Narrated by JASON
I placed my tray down on the table and looked right at my friends, my eyes lingered longer on Kin. Who gave me a small smile. I missed her, I wondered why she didn't pop by last night.
"And?" Maxwell asked me.
"Good morning, y'all,"
I immediately tapped into everyone's minds. "Finally!" I heard Cara say, "and? Jason?"
"There is a tunnel. I'll try to find out more about it, 'cause from what I could pick up is that it's complicated to escape,"
"All will be well. Honestly, we will be able to breath again," Kin said. She then looked at me, "did you get a hold of your mom?"
I shook my head, "she's tricky. I have no idea how to reached her. It makes me so furious. "
Kin looked at me with worry in her eyes, she reached out her hand and held mine. "You will find her. Just try harder."
I nodded my head, "I think I'll hang out with, Dr Hart today. Play some chess."
Hayden nodded her head, "I think that's wonderful." Then she said in my mind, "don't get attached now. If she doesn't wanna help us out, you're going to have to force her."
I looked at them all, a wave of shock running through me. "Force? Me? Why?"
"With this mental power," Maxwell shared, "I think you can control her entire body?"
Kin nodded her head, "yeah. Zombies can control up to three people at a time. Depends on how powerful they are."
I shook my head and sighed, "I feel like y'all put too much pressure on me. I barely knew how to dig in Dr Hart's mind, now this?"
"But you figured it out," Kin told.
"Yeah," Cara agreed, "I'm sure all of this would come naturally to you. But, no pressure."
Still feels like I have so much to do. And I want to do it because of them, although I don't believe I can do it. How can I lead us out of here? I'm just a kid, weak one at that. A child who knows less than them about himself. Yet they feel like I'm the head of this operation. They know their powers, they know who they are. This pressure, this image that comes with my name is unfair. Because it's a lie. I'm nothing how I've been portrayed, but I don't want to let anyone down. So I'll have to try.
I finished my breakfast and went straight to my bedroom. I closed my door and laid on my bed, closed my eyes and tried again. I have to focus on Sarah, but why was Michael in my head instead? Have I grown attached so quickly? I miss him, Sarah won't believe her ears when she learns I was with Michael for a few days.
I can't believe that this is how my life ended up, I was an average boy. Now suddenly I was trained in a place for the undead, with my deceased father. My mother is a wanted innocent being, who's only crime was existing. I can already tell that if we start to bond, I will love her like crazy. I miss Sarah so much.
"I miss you too, Jason," my eyes quickly opened. I heard Sarah, have I done it? Was Sarah and I connected? "Yes, silly goose. Where are you? How are you? I'm so glad that you're safe. Is Kin with you? Are you two well fed? Warm at night?'
"Sarah! Slow down,"
I could hear her chuckling. I closed my eyes again. I just wanted to be focused on her right now.
"Of course. It's just, I miss you. We're all worried sick. Kin's parents and I. We are travelling all around searching for you two,"
"You're with them?"
"No, I'm on my own. I've always been on my own. A literal lone wolf,"
I chortled. Which made her chortle. I think it's because I could still manage to laugh, that I'm safe.
"Jason. Where are you?"
"O'Grady's Children Hospital,"
I could hear her gasp. "That place is horrible. Are they experimenting on you? Are they injecting you with things? Prying in your mind space?"
"I'm safe. Please come get me? Kin and I wanna escape with three of our friends,"
Sarah sighed, "I guess that's okay. Where will they live?"
"That's sorted out,"
"Okay... okay. Look, one thing this journey taught me is that I should get Kin's parents contact details. I have no idea how to tell them where she is. But I'll come and get you, I have no idea how I'm breaking you out. But I'll do it, if it's the last thing I do."
I grinned. Mother is awesome. It's insane how much Sarah cares for me, and I grew up thinking she hates me with every fibre in her bones. But this whole time it was the opposite. "I can't wait to see you, Sarah. I'll be right here waiting. Or maybe I would've already escaped."
"Either way, you're going to need me. Remember to check in on me regularly. I have to know how you doing. Okay?"
I physically nodded my head, "yes... Sarah. I will, bye. I'll check in tonight. We can talk til I fall asleep,"
"Sounds awesome. Jason?"
"Sarah?"
"Remember that I love you."
I grinned, it felt great hearing that. It truly did. "Thanks, Sarah. "
Then I cut connection.
Then I got up and went to Dr Hart office, she surprisingly was there. She flashed me a warm smile when I entered and took of her glasses. "Jason, did you come to play chess?"
I tried my utmost best to muster up a convincing smile, I still can't do that if it's not natural. I nodded my head and sat down where I always do. Opposite of her while she took out the chess board and started getting everything right. When she finished, she walked up to her mini fridge and handed me a bottle of juice.
"Thanks."
We started our game. She studied the chess pieces intently, it slipped me right into her mind. Please make it stop, because I hate all the snooping. Especially since its involuntarily. I saw her with her little brother again, he was struggling with maths. She was his tutor. According to her memories, she thought they'd never bond. Because he got adopted when she left for college. And he was only thirteen. The gap between them was too wide. But they did, they got along well.
She originally only wanted to stay for a few weeks at her parents place. Because she missed them, and she wanted to get to know her brother. She had already gotten the job at O'Grady's, but chose to stay. Doctor Webster himself asked her to work with the subjects, she was his favourite student. She was mad smart, and he loved that. He also thought she's very attractive, so that's a bonus.
