Until I Met You

Chapter One

"You'll never survive out there; you're not human."

"Human or not, anywhere else is better than here."

The man chuckles and then falls into a coughing fit, blood spurting from his lips. "So you think." He gives another chuckle before collapsing, his chest falling and never rising again.

My chest rises and falls in a slow and steady motion. The memories are nothing more than just that, memories. I no longer fear them or experience the pain I had felt at that time. It is an eerie sensation, but one I've more than grown accustomed to over the years I've been away.

I look around the airport, my eyes scanning the crowd for something of interest. Suddenly applause echoes across the room, everyone joining in whether they know what's going on or not. I crane my neck to see what's going on, but can't. I down the rest of my drink and grab my bag, walking along the far wall in the shadows and around the large crowd gathered by one of the ramp doors, number seven. I see several individuals linked together. I count five men and two women.

"Go Scorpion!" I hear someone from the crowd yell.

Scorpion? That team of geniuses?

I look them up on the burner phone in my pocket. I scan through their information before tossing the phone in the trash. I glance up and notice two of the men looking at me, one whispering in the other's ear. I recognize them from the photos I just looked up, Walter O'Brian and Tobias Curtis. Apparently this team is a pretty big deal. They've done it all, from gun runners to rusting nukes to armed terrorists on cruise ships. Impressive. To an extent. With a sigh I turn away from the commotion and make my way out of the airport. It isn't long until I feel my instincts tell me that I'm being followed. My fingertips are tingling, buzzing with immediate adrenaline. I hail a cab and climb in, keeping my eyes locked straight in front of me. I give the cabbie instructions to take me to the hotel farthest away from the airport and closest to water. Water always calms me down. There's something about the serenity of it...

Once we get there I pay the cabbie and go inside. My fingertips haven't ceased tingling. I pay for a room and head up to the second floor. Before I even set my bag on the bed I scour the room for any cameras or various bugs. Once I'm satisfied that I am truly alone, I set my bag on the end of the bed and pull the curtains closed. As I pull the curtains together, I see a black SUV that sticks out like a sore thumb. It's just sitting there, watching... waiting... I don't know if it's somehow him or if they somehow found out. I wouldn't doubt the latter. They are a team of geniuses after all...

I sit in the chair in the corner. It's been the same routine for years now. Different city every week, different chain hotel, different identity... I can't risk anything, I can't risk going back. Not now.

I'm out.

This is my life now. If you can even really call it that. It's better than what you had. This life is better than no life. I don't get the normal everyday life things that humans get because I'm not human. I'm not anything.

I pull the curtains back slightly and peer out again. They're still there, whoever it is. Just watching... They're always watching. It could be feds. Not like I haven't pissed them off one too many times... I'm pretty sure several of my aliases are on the most wanted list. But they don't have my real name. I don't have a real name. Just numbers. My whole life is defined by a small sequence of numbers forever etched across the top of my back, between my shoulder blades.

825283

Maybe I should find a name for myself that I actually like. A name I can stick with.

For what purpose? You can't ever have a normal life, friends, family, love... There is no place for you here and there is no point for you to have a real name.

I shift positions and sigh. "What now?" I mumble. Years of doing this has begun to make it seem pointless and boring. I have nothing to do, nothing to live for but for life itself. It's an endless loop of pain and misery. At least I can turn off the emotions. At least I can turn off the emotions... It's as simple as a switch I have to flip whenever I feel the need to. I don't usually want to feel anything very often, but for some reason I thought this time would be different, that this city would be different. Maybe if I had felt something while here I could have talked myself out of what I've been planning for awhile now. Well, not so much of planning as I have been debating to plan it. But I think I've made my mind up about it this time, emotions or not.

I imagine the switch in my mind and I flick it off, knowing I'll get better sleep if I can't feel anything. Not that you really need the sleep... At this point it's more of a way to kill time than it is a physical necessity. And besides, they're just outside. Watching. Waiting. I may as well take this time that I have. Maybe coming to a city where some of the brightest geniuses live wasn't such a great idea after all. They may or may not figure any of it out, but either way they will get in the way. And I can't exactly just kill them, not when they are as famous as they are at this point. You could ask for their help... Help for what? Their minds were made for science and math and physical concepts. They couldn't possibly help me with things they don't know. But they might be able to help keep the Feds out of the way, if nothing else.

Even with the switch flipped I still feel drawn to this place, as I had when I first purchased the plan ticket. A part of me would like to think of it as a sign, but I know better than that. Actually, if I truly knew better, I'd be boarding a plane and going as far away from here as I possibly can. But I'm not. I haven't, at least not yet. There has to be a reason. Maybe the concepts of hope and luck do exist... Or maybe they don't exist for me.

I get up and walk over to the curtains again, peering outside. This time the van is gone. I know it's too much to hope for, but it would be nice if they had just given up or left. Though I can't imagine they did either of those things.

I run my hand through my hair and then readjust the metal strip lodged into the skin just below my left wrist. I haven't been able to get it out yet. Maybe that's the least they could help with. Or it might raise too many questions.

The longer I stand in this room the more I spin my mind in circles, wrapping it up in various questions that only break down and stem into more questions. I have never been able to calm my mind since I left, even if the memories have ceased in bothering me. I don't trust my judgement anymore, but my judgement has gotten me this far. Perhaps it would be best if I rest now...

I kick off my shoes as I walk back over to the bed. I pull back the covers and slide underneath them, settling down into a comfortable position and closing my eyes.

No more questions for now... I can't handle any more.