock his socks off tomorrow

morning.”

She’ll protest if I get all mushy on her. “Night, Brie.”

“Night, Kat.”

I hear my mom yell up the stairs, “You eating tonight, Kat?”

“Be right down!” I yell back. I think about Brie’s beautification

suggestion. I better hurry up with dinner; apparently I have a lot to

do.

I’m up early the next morning. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t

excited to see Mason again. I’m not just excited, but also super happy

and a bit nervous. The total effect is quite overwhelming, and the

closer the departure time, the worse it’s getting. I take a deep breath

as I hear a soft knock on the back door. I’m also grateful my mom

leaves before me. She’d inadvertently add stress to the situation.

Opening the door, I grab my bag and keys and am momentarily

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floored by Mason. My mental images did not do his face justice at all.

I force myself to speak. “Good morning, Mason.”

“Hey, Kat,” He replies, “good morning to you, too.”

To my surprise, he reaches for my hand to help me down the

stairs and doesn’t let go. Perplexed, but happy, I don’t say a thing.

Mason turns to me, “So, I need to get your number. I forgot to

yesterday, and short of throwing rocks at your window, I didn’t know

how else to get a hold of you.”

I smile at the thought. “That wouldn’t be so bad, but I can give

you my number too.”

“If I had known which window was yours, I might have.” He

pulls out his phone and dials in the recited numbers, and then calls

me quickly so I have his number, too.

As we make our way to school, I admit walking extra slow to

prolong our time together. Our conversation consists of more getting

to know each other. We talk about favorite music, books, movies and

the like. We have some similar choices, but I like some things he’s

never heard of and vice versa. We debate the best Iron Man movies

as we head into school.

Maybe it’s my exceptionally great walk to school, or the fact that

I like basketball, but gym isn’t that bad again today. By the time I

meet up with Brie in Biology, I’m grinning from ear to ear. It could

also be because I’ll see Mason next period. It certainly helps. She

doesn’t have a chance to start grilling me before Mr. Murphy pushes

a television into the classroom. His excitement is palpable.

Mr. Murphy is easily one of my favorite teachers. He’s older

(perhaps in his fifties) with mostly silver hair and a soft midsection.

It’s his excitement that makes him seem larger than life, not his

stature. When he’s really excited his faces flushes red.

“Special class today, guys!” Mr. Murphy says exuberantly. “We

will be focusing on BioNano and watching their news conference in a

half hour. Big things happening people, big things!”

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15

Chapter Two

Socialize

Because Mr. Murphy is one of our favorite teachers, we try hard

to match his excitement and enthusiasm for today’s class. He jumps

right in, explaining exactly what has him so pumped up. “Okay, so

who can tell me what BioNano has been focusing on, anybody?” I

glance around, surprised no one else has the answer. So I shrug and

raise my hand, “Yes, Kat.”

“I believe they are leading ground-breaking research on

nanotechnology?” This is more of a question than an answer.

“Precisely,” Mr. Murphy continues. “This morning they have

released to the scientific community that they have had a

breakthrough, which they will be announcing shortly, and we will get

to watch history in the making.” He pauses to clean his glasses,

another indicator of his excitement. “Since we have some time left,

I’m going to give you a brief background on the company, their

research, and what it is going to mean for you.

“Since 1996, BioNano has been a leader in the field of

nanotechnology. They mastered many of its facets. Without them, all

of your smart phones would be nonexistent, and many other

technological advances would not have been possible. After their

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successes in technology, they decided to begin research on utilizing

nanotechnology for the greater good, such as medical advances. Can

anyone tell me what kind of impact this could have if they were

successful?”

This is way over my head. Sure, I have a basic knowledge of it—

I’m amazed everyone doesn’t with as much as BioNano is in the

news. I’m grateful that before Mr. Murphy could glance in my

direction again, Jason pipes up. “They have been working on atomic

sized self-replicating nanobots. If they succeed, they will have created

a nanobot with the ability to rearrange a single atom-using its

properties to change it to something else. This can be incredibly

useful externally, but the real focus is in the medical field. These

nanobots will be able to eradicate bacterial infections, repair damaged

tissues and blood cells. The possible advances in modern medicine

will be astounding.”

If Mr. Murphy could explode with pride I think he would have.

“Perfect, Jason. Any questions, class? I want us all on the same page.”

We all murmur our understanding. Though, I suspect some of us

understand more than others.

Brie’s hand shoots up next to me, and Mr. Murphy nods his

head at her. “Mr. Murphy, can’t that be dangerous though?” My best

friend, ever the pessimist; leave it to her to argue against anything. “I

mean, what is going to keep these things in line? Are they going to

make nano-police?”

Mr. Murphy chuckles. “Great question, Brie. Yes, there is a

danger factor, but each nanobot is specifically designed to do a

specific task: no more, no less.”

My eyebrows raise and I inadvertently say, “What’s to keep them

from manipulating themselves around this safety measure?”

Mr. Murphy claps his hands together and points at me. “And

therein lies the problem. That’s a valid concern, and something I

believe they will be addressing in today’s press conference, which will

be starting soon.” He glances at the clock on the wall. “If you need a

drink or to use the restroom, please do so now. I want all of us to see

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the entire presentation if possible.”

During our short break, Brie turns to me. “So, how was your

walk this morning?”

I feel my face warm and my heartbeat accelerates. “It rocked. I

keep waiting for something to happen, though. Girls like me can

never hold the attention of a guy like Mason for long.”

Brie shakes her head at me. “I don’t want to hear any of that

nonsense.” She waves a finger in my face. “You know how I feel

about your lack of self-esteem. I’m just shocked Mason is the first guy

to notice.”

I stick my tongue out at her, but I’m saved from replying by the

lights dimming and Mr. Murphy calling our attention to the

television. It starts with a brief history of BioNano, the company’s

founders, and their recent advances in technology. When the short

film is over, the camera focuses on an older gentleman behind a

podium. His name is listed below as Dr. Harris, and he jumps full

speed ahead into explaining their newest, self-replicating nanobots,

and what this will mean for our medical community and beyond.

“Imagine being able to reset atoms as we need to, being able to

change and remap atoms as we need to. This means we can create

water from sand, or manipulate carbon into diamonds. An oil spill

will no longer require months of cleanup and have such damaging

effects on our environment. We can now utilize our nanotechnology

to change these damaging atoms back into the natural elements they

were prior to any accident.

“This stands true for the use of nanotechnology in medicine.

Gone are the days where tissue takes weeks to repair itself, where we

lose lives to bacterial infections. We are even able to regenerate

tissue, giving us the power to regrow lost limbs. This is the medical

advance we’ve been striving for, and I’m proud to announce that our

day is here.”

We watch the rest of the special broadcast, and some of the

same questions we had get answered. Something still bothers me,

though. Dr. Harris is so quick to deem this new technology as safe.

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18

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great and all…if it does what they

say, how they say. Mr. Murphy switches off the television and flicks

the classroom lights back on. “How cool is that, guys?” Collectively

the classroom hums in excitement. “Well, I have even more exciting

news for you. We will be taking a tour of the BioNano facilities this

Friday, and you will all get a chance to see nanotechnology in action,

first hand. This will be an all-day trip, permission slips on my desk.”

Brie turns to me, “I will take a Friday field trip anytime, even if it

means going to Frankenstein’s factory.”

I make a face at her. “I think it will be interesting. And yes, a

Friday field trip is kickass, regardless.”

We make our way into the congested hallway. Our high school

has the typical institutional feel. Two stories: the large brick rectangle

houses grades nine through twelve. The inside walls are aquamarine,

the floors tan pebbled tile, the lockers painted fire-engine red, and

typical high school flyers, posters and art dominate the interior walls.

There’s nothing outstanding about its appearance, but we make it

work.

Brie and I spilt up. My stomach flutters at the thought of seeing

Mason again in Calculus. I find him waiting, sitting in the seat next to

the one I was in yesterday. I shyly smile and his brilliant, brain

numbing grin is my reward. I manage to catch myself before tripping

over the last desk in the row, marking the journey to my seat an

overall success. I compose myself under the pretense of settling in

and getting out my textbook and notes.

When I’ve gathered enough courage, I give him my best smile.

“How’s your morning going?” I ask.

He gives me a smoldering look. My heart begins to race, and I

almost miss him say, “My morning just got better.” He follows this

with another grin which leaves me gaping at him before he continues,

“How about you?”

I shake my head minutely to clear the fog, not missing his small

chuckle. “My morning was good. Did you hear about the field trip on

Friday yet?” Mason shakes his head so I give him a brief rundown

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before the bell rings. We both focus on Ms. Nahlik (a necessary evil

in Calculus) and don’t chat again until the end of class.

Maybe it’s because my odds are improved or because Brie and

Mason are flanking me. Perhaps Kiera didn’t feel like it. Today, I

brushed past Kiera and her minions with only a snarky look between

us. We grab a table in the lunchroom, still attracting attention but not

quite as much as yesterday. I’m sure everyone expected Mason to fall

in line at Kiera’s table. She obviously had, as she glares openly at me.

I roll my eyes, shifting my gaze from her to Brie and Mason.

“I’m grabbing something,” Brie says, getting out of her chair.

“You want anything?”

I shake my head. All of this extra attention is making me queasy.

“I’m good, thanks.”

Mason shifts a little closer to me. “You look a little…panicked,

you alright?”

Blushing, I lower my head and let my hair shield my face.

“Everyone is staring at us. It makes me a little uneasy.”

He smirks. “Says the singer. So, what, you’re saying that you don’t

like to be watched?”

I shake my head. “It’s different when I’m playing music. I’m

preoccupied with the guitar, singing, and Brie’s rhythm in my ears.

But this is awkward: people just gawking at us for no apparent

reason.”

“I guess I can see the differentiation.” He glances around. “I

suppose we are attracting a bit of attention. They’ll get over it,

eventually.”

I shrug. “I hope so.”

By the time Friday arrives, my life feels a bit surreal. I blame it

on Mason, and part of me waits for him to realize that I am a total

loser and run off. Brie keeps telling me I’m nuts, and it’s about time

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20

that a guy picked up on how great I am. In my opinion she’s just

biased.

We are all excited to go on our field trip. We pile onto the buses

in a flurry of chatter and movement. It feels good that Mason

weaseled his way onto our bus and into our group. He was supposed

to stay with his class, but Mr. Murphy gave him permission to stay

with us. I have to remember to do something nice for Mr. Murphy in

return.

The field trip consists of two parts. The morning classes (and

Mason) will first see the presentation while the afternoon classes take

the tour. Then we will switch off. Mr. Murphy sticks with our group,

the substitute Biology teacher, Mr. Williams, stays with the other

group. They’re both great teachers, but Mr. Murphy’s excitement is

way more fun than Mr. Williams’ stoicism.

The presentation is similar to what we learned in class. The three

of us manage to pay attention, though I have to smack Brie’s arm a

couple times for making faces. She leans in towards the end. “Not for

nothing,” she whispers, “but I still have yet to hear how they plan on

keeping these things in line.”

I nod my agreement, and try to focus on the rest of the

presentation. Brie has a good point. Don’t get me wrong, everything

they are showing to us is very exciting. It’s really life changing for

every person. I’m just waiting to see the checks and balances they

have in place. I’m also a firm believer that when something sounds

too good to be true, it probably is.

We take a break to eat our bagged lunches before we start the

tour. Brie, Mason and I dump out our paper sacks, trading food until

we are all happy with our choices. Mason takes a swig of his soda

before he says, “I find it a little creepy,” he takes another swig, “that

if I go break my arm in a month, they’re going to put this little robot

inside me to fix me. I’d feel violated.”

Brie laughs, “I agree, it’s creepy. Just wait until they start using

them for other things.”

My brow furrows as I look at her. “Like what?” I ask.

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She swallows a bite of her sandwich before answering. “Think

about it, Kat. How long until they start using them to gather

information on everybody? Or using them to control people? I’m

telling you, this is some freaky shit right here.”

Mr. Murphy passes by our table to throw away whatever was left

of his lunch. I flag him down. “Mr. Murphy, during our tour, are they

going to touch on the safety measures for this new technology?”

“Good question, Kat. I’ll make you a deal. My good friend is the

lead scientist in that department. If we can’t get you any answers on

the tour, then I will take you three for a private Q&A session while

everyone else visits the gift shop.”

I ignore the fact that I think it’s odd for such a major company

to have a gift shop, “That’d be cool, Mr. Murphy. Thanks!”

With that, Mr. Murphy calls us to order and we all fall into line

for the tour. We are shown to a display area, filled with glass cases

depicting different stages and advances in nanotechnology. Our tour

guide speaks, monotonously, regarding the company’s history as we

roam through the display cases. Brie, Mason and I goof off a little,

but not enough that I don’t process what I’m seeing and hearing

about the company’s history.

One glass case catches my eye. I stop and lean in for a closer

look. It shows magnified pictures of nanobots self-replicating. The

card states: ‘Productive nanosystems are "systems of nanosystems"

which will be complex nanosystems that produce atomically precise

parts for other nanosystems, not necessarily using novel nanoscale

emergent properties, but well—understood fundamentals of

manufacturing.’

I imagine the astounding rate they can mass produce. These

microscopic inventions are almost God-like in a sense. They can

manipulate atoms (the basic makeup of everything on this planet)

into whatever they want or need and then regenerate themselves.

Maybe Brie isn’t as pessimistic as I first thought…and she’s right to

be so skeptical.

My internal monologue is interrupted by the herding of everyone

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22

into the next area. Mason grabs my hand to pull me along, and to my

delight doesn’t release it. I tell myself to lighten up, and enjoy the day.

It’s not like it’s my responsibility to save the world from nanobots.

I’m sure they pay someone very handsomely to worry about it.

Mr. Murphy keeps his promise. At the end of our tour he leads

us to meet his friend and colleague Dr. Julian Ford. Dr. Ford is

younger and more handsome than I expected. He looks to be in his

twenties, and has blond hair and piercing blue eyes set behind thin

rimmed glasses. Even Brie is a bit flustered, which never happens. He

extends his hand first to Mr. Murphy, then to the rest of us.

“It’s good to see you again, John.” Dr. Ford says.

“You too, Julian. Please meet Kat, Brie and Mason. Brie and Kat

have some questions for you regarding the safety measures in place

for these new nanobots.”

Dr. Ford smiles at us. “You know, most adults don’t even think

ahead to the possible ramifications of nanotechnology. I think it’s

great you guys are doing it on a high school level. What’s your main

concern?”

Brie jumps right in. “Utter world domination? I mean, what’s to

stop them from taking over everything?”

Leave it to Brie to lighten the mood. Dr. Ford chuckles as he

replies. “A valid concern, guys. Every nanobot is designed to have a

specific focus, so the first safety feature is proper usage.”

“What about human error?” Brie counters.

“Well, that’s the reason it’s only the first precaution. The

nanobots will also require an energy source. Other factors come into

play too, such as environmental stresses. And finally, we’ve created

them to be self-limiting. They would still be in need of materials that

they require for consumption—all outside parameters we control.”

Brie seems to think this over while Mason pipes in. “See ladies,

they’ve got this under control.”

I smack his arm. “Thank you for taking the time to answer our

questions Dr. Ford.”

Brie starts, “Yeah, thanks, I feel a bit better now. Not

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completely,” she grins, “but better.”

“I’m happy to help.” Dr. Ford holds his hand out to Mr.

Murphy again, “John, not so long next time; stop by anytime.”

Mr. Murphy shakes his hand. “I’ll stop by again soon, Julian.

Thanks, again.” He turns to us. “We have to get going, before we

miss the buses.”

I can’t help being a little excited when I wake up the next

morning. It’s not only Saturday, but it’s also finally the day I turn

seventeen. This means my mother’s requirements to attain a learner’s

permit are finally met, which I will be doing first thing after school

on Monday. I’ve been waiting for this day for over two years now:

ever since my mom made it known I had to be seventeen to drive.

Thank goodness Brie has had wheels (albeit sporadically) for the past

year.

If I’m being honest with myself, I should fess up to the fact that

I’m also excited to spend the day with Mason, and go to the party

Brie is planning tonight. I have no idea what Mason has in store for

me. I attempted to pry it out of him, but he refuses to give me even a

hint regarding today’s activities. I try to figure it out as I make my

way downstairs for my mom’s annual birthday breakfast. Ever since

my dad left (when I was only about a year old), my mom and I have

been our own little family. As a nurse, she works crazy hours, and to

accommodate things like birthdays and holidays we celebrate with

breakfast. As soon as I was old enough a clean house and a full fridge

are ensured. We make a good team, my mom and me.

The kitchen smells heavenly—a mixture of maple syrup and

bacon. My mom is flipping the last of the pancakes. She greets me

with a big smile, “Happy birthday, Kat!”

I give her a hug. “Thanks, Mom. It smells great in here.” I take

my seat at the table and have a sip of the orange juice she put out for

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24

me.

“It’s tradition, after all. Except now, you’re the one with the busy

evenings.” I can tell by her smile that she doesn’t think of this in a

bad way.

“I really can stay home if you want.” This is the zillionth time

I’ve offered.

“Don’t be silly. Go have fun,” she wheels around and points the

spatula at me, “but not too much fun.”

I smile. “I’ll be sure to have balanced fun. I promise.”

My mom sits down, placing the plate of pancakes on the table.

“So, when are you going to get your permit?”

I smile. She knows me well, “First thing after school on

Monday.”

“Good luck.” She smiles back. “Do you think you’re ready?”

I fight not to roll my eyes. “Mom, I’ve been ready for over a year

now.”

She’s acting very strange—impish almost. “I think you’re ready.”

Her Cheshire cat grin is still firmly in place as she lights the

customary candle and sings ‘Happy Birthday’ to me. I blow out the

candle and begin eating, still a little suspicious.

We joke and tease as we eat. We’ve always gotten along well.

After we finish, my mom looks at me, her hands wet from dishes.

“Can you see if there are any clean dish towels in the dryer for me?”

I head to the garage, where the washer and dryer reside. Flicking

on the wall switch, I open the door and take one step in before

noticing something. My mom drives a red SUV. This older blue

sedan I’m seeing is definitely not hers. Puzzled, I turn around to find

her right behind me. “Happy Birthday, baby, do you like it?” She

looks anxious.

I’m literally speechless, so I wrap my arms around her and hug

her tightly.

“I take it that means you like it?” I nod. “Good. Now, there are

a few rules that go with it, and no driving it until you’re licensed. We

can discuss the rules after you pass your road test.”

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I release her and the words come out in a slightly garbled rush.

“Mom, it’s awesome. You totally didn’t have to do that. Thank you,

very much.”

“Well, I couldn’t see any other way around it. You deserve it.

Just don’t abuse it.”

“I won’t,” I promise. Wait until I tell Brie and Mason!

By the time I’m showered and dressed, Brie is sitting on my bed.

She is in full on excited—Brie mode, bouncing up and down and

talking so fast that I’m basically gaping at her and wondering how

she’s breathing. I attempt to keep up as she prattles on about

tonight’s party. I know she has secured her uncle’s lake house for the

event. I have no doubt that Brie has put together the party of year.

I’m half excited and half nervous when she tells me that the band is

going to let us play a few songs. I hadn’t even been thinking about

performing tonight.

When she has it all out of her system I look at her. “Want to see

something awesome?” Not waiting for an answer, I grab her hand

and lead her to the garage. Flicking on the light, I pull her through

the door. “Check this out!”

Brie’s reaction is similar to mine, but she recovers much more

quickly. “Is that what I think it is?” I nod. “Holy flipping crap, Kat,

you have a car! This is epic!”

“I know. My mom got me good, too. And I can’t really drive it

yet, obviously, but I still love that I have it.”

My cell goes off in my pocket. I grab it and read a text from

Mason, wishing me a Happy Birthday and seeing if I’m up. I tell him

to come on over. Brie sees my smile and can’t resist teasing me. “I

can tell by your goofy smile who that must have been. Let me guess,

he’s on his way.”

“Yep, I’m surprised he isn’t here yet.” I say as we go back into

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26

the kitchen and glance out the back patio doors. “It’s just a yard after

all.”

Brie sits at the table, and grabs an apple from the fruit bowl. She

spins it in her hands. “You guys are getting kind of serious, huh?”

I shrug. “I guess so. It’s not like I really have anything to base it

on. And it’s only been a week.”

Brie rolls her eyes. “A week maybe, but I can tell you both have

it bad. I’m happy for you.”

A knock at the door grabs my attention. I see Mason and my

heart races at the sight of him. While inviting him in I think about the

past week. It’s certainly been a new experience for me. Not only do I

have a cute guy who seems to like me, he’s also the boy next door.

This makes him astonishingly available. We have exuberantly taken

advantage of our mutual availability.

Spending so much free time together over the past week with

Mason has been more surreal to me than anything. I know the next

step, logically, is to have him meet my mom. While she’s a bit

eccentric, she’s no dummy, and I can tell by her looks of late that she

has been noticing the subtle changes in me. It’s a situation I’ve been

avoiding, but I know it has to be addressed soon. It’s not that I don’t

think they’ll get along, I’m more worried about being embarrassed.

Horribly embarrassed.

Brie winks at me as Mason walks in. “Hey, Mason.”

He nods at her, “Hey, Brie.” He turns to me and smiles, “Happy

birthday, Kat.”

My cheeks flush. “Thanks, Mason.” I take a quick moment to

compose myself. “What did you guys want to do until the party?”

Unsure if it’s my imagination, for a split-second I think I see a

look pass between the two of them. I’m not able to even confirm it

in my mind, when Brie says, “Actually, you two are on your own. I

have a lot to do today.”

I instantly feel guilty for not being more proactive with the party

plans. “Do you need help?”

She gapes at me in horror. “Absolutely not! It’s your birthday,

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and you need to go have fun.” She hugs me. “I’ll be back later so we

can get ready together.”

“Bye, Brie.” Mason and I call as she walks out.

Mason looks at me. I can’t help but smile as I say, “What do you

want to do?”

I squeal when he grabs me. “Well, first I want to give you your

present.” A small box appears in his hand. I go to grab it, but he

holds it just out of my reach. “But before you open it,” he hesitates,

and blushes slightly unless my eyes are deceiving me. “Kat, I’m really

happy that I met you a week ago. And that we’re neighbors. In case

you can’t tell, I really like you a lot. I was hoping, that maybe we

could make it official…so, would you consider being my girlfriend?”

I freeze momentarily in a state of shocked bliss. He looks at me

expectantly while I absorb what he just said. A huge grin breaks

across my face, and I throw my arms around his neck and smack a

loud kiss on his mouth. “Yes!” I say exuberantly.

His return grin dazes me again and he uses the moment to kiss

me, really kiss me, and when he’s done, all I can do is rest my head

on his chest and sigh contently. I feel him chuckle softly, as he lays

his head gently on top of mine. “Do you want your present now?”

I giggle. I don’t think I’ve ever been quite this happy before.

“Yes, please.”

He releases me and hands me my present. I unwrap the metallic

blue paper to find a small box inside. When I snap the lid open I see

a pretty silver ring. At first glance, it looks like a simple band, but

closer inspection reveals its many intricately patterned bands in one.

In the center of the ring, the pattern forms a row of small hearts. I

love it immediately, and I fumble to take it out of the box.

Mason takes it from me and gets it out without a problem. He

looks a little sheepish. “I had them engrave it, too. I was really hoping

you’d say yes.”

I take the ring from him and read the inside. It reads ‘To the

beginning’ with our initials and the date. It’s perfect. “Mason, I love

it.” I look at him fervently. “Thank you, really.”

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28

He places it on the ring finger of my right hand. “It fits! I wasn’t

sure that it would. But now we don’t have to get it sized.”

I admire my new ring, and give Mason another quick kiss to

show my appreciation. Then I remember that I have to show him

what’s in the garage. I tug him excitedly to the door. “I almost forgot,

check this out!” I flick on the light and fling open the door.

His eyebrows shoot up and his mouth drops open. “This is

awesome! Your mom surprised you?”

“Yeah, she rocks!” It occurs to me this is a good start to another

conversation. “I think it may be time for you to meet her, right?”

“I’d like that. And I guess that means I will have to subject you

to meeting my parents, too.” He rubs the back of his head. It doesn’t

look like he’s any more thrilled than I am. This makes me smile.

“We’ll just have to make a pact not to let them get to us.”

Mason looks in my eyes. “Deal! In fact, I think the pact should

include more than just potentially embarrassing family members. I

don’t think we should let anybody get to us.”

Brie flashes through my mind quickly. So far, they’ve gotten

along better than I could have ever hoped, but if that ever changes, I

can’t leave my best friend in the lurch. “Deal,” I agree, “but Brie gets

special privileges.”

“That goes without saying.” He agrees. “Now, birthday girl,

what do you want to do today?”

Talking about nonsense, we spend the mild fall day gazing at the

clouds and leaves in my backyard. Brie shows up and demands we get

ready. Mason gives me a quick kiss before heading back to his own

house. He’ll meet us at Brie’s in an hour, so we can all go together.

We’re taking Brie’s mom’s car. It’s exciting to think that in a few

months, we’ll be able to take mine.

Brie surprises me with my present. It’s a skirt she knows I’ve

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been eyeing, and she insists I wear it. I put on my sneakers (I don’t

need to fall into the lake at my own party) and layer a tank top and

hoodie to prepare for the chilly night. Our perfume is sacrificed for

bug spray. You don’t want to mess around with the bugs at the lake. I

throw the bottle in my bag—just in case it wears off or some poor

souls forgot theirs. Brie’s full on punk. She’s rocking her skinny jeans

and a sequined top. Her hair is blue today, and I imagine it’s because

she knows it’s my favorite color, to honor my birthday.

“I have some news.” I smile.

Brie grins at me. “So, you said yes then?”

My mouth drops open, “You knew?”

“Of course I knew,” she laughs, “he practically begged me to

give him some alone time today. I wasn’t about to give it to him

without any explanation.”

“What do you think?”

She turns from the mirror we’re using to put on makeup, her

eyes softer than usual. “I think it’s great, Kat. He’s great. I’m really

happy for you.” She turns her attention back to the mirror. “Plus he

already knows if he hurts you I’ll kill him.” She flashes me a grin. I

laugh. I know Brie well enough not to get mad. That’s just her.

Before I know it we are back in the yard meeting Mason. He

looks great! Before I forget I toss him the bug spray. He shrugs and

sprays himself down before handing it back to me. We pile into Brie’s

mom’s car, and I admit to feeling pretty excited. I’m going to my

birthday party, with my best friend and my boyfriend. Life is pretty

sweet.

As we approach Brie’s uncle’s lake house, my suspicions are

confirmed. Brie has definitely gone all out. Uncle Joe’s house is

impressive by itself, but add the dance floor, the band, food and

lighting and it’s phenomenal. The downstairs kitchen and sitting

room opens directly to the stone patio where all the action is. We

park and are greeted by the man himself. He engulfs me in one of his

bear-hugs.

“Happy Birthday, Kat!” He booms, and then holds me at an

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arm’s length, as though appraising me. “You don’t look any older.”

I laugh. “Thanks, Uncle Joe, I guess I don’t really feel any older,

either.”

Brie clears her throat. “Uncle Joe, this is Mason, Kat’s

boyfriend.”

I’m torn at this. I’m thrilled to hear Mason addressed as my

boyfriend for the first time out loud, but also a little nervous at Uncle

Joe’s reaction to it. If Brie’s protective of me, Uncle Joe could be

deemed ferocious. He’s been watching Brie and I since we were in

diapers and feels every bit as responsible for me as he does for her. I

give Brie a wide eyed look and she winks at me.

Mason steps forward with his hand extended, “Nice to meet

you, sir.”

Uncle Joe laughs loudly, as he shakes Mason’s hand. “Nice to

meet you, but none of this ‘sir’ business, my father was ‘sir’. Joe is

fine.”

Mason laughs, “Sure thing, Joe.”

I turn to Brie. “What time is everyone supposed to show?”

She glances at her phone. “The band should be here to warm up

any minute. I let them set up this afternoon to save time. Everyone

else’s invite said to show in a half hour.”

That means anytime now in a town like ours. Uncle Joe makes

sure we are settled, before he points to the downstairs sitting room.

He gives Brie and I a significant look. “I’ll be there, if you need me.”

We nod our understanding as the first car pulls in.

It turns out to be the band. They jump right into sound checks

and practicing. Before they finish one song, two more cars have

arrived. I wonder if Kiera and her clique will show. Although they

hate me, they’re attention whores so I’ll doubt they’ll miss it.

I’m obviously not the only one impressed with Brie’s handiwork.

People begin to arrive—they ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ over her decorations and

dance along with the band. The place is packed after a half hour, and

everyone (including myself) appears to be having a good time. My

happy bubble slightly deflates when Kiera and her friends arrive. As

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rude as ever, they ignore us and fall in with their usual crowd. I

suppose I’ll take being ignored any day over a confrontation,

although I still pick up on the nasty look Kiera throws my way.

Brie falls into the role of hostess flawlessly. Adamantly refusing

any help from me, she oversees things I never would have thought

of, ensuring that the party carries on seamlessly. It doesn’t surprise

me because when Brie does something, she goes all out. Mason drags

me to the dance floor, and we get lost in the music, making it easy to

forget about Kiera and feeling guilty for not being more help to Brie.

After a short time, Brie is tapping on my shoulder. We follow

her to the patio, and as we pass the drink table I grab a bottle of

water. I take a swig and pass it to Mason. “Did you finally figure out

what I can help you with?” I tease Brie.

She grins mischievously, and I know I’m going to regret asking.

“Kat,” she says in a sing-song voice, “I checked with the band.

During their next break, we’re up for a few songs.”

I recognize the familiar wave of anxiety that always washes over

me when I know I’m going to perform: the rush of endorphins and

adrenalin. I love the music, and unfortunately, performing it is part of

the package. It’s much different in front of a crowd than it is in Brie’s

garage. My trick is not to think about it until the last possible second.

Then, don’t think at all.

Casey Harvell

32

33

Chapter Three

Accident

I give the guitar a strum, getting a feel for it. A tiny squeak of

feedback tears through the speakers as I adjust the microphone to my

height. Behind me, Brie gives the drums a spin. She taps out the beat

to our first song, and instincts take over. We get through three songs

without incident. When we’re done, I’m surprised by the cheers in

the crowd.

The band playing the party made their way to the edge of the

make-shift stage as we played. He pulls Brie aside, but I can’t hear

over the noise. Mason picks me up in a bear hug, spinning me

around. “You guys rocked it!” He has to yell in my ear.

“Thanks!” I yell back. I motion that I need a drink, so navigates

through the crowd towards the patio.

Brie comes rushing over as I chug a bottle of water. “They want

us to try opening for them at their next show next weekend. What do

you say?”

I feel a slight twinge of guilt for going behind our manager’s

back, but this is far too good of an opportunity to pass up.

“Definitely!” I grin.

Brie takes off excitedly, to give our confirmation to the band.

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34

Mason tugs my hand. “Let’s go enjoy the rest of your party.” I follow

him back out to the dance floor.

“You know it was a good party when the mess after it is this

bad.” Brie only half-complains; I can tell she’s thrilled with how it

turned out.

Mason pipes in, “Isn’t there some kind of rule against cleaning

up after your own birthday party?” He shoots a look at the garbage in

my hands, destined for the bag at his feet. “Shouldn’t you go sit

down or something?”

I give him a wry smile. “Actually, I think the rule is you can’t not

help clean up when your best friend throws you the most awesome

party ever.” Brie grins.

“Yup,” She looks at Mason. “And this is how we roll, so you

better get used to it.”

“Okay, okay,” Mason grabs another round of garbage. “I’m no

fool. I can see when I’m outnumbered. And you’re right, Kat, I was

looking at it from the wrong angle, I guess.”

“No worries,” I tell him.

“Yeah, we take some getting used to.” Brie adds, jokingly.

“Ain’t that the truth,” Uncle Joe pipes in. “Listen, why don’t you

guys leave this and come back tomorrow to finish. It’s late.”

Brie eyes her uncle, “Is this so you can go to sleep, or so we

can?”

Uncle Joe looks a little sheepish. “So I can get to bed.” He

admits. “I can’t party like I used to. I’m whooped.”

“Fine, fine!” Brie tells him. “We’ll let the old man go to bed.”

She softens the insult with a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks again, Uncle

Joe. We’ll be back early tomorrow afternoon to finish.”

I give him a kiss on the cheek, too. “Thanks for the venue,

Uncle Joe. It rocked.”

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“Yeah, thanks. And it was nice meeting you.” Mason shakes his

hand.

“You, too.” Uncle Joe walks us to the car. “Stay out of trouble,

ya hear.”

