Chapter 8
I put on my earphones and then covered them with my hair so the security guards wouldn’t notice. I slowly walked over to the combat room. I looked around and found my awesome friends in a circle. I walked over and took off the earphones.
“Hey guys.” I said smiling. They didn’t know but they were the only reason I was happy in this miserable place. When I wanted to give up they always appeared.
“Hey.” They all replied. I had barely stepped into the circle when a strange power swooped into the room like an unexpected storm. But of course no one else could feel it, just me and Josh. I looked over and saw a big man entering the gym. He had a shaved head and dark sunglasses. He had a dark skin and he reminded me of that guy from the Matrix. I could tell he had power but it was something else that I was feeling,something strong and dangerous. I just couldn’t figure it out. He seemed to be about 38 years old. I hadn’t noticed that he was looking at me back. Something about him I didn’t like. I stepped out of the circle getting into some defensive movement. I held my head high giving him the gesture to watch what he was about to do. I noticed Josh was here too. He was leaning against the wall as usual, but also observing us. The strange man placed his hands behind his back.
“Everyone sit!” He had commanded. As everyone’s senses went toward the man they knew he wasn’t kidding. With his deep and cold tone he could make anyone cry with just one word. Everyone scattered towards the bleachers. Josh slowly walked as well. But I just stood there, not scared just standing their still in a defensive movement. He gave me a look and I turned around to the bleachers. There was practically no more room but their was a tiny space. I walked towards it and like the whole row left. I guess being feared had some privileges. The man walked from left to right.
“I came here to train you and that’s all you need to know. You can call me Sir. I will be training you in a martial arts and weapon use. At the end of this course you will be tested and if you don’t pass you will have to take it again until you do. Questions?”
“Yes.” He said while pointing at some kid in the back.
“So when are we using our powers?”
“You wont. Before you can use your powers you need to learn how to fight without them.” He had said and a bunch of whining came out.
“Silence!” He ordered. And they did.
“Grab your training gear and change you have 6 min.” Everyone rushed to get ready no one would dare to defy him. We sat down on the bleachers and saw him demonstrate some movements. The mats were on the floor and it was time to get to work. I went over to a mat and called Gabby over. She was walking over when Sir stopped her.
“Everyone you need to work with someone with the same level as you.” I couldn’t believe it, I could swear he was doing it on purpose. So I walked over with Josh. We just practiced basic dodging movements nothing eccentric.Sir gave us the last 10 min of class. We changed and waited until the bell rang. I got out of the changing room and walked over to Josh.
“Can you believe that guy?” I said while sitting next to him on the bench.
“What you don’t like him ?” He asked while putting away his water bottle. I looked at him surprised.
“Of course not, there is something about him I don’t like.”
“You mean beside his military structure.” Said Josh.
“Don’t you feel it?” I asked.
“ I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He said and grabbed his backpack. I was confused why was he acting so ignorant. I got up as well. Before I said something else he was walking away. I was about to go after him when someone grabbed my shoulder.
“I need to talk to you.” Said Sir. I saw Josh stop and pretending to tie his shoe. I shoved his hand away.
“Yes…Sir.” I said with a fake smile. I wanted to know what he was hiding but with his dark shades his soul was impossible to read.
“I suggest you change your attitude for the rest of the year.”
“Or else?” I asked while raising my eyebrow. He gave a menacing smile that shocked me. I felt terrified just by that.
“Have a good day.” Sir said still with his creepy smile. Josh got up and walked away. I left to my last class a little freaked out and determined to know what he was hiding. Geometry was easier than I expected and I was the first one to finish. Foolish humans thinking this educational system really worked.
“Hey.” I heard someone say interrupting my train of thought. I turned around to see where this sign of fairness was coming from.
“Hey.” I responded gently not wanting to scare off the first human who tried to talk to me.
“Can I sit here?” She asked. I nodded.
“My name is Aide.” She said with a smile and extending her hand towards me. It took me a while to respond as I was shocked at the kind of treatment I was getting. It wasn’t fear nor disgust it was something I had not seen in what seemed a long time, it had been so long that I had forgotten what is was called.
“My name is Sofia.” I responded with a smile. Before the bell rang I had enough time to make small talk with her. She was sweet and intelligent. She seemed so nice that I thought people where playing a prank on me. She liked most of the music I heard. She at least tried to see the world through my eyes. She told me how much progress the world has done all theses weeks. She did not have a uniform which meant she was a level 1 or 2. The bell rang and the kids jumped up to the door. Aide waved goodbye following the crowed while people surrounded her with questions about me. Maybe, I thought humans weren’t so bad, maybe they had hope.
