Finding ELE (ELE Series #2) Written By: Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels Read online

  My mom takes a deep breath and looks like she's about to cry, so I lay my hand on top of hers in a comforting gesture. She blinks back the tears and continues. "We tried to kick them out when we figured out what was going on but they went on a massacre. They killed most everyone with unique powers and many of us as well during the fight. A lot of our friends died."

  "I'm so sorry mom." I give her a hug to try and offer some semblance of comfort. "How did you all get away? I mean, it sounds like these people are pretty powerful if all they need to do is touch someone to kill them."

  "They are powerful, but not invincible. We out number them and that allowed us to fight them off eventually. Plus, they can't simply kill with a brief contact. It takes them a few moments to kill someone with their reaping ability."

  "What keeps them from attacking again?" I ask.

  "Along with our super strength and speed, we have developed several defensive and offensive strategies to fight back." I notice a sort of proud gleam in her eye. Not pride in herself but pride in her people.

  "And we have an amazing leader who will lead us to victory." Anthony chimes in. I turn around to see him close the door. He clutches a small hand held mirror in his hand.

  "Oh, who is your leader?" I ask him.

  "You're sitting next to her." He smiles big. I realize that look that he has towards my mom now. It's pure unadulterated dedication and respect.

  He is her soldier? I turn in surprise to look at my mom. "Really?"

  She doesn't look too pleased that Anthony spilled the beans. "Yes. Along with several others, I help direct our people. The Reapers are trying to find a way into the shelter and we have to stop them."

  "Why would they want to get into the shelter?" The answer pops into my mind immediately so I answer my own question. "They want more powers."

  "Yes, but we won't let them get what they want." Anthony declares in a statement that seems like he's overly confident.

  "I wonder if they know that not everyone inside the shelter has a gift. Or a power." I feel a bit goofy describing our new abilities as a power. It makes me think of super heroes and old comic books.

  "Not yet honey, but they will." My mom says.

  "We don't know how we got these abilities though." I counter.

  She walks over to a window at the edge of the room. I hadn't paid much attention to it because of the blackout curtain that's covering it. She pulls back the curtain and sunlight filters into the room. I watch as dust motes dance around in the sunbeams. "We are pretty sure that everyone inside should have some sort of ability. It didn't take us long to realize that the immunizations had to be the reason for the changes. Most of the people inside haven't developed their powers yet because you are all underground. The sun is the only thing that will complete the change."

  I had guessed as much. It was the only explanation that made sense. I stand up and walk towards the window. The sun is starting to set in the sky but it's still bright enough out that I can take in the surroundings. Not that there's much of anything out there anyhow. We are at least ten stories up. Down below, a Holiday Inn sign stands tall at the entrance of an overly large parking lot. I look back at the room that is now cast in brightness. The fake abstract prints and floral motif of the bedspread confirm that we are in fact in a hotel. Looking back out the window I see the mountain a few miles off in the distance. A knot in my stomach reminds me that my dad is still inside and my friends are missing.

  My heart starts pounding hard at the last thought. "Mom! My friends are out there somewhere. What if..." My sight goes blurry as tears well up in my eyes just thinking about the Reapers out there with them. "What if they got to them?" I whisper.

  My mom's expression melts. Coming to my side, she reaches up and wipes away the tear that is running down my cheek. "What do you mean your friends are on the outside?" Her expression turns to worry.

  I don't know where to start with the explanation of how Connor, Claire, my boyfriend Alec and I got outside. I decide to give her a rundown of the basic facts and succeed in spilling everything out in one long fast breath. "My friends and I found a cave inside the shelter that had sunlight pouring in. I guess now I know that this is how we started developing our um...abilities. Dr. Hastings, the man who runs the shelter found out about our abilities. Along with his son and his horrible goons, he locked my friends in the cave by blowing up the entrance. They kidnapped me and tried to run tests on me but I got away. When I finally made it back to help my friends I found the cave empty. They left a sign for me that had an arrow pointing to the outside wall to let me know they’ve escaped."

