Ash840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNb3SboIkdW
I walk through the aisles of our local Walmart staring at every weirdo to see if they're an Inimicus. So far, I've come up empty. This would be a good thing to teach Kenneth, because bless his heart, he's dead. Unless he gets the ability to fight or at least hide soon, he's going to die. Poor kid, but in all fairness he was the one who stalked Valerie into the forest to find out what she was doing. That's still really creepy to me, but to each their own. 840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsl62xvpIXD
Val looks at me and I nod to tell her that everything's okay. The Socius that is kidnapped will die, I just don't know when. Whenever that happens, we can't be in public. Val doesn't understand the pain that comes with the death.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiD6vO0di7f
"So what is it that I'm supposed to look for?" Kenneth turns his head to stare at me. He's tried to wedge himself between Val and me on multiple occasions but I need to be beside her in case something happens. It makes me feel dirty to just think this but… Kenneth is expendable but we aren't. If we die everyone might die and I won't let that happen. I will do everything humanly possible.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZZDch7N4E
"All I can see are the local normal freaks, none of the type that we're looking forward. I would explain what I mean but I don't think you'll understand what it actually looks like and I don't want you to kill an innocent because of it."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvXi3sur3y
"Well, if it was noticeable I want to say that my species would be observant enough to catch it. We aren't that dumb."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBQ3WkWvNs
"I didn't say that you were dumb." I cross my arms. "It's a minute detail that is hard to pick out, unless you know what you're looking for of course. Don't assume that I just called you dumb."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4czJZtX7C7
Kenneth's face turns cold to me. "Just because you're a superhuman doesn't mean that you can just step on top of us."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUk6OLEYE3j
"I didn't do an-"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83Bd3Dn0Xb
"Stop it." Val's arm presses against my chest because I have unconsciously taken an intimidating step forward. At first I think that I'm blushing or that the AC has suddenly gone to heat, but I realize that she's burning me. 840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kM2Xv7XUl
I jerk away and clench my fists in anger. "No, you stop with that!" I lower my voice. "I don't know if you can't control your abilities or if you just enjoy burning the crap out of me, but stop it. Kenneth's making me like this, he's just egging it on. It's as if he wants me to kill him."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdpYNmPVHP
Val shakes her head. "We're not going to argue about this. Understand? Both of you. It doesn't matter. We're here to just hang out and be normal before school comes back. Understand?"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZUfykYjq6
Kenneth stares at me angrily once more before sticking to Val's side. I breathe in deeply and feel the anger rush out of me as electricity. The lights flicker and then go really bright before dimming. Oops.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz51NmdIhE5
"I'm ready to go home, I'll drive. You two get in the truck." I calm my footsteps so I don't storm out of the aisle and cause a scene. That's the last thing I need to happen, I don't need to die because of stupid Kenneth.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcvKjtEiAD
I walk down the crowded middle aisle of Walmart and stare at the people. There's a girl who stares at me but she isn't an Inimicus. She's just a human, but there's something in her blue eyes that makes me do a double take. She doesn't even try to hide the fact that I see her staring. Why is she staring? No, not an Inimicus, but there's something off about her. Why is she staring at me like that? I make sure that my clothes are all right and then make sure I don't have anything on my face. I'm good. Why? Why is she doing this?840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeEP1vMfSP
I grab Val's arm and pull her closer to me. "Creeper, not one of our friends, but staring at us." 840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyy2e3r4Hy
Val glances at her and nods. "I don't trust her. There's something weird about her, but I don't know what. Just walk faster."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwR4440mtb
I feel this strange sensation of fear tearing at my chest and my heart begins to beat faster. Fear and confusion… and pain. I look at Val and see that she's covering her heart with her hands and heat radiates off her in thick waves. No. NO. NO! This can't happen here! I have to get out of here!840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGMhYNmefT
I grab Val's hand and run into the parking lot. "We have to hurry. Val, it's about to happen!"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7q1aR0RgJ
"What?" The fear is in her eyes and written on her face. "Ash, what's going on? There's something wrong with me, there's something wrong with my heart."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJuMVqzUFz
"It's me too, we just need to get in the truck. Kenneth will have to drive, I won't be able to. They're going to die, they're going to die." I'm sweating now as I run farther and with Val right beside me. Kenneth is just behind us, running with a really confused gait. I grab his hand and thrust him forward towards the driver's side. I grab Val's hand and mess around with the keys until I figure out how to open the passenger's side door. I grab her around the waist and throw her into the middle seat. She grabs the collar of my shirt uselessly as I feel the world start spinning faster. She tries to keep me from falling but she's too weak and so am I.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3Uh5zHoIw
I collapse and try to crawl forward but it feel like my bones are fused together. I moan as a feeling of pain envelopes my head. It's like someone just kicked my face. I lay on the disgusting asphalt ground and breathe shakily. I smell a pile of rainbow oil above my head and hope it doesn't drip into my hair or that I don't drown in it.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLTkZnvc0l
