Soul Stitched (book one)

Chapter 100: Aqua

I've lost everyone. My mother, my father, Cryptic, Mac. But nothing hurt more than watching Cashmere, Wilt and Crystal slowly disappear as my grandmother drove away. I pressed my forehead to the glass, breath fogging it up every time I exhaled. I could see, out of the corner of my eyes, my grandma staring at the scars all over my body.

                Go back! I wanted to scream, but I kept my teeth clenched together. The slight smell of cookies filled my nose. I squeezed my eyes shut and let a tear streak down my face. I remembered the day Cashmere called me, so clearly. When I first saw her, I almost knew her from somewhere. But that was just my mind playing tricks. My grandma took my hand, making me jump.

                "Do you want to talk?" she asked. We'd have to someday. But not now. Not so soon. Let the scars fade first.

It was a painful drive. If I closed my eyes, I could picture Wilt stepping into her new house, alone. Cashmere pulling into her driveway, finally home. Crystal looking out her window, looking out at the new land. We had branched out, left this behind, the journey. Gone Home. Home. The word seemed so strange. For weeks, home was where ever my friends were. Now, home was a cell that kept me locked away. How could I ever face my friends, if they were even alive? Were they even my friends anymore? No. Not with these memories. It would be impossible. I'd only think about Wilt, Cashmere, Mac, Crystal and Cryptic. Oh, the pain in my chest. I wanted to call Crystal, Cashmere or Wilt, tell them to run away with me. We would travel the world, watch it slowly fix itself from the damage we had done.

Night fell and I slowly closed my eyes. I dreamed of everyone I had lost. We were having a party, elegant music filled my ears as we ate at a medieval timed table. I wore a soft blue dress that flowed out by my ankles. Cryptic sat next to Mac and my parents were beside me. We laughed and ate and all was well.

Until I woke.

I was home. I stood in the living room. I watched my grandma tidy up the house for me. In one moment, an image of my grandma flashed before my eyes. She was hiding behind a chair as explosions wend on outside the house.

                "No...Aqua..." she whispered.

Then the image faded and I blinked several times. I could see close to no damage done to the house. The real damage was done to those who lived inside.

I splashed water up at my face. The coldness shocked me and I wiped my face with a fluffy towel. All of my clothing were still here. Anything I had brought on the cruise was lost. Didn't matter much to me anyway. As I laid on my bed, I couldn't stop thinking about the journey we had just had. It seemed so unreal. I mean, powers, a virus, an evil scientist and true love? It was too typical. But so true. I knew it had happened. I had the evidence that proved on my skin. I stood up and grabbed a paper and pen. And I started writing. For months I worked on it, for years. I poured my emotions and a small portion of me into the paper. And when I finished it, my story, I looked up into my mirror. My hair had grown as had my chest. I was tall, thin, the scars slightly faded. I was fifteen years old. I never went to school. I never made new friends. Nor did I ever call Wilt, Cashmere or Crystal. How had time moved so quickly? I looked down at my story. Pieces were missing. Things didn't make sense. I didn't know if Dr. Shep was still alive or who that boy was who had grabbed my wrist at the hospital, I also didn't know if I would ever see my friends again. But one thing I did know for sure, was that this happened for a reason and I was glad. I wouldn't change those times for the world.

Suddenly, something happened. Something shifted inside of me, like a switched had been flicked on. A pain registered on my palm. I screamed and watched as some symbol started to form on my hand, ripping apart the flesh as this took its place. I leaned over and peered down at my hand, full of wonder. I smiled when it started to glow.