We didn't really talk about our friendship. Actually, we really didn't talk at all after that. Both of us didn't want to say much, so instead we hung out in different rooms again. I didn't know what was going to happen after that. Did we forgive each other? Do we hate each other? Is he not going to convert into a Supporter? Or is he going to regardless of what I have told him?
The snow had continued until about noon. I liked looking at the snow, it seemed so soft, and comfortable. It looked like a large blanket that I could wrap around myself. When I felt it though this morning, it was wet, miserable, and cold. I didn't like it, but was still enjoyable to look at though.
We had stopped making plans altogether starting that day. Everything had changed when he realized that I was a power-bearing rebel, who could have helped him the entire time, but I was selfish, and kept it all secret. None of our plans seemed like they were going to work anyways. We would always find a new way to do something, but then a new threat appeared.
I haven't had the courage to check up on Gabriel lately. It was only a matter of time when I will see what side he chose. I knew that he probably didn't trust me anymore. He might think that I am such an annoyance to him now. I look like a blatant liar, some stupid brat, and a friend who has become a backstabber. I would hate myself too if I was him.
I had also stopped going to Maya's speeches. Every time I went out now, Gabriel would know that I was going to try and convert people and be Anonymous. He probably wouldn't have wanted to listen to my notes anyways. Now the only person who can go outside is him, to go get groceries.
As I had said, it was only a matter of time before I knew what Gabriel wanted to choose. Both of us were miserable, and wanted nothing to do with each other. That's not completely true though, I want to be with Gabriel. He just doesn't seem to be interested in me though. Time will only tell what will happen next.
A few days later, I was sitting on the couch, watching videos. The sun was setting, and my stomach was rumbling for dinner. I wasn't that hungry though. You could say that I was bored, as I had nothing to do. I was waiting for Gabriel to get back from the store, so we could have something to eat. We had run out of food this morning to have, so Gabriel had to go get something.
You probably know what happened to Gabriel, so I'm just going to get to the point. He was putting away the groceries, and hadn't even looked at me. "Do you want some help putting those away?" I asked. He didn't say anything, and didn't even look up at me. That was kind of rude for him to do, but I should have expected that.
Once he finished putting the food away and the bags into the recycling bin, he looked at the receipt for a while. "We should have gotten dragon fruit." He told me suddenly, as he crinkled up the receipt and threw it away.
I sat up in confusion, and turned off my phone. "Why would we need dragon fruit? The price is like twenty times higher than it should be." I explain to him.
"I needed it for my routine." He says, and starts to walk up the stairs. I started to realize and process what might have happened to him while he was out there.
"Wait, Gabriel!" I yelled, and I got off the couch to run towards him. "Gabriel!" I repeated, as I got to the stairs. He turned around, and looked down at me. "Let me have your badge. You don't need to wear it anymore, y-y'know?."
"I wear my badge because I serve Maya. Where is your badge?" He asks.
I step down the stairs. It really has happened to him. I should have expected this, but I didn't think the day would have come so quickly. "It's up there. Can you get it for me?" I ask. If he knew that I wasn't a Supporter, which he did know, then he would just go and turn me in right away.
"Okay." He says, and continues to walk upstairs. I sat down on the stairs. I needed a plan. I would have to leave tonight if I didn't want to be turned in. It was only a matter of time before he realized who I was, and how easy it is to just turn me in. I needed to pack necessities too, and Gabriel can't be suspicious.
I hear him walking downstairs, so I stand up, and turn around. "Here." He says, and tosses me the badge. "Is it about time to go to bed." He adds on.
"What do you mean? It's only seven." I ask. The sun hadn't even fully set yet.
"We need to go to bed at eight so we can get up to watch Maya's morning meeting. We need to complete the nightly ritual too before sleeping." His voice was so monotone, it seemed like it was robotic. It reminded me of my math teacher.
I realize that I could give myself away if I kept asking him questions. "Oh right. I am so forgetful. I just need to pack up my backpack before we go to bed."