I open my eyes and blink up at the sun that's too bright. I see a small metal cylinder looks down at me and a face smiles above that. It's one of the freaks from Walmart, an Inimicus. I can't move or hear them. They're laughing and moving their lips but I hear no sounds coming out. His arms have seven marks reflected on his forearms. They're names and beside them a large H. He's killed seven humans, seven innocents. Now he's going to boost his puny status by killing me. A Socius.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdtSx4uP6u
He's going to kill me? They're going to kill me right as another Socius is dying. How convenient. I knew I should've stayed home.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYxnC2YJIx
I see a blur from my periphery and turn my head to see Kenneth jump onto the Inimicus with impossible speed. They struggle on the ground for a while, wrestling over the concealed pistol. Kenneth has a small graze on his forehead that looks like a scratch. He puts his fists in the creature and pounds them into the ground as they try to pull the trigger and kill him. I feel it go off and see Kenneth stand not even shaken by the death of the alien. He's covered in wet black slosh and kneeling beside me. There's this terrible pain in my side, it feels like a knife has slid across the skin over my intestines, slowly slicing into me. I try not to scream but I fail and roll onto my side. I curl up and grab my abdomen as I feel fake pain explode everywhere and blood drip onto the concrete below me. 840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1w8s9mI9K
Kenneth touches my forehead and jerks back. I must be emitting an electrical current because his hair is standing straight up. I read his lips. "Ash! Ash are you okay!"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzjaBfe68G
I nod and feel my eyes go unfocussed. I'm obviously not okay.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12j75qBAjF
"It's real! We need to go! Are you okay?"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEPZ7PPNXS
I shake my head and grab his arm. I feel my eyes roll up in the back of my head and my mind drifts off to a different place. Kenneth shakes me hard but I can't do anything.
"Get up! Fight Socius! As the humans say, fight like a man! Weakling! Die!" I can feel his fear, his pain, and the hope draining from him like the endless supply of plasma, erythrocytes, and leukocytes that make up his blood. We are one in the pain and death. 840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9x6SyHtbBR
Our black skin is covered in blood and our breaths are harsh inhales and raspy exhales. Our eyes glare up at the Inimicus who kicks us in the face again. We stifle a scream but it explodes into the air anyways.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDhHyhC2oS
We struggle into a sitting position and grab at the jagged knife wound cutting across our lean midsection. We scream and the sound echoes around the room, our torture room filling with the warm smell of blood and fear. We repeat the desperate cries to someone. Our eyes and arms are glowing orange, the color of mango pulp. 840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOetPLujxMF
"S-someone h-help!" Our throat is sore and hoarse, but we can't help but scream. It's the only thing left for us to do. There is no more fighting, there is no more running.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfPcpnMnV1
"Leave him alone!" Our head snaps back to where a girl surrounded by Inimicus holding her down screams. They have to hold her up by her arms because she feels our pain. She is one with us. "Let him go! Kill me! Kill me instead!"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JjsyMbhMC
A bit of pride swells inside as love takes over. Now we only have one mission before we die, tell the girl, tell our Socius that we love her. Our voice is shaky and the blood loss is starting to take its toll. "I-I l-love." One more word, our brain urges. "Y-you."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFK2hjtDIUy
We slump back down in satisfied exhaustion and keep useless pressure on the gash. Our hope is gone. Depression, sinking quickly in where the hope once was. The light of day will never show itself in this hole. The blood against us is sticky and smells like iron. Iron, in Latin it's ferrum, abbreviated as Fe, a common element and here is a concentration of it leaking out of the hole in a gushing red torrent. Life sustaining red blood flowing like water from a leaking dam.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBV8bJvywR
We take away our hands from the hole and let it freely flow. The dam is completely burst. The pain returns but not as bad. A searing pain is dulling as the blood flows less and less. Eventually the blood will stop flowing as our heart stops pumping blood and our brain dies from lack of oxygen.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9VIT54HgQ
"Socius! I told you to fight! It's funny how vulnerable you are. How did you ever think you could stop us from doing this?" An Inimicus in a dark uniform and steel-toed boots kicks us in the face. We don't care; it's not even worth moaning over. Nothing matters anymore except the girl held back by Inimicus. Our partner. We never even had an ability. We never even had a chance. The girl, she only had telepathy for a day. We never had a chance to survive when they took us.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSykeKxzQtg
The pain disappears and the only sensation we feel is the same as a dripping faucet. The blood is in a puddle now, surrounding us like a red carpet. It reminds us of Hollywood, we always knew we would be surrounded by a red carpet, we never knew that the carpet would be blood.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeyluyeNYK
"Useless receiver," the Inimicus man grabs our head full of dark curly hair and raises a knife. The girl is screaming, our love is screaming. "Goodbye, I hope all the other Socius feel this." He pulls us halfway up out of the red carpet and tilts our head back. Our love is screaming our name and begging for our life. 840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTh7CPoNiOa
It's too late840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCbAAKknLu
He cuts into our throat, severing the jugular and carotid with a single slash. We die before the pain can reach us.