We all agree at once and begin the trek back home. I’m spending

the night at Brie’s, so we drop Mason off at his house. Brie tolerates

our parting kiss for a few minutes before she starts making gagging

noises. I promise to text Mason when we get to Brie’s before we go.

Brie turns the music on, but not loud enough to be obnoxious during

this early morning hour.

Upon arriving at Brie’s, we crash. Brie’s still snoring gently when

I awaken. I quietly make my way to the bathroom, giving Brie’s

mom’s room a wide berth. I’m in no mood for freaky porcelain

clowns, thank you. I make it safely back to Brie’s room, without any

clown incidents.

Grabbing my phone, I see no new texts, so Mason must still be

sleeping, too. I grab my bag and bravely make my way back to the

bathroom. I take a shower while I’m waiting. When finished, I wake

up Brie and text Mason. We still have a lot of cleaning up to do at

Uncle Joe’s. I head to the kitchen to start breakfast, knowing from

years of experience to stay out of Brie’s way for at least a half-hour.

Sure enough, movement from the direction of Brie’s room. I

start some coffee and fry up some bacon and eggs. By the time it’s

done Brie has stumbled in. She makes herself a cup of coffee and

then looks at me. “Good morning.” She’s still grumpy.

I smile. “Good morning, sunshine.”

She sticks her tongue out at me. “You’re all dressed and

everything, huh? You could’ve woken me.”

I give her a level look.

“Okay, maybe not.” She concedes. “I guess you know better by

now.”

“You think?” I smirk at her. “I like all of my extremities,

thanks.” This at least gets a chuckle before she digs into her bacon

and eggs. I glance at the clock. “What time are we going for cleanup

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36

duty?”

She shrugs. “Soon, I don’t want to be doing it all day.” I nod

while chewing my own food. “What do you want to do tonight?”

“We have school tomorrow.” I remind her, “So nothing too

outrageous.”

“How about a movie?”

I grin. We both love the same movies, so I know her answer

before I even ask the question, “The new zombie movie?”

“Oh, yeah,” she grins back, and then sighs. “And you might as

well call Mason. I know you’re dying to. Tell him about tonight, too.”

“You are a really great best friend, you know that?”

“Yeah, I know.”

Monday morning Brie and I find that the entire junior and senior

classes are still raving about our party. I’m hoping this dies down

soon. By Wednesday, the news that we are performing this weekend

with the band from my party has made its way through the school.

I’m glad for the publicity, but as per my usual MO, I try to push it to

the back of my mind. No easy feat when someone brings it up every

thirty seconds. Brie is just plain ecstatic about the show and the hype

it’s getting, and Mason is really excited for us.

Friday night finds us unloading Brie’s mom’s station wagon,

again. I had gotten my permit on Monday after school, but my car is

still off limits until I’m fully licensed. We could never fit all of our

equipment into it anyway, I suppose.

Mason makes our setup so much easier than usual. Even Brie is

impressed with his dedication to our little band. So far, all of my fears

about having the two of them not getting along have gone

unfounded. It makes me happy that they get along so well.

I try not to think about having my mom meet Mason. I’ve

already told her all about him, and vice-versa. I’ve also begged her

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not to embarrass me. She promised to try, so we are having an

official meet the mom Sunday dinner. I’m keeping my fingers

crossed. Hopefully, she does not get into her whole ‘you fell for the

boy next door’ spiel. I’ve been hearing it all week.

I force myself back to the present. The almost too hip (but not)

coffee shop has a nice vibe. Brie is busy with her wires while I tune

my guitar. We’re up first, and the place is packed. I’m surprised that

so many of our classmates showed up. It makes me feel good until I

spot Kiera’s group. I don’t know why they came, except maybe

hoping we screw up, so they can never let us live it down.

I see the manager and Brie talking. She holds up her hand,

indicating we have five minutes. Mason gives me a quick kiss for

good luck, then makes his way to the front of the little stage. Brie

gives me a thumbs up before settling behind her drums. I know this

means we’re wired, completely live. I take a deep breath and wait for

her to start.

Mason suddenly is next to me again. An acoustic guitar’s in place

of my electric one. I shoot Brie a dirty look. They don’t play fair. This

means we’re leading with our slow song. She just shrugs, and Mason

has disappeared. No doubt they planned this.

Brie taps out the beat. It’s time to either start singing or throw a

fit. I decide to sing: plucking and strumming the guitar, enjoying the

softness of it with the song. As I hit the last bar, I cringe inwardly

and wait for the crowd’s reaction. It takes a second, but then they

roar in applause. I smile. I can’t help it.

Mason is back, with my electric guitar, and he looks a little

sheepish. Shaking my head minutely, I smile so he knows we’re good.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kiera and Shelby walking out

from the backstage area, on the side of the stage. No doubt that they

had lost all hope of us embarrassing ourselves and decided to go flirt

with the other band. I turn my attention back to the crowd (no time

to wonder what they’re up to now) and focus as Brie begins the fast,

complicated beat to our next song.

As I strike the first chord, something is off. Before I can place it,

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38

I hit the next chord, and suddenly I’m flying through the air, my body

pulsating. That’s what it is. Someone must have plugged my guitar

into the wrong amp! When I hit the powerful chord, the amp blew

up. This thought is cut off by my harsh impact with first the wall,

then the stage floor.

I still feel electricity pulsing through me. It’s painful, but mostly I

wonder how I’m still conscious. I will never make jokes about an

electric chair again—not that I ever have before. Through the pain, I

see Mason being held back by the manager. He’s trying to help me,

but with the electricity still coursing through me, it’s too dangerous.

A few feet from me, Brie is sitting on the floor. She’s dazed after

being thrown by the explosion. She looks at me, realizes what’s

happening, and takes off towards the equipment. A few seconds later,

the pain and electricity mercifully stop. Unable to move momentarily,

I just sit there. Then I rip the smoldering guitar strap from my head,

throwing what’s left of my beloved guitar on the ground next to me

like a venomous snake.

“Kat!” The manager releases Mason, and he’s by my side in

seconds. “Are you alright?”

“Kat,” Brie is right behind him. “Omigod, are you okay?”

My head is fuzzy, like an old TV that needs to be smacked. I

nod, unable to articulate anything else.

The manager runs over. “I’ve called 911; an ambulance is on its

way.” He looks down at me. “You probably shouldn’t move until

they get here.”

I nod again. The fuzziness is making it hard to focus. For a

second, I note that the place is now empty, but then I’m distracted as

the fuzz begins to dissipate into a tingling that’s running all over my

body.

It’s not a completely comfortable feeling, but it’s not quite

painful either. Mostly, it’s just annoying, but I’ll take it, because my

head feels better, and now I can sort of think and focus.

The first question that pops into my mind is directed at Brie.

“What the hell happened?”

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“Some idiot switched the cords from your amp to the bass amp

from the other band. It blew when it couldn’t take it.” Brie explains.

Mason looks pissed. I’ve never seen him pissed off before. It’s

kind of hot. Oh yeah, I shake my head, trying to focus. “Was it an

accident, or intentional?” Mason asks her.

“It could have been either.” Brie frowns and looks at me again.

“Are you okay?” She repeats.

Both of them look at me intently. “I think so. I feel really

weird.”

They share a look. Before I can ask them what it was for, an

EMT rushes in. The next hour is chaos. Brie, Mason and the manger

explain what happened to the police that have arrived. I insist Brie

gets checked out too, since she was also onstage when it happened.

Then I’m stuck playing twenty questions with my own EMT. They

take us to the hospital: Brie in her own ambulance and Mason

somehow manages to convince the EMT to let him ride in mine. I

call my mom to meet us there. She’s freaking out. Brie makes the

manager promise to lock all of our equipment in his office for the

night. My body still tingles.

The emergency room isn’t very private—with only curtains

separating the beds. I have Mason pull all the curtains except the

ones between my bed and Brie’s, so we’re all together. I can tell when

our moms arrive, almost simultaneously, by the flurry of activity they

create.

They do their concerned mom thing. When my mom calms

down, I introduce her and Mason. If anything good came from this,

at least she’s too distracted to embarrass me. They hook me up to a

ton of machines. I can’t help but notice that Brie is machine free. I

frown at this.

Before I have a chance to say anything about it, the ER doctor

makes his way over to us. It’s not until he pulls my mom aside that I

really start to worry. This can’t be good.

The doctor and my mom come back, but he focuses his

attention on Brie. “We’re going to release you. Other than some

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40

minor bumps and bruises, you were very lucky. Take it easy for a

couple of days, you’ll probably feel worse tomorrow than you do

now.” He continues on with some more instructions, before he turns

his attention to me. “Katarina,” I cringe at my full name, “you are

going to be our guest tonight. We want to keep you for observation.

You took quite a jolt of electricity and we want to be sure there won’t

be any residual effects.”

I pout. Sure, I’m tingly, but I’m fine and I just want to go home.

My mom is on it before a complaint can leave my lips. “It’s just for

one night, Kat. I can stay with you if you want.”

Mason chimes in. “Or I can. I already called my mom. She says

to feel better.”

My mom’s eyebrows shoot way up. I give her a level look. It’s

not like we’d be unsupervised, what with all the doctors, nurses—her

coworkers no less. She must realize this also, because, to my surprise,

she answers quickly. “I guess that’s alright. I’ll be back in the

morning?”

My head is answering yes before my mouth can. “Love you,

mom.”

She kisses my head. “Love you, too, Kat. Call me if you need

anything.” She gives Brie and her mom a hug before saying goodbye. I

see her stop and talk with the doctor again. Obviously satisfied, she

gives one more wave, then leaves.

Brie stays until they move me up to my room. I promise to call

her first thing in the morning. She looks a little guilty leaving without

me.

Mason stays right by my side, even when he has to cram his

body into the corner of the elevator, to accommodate the rolling bed

they insist I stay in. I guess I can cross embarassment off of our

relationship list. I can’t think of much worse than this.

Finally they get us in a room. It’s a double bed but no one is

occupying it, basically leaving the room for me and Mason. I look at

him. “This sucks.” I state the obvious.

“You get zapped by some large, unknown amount of electricity,

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and you’re complaining about a hospital stay?” He shakes his head.

“Frankly, I don’t think this sucks anywhere near as much as watching

you get hurt.”

I consider this, and I can see his perspective, so I acquiesce.

“Fine, you win.” I soften a little. “Thank you for staying, I mean.”

He doesn’t meet my gaze as he answers. “It’s as much for me as

it is for you. It scared me, seeing you like that.”

“I wish I knew what happened.” A memory vaguely pulls at me.

I try to recall it, but it slips away.

“Me, too.” He answers. “I-“

He’s cut off by a nurse entering. She fidgets with a machine then

looks sternly at us. “You need rest.” She points to me. “You may as

well lie down over there.” She motions Mason to the empty bed next

to me, and then leaves, shutting off all but the light next to my bed.

“I guess this is goodnight then.” Mason plops down on the

other bed.

“Goodnight, Mason.” I whisper, watching him fall asleep

quickly.

I’m not so lucky in the sleep department. My body is still

tingling, and it’s hard to get comfortable much less fall asleep. I

suppose I could call the nurse and ask for something, but I really

don’t want to.

So I begin counting ceiling tiles and replaying tonight’s events in

my mind. I stop when I recall something. Something right before the

explosion occurred.

There’s no way I would vocalize this thought to anyone (even

Brie or Mason without real proof) because of the severity of it. But I

recall, almost perfectly, Kiera and Shelby walking away from where all

of the equipment is set up. I remember my confusion. Well, I’m not

confused anymore.

First, I’m pissed. But as that wanes, I realize how serious it

would be to bring the allegations in my thoughts to the attention of

anyone else. I’d be accusing them of a crime. I certainly don’t have

anything to go on, other than seeing them and a hunch. I decide to

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42

keep this to myself, for now.

Mason’s snoring is oddly comforting. I angle myself slightly in

my bed, as best I can with all of the wires attached to me, so I can see

him better. He’s still gorgeous, but in rest he has a peacefulness about

him that lies dormant when he’s awake. Or, maybe it’s just that he

dazzles me when he’s awake, and the last thing I feel is peaceful.

This is the first real chance I’ve had to study him without having

to worry about my appearance. He’s in need of a haircut; his dark

hair is longer than when we first met. A few wayward strands hang

into his eyes. If I was closer to him, I would brush them off of his

forehead. My gaze travels the length of his face: his straight roman-

inspired nose and his strong jaw contrasting it. I know when his eyes

open, I will get lost in their blue depths.

Part of me, albeit a small part now, is still waiting to wake up

from the dream that is Mason. I’m well over the shock that he likes

me, but not only is he great looking; he’s also smart, funny, kind, and

sweet. Pretty much perfect, for me anyway…like he was made just to

be mine.

My thoughts are interrupted when the door opens and another

nurse quietly walks in. She makes her way over to my side of the

room, checking all the machines on her way. “Can’t sleep, honey?”

Oh, she’s much nicer than the last nurse. I shake my head no. “I’ll go

get something for you.”

I don’t turn her down as she walks out of the room. I know I

should be tired. I’m just not. Typically, sleep and I don’t have any

problems. I wonder vaguely if the tingling feeling still coursing

throughout me has anything to do with my sleeplessness when the

door opens and the nice nurse re-enters, a small cup in each of her

hands. “Take these, honey, and you’ll fall asleep soon.”

I comply and thank her before she leaves again. I resume

counting ceiling tiles, but don’t get very far before the pills kick in

and I drift off into a medicated haze.

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43

They release me the next day, but not before I catch snippets of

whispered conversations between my mother and the doctor. Phrases

like ‘should have been killed’ and ‘unexplainable’ float in. I can tell by

the looks Mason gives me that he’s overheard, too. I was very lucky,

considering the amount of electricity they figure I was shocked with.

I still feel tingly and almost…charged, with nervous energy. But

besides that, never better.

It’s a relief to get home. Mason and my mom insist I rest, but I

hold my ground and demand a shower first. I need to wash the

hospital smell off of me. My mom insists Mason go home for an

hour or so also, so she can start the dinner that she is still determined

to make. Mason gives me a chaste kiss before he crosses the backyard

to his own house.

While standing under the hot water helps, it seems to increase

the tingling sensation just under my skin.

I reach for my shampoo, only half looking at my hand and for

just a split second I can swear my hand is glowing. I pause in mid

grab and examine my outstretched hand. I give my head a small shake

and grumble to myself about overactive imaginations, when I very

plainly see a distinct shimmer glimpse over my hand and travel up my

arm. What in the hell is that?

I wash my hair and finish my shower. Unsure exactly what to do

and perhaps in a state of shock, I get out and towel off. The creepy

shimmer has vanished. Shrugging, I chalk it up to paranoia and reach

for my comb.

I keep my comb above the sink, and as I reach for it, my hand

passes next to the electrical outlet on the wall. A loud spark of

electricity jumps from the small slots of the socket and into my arm. I

jump back: scared, then confused because it doesn’t hurt.

Unsure if it’s the best move to make, I slowly reach out for the

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44

comb again. This time, I’m expecting the shock, and I don’t get

scared or jump away when it comes. It still doesn’t hurt, and the

closer I get, the steadier the shock gets until I can see the crackle

transferring between the wall and my hand. The tingling under my

skin feels supercharged like insane pins and needles. It begins to get

uncomfortable, so I quickly snatch up my comb and pull my hand

back.

Disturbed, I bring my comb to my room and get dressed. When

done I sit at the edge of my bed. I study my hands again, looking at

my palms for another shimmer—anything to confirm my sanity. As I

study the backs of my hands for any anomalies, I see and feel a

powerful current of electricity run between them. My eyebrows shoot

to the top of my head, and I know in my heart that this is not normal.

A knock on my door lowers my hands and shakes me from my

newfound freakiness. My mom pops her head through the door

before I answer.

“How are you feeling?” She asks, looking concerned.

I manage a weak smile. “Better, thanks. The shower helped.”

She chuckles. “You never did like going to the doctors.”

I shudder involuntarily. “Nope, still don’t, either. Do you need

help with dinner?”

She shakes her head. “You are supposed to rest. I’ve got the

couch set up for you.”

“Thanks, Mom, I’ll be down in a minute.”

She doesn’t bother to shut the door behind her. I take a few

more moments to collect myself, but If I don’t get downstairs that

my mom will come back up to check on me. I don’t want to worry

her. Especially until I figure out if there’s anything to worry about.

A quick glance in the mirror confirms that I still look like me.

No freaky glowing skin or sparks flying out of my ears. This is

comforting. I bank all of the weirdness in the recesses of my mind to

think about later. Like when my new boyfriend isn’t coming over to

dinner for the first time.

When I’m halfway down the stairs, there’s a knock on the back

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door. I smile, knowing Mason is here. The door open, my mom and

he exchanging pleasantries as I round the corner into the kitchen.

My mom permits a quick hello before she banishes me to the

couch. I can’t really complain, because Mason is following. As soon

as we are no longer in view of the kitchen, he pulls me close and slips

his arms around my waist.

“How are you feeling?” He murmurs into my ear; sending a

delicious sensation up my spine. “You look better. I was worried

about you…even this morning you seemed a bit shaky.”

I gape at him idiotically for a moment before forming a reply. “I

feel better, thanks.” I say breathlessly.

He dips his head and gives me the sweetest kiss I’ve ever had.

It’s a good thing he’s supporting most of my weight, because my legs

turn to Jell-O and I actually swoon. I’ve never swooned before and

my face flushes in embarrassment. From his soft chuckle, he has

noticed my reaction.

“Maybe we should sit?” He suggests.

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” I lead him to the sofa.

Once we’re settled, I grab the remote and turn on the TV. I flick

randomly through channels, pausing momentarily when I see the

BioNano logo on the news. I turn up the sound and the female news

anchor’s voice fills the room.

“We’ve had the first official medical use of BioNano’s new

nanobots and it has been a complete success.” The picture changes

to a young army man in fatigues, then to the same man, with one leg.

“When Michael lost his leg in service he never dreamed we would

have the technology to regenerate it. Three days ago the BioNano

doctors implemented their first nonclinical use for regenerating tissue

and cells. Today, Michael has his leg again.”

A doctor comes onto the screen. “Michael’s journey is just

beginning. We are able to give him back his leg, but he will still have

to undergo months of physical therapy. So far, he can wiggle his toes

and he’s in high spirits.”

The female voice returns. “This is history in the making, folks.

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46

Stay tuned for last night’s sports scores.” I turn down the volume.

“Wow.” I say. “It’s crazy to see them in action.”

“I know.” Mason agrees. “I mean, I know we were just there and

saw most of the theories behind it, but you’re right: it’s crazy to see

them utilize it.”

“I guess it works.” I say more to myself than to Mason.

He looks at me quizzically. “You really have some serious

reservations about them, huh?”

I make a face. “It just seems too freaky, too…chaotic to control,

to me anyway. It’s like BioNano is playing God, but history and

science has shown us repeatedly how dangerous and unstable that is.

And it seems to be moving so fast. They just grew the guy a leg in

three freaking days. It makes me nervous, that’s all.”

“I can see that.” Mason smiles. My mood automatically lightens,

and worries of microscopic robots flee my mind. I change the

channel and find a funny movie. We spend the rest of the time

laughing until my mom calls us to dinner.

Dinner goes surprisingly smooth. My mom and Mason get along

better than I could have ever asked for. I just hope they stay that way.

My mom refuses any help cleaning up, and since tomorrow is a

school day (a school day I plan on attending no matter what my mom

says) we call it an early night. I’m lying in bed, trying to relax and go

to sleep when I hear my phone go off. Mason texts “goodnight” and

it brings a smile to my lips. I reply with the same, and promise to see

him in the morning. Mason occupies my thoughts until I drift off to

sleep, much later than usual.

47

Chapter Four

Electric

Despite my lack of sleep last night, my energy levels are through

the roof. I’m up early, and my mom is shocked when she discovers

I’m halfway done with breakfast. I take a little extra time getting

ready. I wear my favorite jeans, and a newer shirt. I even throw on a

little eyeliner and lip gloss. This is about as girly as I get. I shove my

feet into my chucks and grab my backpack to meet Mason in the

backyard.

Brie meets us at her corner and the three of us are off. I’m

mentally preparing myself for school. I know that everyone will be

buzzing about Friday’s show as well as the explosion. But with Brie

and Mason by my side, I think I can handle it. I just hope to keep my

temper and accusations in check around Kiera and Shelby.

Turns out, I never even saw them. I’m sure they were there, but

all day I had either Brie or Mason beside me, and a throng of people

I usually consider mere acquaintances swarming us. I can tell the

difference between those who just want the latest thing to gossip

about, and the ones who are sincerely concerned. The amount of the

latter surprises me, but it makes me feel good to know more people

care than I thought.

In Biology, Mr. Murphy has been just about bursting with

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48

excitement over the successful use of the nanobots from BioNano.

We all had to promise to follow the story closely, as it is now

becoming a graded project. I love Mr. Murphy, but those

microscopic robots still give me the heebie-jeebies.

On our way home, Brie declares that we will not have practice

today. I only argue a little, mostly because Mason flashes his puppy

dog eyes at me, and maybe a little because I’m scared to strap a guitar

on again. Not that I’m going to let that stop me. My guitar is a fried

memory: the last I saw it, a melted blotch of plastic and metal. Brie

has a spare she’s giving me, but I don’t think that putting it off one

more day should matter. We split at Brie’s road; she winks at me

behind Mason’s back and I wonder for a moment if he planned this.

Mason looks nervously at me. “I was thinking that maybe, you

might want to come to my house for a change? Maybe meet my

parents?”

I grin. “I’d love to.”

I’ve been inside Mason’s house many times before over the

years. Our neighborhood has always been close knit, something you

don’t see too much of anymore. Right away I notice the changes that

they’ve made. The old wallpaper is gone, and the muted earth tones

in the room make it relaxed.

“My parents won’t be home for a couple hours. Do you want to

watch a movie or something?” Mason asks.

“Maybe in a little bit?” I reply. “I want to get this calculus

homework done and over with.”

He shrugs. “Okay.” He leads me to the kitchen and sets his bag

on the table, “Anything to eat or drink?”

“Sure, whatever you have works for me.”

I enjoy watching him move around the kitchen, being all

domestic. It’s cute. He sets two sodas and a bag of chips on the table

as I set out my homework. He joins me, and we quickly get through

it. I’m putting my books away when I hear the front door open, and a

voice calls out. “Mason, you home?”

“In the kitchen, Mom!” He calls back, and then looks at me.

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“You ready?”

I swallow hard. Apparently it doesn’t matter if I’m ready because

Mason’s mom is here. As she enters the room, I quickly see the

resemblance between them. My manners kick in and I force a smile

on my face, “Hello, Mrs. Griffin, it’s nice to meet you.” I stand and

extend my hand.

She has the same smile as Mason. “Hello, you must be Kat. How

nice to finally meet you!” She shakes my hand gently, but I don’t miss

the look she shoots Mason as she speaks.

“Sorry Mom,” Mason says, sounding contrite.

“Well,” she says, “it’s not like you’ve ever brought a girl home

before, so I guess I should be grateful I get to meet Kat here.” She

winks at me.

I’m still stuck on the fact that Mason has never brought a girl

home before. Obviously he has mentioned me, or his mom wouldn’t

have known my name.

I’m still thinking this over when Mason grabs my hand. “C’mon.

I’ll show you my room.”

I give his mom a small smile and allow myself to be dragged

behind him. We go upstairs, and Mason pulls me through the first

door on the right. The walls are a deep blue, and remind me of his

eyes. A large window dominates one wall, a full size bed across from

it. It’s not much bigger than my room, but his TV is larger and a

couple of game consoles lay next to it on the floor. My attention is

drawn to the art over the bed on the wall. The pictures are beautiful.

As I pass the desk, I notice more art work. “I didn’t know you draw.”

I say quietly, more to myself than to Mason.

“I don’t like to brag.” He smirks. He doesn’t stop me when I

move to open one of the drawing pads. The first page is a landscape

of the ocean. I flip the page and see a picture of my face. In awe, I

turn. Page after page is me! It’s like a series of photographs: me

laughing, me pouting, me sleeping—only much prettier versions, “I

like to draw what I know.” He says quietly.

I smile at him. If it was anyone else, it would be kind of creepy.

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But because it’s Mason, I find it endearing. “I think it’s sweet.” I tell

him, and he relaxes a little.

Mason’s mom yells up the stairs that his father is home. Mason

rolls his eyes and grabs my hand. “Ready for round two?” He asks,

before leading me back down.

Mason’s dad is every bit as warm and funny as his mom. They

insist I stay for dinner, and when they realize I live next door, they

extend the invitation to my mom, also. This is how the five of us find

ourselves sitting in the Griffin’s dining room. But I have no

complaints. Our parents are getting along great. Mason and I manage

a small kiss goodbye before my mom and I go home. I kind of wish

we had some more time alone this afternoon and I can tell by looking

at him he feels the same.

No sooner do I get settled into bed, my phone goes off. I feel

around in the dark, until my hand clasps over it. It takes a second for

my eyes to adjust to the light from the screen. It’s a text from Mason.

He wants me to meet him out back in ten minutes. I peek my head

into the hallway. My mom’s light is off, but her TV is on, and I hear

lines from Cat on A Hot Tin Roof. She’s not getting up again

tonight. I’ve never snuck out before, but then I’ve also never had a

reason to.

Feeling excited and kind of naughty, I text back “okay” and get

dressed again. I pull on jeans and a hooded sweatshirt and stuff a

pillow under my blanket. I punch it a few times to make it look more

realistic. Satisfied, I creep quietly out of my bedroom, into the

hallway, and down the stairs. I slip my key off of the hook and cringe

at the small squeak the back door makes when I open it. Once it’s

closed and locked, I allow myself a small sigh of relief. This sneaking

out thing sure is exhilarating.

Mason is waiting for me beneath the tree that separates our

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yards. He greets me with a kiss. When we’re done he presses his

forehead against mine. “Hi, again.”

“Hi, again.” I can’t help the smile on my lips. “This is exciting.”

I whisper.

He repositions us so his arms are still wrapped around me, but

I’m now far enough away for him to see my whole face. He gazes

down at me, quizzically. “Have you never done this before?”

I’m glad it’s dark out—it covers my blush. “Um, no.”

He looks taken aback momentarily. “Now I feel like a bad

influence.”

“Well, don’t.” I hold his gaze. “I’ve never really had a good

reason to before.” I’m surprised his smile doesn’t light up the whole

backyard. “Are you up for a field trip of sorts?” I ask.

“Lead the way.” He releases all of me except my hand, as I

quietly lead him through the backyards.

I take him to our childhood stomping ground. The small park

has long since been forgotten by everyone, except those of us who

used to play here every day. Two of the four swings still hang next to

each other, so I drag him over to them and sit down on one. He sits

next to me.

The tingling under my skin hasn’t gone away since

the…incident. Rather, I’ve gotten used to it. I haven’t even allowed

myself to think of my possible mental breakdown the night I got

home from the hospital. I’ve steered clear of electrical outlets, no

easy feat in this day and age. I would be more than happy to continue

on as though nothing is wrong. As I release Mason’s hand so he can

sit on the adjacent swing, I grab both chains of my own swing to

steady myself. In the darkness, the glow between the metal and my

hands is hard to miss. I drop them quickly, but not quick enough and

I glance next to me to find Mason gaping at me.

I half grimace, half smile. “Were your hands just glowing, Kat?”

He sputters.

“Yeah,” I bite my lip and look away. I hope this doesn’t change

anything between us. “After…when I got home from the hospital, I

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thought I was crazy. But I guess if you can see it too, then I’m not,

right?” I look back at him, hopeful.

He’s not freaking out or running away, which I take as a good

sign. My body relaxes when he smiles. “It’s kind of cool actually. You

really thought you were going crazy?”

I tell him the story of the weird shimmer and the oddness of the

electrical outlet. His eyebrows shoot way up, but to his credit he

doesn’t laugh. When I’m done he looks kind of excited. “Have you

tried anything else?” He asks.

I shrug. “Not yet. I wasn’t even sure that it was real. I’ve kind of

just been trying to ignore it.”

He turns his swing towards me. “Try something now, anything.”

He encourages.

I roll my eyes, but stand up making sure Mason is a few feet

behind me. I don’t know if I can do anything, but if I can I certainly

don’t want hurt him. I hold my hands apart in front of me, palms

facing the other, and again I can see the light forming. I focus and

push out all of that nervous energy I’ve had bottled up for days,

visualizing it between them. I’m rewarded (and frankly quite shocked)

to see the light grow into a sphere of electric energy.

“Can you throw it?” Mason asks behind me, startling me and

causing the sphere to shrink momentarily before ballooning back to

its previous size. I take a deep breath before throwing the sphere in

front of me.

The old teeter-totter had seen better days. So when my sphere of

energy hit it and instantly obliterated it, I was only a little surprised.

The aftershock from the electrical explosion (almost like when you

see an atomic bomb explosion in a movie) did surprise me. Mason

grabs me quickly from behind, pulling me away. “Kat, are you

alright?”

I do a quick check. “I think so. That was…interesting.”

“That was freaking awesome.” Mason exclaims. “Can you do it

again?”

A dog is barking nearby. “Maybe we better not.” I say quietly.

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“That was kind of loud.”

Mason looks at me. “Okay,” He nods and grabs my hand again.

“Let’s get out of here.”

Now that the adrenaline is waning and the reality of what I just

did has sunk in, I’m kind of freaking out. “Has this ever happened to

anyone before?” I ask.

Mason shakes his head. “Not that I’ve ever heard of.”

“Me either.” I lead us back through the yards without even

thinking about it from years of practice. “Do I go back to the

hospital?” My stomach turns just thinking about it.

Mason stops short and whips me towards him. “No!” He says

much too loudly.

“Shhh!” I remind him.

“Sorry,” he runs his free hand through his hair. “But you’ve seen

the movies—they’ll lock you up and turn you into some freaky

science experiment.”

I consider this. Mason really looks worried. I definitely don’t

want to become a science experiment. I shudder, my mind drifting to

those freaky nanobots. “Yeah,” I agree. “I won’t tell anyone else,

except for Brie.”

“Agreed,” he pulls me to him. “You still feel the same.”

Nuzzling his nose against mine, he kisses me sweetly. “Mmmm, and

you still taste the same.” My knees almost give out. “But I’m a little

worried about you. Maybe we should get you home, so you can go to

sleep.”

This time it’s me that answers a little too loudly. “No!” I catch

myself. “I’ve been having a hard time getting to sleep, since…” My

voice trails off.

Gazing at the sky and lying in a secluded corner of my backyard,

Mason and I stay up until we can no longer deny the impending

sunrise. Grudgingly we part (which is just silly because in a couple

hours we’ll be going to school together.)

After having some time to think it over, I’m still completely

freaked out by my shocking new talent. I feel better that Mason

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knows, and more than anything, confirming that I’m not losing my

mind. Of course, the alternative is not any more comforting than

insanity, but I still prefer it.

I text Brie as soon as I think she’s up. I need to spill the beans to

her, too, or she’ll be really pissed at me for holding out on her. Not

telling Brie doesn’t even occur to me. Brie would never tell any of my

secrets. While glowing and throwing zappy spheres is not my typical

type of secret, I know it will still be safe.

When Mason and I meet up with her she is about to explode

with curiosity. Best friend or not, I know it’s something that she has

to see first-hand to believe. She demands we forfeit first period and

let her into the loop. I have no qualms missing gym. Mason just

shrugs, so we go back to her house. Her mom has already left for the

day.

“Okay,” Brie huffs. “Now, spill.”

As I tell the story again, we walk into Brie’s kitchen for the first

demonstration. Standing next to the outlet by her back door, and

warning them to stand back, I raise my hand towards the outlet and

approach it. Almost a foot away from it, I feel the tingling sensation

jump from my palm, and then the current is visible.

Both Brie and Mason are doing their best goldfish impressions. I

lower my hand. The energy disappears from sight and I feel what my

body has absorbed. I turn to them both. “We should probably go

outside for part two.” Not waiting for a response, I go out the back

door, sitting on the steps of the porch until I hear the door open

behind me.

“There’s more?” Brie asks, quietly.

I nod. Mason sits next to me, throwing an arm over my

shoulder. I can’t help but feel a little self-conscious. “I’m a total freak,

right?”

Mason says no at the same time Brie says yes. They both stop

talking, and maybe I’m slightly hysterical, but I find it so funny that I

begin laughing, hard. Within a few seconds they are laughing with

me.

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When we recover, both of them seem to be regarding me

normally again. Brie looks at me, smirking. “So, c’mon already, I still

want to see.”

I glance at Mason. We still don’t know how volatile the sphere

can be. “Maybe we should go back to that playground?”