"Why do you need to pack things?" He asks, and furrows his brows. He might be onto me.
"To donate to Maya, of course. We planned on doing that today." I come up with a new lie.
He stays silent for a stressful moment, but then he becomes condescending. "Yes. Please do that, while I get ready for bed." He says, and walks back upstairs.
As soon as I can no longer see him, I rush to get packed. I grab my backpack, and a cooler so I can store food. I get as many items from the fridge and cupboard as I can, until the cooler is packed. I put my phone and charger inside my backpack too. I would have to contact some people once I am out.
I had also packed a pair of gloves and a hat. If I had nowhere to go, then I would need to keep myself warm. The temperatures have been below freezing for multiple nights now, and I don't want to have to go somewhere and buy them. I don't even know why we have a pair of thin gloves and a hat in the first place.
I go upstairs, and I pack only the necessities from the bathroom, and I slowly enter my room. Gabriel is staring up at the ceiling, and then he looks at me. "Are you done?" He asks.
"Nope, just need to get some clothes." I explain, and I grab as many clothes as I could carry. I know that there is a public laundry room around the city that is free to use. I leave the room, and I go back downstairs.
I also had to pack a couple of blankets, a watch if my phone died, and an emergency kit. Some of the clothes wouldn't be able to fit. I had also almost forgotten about my outfit. I had realized that I was starting to cry, as I made sure I had everything.
Just as I was about to go, I heard footsteps coming from the stairs. "Why do you have a backpack? Are you leaving?" He asks me as he runs down the stairs.
"No, I'm just going to deliver the stuff to Maya. Got to go get there... before it closes." I say.
He squints his eyes at me. "I don't believe you. There is a reason why you aren't wearing your badge. You are a fake Supporter!" He yells, and lunges towards me aggressively. I yelp, and I dodge him just by a few hairs.
"Gabriel, you don't have to do this! Please, let me help you!" I beg as I run around the house, Gabriel following very close behind me. For just a moment, I started hearing the familiar voice that I had heard only once before. It told me to attack him, and run out of the house. Use my powers to harm him. I should be getting revenge from him, not running away.
They told me to kill him. I trip on the side of a chair, and I fall to the ground. I'm trying not to listen to the voices, and scooting away from Gabriel as he comes closer. I was doomed, I had nowhere to go, and I failed.
Then, Gabriel stopped moving. He covered his face in agony, and grunted in pain, as he fell to his knees. I stood back up. "...Gabriel? What's wrong?" I ask him. I've never seen this happen to him or a Supporter before.
"...Go! Go before I lose control!" I heard him say. He uncovered his face, as tears were forming in his eyes.
"Gabriel, you're fighting it? I... I didn't know that was possible! Please, keep fighting!"
"I can't do this forever, you know? Maya is stronger than you have ever imagined. We weren't ever going to be able to defeat her. Now run, while you still can!"
I pick up my bag, and I hurry to the door. I look back at him once more, as he twisted in pain, still fighting it. "Gabriel, I'll come back for you." I say.
He lifts his head up at me. "You promise?" He whimpers.
"I promise." I conclude.
"Gnh!" I hear him grunt and cover his face again. I close the door, and I venture out in the city, which is now slowly becoming darker and darker. I speed walk as far away as I could. I couldn't run because the sidewalk was slippery. The snow that I was in was melting, and had refroze. This ice was very slippery, and it was difficult to run without falling on your back.
The service outside of my house's wi-fi was slow and unsecured. The city's service was usually fast and helpful, but with Maya's control, it has been compromised. It was not safe to connect to it with my phone, but I needed to text some people.
I had realized that there were some Supporters still roaming around the city. At first, I thought that I should go hide somewhere, but I realized that I had my powers. I became invisible, and I kept walking. The shadows that came from were warped by my invisibility. I don't know if my bag was invisible or not, but I think it was dark enough where it didn't matter anyways.
The air was difficult to breathe, and seeing Gabriel in pain like that only made my chest feel heavier. A puff of condensed water came from my mouth as I breathed. The air was crisp, and dry, like nothing that I have ever felt before. I knew that it might just be impossible to sleep in weather like this.
