Gifted

Chapter 23

Clara's POV

He's gone! For what? The 4th time? Jeez How wrong is it to have a conversation with your brother? Obviously not here!

"We have to go afer him!" I scream at Mark

"I don't know about you but those were government officials, you'd have to be crazy to go after him," he says grabbing my wrist. I quickly shove him off.

"C'mon you could go in here and light it on fire and make those guards pay," I suggest avidly using hand movments.

"The government knows about the Gifteds, Clara. They probably have him in a cell with Gift-proof glass, espcially since they saw us with him. That's beside the fact we don't have a clue where he is," Mark walks to the end of the alley then motions for me to follow. Reluctantly I agree and follow behind him to the next alleyway where he lifts the grate off the tunnel.

Slowly, I climb into the tunnel and walk behind him. Why can't I have a kick-ass Gift like shooting fire from my hands? I would go after Bret in a heartbeat. But I am stuck with a language Gift.

"Hurry up Clara," Mark calls he's already in at he end of the tunnel. Reluctantly, I hurry up and meet him at the end of the tunnel. Mark expertly opens the door to the broom closet then hoists me up to get through. Oh the joys of being short! Note the sarcasm.

Bret heaves himself out of the tunnel then closes off the exit.

"We need to find Mason and Jin," Bret says.

"Why? What can they do Bret's been captured," I don't want Mark to know but I am on the verge of crying.

"There's something Jin didn't tell you when he explained Miss. R's visions," Mark explained.

"What is it?" I ask excitedly.

"It's better shown then told," Mark replied then quietly snuck out of the broom closet. Everything was perfectly still. No noise from the students. Just silence. Mark obviously noticed the absence of people because the air lacked Mark's usual heat.

We slunk along the hallway until we reached the Great Hall. No one was their either.

"I really don't think we should split up, but go to your room and stay there until I can find someone. Take this," Mark whispered then handed her a small blade. My eyes widened a little. Why would someone who could set themselves on fire need a knife?

"Because someone's going to rape me?" I ask. Ok, I couldn't help myself. I was nervous.

"No but your Gift is well, next to useless right now. It's too quiet right now, something's wrong," Mark whispered. He slapped me once on the back then turned towards the boys hallway. Just before he entered it he nodded.

Cautiously, I headed down the abandonned hallway to my room.

119.

201.

203.

I counted nervously in my head. I turned around and faced my door. I didn't even have to touch it for the door to swing open. Instead of Diandra's warm smile there was silence.

Diandra's paint was still on the bed. A canvas was set up in the corner of the room. I walked towards it but not without tripping. My foot caught on he strap of my bag. Someone had brought it up to the room, probably Diandra or Jose. Speaking of Jose, Mark hadn't mentioned him at all. I shrugged, he was probably still mad at him.

I reached into my bag and found my light tablet. It sprung to life when my finger glided across the light screen. In bold red letters were the words Important Announcement. I clicked the button and the tablet brared the voice of our principal, Mr. Malone.

I clicked down the volume on the tablet and listened carefully.

"Attention, all students and staff are to meet me and Governor Glory in the gym immidieatly," the message was short and sweet but explained the disappearance of students. I checked the time the message was sent out. 7:00, that was a half hour ago. I clicked the message function on the light tablet and searched Mark's name.

After a moment I had messaged him fo meet me in the gym. It was risky going there by myself, but knowing Mark he wouldn't let me go anyways. I rounded the corner from the Great Hall, still dead silent. Slinking down the hallway I felt a hand rest on my shoulder, I slowly turned around. I swallow a scream when I saw Mark.

"What are you doing?!" he whispers angrily

"I want to know what's going on in there," I whisper back. Mark takes a deep breath.

"You realize that if you go in there, you can't come back. You could back to your old life right now. Fake your Mark and run back to your family," he warns, his normally dark brown eyes are a touched with a hint of red.

"They have my brother. It will never be the same," I say then sneak into the gym and what I see next blows my mind. I stand there gawking for a few seconds before Mark pulls me behind the bleachers. I continue to gawk there as I absorb what's happening.

There, in the corner of the room is a cage. Not a barred cage, but a Gift proof glass cage and inside are all my classmates. In the center of the room is a station of nurses. Each dressed in the same outfit as the lady who Marked me. I watch as an officer drags a girl out of the cage towards the nurses.

"LET GO OF ME!" she screams. I take a second look at her and recognize her as Rebeckah. They drag her into a chair that straps her in with metal bands when she sits down. The nurses picks up something with a pair of tweezers. Rebeckah continues struggling until the nurses place something behind her ear. Rebeckah quits struggling and sits absolutely still and straight. The metal bands around her hands and feet are released and she walks over to another group of Gifteds.

"What's going on Mark?" I whisper. I feel the colour drain from my face. Mark sits absolutely still beside me for a second the replies, "mind control."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author's Note

Sorry it's been a while. I had really bad writer's block and then I came up with this. I have an actual plan for Gifted now so things will be heating up!

~sunpetal304~