The Divide

Prologue

"Thomas!"

My eyes were open, and I could see what was in front of me...but I couldn't hear anything. My father was yelling my name. I almost wanted to raise my voice, and tell my father that I couldn't hear him.

The pain kept me from doing so...

Suddenly, like a wave crashing into a rocky shore, my hearing came back to me. Not only my hearing, but everything came back to me. Flashes of memory from only moments ago latched onto me, begging me for remembrance.

I remembered sitting at the dinner table across from my father. We had ordered Chinese take-out, because that is what my father and I did on Friday nights. I had felt like it was going to be a completely regular Friday dinner.

...I don't think that I could have been more wrong...

My dad was beginning to talk about his workday, when he immediately tensed. We suddenly heard a loud popping noise, and the sound of something dropping onto our floor. Within seconds the apartment was filled with smoke, and we were ordered onto the floor.

"Thomas!" My father yelled again. "Thomas look at me!"

Almost in a daze, I met eyes with my father. He looked completely different to me. I had never seen him like that. He looked at me desperately and reached his hand out towards me. I reached mine forward as well, and instantly regretted it. Pain shot through my arm like lightning, as a baton hit the top of my arm.

I let out a grunt, and brought my arm quickly back to myself.

"Thomas!" My father screamed, bringing my attention back to him. "I need you to do exactly what I say. Can you do that for me?"

I quickly nodded and replied, "Yeah...I can do that."

I don't think my father knew that I understood what was going on. I knew completely what was going to happen in those next few minutes. My dad was doing his best to keep me calm. He was trying his best to save me, but I knew it wasn't going to help him...

My father was going to die...and I was pleading to countless deities that I wouldn't have to watch it.

"Mr. Henderson!" I heard a man yell sternly from behind me.

My dad's ears pipped curiously. He raised his head upwards to look over me. Instantly, his eyes widened with joy. I could only assume that my father was seeing a person that he recognized...perhaps a friend that could help him.

"Jason!" my dad exclaimed. "Hey...you gotta help us get out of-..." Slowly, my father's face turned from one of joy to one of complete dread.

"If I knew you were one of them, I would have killed you sooner," Jason said coldly. He seemed to have been walking closer towards me and my father.

Suddenly a rough hand grabbed me by my neck and pulled me onto my feet. I'm pretty sure it was "Jason" that grabbed me. He gripped my neck tighter, making me groan in pain. "Resist, and you're done for." Jason snarled. "Understand, kid?"

"Yessir," I uttered as quickly as I could.

My dad's eyes grew more desperate as I was beginning to be pulled away from him. "What are you going to do to my son?" he asked Jason.

I heard Jason chuckle. "Do you want to say anything else to your son before we leave?"

"You're taking him from me?" my dad asked, eyes darting between me and somewhere behind me. "Don't take him from me, Jason." He pleaded.

Jason didn't reply...

I slowly turned my head and looked upward at Jason. He was big and burly, with a short beard. He was dressed in a police uniform, with his hand resting on the handle of his holstered gun. Jason eyed me, and I immediately turned my head away from him.