I started to text some people that I knew. Me and Gabriel had found these people when we were protesting, and they live in large houses that store a lot of people who don't have a place to go to anymore. It consists of mostly kids and teenagers like me, because their parents were converted, and left them alone. There were only three areas like that now, as far as I know. If one of those people from there are found, then all of them are caught.
I tried to keep up-to-date with all of them, but one by one, those people stopped texting and replying to me. They had most likely had become Supporters, or had to run away, and they had to dispose of their phones. Maya is trying to recycle phones so she can get that building done. In a few days, there is going to be a grand opening of it, and some Supporters will be allowed in.
Anyways, I contacted those three, and I waited for a response, as I kept trekking through the night. If they weren't available, then I would have to go live somewhere else. The best spot to not be found in would be the edge of Xeinil, which is just a dome. There was a spot that me, Gabriel, and some of our friends would hang out, that was secret to most of the people here.
That's when I realized that Gabriel would have known about it. Since the city's planning is symmetrical, I would have to go on the other side of town to find the other spot that we wouldn't go to. There were mostly businesses and offices around there anyways, which makes it a good spot now to hide.
Now, I would have to go all the way around the city just so I could get to the safe spot. I can't turn back around, and I certainly couldn't go to Central Park. That place is crawling with Supporters, even at night. I would have to go around the city, which would take hours, but I did it anyway.
It was a long, frigid night. It only got colder outside as the night went on. The Supporters patrolling around slowly went away, and soon enough, I was the only one out there. I had exhausted my powers, and eventually I was unable to become invisible again. It didn't matter though, since there was no one outside anyways. I was alone, and the city was barren.
I was cold, tired, and hungry. I wasn't used to staying up all night, walking like this. My stomach was still rumbling from not having any dinner. My feet felt they might just fall off, as I no longer felt them anymore. My ears were cold, my nose was cold. Everything was cold, and time felt meaningless.
How did people back then survive in this weather? I have heard of people playing around in this cold weather for fun, but they had gear on to protect them from the cold. I had a light jacket, my tennis shoes, some thin gloves, and a hat. No one here in Xeinil was used to weather fluctuating like this. If the temperature got above eighty-five degrees here, then we were sweating and panting. There was usually an error with the dome if that happened.
The night kept going on, and on. I stopped worrying, and I stopped thinking. I slowly realized that I had lost everything now. My mom, my friends, my sanity, my house, and my happiness. There was no reason to go on anymore. Regardless, I kept walking. I wanted to get rid of Maya, which now seemed impossible, and make everything return back to normal.
I had even promised that I was going to help Gabriel. I didn't ever break promises. I wasn't going to give up just yet, even if it felt like I was in purgatory, walking in the barren, cold city. I had an impossible job to do, and I needed to complete it.
I got texts from two of those people. Both of them replied that the place that they were storing people was overcrowded, and they wouldn't be able to fit me in there. It was mostly because it was too cold outside, and they wanted to help people who were there first. They thought that I was doing alright. It had almost made me chuckle when I had gotten their response.
I had asked about the other person who I texted, and they told me that they were found just yesterday morning. That was a really bad thing because that was the one that was holding more than three-hundred people in it, and there was still room inside of there to fit me, and others inside.
I told them about how I had nowhere to go, and how I was almost caught. I didn't tell them about Gabriel just yet. They said that now I would have to wait over a week until I could even come in now so I wouldn't be traced. Great. My phone had died soon after I got that text, and I couldn't charge it anywhere just yet. My backpack's battery has been dead for a long time now.
I noticed that the sky was turning brighter, as the sun was now rising. That means I have been walking for over ten hours now. I was definitely slowed down though because of the cold and the ice. Luckily, I was just about there, and it would only take me a few more minutes before I got there to set up camp.
I forgot though that Supporters will come out at this time of day. I wasn't visible either, and soon enough, there was a patrolling Supporter trying to ask me questions. "May I see your badge? Do you know who Maya is?" They were asking.
