An Outsider's Call

13

SAWYER

I think it might be a good time to check my phone. I go around the corner near the main entrance, some citizens of Freemind walking past me and eyeing me. I open my phone, ignoring all the frantic messages I got from Eli and Laura.

I call Eli, and seconds later it's answered.

"Sawyer! Hey! Are you okay?" Eli asks.

"Hey, hey, yeah I'm fine. I'm totally fine and safe." I say.

"Are you there?" he asks, still in a panicked tone.

"Yes, I'm here. They gave me a room, I told you they'd welcome me. I'm fine." I say.

"Sawyer you told me you weren't gonna go there, I've been texting you, calling you, and Laura's been worried sick. Why did you lie?" he says, his voice cracking.

"I'm sorry, I really am, I thought it was the only way I could get to Freemind. I'm sorry." I say.

"Sawyer, lying isn't the only way for people to stop worrying. I mean, I may have not wanted you to go, but you didn't have to lie to make me feel better." I say.

"I'm sorry! I..." my voice trails off, unknowable on what to say. "I'm sorry..."

A small silence passes between us.

"Sawyer, we're on our way. Just stay put and we'll work this out. You really wanna stay there?" he asks.

"Yes, I had a meeting with Cyvil and his sister America. They apologized for the attack, their orders got screwed up with their people. I think we can trust them." I say.

"Sawyer, I think you're trusting these people way too fast. I think we should take this slow." he says.

"Yeah I know, me too. I never said I trusted the people. All we need is to stay in our room, and talk to Cyvil, and Cyvil only." I suggest.

"You're putting a lot of your trust into this guy." says Eli. I shrug.

"He's done nothing but welcome me here. We should at least have one person to put our trust in." I say.

"Hm, I guess. The only bright side we can look on for now." he says. I snicker.

"Yeah. I'll see you here?" I ask. He sighs.

"Yeah. Sure thing. I'll see you there." he says. I smile.

"Bye." I say. I hang up.

I'm honestly also a little hesitant to stay here myself, especially after everyone came after us like that. But Cyvil has done nothing but welcome me here. I may need some time to adjust to these people. All they've done is look at me like I'm some evil person in their life.

But their past... it's like I've had something to do with their lives. Like someone's tricked them. But if my father walked onto this island... I can only imagine the things he's done to them.

My father had a lot of secrets... but it makes me wonder, what secrets does this place have?

* * *

"And they welcomed you into their place just like that?" asks Jamie on the phone. I plop down on the bed in pajamas, waiting for Eli to get done in the bathroom.

"Yeah. Cyvil honestly seems like the only sane person on this island. He tried to call off the attack, but no one listened." I say.

"I still can't believe there are even Children of 42 on that island. They've gone this long without being discovered..." says Jamie.

"Yeah me too. But they're not calling themselves Children of 42, they go by Children of Freemind." I say in a mocking voice. Jamie gets a snicker out of that.