The Dark

Maisey, 2009

I shouldered my bag and stood. I watched as my watch hit 12 p.m. I sprinted down the alley towards the buildings. I unsheathed my sword that I'm borrowing from the museum. They may or may not get it back. As soon as I stepped out into the street I heard the sounds of the explosions. I rounded the corner and smoke rose in the air. The building was definitely on fire. Here comes the fun part.

Preparing myself for the inevitable I gathered my thoughts and raised my sword and ran towards the east building. I stopped at the closed gate that led into the building, I looked left and right and then climbed over and walked through the first door. There was no one in the halls that I could see. The color of yellow paint was unsettling in the hallway. I started to clear the first few rooms on the ground floor but no one was here. Well this is weird. What if they have a new evacuation plan that I don't know about?

I could see a faint light at the end of the hallway and voices coming through the door. I made sure to look down the rest of the hallways before pushing the door open. There was no one in the room but a screen playing in the back. Multiple computers were up and running, but it all looked abandoned. I locked the door before stepping all the way in.

I turned the Tv up and listened to the broadcast that was playing.

"Attention all members, evacuate the labs. We are under attack. Attention all members, evacuate the labs. We are under attack." I turned the volume back down. Labs? This wasn't a research facility on the blueprints. What's really going on here?

I sat down at one of the screens and pulled up the results of a test that they were running before the explosions went off. My picture came up along with the results from a DNA test. What the hell? If they were searching The Dark's system why'd they pull my name?

I read through the report and came across a different name. Azul.

"We have encountered a problem in our search for any heirs. There are more than one. Azul is the half biological sister of Maisey Grace Harper. We do not know the birth parents for either child, but with further investigation we can determine that they do exist. Azul was not created in a lab like we previously thought. That does not explain the irregularities we found in her DNA though. This does not account for the change in Harper's DNA either. "

I have a sister? This day isn't going to be good. Where is she? How old is she? Was she adopted too? Why? Half sister? I cleared the thoughts from my head and deleted the results. No one would know now. I looked around the room at the rest of the screens, they all showed results from tests. Experiments. I felt the room get cold from my anger. If she went through half of what I did...

I was going to leave before I heard it. It was a quiet whine but loud enough to tell that it was coming from the corner. I walked along the tables until I found it. A kid. Who would leave a young child here by themselves. I read the name stitched onto the blanket that was wrapped around her. Azul. My sister. I picked her up and held her in my arms.

She quieted her cries and I knew that I wasn't going to complete the mission as I ran back out the door. I could hear the other explosions go off as I ran for cover with Azul. I hid in the alley as the firetrucks and police cars showed up and were sent away with people. You can still finish this, No you can't. Do what's right for once in your life.

I would be terminated, hunted, and I put a death sentence on my head. It was worth it. I looked back down at Azul, she would have to be at least two years old right? I headed back to the hotel that I stayed in and packed my things. I walked past Mia in the lobby and left without saying a word to her this time. I would need a new place, I would need money, and supplies to make this work. I tried to calm my racing heart, you were going to leave anyway. It's just sooner and not the way you wanted to go. Maybe you could go back...No. I won't. I can protect her myself. They left her alone in that room to die, I won't let the same thing happen to her.

After I grabbed my things I picked Azul up from the bed. She was fast asleep, I wonder if she had a tiring day too. I walked down the stairs and thought about not having a plan. I didn't need one, I could survive this without one. I drove to Chalcis, a town not far from Athens. After a very tiring drive, I found a tiny hotel on the side of the road and stopped for the night. I let Azul continue to sleep as I dumped all the supplies down on my bed. I knew that The Dark had suppliers in Greece who would be after me if they were given an order. I also knew that they had my old contact information. I threw the phone away in the other hotel room. I was very glad that I went dark for this mission. I had about ten thousand dollars left in cash. I would need all of it to take care of us both. I had a bunch of knives and two katanas left. I guess the museum isn't getting their swords back. I'm not sure that I would need them if it came down to a fight.

I needed to decide if I was going to go back to the states. Would it be better to stay here? I heard Azul stir on the other bed. She sat up and stared at me, never saying a word. She had a little smile on her face as she carefully climbed down and jumped onto my side of the bed.

"Friends?" I didn't know what she meant but I nodded my head as she laid down by my side. I scooped her up into my arms and turned the Tv on to cartoons. I heard little giggles coming from her. Everything will be okay. Teulu, family.

I've never said that word out loud, but I remember it in my nightmares. It doesn't have to be a bad thing. Teulu ydyn ni, we are a family.