I tried to run so I could get away from them, but they could run faster. Turns out having a large bag of items and being extremely worn out makes you slower. They kept trying to grab my bag, but I was somehow able to dodge her. I guess they had enough of chasing after me, so they ran in front of me, and stopped so I would run into them, but something completely different happened.
I had passed through them, like I was a ghost. My mind was flooded with thoughts that I knew that I didn't create. Why is he holding a backpack? Why is he running? Is this an evil, brainwashed non-Supporter? I heard someone say. It sounded like the Supporter that I was running away from.
Brainwashed? You're the one who's brainwashed. Maya's the one who's evil. I thought.
After that short second, I was back on the ground. The Supporter that I had gone through was covering their ears. "Maya is not evil, she is our savior!" They said. They were distracted, and I had to think fast if I wanted to get out of here.
I didn't think I had any energy left to become invisible, but I somehow did. I was able to lose the Supporter fairly quickly, and I had eventually made it to my new secret hideout. The entrance was very thin, and you had to squeeze in to get through. Then there was a slight turn, and then you had arrived at a small area, just big enough to house me, and my items. This was where I was probably going to be staying until I can find a better home.
Instead of actually making the hideout so it would be a little more comfortable than sleeping on concrete, I went to bed. I was too tired to even think right. I just laid a blanket on the ground, which was thankfully not covered in ice or snow, and laid one more on top of me. I didn't even have a pillow, and I fell asleep as soon as I laid down.
I woke up in the afternoon, shivering and sniffling. I was still tired, but I didn't want to sleep anymore. It was much warmer than it was when I went to bed, and the ice from outside started to melt. It was still cold though. I checked the time on my watch, instead of using my phone, since it was completely dead and I had nowhere to charge it. It was three in the afternoon.
I started to make my base, since I had nothing to do. I used nails and a hammer that I had somehow found in the emergency kit to make a cover over my bed and my backpack. It wasn't really for protecting me from rain or snow, since I know that the wind and the narrowness of this place makes it impossible for it to get wet in here. It was just to keep me warm.
I had also covered the entrance of the base in the blanket so the warm air could stay inside. I had laid that same blanket I was sleeping on the ground. I kept my shoes outside of the entrance so they wouldn't dirty up the ground. The smallest blanket, which I used to cover myself, was the last blanket I had. I realized I had forgotten a pillow, but I think I will survive without it.
I was about to go back to sleep when I realized that it was almost four in the afternoon. I could go to Maya's speech, and maybe convert a person or two. Maybe Gabriel would even be there. But then, maybe I shouldn't go. I should maybe get some more rest, and avoid Maya's speeches for now. As Gabriel had said, they were causing me these panic attacks.
Of course I went to Maya's speech, but I didn't wear the coat or anything to hide myself. I didn't want to convert anyone today, I just wanted to see Gabriel, and catch up with Maya and her shenanigans. On the way to her speech, I found a Supporter pin on the ground, and I picked it up. I wasn't able to get one at my house... because of Gabriel. I put it on my jacket, and I continued.
I was late to her speech, so I was in the very back, like I usually am when I am converting people. I looked around to see if I could maybe find Gabriel, but he wasn't anywhere to be seen in the colorful crowd of people.
"The progress on the building is just a couple days away from completion! It's amazing how fast we were able to construct something that is this size in such a short amount of time. I guess that's what you get when you have gained almost five million Supporters in three months though. We are currently finishing up the furniture and the decoration inside. Only the more respected Supporters are allowed to go in, so that's why it's taking longer than usual. The next task that most Supporters will be doing is finding more materials from the Outside world, and bringing them in."
I forgot how boring Maya sounds sometimes. I started thinking about the thing that happened with that Supporter this morning. I was somehow able to maybe enter their mind, and was fast enough to start making them question Maya. That was the fastest I had made someone question their life choices before. If I could find a way to do that again, the whole process of converting people would be so much easier, and I could get enough people to be able to fight back against Maya and her Supporters.