I walked all the way to my room. I opened the rusty door and threw my backpack in the corner. I jumped on the bed tired from all the emotional stress just one day had done. I was just glad we didn’t get homework yet. I stared at the ceiling looking at the lavender color it had. I started to day dream. I hated the discrimination and injustice way humans treated us. Don’t they remember we were neighbors before, don’t they remember we grew up together. All that I had lived for was gone and all I had left were tears, and I knew they would never leave me alone in the darkest hour of my life but instead comfort me to sleep.
Justice, Freedom, Peace. That’s what read on the cardboard posters people where carrying. There rage and fury where felt miles away. They screamed and yelled the injustices the world had done to them. On the opposite side was the police, S.W.A.T team, F.B.I, and the military. There weapons pointed at teenagers and children. Then one by one I saw people go down. Children cried next to their mother who were laying on the ground with blood on their head.
“Noooooo.” I screamed while waking up. After a few seconds I sat up and felt the tears running down my cheek. It was just a nightmare, I told myself. I was so startled that I hadn’t realized a strong temperature change in the corner of the room. I quickly stood up ready to fight.
“Who’s there?” I asked wiping away the blinding tears. I was so cold for the first time, I noticed I was sweating.
“Relax its me.” I heard a male voice say. He stepped out of the shadows. After I saw who it was I felt relieved. I fell on my knees putting my head on the bed.
“What the hell do you want Josh.” I looked up at him.
“Are you okay?” He asked looking out the window.
“Ya I just had a small nightmare.”
“It looked horrible.” He said turning to look at me.
“You looked? How? How could you.” I said a bit hurt and embarrassed at what he had seen.
“I only saw a part of it, and its part of my ability of reading peoples mind.” He responded while standing next to me. I got up to face him.
“I need to talk to you about something?” I crossed my arms.
“About what?”
“You know how you asked me if I felt something wrong with Sir?”
“Ya you said that you had no idea what I was talking about.” I responded.
“ Well I don’t know if he has some kind of power but if he does we need to be careful, we say anything wrong and he will know were on to him.” I couldn’t believe it this guy was a genius. Everything he said made since. I looked down shamelessly remembering the things I was thinking when he had said that earlier.
“So what do you propose we do?” I asked. He looked away and then back at me.
“We, I don’t think so. He’s not my problem.” I looked at him a bit annoyed and angry. I walked closer to him and stood their.
“How could you say that? Don’t you see that he’s evil?” I asked building up my anger. Then he walked closer to me, so close that I could feel his breath against my skin.
“I haven’t seen him do anything wrong.” He whispered. Tears were still invading my eyes but now it was because of his ignorance.
“You haven’t seen it but I'm sure of it…. “ I said. Before I finished he walked over to my bed and sat down with a sigh of frustration. There was a long silent moment until I couldn’t take it anymore. I was mad because of people like him that did nothing the world was like this.
“How can you just sit there and tell me that you don’t think he’s evil!?!?” I yelled at him. He got up really fast to face me.
“You shouldn’t judge people because of a “feeling” you get. You’re just as bad as the humans who founded this system, who you think are evil and heartless.” He said without even raising his voice, he said it in a gentle yet harsh way. All I could do was stand their still furious. I tried to put a shield in my mind but it didn’t work then it felt dizzy. I grabbed the corner of the desk that was near. Then Josh grabbed my arm.
“Are you okay?” He asked a bit worried. I shoved my arm and he let go.
“Ya I'm fine.” I replied harshly. He then placed the back of his hand to my forehead.
“You’re burning up.” I almost slipped but he caught me.
“Let me go, I don’t need your help!” I said annoyed. He picked me up and placed me on the bed. It felt like I was melting away. The nightmare I had caused me to sweat and shiver. I was tossing and turning. I heard the bath start and then Josh came. He tried to pick me up but I was moving to much.
“Stop moving or I’ll drop you.” He said. He picked me up and carried me to the bath. As soon as I touched the cold freezing water I felt so much better. Josh still hailed my head and got a small towel and placed it on my forehead. I looked into his eyes and saw a river of sadness, I remember how all of his family had died. I thought about my family. The holidays where we ran down to the tree to see my brother’s big smile at the surprise of his gifts, the time when I got to teach him how to walk, the time where I tried to make him breakfast but burned it, the time when he wouldn’t let go of his blanket, the time when our parents worked all night on his birthday and so I got him a cupcake and one candle. Without realizing it I was smiling and a tear rolled down my face. After a few minutes I was feeling much better and Josh stood up.
“I have to go now I’ll see you tomorrow.” He said while walking away.