In agreement, we leave our bags and weave through the

backyards again to the old park. Brie stops in front of the old, now

obliterated teeter-totter. “What the heck happened to this thing?” She

asks and as I blush, her eyes widen. “Get out.”

Instructing her and Mason to stand in the trees behind me, I

look for my next target. I see the old slide, complete with holes. It

looks dangerous, so I guess it’s almost a public service to demolish

it…at least that’s what I tell myself as I hold my palms out in front of

me again, facing each other.

Once more I push the energy out. I throw the glowing sphere in

my hands at the slide, but this time I’m prepared for the aftershock. I

place a steadying hand on the ground and duck down to one knee.

The effect is the same as last time.

“Holy crap!” Brie exclaims. But her eyes are dancing. “Kat, that’s

amazing!”

I smile. “It is kind of cool, isn’t it?”

“I told you.” Mason says. “I wonder: can you make it less

intense, like change the power of it so it’s not quite so potent?”

I shrug but give it a try. I try sending a small sphere at a small

leftover piece of the slide. It coats the metal in an eerie glow before it

dissipates. I play around for a few more minutes, but then a quick

glance at my phone tells me that we should be on our way.

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57

Chapter Five

Chaos

Back at Brie’s we grab our bags. We still have a few minutes, and

perhaps out of habit, she flicks on the TV while we wait. The screen

catches all of our attention:

“…at this rate, the numbers are staggering. Within just a few

days the entire eastern seaboard will be affected unless we figure out

how to stop them.”

Another reporter’s voice cuts in, “The issue with that, Jim, is

that at the rate people are falling to this, all of the scientists with the

knowledge to fix them will be overtaken before they have a chance.”

The screen changes from the debating reporters to a news

studio. “If you are just joining us, we are reporting live, up to the

minute coverage of the nanobot invasion. Early this morning Michael

Roberts, the man with the first successfully regenerated limb through

nanotechnology, was found dead in his room. Upon discovery, police

were called on the scene. It didn’t take long for people to notice

things changing.

“In the beginning, four out of six people exposed to Michael’s

body began exhibiting symptoms of a fever and a rash. Within thirty

minute, the numbers had risen to sixty. Approximately twenty

minutes after the onset of symptoms, those affected have lost

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consciousness. When they awaken, they no longer appear human.

Their emotions are gone, their movements calculated. Dr. Julian Ford

explains.”

In his own small box in the corner, Dr. Ford appears

uncomfortable on the screen. I assume he is being shot on location in

his lab at BioNano. His voice is shaky as he begins. “Thank you.” He

clears his throat. “The onset of symptoms is the indicator that these

rogue nanobots have infected a body. They appear like that of a

virus, because the nanobots are infecting a body as a foreign entity

and the body is trying to fight it off.” His voice grows somber.

“Upon exposure, there’s no hope of containment and currently,

though we are hard at work, we do not have the ability to stop them.

They appear to be taking control of those they have infected. At this

time, we don’t know what intentions they have, if any. Please remain

indoors if possible, but remember that exposure does not stop with

people. These nanobots work on a molecular level. Everything they

come in contact with: people, animals, buildings, even water can

become a carrier.”

It’s the noise outside that breaks our trance with the television.

Mason moves towards the window. “You guys should see this.”

Brie and I move to the window. It’s pandemonium outside. The

roads are jammed; drivers seem to be laying on their horns. People

are running past each other on the sidewalks. Scared, I turn from the

window and grab my phone. I try calling my mom, but it beeps,

saying there’s no service. I frown and try Brie’s house phone. It’s

dead, too.

I see Mason with his phone in his hand. He shakes his head. Brie

rummages through her backpack and pulls hers out. I can tell by her

frustrated expression that it’s not working either. My mind is racing.

We all want to find our parents. It doesn’t seem safe to separate. We

need to stay together.

I take my backpack and dump it out on Brie’s kitchen table. I

pluck a few things out of the pile, and rummage through Brie’s

kitchen. I throw matches, an LED flashlight and a can opener into

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my backpack. “We have to go.” I tell Mason and Brie. “We can try to

find our parents, but once we do, we can’t stay here. BioNano is less

than an hour east of here. If these things are spreading, we need to go

west as quickly as possible. Judging by the traffic outside, we better

go on foot.”

The contents of their bags have joined mine. My mind is still

racing. “Brie, pack a change of clothes and anything else you think

you might need, but make sure you can carry it. We’ll leave a note for

your mom to stay put. We can go check my house and Mason’s and

then come back.”

“What if nobody’s there?” Brie looks terrified.

“We can go look for them.” Mason suggests.

I bite my lip. “I think we should take everything on an

individualized basis right now. I really don’t think we should assume

anything.” I pull some water out of the fridge, two bottles for each of

us, and toss Mason and Brie their bottles. “We should hurry.” A

scream out front confirms this.

Brie takes off to her room. I throw a couple cans of food into

my bag and Mason’s. When I stop, I break down. Mason holds me as

I temporarily lose it. “What if they’re not there, Mason? What do we

do?”

He sighs. “I don’t know. I think you’re right. It seems crazy out

there…we’ll have to take it as it comes.”

I nod, slightly mollified that I’m not the only one who doesn’t

know what to do. Before I can freak out anymore, Brie is back and

ready to go. She’s changed into more suitable walking clothes. “Got

everything?”

She nods, “Oh, the note!” Quickly, she jots down a note to her

mom leaving it in plain view on the counter.

We make sure the house is locked up tight before we stand by

the back door. The back yards appear empty, but we can still hear the

panic on the streets out front. Locking the back door behind us, we

creep through the backyards without incident until we reach the

street we have to cross, in order to get to the next set of yards.

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I’m not surprised to see it’s as chaotic as Brie’s street. Everyone

is hysterical and trying to get out of town at once, with no regard for

anyone’s safety. “We have to get across, try to stay together and not

to draw attention to ourselves. The last thing we need are people

catching onto our plan and tearing through the yards after us.” I

whisper.

I take another look, and Mason pulls me back quickly as a car

flies down the sidewalk. It misses me by inches. Seconds later, it

crashes into a telephone pole. The front of the car catches fire,

smoke billowing a few feet away. I figure this is about as good a

chance as we’re going to get. “Go!” I yell, and take off weaving

through the mess of cars and people, hoping Brie and Mason are

behind me.

When I round the corner behind the house across the street I

stop and try to catch my breath while resting my hands on my thighs.

To my relief, Mason and Brie appear next to me almost instantly,

mirroring my actions.

“That was like an obstacle course!” Mason says energetically.

“Really,” Brie agrees, taking big gulps of air.

I want to wait to catch our breath more, but another explosion

from the road tells me it’s time to move again. “C’mon.”

It’s not easy, but we push forward. Our surroundings are like

something out of a bad movie and the intensity of it hangs thickly in

the air. Mason’s in flight mode and I’m fairly sure that Brie’s in

shock.

My house is empty when we get there. I change quickly, throw

some clothes and some more supplies in my bag, and leave my own

note for my mom. We find Mason’s house empty too. It’s

discouraging, and we take a minute to figure out our next move.

“Let’s go up to the attic.” Mason suggests. “We can at least have

a better view of what’s going on outside.”

It’s a good thing we did, but my heart falls as I look towards the

downtown area—the place where all of our parents work. It looks

like a war zone, completely impassable. My heart breaks as I think of

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my mom. She’s working at the hospital. If people came in infected,

there would be no hope for her. Staring at the smoke and throngs of

people running, I know we can’t go there to look for our parents.

Brie starts to cry, and Mason’s cheeks are wet. None of us have to say

anything, we all know.

I’m the one to break the silence. “We have to go.” My voice is

numb.

Brie nods. Mason tears his gaze from the window. “I have some

camping stuff in the garage, should I grab that, too?”

“That’s a good idea. We’ll grab some more food and water. Do

you have a map by any chance?”

He directs me to a bookcase and I grab a map of northern New

England. As I turn to leave something metal catches my eye. I pick

up an antique compass and hold it flat in my palm to see if it still

works. It does, so I shove it in my pocket.

I take the map and lay it across Mason’s dining room table. The

three of us stand over it to pinpoint the best way out of town. Once

we decide on a course, we strap on our packs and make sure all of the

houses are locked up tightly.

Like bad deja-vu, we all huddle by Mason’s back door and peek

out, just like we had to at my house and Brie’s before. Our luck has

run out with the backyards; other people have taken to fleeing

through them, too. At least they’re leaving the houses alone. I stare

nostalgically at my house, not knowing if I’ll ever see it again.

“Stay together.” Mason reminds us, opening the door and

snapping me out of sobering thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, I follow Mason out the door. As we step

into the chaos, we join hands. Mason leads us west. We hear loud

screaming behind us, and suddenly people begin to race past us. I

turn, and see an even larger mob heading our way. They must be

running from the infection. It’s the only thing I can think of that

would cause that level of fear.

Beside us, a young mother stumbles to her knees as she carries

her young child. Mason releases my hand to help her up, and we

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huddle around her as a throng of people hammer past us. My back is

hit multiple times, and I know I’ll have some bruises to show for it.

Out of the corner of my eye, about five people packed feet from us, I

spy an open garage.

“Mason!” I scream. When he looks, I jut my chin in the garage’s

direction. He nods, and slowly Mason, Brie and I shuffle ourselves

and this woman and child into the garage. Mason slams the large

door down behind us. The relief of being out of that mess of bodies

is immediate.

The woman clutches her obviously frightened child to her.

“Thank you, thank you so much.” She says between gulps of air. The

little boy peeks at us through his mother’s hair.

“No problem,” Mason says. Then he turns to me. “There has to

be a better way to do this.”

Chewing on my lip, I try to figure out how we can do this. I turn

to the woman. “I’m Kat, that’s Brie and that’s Mason. Are you trying

to go somewhere particular?”

She shakes her head. “I’m Becky. This is Nate. I don’t think that

there’s a safe place left to go.” She takes a deep breath, and looks me

in the eye, terrified. “When I looked out our large window upstairs,”

she stutters, “I-I, saw it. It looked like a swarm, from a distance. But it

shimmered in the sunlight. I’ve been watching the news. I grabbed

Nate and what I could carry and ran.”

I look at Mason and Brie. They both nod slightly, giving me the

approval I’m seeking. None of us have the heart to send this woman

and kid back out into that mess. “You’re welcome to stay with us.

I’m not quite sure where we’re going yet, or how we’ll get there, but

it might be safer than being on your own.”

I see her eyes water. “That’d be great.” She says in a small voice.

She probably doesn’t want to scare her kid any more than he already

is.

I spy a window in the back corner. Moving to it, I wipe the

excess dust off with my sleeve. The small alley way between the

house and the garage is blessedly empty. I open the window and put

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my index finger to lips, asking everyone to be quiet. I see Becky

whisper into Nate’s ear, and his small head nods under her hair.

Climbing out the window isn’t as easy as it should be. The

opening isn’t large, and I have to wiggle and contort myself through

it. When my feet hit the ground and I find my bearings, I see Mason

in the window behind me.

We need to go west, so I head left first. If we can get to the

woods, we should be able to escape most of the pandemonium. That

means crossing two more roads.

Both directions look the same. I know we can’t stay here. I

motion to Mason to come out, quietly. It takes us a moment to

convince Nate to let go of his mom, but he finally releases her, and

clings to me instead while she makes her way out of the window. As

soon as she’s out, a thought crosses my mind. I whisper in Becky’s

ear, “If Nate will permit it maybe Mason should carry him, just until

we hit the woods. He’s stronger and can move faster with him.”

She nods, taking Nate back, whispering in his ear while I quietly

explain to Mason. Mason nods, shifts his bag, tightening the straps,

and holds his arms out to Nate. Tentatively, Nate allows Mason to

hold him. Mason places Nate in front of him, wraps the boy’s small

arms around his neck, and then encases the boy by zipping his jacket

up around the boy.

Everyone looks at me expectantly. I frown for a second, unsure

when or how I became the person in charge. It’s a lot of

responsibility when the world’s going to hell.

They follow me to the opening that we’ll have to sprint through.

All of our eyes widen, things have gotten worse. The abandoned

damaged cars are barricading any possible path. This must be what

drove all the people into the back yards. Some cars smoke, others

burn. The scene resembles a war zone.

Turning back to our small group, I try to speak loud enough to

be heard by them, but not so loud as to attract any unwanted

attention. “We have to go over the cars. It’s the only way.”

I go first. I don’t want Mason to be the first person out while

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he’s holding Nate. We stay close together. People still race down the

sidewalks and through the front yards, but they ignore us in their

panic. I get to the first car and climb on over it, then turn to help

Brie. I motion her to keep going. I help down Mason and Becky,

while Brie waits for them on the other side of the next car. We follow

this leap-frog pattern until we are on the other side of the road.

My body is already screaming from over-exertion, but I know we

are a long way from being able to stop and rest. One hysterical

woman screams and latches onto Brie’s arm. Brie tries pushing her

off, but the woman won’t let go. I feel bad but people are starting to

notice us—not what we need right now. I slap the woman hard across

the face.

She’s dazed and that’s all I need to pull Brie’s arm free. We run

towards the next house, stopping momentarily and pressing ourselves

against the side of it.

The next street is an identical scene to the one we just crossed.

At least I know that beyond it lies the woods, and I’m hopeful that

not too many others chose the same route. The looks on all of our

faces are the same. Wary, tired, but also determined. I straighten my

back and step out into the madness.

This time a quite large, hysterical man starts running toward me.

Petrified, I react without thinking, punching him square in the nose.

He falls and we quicken our pace. Now that we have a routine for the

cars, we cross them much faster. Through the next yard I’m surprised

by Becky, who throws a pretty darn effective punch of her own at a

scruffy teenager running at Mason and Nate. It must be ‘mom’

strength because she’s such a small, slight woman.

I hear a hissing behind us, and discover one of the fires has

spread to a new car. I push everyone forward. “Run!” I yell.

We just make it around the side of the house when the ground

shakes and a massive boom erupts. Mason cradles Nate while the rest

of us just stare at each other, wide eyed.

A good part of me knows that I probably don’t want to see, but

the survivor in me needs to know what might be lurking around the

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corner. Brie grabs for me but I shrug her off, motioning for all of

them to stay there. When I look, the new car on fire had exploded.

Pieces of car are everywhere, and we make it just in time. I shudder

when I notice someone’s hand in the bush next to me. My stomach

turns and I fall backwards, crab-walking back a few feet. Everyone

else jumps up, scared of my reaction.

“Well,” I say shakily. “There’s certainly no one following us

anymore.” I sit down and try to shake the image of the hand from my

mind. “We should keep moving.” I say upon standing.

My anxiety lessens a little as we begin our hike through the

woods. We don’t hear or see anyone else. When we reach the

Blackberry River (really more of a stream) Brie and I lead everyone to

the fallen tree to cross. Since we are unfamiliar with the lay of the

land, I wonder how we’ll make it out.

We take a short break when we get to the other side. I hand

Becky a bottle of my water for her and Nate to share. Mason unzips

Nate from his jacket and gives him back to his mother. After a few

minutes we move on.

We hike west for hours without incident, resting intermittently.

When we hit the Housatonic River we hike north a bit until we reach

a shallower section.

“Do we try to cross here, or keep going until we reach a bridge?”

I ask.

“Bridges mean people. I’d rather try my luck with the river.” Brie

answers first, and we all agree.

Mason looks at me. “I’ll be right back.” Moments later he

returns with a small rowboat and paddle. “This might help.”

“Where’d that come from?” Brie asks. I could care less where it

came from; I’m just happy we have it.

“It was leaning up against the back of the last house we passed

just over there.” Mason answers, lowering the small boat into the

water. “Careful getting in. It’s light-weight, but should get us across

in one piece.”

It’s a tight fit, but with Nate in Becky’s lap we all find a spot.

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Mason paddles us across the deep river. We reach the other side and

decide to take a break.

“Let’s have something to eat while we can.” I’m hungry, and I’m

sure everyone else is, too.

Mason digs through his bag, until he produces some beef jerky

and peanut butter sandwich crackers. He passes them around. I fish

out some oatmeal cookies and Brie pulls out some chips. We all eat

quickly, and quietly.

I’m just ready to start packing up, when a branch snaps behind

me. I pull my small knife out of my pocket, and stand quickly, facing

the threat. Mason is beside me almost instantaneously, Becky grasps

Nate closely and Brie stands in front of her. A kid around our age

steps out of the woods towards us—hands up, palms out.

“Hey, sorry I scared you.” He says, stopping a few feet from our

makeshift picnic area. We all regard him suspiciously.

“Where did you come from?” I ask a little more harshly than I

mean to.

“I came down from Ashley Falls. Everybody there went crazy.”

His face falls.

“Everybody from Canaan, too,” Mason says quietly.

“Where are you headed?” Brie asks him.

He shrugs. “West, for now. Those things are to the east, so I’m

not going that way.”

I begin to relax a bit. It might be useful to have another guy with

us. “I’m Kat. This is Mason, Brie, Becky, and the little guy is Nate.”

His gaze follows my finger around our little group.

“I’m Jared. Where are you guys headed?”

I glance at Mason, then at Brie. They both shrug. “We’re heading

west too.”

“Can I walk with you guys?” Jared asks.

I look at Mason. If this goes south he’s the only even match

among us. Mason, realizing the decision is his, answers, “Yeah, we

could use another pair of hands.”

Jared relaxes, “Cool.” He comes closer and sits down by our

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bags, taking his off and stretching out.

We sit for a while longer, getting to know Jared-and Becky for

that matter, a little better. After one last drink, we pack up and

resume hiking.

We walk until the sun hangs low in the sky. “We should stop for

the night soon.” I sound as tired as I feel.

Mason looks around before dropping his bag. “This seems like

as good a place as any.” Nobody hides their relief at stopping. We’ve

all hiked further today than we probably ever had before.

Mason hands me two tents, which Brie and I begin to set up.

Mason and Jared gather enough wood to build a fire that will last the

night. Becky gets Nate settled with a clean diaper, a juice box and

some crackers. Within a short time we have a pretty decent

impromptu camp set up.

It’s decided rather quickly, and surprisingly smoothly, that Becky

and Nate will share the smaller tent. Brie and I share the larger tent.

Mason and Jared alternate watch duty while staying out by the fire.

We didn’t have room for sleeping bags or bedrolls. Becky sets a

small blanket on the floor of the tent for Nate. Without thinking, I go

to my backpack and pull out some of my extra clothes. Stuffing

everything I have inside my hoodie, I zip it together and bring it to

Becky’s tent, shoving it under the blanket for Nate so he’s not lying

on the ground.

“Thank you.” Becky says her gratitude plain on her face.

“No problem. Don’t want the little guy catching cold.” I smile

and watch Nate curl up on the now cushioned blanket. He falls right

to sleep. Poor kid had a long day, just like us.

Jared and Mason have the fire going, so I dig through my bag for

a pot, a can of something decent to eat, and the can opener I

grabbed. Brie and Mason follow suit. Even Jared chips in, adding a

few sticks of smoked sausage to our spoils. “Better eat it before it

goes bad.” Jared says.

“Thanks,” I say. “We can all use the protein.” I don’t miss the

way Brie is eyeing him up out of the corner of my eye. Jared’s pretty

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cute, so I’m not completely surprised by it.

We end up with a pretty decent spread, and the best part is that

it’s warm. Becky wakes up a sleepy Nate, making him eat before she

does. He quickly falls back asleep. After Becky’s done, she offers to

clean up, but we tell her to go get some rest. She doesn’t argue, but

joins Nate in the tent and zips it shut.

Four of us remain around the fire. The guys let it burn down to a

smaller fire. We want to stay warm and keep any wild animals away,

but we also don’t want to draw anyone to us. We got lucky with

Becky and Jared, yet something tells me everyone we encounter may

not have such good intentions.

Mason offers to take the first watch shift. I’m unsure if it’s

because he’s being nice, or if he’s still a little uncertain of Jared’s

loyalty to our group. Brie gives me a questioning look, but I shake my

head slightly. I’m also not so sure that I want to leave Mason alone

with Jared just yet.

I snuggle closer to Mason; he wraps his arm around me. It’s

getting chillier, the fall night growing crisp. The only sounds are the

skittering of animals and the crackling and popping of the fire.

The fire itself becomes somewhat mesmerizing. We’re all too

tired to talk after the long day we’ve had. Something warns me that

tomorrow won’t be any easier. After a short time, Brie’s head begins

to nod, so she gives in and zips herself into the tent for the night.

My body hurts and aches in places that I never even realized I

had, but I’m not tired. I’m still chock-full of nervous energy. I

wonder if it’s from getting charged by the outlet this morning, or if I

create it all by myself now. Do I have to let it out? More importantly,

what happens if I don’t?

Even if I did want to go be some freaky science project, it’s not

something that will happen during all of this madness. I shudder—

whether it’s at the thought of being locked in a lab, or fighting my

way to one, I’m not sure.

Mason’s arm tightens around me. “You’re cold. You should go,

try to sleep.”

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I glance quickly: at him, then Jared and back to him again.

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah,” Mason says.

I give him a quick kiss and stand. “Just call if you guys need

anything. Goodnight, guys.”

They both murmur goodnight as I unzip the tent and climb

inside. I lay down next to Brie, and despite the nervous energy, I fall

fast asleep.

I awake with a start to a rustling sound. It’s still dark, and I’m

disoriented, but I hop up and unzip the tent quietly to investigate. It’s

just before dawn; I can see the sky lightening to the east. I creep

slowly out of the tent and zip it back up. Both Mason and Jared are

fast asleep, the fire now a small pile of smoldering embers.

Peering around in the darkness, I look for the cause of the

rustling. I hear it again—my eyes adjust and focus in on our intruder.

A small, black bear pokes through the remnants of last night’s dinner.

A baby bear means that there’s a mama bear somewhere close.

We lock eyes, less than three feet away from each other. It cocks

its head and looks at me quizzically. I try to remember what to do in

a bear attack. Do you stay still or make noise? I can’t remember. I

decide to stay still until I know where mama bear is.

I want to wake up Mason and Jared behind me, but I don’t dare

move. The little bear doesn’t seem to even notice them and I’m

worried if they wake up it might turn on us. It is awfully small

though.

I frown. Surely the mama bear can’t be that far away. Baby bear

goes back to munching and I take a quiet step backwards, pivoting

one foot for a better view of our little campsite. Looking all around, I

can’t see anything.

From the darkness of the woods a ferocious sound is heard

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behind the baby bear. Here’s the mama bear. Mason and Jared shoot

upright, and to my horror the baby bear charges me. I cringe and

brace myself to be mauled, yelling at Mason and Jared to run and

praying that Brie, Becky and Nate don’t come out to investigate.

I feel a massive force slam into my legs, almost knocking me

over. I wait momentarily for the searing pain of claws and teeth, but

it doesn’t come. When I finally look down, I find the baby bear is

trembling and wrapped around one of my legs.

Before I can think about the odd nature of this I see mama bear

come through the trees. Mason, Jared and I freeze in terror. I stare at

the large black bear as its baby clutches me in fear. I notice the

metallic sheen reflecting off of it in the growing light of dawn. As it

gets closer, I see its eyes are an unnatural metallic color too.

Infected. The situation suddenly becomes much more serious. No

wonder the baby bear is scared. The look in Mason’s eyes alerts me

he’s made the connection too. The outbreak is gaining on us. Besides

the eminent danger, it’s not safe here anymore.

The large, infected bear looms closer still. Before I can even

think, my hands extend outward with palms facing inward to create

an energy sphere. I try to make it powerful, but hopefully not enough

to kill it. Mama bear takes one more step and I throw it at her.

To my dismay, I miss. The sphere falls just short, but distracts

her long enough for me to start again. It appears the spatters of

energy are eroding the metallic sheen. I don’t have time to watch

more. This time, the sphere connects with the Mama bear. My heart

breaks a little, as the poor thing closes its eyes and drops on its side.

Its metallic shimmer’s gone, and she is now just a regular black bear.

Movement on the ground catches my eye. On the ground a small

shimmer moves slowly towards me. With more energy than I’ve ever

inserted before, I make one last powerful sphere. I turn back to

Mason and Jared, “Get down!”

Mason pulls an obviously shocked Jared to the ground next to

him. I throw the sphere at the metallic ooze-like substance then

crouch down for cover, wrapping my arms around the scared baby

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bear. I feel the aftershock of the explosion, but my body absorbs it.

When the dust settles, I stand with a surprisingly soft fur ball in my

arms, and check on Mason and the others.

Mason stands, coughing a bit and dusting himself off. “That’s

very effective.”

Jared just stares at me, gaping. I hear Brie inside the tent, “What

the hell is going on!”

“It was an infected bear!” Mason calls back. “But Kat zapped it.

You can come out now.”

I hear both the tents unzip. My gaze drifts back to the poor

mama bear, lying dead on the ground. I take a step closer to her, but

Mason’s hand on my shoulder stops me. “Don’t, Kat.” He turns me

to him. “There’s nothing you can do. If you didn’t stop her, she

would’ve infected or killed all of us.”

I know he’s right. But knowing it doesn’t make it suck any less. I

hear movement far off in the woods. “We need to move.” I don’t

have time to dwell on the guilt now, so I bank it in the depths of my

mind to think about later.

Brie and Mason begin to pack up camp, as quickly as possible.

Becky quietly follows suit as best she can with Nate, and I trail with

an armful of bear that refuses to be put down. Jared finally seems to

snap out of it. “Did you…did I see…” He takes a deep breath and

starts again. “What did you do to that bear?”

I sigh. In my fear and haste to protect everyone, it hadn’t even

crossed my mind that my new talents would freak Jared out. Becky,

too, for that matter. I’ll have to remember to be more careful in the

future. “I’ll explain while we walk. Let’s go.”

We head off west. Baby bear isn’t all that heavy, mostly fur and I

have to admit, awfully cute. How big do bears have to be to survive on

their own? Bigger than this, I’ll bet. Oh well, guess I have a foster cub

for a while. Even if I could put the poor thing down, it wouldn’t

survive long. If it didn’t die of thirst or hunger, or get eaten by a

predator, it would surely get infected. And maybe I owe it to his

mom, killing her and all. Infected or not. I adjust my arms and

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snuggle the bear a bit closer. I feel it relax.

Mason explains (quite eloquently by the way) to Jared and Becky

about my accident with the guitar amp, and my new electric skills

after. I don’t miss the fact that Jared stays as far away from me as

possible, and a small part of me whispers satisfactorily that if he fears

me, it may be safer for the rest of us.

Becky stays quiet, though her face betrays her; first shock, then

fear, followed by understanding and finally, sympathy.

This throws me a little. Mason thought it was cool, Brie thought

it was weird, but the sympathy from Becky is making me feel weird.

It rivals with the guilt and makes me feel worse. I definitely don’t feel

worthy of sympathy right now.

Dawn progresses to morning, then to mid-morning before we

stop to rest. Baby bear finally allows me to put him down. My

shoulders are tight from not being moved all morning. There’s only a

little water between us, so we each have a small amount: nowhere

near enough to quench our thirst. We need to refill at the next

stream, and we’ll have to boil it somehow tonight, if we’re lucky

enough to have a fire again.

I lay the map out and place the compass alongside it. We’re

approaching a major road that’s unavoidable. That’s going to mean

people, and the possibility of infection. Brie, Mason and I hover over

the map.

“Here, I think.” I point to a spot on the map, “From one side of

the woods to the other: the less chance of bumping into people, the

better.”

“I agree.” Brie says. “I’d prefer to not be latched onto by some

insane person again.”

We all nod our agreement. Mason looks solemn. “Maybe it’s

time to think about protecting ourselves, getting weapons of some

kind. Only to be used if necessary, of course. If we get cornered by

someone who’s infected, we need to be able to defend ourselves.”

“We always have your girlfriend.” Jared points out.

Oh, no. I hadn’t thought of that. Could I do that? Kill a person?

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Infected or not, it is still a human life. Doesn’t that cross some dark

line that I don’t want to know about? I put the map in my bag, the

compass in my pocket, and pick up Baby bear again. He’s soft,

cuddly, and comforting.

Mason notices the change in my demeanor. Wrapping an arm

around me he says softly, “You know you don’t have to do anything

you’re not comfortable with doing, right?”

I nod, but I’m lying. I don’t know, and I don’t think I could sit

by and do nothing if one of us was in danger. Could I let poor little

Nate be harmed? Something tells me regardless of which decision I

make, that I’ll be losing sleep over it.

Mason kisses my cheek, and then releases me to hunt for some

sturdy branches with Jared. After they procure enough for everyone

(well, everyone but me) I recheck the compass and we start off again.

When I think we’re getting close to the road, I stop everyone. “I

think one or two of us should go ahead, see what we’re up against.”

“I’ll go,” Jared volunteers.

“Me, too,” Mason offers.

I shake my head. Brie and Becky give me a questioning look.

“They’re both the strongest, physically. One of them should stay

behind in case something happens.” I explain.

Becky’s eyes widen. “I don’t think we should split up. We could

get permanently separated.”

“We won’t let that happen.” Brie tells her.

“Yeah, we’ll only run back to you; you guys run back to us.”

Mason adds.

“Besides, if it’s not safe it will be easier for a couple of us to fall

back so we can change directions.” Jared notes.

I look at Mason for a moment, trying to judge his reaction to

what I’m about to say. “Jared and I will go.” I trust Brie, Becky and

Nate with Mason more than Jared. “You guys rest here for a few.”

Mason doesn’t argue. He has probably figured out what I am

thinking. He’s good like that. Besides, Jared is kind of scared of me.

He won’t try anything, and if there’s anything by the road and it sees

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us before we can run away, at least I’ll be there to zap it. I try not to

think about that part too much.

“Be careful.” Brie looks at me hard.

“I promise.” I squeeze her hand and move over to Mason. “I’ll

be right back.” I quickly hug him and hand him Baby bear to hold.

He leans into me, giving me a rather effective one armed hug.

“If he’s tries anything, you blast him.” He whispers into my ear, and I

nod my understanding. When Mason releases me, Jared and I move

through the woods towards the road.

We really couldn’t have asked for a better vantage point. We are

approaching the road from an embankment which looks down to the

road about 20 feet below us. This gives us a great view of the

surrounding area, and keeps us out of sight. We look closely,

crouching down. The road is full of abandoned cars: some of them

are still running, but I don’t see any people.

“I think we should look over there more where it will be easier

to cross.” I whisper to Jared. He nods in agreement. We creep

backwards and stand when the road is no longer visible.

We follow the road at the edge of the woods for a minute, until

we reach a spot that would be more level to cross.

I look at Jared before I creep out of the edge of the woods.

“Stay here,” I tell him. “I’m going to see if anyone is hiding out there.

If anything happens, go back to the others and keep them quiet. If I

don’t show up after a while, take them north.”

His eyes widen, but I don’t give him a chance to respond.

Cautiously, I make my way towards the road. I climb over a few cars,

making it to the other side without incident. I look and there’s still no

one around. Shrugging, I begin the climb back over the cars.

Looking into the sunroof of one car, I spot a gallon of water

inside. I glance around, just to be safe before I hop down to the

pavement and open the car door, grabbing the water we desperately

need.

When I climb onto the next car, I spot something a short way

down the road that allows me a small glimmer of hope. I’d better

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check in with Jared before I go look. I bring him back the water, and

tell him everything’s clear but to just sit tight for a few more minutes.

I cross the road again and make my way to the most rugged Jeep

I had seen. It’s badass. Like, drive through the woods, off-roading

4X4, I have a winch if I get stuck, four-door Jeep. It’s even on the

right side of the road. As I approach it, I silently prey to find keys

inside.

They’re there! Doing a happy dance that almost makes me fall

off the side step, I catch myself in time to open the door, and pocket

the keys, just in case someone else comes across it before we can get

back and gets the same idea I had.

Making my way back to Jared, I wonder why such a fine vehicle

was abandoned. Stopping, I can feel the blood drain from my face.

Everyone ran so quickly. Surely there was a good reason. I proceed to

Jared, this time almost running.

“What’s wrong?” He looks panicked.

I shake my head. “Nothing, it’s just creepy down there, and it

looks like everyone left in a hurry. But I have good news.” I hold up

the keys. “It might be a tight fit, but it sure beats walking.”

Jared looks confused. “I thought we are staying off the roads?”

“We are.” I smile. “C’mon, let’s get the others, and then you can

see what I mean.”

It doesn’t take long for us to get back to the group. Mason and

Brie look happy to see me back in one piece. Everyone’s excited

about the discovered water, which we all use to fill up our respective

containers. I tell them I have a surprise, but I don’t tell anyone what

just yet.

