Delilah
Going to bed that night seemed to be a challenge. All of us were cramped together, no space, and filthy from all of the dust and dirt that surrounded the floors.
In a normal cabin, there were five people per cabin. Though me, Hazel, Maya, Ashley, William, Kira, Madeline, and Dorothy managed to squeeze ourselves together. It was definitely not going to be a smooth couple of days. Plus who even knows, it may be days, weeks, months.
We'd have to at least make more space for each of us.
"Good night everyone," Hazel whispered. We somehow had managed to find some inflatable air mattress in the buses, which we tried our best to fill up. The cabin was freezing. If we even dared to stay in the same place, we'd probably freeze to death.
"Night," Maya whispers back.
Just like that, the exhaustion hit us all at once, and in less than five minutes we hit rock bottom.
-
I woke up the next morning, a sharp pain driving down my back from the awkward and uncomfortable sleeping position. Looking outside from my bed, the air was foggy and cold.
I shiver at the sight, sending chills down my body. Those tiny bumps appeared, making my body feel numb and desperate for heat. Though our heater in this cabin was broken.
"Is anyone up?" I whisper. The rasp in my voice lingered down to my throat. It was sore. I was in desperate need for some sort of supplies.
I heard movement in the sheets, and a sigh of relief. Everyone seemed to be dragging. I had no idea what time it was. But the sun was already up, so it had to be at least 8 am at the least.
"I'm up," a voice finally says groggily. Her voice was soft, it was Kira. "Kira, are you there?" I ask. "Yes,"
-
The two of us get up quietly, trying to not disturb anyone else. William was passed out in the corner, Hazel hanging off of the air mattress, Ashley and Maya were piled on two of the thin mattresses, while Madeline--where was Madeline and Dorothy?
Kira and I piled out of the cabin, walking down the trail. I had no idea where the kitchen was, but judging by the distant noise and chatter that filled one of the large cabins, I assumed that was the cafeteria.
The smell of breakfast filled our nostrils lightly, my stomach grumbling in response. "Smells good," I tell Kira. The silence was broken. She nods her head in agreement. Kira still seemed half asleep, half awake.
We walk through the large wood doors, blasted with a load of heat. My body seemed to be in paradise by the instant temperature change. It praised it. Loads of Striders were sitting down at the wood picnic tables, gobbling down their food like there was no tomorrow.
Chefs were cooking up what seemed to be bacon and eggs. Outside of the kitchen sat a table full of different sides. Fruits, crackers, some lays chips. It was a big breakfast, and it smelled one of a kind.
Everyone was enjoying themselves. Like Xavier wasn't a thing. Just a whole HQ acting like a big fat family.
I trace my eyes around the room, trying to find Dorothy, Madeline, Luna, anyone. I finally found them, sitting at an empty table by a window. I signaled Kira to follow me.
"Morning everyone," I say softly, taking a seat next to Dorothy who was drinking a cup of orange juice.
"Good morning. How was the cabin?" Crystal asks. Her long blonde hair was placed up in a bun. It was usually either down or in a ponytail. Never a bun though. And her brown masquerade mask on as usual. Luna was wearing a purple blouse, with some black jeans.
Everyone looked clean. They already showered, ate, and did their hair in different hairstyles. While I was there, in my pj's, no one in the world. My black hair looked like a rats nest.
My eyes widen from the terrible flashbacks. Madeline giggles, taking a sip of her water. "Cabin was quite an experience, I must say." I explain. Luna nods. "Sounds interesting. I heard William broke the heater?" She laughs.
I raise my eyebrows. "Yep, classic William."
"Well there's breakfast being served out other there." Crystal points to the kitchen counters. "If you don't like it, I'm sure there's leftover fruit you can hover out. The fountain is over by the bathrooms, over there." she points towards a table that's set up on the other side of the room.
I look around, amazed to say the least. "How did you set all of this up, so quickly?" I stammar to say. Crystal and Luna smile, impressed with themselves. "We work quickly. Let's just say that." They joke, giggling into each other's shoulders. I narrow my eyes at them, sus but alright.
I walk over to the kitchen with Kira. Grabbing a paper plate for each of us, and working our way down the row of fresh cooked food for us. Then, we drifted over to the drink fountains, pouring each of us a refreshing glass of apple juice. We headed back to the table.