"Some brave Supporters will be traveling further than what we normally do to try and find survivors of the war. Our next big project will be more for experimentation than building. If there are survivors out there, we might want to study what they have to say about the awful war and how we might be able to integrate them back into society. Everyone deserves hope, even if they hated a race so much they were willing to nuke the Earth."
I could start experimenting with the Supporters here to see if I could do that again. I just have no idea how to activate it, when I had done it, I was tired and disoriented. Maybe if I just concentrate enough, I can do it again. I look around for a Supporter who might be willing to do it, and I find one. I grab onto their arm, and they turn to me. "Hey, why are you doing tha-"
I was able to get to that same state of mind. It felt like everything was so clear, but I could hear these soft whispers. I think I was able to hear what Maya was saying, but it was like her voice was deep underwater. I was able to open my eyes this time, and everything was just a soup of bright, pastel-like colors.
What in the world is this green-haired person doing to me? He won't let go!
Hello, Ezekiel. Please, don't be scared. I know this is freaky, but I must tell you something. For some reason, I was able to just recite his name like I knew it all my life.
Who are you? Why am I hearing you in my head?
I am the person who is going to help you see the truth. Maya is not who she seems. She has only hurt you, starved you, and she says that it's all for the afterlife, but she doesn't know what the afterlife even is like. None of us do.
That's not right. Maya wouldn't lie to us. Yes, I'm tired and hungry and I feel like dying, but there has to be an afterlife that I am working for. She wouldn't just lie to everyone here.
I know that you like to follow the crowd, and hop on trends that seem to pop up every other day, but this is something different. You are hurting yourself just so you can be a follower. Right now, you need to stand up, and you need to become your own self. Maya uses her crowd so you thought that she was telling the truth. Her truth though has only made you suffer. Again, I was able to recall information like I had known this guy. This was a complete stranger, and I was able to see what he was going through, and I was able to see his personality. This method was more promising than I first thought.
That is right. Maya has never had any proof of actually being with the Wise One. She has never told us what he even looked like. I am being... lied to. This is wrong.
I was able to exit out of Ezekiel's thoughts, and I was able to see everything around me again. He was facing me now. "I have wasted so much time, and I kind of knew that this was wrong, but I never took a stand."
"There is still time to make a stand. Go back to your home, and make sure that you aren't fooled by Maya again. We can take her down if we have enough people who no longer believe in her." I tell him. He nods, and he runs away from Central Park. That was easy.
I started to look around for another promising person. "For our Supporter count, we are about ninety-nine and nine-tenths of percent of the way there to completely taking over Xeinil. You can already basically say that we dominate it. There are less than five-thousand people who are still lurking within the city. We don't know where they are yet, but more Supporters will be patrolling the city, and inspecting more homes than ever, to make sure we find those amount of people. And who knows, they might have died, and maybe we are much closer to taking over the city than I first expected."
I found a woman who looked promising. This time, when I held her arm, I was able to immediately get to that state. I was improving much faster than I did with any of my other powers. I don't even know if this is a power or not.
Who are you? What are you doing?
Mrs. Lincoln? From seventh-grade? I thought I would never see you again. No wonder I thought you were so familiar. Look, I need you to know what you are not supposed to be here, and your pets are dying without you.
Spitsy? Ladybell? How do you know that?
They haven't had food to eat or water to drink for days. They miss you so much, and they can't wait for you to get home to see them again. I never knew that my teacher had pets.
And why should I go there, where I can't be basking in Maya's glory? She was the one who had promised me that she was going to take care of my pets, after all.
Those were blatant lies. I know that they haven't seen your dogs in weeks. You need to go, and you need to see them. You also need to make sure that Maya doesn't trick you again, because then, your dogs may be gone for good.
I exited out of her thoughts. "You're right! I won't let them starve because of Maya!" She too starts to run back to her home.