It was rare for a doctor to work with the subjects so early in their career. Because it's a huge secret, and the hospital first needed to know if they could trust their doctors. Before they hire them in this division.
"Doctor Hart?"
She looked up at me and grinned, "yes?"
I wanted to share my secret with her, but I wasn't sure if I could trust her just yet. So, I decided to check with her mind first; "can I trust you with anything?"
I placed the thought in her mind, now I was waiting on her to pick up on the bait. She picked the thought up; "I would sell my soul to see this boy happy. Whether it's out in the real world or here with me. I don't want him to go, but if he wants to. I supposed I should help him. But how? Trust? Now why can't that word escape my mind. Trust. If I help him, the hospital will never trust me again, but I don't care. I break their trust for Jason, and I want Jason to know he can trust me with anything. But he seems so hestitant."
I moved my chess piece and looked at her, she looked at the board. "Doctor Hart, I-I can telecommunicate,"
She rose her eyes from the board and looked at me with big eyes. She seemed more scared than shocked. "Ho-how are you...?"
"... Please act natural. And think about what you want to say to me. I'm reading your thoughts,"
She squinted her eyes and ran her hand through her ginger hair, "reading my thoughts? How long has this boy been reading my thoughts for?" She asked herself. Sounds like she forgot I'm still reading her mind, "does he know?" She sat upright and tucked her hair behind her eyes and laced her fingers together. She was concealing something in her mind, I couldn't pick up on what it was because her mind was strong.
And I didn't want to intrude anyway.
"Doctor Hart, I know about the secret tunnel. And my friends and I want to use it to escape,"
"You want to leave?"
She sounded so broken, her eyes glistened. I nodded my head, "I want to go back to my life. To my friends and family. I am not happy here is funny because I used to think I wasn't happy there. But, now I want to run home."
She rubbed her temples and looked at me before she made her move. "You can't escape. The door is protected by a magic bearer and cannot open without the magic word. Plus the voice recognition. Then, once you're in there are five different tunnels. Three of them leads you to your death, one leads you to a meeting room. The doctors gather with world leaders in secret and so on. And one tunnel leads to freedom. You're going to need someone to guide you through."
"So do it,"
"It's your move, Jason." I looked at the chess board and made my next move.
"I can't. I will get killed,"
"Please... I'm begging you."
She shook her head and brought her hand closer to mine, she looked at my small hand. She wanted to hold it, but for some reason didn't. She cleared her throat, "I have grown so closed to you. And I know it might be one sided because that's just how I am... But I can't betray the hospital."
I nodded my head and crept my finger tips into hers. She looked at my hand as I slid my hands deeper into hers, our fingers completely laced together. I looked right at her, her eyes were still on my hand. Her heart beated faster, and when our eyes met. Her heart stopped when we looked at each other then started beating faster again. How could I hear that? That's so cool, my werewolf side her her heart drum in my ears. "Doctor Hart, can you at least think about it? I will miss you when I'm gone, I know that. I will think about you often... I know that, but I want to go home. I have to go home, so that I can finally start living my life. I never got that chance before."
She slightly nodded her head, "I'll think about it." She gave me a big smile.
"Thanks."
I stood up and looked at her, "I've got to go. Can I pop in again tomorrow?"
Doctor Hart nodded her head and gave me a weak smile. "Of course."
I left her room and entered the fun zone. Kin was playing an arcade game, I leaned against the machine and watched her. She is so pretty, her perfect silver eyes were focused on the game. "Jason? What is it?"
I just looked at her, her flawless pale blue skin. Her beautiful plum pink lips, her full cheeks. Her auburn hair hung past her shoulders. Today, she didn't cover them. She said she feels comfortable with her beautiful dark veins because many students can't hide their flaws. And as a result, began to love them. She's going to try that know, love what she calls a design flaw. But how can flaws be so perfect? Or are hers the only perfect ones?
"I got in touch with Sarah,"
Kin's heart skipped a beat and she stopped playing. "What?" She lost focus on the game and instantly lost. "Damnit!" She said and hit the machine. Then she walked over to the maroon couch and sat down. I joined her. Leaning back into the soft cotton of the couch. She rested her head on my shoulder.
"Sarah says she's coming. I also spoke to doctor Hart, she doesn't want to help us. She's scared,"
"Do we need her?"
I nodded my head then rested it atop her head. Kin and I have grown so close to each other, she's my comfort. When I'm with her, it feels like I'm still in Crystal Moon. She makes this whole place and it's horror disappear.
"What if she doesn't help us? Then what? How do we get out of here?"
I shrugged, "we trust Sarah knows how to get us out. It will all work out, I know this."
She scoffed, "how can you be so sure, Jason? Escaping seems so unreal,"
I sighed and wriggled my arm around her, and her head gently fell onto my chest. I planted a kiss on her head. "Because I saw it in a dream,"
"You did?"
"Yeah."
She lifted her head up and looked into my eyes, she bit her lower lip and smiled. "What else did you see?"
"That... we escape, but this life follows us. I saw one of the apocalypse," back when I saw that vision. I didn't cross my mind that it was one of the apocalypses, "we were so terrified. I-I also saw myself in the future. With a child, and my lady,"
She looked up into my eyes, and kissed me on the forehead. "As long as we stay surviving. Together, I feel we're unstoppable."
I flashed a warm smile. "Yeah."