If the Sky Falls ➳ Hal Mason

Chapter 3

☣Edited☣

     Male body-spray was the first thing that caught my attention after my eyes started to scan the big room. One the left side, four beds were against the wall while a teacher's metal desk with a bunch of things was on the other side beside a dresser. You could see the big windows covered with improvised curtains that let the perfect amount of light inside. A cranky sound made me look to the ceiling which led me to find a dusty and broken fan with spider webs all over it.

     You couldn't ask for much when all you are looking for is to survive. This room was an incredible luxury most people couldn't afford.

     Three of the four beds were empty, but one was occupied by a boy around my age. His dirty blonde hair was stylish to the side as it covered his forehead.

      He is actually very cute, but aliens are attacking us, I have no time to think about boys, I reminded myself.

     "Lourdes doesn't know how to give directions at all," I mumbled.

     The unknown boy looked out of his comic book, up at me. His penetrating green eyes stared with curiosity, but he didn't say a word.

     "Um, sorry, I think I'm a little lost," I said as I glanced at the floor with an awkward laugh.

     "Don't worry. You are new right?" He asked as he stood up the bed.

     "Yes, I'm Emily," I answered as I took a glance at his arms. They were covered in old scratches as well as on his face.

     "You're Emily?" He opens his eyes wide open. "I've heard a lot about you."

     "Really? And why is that?"

     It was weird since I had only woken up an hour ago, but I only hoped people had a good thing to say about me.

     "Your sister, Avery, she really likes to talk." He chuckled. "She's friends with my brother."

     "Yeah," I said and lowered my head with a smile. "She is the talkative one."

     Avery talked about everything that moved, something that from time to time drove me crazy, not that it was a bad thing or anything. Being reserved was more of my style, not that it was bad either.

    "I'm Ben, by the way," He stretched my hand softly for a couple of seconds and let go.

     "How have my siblings been?"

     Ben hid his hands on his jean's pockets. "Great, quite a few people have been taking care of them."

     I nodded and said, "Thanks for all you have done for my family, most people wouldn't have done that."

     "I know," He trailed off. "That's what we do it, we're not like most people."

     Everyone seemed so nice, it couldn't be real. Why would they help strangers for no reason? It didn't make sense to me at all.

     Then it hit me, Tom Mason, the real reason I was standing there in front of Ben. With all of our chit-chat, I had forgotten what was I doing there.

     "Actually, I'm looking for a certain office. Um, his name is-" I thought for a second. "What is his stupid name?" I whispered to myself and messed with my long hair. "I got it! Tom Mason, I think."

     He threw his head back in a bray of laughter, but he soon recovered and talked, "I think I forgot to mention a little detail. My name is Ben, Ben Mason."

     I felt my cheeks turning red, my whole face was getting hotter and hotter with each second that passed. I pressed my lips tightly together, not knowing what to respond next.

     A full smirk appeared on his face as he spotted my reaction, "Yeah, my dad can be stupid sometimes, but he's a good man."

     I had just called his dad stupid and all I wanted was run out of there as fast as I could. I couldn't believe those words had left my lips, but they did and I was dying from inside.

      "I'm very sorry, I really am." I rambled something more but took a deep breath. "I just want to go and find my brother and sister, but I need to talk with him first. I'm sorry," I said under my breath as I stared at my shoes.

     As Ben lowered his head to laugh some more, something became visible from his back. It looked like something was connected to his spine, like metal spikes.

     He saw me staring at them and within a second his expression became blank.

     Ben sighed as he shook his head and took a step back, "Do you think I am a freak, don't you?"

     That word, freak, I hated it. Each time I heard it, it felt like someone ripped off a band-aid from my heart.

     "Never, people who think that are just heartless." I took a step closer to him. "You are like everybody else, some pieces of metal aren't going to change that."

     "Wow, most people hate me for it."

     It was sad to see him surprised by it, it meant that people were as judgmental and stupid as before the war.

     "Well, I'm not like most people," I responded with the same argument he did a minute ago.

     Ben shook his head as he chuckled and smiled.

     "Can I ask you something? It's okay if you don't want to."

     "Sure, just ask and we'll see," Ben answered.

     "Can I-" I sighed. "Touch them?" I finished.

     I just wanted to be able to feel them with my bare fingers. I wanted to examine every inch of them, I had always wanted to.

     "Yeah, we can do that," He said with a goofy smile.

     Ben took his shirt off and sat on the small bed.

     I couldn't help but to stare at his body for a few seconds, he didn't have abs, most people didn't, but he had a tight stomach and a couple of strong arms.

     I walked a little and sat beside him. Ben turned to the side, so I could have a better view of his spikes. My hand moved up to his back, but before I could touch them something popped into my mind.

     "If it hurts you just tell me and I'll stop right away, okay?"

     He nodded and I touched them softly.

     The weird thing I didn't expect was to feel a bunch of ants running all through my body instead of the cold metal beneath my fingers.

     In a matter of seconds, Ben started to scream and twirl around in pain and my heart stopped.

     That's just great Emily, you killed him. Good job moron, was all my brain told me.

     "Don't worry, I-I will go and look for help, b-but please don't die!"

     I got up the bed as quickly as possible and as I was about to open the door to search for help, Ben's laugh start.

     I turned around and found Ben laughing his ass off, grabbing his stomach trying to stop his laughter. It took me a minute, but I finally figured it was a big fat prank.

     "You almost gave me a heart attack, you asshole," I said laughing with him as I sat beside him once again.

     "I can't believe you actually believed it. Only you and my little brother did. And he is eight!" He said laughing even harder.

     I gave him a playful punch in the arm.

     "Go ahead, touch it. It felt good like we were connected in some weird way."

     "So, you have a younger brother?" I tried to change the subject.

     "Actually two, I'm the middle one. The oldest one is Hal and the youngest is Matt."

     Before I could respond the door suddenly opened.