The Innates (Book #1)

Chapter 7

"What the--?" He said, looking down at us as if the fish he reeled in escaped. "Get back here!"
"No way." The blonde boy says, he raised a fist and pulls it back and maneuvered my brother to his direction without any physical contact. He rolls over in a straight line and falls down the edge. He lands on a hard flip with him ending up lying on his stomach with his knuckles below his abdomen.
"How did you do that?"
"I'm pretty special." He said. "I'm Jackson, by the way."
"An Innate." I said.
"Yeah, I'm sure Ace told you all about it."
He groans in pain and made sudden motions like twitching. He laid on his back with a frown of a pitbull. The three of us could see the syringe sticking on top of his torso. All we could do was watch in terror. Moments later, his eyes close and he passes.
"Is he dead?" I asked.
"No." Jackson said.
"Yes, he is. You killed him!" I grappled his shoulders. "You killed him! You murdered my brother!"
"But you never liked him, did you? It doesn't even matter if he's dead or alive, you hate him and your mother is just trying to give everything to him. Neither of them were ever good to you, this was their plan all along."
"How did you know I-- wait, this is a lie...this is all a lie! And you killed him! It's all a lie!"
"He's not lying, Jess." Ace said.
"You too, Ace." I said. "And I thought my world would be a better place with you guys around."
"Jess, you don't understand what is happening right now. There's gonna be huge war that will tear this world apart, and if we don't try to stop it, it's gonna all our fault. Your fault, if you don't come with us." Jackson said. "We have been looking for someone like you for a long time now, you just might be the answer to our problems."
"Huh?" This is all too much, all too much to be true.
"Wait a sec, I thought we were just trying out if he's worthy. It's not our choice, it's his choice. He can make us doubtful to his abilities. Maybe it's a mistake, Jackson." Ace said.
"It's not a mistake, Ace. I know it's him. He could be resourceful."
"Resourceful? What do you think I am? A computer? A cell phone? Your underestimation towards people cannot be tolerated, especially by me, Jackson."
"Listen, I'm not underestimating you, none of us will... just come with us, trust me."
"I ca-I can't..." I said. "This is all too much for me, I--." Which was ultimately true. I sink down to my knees and bawled my eyes out. I'm sorry, Jackson. I didn't want to let any of you down, but I'm just, inevitably, going to ruin everything and destroy anything in my wake. Because I am a sponge that absorbs life's malicious reality.
Jackson knelt down and wrapped an arm around me. "We'll get through this together, okay?" He said with a comforting smile. I wish he was my brother. I wish he was real family.
"Now, get up. We're going somewhere... exciting."
"I don't feel like playing games, Jackson."
"Trust me, this is gonna wake you up." He grabs my fake arm and pulled me up. "Are you always this anxious, you know, about everything?"
"I wouldn't say I'm anxious, I'm just not a physical person."
"W-w-wait..." Ace said. "So is he dead, or..."
"No, of course not. The neutralizing liquid is harmless unless you're an Innate." Jackson said. "Now, you might want to close your eyes."
Jackson pulls something anonymous out of his pocket.
"I told you to close your eyes, no picking." He puts his entire palm in his face and drops a shimmering green marble the size of my thumb on the ground. I quickly blindfolded my eyes with my fingers and I still felt the blinding heat caused by the dainty marble.
"Is it over yet? Is it over yet?" I asked.
"Is it over yet?"
"Yeah, it's done." Ace said.
"So what's with all the light and the marble and--?" When I saw the floating circle, my heart stopped. It hovered like a hummingbird in thin air.
"Woah, what is it?" It seemed to pop out of its outline.
"Let's just say it's a wedge between time and space which enables you to travel in it."
"So it's a portal!" I said.
"Come on." Ace said, his hand was cooler than a deceased, under-oxygenated person. I tighten my grip on his fingers. "This is gonna be fun... and a little bit painful." He said.
"Huh?" I said.
"He's just playin'." Jackson said, grabbing my hood and leaping inside the floating circle.