I let Brie carry Baby Bear, just in case someone or something has

popped up. Mason takes Nate from Becky. We all walk silently

through the trees, and I lead them to the spot where the road is more

level with the woods.

We have group car hopping down to a science, and Jared quickly

picks up on it. I wait on top of a middle car until everyone is safely

across. I don’t miss Brie’s blush when Jared helps her down over the

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last car, or Jared’s approving glance at her. So far, Jared has shown

himself capable and trustworthy, so I guess it’s cute. I climb over the

last car and join everyone.

“So, what’s the surprise?” Brie asks. She hates surprises due to

her lack of patience.

“Follow me.” I lead them to the Jeep. Mason grins as soon as it

comes into sight.

“Oh,” Jared finally gets it.

I pull out the keys. “I figure it will be a tight fit, and I’m not sure

how far we’ll get with the woods and gas and all, but it sure beats

walking for a few miles.”

77

Chapter Six

Drive

The jeep (with its full tank of gas) is a tight squeeze, but not

altogether uncomfortable and a definite improvement from walking.

Brie, Becky and I sit in the back, with Nate on Becky’s lap and Baby

bear on mine. Mason is driving. It seemed only fair to let Jared ride

shotgun since his legs are much longer than any of us girls.

The ride is a bumpy start, but eventually Mason manages to find

what appears to be an overgrown dirt road. It doesn’t seem to have

been used in some time. It’s heading west, so we take advantage of it

as long as possible.

As the sun begins to set in the sky, I can see a shadow looming

ahead. Mason also sees it and begins to slow down. The jeep idles

approximately a football field away from the barn.

“Should we check it out?” Mason asks.

“It might be a good place to spend the night.” Jared murmurs.

I nod my agreement and turn to Brie and Becky, passing Baby

bear into Brie’s lap. “You guys wait here.”

Mason looks as though he wants to argue with me, but he

doesn’t. We both know that if something dangerous is in there that

I’m our best line of defense. We get out and approach the barn.

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Mason and Jared both insist on going first. Shaking my head softly, I

roll my eyes and follow them.

We find the barn blessedly empty. As I look around I realize it’s

kind of perfect for us. The large doors are big enough to drive the

jeep into, and the dirt floor could hold a small fire. My eyes venture

to the ladder in the corner. I make my way over to it, stepping on the

bottom rung, testing my weight on it.

“Maybe I should do that?” Mason says, trying to hide his

concern.

“I want to see if it’s safe up there. I weigh less than both of you,

so if it’s unstable it will be safer for me then you. Plus, if I fall, you

can catch me.” I give him my best smile before I start up the ladder.

My head finally clears the hole in the ceiling and there’s a very

large loft, complete with some leftover hay. I pull myself up and plant

a tentative foot on the floor. I slowly yet carefully walk the length of

the loft. The floor creaks a bit, but it feels solid. The open end even

has a half of a wall built, so Becky will only have to keep a close eye

on Nate if he gets close to the ladder.

“C’mon up!” I yell to Mason and Jared. I suspect Mason was

already halfway up the ladder, because he’s next to me seconds later.

After Mason and Jared deem the loft safe for habitation, we get

the others. Mason pulls the Jeep in, shutting the engine quickly so we

don’t fill the barn with exhaust fumes. We’re all excited about our

find after sleeping outside last night.

Brie puts Baby bear down and heads straight for the ladder. She

lets out a small whoop when she reaches the top. “I’m going to make

us some beds with this hay!” She calls down.

Becky puts Nate down and stretches. “This is great.” She says.

Mason and Jared unload some of our supplies from the Jeep. I

find a flashlight and explore the dark room we found in the back of

the barn. To my delight, I find a lantern and some old blankets. I

drag them out while the guys bring in wood to start a fire. Jared

stacks it in a pile while Mason uses an old shovel hanging on the wall

to dig out a pit.

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With the use of some large stones, we have a decent fire going in

the makeshift pit. Brie and I lug the blankets up the ladder. She has

separated the hay into four different piles: two of them a little larger

than the others. We lay the blankets over them and test them out. A

little itchy, but much better than anything we could have hoped for.

After we eat, Becky excuses herself and Nate. Mason helps safely

climb up the ladder, and the rest of us quiet down a bit so Nate can

go to sleep.

Baby bear is curled up in my lap. He drank almost half of my

water and ate the scraps of our dinner. He seems content.

The four of us wait until the fire is almost out. I use the last few

embers to light the lantern and hand it to Jared. It’s an interesting

climb up the ladder, with Mason and me passing Baby bear back and

forth. Finally we all reach the top, and I feel safer than I have in the

past 48 hours.

Jared finds a piece of plywood and quietly drags it over the hole

with the ladder, cutting us off from the world below. Mason drags

me to one of the larger hay beds, and I curl up between him and

Baby bear, finding myself much more tired than I realized and

quickly drifting off to sleep.

It’s the rattling of the large barn doors that wakes me. We had

secured them from the inside before going to sleep. As I sit up,

Mason awakens, too. His eyes grow wide. I wiggle around a still

sleeping Baby bear and go over to Brie, shaking her awake quietly.

Mason wakes Jared up similarly and Brie follows suit with Becky,

leaving Nate blissfully sleeping and silent.

Jared and Brie begin moving towards the ladder. I shake my

head violently at them. I point from Brie, to Baby bear and Becky,

and then do the same to Jared. I look at Mason for confirmation and

find it. We’ll do this together—no need to risk the safety of the

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others.

Jared and Mason quietly remove the plywood from the ladder

opening. I silently indicate for Jared to put it back when we go.

Mason gives Jared the keys to the Jeep. Jared’s eyes widen, his head

shaking minutely. They do one of those weird guy handshakes before

Mason follows me down the ladder.

Though it’s morning and the sun is shining, the barn remains

shrouded in darkness. Cracks of light seep in through loose boards

on the walls, but not enough for anyone outside to distinguish

anything inside.

I make my way to one of those cracks and peer out, expecting

the worst. I don’t see anything, so I move to the wall on the opposite

side of the massive barn doors. Mason is by my side, though I’d

prefer he stay behind me. Even though I’m technically armed, Mason

surely would fight me on that.

I see a moving shadow. I lean against the rough barn wall, trying

to angle my head into a better position to see the shadow’s owner. I

have no idea if the infection has made it this far yet, or the hysteria,

for that matter. Frankly, they both scare the crap out of me.

Finally, I see an old man. He doesn’t appear to be infected or

hysterical, maybe just a little pissed. I turn to Mason, put my hands

up in the universal ‘I don’t know’ gesture and shrug. Then I move, so

he can see for himself. His reaction is the same as mine. Maybe we

can talk our way out of this one. The thought gives me hope. I really

don’t feel like zapping anyone this morning.

Mason un-barricades the door and opens it. The old man steps

in with something we hadn’t noticed through the crack in the wall, a

shotgun. He starts by pointing it at Mason, then trailing it over to me.

He finally settles it on a spot in between us. Both of our hands shoot

out in front of us.

“Hey, we don’t mean any harm.” Mason says, talking calmly.

“We just needed a place to spend the night.”

“You all infected?” The old man asks, suspiciously.

“No, sir.” I answer. “We made it out just before…” My voice

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trails off. No need to go into detail. If he knows about the infection,

he doesn’t need the gory details.

He eyes me, and Mason stiffens as the shotgun follows his line

of sight.

“Where are you all headed?” he asks.

“West,” Mason answers immediately. Much to my horror, the

man turns his attention and his shotgun in Mason’s direction.

I focus on concentrating energy, not a lethal dose, but enough to

stun the old man, should the need arise. I just hope if it comes down

to it, I’m faster with the energy than he is with that shotgun.

It’s at that point Nate lets out a loud wail, and our cover is fully

blown. The old man’s eyes shoot up towards the loft area, but he

lowers his gun. “So, there’s more of you, huh. And children?”

I figure at this point, the truth can’t hurt. “There are five adults

including us, and one child.”

He nods his head and appears to be thinking, stroking the few

whiskers on his chin.

“We’ll be on our way shortly.” Mason adds.

The old man shakes his head and then takes a step forward.

“Probably be better if you all came to the house, had a real meal

before leaving. The wife would have my hide, what with you having a

child with you and all.”

The relief is instant, and I can tell by how Mason’s shoulders

drop, that his is also. “It’s alright, Jared, you can open up and come

down!” I holler up to everyone.

Making my way over to the ladder, to help get everyone down

safely, I don’t miss Mason keeping himself between the old man and

the rest of us. He sticks his hand out to the man. “I’m Mason, sir.

Pleased to meet you, and sorry about taking over your barn for the

night.”

The old man shakes his hand. “Name’s Jack. Can’t say I mind

that much, just got to be careful with all of these sick and crazy

people running about. It’s the oddest thing though. The infection was

running rampant, then it just stopped a little ways east of here. It

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spread out around us to the North and South, but nothing here at

all.”

“We can’t thank you enough, Jack.” I say, now that everyone is

safely down. “I’m Kat; this is Brie, Becky, Jared and Nate.” I shift

Baby bear in my arms and Jack’s eyes bulge in disbelief.

“And that?” He motions to the furball in my arms.

“This is Baby bear. His mom was infected and attacked us. He

was orphaned when, well, when we took her down.”

“Is it safe?”

“Yes, sir, it’s just a baby.” Brie answers before I’m able.

He nods. “Okay, then, follow me.”

He leads us around the back of the barn and up a trail none of

us had noticed yesterday. After a short walk through the woods, a

large white house comes into view. It looks a bit weathered, but it’s a

glorious sight with its chimney plume of smoke and obvious

electricity.

Jack’s wife, Mariette, is overjoyed to see us. She quickly begins

fixing us a large breakfast, and gushes over Nate. She doesn’t even

bat an eyelash at Baby bear, but sits him on a blanket in the corner of

the kitchen. She places a small bowl of milk and a hunk of bread in

front of him.

Their hospitality is overwhelming, but very welcome. Mariette

offers for us to wash up, and the idea of a hot shower is too alluring

for any of us to pass up. We let Becky and Nate go first, while Jared

and Mason go grab our bags.

I’m amazed that their TV is working. When I ask Jack, he tells

me they have a satellite. Nothing else would work this far out in the

middle of nowhere. He’s tuned into CNN, and sure enough, they

have a map up of the infection. It has spread much further than I’d

hoped and has a half moon cut out around it, at our location.

I get so absorbed that I jump when Mason puts his arm around

me. We watch together, until it’s my turn to use the bathroom.

The hot water is therapeutic, and my muscles relax for the first

time in days. My legs and shoulders ache from hiking through the

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woods, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. After dressing in clean clothes,

I comb out my hair and put it into a long braid. I feel better than I

have since, well, you know.

I think of my mom, and pain tears through my chest. I hope

she’s alright, but I’m sure she’s infected. Downtown was lost almost

immediately. She never even had a chance.

I fight the tears. She’d be happy to see that I’m safe, if only

momentarily. I collect my things so Mason and Jared can have their

turns in the shower. I check on Baby bear, who is sleeping happily on

his blanket. Then my attention returns to the TV, where Jared and

Brie sit with Jack.

CNN shows two doctors arguing over the map. One insists that

the small crescent is slowly, very minutely, pushing back against the

infection. The other argues its impossibility, declaring there must be

some magnetic field or energy anomaly that is holding the infection

off.

Jared cocks his head to the side as a commercial comes on. It’s

nice to see his fear of me has faded as well as my suspicions regarding

him. “I wonder…”

“What?” Brie asks.

He continues to stare at me while piecing something together. “I

just think it’s an odd coincidence that we happen to be in the middle

of this uninfected area, and one of their theories is an energy

anomaly.” He looks at me pointedly.

The wheels in Brie’s mind turning the same way as Jared’s.

“No way!” I tell them. “It couldn’t be.”

“Couldn’t it, though?” Brie says, turning to me. “Think about it,

Kat. It’s totally possible. Remember Mr. Murphy’s class?”

I do remember. It’s possible, though highly unlikely. “I still don’t

believe it.” I shake my head.

“Don’t believe what?” Mason asks, looking refreshed after his

shower.

I sigh. “Jared and Brie think I’m the energy anomaly keeping the

infection at bay.”

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“Huh?” Great! Now here he goes, too.

After quietly observing us the whole time, Jack pipes up. “Why

do you think she’s responsible?” He asks.

The four of us exchange a look. What the hell! This whole ‘keep

it a secret’ thing hasn’t really been working out so far anyway. I tell

Jack the story, and brace myself the whole time in case he freaks out,

but he doesn’t.

When I’m all done, he looks at me. “It sounds to me like a

theory worth testing out.”

“Yeah, but how can we do it safely?” Mason asks.

“Well, if this guy on TV is right, we should just have to hike a

little ways north or south and have Kat blast it.” Jared says, “Then

wait and see if it starts pushing back.”

“You are all certainly welcome to stay for a few days, so we can

test it.” Jack tells us.

“If you’re staying it’ll be here at the house.” Mariette says from

the kitchen doorway. “We have the room to spare.”

“What do you think?” Brie asks me.

What can I say? No, I’m not willing to try to stop those creepy

nanobots from taking over the world? “Just point me where you

want me.” I offer weakly.

Jack and Mariette ultimately convince us to stay for a few days.

We are all absurdly grateful for their hospitality and what’s more, a

sense of normalcy.

That night, Brie, Jared, Mason, Jack and I go to bed earlier than

we usually would. After carefully studying some local maps with Jack,

we decided to head north about a half mile, so I can do my thing and

we can test everyone’s theory.

Jack insists on coming along. It’ll be probably an easier hike with

someone who knows the land. Mostly, I think he just wants to see me

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zap something.

Mariette, Becky, Nate and Baby bear see us off early the next

morning. With explicit instructions to shoot first and ask questions

later, Jack leaves Mariette the shotgun. I shoot Becky a meaningful

look of my own. She nods a silent promise to handle anything

Mariette can’t.

We haven’t grown calloused, just cautious and wary. The

infection aside, all it will take is one hysterical person to bring our

safe little haven to its knees.

We go on foot. We offer the Jeep, but Jack insists the terrain will

be easier on foot. It takes us about two hours before Jack declares

we’ve hit the desired area. Brie, Mason and Jared stay back. Jack

begins to creep forward towards me, but Brie places a hand on his

shoulder and gently shakes her head. I’m grateful. The last thing I

would want to do is inadvertently hurt Jack.

I feel the familiar charge run through me. It’s more powerful

today. I turn back to them. “How much juice should I give it?” I ask.

Brie and Jared shrug while Jack just gapes at me. It’s Mason who

replies. “Give it all you got, I guess.”

Okay, all I got. No problem. This time, it’s as though the energy

can’t wait to escape. I flex my hands before facing them towards each

other in front of me. The energy sphere glows a bright blue. It’s

much darker than any of the ones I’ve previously tried. I call out

behind me. “You guys might want to get down.”

I aim at the northern horizon and throw the brightly glowing orb

as far as I can. It explodes instantly and the aftershock is immediate.

It’s so strong it throws me back a few feet onto my butt.

I feel better instantly, which then leads me to worry. Do I have

to throw these things every couple of days to feel better? That’s not

an issue I’m ready to address. My attention to the others to distracts

me as I get to my feet.

Jack’s expression is priceless. The others are still shocked, but

I’m sure Jack has never seen anything like this before.

Mason comes to my side. “You alright?”

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“Yeah, I feel great actually.” I tell him. He gives me a quick kiss.

“That was a big one.”

“Yeah,” Brie says, “that was freaking awesome, Kat.”

Even Jared seems relaxed this time. “If that doesn’t test our

theory, then I don’t know what will.”

Jack seems to finally recover. I wait to see the wariness in his

eyes, but it never comes. I see some awe and perhaps some

newfound respect, but no fear. “We should probably get back.”

We begin the return hike. The fluff ball known as Baby bear

bombards us upon our return. The attachment to him is an

unexpected surprise. There goes my original play to rehabilitate Baby

bear to live a happy bear life. Although he chose me as his family, I’m

honestly not upset about it.

Our little exploration group is starving, and lunch is very

welcome. Mariette has the kitchen table spread out buffet style and

we dig in. We bring our plates to the living room and focus on the

TV.

We all watch, anticipating some reaction from our experiment

this morning. Sometime mid-afternoon, I fall asleep—with my head

resting on Mason’s chest and a cuddly Baby bear in my lap. It’s

Mason who nudges me gently awake again. I glance out the window

to see the sun hanging low in the sky, but it’s the TV that Mason is

stares at. His mouth’s slightly agape.

I try to clear the fog my impromptu nap has left in my head

while focusing on the screen. Brie looks at me in wonder. “Kat, you

did it.”

That snaps me right out of it. I focus on the TV, watching the

uninfected crescent on the map begin to bulge out to the north. Jared

grabs the remote and turns the volume up:

“…as the infection spreads as far south as Georgia, and as far

west as Virginia. Scientists are still baffled by the uninfected area in

Eastern Upstate New York.” The face on the TV changes, “Thank

you, Sam. What baffles us the most is this newer fluctuation to the

north. If we can figure out what is causing this, then maybe we can

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stop the spread of the infection…”

I can’t listen to anymore. Shifting Baby bear into Mason’s lap, I

try not to think of the implications when I leave the room and go to

the front porch. Sitting on the steps and watching Mother Nature

paint the sky in orange and pink, I don’t realize I’m not alone until

the stair above me squeaks.

Jack stares out at the sky and sits on the opposite end of the

stairway. “It must be scary, having all of this thrust onto you.”

I glance over at him. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“Overwhelming, I’d bet.” He continues. I wait for him to get to

the point. “See, if it were me, I’d feel obligated to do everything I can

to stop it. But as an outsider, I can also stop and ask at what price?”

“You lost me.” I tell him.

“Well, I was talking with Mason earlier, and he voiced his

concerns about what could happen to you if the higher powers

discover your knack for stopping these things.”

“Oh, yeah.” I don’t have a better answer for him or myself. All

of this information has my brain on overload.

His voice softens. “You know you can stay here, as long as you

like. Nobody else has to know if you don’t want them to.”

As his words finally steel my resolve, I know what I have to do

and what choice I have to make. My eyes tear up, and my strained

voice answers him. “Thanks, Jack. But I can’t just do nothing. If I’m

able to stop them, then how can I possibly not try to?”

He nods and strokes his chin whiskers. “I understand. I know

we haven’t known each other very long, but I’m proud of you. Too

many others in your situation would be more concerned with self-

preservation than trying to stop this insanity.”

I feel myself blush. “It’s the right thing to do.” I say quietly.

“Yes,” Jack agrees, “yes, it is. Now come eat. You’re going to

need your strength if you’re going to save the world.”

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My unscheduled nap this afternoon throws off my sleep pattern.

At midnight, I give up on trying to go to sleep and wander

downstairs, nearly tripping over Baby bear, asleep on the floor next

to my bed.

I tread quietly down the stairs and find myself in the kitchen. I’m

anxious, not really knowing what the future will hold, or the best

course of action to take. It literally feels like the weight of the world

is on my shoulders.

A noise from the living room draws my attention. As I go into

the room, I find the TV still on and Jack in his armchair.

The volume is muted, but a familiar face is on the screen again.

Dr. Julian Ford’s face looks much more tired and haggard than the

last time he was on. Bet he’s just as frustrated as I am.

Something clicks in my overactive brain. I turn to Jack. “Hey, I

don’t suppose you have a computer here?” I ask.

“Mariette keeps one in her little office. I couldn’t tell you how to

use it though.”

I smile. “I can figure that part out. Do you guys have internet

access?”

He just stares at me blankly, so I ask. “Never mind, is it alright if

I use it?”

“Go for it.” He goes back to his silent TV watching.

I find the computer easily. It’s an older model, but starts up

without any problems. Keeping my fingers crossed I click on the

browser. It takes a few minutes, but the window loads up, much to

my glee.

I go to my favorite search engine and type in BioNano. I click

on the link to their website and begin searching for Dr. Ford’s email

address. It takes a little while, but eventually I find it. I copy it, then

load up my own email:

From: Kat Greene

To: Dr. Julian Ford

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Subject: Viable Information

Dear Dr. Ford,

I’m not sure if you remember me, I was with a group of students

Mr. Murphy introduced you to a couple of weeks ago.

I have some information that might help you regarding the

uninfected area. I could also really use your help.

Thanks,

Kat

My finger lingers over the send button for a moment. Dr. Ford

seemed very nice, but I don’t know him from the next guy. If I do

this, it means exposing myself to the powers that be. Maybe I should

discuss it with everyone first? No, Mason would fight me on it. In my

heart, I know I have to do this if there’s any chance of stopping these

things. I click the button and wait.

My email pings after a short while. Of course he remembers me,

what information do I have, and how can he help. It’s all or nothing

time. I begin by asking for his discretion for my situation. Then I dive

right in, telling him the whole story. Again, I hit send and wait.

His response is what I was expecting. He’s more curious than

anything and wishes he could meet me. He provides what

information he can, and tells me he has much more research to do

now. He promises to be in touch again soon. As I shut the computer

down, I see Mason in the doorway behind me. I guess I should get

this part over with, too.

He gets mad. It’s our first fight, and part of me is very angry

about it. Were it not for this situation, we wouldn’t be having it. His

anger only escalates when I tell him that I intend to meet with Dr.

Ford. Eventually, though, he calms. He sees the rationalization of it,

even if he’s not happy about it. Then he declares he’s coming with

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me, and I can’t do anything to stop him.

I don’t argue with him. It’s selfish of me, I know, but I don’t

want to be without him. I don’t even think I can do it without him.

Part of me cringes at telling Brie. Because I’m going to ask her to stay

here, and I know she’s going to freak.

Mason and I talk until the early morning before he demands we

get some rest. When we get upstairs he tries to release my hand, but I

don’t let go. I tug him onto the bed next to me and curl up next to

him before I drift off to sleep.

The sun wakes me. I don’t feel well rested, no surprise after how

late I was up the night before. I just lay for a minute, so my mind can

catch up to the rest of me. Baby bear finds his way onto the bed, and

snuggles between Mason and me. I watch them both, and enjoy the

moment, not knowing when or if I will have it again.

We need to leave today. I’m not even sure where Dr. Ford is,

but I know the longer we wait the worse it all will get.

I scoop up Baby bear and place him next to Mason, so I can get

moving. I grab some clean clothes and use the bathroom. When I get

downstairs Mariette has breakfast cooking.

“Mariette, I hope it’s alright that I used your computer last night.

I was hoping I could again quickly?” I ask.

“Sure, dear, not a problem.” She goes back to flipping sausage

patties.

I fire up the monstrosity a second time. It’s still rather quick for

such an old computer. When I reach my inbox there’s another email

from Dr. Ford. He agrees we should meet. He has some information

for me, but he’d rather tell me in person. He can only get as far east

as Columbus, Ohio. His current position in BioNano’s Washington

State facility is no help to us. That leaves us quite a way to go.

Once everyone is awake and has eaten, I sit everyone down

except for Mason who prefers to pace about the kitchen. He’s

uncomfortable with both the situation and the conversation.

Brie doesn’t take the news or my request very well. She stomps

off, and I’m surprised to hear Jared begin to speak. “You guys should

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let Brie and I come with you.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “What?”

“We can help. And she doesn’t want to leave you.” Jared says so

plainly that I go off looking for Brie.

I find her on the back porch. “I’m sorry.” I tell her.

“How can you think I’m just going to let you go off without

me?” She yells.

I wince. “It’s not like that Brie. You’re safe here.”

“I’m safer with you.” She counters.

I sit next to her on the porch swing. “Brie, we have to go far

through the infected area. I can keep it at bay, but if you get infected,

then what if I can’t stop it? I can’t lose you, too.”

“Please, Kat.” She looks at me. Brie never begs. “I’ll go crazy

here, not knowing if you’re alright. I’ll be careful. I promise.”

She knows she’s wearing me down. “Jared offered to go along,

too, if you wanted to go.”

It’s her blush that gives her away. “That’s sweet of him.”

“Yeah, it kind of is.” I agree.

“So, we can come?”

I sigh. “I guess. It’s not that I don’t want you with me, Brie. I

just want you safe.”

“I know.” She hugs me and hops up. “And we can stay safe

together.”

It’s decided that the four of us and Baby bear will continue west.

Becky and Nate will stay here with Jack and Mariette until we hopefully

return. Or stop this nonsense.

I reply to Dr. Ford’s email to let him know we’ll be leaving

tomorrow, but we don’t know how long it will take to get there. I

print out his response. It has the address in Columbus and a series of

security codes, in case we need them to get through any of the

military checkpoints they’ve constructed.

Jack provides us with a full tank of gas for the Jeep. He also

promises to take care of Becky and Nate. Mariette begins putting

food and provisions together for us. While I have access to the

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internet, because I have no idea when I might again, I use satellite

maps to plot as many back roads between here and Columbus as

possible.

Dinner is quiet. Nobody wants to talk about what tomorrow will

bring. Those of us leaving try to project a fake confidence, while

those staying can’t hide their concern.

I give Becky and Nate a hug before we go to bed. I hope to see

them again, and we’re leaving early. I give Mariette a hug also and

thank her again for her kindness. Jack accepts my hug, but tells me to

save my goodbyes for the morning. I go to bed with a heavy heart.

93

Chapter Seven

Plan

The Jeep bounces along the old dirt road. Mason tries to avoid

the bumps the best that he can. I glance in between us at the center

console that holds the small revolver and extra rounds Jack insisted

we take. I really hope we don’t have a chance to use it.

We compare the maps we have with the most up-to-date

parameters of the uninfected area we’re in. We estimate having about

six hours or so before being forced to cross the line into those

infected areas, or cross the Great Lakes. We don’t have a boat, so we

have to go with option one. Quite frankly this doesn’t thrill me.

Outvoting occurs when I propose the attempted boat acquisition.

They have valid arguments: the lack of sailing expertise and the

uncertainty when arriving on the other side.

The problem that I have (but they don’t realize) is that it’s my

responsibility to keep them uninfected. Not that I’d ever tell them

that. As it appears, I’m maybe the only thing that can stop these

creepy little nano-monsters. That automatically puts me between

them and the infection. Thinking otherwise isn’t even an option for

me.

And boy, was Jack right about responsibility. It’s a heavy burden.

I know they’d argue with me about it, but it doesn’t change how I

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feel or what is.

As the road starts to climb, I turn to Mason. “Let’s stop when

we get to the top. See if we can see anything.” We’ve been driving for

a few hours, and I’d like to avoid any unnecessary surprises.

We reach the crest of the incline and Mason cuts the engine. We

all get out and stretch. Jared tosses us each a sandwich that Mariette

made. Baby bear takes the opportunity to use the little bear’s room

under a bush before digging into his own sandwich. I notice he’s a

little bigger than he was a few days ago and wish I would’ve looked

up some more information on bears when I had the chance.

Mason and I hike a short way up a large boulder to get a better

look around. I feel the change in the air before I see it. Sure enough,

to our right a few miles away, I can see a metallic looking fog. I tell

Mason to alert the others to brace themselves. He knows what I’m

about to do, so he doesn’t even ask. I position myself on the boulder

and take aim. It seems the more I make these energy spheres, the

easier it has become. Good to know, if I’m ever in a sticky situation.

I throw the largest one I can make as far as I can to the south.

The aftershock of it knocks me off the boulder. Mason catches me

when I fall back. “You should have waited back there.” I scold him.

“But then I wouldn’t get to catch you.” He smiles and plants a

kiss on my lips. He knows he’s forgiven. “I think we should stop at

that town we saw just northwest of here, try to refuel before we cross

over.”

“That’s if it even works.” I grumble.

“It’ll work, you’ll see. But I still think we should stop while we

can.”

I nod. “Let’s see what Brie and Jared think.”

We get back to the Jeep. Jared and Brie agree that we should

stop while we can. Mason checks the gun before we set off again.

Our plan is to drive to the edge of the small town, where Brie and I

will wait with the Jeep while the guys look for gas. I try to ignore the

bad feeling in my gut as we approach.

Though no metallic haze is visible over the small town, it

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remains shrouded with an eerie feel. It’s quiet, which we expected

and even hoped for, but I can’t help but notice that it’s far too quiet.

No birds chirp, and no squirrels scamper about in an attempt to

gather their last nuts before winter. Between the silence and the

desertedness, the place tops the creepy charts.

Mason parks the Jeep under the cover of some large evergreen

trees. He tosses the keys to me, which I then hand to Brie because I

don’t know how to drive a stick yet. Mason checks the gun again and

tucks it into the back of his jeans before covering it with his shirt.

Jared grabs the empty gas can we brought along and the two of them

begin a slow sweep of the town.

Brie and I don’t talk. It’s not just that we don’t want to draw

attention to ourselves; we also worry about the guys, and want to

hear if anything happens. We glance at each other, then worriedly out

the window and back again. We look at each other when I hear a

noise that makes my blood run cold.

“Was that a gunshot?” Brie asks with wide eyes.

“I think so.” I say, trying not to panic. “Brie, I need you to stay

here. Watch for us to come back, and be ready to start this up at a

moment’s notice.”

Brie nods and pulls Baby bear into her lap. I climb out of the

Jeep and shut the door quietly behind me.

I don’t like the idea of leaving Brie alone, “although the Jeep

being completely hidden by the large evergreen mollifies me

somewhat. I move quickly towards the town and where I think the

gunshot originates.

I approach the first building I see and hear yelling in the

distance. I dart across the parking lot, closer to the commotion. My

body presses up against the asbestos siding of the building. No one is

seen when I crane my neck around the corner. After approaching

that side, the process is repeated for the next corner.

Crap. Six rather burly men are surrounding them. They each

hold a gun that puts Mason’s to shame. Mason and Jared are severely

outnumbered. Even adding Brie and me, the burly men still are at an

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advantage.

I try to formulate a plan while ducking my head back around the

corner. I remember seeing a ladder on the back of the building that

leads to the roof. That will give me a better vantage point. I go for

the ladder and it’s a little high out of my reach. After a jump or two, I

manage to grab onto the bottom rung and quietly pull myself up.

Once on the roof, I duck down. I reach the front of the building

and concentrate on the conversation below while peering over the

ledge.

“You’re sure you guys are all alone?” One of the men asks

gruffly.

“Yeah, we’ve got enough guys. Now if you have any girls, we’ll

be happy to take them off of your hands for you.” Another rasps out

and they all laugh. My stomach turns.

“Nope, just us.” Mason says. His gun is a few feet in front of

him lying on the ground.

He and Jared exchange a look. “That’s too bad.” The first guy

says while raising his gun.

The others follow suit, and I raise my hands. I’m not sure if I

can hit them all without hurting Mason and Jared, stuck in the center

of them. Just as I’m about to try, another gruff voice call out

mockingly.

“Well, look at what I found wandering around over there.” To

my horror, he roughly tosses Brie on the ground in front of him.

Things just went from bad to worse.

I crouch out of sight, and work on revising a plan. I really only

have one method of attack, but my dilemma is still how to only hit

the armed men.

When I peek back over, all the men hungrily eye Brie and crowd

around her in a half circle. This is as good a chance as I’m going to

get. I focus all of my energy before I stand. “Brie get down!” I

scream loudly as the glowing sphere lobs at the men surrounding her.

She dive towards Mason and Jared before the light explodes behind

her and I stumble back.

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I crawl to the edge of the building. Using the energy earlier and

just now has exhausted me. All the men lay in a twisted circle of body

parts. Unable to look at what I just did, and I quickly turn my

attention over to Brie, Mason and Jared.

Brie is standing. Jared supports her with one of her arms

wrapped over his shoulder. Mason stares up at me. They’re all okay.

Not having the energy to do anything else, I lay on my back and

stare up at the sky. My emotions are on the fritz. I’m overjoyed that

Brie, Mason and Jared are alright, but feel subsequent horror with

what I’ve just done. The image of the twisted mass of bodies dances

through my mind and my stomach rolls. I’m barely able to turn over,

but manage to just in time as my lunch expels on the rooftop next to

me.

As I finish, gentle hands pull my hair back out of my face. I lean

back into Mason’s familiar arms and begin to cry. All the pent up

emotions for the last few days pours out. It feels like I cry forever, yet

it’s only for a few minutes. Once done, I’m even more exhausted.

I can barely stand, let alone walk, so it takes even longer to

descend the roof. We’ve already spent more time in this forsaken

town than we planned to. Much to my embarrassment, Mason

scoops me up when we finally make it down the ladder.

“You’re okay?” Brie asks me, looking concerned.

“Just drained,” I tell her. “How about you?”

“Just a couple of bumps and bruises.” She looks shaken.

“Thanks, Kat.” Jared says quietly. I see the look in his eyes, and

know he means saving Brie from what those guys had planned.

“Anytime.” Even my voice is getting weak.

