Hidden Elements

Chapter 10

I heard voices.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know."

My eyes slowly opened and adjusted. I was staring up at a white ceiling on a lumpy mattress. I groaned as I tried to sit up but two pairs of hands pushed me back into the mattress. I turned my head and I saw two figures. Matt and Zach. I also saw behind them. There was only three things in the room. A sink and a table was placed against the other wall and the mattress against the opposite wall. But on the table, doctors utensils. The walls were plain white and the smell of bleach filled my nostrils. Memories filled my head. This won't hurt. We just want to check on you. Be believing those words couldv'e killed me.

I panicked and sat up straight away. "You better lay down," Matt instructed but I ignored him. "Get me out of here, please." I begged a my heart-beat raced. "So miss fearless is scared of the doctor?" Zach teased. "Just please get me out of here." I could feel my eyes water out of fear. Zach and Matt gave each other a worried look.

"What's wrong Krista?" They asked together. My nerves got to the best of me and I jumped off the mattress and to the door. It was locked. "Can one of you open the door?" My hands started to shake. "We need to get you checked up before you're allowed to leave. You fainted from over-using your powers." Matt explained. I tried to calm down. I leaned against the door and closed my eyes as I counted to ten. That's what my caretaker in the orphanage told me to do to calm down. It never worked so why would it work now. I felt a tear fall down my cheek as my hands became more shaky.

Zach walked up to me and took my hands in his own. I opened my eyes and looked at him. "I'm sorry for making that comment about you being scared. Everyone's scared of something." I thought it was sweet that he was apologising but then I remembered, he's taking advantage of me. My thoughts got messed up but I knew what he was doing and I let go as I turned to the door and shot my palms out. Fire erupted from my palms and soon enough, I burnt a hole in the door.

I jumped out of the room and I ran through the tunnel. I heard footsteps behind me but I ignored them as I ran faster. I was no match for the person behind me as they grabbed me by the shoulders and stopped me. It was Matt and Zach right behind him. "You can't ju-" Matt said before an alarm rang through the tunnel. My nerves were calming down but the alarm surprised me. Matt started to violently swear as Zach and I looked at each other, what's wrong?

"We need to get to the shelters, come on." Matt turned around and started running back. We followed him as the alarm got louder by each second. It became hell listening to it. People got the same idea and started running further down the tunnel. Soon enough, we reached door number 404. "Safe shelters."Matt informed as he opened the door and we got in. People started filling the other shelters but it was just us three  before Hilary and John came in after checking that everyone was in a shelter.

We were silent as John locked the door and we all stood on edge. I broke the silence, "what's happening?" John sighed. "It's Ruler 1, our radars sensed something and we knew straight away. Ruler 1 is trying to destroy Verto. I also know why. He must've known about our mission. The Fortum isn't just for restoring cities but it can also destroy them. That is a very important weapon for him."

I nodded, the mission suddenly got much more dangerous. We stood in silence for about twenty minutes, hearing explosions above ground and feeling the after-shock. "We will have to delay the mission, for your own safety. Also, tomorrow, all of you will be going up there and surveying the area." John commanded.

Two hours later, the sounds stopped. I heard a bleep. It was from Matt's watch. "They're gone, the last of the soldiers fled." All of the population down here were alerted and left the shelters an hour later. I spent those three hours in the corner, trying to forget those terrible memories that surgery room brought back. I must've dozed off because when I woke up, I was being carried, again. "You gotta stop carrying me."

Zach looked at my face and smirked. "Be happy, I only carry girls if they are special." "Gee, I'm flattered by your compliment." I said sarcastically as Zach continued to carry me to our quarters. "What's the time?" I asked him. "About 10pm. You slept most of the day today. Oh, Hilary said training is still at 7am tomorrow, just we meet at the dining hall for breakfast and then we go above ground. She also said she'll drop off the proper Subsisto uniform for our mini mission to survey Verto."

I groaned, I won't sleep tonight, I feel way too well rested. Zach opened the door and the girls were already there. The third one, called Gera who had short black hair and green eyes was waiting on Zach's bed which is the top bed behind mine. Gera climbed down and over to Zach. "Hey babe." She greeted him as she came closer to him. She ran her hand through his hair. "Um, hey Gerrimia." She seemed a little shocked he didn't remember her name but nonetheless, she brought his lips to hers. My heart dropped, get a hold of yourself Krista. His a playboy. Get away before he breaks your heart.

He pushed her off him. "What's wrong babe?" She said as she ran her hands down his arms. I looked over to Zach and he seemed totally disinterested. "Thanks Girrca but-" he tried to finish before she kissed him again. Now I could tell he was definitely not interested. His gaze landed on mine and I could see in his eyes that he was pleading me to get her off him. I coughed, "Gera."

She stopped and turned around. "What do you want loser." I rolled my eyes. "You know it's way past curfew." She snickered. "A message went out saying we could stay up for another ten minutes." "Good, so go take your fake butt to your bed and day-dream about Zachy for ten minutes, okay?" I mocked her bimbo voice. She sighed angrily as she walked to her bed. Zach walked up to me and shot me a smirk. "Thanks for that." "I hate you," I said. "I hate you too." He said playfully.

I went and had a quick three minute shower and got changed into proper pyjamas. I then climbed up to my bed after talking to Becky for two minutes. The bell went for curfew and the light (that had been newly fixed) went out. I closed my eyes but I couldn't get Zach out of my mind.

----

Teaser for chapter 11: We get to know another side of Zach, is it good or bad?

 Thanks for reading!!

HT12