Destruction - The Oasis Project Book 2 (Complete)

Fifteen - Linkin

Emma's apartment was right beside mine. She carefully opened the door for me, keeping an arm around my shoulders as she led me inside. "Do you want to talk about it?" I wasn't sure I wanted to talk at all. There was a lot of things to say, but I just couldn't seem to find the right words.

"That's okay," she sighed and lead me to the leather couch and helped me lay down. I rested my head in her lap, which she didn't seem to mind as I brought my feet onto the sofa beside me.

Her room was nice, even nicer than mine which I didn't think was possible. It was simply more expensive and I thought down the hall I noticed a small kitchenette. It was strange to think every room was different, did they do it depending on the person? They probably heard I liked burnt toast and ensured I didn't get a kitchen. Or they didn't trust me with knives.

"I met him after I escaped Dell Island," and just like that, everything came tumbling out in a mess. Half the time I was speaking so softly my words were inaudible, but other times my words were buried behind too many sobs and cries. The night wasn't pretty.

It was cut short with a knock on the door. Emma tensed slightly and glanced down to me. "That's probably the twins, want me to send them away? We were just going to sit around and play some games." She admitted, almost looking guilty as she cut off the horror story which was my life.

Did I want to meet people in the condition I was in? No. Did I want to continue to lay on Emma's couch and continue to sob about a life that was long gone? Also a no. Pushing myself up on an elbow, I wiped my eyes and shook my head, "It's probably good I meet new people," I mumbled, failing at sounding excited by the idea. I forced a weak smile and sniffled. "Really, but, um, do you have clothes I can borrow, maybe a place I can wash up?" I asked hesitantly. My face was unpresentable due to tears and I had to get changed eventually and I wasn't even too sure if I had clothes or where to get them.

Emma was a bit taller than I was, but she was the small petite build. I didn't mind if the clothes were a bit long. "Of course," she smiled and stood up, reaching up to offer me her hand, then paused. "It may be best if we don't touch..."

I was quick to nod in agreement, "Normally my rule for everyone."

The twins knocked again, "Come on in, I'm just helping Linkin!" Emma called out before ushering me to follow her to her bedroom. Her room was large, beautiful, a theme of gold and black which gave everything an elegant feel.

Emma seemed to already have an outfit picked out for me. It was simple, a black athletics sweater with sleeves that covered my hand and conveniently had thumb holes along with a pair of jeans which I had to roll up twice. Emma left me to have some time alone and in the other room, I could hear voices turn from hushed whispers of confusion to laughter.

I took my time, washing down my face with cold water until all the redness had left my eyes. My nose was red and raw from the kleenexes; evidently being a prisoner of science still didn't mean they spent money to get anything better than one-ply sandpaper. My hair was clipped back and away from my face before I finally got the courage to walk back out to the living room.

I knew two out of the three people in the room. "So you're Linkin. I was picturing Emma hiding some scandalous escapade from us." Mato said with a small smirk as he leaned back comfortably into Emma's couch.

My eyes flickered between him and the woman who sat in the armchair, she looked extremely similar to him, but her face was slightly more pointed and I felt uncomfortable as her eyes scanned me. "I'm Anaba, Mato's twin sister, also number Seven. I sure have heard a lot about you." She said, her tone made me unsure if that was a good thing or not. "Is it true what you did to Nazem?"

"Anaba," Emma scolded her like a mother would to her child. She turned to me and smiled, motioning me to the space beside her. "Pay no attention to her. It just doesn't happen often that someone takes down Nazem or... even has the courage to stand up to him." Emma said hesitantly, choosing her words carefully.

"Ya, he is such a dick yet everyone takes it. It is nice to see someone who refuses to put up with him." He paused and smirked, leaning forward so his elbows rested on his knees, "Is it true you're a criminal? Is that why you're not afraid of him?"

"Mato!" Emma snapped at him next.

It was easier to just give them what they wanted. Laughing softly, I shook my head, it slowly turned into a nod. "I mean, you're going to have to give me a better definition of what you mean by "criminal" because I've never been convicted... Or, well, I ran away before I was convicted and then the government doesn't know about the rest." I paused and tilted my head to my head. "Governments," I put an emphasis of the plural. There was a number of places which could arrest me if the wrong evidence came into light.

"Tell us everything," the twins said together as if they had some strange kind of telepathy.