“Hey,” Mason bounces me gently in his arms. “No sleeping.” I

feel him turn, my eyes closed now. “What do we do?”

“I have an idea.” Brie sounds far away, like she is talking through

a pipe.

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It’s the tingling I feel first. It starts in my hand and travels down

my arm. It doesn’t bother me anymore. In fact, the sensation is

welcoming. I open my eyes, unsurprised to see the energy coursing

from an oddly mounted wall socket into my hand.

I see Brie holding my arm up. A pair of large rubber gloves

cover her hands. A sheepish and singed Mason sits on my other side.

My guess is they learned about the gloves the hard way.

I feel much better as I sit up. The Jeep’s engine runs outside. I

face Brie. “Thanks. I think I’m ready to get the hell out of here.”

She nods. “Me, too.”

Mason stands and his eyes never leave mine. “Jared found some

gas, and some water. He loaded up the Jeep. We’re ready to go when

you are.”

“Let’s hit it.” I say as he grabs my hand. He leads me out to the

street.

“Are you feeling better?” He asks. Oh, no. I must have really worried

him.

I stop and give him a quick kiss. “Much better, sorry about

before.”

“Nothing to apologize for…” He mumbles, opening the back

door of the Jeep for me.

Baby bear plasters himself to me, obviously unhappy with being

left alone earlier. I snuggle him happily. Mason climbs into the back

with me. I’m no longer tired, but I don’t have the usual nervous

energy I usually have after I meet an electrical outlet either. Vaguely, I

wonder if I’ve found some sort of balance.

Mason begins snoring lightly; Jared and Brie talk quietly in the

front seats. I bury my nose in bear fur and try hard not to face the

demons I created in myself earlier. I had no choice. They left me no

choice. They would have killed Mason and Jared, and done only God

knows what to Brie or me when they found me.

It still doesn’t change the heavy feeling in my chest, though. Six

(no, seven) uninfected dangerous men have been killed. I swallow

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hard because I am responsible for taking all their lives.

“Here,” Brie hands me a water bottle. I take it and thank her,

both for the water and breaking my train of thought. I begin to focus

on other things.

“Do we know if that blast earlier from the hill pushed back the

infection at all?” I ask while noticing the road is beginning to head

more south than west.

Jared nods. “So far, we haven’t seen anything to indicate

otherwise.”

“Good.” I go back to staring out the window and trying to

ignore my conscience.

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101

Chapter Eight

Knowledge

Once we cross the line into what was formerly infected territory,

just a few hours ago, my anxiety is through the roof. We talk about

stopping, but ultimately decide against it. Mason and Jared drive in

shifts. We cover as much ground as we can as quickly as possible.

Thanks to our previous scary stop, we have not only a full tank

of gas, but a full gas can, too. Even with the windows down the smell

is kind of giving me a headache. It’s nice to know we don’t have to

stop for a while though, especially after last time…

After a few hours, I make Mason stop. We’re on top of a large

hill and I figure it’s time to send out another energy sphere. I aim

southwest, and let one fly, even though I don’t see any evidence of

the infection. I want to play it safe.

Since we’ve stuck to the back roads, we haven’t run into anyone

else. This is more than fine by me. Brie and Jared go back and forth

in a debate over what is happening to those who were infected once I

zap them. Brie thinks that they’re cured. Jared argues instead that

they fall back. I try not to think about it.

I wish there was some way that we could communicate with

Jack, Mariette and Becky, but all of our cell phones are still not

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working. If we ever find a land line, we can give them a call. So far,

we haven’t come across any. It sure would help to know where the

infected area begins now, though.

We have another issue coming up though. We’ll have to cross

the Hudson River to continue on our way. This means a bridge, and

even worse, main roads—unless some sort of miracle happens.

As we make our way to the eastern banks of the Hudson, I study

the map and try to find the safest possible way across. It’s not

looking very good. I direct Mason towards the Rip Van Winkle

Bridge. It seems the most obscured. Unfortunately though, there are

still some major roadways to contend with. We travel north along the

back roads of the river until Mason suddenly turns, veering off

course.

“Where are you going?” I ask, confused.

“Look,” he points.

I see a marina come into view. A beautiful marina filled with

boats of all varieties. And I see one that might just get us across the

river. Mason sees it too and pulls up right next to it.

In the mayhem of the infection spreading, some wonderful

person left a barge and tugboat docked at the small marina. We all get

out of the car to assess the situation.

“Huh.” Brie says. I’m with her.

“The barge would be extremely useful. Not only could we get

across, we could even take it down river partway, save some miles.”

Jared comments.

“Yeah, have to get off well before the big cities though.” Mason

agrees.

I eye the small dock suspiciously. “Um, guys? Not to be the

pessimist here, but I don’t think that dock is going to support the

Jeep.”

Mason and Jared look at each other, and I have a feeling they

will find a way.

Fifteen minutes later we clear the barge and tugboat. Brie and I

watch from the edge of the barge with Baby bear. Mason and Jared

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use some steel beams they found to get the Jeep from the dock to the

barge. I insist all of our supplies board with Brie and me just in case.

It’d be bad enough to lose the Jeep, but all of our food, too? That’d

be catastrophic.

I almost squeeze my eyes shut as Mason closes the last few feet

and the Jeep boards the barge. Jared lets out a whoop. Brie and I rush

to help him and the beams onto our new mode of transportation.

I have to admit there are worse ways to travel. I’m officially sold

on river travel. The barge moves slowly, and as we pass by some

more urban areas, I’ll admit that I get nervous. I throw an energy ball

into the river just to be safe, and watch from the front of the barge as

we pass by one abandoned waterfront after another.

Almost too soon, Mason and Jared call from the tugboat. It’s a

shame we can’t risk taking the river down further. I pass Baby bear to

Brie, and begin helping the guys lug the steel beams.

“Ready to switch, Mason?” Jared asks.

“Sounds good. I’m tired anyway.” He climbs into the back with

me.

I feel rather than see him looking at me as we drive off again.

Staring out at the window, I try to lose myself in the scenery but it’s

not really working.

Mason squeezes my hand gently. “How are you doing?” He asks.

My attention turns to him. His concern causes a brow to furrow

and frown to mar his handsome face. “I’m feeling better.” I tell him,

trying to comfort him.

“I know that you’re feeling better,” he whispers, “and I also know

that you’re stressing out over what happened back there.”

I stare at my hands. “Yeah, I am.” There’s no use in lying to him.

Apparently I’m not as good at hiding my emotions as I thought.

“You had no other choice, Kat.” He turns my face to his, so I

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have no choice but to look him in the eye. “You know that, right?”

“Most of me does.” I tell him.

He pulls me into him, wrapping his arms around me. It helps as

we continue driving and night starts to fall.

I’m not sure when I fell asleep. The sky is brightening, and when

I look behind me I see the soft light of dawn over the horizon.

Mason and Brie are both still sleeping. Brie’s softly snoring and (I

notice) covered with Jared’s jacket. I shift in my seat, adjust Baby

bear in my lap, and try to get some blood flowing in my sleeping right

leg.

I catch Jared’s eyes in the rearview mirror when I’m settled.

“Any idea where we are?” I ask him quietly.

He shakes his head. “I was going to stop soon. I don’t want to

go too far in the wrong direction.”

I see a hill in the distance. “Stop up there,” I tell him, “At the

top.”

Jared pulls over. I dig out the map, handing it to him along with

the compass. I tell him I’ll be right back. I take advantage of a well-

placed bush before going to the top of the hill to look around. All to

the north and west of us seems clear, but I’m able to make out the

metallic fog towards the south. I go back to the Jeep to warn the

other’s before I throw another sphere. No need to scare them by

waking them up with the aftershock.

I clear my throat when I reach the Jeep. Brie is awake; she and

Jared interlocked from mouth to thigh. They jump apart—Brie

blushing and Jared grinning idiotically. I smile, feeling happy for Brie

and hoping I didn’t interrupt their first kiss. “Sorry.” I tell them.

“Not your fault,” Brie says. She glances at me and I wink at her.

I don’t miss the huge smile she throws my way before she composes

herself.

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I wake up Mason. He bounces right up. He’s a morning person,

even after sleeping in a Jeep. We let Baby bear out to do his business.

I wait for everyone to get back into the Jeep before climbing back to

the top of the hill. I turn to the freaky metallic fog and focus my

energy. I try not to use quite as much as yesterday, just in case. Now

that I know I can run out of energy, I need to be careful.

Since I’m getting used to the aftershock, I brace myself for it and

manage to remain on my feet. I crouch down and watch the effect

the energy explosion has on the metallic fog. I see the edges of the

fog left after the explosion retreat, waver and then disappear

altogether. I’m not sure if this supports Brie’s theory, Jared’s, or

neither.

Regardless, the fog is barely visible now, so it’s safe for us to

continue on. Mason notices my tiredness when climbing into the

front seat next to him. Brie suggests we stop when we find some

place with electricity. I don’t argue with her.

I make a big effort to improve my mood, or at least my outer

appearance. Both Brie and Mason’s concern seems to be growing by

the minute. If they’re worrying about me, then they’re not paying as

much attention to covering their asses as they should be.

We stop for lunch when we cross the border into Pennsylvania. I

figure we’re about halfway to Columbus now. It’s hard to be certain

though. Just because the first half of the trip was mostly uneventful,

doesn’t mean we will bode as well for the rest of the trip. All things

considered, we’ve been lucky so far. It makes me wonder when our

luck is going to run out.

Baby bear eats most of my lunch. I’m not really hungry, and

after forfeiting my sandwich I nibble on a blueberry muffin Mariette

packed. Bless that woman and her kitchen.

“We’re going to have to make another gas-stop soon or abandon

the Jeep.” Jared breaks the bad news.

We all look at each other. We all remember too well the last time

we stopped for gas. As I look at each of them, I realize that they are

all looking at me. Oh. “I don’t know. What do you guys think?” I

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don’t want this to be my decision.

“We’re making great time with the Jeep. It’d be a shame to lose

it.” Mason points out.

“But is it worth the risk?” Brie asks quietly.

“I don’t know.” I murmur. They’re all still looking at me. “I

guess we can try, but the first sign of trouble and we’re out of there.”

They nod. “And this time, we do it my way.” I can’t help but add.

Mason shoots me a look, but I hold firm. I get the

overprotective boyfriend bit. Really, I do. However, if I’m the one

who has to bear the brunt of my actions, I’d feel better if it’s my

decisions that get us there. He must see something in my expression,

because he doesn’t push it any further…for now, anyway.

I pull out the map and try to figure out not only where we are,

but also the safest possible town to stop in. “We need to find a place

that’s not too big.” I say.

“What about this place?” Mason points to the map. “I don’t

think that we’re too far from it.”

“It can’t be too big,” Brie pipes in. “It’s hardly a dot on the

map.”

Jared shrugs, “Looks good to me.”

Just like that a unanimous decision is made. The fact that the

decision was not left solely up to me gives me great relief. It doesn’t

take very long for the anxiety to kick in though. By the time we reach

the last crest in the dirt road before the town, my heart is pounding

in my chest. “Pull over up here, Jared.” Even my voice betrays me,

wavering as I speak.

Jared pulls over and we all get out. “Hey,” Mason pulls me aside.

“We’ll do this your way. Forget about before. Tell us what to do.”

What I’d really like to tell him is to stay here (where it’s safe)

with Brie, Jared and Baby bear, where it’s and let me go check out the

town to see if it’s there’s any trouble. I doubt Mason would agree to

this. In fact, I’m pretty sure it would be a surefire way to piss him off.

I pull him around the back of the Jeep, towards Brie and Jared. Baby

bear stretches in the backseat before rolling over, not concerned with

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our stopping.

I look at all of them, already eyeing me expectantly. “Brie, Jared,

you guys to stay here. We’re going to leave you the gun and

everything but the gas can to look after. Mason and I will go ahead

and check things out.”

Nobody complains or voices any objections to my plan.

“Jared, see if you can’t get the Jeep a little more out of sight.” He

nods. I grab two bottles of water out of the back of the Jeep and toss

one to Mason. From the look of the sky, it’s still early in the

afternoon, and we should be able to get back before dark. “You

ready?” I look at Mason.

“Let’s hit it.” He replies.

I figure that it’s maybe an hour long hike to the town from

where we left the Jeep, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. I double

check the map and compass frequently and lead us through the dense

forest towards the edge of the town. As we finally see a break in the

trees, I motion to Mason to be quiet and stay down. I see him

readjust the tire iron he brought in his hands.

I peer from between the trees. It’s a typical one road small town

with all of the businesses lining the main drag. We have a good

vantage point, but there’s no one on the street below. “It looks

clear.” I whisper to Mason. “Stay close, and try not to make any

noise.”

He nods. We make a good team. Mason stays right behind me,

matching each of my neurotic moves. We make our way to the gas

station without incident, but part of me still waits for someone to

jump out with guns blazing.

“Where the hell is everybody?” Mason asks, when it’s very clear

that we’re all alone.

“I’m not sure.” I tell him. This bothers me. Now that I really

think about it, we haven’t come across anyone from an infected area.

I thought maybe we’ve been lucky, sticking to back roads, but now

I’m beginning to think it must be something more. “Let’s fill the can

and get back to the Jeep. We can drive here to fill up. I’d like to be

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well past here when night falls.” This whole ghost town thing is

getting creepier by the minute.

We move quickly. I can tell Mason is freaked out too—his eyes

constantly looking around us for signs of trouble. By the time we

reach the Jeep, the lack of survivors around disturbs me. What good

is my ability to push back the infection if there’s no one left to save?

By the time darkness falls, we’ve left the ghost town far behind. I

wish I could say the same about my concerns. To make matters

worse, I’m starting to feel kind of drained. This is something I’m

trying very hard to keep to myself. Every time I start to feel a little

better it’s time to throw another energy sphere. Not that I really have

a perfect formula for it. I prefer throw too many than too few, my

own personal welfare be damned.

I’d rather not endanger everyone by admitting I need to stop

again. I really don’t want to worry Mason because he insisted

recharging at the gas station. I’m sure he’ll notice how quickly that

charge has run out. Add in traveling for the past however many hours

and lack of a decent night’s sleep for a couple days, I’m practically

dead on my feet.

Mason is driving. In the backseat, Brie, Jared and Baby bear curl

up and snore softly. We can’t get any stations to come through over

the radio, but the Jeep came fully equipped with a 6 disc changer. I

have to admit it’s an eclectic mix, though I settle on Mumford and

Sons to quietly play as we drive through the night.

Eventually the music lulls me to sleep that I desperately need.

This sleep provides no rest, though. Instead, there are dreams from

my subconscious that I refuse to process while I’m awake. Swirling

images of fallen men and empty towns fill my mind until I escape out

by someone shaking my shoulder.

“Kat, Kat, wake up.” Mason whispers. I open my eyes and

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realize I have tears streaming down my face. “You’re having a

nightmare.”

I wipe at my face and feel my cheeks redden. I’m happy it’s hard

to see with just the dim lights on the dashboard. “Sorry.” I mutter

sheepishly.

Mason glances at me quickly before returning his attention to the

road. “There’s nothing to be sorry about, Kat.” He says softly,

soothingly. “You don’t always have to be tough, you know, especially

with me. That’s kind of my job.”

I soften. Maybe it’s because of sleep deprivation I can’t help but

answer truthfully. “If I stop being tough Mason, I think I may just

fall apart.”

He reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Well, I’ll be here to put

you back together if you do.” He says this with so much ferocity that

I have no choice but to believe him, and I do.

I smile my first real smile in days, and Mason rewards me with

on too. Was it really just such a short time ago that this was normal?

Sure, our horrific adventure has brought us closer, but what I

wouldn’t give for a carefree afternoon where the two of us had

nothing better to do than sit around and laugh. Maybe one day we’ll

be able to do that again. This thought gives me a tiny iota of hope as

I drift back off to sleep.

The sound of hushed whispers from Mason, Brie and Jared wake

me up. I stretch, and it takes me a moment to hear the anxiety in

their tone. Mason pulls the Jeep over and tucks most of it out of

sight into the brush.

“What’s going on?” I ask, confused.

“People,” Mason answers softly. “The first people we’ve seen,

since…”

“Oh,” I frown, seeing the dilemma. “What do you guys want to

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do?”

I see Brie’s eyes widen. Jared notices, too. “We can stay here.”

He tells her reassuringly.

I nod. “That okay with you?” I ask Mason.

“Yeah,” Mason agrees. “Should we bring the gun this time?”

“No, leave it here. I don’t want to make it seem like we’re

looking for trouble.”

Mason hands the gun to Jared, who climbs into the front seat

with Brie as soon as we get out. Brie squeezes my hand before I walk

away. “Be careful.” She whispers.

“Always,” I promise her.

“So, I take it we’re not going stealth this time?” Mason asks as

we walk.

“I don’t know. I want to see what’s going on, but I don’t want to

freak anybody out, you know, if things are normal here.”

“Let’s just walk up. If we have to get out of there, well, we’ll

figure it out then.”

I nod, but I know what he means. If they are all nuts, then I

have to zap them. I’m not crazy about this option, although I

suppose it’s better than any alternatives. Is it too much to hope that

maybe these could be nice, normal people?

Mason and I walk hand in hand down the dirt lane. We round

the corner and I finally see them. For all intents and purposes, they

appear to be perfectly normal. It looks like a family, an older couple

and their teenage daughter. Their backs are to us, so they don’t notice

us yet. I look at Mason and shrug.

“Hello?” I call out to them. They go from normal to aggressive

in about one second. When they turn we notice the father aiming a

shotgun at us.

Mason and I raise our hands automatically. “We don’t mean any

trouble. We’re just passing through.”

The father steps in front of his wife and daughter. “We haven’t

seen any people come from that way in days. How do I know you’re

not infected?”

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“Well sir, as I understand it, I’d have a nasty rash and high

fever—neither of us do.”

Mason seems to have this situation under control, so I keep my

mouth shut. I focus on the wife and daughter.

“You could be looters.” I can hear in the father’s voice that he’s

running out of accusations.

“We’re just trying to get to Columbus. We’ve been running

ahead of the infection for days now.”

The man grunts. “What’s in Columbus?”

“We have to meet a scientist there and give him information and

samples so we can try to stop this.” I explain, glad to join in the

conversation.

Finally, the man lowers his gun. We take a few cautious steps

closer. I still have my eye on the mother and daughter. The closer we

get, the more I realize that the daughter doesn’t look very well.

“Is she alright?” I ask, trying to keep the fear from my voice.

“She’s fine.” The mom snaps, “Just fine.”

“Don’t mind her, she gets defensive easily.” The father says.

“I’m John; this is Lisa and our daughter, Rachel.”

“I’m Mason, and this is Kat.” I see him look at me, and I know

his silent question. I shake my head minutely. I don’t want to bring

Brie or Jared into this yet.

“You might as well come along, I suppose. Our house is just

around the next bend.” John says.

“Thanks,” Mason takes my hand again, and we follow them

down the lane.

We are almost to their front door when Rachel’s hair shifts from

her neck to over her shoulder. I remain silent as fear freezes my

blood. Her neck is covered in a rash. She’s in the first stages of

infection.

I nudge Mason with my elbow. One look at his face tells me he’s

seen it too. We go inside, and Lisa immediately takes Rachel upstairs.

John motions for us to follow him into the kitchen.

“So like I said, you’re the first people we’ve seen come from the

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east. Hell, up until yesterday I thought we were going to have to

evacuate ourselves. Then the fog started pushing back just before it

reached us. It was amazing to watch.” John settles in a chair.

I can’t help but notice that they have power at their house. It

probably wouldn’t hurt to recharge while I have the chance. I ask to

use the bathroom in hopes that there’s an outlet I can use. John

directs me down the hall.

It doesn’t take me long before I return to the kitchen. Lisa is

back now, too. She’s visibly upset. I can’t imagine what she must be

feeling. If only I could be sure of not hurting Rachel, I’d offer to try

to help. But it’s also not exactly something I can come right out with.

‘Oh, hey, I happen to be able to zap the nanobots out of things. I

can’t control it very well yet, but I could try to zap your daughter and

hopefully not kill her.’ Um, no.

I notice Lisa go down the hallway, and I follow her. Very softly,

I ask, “Is there anything I can do to help you?”

She seems to immediately understand the double meaning to my

question. Her eyes tear up and she looks at the floor. “I doubt it, but

thank you.”

I nod. Again, my mind toys with the idea. Do I dare? What choice

could possibly be the right one? The more rational part of my brain

screams at me to take Mason and run before we can get infected. I

take my internal debate back into the kitchen with me.

“We have a couple more people with us and a Jeep. You’ll hear

us drive by shortly after we leave.” Mason explains, “I don’t want you

to get freaked out when you hear it.”

“Thanks for the warning.” John smiles, “I’d feel bad if I shot

you for no reason. Listen, it seems kind of important that you get

where you’re going. I have a can of gas out in the garage if it will help

your cause.”

“It certainly would, thank you.” Mason answers. I’m still arguing

with myself.

“How long do you think it will take, if they find a cure I mean?”

My gaze flies to John’s face as he asks.

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“We don’t know.” Mason says glumly.

I just can’t stand it anymore. “If there was…something we could

do, something that might work, would you want to try it, even if it

could be potentially dangerous?” I keep my voice low.

I know that Mason’s staring at me. Maybe it’s not the smartest

idea I’ve had. Perhaps it’s the guilt I feel for killing those men. If I do

nothing for Rachel, that would make me a monster, too.

John’s gaze locks on mine. “If there was something we could do,

I suppose I’d want to try it. It has to be better than the alternative.”

We are all silent for a moment while considering this. It’s Lisa

(who none of us noticed come back into the room) that breaks the

silence. “If you can help her, please do it. We’ve seen what happens,

on TV.” Unable to continue her thoughts, her voice breaks.

Finally, I look at Mason and see the understanding in his eyes. “I

can’t make any guarantees.” I tell the couple.

“We understand.” John says and stands. He leads us upstairs to

Rachel’s room. I turn in the hall before her doorway.

“I think I should do this alone.” I tell Mason. I don’t know if it

will work, and I don’t want him that close to the infection.

He moves back to the top of the stairs and sits down. “I’ll be

right here.” I can read the anxiety on his face.

John opens the door and stands back next to Lisa in the hall. I

enter the room slowly. Rachel is on her bed, and she appears to be

sleeping. As I get closer, I can see her sweat drenched hair and the

redness of her skin. The fever must be getting worse.

I sit next to her bed on a chair and try to focus. My plan is to

start with the lowest shock possible and slowly work my way up.

What makes me nervous is overshooting my stopping point. I’ve

already seen the results of that.

I take a shaky breath and touch my palm to her arm. She jumps

slightly but I see no further reaction. I sigh and turn it up a notch

when I do it again. By my fifth time, Rachel’s entire body convulses,

and she shoots into a sitting position. “What the hell?” She screams

at me.

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A relieved grin bursts across my face. I feel moisture on my

cheeks—I can’t believe it worked! Her skin is already returning to its

normal color, and the rash on her neck is disappearing before my

eyes.

Lisa, John and Mason crowd the door. It takes Lisa no more

than a second to reach Rachel’s side.

“Oh, thank heavens!” Lisa cries. She turns to me. “How can I

ever thank you enough?”

“No need,” I tell her. “No need at all.”

Mason looks at me: first in awe, then with concern. Weak by the

recently expelled energy, my legs give out when I try to stand. I catch

myself on the back of the chair. Mason pulls me out of the room and

back downstairs, John following shortly after us.

“Is there something I can get you?” John asks me.

I look at Mason. “I think she just needs a few minutes to collect

herself.” He answers for me and then looks at me. “Do you think

you need the bathroom again? You know, while you have the

chance?”

I nod. I’m too tired for talking. Mason gives up on supporting

me while I try to walk and carries me into the bathroom. He sits me

gently on the floor and goes back to shut the door. After he locks it,

he scoops me back up again and leans me against the sink.

“You better get back.” I warn him.

It only takes him a second to comply. When he’s safely by the

door I reach my hand to the outlet, and recharge for the second time

in less than a half hour. I try not to think of the possible ramifications

of this. I keep going until I feel the energy course through me. Maybe

if I charge more, I’ll need less? I have no idea.

We manage to make it out of there with few questions. They’re

so grateful; I think they’re not asking how I did it out of sheer

gratitude. John insists we take all the spare gas he has while Lisa

insists we take some food and water. We hike back to the Jeep and

continue on our way. Jared drives, and I hug Baby bear close while

sitting in the back seat with Mason.

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We eat the food Lisa gave us as we drive. I give half of my

sandwich to Baby bear and fill up his small bowl with water. He’s

really been an incredibly easy travel companion. How long I’ll be able

to keep him around is uncertain, but it’ll be at least until he can

handle being on his own.

“How close are we, do you think?” Brie asks, breaking me out of

my Baby bear thoughts.

I toss the map to Mason. He unfolds it and looks at us. “Maybe

one more day?” He tells us.

“At least we have the gas now.” Jared says.

“Yeah, I was worried when you guys took so long.” Brie told us.

We explain what hold us up. Brie beams with excitement, and

Jared still regards me with an awe I don’t feel I deserve.

Ignoring their reactions is much easier than it normally would

be. Too many questions bounce around in my mind. How was

Rachel so obviously infected while the infection wasn’t here? Does

that mean I’m not really driving it back like originally predicted? And

if it’s so dang contagious, then why weren’t all instantly infected?

What the hell is going on?

All I can hope is that Dr. Ford has some answers for me and for

us. I don’t know if these questions are on anybody else’s minds, but

I’m sure not going to bring them up for discussion.

Thanks to the new map that Mason acquires from John, we have

an update of the local terrain and back roads. We’ll be crossing the

border into Ohio any time now. If we keep going at this rate, we

might reach Columbus by tomorrow morning.

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117

Chapter Nine

Tests

As the sun begins to fall beneath the horizon, it highlights

something we haven’t seen much of lately. People; and not just any

people. As we get closer, I notice that they’re soldiers. My hand flies

to my back pocket. I have numerous security codes from Dr. Ford. I

just hope they work.

Mason looks to me and slows the Jeep down as he does. “What

do we do?”

“Just go slow.” I tell him. I hope it’s the right thing.

The tension in the Jeep is palpable. We have no idea what to

expect. As a rule, when I see a military blockade, I freak out a little.

Call me crazy.

We approach the gate and Mason stops the car. We’re

surrounded by soldiers now guns drawn.

“Step out of the vehicle.” One of them commands. We do as he

says. Brie holds Baby bear tightly. “State your business.” The same

soldier brusquely orders.

“We’re on our way to Columbus to meet Dr. Ford from

BioNano. He’s expecting us.” I tell them, too scared to move an inch.

I wish they’d lower their weapons.

I see the soldier touch his ear then speak softly. I imagine he’s

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wired to someone who is able to confirm our destination. “Your

name?” He asks me.

“Katarina Greene.”

More murmuring and ear touching. “You have a code?”

I look around me. “It’s in my back pocket. I have to get it out.”

He nods and I slowly pull the paper from my back pocket and hand

it to him.

“I’ll accept the first one. Don’t use it again. You all have to go

through the medical checkpoint before you can continue. Standard

procedure.”

His eyes fall on Brie. “What is that?”

Brie looks panicked. “That’s a baby bear.” I pipe in before

anyone else can answer. “He’s a specimen.” Not really, but I wasn’t

giving him up now.

The talking soldier bristles and settles his gun on Brie. “Is he

infected?”

“No,” I answer quickly. “He’s perfectly fine. Dr. Ford needs to

know why.” I really hope whoever’s on the other end of that headset

doesn’t have the ability to confirm my lie.

“Well, then I guess he needs to get checked by medical, too. You

can drive your vehicle through. One of you. The rest of you follow

me.”

He starts towards a green tent. All of us but Mason follow. He

drives the Jeep through the space the soldiers made in the barricade. I

don’t take my eyes off him and hang at the door of the tent until he

makes his way over to me.

The medical staff is nicer than we expect. They examine Baby

bear curiously, but ultimately clear all of us for any possibility of

infection. Lucky for me, none of their tests include electricity.

Once we’re cleared from the medical tent, we are taken to a

makeshift mess hall. The smell of hot food (something we haven’t

had in days) fills the air and makes me realize I’m hungry. From the

looks on everyone else’s faces, they’re hungry, too.

Jared, Brie and Mason all nervously talk amongst themselves.

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I’m too busy eyeing the soldiers around us. They’re so somber and

controlled; it’s a little intimidating. Though, this being the front lines

of this new war I suppose that they have to be. I mumble a quick

thank you when I accept my tray of food, and follow everyone to an

empty picnic style table.

The food doesn’t look very appealing, but it smells good and

hot. We all dig in. It tastes better than it looks. That could just be

because it’s the first real meal any of us have had in a while.

It feels like it’s been weeks since we’ve left Becky and Nate with

Jack and Mariette. In reality, it’s only been a few days. I suppose it

doesn’t help that we haven’t had a real night’s sleep since then, either.

The talking soldier comes up to our table as we finish eating.

“We can offer you each a bunk tonight, if you would rather wait to

travel until the morning.” His demeanor had softened somewhat, but

he still seemed detached in a way.

It’s appealing—the thought of resting outside of the Jeep. I’m

too anxious to see Dr. Ford to vote yes though. But it’s not just me,

so before anyone else can answer I say, “Can we let you know in a

little bit?”

“Sure.” And he walks off again.

“What do you think?” Brie asks, her eyes looking a bit hopeful if

you ask me.

I shrug. I want to hear what everyone else thinks first.

“I think we should go.” Jared says, surprising me. “We shouldn’t

wear out our welcome here.”

“I agree.” Mason adds.

“Sorry, Brie.” I say. She groans. “We can be in Columbus by

morning. I’ll bet they have actual rooms there with showers and

everything.”

Yeah, it’s low, but I went there. The prospect of a shower will be

too hard for her to resist. I’m right; I can see she’s caving. “Alright,”

she relents, “let’s go.”

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I don’t start to feel better until the barricade is far behind us. I

suppose we’re lucky. I can’t imagine we would’ve gotten through a

barricade on a main road so quickly. Being around so many people

again is disconcerting. It’s hard to turn myself off of high alert.

Mason and I rest as best we can in the back of the Jeep. Baby

bear cuddles up on my chest to keep me warm. I really try to relax

and go to sleep. My mind and body suffer from exhaustion, despite

the energy that remains coursing through me from this

morning…was that just this morning? I’m having a hard time

thinking straight.

Eventually, the rhythmic pattern of the street lights entrances

me, and my heavy lids fall. My thoughts are incoherent, but I’m too

tired to care.

When my eyes open again, I can see dawn streaking across the

sky. I realize we’re not moving and that wakes me. Maneuvering Baby

bear onto Mason, I sit up a little and try to find the threat through

the window.

“Relax, it’s just a red light.” Jared assures me. He speaks softly,

and I notice Brie sleeping in the passenger seat next to him.

I relax slightly and really take a look at my surroundings. It’s far

more urban than anyplace we’ve been since we left home.

“It’s weird, right?” Jared catches my eye in the rearview mirror.

“Being here, it’s so…normal.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “I just hope it’s as safe as it seems to be.”

Me, too.” Jared agrees before he gets lost in his own thoughts.

I stretch as best I can. I’m as well rested as I’m going to get, it

seems. I focus on the scenes outside my window: a neighborhood

just beginning to awaken. “We have to be getting close.” I say to

Jared.

“We’ll be there soon.” He replies. “We should probably wake

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them up.”

“Give them a few more minutes.” I say. They look so peaceful;

why force reality on them so quickly?

“What was the address again?” Jared asks. I read it to him

quietly. He notices the tension in my voice. “Are you ready for this?”

“I don’t really have much choice, do I?” I sigh. “I just hope that

Dr. Ford has some answers for us, and some insight on what to do

next.”

“Me, too.” Jared answers. Brie begins to stir, and Mason follows

quickly after.

“Wow,” Brie’s mouth hangs open. “Where are we?”

“We’re in Columbus.” Jared answers.

“Yeah, we’re almost there.” I add.

“Cool.” Mason says, stretching. “I’ve had enough driving for a

while.”

“I think we all have.” Brie agrees. “Look at all these people.”

Jared turns and smiles at her. “I know freaky, right?”

“Hey, isn’t that the street?” Jared turns the Jeep before we pass it

by. I have no doubt when the building comes into view that it’s the

right one. Another military barricade surrounds it. Of course we have

to go there.

“Ready, guys?” Jared asks. This time I have the slip of paper in

my hand with the security codes on it. “Because here we go again.”

Please, please, please let this have been the right decision. I don’t

think any of us can handle anything else at this point.

