Synthetic Beauty (re-posted)

Chapter Fourteen: Discovered

Chapter Fourteen

Phoebe bursts upright in her bed. A dream. It had only been a dream. What did it mean, though? What could it possibly mean?! Five A. M… Looks like she has time to waste. Phoebe brings her hand to her face to find wet cheeks. She had been crying? Why? What? She’s so confused… Why would all this be happening to her? Why her? The signs of her dad… This dream? How do the pieces fit together? How… How in the world does this invoklve Phoebe? How could she help this mess of the Pretty Government and this mess of a rebellion?! It’s not like she’s some amazing miracle worker! She’s just Phoebe! Nothing else! Two weeks ago she had been normal! Two weeks ago she had a normal life! And she tossed it out the window as if it were a piece of trash! If only she knew all this would happen!

Phoebe pulls her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth while tears burn at the back of her eyes. Flashes of scenes play before her…

“We will stand! We will fight for what we know is right! Even if it is the world against us!” Phoebe’s voice rings in her head.

“What does all this mean?!” Phoebe cries out. It’s too much pressure… Too much happening! All of this happened in a blink! It felt like yesterday that she was worried about what to wear to Tyler’s party! Now her she lays in her bed, weeping over love and war. Her Black hair cutains her face from the moonlight peeking through her windows. She had brown hair two weeks ago! She had a normal life two weeks ago! She would be in her mother’s arms right now being read a book from the twenty first century!

Phoebe tugs on her hair with anger and cries out in pain for her old life, for Kevin. He would be able to be here to tell her it’s all right! He would be able to comfort her! Suddenly, Phoebe notices crying voices everywhere. They ring through the building like a wildfire. Phoebe runs to her door and opens it, listening to the choruses of desperate cries. She understands now. The only person who actually wants to be in the rebellion is President Bridges. Everyone was taken from their homes. Everyone here used to be a Pretty. Captain Smith, Kyle, Dr. Rosenhough, and everyone else. No one wanted to be here!

Phoebe looks to her right where Captain Smith sits in only his boxers. He rocks back and forth  while droplets of water fall off his unflawed cheeks. He makes a face of pain as he tugs at the collar resting around his neck. The only words that slipped through his mouth were, “I shouldn’t have brought her here…. No one deserves this… Maybe she would have been better off… I shouldn’t have brought her here… Why did I do it?” He wails as a small spark comes from his collar. Phoebe notices two burn marks under and over his metal collar.

“Are-are you okay Captain Smith?” Phoebe looks at him with empathy.

“Oh… Posena… Did I wake y-you up?” Captain Smith wipes off his tears and stands up, clearly used to all the cries for help resonating through the hallway.

Phoebe doesn’t reply, but wraps her arms around his shoulders. She knows she can trust him.

“My name’s… Phoebe…” Phoebe cries into the nook of his neck. Every sense of her being screams NO!

“You’re… what?! Phoebe?!” Captain Smith pulls away staring at her in shock. Scars on his back tighten as he tenses up.

“Yes… I couldn’t tell you the truth before because I didn’t know if I could trust you…” Phoebe hugs her elbows.

“Phoebe… If I wasn’t so happy to see you I would be yelling my head off right now! You know I was looking for you, right?!” Captain Smith says exasperated.

“I’m… sorry…” Phoebe starts to say, but Captain Smith pulls her into a bear hug.

“You shouldn’t be the one who’s sorry… I got you into this whole mess… I shot you with the pill, and the Pretties tried to cure you, but couldn’t… I was the one who got you turned to be a Special… I was the one who pushed you away… I was the one who hurt you badly… It’s all my fault… You should be mad at me, Phoebe…” Captain Smith cries into Phoebe’s neck. She doesn’t know how to respond. Was she supposed to be mad? Was she supposed to be understanding? Was she supposed to push him away after all he did?

“What-what do you mean?” Phoebe furrows her brow.

“Phoebe… I’m Kevin.”