"We have had some complaints about the icy, wet, and snowy roads, and how difficult it is for trucks to move on them. We have found this new, ancient but also very revolutionary material that is able to get rid of most of that stuff like it is nothing. It is also the same stuff that you put in your meals whenever you want it to taste better. It's salt! Some Supporters will be putting that stuff down on the roads to make sure that it is safer, and so we don't lose any more trucks to the weather. The dome doesn't still doesn't want to work, so I guess we will have to live with this."
I had found another person, and I had too entered their mind. Just like before, I was somehow able to find what they treasured most, and I was able to convert them back in about a minute. I had never been able to convert people so fast and so efficiently before. I just hope that they listen to me, and stay away from Maya. I kept going, and going, until I heard Maya say something specific.
"And now, we have found a building which has housed many hundreds of evil lurkers, and now they will all be coming up here to give their information out to the public. Their minds will be forced to see the light, and they will be able to work with us, like they had done nothing wrong. They will be cleansed of their sins, and they will be working for us now. This meeting will be going on a little longer, but you will be able to watch your new Supporters join us."
I had stopped looking for people to convert, and I started to listen. I thought that those innocent people would have been taken up there yesterday, but I guess I just had to see all of these people. Maybe If I recognized one of them, I could convert them back once the meeting is over.
There was an extremely long line of people, waiting to give Maya information. I don't know how, but all of those people suddenly became Supporters overnight. All of them were against Maya just a few days ago, but it's like they were forced to believe or something. I'm surprised how it hasn't happened to me yet.
"I am Grace Howell, and I am pleased that I am able to bask in your glory. I do not know if any of my friends are out there yet. My family has learned to appreciate you before me, so they are safe." A girl says.
"Thank you, Grace." Maya replies. Grace walks off the side of the stage, and disappears into the front of the crowd. A man walks up to Maya next.
"I am Blake Hash, and I am pleased that I am able to bask in your glory. I think one of my friends is out there, trying to hide from the light. They are at 189 Third street. My family is here along with me, so they will be able to appreciate you too."
"Thank you, Blake. My Supporters will be on the lookout for them." Maya says, and he too walks off the stage, disappearing to the front of the crowd.
This goes on for a long time. It felt like hours were passing, and I was just waiting there, listening to the innocent people throwing their lives away. I started to convert people again out of boredom. Back then when it was more difficult to convert people, it took a lot of willpower, effort, and time to do it, but now, it seems much easier. I was able to convince a few more people to leave Maya, but a few more didn't want to budge.
Maya is the one that's going to get you killed. If you fear death, then you shouldn't be on her side. I tried to explain to an older man.
Maya is not trying to kill us, she has given us jobs so we can prove ourselves worthy to the Wise One, and makes it easier to get to him. The Wise One will help us when we die, we can live an eternal life in the skies. The man keeps saying.
There is no afterlife after you die, Maya made that up so you would believe her and so you would follow her cult. Maya is making you work fourteen hours a day, in a radioactive environment. She is killing you off with slave labor, as you can clearly see.
Maya cares about all of us. She wouldn't try to connect us with the Wise One if she didn't care about us. She wouldn't have helped us try to see the truth if she didn't care. You are an idiot to think that Maya hasn't come down to save us.
Why do you think that Maya is trying to save you? Is there any evidence that this Wise One is real? Why are you still not letting go of your parents' death? They've been gone for years, and you don't need to prove yourself to anyone to live a meaningful life. All of a sudden that turned really dark.
I have waited to be with my parents for so long. They must be having a great time up there. I want to see them, and I will live off the rest of my days so I can be with them.
That isn't what you're supposed to do in life! There is no evidence of the afterlife, there is no evidence of the Wise One, there is no evidence that Maya came down from the sky, there is no rational thinking towards killing yourself off so you can be with your loved ones! You need to see the truth!
The truth is with Maya, and she will help you see. She will get rid of your worries, your anger, and your sins.
I gave up, and disconnected from his thoughts. I was getting nowhere with him. There's just this group of people that I cannot get to for some reason, and most of the time they repeat what they are saying, even though they don't have any evidence to back it up. They see Maya's dictatorship as if it's leadership, and I don't know why. I guess the only way I could find out is if I became a Supporter.
