Outcasts

Chapter Thirty-Five (Haile)

I gasp, awake, alert, out of breath, sweating uncontrollably. Oh how lovely, I groan. The tightening in my chest chokes me and I am forced to sit up. I press a hand deep into my chest, as if to relieve the pressure.

It also seems that this headache will not let me sleep. My tears soak my face. Sadly, there isn't a remedy for this headache it seems, not of one that I know of, but there are more human methods of healing pain. Sitting up was just a minor hurdle compared to the difficulty it took for me to get up and move.

Why is my entire body aching? It shouldn't.

I open the kitchen door after checking to see if the panel's button bore the color of red, indicating normality. Normal, for all human eyes. The kitchen stands before me, empty, dark, silent. 

It's only a headache.

I walk lamely over to the higher cabinets and open them quietly. Every few seconds, I look over my shoulder as if someone would appear behind me. Blindly, I move my hand around to find a tall round bottle. When my fingers latched onto one bottle, I yanked it out of the cabinet quickly.

My eyes try their best to focus on the words in the darkness. It is painful to read, but I know it is worth it. "Ibuprofen."

With my thumb, I snap the bottle open with a pop.

Cradling my hand around the edge, I tip the bottle until two pills fall out.

I shake my head, and compare the pain to these two little pills. That's not enough.

I tip the bottle again. Two more pills collapse out. I need more!

Without a second thought, I dump the whole bottle of pills into my hand. The pills clatter and shift, being the tiny avalanche that falls into the palm of my hand.

That should be enough.  I am about to turn around and get a glass of water to take these pills with, but with the pain in my head, through out  my body,  I know there is so little time.

I raise my hand to my lips as a tear falls from my face. So much pain! 

"Just what on earth do you think you're doing!" I hear someone shout.

The lights flick on and I wince and moan at the brightness. My head pounds, I am out of breath again. My clenched hands rubs my eyes, trying to get the remaining tears, and drowsiness, out of my eyes.

Mother stands there with a shocked look on her face. It takes me a minute to realize that she is seeing the tears on my face. I'm not sure what she thinks. Maybe she is worried, maybe she couldn't care less. I don't know if I will ever know.

"Save some for your mother, will you?" She says, pain becoming clear in her voice.

I sigh and put the pills down on the counter top. Turning away, I let my mother have her pain reliever first. 

"You never apologized you know." I mumble, not caring if she is listening. I hear pills rustle around in my mother's hand. "For downgrading me like that." I close my eyes and take a deep breath. My voice is now much louder than I want it to be. "Even though I am a fear, I am one of you, one of your own species, your own flesh and blood! Your daughter!"

Mother snaps, "Please keep it down, you wouldn't want to wake Jeah would you?"

I take that back, I did care if she was listening or not. Anger bubbles up in my chest, but my chest tightens when the anger isn't released. Now I pant much harder than earlier and I am visibly trembling.

I walk out of the kitchen before saying, "It's good to see how much I matter to you."

Mom calls after me, "Haile wait!" I look over my shoulder to see her holding a few pills. She holds them out to me. "I'm sorry, I know you are in a lot of pain."

She didn't apologize for not accepting me, but the simple words 'I'm sorry' are a stepping stone. I snag the pills from her and swallow them dry, but I don't say anything else. I'm not sure I forgive her or dad just yet. "Why are you both treating me this way?"

"Things have been different since your sister has been transformed. I just want to keep her future in mind." Mother logically states. 

What is that supposed to mean?

Mom says, "Dad should be home soon, why you don't go up to bed?"

I'd rather stay down here since I don't think I will be able to sleep, but I don't want to hear any more insults. "Okay."

Mom calls after me, "Sleep in tomorrow! Stay home from school!" I look over my shoulder to see her shaking her head. "You don't look too good."

As I leave the kitchen and head up the stairs I pause. The front door creaks open, letting in some of the night. The late autumn air, as potent as it is, spreads through the house and gives me goosebumps.

The sound of the night mingling with the environment ceases with the sound of a door closing. "Honey," Mother whispers. I hear her step through the hallway.

I need to listen to this, I decide. I lean back and quiet my body to listen. When I flinch, I am surprised.

This headache keeps me from acting as a Teslent! I can't use my given abilities like super hearing, or super strength! I stifle a groan of frustration. I am fed up with this headache! My lips purse. I need to know what they are saying. I dig my teeth into my hand to direct the pain somewhere besides my head. This act does little to help the pain, but I am able to tolerate it.

"What's wrong?" Mother sounds like she panics to find the words to speak. "You look pale!"

"The headaches," Father breaks his sentence to gasp for air. "They aren't our only problem."

Mother is silent, preparing for the worst it seemed.

"We believe a scavenger is causing these headaches, but we don't know how or why." He sighs and takes in a breath. "But we do know there is no cure! And-"

Mother shushes him and whispers reassuringly, "Hey, you will find this scavenger! You guys will find all the information and the Specials will take him down!"

"Janine! It's not that simple. These headaches are proven to be fatal. Teslents are finding it harder to defend themselves, and if this person causes every Teslent in the world to have headaches. I-if these headaches are controlled by the scavenger," He takes a deep breath to quell his hyperventilating. "Then we are all in grave danger."

Mother begins to sound less hopeful than a few seconds ago "Timothy."

My father says. "I leave in the morning, and I won't be back for a while. We are going to solve this and save everyone!"

Mother whimpers. "And what if you don't?"

I can hear the sound of soft fabric moving, and picture my dad rubbing my mother's back comfortingly. "Let's try not to think about that, 'kay?"

I want to say something, to ask so many questions, but I know they won't answer. They won't tell me, because I am a Teslent with a fear trigger. They would think I would betray them, and walk with the scavengers.

I swallow and lean away, wincing at my headache. Even the medicine doesn't help.

I find it very hard to stand, with this pain shaking every mineral in my body down to the core, so I limp up the stairs and up to bed.

"Fatal headache." "Grave Danger."

Tonight may be the night I fall asleep and never wake up again.

I think that the road ahead has just become dark for all of us.