Remember

Chapter Forty

The sun was beginning to go down and they were cutting it close on time. If they didn't pick up their pace they would lose any sense of surprise.

Colette hadn't been able to feel the darkness stirring under her since before she had been drugged by Mrs.Garner. Perhaps the drugs hadn't worn off enough for the darkness to awaken. It was eerily silent and Colette didn't like it. It had been hours since the drugs had worn off there was no possible way it was still under. The thought of it knowing what was about to happen, it waiting for the perfect moment to fully unleash itself scared her. What if she lost control?

"It's not much further ahead." Mrs.Garner nodded towards the river that was only a few feet in front of them. "Take a right here."

The water rushed up to their knees as they crossed the very narrow river. Colette would have called it more of a stream but from what she heard the river went on for miles in each direction, practically wrapping around the whole forest.

The government camp could finally be seen just past a pair of trees. Mrs.Garner stopped dead in her tracks, causing the whole convoy behind her to pause as well. "No." She whispered to herself. Mrs.Garner attempted to take a step back but was stopped by Commander Lorhan's gun on her back. "This isn't right. There's too many. Someone already-" Before she could finish her sentence a light brown haired woman stepped into view.

She wore a nasty smile on her red painted lips as she spoke. "Just what I expected." The woman chuckled coldly. "I knew you'd end up a traitor. You cared too much about the girl." Mrs.Garner stammered for words but the woman waved her quiet. "I don't care about whatever excuse you have, I don't need you anymore. You are of no use." A guard stepped forward to join the woman's side.

"Governor Khoen." He greeted, meeting her gaze and raising an eyebrow.

"No, no. I have something much more interesting in mind." Another wicked smile formed on Governor Khoen's lips.

"Please. Please don't." Mrs.Garner begged, a terrified look in her eyes as she tried to get away from the tight grip of the Commander.

Commander Lorhan finally released her grip and shoved Mrs.Garner onto her knees. "Take her." She took a step back and raised her hands in surrender. Colette couldn't help the anger that flared up inside her as Lorhan let the Governor or whoever she was have the woman who risked her life to help them gain an advantage.

Governor Khoen laughed. "Oh? You think I will spare your life just because you handed her over. You people are all the same, only care about your pathetic selves." Governor Khoen grabbed Mrs.Garner by the upper arm and, with the help of the guard, drug her to a standing position. The cloth bonds were cut off from around her arms. The two government woman's eyes met, one filled with fear and the other with murderous lust. "Kill them all."

Mrs.Garner whirled on her heel and stalked towards the Commander, ripping the gun off of her back. "Yes Governor Khoen." Mrs.Garner replied in a monotone voice and cocked the gun pointing it at the Commander. Before Lorhan could react a shot rung through the forest and she collapsed onto the dirt ground.

"No!" Prissy screamed and rushed over to her mother's lifeless body. A single bullet hole in between her eyes. "You're dead." She snarled, looking up at Governor Khoen.

Mrs.Garner recocked the gun and pointed it at Prissy but before her finger could reach the trigger the gun was ripped out of her hand by a green vine that shot up from the forest floor. Instead of trying to pursue Prissy again, Mrs.Garner turned towards Colette and rushed towards her, pinning her against a tree with her hand around her throat. The woman seemed to be much stronger than Colette would have thought. It must have something to do with the Governor's hold over her.

"Nurse Garner please." Colette choked out. "You can fight it."

Emotion flashed across Mrs.Garner's face and for a second it seemed like she realized what was happening. "Don't look her in the eyes." Mrs.Garner whispered before tightening her grip around Colette's throat.

Colette tried to claw at the hand and rip it away but the oxygen flow to her head was already too low and black spots were starting to cloud her vision. She could feel the darkness begin to seep out of her skin but she couldn't get any control over it.

"I'm sorry." Mrs.Garner held Colette's gaze and then collapsed to the floor. Colette sucked in a deep breath that sent her into a coughing fit. When she recovered and looked up she found the little girl standing there with a bloody knife in her hand. She must have turned invisible while no one was paying attention and snuck over there. Colette gave a sympathetic nod to the girl who returned with a horrified look for what she had just done but soon after the little girl regained her composure and nodded back.

"You fools." Mrs.Khoen growled. "Kill them. Kill them now." She shouted, guards rushing forward with menacing looks on their face as they stood shoulder to shoulder.

"It's now or never." Madie spoke up and unstrapped the pistols at her side - not that they would do much good but it was better than having no weapon at all. Everyone in the field looked at Madie, a silent understanding that this was the end and they would fight to the death.

Then the fighting erupted. A guard surrounded himself with water from the river and arming himself with water maces. Another attempted to manipulate the fading light but frowned when it wasn't enough to do much. It looked like Mrs.Garner had helped after all. The other three guards in the forest stood still as the first two rushed forward.

The water guard slashed his maces through the air at the little girl and her mother but was quickly knocked back by the invisible shield the mother must have produced. The little girl whispered something to her mother and then disappeared, reappearing by the little boy with the electric power. He grabbed her hand and both of them vanished from sight. Once again they reappeared, this time behind the water guard. They exchanged a short glance and the little boy put his hand against the guard's water shield and sent a spark throughout the entire thing that caused the guard to fall to the ground twitching. The water soaked guard continued to twitch as the electricity took over the water in his veins.

The other guard hesitated in front of the old lady -- who had insisted on joining even though, still, no one had seen her power in action -- as he tried to use the fading light to shoot hot beams at the poor woman. A vine snagged his leg and pulled him into the ground all the way to his waist. He struggled to push himself out and the old woman laughed at him. The guard shot another beam that hit right at the old lady's feet. She frowned and suddenly the guard's clothing was on fire. "Take that you nasty man." The old lady chuckled and walked over to stand behind the shield the mother was trying desperately to hold up against a guard whose hands had turned into giant machine guns.

The remaining two guards rushed over to Madie, Jordy, and Kaden. One turned into a sleek panther and pounced at Jordy who nimbly rolled to the side, barely able to avoid the outstretched claws. One nicked him on his upper arm, causing a nasty gash. The other guard seemed to have no power but if Colette had learned anything -- looks are deceiving.

The deceiving guard took a swing at Madie, punching her square in the jaw. She spun to the left and fell into Kaden who, with a burst of rage, sent the guard flying back into the nearest tree. The guard took a moment to gather herself as she examined the scratches on her arms, they slowly disappeared as if they had never been there in the first. Kaden and Madie looked at the guard horrified and she stood up, wiped off her black pants, and charged back at them.

Colette stood horrified, unmoving, as she watched the battle in front of her. She wanted to help. She wanted to do something. But how could she trust herself to keep her power in check? How did she know she wasn't just going to make everything worse?