More Than Human

Chapter 27

The glaring lights were back. I struggled to sit up before I realized I was strapped to a board. I could still turn my head, though, so I looked to each of my sides and was alarmed to see Gloria and Lea each strapped to their own boards.

"Okay, what's going on?" I demanded, knowing at least someone had to be listening in one us. "We get kidnapped, experimented on, stuck in a blackout, fall through the floor in a bathtub, get sedated by some grandpa, and now we're strapped to some boards."

"The government found us," said a voice. I couldn't see its owner due to my strapped-to-a-board-ness, but it sounded like Grandpa Guy doing his complete grandpa act. "They don't understand what we're trying to do here. Create a new generation of humans with abilities that have only been dreamt of. They attacked, shutting off our power and deactivating our security, then sending troops in to finish the job. They don't know about this basement, though. Five miles underground. They'll never find us. And something great happened when you were gone."

He waited for me to answer. I stayed silent, but made my disgust really obvious, because it was the only thing I could really do while strapped to a board. He realized what I was doing and continued.

"We found your friends! They ran straight into our hands. Now we'll make them like you, and see how they compare to the V1s."

"What?!" My vow to stay silent didn't last long. "Who?" Not part of the Seven. Please let it not be part of the Seven.

Tears started streaming down my face as he said, "Erica, Hayden-Rose, and Jesse," and left me to deal with it myself.

I sobbed. Even more of my friends would be injected with strange substances and become less and less human with each day. None of us will ever have a normal life again. I took back every wish I ever made of wanting my life to be less ordinary. I would totally take math class any time now.

I sobbed and choked on tears. Was it because they were my friends that they were targeted? Was it my fault? I suddenly burned with self-hate.

"You stupid! Everyone around gets hurt, huh? You knew that a long time ago and yet you. Never. LEARN!" Suddenly the board snapped in half and I fell to the ground. "What the..."

My legs were still tied to the table, but the rope that was holding my upper body still had broken somehow. I heard footsteps pounding towards me and looked up. Two soldiers, both with guns, altered by the sound of me falling.

I was going to die.

"Oh no, oh man, somebody save me, GET AWAY! GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" My vision was blurry from tears, but I could see them aiming their guns at me. I squeezed my eyes shut. My hands flew in front of my face, a helpless effort to shield myself. "NO! DON'T!"

I heard a thud and screamed.

Wait.

A thud?

I cautiously opened my eyes, only to see the one soldier laying on the ground with an extremely burnt leg and the other kneeling next to him.

I wasn't dead.

And I burnt that guy's leg off.

I wasn't dead! I could escape! I could free the others, find Erica, Rose, and Jess, and if any soldiers come, I could just burn them!

I realized that I was just thinking about killing people, that I probably had just killed someone. I felt sick.

"Oh my gosh!" I yelled to the soldiers, nearly crying again. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I promise. Will he be okay? I'm so sorry. I-" I cut myself off with a huge sob.

How could I do something like that? I'm not a killer!

I hope I'm not a killer.