THE PRODIGIES

Chapter XXXVIII

"Chance!"

The sound of the numerous voices blending together only makes me smile to myself. Well, I would be smiling right now if I wasn't so tired.

Skylar's voice is the loudest of all. She yells her son's name, getting his attention. I hear him quickly shuffle over to her voice. All the while, my eyes are still closed. For some reason I can't seem to force them open. I want to because I need to see the faces of those we just saved. I need to see the relieved faces all around me. If I see all of their faces, it might make me feel like all of this bullshit was worth it. But opening my eyes to look at the innocent and familiar faces is going to crush me because it's also a reminder of everything we just went through.

It wasn't fair but we can't choose the parents we have. We don't get to decide their decisions throughout their life. We can't choose what problems they leave behind for us to deal with. But it hurts just to think about it. That's how life is though. That's the world we live in. A selfish, sinister, sly, world.

I listen closely as I try to make out the bitter news that Chance is breaking to Skylar. It has to be hard for him to tell his mom that his grandfather is dead, and he's the one who pulled the trigger.

I hear Skylar let out a few cries at the news but she attempts to pull herself together, telling Chance he did what he had to do.

Suddenly I feel two sets of arms engulf me in a hug. It's the best feeling I've ever felt since I'm aware that it's my sisters. Their affection has always been prominent throughout the years of me growing into the woman I am today. They love me more than anyone in this world, and I love them more than life itself. And I always want to see them smile. I would never miss the opportunity to see them smile.

I open my eyes instantly but the first person I see is Chance. He's in front of me while my sisters still have their arms around me. I don't even have a moment to envelop them because they practically throw me into him once they see that I've seen him.

"We'll give y'all a few minutes to talk." Mila states.

"Y'all need it." Bree adds.

I watch as they walk by just wishing they would stay with me.

I should've kept my eyes shut.

Chance offers me his hand but I don't grab it. Again, I'm taken back to his family's cookout when he kept extending his hand to me. He was so inviting then. Now looking at him, he's far away. Killing someone will make you different, and I see it all over his face. He's not the same. No one standing on this cemented area is the same.

We ease away from everyone to give us more privacy. We step onto the grass. I look around only to see a small amount of cars in the distance. It's dark out so anyone here is probably a couple trying to get freaky or a bunch of people who just escaped from a corrupt government facility by the hands of three sisters with super powers. How about that?

Chance and I face one another. I can't look into his eyes. It feels so weird.

"I don't know where to start." Chance says.

I clear my throat. "Me either."

I'm all anxious and guarded. It's obvious that his recent actions weren't his doing, but I still can't shake the vision I have of him inside my head. He was so soulless. He had such a dark spirit hanging over him.

"You know me, Rainey. You know that that wasn't me. I don't act like that. My brain doesn't even function like that. It's fucked up because he knows- knew how much you mean to me. He turned me into a murderer."