I was trying to look for other people to convert, but then I heard a very familiar name get called. "I am Gabriel Freund, and I am pleased that I am able to bask in your glory. I know that one of my friends is out there, and he possesses vital information that you need to know about, as do I."
I thought that Gabriel would have done this yesterday. I had concluded that he wasn't here today, but I guess that he was just waiting around where I couldn't get to him. I wanted to leave, I didn't want to see myself get caught, and if I stayed, Maya could probably just find me in the crowd. But I didn't go.
"Vital? Yeah sure, go ahead. Hopefully this time the information is actually useful to me." She places her chin on top of her hand, which is being supported by her armrest. She likes to sit down during this time, I guess she is just lazy.
"My friend, Ezra Leid, has been the one who has been actively trying to torment you, he is Anonymous, as he calls himself. He has developed powers, and wants to use them against you. In the background of every speech, he is trying to 'convert' people back to their sinful and evil selves. He might be out there right at this moment, trying to harm us, but he isn't going very far."
"Wait, what?" Maya asks as she puts down her arm, and her smile is wiped off of her face.
"We have been making plans to try and get rid of you, Maya. We weren't able to get anywhere though because of many complications that you have set up. I must be one of the most evil ones out there, as at one point, I was hoping that you were killed. I thought that I could prove myself to you by capturing Anonymous, but something had happened, and I had failed. I am sorry."
"You shouldn't be sorry, this is information that I wanted to know for a long time. That's great news, Gabriel." She starts typing on a holographic tablet, probably trying to look up my identity so she can finally see what I look like.
"That's not all about him though. He is also the one who has saved you. He is the one to help you get back up, and become stronger than ever before. He regrets it deeply to this very day, and it's one of the many things tearing him apart."
I see an image of myself pulled up on Maya's screen. She looks confused and bewildered. "Yes, he does look extremely familiar. Are... are you sure that everything you are saying is right? One person couldn't have done all of this..."
"It is right for all I know. He is scared of you though, and he will be easy to take down with the right actions. I don't know where he is at currently, but-"
"We can talk about the locations later? For now, we need to be on the lookout. My Supporters will be sifting through the crowds to make sure that we can find him. You two, get Gabriel to a safe place, he is much more useful than I thought anyone else could be." She points at two Supporters, and they take Gabriel away.
I turn invisible, not just so I'm not found, but I feel ashamed. Now, Maya will know everything about me, and use it to her advantage. She knows who I am, what I can possess, and now ways to find me. I didn't feel safe here anymore, I moped back to my hideout in shame, even though there was still a good amount of time to convert some others back.
Search teams were now scattered throughout the day and night, trying to look for me, and other Supporters. Gabriel knew of most of the hideouts where people were safe, and now they were probably found. I didn't want to sleep, as I saw flashlights shine through the entrance. I was so lucky that I wasn't caught that night, or any other night after that one.
This was the one thing I feared of most. Maya now knows all of my information, my weaknesses, and having my friend, Gabriel, who was now against me. Luckily, I hadn't said everything to Gabriel, and he doesn't know that I sometimes go invisible when trying to convert people back to normal.
It was more difficult than ever to keep on going, but I tried as hard as I could. Being like this reminded me of when I was alone in my house. Gosh, that feels like a lifetime ago. Most of the nights were cold, and laying on concrete doesn't provide good sleep. My nightmares still bother me each and every night, wanting to tourtue me while I can't do anything about it. Staying inside my little hideout made it so my thoughts could circle around my head all day. I still haven't had the motivation to find an outlet to charge my phone in.
Having to be invisible for the entire time I was outside was draining, especially if you were also using your powers to go inside of people's mind. I also had to be aware at all times to make sure I wasn't caught while trying to convert people. I felt so tired and exhausted, but I had to keep going. I don't know why, but I did.
