The Dark

Liam, 2009

May 12, 2009. Cross Street, Amador city, California.

I waited on the street corner, watching people go about their daily lives. Remind me why I'm here again? This is the last place she would choose to live. She was last seen here and she might still be here...right. Its taken me a long time to even get this close to her. I never should have let her leave. That morning was a cold reminder that she was still running from her past and her pain, determined to not let it catch her. I don't know why I'm chasing after her either. Because you love her and it's your fault she's alone. It's true. We used to be best friends and then one assignment changed everything. People changed.

She ended up losing everything, her confidence, trust, power, and eventually herself. No one stood beside her, not even me. And while she lost everything, I gained what she didn't have. That's why I've got to find her, to bring her home. When it came time to place the blame on someone, it was her that they wanted gone. I don't even know if that was a conscious decision. Now they all realize how wrong they were...and I do too. We all should've realized sooner.

Tuning out my thoughts I turned onto the last street in the tiny town. The buildings looked old and most of them weren't in use anymore. The perfect place for her to hide out in. Maisey always had a talent for what she does. We used to train together and go places, and on specific missions to prove that we were the best...of course everyone knew that. But there was a certain reason that Maisey was always better than anyone. She never talks about her past with anyone but me. It took her a couple years to even be able to do that. She isn't one to trust easily.

When she was younger, Maisey was adopted by society's perfect family. I had even seen them on the news that Cal used to watch. They had it all, the money, the fame, the land, the mansion...and the crazy that went with it all. Her father was crazy, some would call him a scientist but he wasn't, he was definitely insane. From a young age he experimented on Maisey with torture and science. He created what Maiey is now. He changed her genes and DNA in her body, he reshaped her identity so that she would be unstoppable no matter what. She doesn't even know the full extent of her power and she was never very keen to find out. Of course that wasn't on the news, that's a secret.

She never actually needed to use it against someone else though, I like to believe that she's grateful for that. I remember the day I first met her, I was walking down the road, Cal was already at the gate. He told me to find Taylor and bring her with me. Even at twelve he trusted me to do important things. Taylor ran ahead to meet him and I took my time. It couldn't have been that important. There was already a crowd at the gate, I couldn't see over the people but it had to be important for the town elders to come out here. I made my way to the front where Cal and Taylor were, a girl my age was standing beside Taylor. She didn't look very good, not that she wasn't pretty but she had bruises everywhere and was very tiny. She was looking around a lot like she didn't like the noise that was happening. She tried to move but Taylor gripped her arms which caused her to move even more.

"It's okay, you're safe. You don't have to run anymore." She stopped struggling to look up at Taylor's face.

"It's okay, we want to help you. Bernie, where'd you find her?"

"She was running along the side of the mountain when I picked her up, what do you think she was doing out there by herself?"

"I don't know but she doesn't look good." Taylor led her down the road back to her house. Before she turned to walk her eyes caught mine. They were a beautiful cobalt blue. She turned away just as quickly to walk.

"You okay buddy?" Cal's voice startled me,

"Yeah." We turned and walked back to town together.