  My mom has a look of confusion from my speedy recap that turns quickly to anger. "I can't believe..." She lets out a deep shaky breath. "I can't believe they would try to hurt innocent kids! We need to find out what's going on in there fast. Wait. How did your friends escape? Was there an exit in the cave?"

  "If there is, we need to know about it. The Reapers could try to use it as a way to gain access." Anthony chimes in, understanding my mother's line of thinking.

  "No, there isn't a way in and out for a normal person. Connor, one of my friends, is able to pass through objects. He must have found a way to use his gift to get Alec and Claire free too." I say.

  "Wait, how did you get out?" My mom asks.

  I look down at my hands and then back up at her. "I can kind of do more than just heal. I can pretty much do anything my friends can do, like pass through walls and stuff."

  My mom looks at me with wide eyes. "And stuff?"

  I nod my head. "I can heal, pass through things, listen to peoples thoughts, go invisible and compel people. That's pretty much it."

  My mom still looks a bit shocked. "Wow." Is all she says.

  We sit there staring at each other in silence for a moment; then I change the subject. "If those Reapers are as horrible as you say they are, then we need to find my friends fast."

  My mom crinkles her eyebrows in worry. "Okay. We'll begin searching for them first thing in the morning." She turns her sights on Anthony. "We will need to assemble some of the fighters for the search."

  "Yes ma'am. I will get on that right away." He moves to the far side of the room and begins talking quickly into a handheld radio.

  I push my shoulders back and stand up tall as I turn and tell my mother, "I will fight with you."

  A proud look flashes in her neon yellow eyes. "You are too young to fight."

  A flame of heat hits my cheeks as I respond. "I am not too young! I can learn to fight. I need to fight. My dad is in there and my friends are somewhere on the outside. I have to help them." I point my finger towards the mountain in emphasis.

  She gives me an appeasing look and says. "I know you can learn honey. You would be a great fighter but you would be much more useful here. Your healing gifts alone would be instrumental to our cause."

  "I need to help with this. I can do a lot more than heal mom." This may seem immature but I feel as if I've been through too much in the past few weeks to just sit on the sidelines now.

  "I know you can." She says.

  I open my mouth to argue but she holds her hand up between us to stop me. "Look, we can talk more about this tomorrow but right now you need to get some rest. You have been through a lot and you need to allow your body time to recuperate."

  I want to stomp my feet and throw some form of teenage fit but I know that it wouldn’t help my case. Surprisingly, I do feel a little tired now. "Fine. We will talk about this tomorrow before the search party leaves. But first, can I see Sebastian?"

  She smiles. "He's actually already in bed for the night but I will bring him in first thing in the morning. I promise." She pulls me into a hug. "Now get some rest."

  The bedside clock tells me that it's only seven p.m. I decide not to argue about the time. "Okay, goodnight. I love you." I give her a hug.

  "Goodnight." She says. She pushes the blackout curtain back across the window.

  "Goodnight Willow." Anthony calls out.


  I had totally forgotten he was in the room. He walks over and hands the mirror to me. "Thank you. Goodnight Anthony."

  "You can call me Tony." He smiles but the smile doesn't quite reach his yellow eyes. Anthony, or Tony, is a rather good-looking guy with that copper hair of his that looks almost auburn in this light. I would think he would even be considered handsome. There's something there though, in his eyes and the way he carries himself, that tells me he's been through a lot. He looks almost haunted.

  I nod my head in acknowledgement before he turns to leave the room. My mom gives me one last hug and exits a second later.

  I take a deep breath and plop down on the bed. This has been a crazy day. At least I hope it's still the same day. I really should have clarified with my mom before she left.

  The last time I woke up in a strange room was when I fell and broke my arm in the tunnels that led to our cave. Alec had carried me all the way to the medical station. That time several days had passed. That can't happen now. I need to find my friends and I need to do it soon. I decide that one way or another I will be joining that search party.

