OverSimplified- DanPlan dystopian future au

8

 Daniel P.O.V

Wait, did I hear that right? This Ann girl is the leader of the Leitas? She claims to be Stephen's best friend? Impossible, we were his friends. My thoughts were interrupted by Ann's voice.

"I have been trying to find Stephen for a long time. I was on vacation when this all started. When I came back, I called Stephen, but he didn't answer. I got worried, and let's just say I have a lot of friends at school. I told them that I would give them protection if they helped me. One of them said that they saw Stephen with a group called the Karambits. So I sent people after you guys. I needed a name for my group so I chose the Leitas. Leita means 'find' in Old Norse so I decided it was a good idea since I started the group to find Stephen."

I fall back on the couch and exhaled. I hadn't realized I had been holding my breath until I felt the cold sting in my lungs. Hosuh started to ask questions, but I was in my own world. Trying to figure this out is a maze, and I was ending up in dead ends. Why did Stephen not tell us about knowing Ann? How long did he know her for? Was she lying? Did she really know Stephen? My brain was usually buzzing but this was overkill. None of these I could answer right now. I couldn't solve this mystery. Stephen would be really good in this situation. He was great at any riddles I put by him. I look glance over at where the Jay and Stephen were placed. They were gone now, probably in the medic's office. What if this was all a trick, and we were going to die from these hooligans. I tighten my fist as I think of that.

"iel. Daniel. DANIEL!" Someone poked me hard in the side. It was Hosuh. "You were hurting my arm."

I looked down and saw that my hand was wrapped around Hosuh's arm tightly. I release his arm from my grasp and saw that I left red nail marks. He looks at me with a curious tint in his eyes. Hosuh pats me on the shoulder and keeps talking to Ann. I can feel myself getting drowsy and tired. I try sitting back up to keep awake, but just end up closing my eyes. I fell into a spiral of nightmares as sleep crept over me.

I wake up on the same couch, Hosuh and Ann gone. Slowly, my eyes adjust to my surroundings. Around the room was Stephen and Jay sleeping peacefully on a couch. I get up and walk to another room to find Hosuh curled up sleeping on a chair. I move on to a different room to find the kitchen. Ann was making some food by the stove. I walk up to her and tap her on the shoulder.

"Do you really know Stephen?" I asked, looking straight into her eyes. One thing I learned from living with Jay is that if you look right into the eyes of your prey, they become weaker.

"Yes, I do. Do you doubt me?" She was staring back now, keeping a steady gaze. She was good at intimidating.

"It's just that Stephen never told us about you." I kept my guard up, just in case. "It's very strange that the leader of a group that has been trying to hunt us down appears and claims to be Stephen's best friend."

"Isn't everything in the Tainting kind of strange? The fact that humans have split like this, anarchy and bloodshed just because of the faults of earlier generations? The way that friends become enemies and family become betrayers that try to sell you to get gas masks? When you see your own brother get slaughtered because he crossed the wrong, invisible lines?"

There was silence, I had nothing to say to that. Ann's eyes were red and her fists were shaking. She breaks eye contact and punches the wall. Some bits of tile crumble onto the counter. I turn around, knowing that I should get Hosuh to deal with this, but he's already there. In the doorway, the little brother of the Karambits was standing against the frame. I walk out to escape the situation that I got everyone into. Hosuh sighs and follows me out. I fall on the couch and he just looks at me.