Jared drives up to the gate and parks the Jeep. I roll down my

window behind him. The guard approaches slowly. “Can I help you?”

“We’re here to see Dr. Ford. He’s expecting us.” I tell him.

“Name?”

“Katarina Greene…and guests.” I look at everyone and shrug.

“One moment.” He goes back into his gatehouse.

We all wait quietly and anxiously for him to return. When he

does, he buzzes the gate open. “Drive to your right and park in lot D.

Someone will be waiting for you there.” He waves us through.

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122

The buildings and parking lots are nondescript. Every so often a

soldier walks by, looking very busy, but not really doing anything I

can see. Compared to everything we’ve been through the last few

days, the place seems a bit anticlimactic.

Maybe I’m just being pessimistic. I mean, anticlimactic is a good

thing at this point, right?

Jared parks the Jeep in the appropriated lot, and before we can

get out a soldier approaches us. He seems much more laid back than

any of the other soldiers we’ve encountered so far.

“Welcome.” He smiles. “Glad you guys made it. I’ll bet it was a

hell of a trip getting here. I’m Jerome and I’ll show you guys around.

Dr. Ford is in a meeting for a couple more hours. We weren’t

expecting you this soon. I’ll show you to your rooms and get you

some food while you wait.”

Baby bear sticks his head up, and Jerome notices him for the

first time. “Bear?”

I nod. “A survivor, if you will.”

He shrugs. “This way.”

I’m glad he’s leading. Once we enter the building, its maze of

hallways offers no type of differentiation between them. It’d be very

easy to get lost here. We finally get to an elevator. When the doors

open, people are everywhere. It’s awfully overwhelming. Jerome

weaves us through; their curious stares do not go unnoticed by us. I

can tell I’m not the only one freaking out. Our little group stays

huddled together defensively.

“We only have two rooms available, but they each sleep two

people.” He looks at us. “I’ll leave it up to you to decide who goes

where. The rooms are across the hall from each other.”

“Thanks, Jerome.” I say.

“Not a problem. I’ll give you guys some time to get settled. I’ll

be back at o-eight-hundred and bring you to the cafeteria to get some

food.” He goes back down the hallway towards the throng of people.

“How do you guys want to work this?” I ask. Mostly I look at

Brie, it’s really her choice.

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“I think it would be okay if Jared and I stay in one room.” She

looks at him questionably.

“I’m good with that.” Jared says.

“Alright, let’s meet back out here in an hour.” I say, and we each

go into our respective temporary living quarters.

It’s nothing fancy, but it has beautiful things we haven’t seen for

a while: beds, a bathroom with a shower, and electricity. I put Baby

bear on one of the beds and I charge up first thing. The need for

electricity is greater than I originally thought. Mason looks at me.

“How are you feeling?”

“Physically, pretty good,” I tell him. “Otherwise, a little freaked

out.”

He laughs. “Yeah me, too. Why don’t you take a shower?”

The idea of one perks me right up, but I don’t want to seem

selfish. “Are you sure you don’t want to go first?”

“Nah, go ahead. I’ll get some of our stuff unpacked.” He smiles.

I can tell he’s relieved to be here.

“Alright, I’ll see you in a few.”

After so many days without a shower this is heaven. I try not to

take too long; it’s only fair for Mason to have his turn, too. Hmm, the

idea of Mason in the shower sends funny feelings deep within my

gut.

I shut off the water and grab a towel. I have exactly one pair of

clean clothes left and try to remember to make laundry a priority

later. I get dressed quickly and towel dry my hair as best I can.

When I go back into the room, Mason is watching the small TV.

He stands when he sees me and throws his shirt off. “Good timing.

I’ll be out in a few.”

Wow. The shirt-less-ness is a first. Dang. I manage to snap

myself out of it just in time to catch the mischievous grin on his face.

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“Ok, I’ll be here.”

I can’t help but grin while he shuts the door. Our relationship

had only first started when the infection begun, forcing us into this

extreme situation. We’ve been so tense, so on guard. It’s a refreshing

change to see playful Mason again, even if it’s only temporary.

I carefully comb through the snarls in my hair and wince when

yanking through the worst of the knots. Finally, I win the battle and

pull my hair back. Putting my comb back in my bag, there’s a knock

on the door. “Five minutes.” A voice calls.

I tap on the bathroom door and reiterate the message to Mason.

Enjoying his playfulness will have to wait until later. My stomach

growls, and I’m thinking food is probably a good thing. With two

minutes left to spare, Mason joins me. He shoves his shoes on and

pulls a shirt over his head before we go into the hallway together.

Brie and Jared are fresh and clean too. It’s a small bit of luxury

we haven’t had, and normalizes everything just a bit for us. Normal is

nice. Weird, but nice.

“I called Becky,” Brie tells me. “They’re all doing well. I told her

about this place, offered to send someone for them, but they want to

stick it out for now.”

“I hope that’s the best choice.” Mason says.

“We’ll have to try to talk some sense into them soon.” I say.

“Good luck trying to get Jack to leave.” Jared points out.

Hmm, I’d have to think of a way to convince him.

Jerome pops around the end of the hall. “C’mon guys, you must

be starving.”

“Got that right.” Brie smiles.

Jerome leads us through the maze of hallways—this time into a

large, cavernous room. It has an institutional feel to it, but the

delicious smells that a rational person would never think of

associating with institutional food detract it. Marietta’s kitchen was

the last time anything smelled this good. I boost Baby bear on my

hip. His nose and energy are awake because of the smell. This raises

my hopes that the hot food here will be better than our last hot,

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indiscernible meal at the barracks. Don’t get me wrong. It was good

and I’m grateful for it. I just prefer to not play guess-my-food if I

don’t have to.

This huge kitchen/dining area is set up cafeteria style. Jerome

leads us to a line and hands us each a tray. “Just point to what you

want and they’ll get it for you.”

I point to some eggs a plate is put in my hands. I do the same

for the bacon next to it. Yep, this place is okay in my book.

After filling our trays, we find a table. Jerome sits with us and

explains different areas we’ll be seeing. He also tells us the few

ground rules. Simple, logical things really: no theft, no violence, that

sort of thing. It’s the last rule that raises my hackles a bit. We can’t

leave without permission. Not crazy about that one stipulation.

Even though taking a shower was wonderful and the food rocks,

I’m still overly anxious to meet up with the good doctor and get

some answers. I turn to Jerome. “Do you know when the doctor will

be available?”

“When we’re done here, I’ll take you to his office.” Jerome

answers.

I nod and eat a little faster.

Dr. Ford’s office is really quite bare. There are no diplomas on

the walls, or any other personal touches. Tan walls, a desk and some

chairs, but not much else.

I look at Mason. He gives me a small, reassuring smile—no

doubt sensing my nervousness. Brie and Jared go off with Jerome to

explore and take Baby bear with them. Mason insist on staying with

me. I’m glad he does, even if I knew he would.

The anticipation’s killing me. Just when I think I can’t stand one

more second, the door opens. Dr. Ford’s familiar face is now

somewhat haggard. He smiles when he sees us. “Kat, Mason, I’m so

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glad you guys made it safely.”

“Thanks, doc. Us, too.” Mason shakes his proffered hand.

“Hey, doc.” I say, shaking his hand when Mason releases it.

“I’m not even sure where to begin.” Dr. Ford sits across from us

behind the desk. “What’s it like out there?”

I shudder involuntarily, but it’s Mason who answers. “Not

good.” He says quietly.

Dr. Ford rakes a hand across his face. I can see the tension in his

eyes. “Did you see many survivors?”

I shake my head. “We didn’t see any. One family but only their

daughter was infected, no one else.” Except that one group, my

conscious sneers at me.

“What happened?” The doctor asks, “Did they all succumb to

the infection?”

Mason answers softly. “Kat saved her.”

Dr. Ford’s eyes grow as wide as saucers. “Hmm. Maybe we

should continue this in the lab.”

“Hey, doc?” Mason asks as we get up. “We can keep Kat’s, er,

abilities to just us for now, right?”

“Of course.” Dr. Ford assures him. “This way.”

The lab is just that, a lab. Lots of white and things I’d probably

break on contact. I sit on a stool: a safe place away from all of the

equipment.

“May I start with a blood test?” He asks me.

“Okay.” Needles are not my favorite thing, but I figure this is

part of the package.

While I focus on Mason, Dr. Ford draws the blood. The process

is quick and surprisingly painless No way am I watching the needle.

“Good, I’m going to have some tests run on this. As soon as I

know the results, I’ll let you know.” Dr. Ford smiles, “Now, onto the

next step; let’s see what you can do.”

“Um, I think we need some more room.” Mason says.

“Yeah, doc. I don’t want to hurt your lab.” I say.

“Oh, right.” He looks sheepish. “Good point. Follow me.”

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A couple of elevators and a stairway later, Dr. Ford opens a

door. Sunlight blinds us and we find ourselves on a roof. Dr. Ford

points down to an unused mostly dilapidated, basketball court. “Let

‘er rip.” His excitement is almost overwhelming.

I look at Mason, who shrugs. All well, here goes nothing. I

motion for them to stand back as I create the now familiar energy

sphere in my palms. Dr. Ford’s eyes almost pop out of his head. I

throw it at the one remaining basketball hoop and watch its

obliteration.

When I turn back to Dr. Ford, his mouth is open along with his

eyes. “Th-that is just incredible! Never seen anything- can you do it

again?” He sputters” He sputters.

I throw one more that’s not quite as strong. We all watch as it

pops in the court below. Suddenly, the doors next to the court fly

open and five armed guards step onto the court. I shrink away from

the edge and out of sight. Mason follows my lead. To our shock, so

does Dr. Ford.

“Um, shouldn’t you tell them it was just a test—that everything’s

okay?” I ask.

“Nah, they could use the excitement.” Dr. Ford says before

leading us back towards the lab.

He’s all business when we return. He asks question after

question. I answer honestly. Mason begins to doze off a little. Dr.

Ford keeps at it until there’s a soft knock at the door. I giggle when

Mason almost falls out of the chair.

It’s Jerome, informing us it’s lunchtime. Dr. Ford leaps up with

one final parting question. “If I can find something to get a sample

into, can you give me one of them? A smaller one, perhaps?”

My eyes dart towards Jerome and I’m glad that Dr. Ford kept his

question vague. “Sure, doc. Anything to help.” Jerome eyes me

curiously but doesn’t say anything.

“Oh, Jerome,” Dr. Ford says, “There was an incident of sorts on

the old basketball court. I’d like someone to get me a sample.”

I see Mason suppress a smile. “Sure thing, Dr. Ford. We’ll get

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someone on that asap.” Jerome answers.

“Thank you. I’ll see you two later.”

“Bye, doc.” Mason and I call as we follow Jerome.

Brie and Jared are waiting for us and hold a table. They didn’t

get their food yet, which I think is sweet. It makes me happy that

even in all of this insanity, Brie and Jared found each other.

Lunch seems much too quick: tasty, but short. As soon as

Jerome gets up, I know he’s bringing Mason and I back to Dr. Ford.

I promise Brie to talk later and head back for round two of testing.

Measuring the level of Dr. Ford’s excitement, it doesn’t surprise

me that he has something set up to test my energy. I give him

smaller, less powerful spheres and a larger one before I feel the need

to recharge again.

He loves this almost as much as the first demonstration. It

makes me feel awfully self-conscious, but it’s in the name of science,

right? Can’t let my bashfulness stand in the way of possibly saving the

world.

After an hour or so of analyzing data, Dr. Ford turns to Mason

and me. “It’s utterly remarkable.”

“Um thanks, I guess?” I’m not quite sure what the appropriate

response is for such a statement.

“No, really. It’s an organic energy, something like lightning.

You’ve mutated it and adapted it to your body.”

“What about when it runs out?” Mason asks quietly. I know this

has been bugging him for a while now.

“We’ll have to run some more tests to determine that.” Dr. Ford

answers, not quite meeting my gaze.

Testing fills the next two days. It’s redundant, therefore rather

boring. Dr. Ford insists it’s all necessary. Mason remains dutifully by

my side, throughout every grueling step. I miss Baby bear, who

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spends his days with Brie and Jared and only bunks with us at night.

I’m beginning to feel as though I’m stuck in some sort of never-

ending, test-filled purgatory.

After what seems like forever, Dr. Ford finally turns from his

computer and puts his glasses down.

“Enough for today, doc?” Mason asks hopefully.

“Well, yes and no. You guys were very patient through the

question portion, and I assume that’s because you’re anxious to get to

the answer part.” Dr. Ford pauses. “We’re at the part where I have

some answers.”

Oh. I guess that’s good, right. Yeah sure, answers are good. I’m

not sure why the butterflies in my stomach seem to disagree.

“Kat, this energy you’ve harnessed is part of you now. If you use

too much of it, it will drain you, but you are able to replenish it on

your own without an external source. This just takes more time.

“As to how it affects the nanobots,” he continues, “they were set

on replication. We don’t know what glitch happened to make them to

go out of control. It reset something in them. It seems this new form

of biological energy you have completely reboots them.”

“That’s all good news, right?” Mason asks.

“Yes, all good news. My concern is the rate of which we’ll be

able to use this to slow and ultimately stop them. Poor Kat will not

be able to stop them alone. I have to find some way to duplicate this

energy.”

Haven’t I sort of already been though? I thought they were falling

back: slowly, sure, but back nonetheless.

“What do you mean?” Mason asks him. “I thought it was already

working?”

“I see I’ve kept you guys a bit cut off in here the last few days.

The latest maps do show a decline in the advance of the infection on

the path you took to get here. The problem I’ve found is that the

rebooted ‘fixed’ nanobots are still succumbing to the mutated ones.”

“So they’re re-infecting the fixed nanobots?” Mason asks quietly.

“Unfortunately, yes.” The doctor sighs. “If we could get enough

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of Kat’s new organic energy, we can stop them. Unless I can replicate

it, we will only be able to keep a small area contained and

uninfected.”

“Can you do it, doc? Replicate it, I mean?” I ask, finding my

voice.

“I’m not sure. I’m going to try, though. Why don’t you guys go

explore the rest of the facility today? I’ve monopolized you enough.

If I need anything, I’ll have Jerome find you.”

“Alright, doc. Good luck.” I say.

Mason echoes my goodbye and we head in search of Jared and

Brie.

131

Chapter Ten

Run

It doesn’t take us too long to find Brie and Mason because its

lunchtime. We meet them in the cafeteria. I scoop up Baby bear from

Brie. He’s putting on some weight, so he’s not as light as he was. But

he’s still a comfort. I try not to let the stress of Dr. Ford’s answer

session get to me.

When we have our food and find a table, I fill in the others. “I

think we need to get Jack, Mariette, Becky and Nate out before it’s

too late. I can get Dr. Ford to send someone out there, I’m sure.”

“I’ll call them as soon as we’re done eating.” Brie says.

Mason and Jared grunt and nod their approval as their mouths

are full of food.

It doesn’t take very long at all for Jerome to find us again. In

fact, it was pretty much the same allotment we had for lunch every

other day. “Sorry,” He looks sheepish. “Doc needs you two again.

Said it’s important.”

I shrug. Mason and I are both use to it. We get up and follow

him with little fuss, down the now familiar hallways to the lab. Dr.

Ford rushes us in. Unlike usual, he quickly shuts and locks the door

behind us. Upon closer inspection, I notice he looks frazzled.

“What’s up, doc?” Mason smiles, trying to lighten his mood.

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“Kat, I am so sorry.” Dr. Ford says.

Fear spreads through me like a slow burn. I can’t think to speak

before Mason does. “What’s going on?” He demands more than asks.

“General Carch is what’s going on. One of the meanest old birds

you’ll ever meet. Unfortunately for us, she’s also in charge here.” He

looks at me grimly. “She doesn’t think we should wait to try to

replicate your organic energy. She’s putting together an engineering

team as we speak to create something to drain your energy constantly

and use it to charge weapons for our soldiers. You’re not safe here

anymore, Kat.”

It’s my guinea pig fear come to life. I stand frozen.

It’s Mason who jumps into action for both of us. “What can we

do?”

“I’ve had Jerome set your Jeep with extra supplies and a cell

phone with a charger. I’m the only one with the number. I can’t tell

you where it will be safe to go, but I’ll check in daily with any updates

I have. I can figure this out; I just need more time. You’ll do well to

stay away from the cops and army, if you can help it. Whatever you

do, don’t use your real names.”

Mason nods. “Jared and Brie?”

“Will probably be safer with you. I wouldn’t put it past that

mean old cow to throw them in the brig once she discovers you’re

gone.” Dr. Ford says.

Mason nods. “How long do we have?”

“An hour maybe, but the less time the better.”

“Understood.” Mason pulls on my arm. “C’mon, Kat. We’ve got

to go, babe.”

Suddenly, I remember something important. I walk to one of the

maps on the wall. I find the location I’m looking for and stick a tack

into it. “We have friends here, doc.” I tell him. “A mom, a kid, and

an older couple. Please get them out before it’s too late. We’ll tell

them to expect you and be ready.”

“I promise.” Dr. Ford says, as Mason pulls me towards the door.

“Be safe, guys.”

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“Thanks, doc. You, too.” I answer as Mason and I take off down

the hallway.

Jerome must have already told Brie and Jared because they are

waiting for us with Baby bear and their bags packed. It takes Mason

and I maybe five minutes to gather our things. Then we all follow

Jerome to our Jeep. He explains about extra gas, a filled fuel tank,

extra maps, the cell phone, water and MRE’s. The last one baffles me

until Mason explains it’s army food.

Mason lets Jared drive the first shift. Mason uses his body and

Baby bear’s to try and hide my presence in the Jeep as we exit the

gate.

When the gated, fenced building is shrinks behind us, Mason

backs off but grabs my hand and squeezes tight.

I feel horrible. Because of me, everyone has to leave the safest

place we’ve been since this whole thing started. Hopefully, the doctor

keeps his promise and gets Jack and the rest of our group there for

me. At least they’ll be safe.

“Where do you want to go?” Jared asks—not to anyone

particular, more all of us as a whole.

“I have no idea.” Brie says, turning in her seat to face me.

I look dumbly at Mason. I really need to snap out of it, but my

mind is too consumed by guilt.

“Maybe we should try south for now?” Mason suggests. “They’ll

probably expect us to go west.”

“If they don’t have us lo-jacked already.” Jared points out. We all

look at each other and Jared pulls over.

The guys get out of the car, and it doesn’t take long for them to

find what they’re looking for. Mason holds up a small piece of

something I don’t recognize and sticks it on a parked car one space

up.

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We try again: this time adjusting our route to the south. With my

free hand, I gently stroke Baby bear’s soft fur and force myself to

think. How on earth did this happen? How did we basically become

fugitives? And what’s more, if Dr. Ford can’t replicate my energy,

what will I do? Let the world end? I sigh, and Mason squeezes my

hand.

“You alright?” He asks.

“Not really.” I answer truthfully. “But I don’t see any way to get

around it right now.”

He gives me a quick kiss on my cheek and begins staring out of

his window. I guess he doesn’t see any way around it right now,

either.

We travel south for a few hours before we stop to stretch our

legs. Jared and Mason switch drivers. I have no idea where we are,

but I assume somewhere in the Midwest Farmland and all we’ve seen

is empty fields for a while. The sky is overcast and the day dreary.

This is fine with me because it matches my mood.

We continue on for a while. Since we have no real destination in

mind, we toy with the option of stopping for the night. Ultimately,

it’s Mason who convinces us to wait until tomorrow night. He wants

to put more space between us and Columbus before we attempt a

campout. Nobody argues, but I can’t help the involuntary shudder

that runs through me.

Eventually the sun breaks across the horizon to our left. It feels

like we drive forever. Only when the sky is high above us does

Mason stop.

“Time to switch?” Jared asks.

“Well yes, but that’s not why I stopped. Look.” He points

southeast. “I don’t think we want to get too close to that.”

I follow his finger and see the metallic fog. I get out of the car.

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My hands already in front of me and creating an energy sphere. I

can’t afford to hold back. Finally, the numbness I’ve been feeling

since we left Columbus is waning. In its place is fury. I’m super pissed,

and I’m going to unleash my rage on these freaking nanobots.

I only make it a few steps before I throw the sphere as hard as I

can towards the fog. The ground trembles on impact, and the

aftershock slams me forcibly back into the Jeep. I’ve never thrown

one like that. Not even the first few, which I didn’t know how to

control. I expect to feel drained after, but I don’t. Not like before,

anyway. I really wish Dr. Ford was around to give me some more

answers.

“Kat, are you alright?” Mason jumps out of the Jeep and

crouches next to me. I now sit on the ground with my back leaning

up against the Jeep’s large tire.

“Yeah,” I stand up to prove it and brush the dust off my jeans.

“I’m good.”

“Dang, girl,” Jared says.

“Yeah kick that nanobot ass, Kat!” Brie adds.

“Think that’ll hold them back?” I ask.

“Babe, I think they felt that in Mexico.” Mason laughs.

He’s right. The fog is already visibly drawing back. Soon, it’s just

a memory. “It must have just made it this far.” I speculate.

“According to the maps before we left, it hadn’t made it further

west than the Ohio River. I guess it’s advancing.” Brie tells me.

Wait a minute. “We may have a chance to solve a mystery here.”

“What do you mean?” Mason asks.

“Remember how confused Dr. Ford was that they can’t seem to

locate any survivors?” I tell them.

“Yeah, so?” Jared questions.

“Well, here we are in a place I just zapped where the infection

just occurred. Aren’t you guys just the teensy bit curious as to what

happens to all the people?” Like my mom. And Mason’s family. And

Brie’s mom. What could be the fate of the world if Dr. Ford fails?

“It could be dangerous.” Jared says.

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I roll my eyes. “What isn’t, anymore?”

“Point taken.” Jared smiles a bit.

“It’s up to you guys. Who knows what we’ll find.” I look at each

of them. I don’t want them feeling forced into going.

“But if we found out, I mean, it would help, right?” Brie asks.

“I don’t know if we want to know, though.” Mason adds.

Jared looks hard at Brie, then turns back to me and Mason. “I

say we do it. If it can help, then it’s worth a shot.”

“Okay, I guess. A hunting we will go.” Mason finally succumbs.

So far, all we’ve found is empty house after empty house. As it

begins to get dark, we eventually stop at one of them to spend the

night. Jared and Mason secure the downstairs, while Brie and I make

a picnic of sorts on the floor of the master bedroom.

It’s a nice house: all big windows and wood floors with way nicer

furniture than my house or Brie’s. Hopefully tonight, it will be our

sanctuary.

We eat our MRE’s. They’re not very good, but they fill our

stomachs. Part of me wishes that we could try cooking something in

the nice kitchen we saw downstairs, but Mason wants to play it safe.

We only leave one small light on as we eat.

Baby bear makes himself comfortable on the bed. Again, I

notice he’s getting bigger. He’s going to have to get used to walking

on his own if he keeps going at this rate.

I’m happy we stop in a house that still has electricity. Not all of

them did, and recharging is done to my heart’s content. Once

completed, we call it a night. Brie and Jared drag in a mattress from

the other room and we push a dresser in front of the door. Since no

one’s around, I’m not sure why but it seems to make everyone feel

better.

The morning comes too quickly. It sure beats sleeping in the

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Jeep. We pack up and move on, pushing east. I throw more energy

spheres, just to be safe.

We search for people and still find none. After I’ve thrown

another sphere, we stop and have lunch. Spotting a farm house off in

the distance, I nearly drop my food when I shoot up. People. I see

people.

“Hey, do we still have those binoculars?” I ask Mason.

“Yeah, why?”

“Look!” I point towards the house. Everybody squint at once.

“I’ll go grab them.” Jared runs to the back of the Jeep.

“What should we do?” Brie asks.

“Nothing until we get a good look at them.” I say, with a bad

feeling in my gut.

Jared walks back slowly. With his eyes in the binoculars, he

points them towards the house and the people. When he lowers

them, his face confirms my bad gut feeling. “I don’t think we should

go over there.” He tells us, handing me the binoculars.

He’s right. These people are obviously infected. Their skin holds

a metallic sheen, so dense in places it appears to be actual metal.

There are more of them than I thought. If I didn’t know any better,

I’d think it was a convoy of sorts. I pass the binoculars to Mason,

who looks quietly before passing them to Brie.

“Well, I guess now we know.” She says softly.

“But where are they going?” Jared asks the question we’re all

thinking.

Mason shocks me by saying, “There’s only one way to find out.”

“I’d at least like to get a picture for Dr. Ford.” I murmur.

“Then it’s settled,” Brie begins packing up her food. “Let’s do

this.”

They all turn, but something in me is screaming ‘No!’

“Wait.” I say quietly. “This is different. I know that this is

dangerous. I can feel it.” They all start arguing with me. “Hey, let me

finish!” They settle down. “We should follow them from a very, very

safe distance. Once we find out where they’re going, we turn back.

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But I also think that we should get a picture for the scientists to

study. And only one of us is completely safe from the infection.”

They all stare at me, wide-eyed. “No way.” Mason says.

“Absolutely not.” Brie follows.

“It’s the only thing I can think of.” I say, staring at my Converse.

“I think we should stay together.” Jared surprises me. “No

matter what.” Brie and Mason nod in agreement.

“Oh, give me the cell phone.” I say to Brie. “Maybe I can get a

picture from here.”

When riding in a Jeep and trying to stay unseen, the problem

with following a bunch of people walking is timing. We have to be

careful not to lose them, while at the same time staying far enough

away not to be noticed. Brie suggests leaving the Jeep and following

them on foot, but I don’t want to take any chances losing our fast

getaway in case we need it.

So we continue with our deranged game of hide and go seek

with the metallic humanoid monsters. Jared drives, while Brie keeps

an eye on the metal heads with the binoculars. Mason keeps checking

behind us, and I find myself intermittently checking both sides of us.

We’re all on high alert.

As night falls we decide to slow it down. Jared doesn’t want to

attract attention to us by using the headlights. This makes driving

much harder than it would’ve been otherwise. Let me tell you:

navigating off-road in the dark is not for the faint of heart.

It’s easy to tell when we’re venturing too close to the metal

heads because Baby bear begins to get very restless, something that’s

not normal for him.

What makes me restless is the metallic fog that seems to be

looming around every turn. I keep throwing energy at it and watching

the metal heads reaction. (They seem to notice it, but not where it’s

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coming from.) I try my best to keep the fog at bay while not

depleting my energy too much.

After a few hours, we have no choice but to stop and refuel. We

stop at a gas station at the side of the road. Just as we suspect, it’s

empty. Mercifully the electricity is on, so I charge up while the guys

refuel the Jeep and containers we’ve been traveling with. Brie takes

Baby bear to go stock up on our food supplies (those MRE’s are

really not the tastiest things).

I meet everyone back at the Jeep and we’re off again. We catch

back up to the metal heads and refrain as they appear to have slowed

into a mass congregation.

“What do you think they’re doing?” Brie asks, peering out the

window into the darkness. The metal heads glimmer softly in the

moonlight.

“I have no idea.” I say.

“Well if we’re stopping, I’m stretching my legs a bit.” Jared pops

open the back door. I watch in horror as Baby bear bolts out, restless

from the close proximity of the metal heads.

I dare not yell and draw the metal head’s attention to us, but take

off after him into the night. I run through a recently harvested field,

stumbling every few steps over invisible mounds of dirt. Baby bear

disappears into a small copse of trees before I slow down to catch my

breath. Hopefully he’ll feel safe there and not go back out into the

open field.

It’s just now that I notice the rain. It makes me wonder if that’s

why the metal heads stopped. A huge clap of thunder and the slight

drizzle gives way to a downpour. Great—just great! I pick up my

pace, sure that Baby bear will be just as scared of the thunder as he is

of the metal heads.

A flash of lightning and a nearby sizzle causes me to jump.

That’s disturbingly close. I suddenly realize that my being in a field

during a thunderstorm is probably not the best thing in the world. In

between the rumbles, I can hear Mason, Brie and Jared calling for

me.

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I can’t respond because the grove of trees is now too close for

comfort to the metal heads. They have shifted their positions in the

rain. The next flash of lightning shows me why. The metal heads see

me and they’re getting closer by the second. They’re not as fast as

they’ve been, but still too fast for me.

A hand on my shoulder causes me to scream. I turn to see

Mason. “Kat c’mon, we have to get back to the Jeep!” He shouts

over the storm.

“You have to go get Baby bear, and get back to the Jeep. I’ll

meet you after I take care of them.” I thumb towards the metal

heads.

Mason sees the resolution in my face as another lightning bolt

strikes less than twenty feet away from me. “Where’d he go?”

I point to the small grove of trees. “He’s in there. Go! It’s not

safe for you to be by me with all of this lightning.”

Understanding passes through his gaze before he takes off

towards the trees. This is the first thunderstorm I’m encountering

since the accident. I’m not sure what will happen to me if I get struck

by lightning…although I’ll probably fair better than Mason or the

others.

Mason emerges with a wet fur ball in his arms and I breathe a

sigh of relief. I wait until he’s almost back to the safety of the Jeep

and turn to the metal heads. Even with the rain pouring rivulets of

water down my face and across my eyes, I can still see the glare off of

them. With every flash of lightning, it sends a shiver down my spine.

It makes me realize how cold it is; I’m going to get sick for sure.

If I make it out of here. I take a few steps towards the metal heads.

Their progress is becoming incredibly inadequate and I just want to

get this over with. Although slowly, they’re succeeding in

surrounding me. Panicking, I turn towards the Jeep and am happy to

see it’s being ignored. Their attention is focused solely on me.

Running out of options, I turn my face up towards the rain.

Palms facing the other, I raise my hands in front of me. An energy

sphere is forming when I feel, rather than see the flash of lightning

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engulf me. It’s not a single lightning strike—more like all of the

energy from the storm centralizes into me. It flows through me,

morphing the energy sphere in my hand into a beacon of raw energy.

My palms are force apart and outward. It’s all I can do to aim my

hands, palm out at the metal heads, and away from the Jeep.

My feet lift off the ground, the energy propelling me up a few

feet in the air. Then, just as suddenly as it begins, the rain lessens, the

rumbling lowers, and I fall in a heap back to the ground.

Holy crap. I stand and look around me at the carnage of what just

occurred. The smell of burning metal and flesh causes me to dry

heave. I pull it together before I actually throw-up. Then pull the

collar of my shirt over my nose.

Honestly I shouldn’t look. This sight will probably haunt me

forever, but I can’t tear my eyes away. Even if I didn’t mean to cause

such carnage, it’s too late to change it.

Dazed, I look past the eviscerated remains of the metal heads. I

try to find the Jeep amidst the smoke and steam permeating from the

battle scene. Once spotted, I stumble towards it. Mason jumps out

and runs to me.

“Kat, that was insane! Are you alright?”

I give a quick appraisal. Physically I feel fine—kind of numb and

perhaps in shock, but not hurting. I’m mentally a hot mess. I doubt

that’s what he means as he runs his hands over me to check for

injuries.

“I’m f-f-fine.” I manage to get out through my chattering teeth.

Mason wraps an arm around my shoulder. “You’re freezing.

Let’s get back to the others.”

I nod, but don’t move yet. “Hold on.”

I take off my now soaking wet, charred hoodie and walk to the

nearest chunk of a metal head. Being careful not to touch it, I wrap it

in my hoodie before turning to Mason.” “Okay, let’s go.”

He looks hesitant. “Are you sure that’s safe?”

I open the hoodie, again being careful not to make direct contact

with it. The metallic glare is gone, replaced with a tarnished looking

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metal. I don’t feel any energy coming from it like I do from the fog

or the live metal heads. “I’m pretty sure it’s dead. I want to send it to

the doc. We should turn back, and start heading west.”

“If you’re sure it’s safe, then that’s good enough for me.” We

make our way back to the Jeep through the now squishy field picking

our way over the charred metallic remains.

We drive in silence for a while. Nobody wants to discuss the

giant pink elephant in the Jeep with us. The stress of everything

begins to weigh down. The reality of everything’s sinking for all of us,

at different rates of absorption.

I refuse to try and decipher what the hell happened back there

with the lightning. That’s just in a compartment of the recesses of my

brain for now. Thinking about all of those people…infected or not,

that was too many lives I lay to waste.

Jared pulls the Jeep over, so we can stretch and eat something.

It’s a relief to stop; it feels like we’ve been driving for so long now.

There’s a small creek or river not too far from where we stop. Mason

and I pull out some food for all of us. Brie follows Baby bear to a

nearby bush so he can relieve himself.

It’s rather warm out. It makes me think we may have traveled

further south in our pursuit of the metal heads than we first assumed.

I peel the hair off the back of my neck and wipe the sweat away. It’s

been a long time since any of us has had the luxury of a shower. I

look longingly at the stream.