  I lie back against my pillow and pull the mirror up to examine my eyes. The first thing I notice is how tired I look. I position the mirror closer to look at my eyes. They both match now. The blue is the most predominant color but I can still see all of the other colors swirling together here and there. The red fleck is noticeable and can be seen in both eyes. Weird.

  Feeling overwhelmingly exhausted all of a sudden, I place the mirror on the bedside table and close my eyes.

  CHAPTER 3 (THE SEARCH)

  The next morning I’m awoken by the sound of the door handle turning. Still on edge from last night I grab my blankets, hugging them to me tightly. I can see a little bit of light creeping out from under the doorway, followed by shadows of several pairs of feet…one of them smaller than the rest. The door opens letting in light from a lit candle that dimly illuminates the room. I sit up on my elbow out of curiosity hoping my mother is among them. Then I hear sweet whispers from a voice I would never forget.

  “Is she here mommy? Is that Wello?” I can’t help the smile that is breaking on my face.

  “Sabby?” I ask. My eyes adjust to the light allowing me to see those soft brown curls bobbing towards me. I open my arms to welcome my little brother. It all seems so surreal. I thought I had lost this little guy forever.

  I hear my mom’s voice a second before Sebastian reaches me. “Remember Sebastian, be gentle!”

  I feel his pudgy little arms wrap around me and I go to squeeze back but my breath is taken away by a crushing sensation. I gasp for breath. It feels like an elephant has decided to set up camp on my chest. I manage to get a small ‘help’ out there before someone takes the weight off my chest. I cough and sputter trying to get my breathing to return to normal. What just happened?

  “I so sorry Wello,” says Sebastian. How on earth did he…? I stop mid thought finally understanding. It must be his power; his ability.

  I cough once more. “Sabby, it’s okay. I guess you just need to be a little gentler okay?” I see his little head bob up and down beside me. Scooting over on the bed and patting the spot next to me. “Here, come sit by me. I’ve missed you so much!” His little face lights up with pure delight as he crawls onto the bed. For the first time in a while, everything feels right. It feels like it did before all this craziness happened. Before life in the shelter and the chaos that erupted. I revel in the simplicity and put my arms around my baby brother. He puts his arms around me and I tense up a bit hoping he won’t squeeze too hard. I relax when he curls up in my lap and snuggles close…just like he used to.

  I kiss the top of his curls and look to the others in the room. My mother stands holding the candle, leaning against the doorframe. Mr. Leroy and Anthony…I mean Tony stand next to her. She smiles at Sabby and me as a tear rolls down her cheek. She wipes it away quickly. I guess now that she’s considered a leader she has a certain persona to live up to, which would include no crying.

  My mother breaks the silence, “I see you’ve found your little brother.” I smile and nod my head in affirmation.

  Sabby lifts his head from my chest. “I’ve missed you Wello!”

  My throat tightens with emotion. “I’ve missed you too Sabby.”

  “Alright,” my mother interjects. “Time to get up.” She checks her watch. “We’ve got breakfast in ten. Willow, I set some clothes at the end of the bed for you. Hopefully they fit.” She comes and picks up Sebastian out of my arms. “Alright you. It’s time to get some breakfast, then you’re off to Ms. Wallobee’s.”

  She swoops Sebastian up and twirls him in the air. He giggles loudly and a small tear escapes my eye. I can’t stop smiling. It feels so good to see him again and to know he’s okay. Before they exit the room my mother sets a candle on the small table.

  “Wait, mom…who’s Ms. Wallobee?”

  She clasps the handle of the doorknob. “We’ll talk about it at breakfast. Once you get dressed, meet us on the first floor. Just follow the smell, you can’t miss the canteen.” She smiles at me sweetly and Sebastian gives me a pudgy hand wave before she shuts the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

  I shimmy into the clothes she left for me, a pair of cutoff jeans and a tank top. It feels bizarre to wear anything but scrubs, but I like it. I feel my age again. I run my fingers through my tangled mane and grab the candle. Sadness runs through my blood momentarily as I think about my friends and my dad. It feels so bizarre now that things have flipped over. I used to worry about my mom and Sebastian. Now I worry about my father, Connor, Claire and Alec.