"So what's on the agenda for today?" I ask curiously, diving into my eggs that were still warm.
Crystal sighs, almost like she doesn't wanna talk about it. I don't think anyone does, but we didn't just come here to have a vacation. "I just got some information back on my bodyguards." She says quietly. "On Xavier?" I look around. She shakes her head. "Jackson,"
Jackson? Like Bianca's Jackson? I haven't heard that name in months.
I remember Bianca telling me about him. How she wasn't sure if she should go look for him, possibly states, countrys away. Then about a week ago she and Eli left to go after him. I haven't heard from them since.
"What? What about him?"
"My bodyguards finally found him. In Ohio. Small town where he grew up I heard. My people reported him coming out of a shop, into his car with some girl they couldn't quite make out.
Bianca?
Was Bianca with Jackson?
"Wait why is that important?" I ask. I was so confused, but curious?
I glanced at Madeline who was red as a tomato.
"For months, after Jackson didn't follow my orders for Bianca, I sent my security after him, to kill him." My eyes widen. To kill him? But this didn't make sense. We were all allies. Bianca including, even her, Crystal, and Luna didn't along as well as the others.
"I thought you liked Bianca? Why would you want to punish Jackson for doing the right thing. Bianca is our friend, Bianca is Jackson friend--girlfriend--whatever, why does this matter?" Crystal stares at me blankly, not answering my question.
I feel a tingle of anger rise in me. Was this all just fake. Are we even friends with these people?
"Hello? Dorothy, Crystal, Luna? Madeline backs me up here, we're best friends with this woman." I snap, getting out of my chair. What the hell is happening?
"Delilah, sit back down, please." Dorothy finally says.
"Hell no! Is this all just a sick prank? A trick of manipulation to try to get us on your good side? To try to help you handle Xavier?" I spit out, clearly insulted. "Bianca was a test subject. Along with everyone else at that mental hospital." Luna explains. This didn't make sense. Wasn't the mental hospital handled by Xavier? Who's supposed to be the center to all of this shit.
"But I thought Xavier was in charge of that shit? Why is Crystal behind with Xavier's dirty work?!" I holler. A couple of stares were earned by me, folks clearly upset with the episode that's taking place.
"Delilah. There are things you clearly don't know, and don't need to know--" "NO! Do not tell me what I should and should not know. You're starting to be just as bad as Xavier--" My voice cracks. It was too much. "Don't ever compare Crystal to my brother!" Luna shouts, clearly upset by my comment.
"I want an explanation." I try to explain. "Because clearly, people seem to hide all this shit from me and I'm tired of it." Crystal sighs again, inhaling and exhaling. "I had to make a deal, or I at least tried to." Crystal begins to explain. Unlike Luna and I's voices, she was monotone, quiet and careful.
"Xavier is one who originally owns the mental hospital. Hart point blake. Though, some of my Masquerade Striders went to the mental hospital, back before I knew that the patients that were being treated were actually having the powers sucked out of them. People like Jackson worked for me, after the whole drama with Luna happened, I needed to get revenge. So after I found out about the medicine situation, I sent Jackson out to kidnap Bianca, in which he did, but I found out that he didn't treat her properly. I had guards watching him, and I noticed that she had randomly gotten taken out of the mental hospital."
"I didn't think anything of it, because I realized that her powers would be sooner or later. Plus our conflict with Luna was solved, though his power never faded, it was still strong, and then I sent my body guards after Jackson the moment I found it."
"I don't hate Bianca, and I'll admit the things I did to her to get Luna back was wrong, foolish. But no one would have listened to me. I'm not going after Jackson because of Bianca, I'm going after him because at the end of the day he betrayed me."
"He did not listen to my orders. He could've put us all in danger by his actions." She explains.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Why is she just now telling me, months after this all happened? It's winter, and Crystal is still trying to get under Jackson's skin. How stubborn could she be?
"Just let him be, please. You have no idea how it'll affect Bianca. You even said that you have nothing wrong with Bianca, so let's just close this case, please." I seem to be begging now. I know how damaged Bianc will seem to be.
Crystal shakes her head. "I appreciate Bianca's dedication. But.." her voice trails off.
"I want Jackson dead."