Them outsiders, us survivors [#SciFriday]

13. Living delusions

I knew it was my faith; the only path that could lead me to know what happened with my parents. I gathered all of my strength and remembered Akaery's words. "Don't let yourself be deceived, they always know where you are, they'll play tricks on your mind and mess up with your life. Be wise."

I made my way to the door of this plain beige room with no windows, and decided not to look back and discover it all. Also the odds of finding the plant-creature were minimum, but nevertheless I decided to take the risk. I took a towel, wrapped it around my face covering my mouth and nose, hided on my combat boots the small dagger my brother Zed had gave me back on Europa, and made my way through the hallway to the metallic stairs covered in white paint.

Continued the path on the metallic floor, under the glass ceiling -now on the first floor below the surface- taking a look at the noon sky and wondering how could my life have changed so much in so little time, just several months ago I was at school with Amy, and some friends, much of which disappeared and their memories keep always caressing my revenge thoughts.

When I reached the door the odds were beaten, and realized that my delusion was alive. I found the plant creature drinking a liquor from one of the plants, I immediately put into action all the training I had received in the last months to immobilize it, made myself invisible and entered the room, but it didn't last long enough, and suddenly I found myself rid of my powers, stumbling and drowning in pure agony, with the thousand voices with different pitches speaking to me:

- Oh, you... Oh, you... Oh, you... ; You never learn to respect my sanctuary... sanctuary... - the creature said louder without even looking at me.- So tell me Marlo, how do you expect to defeat me?... defeat me?... me? - added the mythical being without even knowing I wasn't "Marlo", along with a machiavellic laugh.

I realized then that she was the one with the Outsiders, and that this war would be even harder because the enemy had within its trenches creatures who knew how to bend aura. I knew I could trick this being into giving me information, after all, the Outsider's treatments had thaught me somehow even more persuasive, and the pain the plant woman was discharging over me was killing me.

- I'm sorry for irrupting you, your highness, I was wondering if you could give me more information about the Phoenix. - I said in a blur through the towel on my face trying to look innocent, taking my hand away from the dagger.

- Oh, I'm sorry darling... darling... darling... -replied the woman like creature with its thousand voices that I still couldn't figure out where they came from, molded in such tone that made my spine shiver, sounding more terrific than eloquent, and finally looking at me in surprise, and ending the anguish.

- Who's Marlo by the way? - I asked faking my confidence on her as someone who would protect me, as I stood up.

- Well, she's also a royal on this battle field... field... field; Who spies on me and is determined to kill me in other to get my kingdom... kingdom - whispered the thousand voices on my ear, as the creature had just appeared behind me and started walking in circles around me. This was bad: one of Akaeris lessons was how to mitigate the enemy's aura energy by walking around it.

- Why did you think I was her? - I asked testing the levels of her  confidence in me.

- She has a strong aura as you...you...you... -the words echoed in my head as an alert that she was decided to use me against some "Marlo"- She's a warrior of the Phoenix... phoenix... phoenix... -what the heck is she talking about? phoenix don't exist, neither do evil plant-creatures nor aliens; but it's alright since the arrival of the Outsiders everything became possible, up to the point that somebody could say it can produce fire with its bare hands, and I'll be forced to believe it, because the enemy has no limits within its experiments and their sole presence has unlocked to Earth inhabitants a whole new world that we previously didn't know it existed. Anyway, it hasn't told me who is she, and who is Marlo.