Something interesting was found out one day. Something that made me awfully scared. I was converting people, like any other day, but then, someone accidentally rammed into me. It must have caused me to become visible again, because that person had dialled something into the walkie-talkie, and Maya was alerted right away. She looked down at something, and then right at me.
The crowd had parted, as she stepped down from the stage, and walked towards me. I stood back up, and waited for something to happen. "Ezra Lied... what a coincidence."
"It's pronounced Lead." I said. I took a step back.
"It should be said like lied though. You had hurt everyone you loved and cared for because you didn't want them to know. I can't believe someone like you had helped me, and now wants to take me down. I thought the person who saved me would have thought better and would have become a Supporter. But I guess this entire group was brought up by a fool." She told me as she came closer.
"You're wrong." I told her, and I turned around to get away. Instead though, a wall was made out of the tiles from the ground.
"If you want to play unfairly in this game, so will I. I tried to be nice, but I guess now I'm the bad guy." She magically disappears, and suddenly, she is now behind me. She has powers too. Maya tries to lunge at me, but she misses.
"This isn't a game though! You're messing with people, and their lives. They don't deserve any of this!" I tell her as I leap up onto the top of a building.
"This might not be a game for you, but it is for me. You might be going through a difficult time, but it's all in your head. If you want to feel better, then join me. I'll erase you of your fears, your worries, and your trauma." She teleports behind me, as I start to walk backwards. I stop when I feel the edge.
"I'll never join you. Not in a million years. I can see what you do to people." I tell her.
"Maybe one day you will change your mind." She raises her arm at me, and fires a pulse. Instead of it being green-ish white, it's a dark purple. I wasn't ready, and I couldn't dodge it. I was hit in the chest, and thrown off the building, and onto the ground. Every part of my body hurt badly, and I realized that my hood was thrown off in the process. It didn't matter anyways though.
Maya floats down to the ground, and walks to me. "Maybe now you'll actually start to think about what you have done. You're not going to win this time. Talk to me if you finally want to be serious, and if you want to numb the pain." She says.
I get up, I turn invisible, and I start to stumble away. That was an embarrassing defeat. "Go hide away, Ezra. Like you've always done. One day, you will surrender to me." She tells me blindly, as she looks around.
I eventually got back to my hideout, and I felt extremely sore and weak. I saw that my infection has grown significantly, down to my legs, and my wrists. I might want to cover them up. Maya must be directly connected to my infection, if she was able to increase it. How was she able to do that?
I had deeply underestimated the power that she manifested. Why had she never shown her powers before? Where did she get them from? It would have helped her take me down faster. It was like she was trying to hide them or something.
I went to sleep early that night. I didn't really want to, but I think it will help me feel better in the morning. I won't be as sore. Of course, whenever something important happens in my life, my life just gets reenacted in my dreams and they make it so much worse. It's not something I can hide from.
I was travelling to Central Park, and it was dark out. It was cold, and the only thing illuminating the night was the sidewalk lights. I had eventually reached the middle, and Maya was the only one waiting. "You finally gave up?"
"Not just yet." I said, and I fired a pulse at her. It went right through her, and didn't affect her at all.
She teleports in front of me, and I fall back. "Don't you get it? You're meaningless, you can't even harm me. I was able to conquer the city in just a few months, and you weren't even brave enough to stand up to me. You just wanted to run away and hide. You're a coward." I try to scoot away from her, but she keeps walking towards me. Eventually I hit a wall, and I stood back up, pressed against the wall.
"I'm winning, and you don't seem to understand that. One day, you will change your mind, and you will see that all of this is your fault."
I push her away. "There's always a chance that I can bounce back. You... you will see."
"Yeah, I'll be waiting for that day. Oh wait, it's never going to arrive. Just give up." She raises her hand, and I am blinded by her pulse, as pain and agony flow throughout my body.
YOU ARE READING
Supernatural Book 4: Ezra's Story
ParanormalEzra is a young teen who enjoys his life at Xeinil, the biggest and most developed city after a nuclear bomb had brought the planet to grinding halt. He is the best player on his soccer team, has many friends, and has a bright future ahead of him, o...
