𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖘𝖆𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖒 | d.f. |

🛠 grayson36 🛠

[ 3:11 PM ]

what the hell am i getting myself into?

i sit drivers side, mindlessly keeping my mobile home on the road.

there's superpowers on this earth?

are they human?

they look and talk like they're human. plus they're just as confused about the powers themselves, unless that's a lie.

i don't know.

ever since the virus, nothing makes sense anymore. the death toll is spiking high and seeming to not be stopping.

at this rate, is there going to be anyone left?

"your tiny home is pretty cool," soraya says, plopping down in the passenger seat.

"thanks," i state with no emotion.

i don't know if i can trust them.

"you were pretty quick on opening the door. did you feel someone outside?" she asks me, looking around.

"no, i happened to look up from the three seater and saw dominic in the side-mirror," i say pointing to the mirror on the outside of the car.

"oh, well we need to do a better job at scoping vehicles out," she grins, opening the cooler in between the seats.

"for sure," i smile. "so you really have nothing to do with this virus?"

"nope. nothing," she chuckles, closing the cooler. "you can ask me a million times and the answer will stay the same. we're not the ones who started it. just that max was the first person to contract the disease."

"there's just no answers for this. it doesn't make sense."

"we're trying to find answers but we're just getting more and more questions."

"are you two together?" i ask.

"it's complicated," she sighs, chuckling slightly. "we barely understand it, so not sure you would."

i nod.

makes sense.

"were you heading anywhere?" she asks.

"just traveling," i shrug.

"alone?"

i don't answer for a minute.

"i-i don't want to talk about it," i say, shaking my head.

"that dark shadow..." she whispers, staring into the side of my face.

it was already weird that she touched me and said i'm pure, but the fact that i actually know what she's referring to when she says "dark shadow", is insane. and even though the entire government is looking for them, i'm siding with them?

am i crazy?

"what are you?" i ask.

"for 20 years of my life, i thought i was human. now, i don't know. my dna could be reconstructed or something."

"it's hard for me to wrap my head around this."

"imagine us! we just want to get strong enough to get alex back and figure out who we are. we don't deserve to take fault over something we didn't create. just because dom knew patient zero, doesn't mean we created what he died of!" she tells me.

she's the only one out of the two that isn't hostile toward me, so i believe her to a certain extent.

they could still be lying to me, but their urgency and feeling of hopelessness is too good to be fake.

"i believe you," i nod. "we can head to new jersey. my mom's place has a pretty big backyard."

"how big of a backyard?"

"a few acres worth. you can... practice... with it?" i question, not sure i said that correctly.

"that'd be perfect!"

"only thing is, is that i've got no idea where i'm going. i'm a tech guy when it comes to directions."

"we can stop at an open truck stop, buy some snacks for the road and get a map," she suggests.

"seems like you've done this before," i say taking a quick look at her before focusing back on the road.

"life pre-virus, is a long story."

"maybe we can talk about it later?"

"sure. moms gone now, it should be easier to divulge."

"she died from MAX?"

"yeah, least of the deaths i really wanted for her though."

"yikes..."

"like i said, long story. how old are you?"

"20, twinsies."

she chuckles.

"cool. someone my age. dominic is 24 and apple is seven."

"she's really adorable," i compliment.

"very," soraya agrees. "i'm working her to become my mini me."

i laugh.

"dom on the other hand..." i trail off, chuckling.

she sighs heavy.

"i'm really sorry about him. we weren't supposed to trust anyone else but you popped up."

"why do you trust me so easily?"

"when you grabbed my wrist... i don't know... it felt like your entire self coursed through me. your energy, or aura, or soul... whatever it was! i felt it! it burns so bright. it felt warm and comforting. welcoming almost. you're the only one who knows about our powers and we'd really like for it to stay that way," she says, none of it seeming like an act.

of course, faking a superpower is a dumb deduction. it would be un-fakeable, and besides, i'd run to if the government was pinning something on me i didn't do.

"secrets safe with me. for now at least," i tell her truthfully. "i want to help you out, at least for apple, but you still could've started the virus."

"you're stubborn aren't you?" she questions, a smile on her face.

"is that a bad thing?" i ask back with my own smile.

she's easy to get along with; beautiful, headstrong. not serious when she should be, but in a non-annoying way.

"in our case grayson, yes. i need your full trust in us. we'll still protect you, and honestly... i think you needed the company."

she's not wrong. i was getting a bit lonely.

"i can take care of myself," i finally say.

"and what if you can't?"

"do you believe in all things happening for a reason?" i ask back, changing the subject.

she's quiet. i look at her entire body curled up in the passenger, feet and legs pulled underneath her.

she breathes.

"i believe in cause and effect. everything leading us up to you has already been pushed in a domino effect leading to my death," she nods. "i mean, everyone is essentially a pawn in my game. i wonder what benefits you bring."

"that's a joke right?" i chuckle uneasy.

"yes," she giggles, "in a way. i do believe that my life is cause and effect. because dominic bumped into me, i got my powers. because we chose your van, we met you. i wonder what you'll teach me though."