The Orbist

Chapter 9

    "How is he?" Elian whispered.

 Levi was sitting over Charles (the unconscious stabbed guy) with a wet towel on the wound. I was sitting right next to her, thinking about what had happened. They must of gotten Ralph down before he was able to use his telekinesis. That, or, at the moment all he was able to master telekinetically were small objects.

    "I don't think he's going to make it." She mumbled back. "Maybe if we took him to the hospital-"

    "I said we can't, Levi!" Ralph yelled. "We can't risk going back to that hospital!"

 Levi looked away. Bryan was keeping watch over the other man that I knocked out, who was tied to the couch. I was sitting in the corner.

    "Wha- aw, great."

 Our eyes all turned to the guy on the couch. He was awake.

 Ralph glared at him, and walked over to the couch, not breaking eye-contact. He then took out the revolver and pressed the muzzle on his forehead.

    "What's your name?"

 The grunt glared back. "Brock."

    "Okay, Brock. How'd you find us?"

 Brock hesitated. Then he replied.

    "The syringe. Put something in someone's fluids that can't be undone. Our machine detects these fluids, so it acts like a permanent tracker."

 Ralph looked at me. Brock saw this, and snorted.

    "That's the kid, huh? Too bad. We're going to know where he is every day of his little life."

    "Nothing's permanent." Bryan retorted. "Everything in the body switches."

    "Oh, so now science is your argument? Telekinesis. Back that up with a textbook, kid."

 We all were silent for a moment.

 Then Ralph knocked him out again with the butt of the gun and turned to me.

    "Great, job, Cayson. What are we supposed to do now? Your body is now a tracker. On top of that, we have two unconscious d-bags on our hands."

 It was again silent. Then I spoke.

    "Fine. It's my fault, so let me make it up. I'll stay here, you guys leave. They'll think it was only me here, and it'll buy you some time."

    "We are not using you as bait!" Bryan yelled.

    "But it's our only choice." Ralph said. He turned to me and offered his hand. "What you're doing is honorable." I shook it.

    "You want us to just leave you here, and let you get killed horribly?" Levi stood up.

    "It's either me or all of us. I'll keep these two guys company." I looked at the two unconscious men, then back at my friends. "C'mon, go already."

 Everyone packed some stuff, and I got a big hug from Barry. Then they left, and it was just me with two unconscious guys.

 I sighed, and turned around, and saw the stabbed dude lay a little bit too still. My eyes widened.

    "Oh no, no, no." I ran to him, and raised his head by the chin and smacked his face.

    "Don't die. Don't die, c'mon."

 Then Charles opened his eyes slowly and looked at me. He gave a half-smile and whispered.

    "Thanks, kid."

 And then I saw the light in his eyes go out. All memories, happiness, sadness, he ever had, blown out. The corpse lay still. I shivered. And that's when I realized: I didn't want to die. I didn't want all my thoughts to disappear. I wanted to live.

 And then there was a knock on the door.