I notice Brie following my gaze. Her eyes are hopeful and light

up. “Do you think it’s safe?” She asks as she approaches me.

“Is what safe?” Jared asks, right behind her.

“The water,” I explain.

“It does look nice.” Mason says.

“Doesn’t it?” Brie hints, waggling her eyebrows at me.

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Despite everything, I burst out laughing. “It does look nice,” I

tell them. “But we know the water could be infected. I don’t know if

it’s worth the risk.”

Brie actually begins to pout. Even the guys look defeated…their

shoulders fall in unison.

Mason pipes up, “Can’t you just zap it, babe? Then we can all go

for a swim?”

Oh, the temptation. I cave. “I guess I could try, but I have no idea

what will happen.”

Brie nudges me forward, eager to get clean and refreshed. “Go,”

she orders me, “zap away!”

Moving towards the water, I shake my head gently but there’s a

wry smile on my face. Guess I’m out-voted, admittedly I’m not that

upset about it. The water looks so nice and cool.

I do my energy sphere thing. As soon as I’m done, the others

move towards me. Jared hops on one foot and attempts to take his

sneakers off as he walks. Brie and Mason take the more direct

approach. They stop beside me before losing any articles of clothing

they don’t want to get wet. Well, when in Rome, right? I begin taking

off my own sneakers.

“Hey! Where’s the phone?” I ask Mason, right before he jumps.

We haven’t heard from Dr. Ford yet, but I don’t want to destroy the

only means of communication that we have.

Splash! “Relax, it’s in the Jeep. Now get over here!” He calls

back to me.

Jared and Brie soon jump beside Mason. Baby bear even plays in

the shallow water by the shoreline. Satisfied that there is no eminent

threat, I jump in and join them.

The water is crisp and cool. It’s perfectly refreshing and exactly

what we all needed. I watch curiously as Brie runs back to the Jeep,

but when she returns with bottles of shampoo and conditioner I grin.

Good thinking, Brie!

She squirts some shampoo in her hand and tosses me the bottle.

I follow suit and we all pass the bottles around until we are clean.

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We probably spend more time in the water than we should.

Even I don’t want to say it’s time to go. Not that we really have any

place to be, but it seems like a good idea to keep moving. I figure we

can enjoy the water for just a little bit longer. We can all use the

boost in morale.

Brie and I lay floating in the water with our faces towards the

sky. Meanwhile Mason and Jared have some sort of testosterone

filled water fight. I roll my eyes at Brie. Boys.

I check on Baby bear—now taking a nap under the shade of a

tree near the water. Satisfied, I let my eyes drift shut. This is the most

relaxed I’ve been in a while.

That’s my mistake, of course: letting my guard down and

relaxing. The first sign of trouble is the noise I hear above me. I

stand up while shielding my eyes from the sun. An army helicopter

whizzes past us, followed quickly by two more. I look to the others,

and their expressions match mine. It’s time to go.

As the last helicopter fades along with its accompanying noise,

the real threat reveals itself. The sound of the helicopter masks the

whines Baby bear emits as he paces back and forth nervously at the

edge of the water. I look at the direction the helicopters flew in,

downstream from where we all swim in the water. The metallic fog

moves towards us at an alarming rate. Of course, it must mutate

more quickly in the fluidity of the water. The others focus on getting

to the bank much too slowly. They don’t know about the danger until

they hear me scream. “Run!”

They begin to move much more quickly. I stand, but fear

paralyzes me. I can’t zap the water while the others are in it. Snapping

back into action, I follow their path to the shore. They’re almost

there when I see Brie stumble. Mason and Jared try to grab her, but

she slips just out of their reach. By the time she surfaces, she’s closer

to me than them. I grab her hand and wave them on. We’re so close

to the shore now, but not close enough it seems.

Looking at my best friend, I know she sees the terror in my face.

Her eyes show acceptance of the situation. I shake my head at her.

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“No,” I whisper.

“Do it Kat, before it’s too late,” Tears well in her eyes.

I drag her to shore, but we don’t make it before the fog hits us.

Brie and I keep our clasped hands held tightly. I keep waiting for

pain—anything to indicate my life is over, but there’s nothing.

It’s hard to see through the fog, but I manage to drag Brie all the

way onto the shore. As soon as she’s out of the water I turn around

and let the energy pour out of me. The lightning strike affects me

more than I thought, because now the stream of energy takes the

place of the sphere as I unleash it into the water.

The fog disintegrates but my adrenaline is still pumping. Brie lies

with her eyes closed on the shore bank. Jared holds Baby bear.

Mason stands a little ways away by the Jeep. They look as horrified as

I feel. Jared hands Baby bear to Mason, and begins running towards

us. I hold up my hand and tell him silently to stay back.

Tears are streaming down my face. My vision is blurry when I

reach Brie’s side. I can still see the metallic sheen that appears to be

working its way over her body. I try to calm down. I’ve done this

once before. I can do it again.

I start as I did before, with the least charged sphere. I touch it to

Brie. Her body convulses a little but the metallic sheen remains. The

process repeats an my tears are thicker every time her body lurches.

Finally, with the highest charge I’m willing to try, her body jumps off

the ground and the metallic sheen fades out.

I wave the guys over. Mason puts Baby bear in the Jeep, but

Jared is by my side instantly. “I think she’ll be okay when she wakes

up.” I manage to say, my voice thick from the tears.

He doesn’t say anything but picks Brie up, cradling her in his

arms. Mason wraps an arm around me as we make our way back

towards the Jeep.

Jared secures Brie in the back of the Jeep, and then climbs in

after her. Baby bear appears confused as he nuzzles her hand. He’s

not scared of her, so that helps to make me think I got the infection

before it took her over.

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Mason grabs the last of our things from beside the water. He

turns back to me when I see him freeze. As I look at what stopped

him, numbness takes over beginning at the base of my neck and

traveling down my spine. You’ve got to be freaking kidding me!

In all of the excitement, I missed them…the bigger threat: the

Army now surrounding us.

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Chapter Eleven

Wait

The first thing that runs through my mind is that they’re after

me. I can tell by the look on Mason’s face that he is thinking the

same thing. Jared is too preoccupied by Brie, who he and Baby bear

are trying to rouse in the back seat to no avail.

I remain still with my arms above my head. I know what I could

do: zap them all so we can make our escape. But I’m so tired already.

My heart doesn’t think it can take harming any more people,

regardless of the circumstances.

A smaller group of soldiers separates from the larger,

surrounding group and moves towards us. Any hope I have left

disintegrates, and mostly I feel like crumpling onto the ground. We’ve

survived the nanobots so far, just for this. What’s the point of fighting

anymore?

Seeing their guns raised, I only half hear the orders shouted at

me from the soldier. I turn back around to the Jeep slowly and

motion for Jared to hand me Baby bear. Baby bear crawls willingly

into my arms. The tension in the air scares him. Mason stands firm

where he is. I can see his muscles twitching from here as he itches to

get by our sides.

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“I said turn around!” The soldier says again. This time I comply.

“What is that?” He asks when he sees what I’m holding.

“It’s a baby bear. We found him and have been taking care of

him.” I answer, my voice a monotone, and graciously not trembling

with the nervousness I feel.

Apparently he wasn’t expecting this answer, because he just

grunts in response. He looks over to Mason, then into the car.

“What’s wrong with her?” As he asks, the three soldiers closest to the

car point their guns at Jared and Brie.

“She just fell down before and hit her head.” I don’t dare tell

them the truth, or even say that she’s not feeling well. And I say it

loudly, making sure that Mason and Jared hear me, too.

The man eyes me suspiciously but doesn’t question me. He

walks around the Jeep, peers through the windows and undoubtedly

notices all of our gear. A minute shake of his head has the other

soldiers backing off and lowering their weapons.

“You’re all survivors from back east, I take it?”

I nod. “Yes sir. From Canaan, Connecticut before all of this

happened.” I figure I’ll stick to the truth as much as possible.

His eyebrows shoot up. “That’s a far drive.”

I shrug. “We walked for a while before we found the Jeep.”

He circles again, then motions for Mason to come over and for

Jared to come out of the Jeep. Jared carefully lays Brie across the

backseat and steps out next to me. Mason is by my side almost

instantly.

“We have a quarantined safe zone, not too far from here that we

can take you to. Each of you will have to remain in isolation for three

days to get in. If at the end of those three days, you’re still uninfected,

then you’ll become one of our residents.”

Mason looks nervously at me and Jared. “What if we’re not

interested?”

The soldier raises an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t you be

interested?”

I jump in while there’s still time. “We’ve been doing alright out

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here on our own.”

The soldier now turns his hard gaze on me. “We’ve been

instructed to eliminate the threat by any means necessary. That means

we are not able to take the chance that any of you,” he nods towards

the backseat, “are infected and allowed to spread it.”

“So we go with you or what, die?” Jared asks.

“Yeah that’s what we’re told.” The soldier says this with a hint of

regret in his voice. It’s easy to tell that he doesn’t agree with this at

all.

Mason and Jared look at me and I shrug, “It’s not his fault.” I

turn to the soldier. “What about our things?”

“After you leave the isolation rooms, your personal belongings

will be waiting for you.”

“And the Jeep?” Mason asks.

Another raised eyebrow. “The Jeep is now property of the US

government but don’t worry. You won’t have any use for it inside the

compound.”

I doubt that’s where Mason is planning on using it. I don’t really

see any way out of this, other than to go along with it. I just really

hope Brie wakes up soon, and that when she does, she’s okay.

The isolation room is cold: a dull grey concrete box with a small

cot, sink and toilet. The smell of bleach burns my nose. I sit on the

floor against the wall and try to find patterns in the cracked concrete,

anything to keep all of the sobering thoughts in my mind from

coming out to taunt me.

The one thing I can’t keep my mind off of is Brie. She isn’t

awake by the time we arrive here. She’s put into her own isolation

room. I hope she makes it through the next few days.

I look to my cot. Baby bear snuggles next to me in the thin

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blanket they provide. It took a lot of arguing on my part. Ultimately

something causes the soldier to cave, and he allows me to keep Baby

bear through this isolation process. I was left by the frustrated soldier

with the firm understanding that if Baby bear shows any signs of

infection, that we’ll both pay the price for it.

It doesn’t really bother me—I know Baby bear’s fine. Even if he

wasn’t, I’m pretty sure I could stop his infection same as anybody

else. So far, they don’t seem to know who I am. A small part of me

dares to hope that it will stay that way.

I have no idea how much time passes before the memories push

their way to the front of my mind, no longer willing to be ignored. At

first they come in flashes. I hang my head in my arms and lose myself

in the overwhelming sorrow that facing my demons brings. It starts

first with those evil men in that small town, and builds from there. By

the time I face the massacre of the metal heads in the field, I’m near

hysterics. If the situation had gone differently, I have no idea if they

could’ve been saved.

I’ll never know unless I get out of here, wherever here actually is.

I have no idea or any clue as to what goes on behind these walls. We

weren’t given much choice, but hope we didn’t cross the line into a

situation that’s even worse.

With no windows, my internal clock is all I have to go by. This

means I’m totally screwed, because got altered during our extended

road trip: sleeping a few hours here and there, and losing any

semblance of my normal sleep cycle. My mind experiences

exhaustion when it finally slows down. I curl around Baby bear on

the small cot. His warmth and company makes me happy as I drift

off to sleep.

The slide of the grate wakes me. This is the fifth tray of slop

they’ve shoved through, since I’ve been here. I add it to the pile of

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the rest of them, all untouched. The only thing I have been doing is

drinking water. I take a sip, place the tin cup aside and save the rest

for later.

The charge coursing through me is becoming uncomfortable. At

first, I feel surprise that I don’t need to recharge, especially after the

display when we were swimming. It seems like my body is recharging

itself much more rapidly than before as though the energy I create is

now far stronger. Maybe the lightning caused it…maybe not.

If I ever make it out of this stupid room, maybe I can try to

reach Dr. Ford. He could use the information have. I’m not sure if

it’s possible to contact him without blowing my cover. If I have to

choose between the greater good for humanity and my own welfare,

which will win?

Before looking too deeply into that question I hear a different

sound: a rough metal on metal sliding sound, a gruffer sliding, and

loud squeaking. The thick door protests when it opens.

I scoop Baby bear off the cot and stand with him in the far

corner. I hope that the door opening is good news. It’s hard to not

feel defensive when trapped in the corner. I see the same soldier

from before take a step inside. He moves slowly and deliberately, so I

can see that he means no harm. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s seen a

lot of people go nuts within the confines of this concrete tomb.

“Congratulations,” he says, placing some clean clothes on the

bed. “You’ve passed the isolation test. Next up is the showers. Then

you can join the other residents.”

“What about the rest of my group?” I ask, my concern for Brie

overwhelming.

“I’m not sure. You’ll be able to find out after you shower and

change. Anything you have on now has to go into the bag in the

shower. It will be returned to you once it’s cleaned properly. Hit the

red button when you’re done.”

I shift Baby bear to my hip so that I can hold him with one hand

while scooping up the clothes with the other. I follow soldier-guy out

of the cell, into a windowless hallway and enter the door he points to.

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The loud noise of the closing door makes me jump as I look around.

It’s really just a big shower. On one wall there’s a bench. The

bag he was talking about is beside it. A sink and mirror sit on the wall

adjacent to the bench. The rest of the room is filled with

showerheads and a large drain in the center of the room. I place Baby

bear on the bench. For the first time noticing the bottle of shampoo,

bar of soap, and towel placed there.

I undress and shower quickly. Usually I’d enjoy it more, but I’m

too anxious to see the others. I find a comb, a new toothbrush still in

the package, and toothpaste on a small shelf above the sink. When

I’m done I dress and even don the flip flops provided for me. The

clothes are an ill-fitting pair of sweatpants and a T-Shirt, but they’re

clean. The last thing I care about right now is clothes.

I scoop up Baby bear and hit the red button, next to a separate

door from the one I came in. The door buzzes and opens before I

step through. Something I haven’t seen in days immediately blinds

me, the sun.

“Kat!” The voice I hear makes me feel instant relief. Brie!

Her arms are around me before my eyes even finish adjusting to

the bright outdoor light. I squeeze her back tightly with the arm that’s

not holding Baby bear. “Mason,” I ask, “Jared?”

“I don’t know yet. They’d be on the men’s side. I didn’t want to

go without you.” She grabs hold of my arm. I’m not quite ready for

her to let go yet either, so we wander towards where the signs direct

us, and keep our eyes peeled for the guys.

It doesn’t take long before we spot them. I instantly smile at

Mason’s pacing. When he turns back towards us, his worried face

lights up. My heart warms. We watch while increasing our pace.

Mason smacks Jared’s arm and they both run towards us.

We all stand in one interestingly coordinated group hug for a

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moment. Brie and I are still holding hands with my other arm still

cradling Baby bear. We can care less how we look; we’re far too

happy to see each other. After separating into pairs, Mason and I, as

well as Brie and Jared, share a more intimate embrace.

It’s someone clearing their throat that finally separates us. I turn

to see a younger guy smiling at us. He’s maybe in his early twenties

and has warm brown eyes.

“Sorry,” I mumble, feeling the heat in my face.

“No worries,” he says, “I always prefer happy reunions to the

alternative. I’m Jay, here to get you all settled in.”

“Hi, Jay,” Mason introduces us all. “I’m Mason. This is Kat,

Brie, Jared and that’s Baby bear.”

I feel better when I see Brie’s red face. At least I’m not the only

one who feels embarrassment.

“That’s so cool! I heard about him, but I didn’t realize he was

with you guys. How’d you guys end up with him?” Jay asks, his eyes

on the fur-ball in my arms.

“We found him.” Brie answers.

“His mom was infected.” I explain. “We couldn’t just leave him

to fend for himself.”

“Wow. To be honest, I’m surprised they let you bring him in.”

“Yeah, Kat did a good job convincing them.” Jared says, smiling.

“I’ll have to meet him when he’s not sleeping. C’mon, I gotta

show you to your new digs.” Jay turns, and motions with one arm for

us to follow.

Our new digs turn out to be two tents next door to one another.

They are pretty nice, though—with air mattresses and pillows and

sleeping bags. Our stuff is waiting for us already, which is convenient.

It’s a little annoying that someone else went through everything.

Our tents are two of many, possible hundreds set up around a

main building. Next to the main building is a large open air tent

serving as a cafeteria. Jay leads us here while more people mill about,

waiting for lunch. I look around and realize that if this is it, there’s

way more tents than there are people.

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After we eat, Jay brings us to meet the military personal that he

says we should probably get to know—just in case we ever need

anything. While being introduced to Captain Jennings we

inadvertently overhear their discussion regarding the infection.

“We have no idea why they’re pushing back in that area.” A

soldier whose name I didn’t catch reports to the captain.

“We didn’t deploy our new tactical unit to the area?” The captain

asks.

“No sir,” The soldier shakes his head. “We’ve been

concentrating on the Northeastern quadrant where the infection was

worse.”

“How about there? Does the new weapon work?”

“Yes sir, it seems to be working. Who would have thought that

this new energy they’ve discovered and harnessed would push them

back?”

It’s our reactions that turn the captain’s attention to us. Brie

gasps, and the three of them stare at me. I can’t seem to wipe the

stupid smile off my face. He did it. Dr. Ford managed to replicate my

energy and turn it into a weapon that we can use against the

nanobots.

The captain focuses on the bundle of fur in my arms, and a

funny look crosses his face. He dismisses the soldier he’s speaking

with and shuts the door behind him. He sits down and motions for

us to do the same. He doesn’t say anything for a moment: just sits

and looks at us with his hand clasped under his chin. When he does

speak, what he says surprises us all. “I’m impressed you made it this

far in such a short amount of time. You four are either damn lucky,

or work exceptionally well together.”

We all just stare at him. Of course, we know what this means.

We’re even more shocked when he bursts out laughing at the

expressions of horror on our faces. “Wait! You think I’m going to

turn you in to General Carch? I can’t stand her! Besides, Dr. Ford

already told me and a few others he trusts to keep an eye out for you

in case you turn up.”

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I breathe an audible sigh of relief. I’m pretty sure everyone else

is doing the same thing, but I’m too busy being elated to really be

sure.

It’s Mason who speaks first. “Thank you, sir. You have no idea

how relieved we all are to hear you say that.”

“How is he? Dr. Ford, I mean.” Brie asks. “He gave us a phone,

but we haven’t heard from him.”

The captain grows serious now. “He’s fine. He couldn’t call you

because the General is monitoring his calls. She’s convinced he

knows where you are. Just be careful, some of the soldiers here are

more loyal to her than they are me.”

“Thanks for the warning.” Jared says.

“No problem. If you guys need anything, tell Jay to find me. You

can trust him.”

“Thanks, Captain Jennings.” I tell him, as we head out the door

to find Jay.

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Chapter Twelve

Choice

It takes less than a week for us to get really comfortable with our

surroundings. Brie and Jared have begun working in the garden that

helps provide food for everyone here. I spend a few hours each day

doing laundry and Mason trains to help evacuate the camp if the need

ever arises. Even though the work is hard, it’s nice to feel useful—

like I’m accomplishing something.

Captain Jennings manages to get a safe message to Dr. Ford

through his channels. He also was happy to inform us that our party

has been moved safely to the Columbus location. I’m glad they were

able to convince Jack and Mariette to get out before it was too late.

Becky and Nate are safely there with them.

I climb the steps up to the high wall to look for Mason so we

can go to lunch together. I don’t get stopped at all at this point. The

other soldiers are used to me trekking up here for him. He stands,

staring east. I join him and we watch the soldiers leave the safety of

the walls and head towards the metallic fog. They’ve been keeping it

back so far. I wonder if Dr. Ford has managed to make my energy

stronger yet. I remember that the nanobots were able to overpower it

if it’s in small doses.

Lost in our own thoughts, we don’t say much as we head to the

food tent. Mason squeezes my hand, instantly making me feel better.

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No matter what happens, at least we’re together.

Baby bear has been spending his days with Brie and Jared at the

garden. He seems to enjoy being outside all day, which makes sense.

He’s still getting bigger. In fact, only the guys are able to carry him

now. Luckily, he’s getting faster on his own. He’s loyal, and stays by

Brie or myself whenever possible.

We just finish our lunch when a soldier approaches us. “If you’ll

please excuse me, Captain Jennings has requested your presence

immediately.”

This isn’t the first time that the Captain has had someone hunt

me down, so it’s not as intimidating as it was the first time it

happened. Although it does make me worry instantly, these meetings

rarely end in good news.

Since we’re all together, the four of us and Baby bear follow the

soldier to Captain Jennings’ office. When we arrive, he’s on the

phone. He holds up a finger before hanging up and turning to us

solemnly.

“We have a problem. I’m sorry to do this to you. For the safety

of everyone here, I have no choice.”

Mason and Jared immediately take on a defensive posture. Brie

and I roll our eyes at each other behind their backs. It’s not as though

something’s going to bust through the door and attack us. I prefer to

hear out the Captain before I freak out.

“The infection is spreading closer to us than ever before. Even

with our new weapons, we don’t seem to have enough to hold it

back.” He looks at me with sympathy in his eyes. “Kat, I have to

send you out there. I’m so sorry, but I don’t see any other choice.”

“No!” Mason protests. “It’s too dangerous.”

“We have no choice. This is our last resort. Either Kat is able to

push the infection back, or we have to evacuate. With all of the

people we have and the citizens who have gone rogue in all of this

mayhem, it’s not safe for us to relocate everyone. The chances of all

of us making it to the next compound are slim.”

Maybe it’s the fear I see in Brie’s eyes or all of the friends we’ve

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made here, but I can’t say no. I think of everything done so far and

the lives taken by my hands. However inadvertently, this chance to

help can be the beginning of my path of redemption. “I’ll do it.” I say

quietly, and the look of betrayal on Mason’s face is forever burned in

my memory.

“Kat no, please.” He pleads with me.

“Mason, I have to. How can I not?”

Mason stands so abruptly that his chair flips back to the floor

with a clatter. He storms out of the room. Understanding cover’s

Brie’s features as she grabs Jared’s hand and the two of them head

off after Mason. Baby bear lumbers behind them. He stops by the

door Brie holds open and looks at me.

“It’s okay, B; go with Brie.” He reluctantly hangs his head and

follows Brie out the door.

I turn to the Captain expectantly. Immediately, he is all business,

“I’m sending you out with a team I fully trust. They have all been

briefed and understand the necessity to be discreet. I’ve fully

explained that if you cooperate, it’s solely your decision and they

need to treat you with the utmost respect. You will leave within the

hour. All of my men will be armed with our new weapons, plus

another for backup. My hope is that between you and them, you’ll be

able to push the infection back to a safe distance.”

I nod. Going out there doesn’t scare me. Rather, it’s the idea of

failing that turns my blood cold. All of these people: dependent on

me. I swallow hard, and the trepidation almost closes my throat.

“We should get going, Kat.” The Captain says, rising. I follow

him down a few corridors, until he points me into a room. “We’ve

got you a field uniform; you’ll find everything you need in there. Get

changed quickly. When you’re done you and the team will get

moving.”

I change quickly—my mind jumping from the task at hand, to

Mason, and back again. I wish I could see him before I go. Just in

case.

I open the door. A small part of me deflates when I realize he’s

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not here. My resolve wavers slightly but not enough to change my

decision. I follow the captain through another maze of hallways, each

just as generic as the one before it.

We get outside and a group of soldiers stands in a half circle

around an armored vehicle. They stand at attention, until Captain

Jennings gives the ‘at ease’ order. Now they all turn to me: some

hiding their curiosity better than others.

I hear shouting and a commotion at the gate next to us. I turn to

see Mason at the same time the captain does. “Let him through!” The

captain orders, and the soldiers blocking Mason’s path move quickly

out of his way.

Mason runs up to me, short of breath and red faced. I can see

the concern in his eyes. “I couldn’t let you go without saying

goodbye. They won’t let me go with you.” He wraps his arms around

me and buries his face in my hair. “I’m sorry for before. I understand

why you’re doing it. I just wish I could make you change your mind.”

“I’m sorry too, Mason. I have to do this though. I promise you,

I’ll be back soon.” I say quietly, into his chest.

“I know. Be safe, okay?” He pulls back enough to see my face.

“Don’t risk yourself to be the hero, promise?”

“I promise.” We hold onto each other for a few more seconds

before we break apart. I can feel the reluctance as Mason releases me.

At the captain’s orders, we load into the armored vehicle. The last

thing I see as the door shuts is Mason’s face.

It turns out that it is quite annoying and disorienting riding

sideways in a vehicle with no windows. Before long, my sense of

direction is lost. Even time seems to lapse without any indication of

how fast we’re moving or far we’ve gone. Some of the soldiers still

eye me curiously; others double check their weapons and equipment.

Finally, one of the soldiers stands and addresses all of us.

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“We’ll be dropping in a few moments. This is strictly a push

back situation. I don’t want to see any heroics. When your primary

weapon runs out, you fall back and guard your team with your

backup. Kat, here,” he motions, making me feel incredibly self-

conscious, “is our priority. Keep her covered, but don’t get too close.

If she says fall back, we fall back. Understood?”

They all nod in unison. Before I can react, we screech to a halt. I

jolt sideways into the soldier next to me. All of them apparently know

how to brace themselves, but nobody gives me any warning. I shift

off of the soldier that stops me, mumbling an embarrassed apology.

Bright light filters in when the door opens, and warm moist air

fills the space. The soldiers file out the door in a well-practiced

formation, the soldier who addressed us keeping a hand on my arm

until they’re all outside. “You ready for this?” He asks.

“I think so.” I answer. No use in lying. Besides, the nanobots

can’t seem to infect me. This makes it far more dangerous for him

and his team than me.

“Alright, it’s now or never.” He goes through the door. I take a

deep, calming breath and follow.

This must be as close as they dare to get to the metallic fog. It

stands maybe two-hundred yards from us and appears thicker than

usual—with a new movement and flow to it that I haven’t seen

before. I watch it shrinks back and almost cower as the soldiers

unleash their weapons into it. I look at the soldier in charge.

“You need to call them back. They’re just wasting their weapons

right now. Let me go first!” I have to yell over the noise around us.

He calls one command and they all fall back around us. I turn

back to the commanding soldier. “You need to stay here no matter

what, you understand? If anything happens, just wait a bit and you

should be able to get to me safely.”

His eyes widen. I have a feeling this goes against his orders, but

he doesn’t argue with me. The wall of soldiers parts for me as I walk

forward. I see something new in their eyes that replaces the earlier

curiosity. I could be wrong, but I think it might be respect.

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I venture much closer to the fog than they dare. Wisps of it

shoot out closer to me, then retreat—almost as if it recognizes me.

With all I learned from Dr. Ford, this wouldn’t surprise me. When

the fog is maybe twenty feet away from me I stop and plant my feet.

Mustering up all of my pent up energy, I charge the sphere in my

hands. I sure hope the doctor told these guys about the aftershock:

otherwise, they’re in for a hell of a surprise.

Throwing the sphere as far as possible, I hit the ground

immediately and feel the earth move. A blinding flash is seen, even

behind my closed lids. When it’s over, I peek out from under my arm

and assess the effectiveness of the sphere. What I see amazes me.

The fog is gone. So is pretty much everything else: trees and grass still

smoldering and charred. I look behind me to find a rare sight—every

single soldier staring at me open-mouthed.

The next thing I notice is my energy level. It’s still surprisingly

high, considering the amount I used on that last sphere. I think the

lightning incident has more of an effect on me than I first thought,

although it doesn’t seem to be a bad one.

I turn back to eviscerated land before me. All signs of the

infection are gone. I hate that I decimate the landscape, even if it’s

necessary to save us. A hand on my shoulder makes me jump.

“I think we’re done here.” The soldier in charge tells me.

I peer off into the distance both ways, and make sure there is no

fog to be seen before I agree to return to camp. The ride back is as

disorienting as the ride out. At the end of this ride Mason’s embrace

is my reward. Brie and Jared surround me also, and Baby bear

attaches himself to my leg.

Our reunion is short lived, because it’s only a few moments

before the captain ushers us into his office. He seems anxious.

Something that warns me this meeting may not bode well for us.

“Kat that was some good work out there. I think you’ve earned

the respect of all of the soldiers with you.”

I know that it’s not that simple. “But,” I prompt him.

He frowns. “Well, please don’t take this as an ungrateful

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statement, but from what Dr. Ford had told me, I anticipated that

you would need assistance. Have you gained power?”

Brie jumps in. “There was an incident with lightning, a short

time before you found us.”

Mason looks at her sharply. I place a hand on his leg in an effort

to calm him. I trust Dr. Ford, and the captain has given us no reason

to think he’s untrustworthy, either. “Yeah, since then it’s been easier.

I don’t get as drained.”

The captain seems to contemplate this. “It will to be hard, but

I’m going to try and find a way to get the good doctor out here. You

all have to lay low the day he arrives. I’m sure the General will insist

that he’s accompanied by her best men. Once here, they’ll be under

my orders, though I don’t think we should take any chances.”

“Then why is it important?” Mason counters. “Why take the risk

at all?”

“Because this new information could help us finally beat these

things.” The captain throws back at him.

None of us can argue with that. I have to admit it would be nice

to work with Dr. Ford again and do what I can to help. I’m getting

tired of destroying things; I’d like to help make things better for a

change.

“Call him in.” I say when I stand. Although not tired, I’m hungry

and these clothes are getting uncomfortable.

“I’ll keep you all posted.” The captain says as he rises and walks

us to the door.

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Chapter Thirteen

New

Mason’s been distant the past few days. Not mean or less

attentive, just distant. It’s been distracting me, and I wish he’d tell me

what’s on his mind. I suspect he’s just worried about the doctor

coming tomorrow, but I’d feel better if I knew for sure.

Since I went out with the soldiers, we haven’t been seeing the

fog from our walls. This is encouraging, although some of our troops

seem to be getting a bit restless without anything to do. A few of

them have been trying to convince the captain to expand their

scouting territory; however the captain has been adamant that he

doesn’t want any surprises.

All four of us have been given the day off tomorrow, along with

strict instructions on where we’re not supposed to go. The captain

isn’t taking any chances with the doctor’s arrival. It feels a bit extreme

if you ask me, and I can’t help wondering if there’s more to the

situation than meets the eye.

Since we all have the next day off for a change, we decide to stay

up later than usual. We’re already relocated to a larger group tent on

an obscure corner of the property. When Jared scores some cards we

figure we may as well take advantage of some downtime. Rummy and

five-card-stud we play first. Now, we’ve move onto spades.

Brie’s the first one to yawn. Jared shortly follows—then than

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Mason and finally me. Baby bear is curled up next to me and has

been sleeping for the past few hours already. Reluctantly, we pack up

the cards and hunker down for the night.

Even from our obscure corner, the commotion wakes us earlier

than we planned in the morning. Jared and Mason go off to get us

breakfast as planned, while Brie and I set the tent to rights. It’s not

until Mason and Jared return that we hear the disturbing news.

“The doctor’s here, but apparently they lost a few men on the

way.” Jared announces, handing Brie her breakfast.

“What do you mean?” I ask as Mason hands me my own plate.

“I guess as far as you were able to push the infection back here,

it’s still pretty bad to the north of us. The weapons they have aren’t

nearly as effective as you are, so they lost a few men to the fog before

they were able to escape.”

“Are they sure that they didn’t bring the infection here?” Brie

asks, looking scared.

“I’m sure the doctor wouldn’t allow it.” I reassure her. “I take it

they got to skip the quarantine, though?”

Mason nods. “But I agree—the doctor wouldn’t have brought

them if there was any risk.”

“Have you heard from the captain yet?” I ask.

Mason shakes his head. “He’ll send word when we’re clear to

move about freely. I feel better knowing you’re safe, anyway.”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Mason means well, and he just

wants to keep me safe. It really is more endearing than annoying,

even if he does know I’m probably the safest person left in this new,

deranged world we’re living in.

Of course he knows that, I chastise myself. The government getting

their hands on me is his primary concern. I’m just grumpy about

being cooped up in a tent all day.

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It takes nearly all day for the captain to send someone to give us

the all clear. Well the somewhat clear, because the captain is sure that

some of the soldiers escorting the doctor are spies for the general.

This means we have to be careful who we talk and disclose out

identities to. All of the captain’s men have instructions to keep their

mouths shut. I know that I have the respect of the soldiers who

escorted me beyond the wall. I doubt that they would turn me in to

someone they don’t even like.

As we wander through our designated areas, a soldier comes up

to Mason and pulls him aside. Something tells me the other shoe is

about to drop.