  Alec…A vision of his face flashes before my eyes. A vision so clear I can almost reach out and touch it. The hole in my heart that was once reserved for my mother and Sebastian has been replaced by a new loss. I take a deep breath and right myself. I have to remain strong if I hold any hope of finding my friends. I turn the doorknob the rest of the way and make my way to the first floor.

  The smell of cooked grits and eggs fills the entire floor. I hear laughter and conversation at the end of the hall. Rounding the corner, I spot my mother at the head of the table on the far end of the room. Everyone’s heads turn as I walk in. ‘New meat’ they must be thinking. Probably wondering if they can even trust me or not. I give a small smile and hurriedly make my way across the room to where my mother has graciously saved me a seat.

  “Hey sweetie, glad you could finally make it.” That is her way of saying I’m late.

  “Sorry,” I whisper under my breath. I sit and she pats my hand. I hadn’t realized how famished I was until the smell of grits permeates my nose. I dig in, not really caring about the unseasoned blandness of the meal. All around me table conversation is in session.

  “So,” I say to my mother. “Who’s Ms. Wallobee?”

  She takes a bite of eggs, swallows and then answers. “Ms. Wallobee is the head caretaker for the children. There are a few more kids here that need supervision. Along with some other teachers under her, she provides a small bit of education for the children like reading, writing and self-defense.”

  I nearly choke on my eggs when she says this. “Self-defense?” I question.

  My mother’s face turns grim. “Yes honey, self-defense. We all felt it was necessary, what, with all that’s going on.”

  I break eye contact. The thought of Sebastian having to defend himself makes my stomach roll. Suddenly I’m not very hungry anymore so I push the rest of my eggs aside.

  My mom gives me a look and I quickly pull the plate back to me. She nods her head happy that I understood her nonverbal message. "You’re going to need the energy if you want to come with us today."

  My eyes open in surprise. "Really?" Last night she didn't seem too excited about my tagging along.

  "Yes, but you have to follow directions to the T. If I say jump you jump, etcetera. Do you understand?" I nod so she adds, "It's imperative that you do this. Things can get crazy really
fast. I can't let anything happen to you out there."

  "I understand. You don't have to worry about me mom." I gladly shovel some more eggs in my mouth.

  "Asking a mom not to worry is like asking a polar bear not to eat penguins." She smiles pointing her fork in my direction. "It's impossible."

  I give her a strange look. My mom has always been one to come up with the most bizarre analogies ever. I change the subject. "So, when do we leave?"

  "We’re meeting in one hour in the foyer. We have a group of twenty who are traveling with us. Do you have any idea where they might have headed?" She asks.

  I didn't know any of them before the shelter so I don't know if there is a special spot they may choose to hide. "I honestly don't know. I would think they would stick close to the mountain. However, Connor could be looking for his parents too. They didn't go into the shelter." I hadn't thought of that last part till just now. It would seem natural that he would search for them once outside.

  My mom's expression turns serious. "You need to understand honey that it's possible your friends may not have survived. If the Reapers saw them, they certainly wouldn't have let them walk away unscathed."

  I have thought about that. It was one thing that kept me up last night. I also thought about my friend’s abilities too. "Yes, but Claire can go invisible. If Connor could use his powers to help them get out, then I can't see why Claire wouldn't have been able to make them all go invisible to get away."

  "Oh, she can go invisible? That’s a rare gift; very useful." She pats me on the leg. "There may be hope for them yet. Now finish up. I’m going to take Sebastian to his class. Meet me in the foyer when you're done." She stands up and calls to Sebastian. "You ready sweetheart?"