Angel Of Clinia

8. The Great Escape

I take apart the rolling part of the board, and hold it like a large whiteboard. I open up my window, and drop down blankets from my bed to pad the fall. "I'll go first, you go after." I leap down, landing on the blankets. Before she jumps, I re-puff the blankets. When Emara notices that I'm done, she too jumps down, holding in her scream and squinting her eyes.

"We have to find Jenny," I tell her. "Who's that?" Emara asks, running with me. "She's my friend, she's listened to me about this for years. She's hours away but we can make it, as long as we are far away from Leo's clone!"

Then it hit me. "Wait," I stop. "Check yourself and make sure there isn't a tracking device on you, I will do the same." We look ok ourselves to see little red dots. We rip them off and toss them. "I can't believe we left him with my parents," I whimper. "They'll get kidnapped and cloned too." I cry, starting to run again. Emara close by says "It isn't all bad, we'll get them back."

For hours we run, my brain not thinking at all until we are there. "That's my old house," I point, "and there's Jenny's."

I ring the doorbell. Jenny's mom answers the door. "Hello again, Mar! It hasn't been too long! Oh, and who's this?" She speaks sweetly like a buttercup. "This is my friend Emara. It's an emergency, may I talk to Jenny?" I ask, tapping my feet on the mat. "Of course." She goes to grab Jenny. Jenny comes down with no expression. "Hello," she says, and looks directly at me with no human gaze drop, she simply just stares into my eyes. "are you well?"

"Yes, but-" I realized my mistake. She was a clone too. That's why she didn't answer me, she was abducted.

"Welcome." Jenny motions us inside. "She's been very well off as of late." Her mom chimes in, clamping her two hands together at her face.

"Clearly, and that's very good." Emara speaks up, gulping loudly. She realized the same thing.

"How have you been?" Jenny asks, sitting down in an old fashioned ladylike manner on the living room sofa. "Please, take a seat." It almost sounded like she was reciting old phrases, not someone being a kid and talking to someone you've known for years. "Okay, but I wanted to visit you, because I missed you." I tell her. Although it wasn't a lie, it wasn't why I came in the first place.

"Well I do appreciate this visit," she returns the favor, "and I missed you as well."

"School been fun?" I ask. "Indeed it has. I've met someone new actually. Her name is Taylor Motts."

"That's cool, does she live nearby?" I was bad at these proper conversations, anything borderline small talk.

"Yes. She lives two houses down to the right."

"Strange we never saw her around." I laugh nervously while rubbing my neck.

"Oh, we have. I've known her, but never admitted to it. Sorry about that lie just now, I don't know what came over me. I haven't just met her. Typical worries, am I right?" The clone was horrible at joking, and apparently just conversing in general.

"Oh, well that's alright, you are allowed to have other friends." I figured the clone had the same mind, so it probably was true. While she can have other friends, it still hurt that she never bothered to tell me.

This would be a good way to get the truth out of her, whether it be meant or not.

While we can't get answers on what's happening, maybe I can find out what really went on in my friend's head.

"I forget, what did you say you first thought of me when we met?"

"Well, I can tell you now. I thought you were stuck up, annoying, and just a crazy conspiracy theorist." Jenny's clone spits out facts of the past.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you told me that." I clench my fist which is holding onto my upper arm.

"I have to use the restroom, I'll be back." I go to take time to reflect on things, but halfway there I realize that it's a bad idea because I'd be leaving Emara with a kidnapping clone.

I couldn't come back now, it would be too suspicious.

I really didn't have to go, so I simply counted to 60 seconds while standing in front of the mirror.

When I came back, nothing appeared out of place. "How did everything go while I was gone?" I asked. "Oh just peachy," Emara tilts her head. Oh no, it was too late. "We know the truth, Mar. Just give up now." Emara, Jenny, and Jenny's mom all say in unison. I run out as quickly as I can, managing to snatch up the board before I exited the house. I was all alone now. Emara was gone, probably in fear as she's being dragged away to wherever everyone has been taken. I shouldn't have left her alone like that.

I'd been walking for hours now. I couldn't help but cry on the way as rain poured down on my head. I didn't have anywhere to go. Maybe the clones were right, there really was no point in trying. I'd be taken eventually.

I glanced over to my left to see a golden spark that sizzled in and out of view. On, off, on, and off. I slowly began to inch closer to the strange light. "Away!" The light heaved towards my face, but with a large stick behind it. I looked up whilst fire was right in front of my eyes. "I mean no harm!" I yell, pleading for my very life. I raise up my arms to my face, my head turned to the right. "You're a person." The voice says.

"Yeah, of course." I'm still trembling with fear.

"I'm Taylor Motts."