As Mason walks back towards me, the look on his face confirms

my suspicions. Something’s up, and he obviously doesn’t like it. Brie

notices too. She grabs my hand and gives it a quick squeeze before

she joins Jared a few feet away.

“They want to see you.” He tells me. I figured as much. We

leave Baby bear with Brie and Jared, and make our way to the main

building in silence. Mason grips my hand the whole way as though I

might disappear.

I watch Mason as we go. The depth of our relationship is closer

more quickly than normal because of all the insanity. We have a bond

beyond my imagination. I stop quickly and turn to face him.

“Mason,” I start before almost losing my nerve, “I want you to

know how important you are to me. I love you, Mason.”

His eyes reflect warmth. “I love you, too, Kat. I can’t imagine

life without you.” He looks around. “Even without all of this. I think

I loved you since you first plowed me over.”

I laugh, remembering how we met. “I was so embarrassed.”

“You were adorable.” He plants a soft kiss on top of my head.

“Still are.”

The door to the building opens and a soldier motions for us to

enter. “Guess our alone time is up for now.” Mason says.

“Yeah, let’s go see what they want now.”

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We aren’t led to the captain’s office as usual. Instead, we’re

brought to a generic office in the basement, a place I’ve never

ventured into before. The captain joins us after a few minutes.

“Sorry for all the sneaking about. As of tomorrow, I’m sending

all of the troops that escorted Dr. Ford on a supply run, which will

buy us at least a few days without raising any suspicions. The doctor

wants to see you of course, but it’s too big of a risk today.”

I hide my smirk as Mason calls him out, before I have the

chance to. “You didn’t call us in here for this, though, did you

captain?”

Captain Jennings runs a hand down his face. “No, no I didn’t.

I’m sure you’ve heard of the difficult time the doctor had on his way

here. We’re concerned that the infection is moving quickly towards

us from the north. I only know of one way to stop the advance.”

Mason eyes me worriedly. I look at him, “Can you give me a

moment with the captain?”

I can see the frustration in his face, but he gets up without any

complaint. I wait until he shuts the door behind him. “Captain, I

know it goes against all the rules and protocols you guys have, but I

can’t ask him to stay behind again. I’ll go, but only if he comes with

me.”

“You understand the danger?”

I nod. “We did pretty well before we came here. He won’t

hinder any of our efforts in the field.”

“Okay.” The captain concedes, “If it will help you to have him

there, go ahead and bring him.” He actually smiles. “You sure

showed our boys last time, anyway. It doesn’t seem to me that we

have much to worry about if you’re there.”

I return his smile wholeheartedly. “Thanks, captain. This will

definitely make us both feel better.” I go to the door and open it to

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find Mason leaning up against the wall. I motion for him to come

back in.

I wait until he settles in his chair before I start. “I have to go out

again-“

“Aw hell Kat, not again,” He complains, but stops when I hold

up a finger.

“The captain has given you clearance to accompany me on these,

er, trips, also.” I have to try hard not to smile when I see his obvious

relief.

The grin on his face speaks for itself. “When do we leave?”

I find myself again in army gear. The ride in the back of the

windowless vehicle still disorients me. The difference is that this time,

I have Mason’s reassuring presence by my side and his hand in mine.

This trip is bumpier than the last, and it reminds me to tell

Mason to brace his feet when we stop. My lesson is still fresh from

last time, thanks.

We lurch to a halt, and Mason gives me a grateful look for my

advice. I see a few new faces amongst the soldiers, but there is

definitely a camaraderie here that was absent at the beginning of our

last voyage. Even as we file out into the sunlight, this time the

soldiers stay back and prepare to help only if needed.

Mason walks me to the front of the triangular formation of

soldiers. He stops at the very end as I continue towards the metallic

fog. It no longer intimidates me, or instills fear in my heart. It seems

to take me too long to get close to it. Is it? No, it couldn’t be.

But it is. As I try to get closer, it shrinks back from me. It’s as if

it knows it will get hurt. I stand still momentarily and try to process

this new information. If the fog is retreating because it recognizes my

blast will cause disarmament, then it has not just a consciousness, but

a joint consciousness that allows it to communicate within itself.

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Everything that’s infected is attached. Could this begin to solve the

mystery of where the infected people go?

I move closer, advancing forward until the fog almost

completely surrounds me. It stays back from me at about a fifty foot

diameter. The circle is most prominent where it almost closes off

behind me. Panic paints Mason’s features. The soldiers seem tense as

they raise their weapons and poise to shoot. If I move any further

inside the fog, all hell will break loose behind me—even if it would

probably be incredibly effective.

The energy courses through me. If there are any remaining

doubts that I’m growing more powerful, they’re gone now. My body

hums and wants to unleash its fury on the surrounding threat. I place

my palms facing each other in front of me. Turning my hands

outward, I push the energy out and let out an astonished laugh as the

energy flows out. It’s a strong stream similar to when I channeled the

lightning, but all on my own this time. At the river, I thought it was

simply a short-term after effect from the lightning strike. It’s obvious

now that it’s not. Something more has changed in me, and I have far

more power and control than before.

While I zap the cloud, this is the closest I’ve ever been to the

fog. It’s certainly the first time I’m prone to really pay attention. Guilt

washes over me as I watch the fog writher and disappear. I can swear

I hear a hissing sound as though it’s in pain. Neither this nor the guilt

is enough to make me stop. Too many lives are at stake for that.

I rotate as I go. When all of the fog in sight disappears, I throw a

few spheres in random directions for good measure. As I approach

Mason, I can’t help but notice the look on his face. “Wow, Kat.

That’s certainly different than before.”

“There’s more, too.” I quickly explain my theory regarding the

nanobot’s collective consciousness and watch as his expression

moves from awe to concern.

“But that could mean…” His voice trails off as he begins to

realize the ramifications.

“That could mean a lot.” I climb into the armored vehicle and sit

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down. Turning my head to face him, I grab his hand. “I think it’s

time to talk to the doctor.”

When Mason and I return, we fill Brie and Jared in on our

suspicions. They both quickly jump to the same conclusions that

Mason and I do. Brie immediately goes in search of the captain to

pass along the message that we need to meet with him and the doctor

as soon as possible—which

We go to the basement, which I now see is Dr. Ford’s temporary

workspace. A wall (which apparently possesses mobility) has been

folded into a pocket space. The room is now twice as large, with an

obvious lab set up in the new area.

Captain Jennings and Dr. Ford are waiting for all of us. Dr. Ford

greets us each with a warm hug. We take a moment to catch up. The

doctor tells us how well our friends have fit in to the Columbus

complex. Jack and Mariette, Becky and Nate are doing very well

there. This is a relief. At least my efforts help save some people, even

though it can’t begin to offset my destruction.

It doesn’t take long for us to get down to business. Mason, Brie,

Jared and I fill the doctor in on our experiences since leaving

Columbus. His eyes widen at the appropriate parts. He only

interrupts one time when I tell of the sample I had grabbed. “Do you

still have it?” He asks. His eyes alight with excitement.

“We had it in the Jeep before we were brought here.” Mason

says, and we all turn to Captain Jennings.

“To be honest, I don’t think they’ve touched it since we

retrieved your belongings.” He picks up a phone and mumbles a few

short phrases before hanging up. “One of my men will bring us any

remaining items shortly.”

We continue with our discussion. Just before I’m able to address

yesterday’s occurrence, a knock sounds at the door. Captain Jennings

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calls them in, and three soldiers enter. One carries the wrapped up

hoodie containing the sample for Dr. Ford. The other two carry trays

of food and drinks. I glance at the clock on the wall. To my surprise

it’s lunchtime already.

Dr. Ford immediately unwraps the gross hoodie and begins to

examine the specimen we found. Now in the light of day, it’s easy to

tell that it was previously a foot. It still appears metallic, though more

a tarnished silver than a shiny metal. Before Dr. Ford makes the new

toy his primary occupation, I hurry to relay yesterday’s events, and

our suspicions.

This is also the first Captain Jennings hears our theory, and his

concern is relevant on his face. Dr. Ford is in full scientist mode, his

curiosity overshadowing his concern at the moment. We eat and

speculate as Dr. Ford moves over to the lab area and immediately

begins testing his sample. I follow him with a sandwich and gently

remind him to eat before I sitting back down to finish my own lunch.

Captain Jennings seems to be contemplating something

important. Eventually, indecision leaves his face, and he looks at all

of us. “Dr. Ford, I think you need to hear this information too. You

may already have been informed of some of it, but I think it’s

important that we’re all on the same page here.”

Dr. Ford sets a timer and grabs his still untouched sandwich

before sitting back in his seat. Captain Jennings begins again.

"There’s some information I’ve been reluctantly withholding for the

purposes of national security. I realize under normal circumstances

that including teenagers in these matters is unheard of, but we no

longer have that luxury. You four have consistently and effectively

shown both discretion and perseverance. And frankly, I just don’t

give a shit anymore.

“When the infection first started, it spread more quickly than

anyone could’ve anticipated. Even with all of the protocols we had in

place for national security, we were not fast enough to beat the

spread. The Nation’s Capital was overtaken, before we even had a

chance at evacuation. We haven’t had contact with any of our

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nation’s leaders since the first day of the infection.”

“Then who’s running the government?” Jared asks, incredulous.

“Military leaders have been faking it, for lack of a better phrase.

You four have been so busy out in the field that you wouldn’t have

noticed the president has failed to address a concerned nation yet.

People started asking questions, and with the situation we’re facing,

we had no choice but to instate Marshall Law throughout the

remnants of the nation. The spread of fear and panic is almost as

dangerous as the spread of the infection.”

“You can say that again.” Brie mumbles. I know she’s thinking

back to the first day, and our chaotic escape from Canaan. The

memory causes me to shudder, too.

Captain Jennings hit a remote, and the large screen TV behind

him springs to life. “This is an interactive map of the infection, from

day one, until now. We can see it started at the BioNano rehab

facility, where Michael had been learning to use his new leg. You can

see how rapidly it spread from there. You can also note the patterns,

as you four began your journey. Before you contacted Dr. Ford, we

were certainly perplexed as to why there was a certain radius that

seemed to be unaffected by the infection. When you started moving,

so did the radius.”

“That’s how we made it.” Mason says. “If it weren’t for you Kat,

we never would’ve made it out of there.”

Brie jumps in before I can answer. “Kat, you were showing us

what you could do right as the infection began to spread. Think

about it. If you hadn’t thrown the spheres when you did, we wouldn’t

have even made it back to my house to see the news report. Others

like Becky and Nate would have never even had the chance.”

I think back, remembering how the fog was present but stayed

downtown. At that time we were far too preoccupied with the horde

of hysterical people to think much about it.

“And the night before, Kat, when you first tried it. Your energy

was already there, already keeping it at bay.”

Dr. Ford nods. “Yes, that’s what I determined once Kat

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contacted me. I watched your progress to my facility, and the impact

it had on the infection as you traveled. The only problem was that it

couldn’t hold them off permanently. It took a few days, but

eventually once you’d moved on, the infection would take the area

back over.”

“Didn’t we determine that back in Columbus? That my energy

wasn’t strong enough, and the nanobots were adapting themselves to

overpower it?” I ask.

“Yes, but recently our maps are indicating that you’re pushing

them back farther than before. It’s taking them longer to regroup and

regain the areas you’ve been clearing.” Captain Jennings explains.

Dr. Ford turns back to his lab. “The incident with the lightning

you told me about seems to be the turning point in enhancing your

power. Since lightning is an organic energy, like the kind you’re able

to produce, it’s possible your ability to hold, reproduce, and bind it

has been enhanced.” He looks at me a bit sheepishly. “Of course-“

I interrupt him before he can finish. I know this road well. “Of

course you have to run some tests, before you can know for sure.” I

stifle an eye roll. Even though I dread the tediousness of his tests, Dr.

Ford is someone I don’t want to offend.

“Yes, I have a lot of work to do.” Dr. Ford says. The timer

dings, attracting his attention. “Captain, please continue; I’ll be

listening while I work through this.”

My attention is back to the captain, but it’s Jared that asks the

question we’re all thinking. “There’s more?”

“Unfortunately, yes there is. So, now you know that the

country’s leaders are MIA and the surviving parts of the country are

under Martial Law. There’s confirmation that the infection is

spreading eastwardly, over to Europe. We’ve been sharing as much

information with them as possible. They have been good at not

pointing their finger—however correctly it would be, at us.”

“Whoa.” Brie comments. That about sums it up for me, too.

The captain continues. “Now that our country is being run by a

few military leaders, let’s just say things are not operating smoothly.

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General Carch-well, you know about her. General Brown has been

actively working against her. General Rowan keeps playing both

sides. I think he’s waiting to see who comes out on top.”

“So, not only are we facing extinction due to the nanobot

infection, but behind the scenes our country is falling apart and has

no specific leader?” I synopsize.

“Wait,” Mason says. “You said this other General keeps playing

both sides. I assume that this means there is a good side and a bad

one?”

“Gee, I wonder who the leading General for team bad is?” Brie

scoffs.

“Yes,” Captain Jennings says solemnly. “And Dr. Ford has just

brought me the most disturbing news to date.”

Dr. Ford sets down his glasses and papers to rejoin us at the

table. He sighs as he sits, and I know whatever’s coming next is not

going to be good. “Some people are meant to be leaders. They look

at a whole picture, a greater good if you will. Others, the power goes

to their head. It changes them. This is the case with General Carch.

She began her military career as a decorated soldier. After the loss of

contact with our leaders, it was decided she would be in charge with

her two peers. When that happened, she began to change. It wasn’t

noticeable right away, but now it can no longer be ignored.”

“Why?” Jared asks. “I know she’s a pain in our ass, but what, is

she all Dr. Evil now?”

This gets a laugh from both the captain and the doctor. “I don’t

know if I’d put it quite so eloquently Jared, but yes, I suppose she

could be classified as such.” The captain answers.

I turn to Dr. Ford and look for further explanation. “At first, we

just thought she was being difficult.” He tells us. “She was given the

Columbus location and surrounding areas. General Brown was given

our area, and General Rowan was given the West Coast, the area still

least affected by all of this. It’s her way of thinking that started to

drastically change. I began to notice the change in her when she

talked about the infection. It wasn’t long before she approached me

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with an idea—an idea that deeply disturbed me.

“She feels that this infection happened for a reason. The more I

tried to explain to her the horror of this and the ramifications of it all,

the more my reasoning seemed to have had the opposite effect. She

wants to morph the infection, utilize it to make stronger soldiers and

weaponize the current strain. I told her until we get this invasion

under control, that it was not a priority. We fought for weeks, while I

was using your energy to develop the new weapons for our soldiers.

Then one day, she just stopped. I knew even before I confirmed it,

that she got someone else to do it for her.”

“Dr. Harris.” I whisper more to myself than anything, but the

captain and doctor nod.

“Yes,” Dr. Ford says. “Although, it’s not his fault, she left him

no choice when his family was taken as collateral. It’s the first time

I’ve ever been grateful to be a perpetual bachelor.” His half smile is

more sad than anything.

“Did he succeed?” Brie asks. “Do they now have weapons to

infect us with?”

“The day I left, Dr. Harris was beginning testing on the

prototype. I know he’s trying to stall but he won’t let his family get

hurt, and I don’t blame him.”

I stand up and begin pacing the room. This is an awfully lot to

take in at once. Things are worse than I’d thought. A lot worse. I turn

back to the others. “What can we do? How do we stop all of this?”

“Our first priority remains to remove all of the infection

possible. Until we completely destroy it, we’re just prolonging the

inevitable. First, we have to figure out how to defeat them and work

with other countries to launch a worldwide attack.” The captain says,

looking at me pointedly.

“What?” I ask.

“At this point Kat, you’re our most effective weapon.” Dr. Ford

says.

“Oh.” I guess I should’ve known that.

Brie has a troubled face as she looks at me then back to the

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doctor. “You can’t just extort her.”

“That’s what we’re trying to avoid.” Dr. Ford reassures her.

“That’s what General Carch wants to do.” Mason says tersely,

and it’s not a question.

“Yes.” Dr. Ford confirms softly, “She has no regard for Kat’s

well-being, only her usefulness. Luckily, others in high places are

more reasonable and compassionate.”

Further discussion finds me agreeing to a plethora of testing

over the next few days. I trust Dr. Ford, although I know from past

experience that the next few days will be boring, annoying, and full of

unpleasantness. With all that’s going on, I can find plenty of things to

occupy my thoughts in the meantime. How could I say no to helping

stop all of this?

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Chapter Fourteen

Pain

Testing is making me testy. I try really hard not to snap at Dr.

Ford and Mason, but my arm is sore from giving blood and I have a

headache. Energy is the only thing I’m not lacking. It seems the more

samples I generate for doc, the more pumped I become.

We’re on day three now, and all this testing certainly hasn’t been

in vain. Dr. Ford confirms our suspicions that the lightning has

changed something, but assures me it’s for the better. Apparently, I

don’t have the same recharging problem as before. I guess I’m the

freaking energizer bunny now.

Mason had grows very worried when doc discloses this piece of

information. He fears if if I no longer need to recharge that

something bad may happen if I don’t let the energy out. This leads to

another round of tests, after which Dr. Ford was able to rule out that

possibility—much to our relief.

Dr. Ford must notice my impatience today because he tells

Mason and I to go out to the mess tent to get lunch, instead of eating

in his lab/office like we have been.

“You sure, doc?” Mason asks.

“Yeah,” He looks at me. “You guys could use the break. This

will keep me busy for an hour or so.”

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“Thanks, doc,” The relief in my voice is more obvious than I

mean for it to be.

When Mason and I turn the first corner of the hall, the lights go

out and we’re left in darkness. It only takes a few seconds for the

backup generator to kick in and bathe it in the eerie red of the

security lights.

“This can’t be good.” Mason says, and we spring into action.

We tear hand in hand through the corridors, as an alarm starts to

buzz. All I want is to find Brie, Jared and Baby bear. Once I confirm

they’re alright, then I want to know what the hell is going on.

We make it outside to discover total pandemonium. I look over

to the east wall and see the metallic fog beginning to rush over like a

deranged waterfall. “Get everyone back!” I yell to Mason. There’s no

time to be inconspicuous now.

Mason begins attempting to organize people. He isn’t having

much luck but thankfully, people are instinctively getting as far away

from the fog as they can. To my relief I see Brie, Jared and Baby bear

by Mason’s side. At least that’s one less thing to worry about. Now

that my path is clear, I turn to the fog and unleash my energy into it.

This fog is different. It doesn’t flinch or shy away like it did

before, which is puzzling. I’ve gotten used to it doing that. The

overall effect remains the same though, and it doesn’t take long

before the fog is completely gone. The wall behind it singes in

remembrance of its invasion.

“What the hell was that?” I demand, turning back to the others.

My question answers itself as armed soldiers surround my friends.

“I had a feeling I’d find you here.” A rough female voice calls

out. To find its owner I have to shield my eyes from the sun. It’s not

long before the uniformed woman makes her way down the stairs of

the main building and emerges behind the soldiers threatening my

friends—no, my family. She’s older with hair gray, a pinched face and

a body displaying some extra pounds over the years.

Captain Jennings and Dr. Ford appear behind her. They’re also

being detained by armed soldiers. I know who she is before she

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introduces herself. “General Carch, I presume?” I can’t help the

acidity in my voice.

“So you’re smart, too. Good to know.” Her pinched face

contorts into what I guess is supposed to be a smile.

“What do you want?” I ask, slowly inching my way closer

towards the soldiers surrounding Mason, Brie and Jared. Baby bear is

obviously distressed and attaches himself to Brie’s leg. I wonder if I

have enough control to hit the soldiers and miss them. It’s too risky

to try; if I miss…I can’t even think of it.

“Shouldn’t you know that already, too?” She sneers. “I came for

you. Technically, you’ve been a fugitive since you escaped the

Columbus facility. I could charge everyone involved with treason for

helping you. It was easy to find you, you know. All I had to do was

find the area that the infection was being pushed back by.” The ugly

sneer turns into an even uglier smile.

My glare hardens. I try the same calculations at hitting her, but

she keeps Captain Jennings and Dr. Ford too close.

“Basically, it boils down to two choices here.” She says. I can tell

that she’s enjoying this. “Either come with us willingly, or we start

killing people until you change your mind. Beginning with these

three.” She gestures to Mason, Brie and Jared.

It’s becoming hard to contain myself. The rage coursing through

me is mixing with the energy. My body recognizes a great threat and

wants to defend itself, and my loved ones. I take a deep breath and

fight to keep it in check. With all the people in these walls, it would

be a slaughter if we began to battle. “Fine,” I say. I see the pain in

Mason’s eyes and know it matches mine. “Let’s go. There’s no reason

for anyone here to get hurt. You have to give your word that you will

leave them be, and no harm will come to anyone here.”

She seems to consider this. “That kind of wrecks my fun, but I

suppose as long as I have you, it really doesn’t matter all that much.

You come with me now: I’ll leave them alone.”

I look around at all the faces—not only my friends, but others

we’ve met, worked beside and become close with over the past

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weeks. I see the rage in Mason, Brie and Jared’s eyes shared in the

eyes of some of our own soldiers. I better go now before somebody

snaps. Looking at Mason, I mouth to him ‘I love you.’ I think he

does it back, though it’s hard to tell through the forming tears.

With a gun butted against my back, I hear him as the soldiers

lead me past. “We will find you, Kat.” I just nod. I hear Brie weeping

softly.

I feel bad for ever complaining about Dr. Ford’s tests. They are

nothing: a cakewalk compared to what these scientists are doing to

me. They’re all nameless, and even address me as ‘Subject 109.’ I feel

awful for the first hundred and eight subjects.

Where am I? I just don’t know. As soon as we leave the gate of

the compound, I feel a sharp prick in the back of my neck. I was here

upon awakening. I guess they figured that it was the safest way to

transport me. I can’t try to escape if I’m unconscious. I’d certainly be

happy to zap all of them, should the opportunity present itself.

I’ve never seen anything like the cell they keep me in. That is,

when they’re not running their tests. An impenetrable fiberglass like

box, suspended a few dozen feet off the laboratory floor below.

There’s no privacy, and of course, no metal to carry a current. I have to

admit—this bitch has certainly planned ahead.

I haven’t seen General Carch since my arrival. As far as I’m

concerned, she doesn’t want to press her luck. Or possibly she just

doesn’t care, now that she has what she wants.

The lack of privacy goes both ways. I can always see what’s

going on below me. At first, I thought this was an oversight on their

part—that I can tell all their secrets after escaping. Then the

realization hits. It doesn’t matter to them because they have no

intention of ever letting me go.

Since being here, I’ve had plenty of time to think about things. I

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realize the fog within the wall must have been the weaponized

version. This means General Carch’s venture is a success. At first, I

feel outrage. Here I am trying to force the infection back, and she’s

out there spraying the stuff all over. Once that passes, I realize that if

I ever get free, there’s a lot more work on my hands.

It’s interesting that the cloned fog couldn’t communicate with

the main infection. This information is surely a liability. There has to be

a way to pass this news along! This makes me think of Dr. Ford. He

would surely know what to do.

I try very hard not to go down this mental road. This is not a

healthy place for me. It’s horribly broken. Whenever I begin, so do

the tears. But I can’t stop; the journey is my reminder of why I must

keep going.

Brie. I miss her so much. This is the longest we’ve gone without

speaking ever. I know she’s probably worried sick about me. If she’s

even okay…she has to be okay. I have to believe that the General

kept her word and left them alive and well. A nasty little part of my

subconscious can’t let it go. I have no way of knowing for sure.

I turn the pain up full blast. When thinking of Mason, it feels as

though my chest may explode and that our being apart is going to kill

me. All I can see is the look on his face after my agreeing to come

here. I hear his promise to save me and pray that he doesn’t try or

doesn’t get hurt trying to find me. If I survive this place, I will find

him somehow.

I miss my mom. She could always make me feel better. It hurts

not knowing if I will ever see her again, if she was infected. Will we

ever find their location? Can we cure them? I never got the chance to

try…

My thoughts are on Baby bear, and I wonder how big he’s now

getting. I think I’ve been here a few weeks, maybe a couple of

months? Time is so hard to tell. I’ll bet he’s bigger now: he’s been

growing so fast.

Bring stuck with only my own thoughts for so long is very

disarming. I’m not feeling physically or mentally well. It’s uncertain

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how long I’m going to make it in here.

I heal a bit faster than everyone else because of the energy inside

me. Not superhero fast or anything crazy, but maybe twice the

normal rate. The scientists here are excited to learn this. My healing

twice as fast means they can increase the frequency of their tests and

procedures.

I haven’t exactly been a model prisoner/test-subject. It takes

quite some time before they are able to get a sample of energy from

me. Unfortunately once they learn how, they have no problem

utilizing the method.

See, at first they tie me down and take blood samples. It isn’t

fun, but it isn’t heinous. It’s the tissue sample that does it. They

plunge a three inch long, hollow tube into my thigh and I almost pass

out from the pain. With all control lost, my energy flings out around

me defensively.

So they get their sample, and they continue to do the same

incredibly painful procedure anytime they need more. Every time I

see a white-coated figure begin the trek down the hall to my cell, I

know why they’re coming.

I have to come up with an escape plan. It’s the only way to make

it out of here. They only take me out of this cell that one time—that

was before the testing began, before I knew what was in store. If

known, I would’ve run at the first opportunity and unleashed hell on

all of them.

I suppose that’s the best plan I’ve got. Wait them out, fake

compliancy, defeat. The next time they remove me from this prison,

zap the hell out of them and run. I don’t like to think of what a

monster this will make me. More uninfected casualties and blood on

my hands. Can I handle more than what’s already there? It seems like

I have to, or surrender and accept that this is my life now. My new

life as Subject 109.

I hear the sliding doors and know before I look, what’s coming.

My body can’t control the charge now. My fear is too great, and the

memory of pain too clear. It’s purely defensive as the electricity

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thrums around me. In comes the first scientist in a protective suit. In

front, they hold the thin machine that will drain some of my charge.

Only then will they risk getting close enough for the tissue sample.

Should I fight? Can I? I know that I can. As the faces of the people

I miss flicker through my mind, my anger grows. Who knows what’s

happened beyond these torturous walls? By keeping me here, they’re

not just hurting me; they’re hurting everyone.

Maybe it’s because I just can’t stand the pain again, or finally

snap and lose the last shred of my humanity. I don’t want to be a

monster, but they leave me no choice. The scientist approaches with

his machine. Let’s see just how much that thing can handle. I blast it,

sending the melted remnants and the scientist into the far wall. The

entire room shudders in protest.

I start down the hallway—barefoot, in the same tattered medical

gown that has been my uniform since arriving. As I approach, the

scientist that was assigned to take the tissue sample fumbles with the

main keypad—attempting escape. The soldiers begin to file in the lab

below with weapons raised. Maybe I am becoming the monster I

fear. A small smile crosses my lips. I’m looking forward to this fight.

I wait until the scientist gets the door open before hitting the

soldiers and her with a sphere. It should just knock them out for a

few hours. She’s unarmed, so it really will make me feel awful later if

I kill her. I still battle with it for a moment. This woman and

procedure put me in so much pain. Perhaps she’s just doing her job,

but what kind of job is it? Do these people know that they are

basically trying to destroy what’s left of the world?

I remember vaguely Dr. Ford told us the general is extorting

scientists by using the lives of their families as collateral. My choice is

made. I leave her be and walk through the doors, one step closer to

freedom.

The stairwell is empty. I know as soon as the door to the lab

opens that I will be crossing a line. This is different than the men at

the gas station, or the metal heads in the field. This is premeditated.

Even if they are technically bad guys (my enemies) there is no turning

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back once that door opens.

Even with this knowledge, a small part of me wants to bring

them the same pain and suffering they’ve been inflicting on me, for

however long now. I grab the handle. Through the small vertical

window, I see the soldiers raising their weapons and steel themselves.

The energy within me has its own sense of anger and wrath. After

opening the door, my fury is unleashed. The room is devoid of life

within a few seconds. I pick my way through the broken, smoldering

and destroyed pieces that remain.

I eye the door, but a small crack in one of the walls catches my

attention first. My hand is put to the warm glow, and a slightly

hysterical laugh escapes from my lips. The sun. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever

see it again. I create a bigger hole and step outside. I give a moment

for my eyes to adjust.

It’s hard to tell what’s going on. Wherever this place is—it’s the

middle of nowhere. I have to get out of here, quick. I take off in the

direction of the nearest trees and hope they will provide some cover.

It’s uncertain if the soldiers in the lab were all of them, or if

reinforcements are hot on my trail. I run for a while until there’s no

choice but to stop and rest. Then I climb up a tree and hope like hell

not to fall.

It’s the rain that wakes me. The sun is gone. This tells me I must

have slept for some time. My back is stiff from sleeping in the tree.

While sleeping, I didn’t fall out and this conclusion makes me happy.

I hop down from the tree. Although harder to see at night, it should

be a little safer for me to cover some ground. I ignore the chill

creeping into my bones from the thin, wet gown—the only thing

between me and cold night air.

I walk for what seems like forever. My feet are scraped and

bloody from the forest floor. As dawn breaks over the horizon,

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there’s a sign. A campground. Maybe people are around, or at least

some clothes. I continue stumbling down the path.

The closer I get to the camp, the heavier my heart grows. I have

no idea what occurred here, but it certainly doesn’t look good for the

unlucky campers. Charred remains of tents litter the landscape.

There’s only one tent still standing, and I pick my way over to it. The

pack inside contains items. I find a pair of pants and a t-shirt. The

jeans are loose, but I’m happy to swap them for the gown I now ball

up and toss on the ground. After further poking around, an ill-fitting

pair of running shoes and a bottle of water adds to my collection. I

doubt there’s anything else left here that would be useful, and time is

running out. I have no idea if soldiers are looking for me after my

escape, nor will they get the chance to find out.

Leaving the campground behind, I start back off through the

woods. Using the sun for guidance, I head west. This location is still

unknown along with what remains of the world for me to return to.

Mason and Brie’s faces stay in my thoughts. I use them to propel me

forward. Although unsure of how to do it, I will find them—despite

my lack of certainty with everything else. My head is up a little higher

as I quicken my pace through the trees. The memory of scientists

and tests fades away with each step.

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Coming Soon

June 2014

Shocked

Electric Series Book 2 Kat tries to save mankind from an ever-growing number of

threats. Besides the insane General from the Midwest, there’s also the original nanobot infection, the question of where all the infected are and now the fear of nuclear meltdowns at power plants across the abandoned East coast.

Kat’s personal life crashes and burns along with half of the nation. She struggles across the country to find her friends and it’s no easy feat with Carch hot on her tail. And they make a horrifying discovery, a game changer- and not one in their favor. Kat tries so hard, but will it be enough? You’ll only find out by getting Shocked!

189

About the Author

Casey Harvell lives in the Hudson River Valley of New York

State with her husband and their two sons. She is slightly zombie

obsessed and known to use the word ‘boom’ frequently. You can

find her on Facebook, and on Twitter- @CaseyAHarvell

She is currently hard at work her series sequels. Stay up to date

with Casey and find all of her links at http://caseyharvell.com.

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Books by Casey Harvell

Available Now on All eBook platforms

Decisions Series

Righteous Decisions

When Lettie, a misfit photographer, realizes her

nightmares have become reality, she’s more than a little

freaked out. But as her world gets turned upside down, and at

the top of a paranormal hit list, she discovers more about

herself than she ever thought possible.

Lettie has always felt as though she doesn’t quite fit in.

She suffers from a nightmare disorder and has a constant

thought at the back of her mind, that something’s just not

quite right with her. She manages to maintain her blissful

ignorance for quite some time, but eventually she must face

her fate, particularly when circumstances throw it in her face,

making it impossible to ignore. Lettie comes to the realization

that she has to make some decisions. And these choices have

an unimaginable domino effect, not just for her, -but for

humanity. Thrust into having a new outlook on an imperfect

world, Lettie discovers strength inside of her, unlike anything

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191

else. Her path of self-discovery is also the path to her

salvation. With the help of a few friends, Lettie discovers

herself, and what she is capable of.

Harsh Decisions

Lettie’s pretty sure things can’t get much worse. Really,

going to hell has to be a low point. But she’ll go anywhere

and do anything to get Gabe back.

Join Lettie on the second installment of her journey.

Battling demons and conquering battlefields, stopping and

starting wars, and family feuds all have one thing in common:

Harsh Decisions.

Stand Alone

Lingering…

Nowhere is safe... After a trying time in her life Penelope

Miller runs as far and fast as she can; clear across the country

to rediscover herself with the help of her grandmother. Along

her journey she encounters a man who may be worth

redeeming her faith in men and herself. Little does she know

that her past is still- LINGERING…