The Storm of Apocalypse

Chapter One: Part Two [1]

Mycenia fell asleep on his lap. Even in dreams, she was haunted by her past; memories that became nightmares. She jumped from one memory to another, reliving them more vividly than her daydreams. She woke up to the noise of the dishes and the murmurs. She opened her eyes and found herself lying on the sofa with a blanket covering her. Vinceo was not with her. Her head was resting on a pillow. She didn’t know what time it was and she had no idea how long she was asleep. She slowly got up and her eyes searched around. They found them preparing for breakfast in the kitchen. She caught Vinceo’s attention, his gaze shifted to her. She smiled and stood.

“I was about to wake you up.” Vinceo approached her.  She quickly fixed her hair and let him kiss her cheek. “How’s your sleep?”

“It’s fine.” She smiled.

“Come on. Let’s have our breakfast. We cooked eggs.”

“I need to use a bathroom first. Where is it?”

“Right there,” he pointed next to a room.

She headed to the bathroom and went in. She relieved herself, washed her face, and gargled water. She went back to the kitchen and found the others settled around the table. She occupied the vacant seat next to Vinceo and felt her stomach growl in hunger. She took a fried egg and a piece of bread while Vinceo poured an orange juice into her glass.

“Mycenia, would you mind sharing with the group where you were in the past three years?”

“Uhm.” She cleared her throat. “I was a waitress at a diner. As far as I can remember, Mr. Roberts, the owner, took me in and fed me in exchange for working there. I did well. But I wasn’t happy. It felt like something was lacking.” She laughed bitterly until she realized something. “Wait...Was it you, Arlette? Did you put me in there?”

“Yes. I convinced the owner to take you in.”

“Convinced...you mean hypnotized him?”

“You could have at least given me a decent and rich life.”

“And risked exposure? No, we can’t afford that.”

“I was a janitor in a university,” Renie said and drank a juice.

“And I am a taxi driver,” Valtor also shared.

“I was a teacher,” Cyan said as she munched a bread.

“A teacher is a decent job for three years.”

“No, it wasn’t. Dealing with kids and teenagers is hell.” Cyan just shook her head.

“I’m curious, Arlette. How many of us made it out here?”

“Only a handful.”

“And where are they now?”

“That is what we’re going to do today, My. We will have three rescue missions,” Arlette answered as she finished eating her breakfast. “Cyan spent the whole night searching for our people and she found three. Now pick a pair. Each pair will rescue one.”

“Wait...Arlette. Isn’t it dangerous for us to get separated? We’re stronger together,” Vinceo joined in the conversation.

“Yeah. But I’m afraid Herozoan will find them before we can. They are much more powerful now. They have new ways of tracking us and I don’t know how. We don’t have much time. We need to raise an army as quickly as we can or we won’t have the lives we always deserve.”

“Who are we rescuing?”

“Hold my hand.” Arlette put out her hand with her palm open.

Mycenia held her and the others followed too. In a snap, as her skin touched her, she felt a strong force pull her back. Her vision blurred for a second and when everything that was clouding her eyes were blown away, she found herself staring at a man washing dishes. It faded away and they were looking at a woman walking a dog. The image was dusted away and replaced by a man fishing on a dock. Another force pulled her and she found herself back in her seat. She withdrew her hand from Arlette and glanced at Vinceo who was also staring at her.

“Herozoan’s hunting them now and it’s only a matter of time before they will disappear. We need these three on our side. Now pick a partner.”

Mycenia and Vinceo decided for each other to pair up through a nod. On the other hand, Valtor and Renie decided to work together; which left Cyan for Arlette. As Arlette shared the details with each pair, they continued eating their breakfast. They also happened to reminisce about their past, back at their school. Mycenia remembered pieces of her life before. She dove into her thoughts and relived the past.

It was raining when she met Arlette for the first time. She was walking in the corridor on her way to her next class when she stumbled upon a commotion on the ground. Just outside the building, two men were throwing punches and kicks at each other; they were rolling around the ground soaked in water. The teenagers nearby who saw the brawl flooded the corridor and started cheering. She stopped walking as the crowd became denser around her. Like them, she was also hooked by the fight.

“Such a waste of talent,” she heard the woman on her right said.

She glanced at her. “Yeah. They will probably end up in the isolation room now and there’s a big chance that they will never get back out here again,” she answered as she saw the three guards running towards the brawling men, bringing their shock batons.

It didn’t take long enough for the guards to end the fight. They stunned both teenagers and dragged their unconscious bodies off the ground. Meanwhile, the crowd around her went on to their separate ways and continued what they were doing. She also made her way to the corridor, heading to her room. But she noticed the woman followed and walked next to her.

“Can I walk with you?”

“Yeah...sure. Are we in the same class?”

“Yes, and we need you.”

She halted and faced her. “Need me? Why?”

“You’re psychokinetic, right?”

“Yes.”

“There are things in this school that you don’t know. If you want to know the truth, later...when my inhibitor is disabled, touch me and I will show you.”