“How did you even get in my room?” I asked. But of course typical Josh just kept walking away and closing the bathroom door behind him. After I got dry again I went back to sleep and hoping I didn’t have a nightmare.
The next few weeks went about the same and combat class was still one of the hardest ones for me. The guy Enrique had given me and others books to study. They were about military tactics and such. To my surprise my memory bank had grown so much. I could remember almost the whole book when I really tried. The only thing that was changing was that there was a lot of construction going on not like big buildings but just small things.
I saw Gabby and walked over to her.
“Hey.” I greeted with a smile.
“Lets go.” She said impatiently wanting to go to lunch. As we were walking we saw a guy putting up a sign that read “Levels 4 & up”. The sign was placed over a water fountain and next to that was another water fountain. I looked around and saw that the same thing was going on with the bathrooms, lunch lines, and the cafeteria tables. I looked over at Gabby and she looked just as shocked as me.
“Is this really happening?”
“I cant believe their separating us.” Gabby said sadly.
“No its even worse its like were back in the past.” I said. We kept walking to our spot but as we were walking a security guard stopped us.
“Sorry this area is off limits to levels 4 and up.” Me and Gabby turned around while everyone was staring at us like we were some kind of aliens, criminals, or terrorist. If this happening in the school I wondered just how the world would turn out to be. But what did I expect a warm greeting, people don’t like change and its been proved many times.
We walked to our area and everyone was their with the same angry and confused look we had. It was really loud and it seemed their was some kind of argument going on.
“I cant believe this is happening…”Donny said loudly.
“There treating us like were criminals..: Anabel said.
“First not letting me eat in class and now this?” Sharmaine said.
“We should talk to the principle..” Ritza said. It seemed the more they talked the louder, the angrier people got. More and more people started to come to the group to say something. I just kept quiet thinking and taking in what everyone was saying. The people who were like running the discussion were Anabel, Donny, and Ritza. After it got so big and loud security guards came in like six of them. Slowly people started to make and entrance to the circle.
“You three come with us.” One of them said while pointing at Donny, Anabel, and Ritza.
“Why we haven’t done anything wrong.” Anabel said angrily.
“You guys are causing public disturbance.” People gave them a dirty look, that was the worst excuse ever all they wanted was to shut them up. Some people left as no one wanted to be taken away to who knows where. Then the six security guards started to walk towards them grabbing their arms. I ran in I couldn’t let them hurt my friends but Gabby grabbed my arm.
“Don’t.”
“If no one does then its over.” I ran into the middle I made a shield around us leaving and bumping the security guards away. That was the first time I made a shield that big and around someone else besides my self. My friends got up and smiled the security guards stood up strait. They tried to walk in but couldn’t so they called someone over to help with the situation.
“Sofia you don’t have to do this.” Ritza said with compassion in her voice and tears in her eyes.
“If I have the power to protect, why wouldn’t I use it?” I said with a smile. Then after a few minutes Enrique came but the worst thing was that he came with SIR. Fear and anxiety hit me like an unexpected storm. They talked to the security then walked over to us.
“No one say anything.” I said and they nodded their heads.
“What do you think your doing.” Enrique said using a gentle voice.
“Defending my people.”
“We are all on the same side.” I smiled at his response trying not to laugh.
“O please, we all know that’s not true.”
“Now why would you say that?” Enrique said while Sir smiled each time I answered which was creepy.
“Just look around you’re oppressing us.”
“We are doing this for health concerns, we don’t know if a new viruses will emerge.”
“I won’t give up.” And he came closer as some kind of reflex I pushed him with my shield.
“Sofia let your guard down or the consequences will be worse.” Sir finally spoke.
“Their shall not be any consequences for I have done nothing wrong.”
“O but their will you have attacked security guards and that is a great threat to our safety.” I didn’t respond and a few minutes had gone by. Sir and Enrique left to talk and then returned.
“Take down your shield and your friends wont be punished but you will.” I thought about it and it was better than all of us being punished.
“Do it now or your Family will be held responsible.”
“Is that a threat!?!” I said with anger.
“Take it as you wish.” So I took down my shield.
All of the security guards came at me. They were holding me so tightly that my arms were getting bruises. One of them out of no where hit me with one of the sticks and I fell. I couldn’t do anything or my family would pay so I took the beating. I cried tears of frustration and pain. I tried to get up but I couldn’t I was tired and weak. O I wish I could fight back but for them who are innocent I would sacrifice for. I just prayed for the pain to go away soon. They dragged me to a room like a body clinging to life. The room was all white and cold. The door shut and I knew no one would hear my cries for freedom and mercy. I cried till a dream took me away.
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