The Powers That ARE

Chapter Twenty-One

Note from the author*** Any body else wonder what it was that Riley did the last chapter? Well Here you go. Please let me know what you think and and comments or suggestions would be really appreciated. Christina

John and the teenagers had made it to their Suburban without a problem and were currently driving West on a small highway. He knew they were all going to get tired, but at this point he did not see a way around just driving.

Riley sat in the back, while Echo was in the front turned towards him. "Riley, what is wrong."

Riley was looking behind them as she had asked but turned back with a scared look on his face. "Before we left, I put out my senses to see if I could actually feel anything without touching someone and it worked."

"Riley, that is not something you have really been able to do in the past is it?" John asked him.

"No dad it's not, but I had to see if I could figure out why Ida set the alarm."

"You didn't answer me, what is wrong?" Echo repeated.

"I was able to feel. I felt Ida, and Justin, he was in the hallway, and in the room with Ida was someone else. It was that someone that scared me." Riley said, trying to put things into words. "The person in the room with her looked for the best way to describe it, not only a black hole but a black hole that looked like the cancer that was in Ida. There is no other way to describe it. That person was literally growing in presence in that room. And it was not a good presence. It seemed as if I kept my senses on him, and it was a man as far as I could tell, that he would see me and swallow me."

"I guess Ida really has a sense of some kind. Justin too maybe since he came out to the hallway." John said looking pensive. "I don't even know of anyone who has ever felt that way to me son. I think it would freak me out a little too."

While Riley was talking, Echo had turned back forward in her seat, looking straight out the front window, not saying anything. She said "There was one of the kids, I don't know what his name was, that they kept in a separate area than the rest. I only seen him once. I don't feel and see things the way you do, but this kid...."

As she stopped to gather her thoughts, John said "Echo what is it?"

She looked at him her face a little ashen, "He was covered in blood. He had the look of a monster in his eyes. No emotion. In fact he grinned at me as they took him the opposite direction from me. He had a really dark complexion, and almost yellow eyes. John, he was there. I always thought he died or something because I never seen him again."

"When was that Echo? Try to remember how long ago." John said gently.

Echo turned back to the front and closed her eyes, "It was after Gemma left. But not so long after. I think I was ten? Maybe?"

"Oh my god, They really created a monster then. Riley, it will be ok, but you have to think about what was there so we can figure out how to combat this, ok?" John said.

Riley and Echo both were terrified at that point. John could only think back to the children that were born that day, trying to picture which one it was.

Speaking out loud he said, "There were eleven children born that day. Including the two of you."

Echo sat up a little straighter, "Eleven? There were only ever seven of us at any given time. Plus that boy, that would be eight. Riley nine. Who are the other two?"

John thought a second, "One was still born. So that is ten. There is one that is not accounted for at this point."

Riley said, "What if they had that last one kept away like this one? What if that one is really bad too, or worse than this one? How are we supposed to fight that?" He asked this with a really worried tone of voice as they all went silent, just riding and thinking at this point.

Note*** It is harder than I thought to continue writing when you cannot just focus on it. I am going to try really hard to keep going on it. I found myself writing a little bit here and there but I just did not post it because it did not seen like enough. If enough want to read I will put it up here, so please let me know what you think. Thanks. Christina