I wake up covered in sweat inside the truck with Kenneth speeding and Val's arms tightly wrapped around my chest, crying into me. The pain and fear is gone but there is this emptiness inside of me. I wrap my arms around Val and let tears drip down my face.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqXFe3To9V
"Ash," she whispers breathlessly. "Ash t-they, they killed him. Killed him, Ash."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYm3ptIbnf2
"I know, I know." I shiver even though it's not cold. "They killed him. Her receiver. They always kill them first."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltEfDXyheT
"I'll die before you." She cries harder and I feel the heart inside off me ache for her. "I'm going to die like him, I'm going to die like him!"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1S6jUKUV0B
"Hey, you guys okay?" Kenneth claps me on the shoulder and I look up. Val still clutches onto me, crying into my shirt. I hold her tight against me. She's the only one here that knows the pain and hurt. "Ash, are you okay? What happened?"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5HISeSr23
"They killed a receiver and they're going to kill his Socius later." I grab his arm and he steps on the breaks a little.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZmlgKO0Vg
"Ash, what's wrong? You're so pale." He pulls over on the side of the road and stops the car.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cmdU3QnKk
"You did amazing at Walmart. I saw you kill the Inimicus that tried to kill me. You were awesome." I probably look like a mess. My hair is sweaty and pasted to my forehead, my skin is unusually pale, and I'm shaking like a scared chihuahua.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUVnCztMdI
He smiles, "it was adrenaline. I saw this guy with tattoos walking up to you with a pistol. There was something weird about his eyes, his pupils seemed slanted a little too much and his eyes seemed too protruding. Then when he tried to kill him, my instincts took over. He had an 'I' tattooed on his ear, I guess it was Inimicus. I kinda feel sorry for killing him, but it was self-defense."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkz3G4zJrj
"I wish you could see what we just saw and you wouldn't feel sorry for them. They killed him gruesomely." I release his arm. "Just drive home, they're going to kill the girl. I need to get home and so does Val. She's not doing so hot with this pain."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1i6BW4lKb
"You both look terrible, no offense. I mean, you're so pale and you're shaking. Are you sure you'll be okay?"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCLTD9C01C
"We'll be fin-" a pain in my side makes me shut up and scream in unison with Val. Kenneth drives faster and recklessly as he yells out our names.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlugbU0TEu
The pain in my side spreads slowly and then there is a pain across my face that stings and burns. The Socius is dying.
The girl screams as the Inimicus comes closer to her with a white-hot brand inching towards her skin. She kicks and thrashes as tears stream down her face and sobs wrack her body. "You killed him! You killed him!"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4IvHoKsl5
"Hold still girl!" The Inimicus grabs onto her long brown hair and holds her down.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskbfw8pQnF
"No! NO!" She wails in pain and fear as he brings the hot brand down on her chest across her collarbone. We are united in pain.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45iTnWUMUC
We scream as he presses the white brand against us. The smell of burning flesh envelops the room and the pain goes on for an eternity. Pressing the red hot brand against our skin like we're cattle, he laughs manically.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZf4e2Yr2A
The Inimicus throws the brand to the side and gazes at the red mark that he has engraved onto our flesh. It's a large S, S for Socius. It still burns and the strength is zapped from our limbs. 840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLF3FyYBjd9
The Inimicus grabs our face roughly and we fall freely into him. "You look like fun little girl. Let's see how we can torture the other Socius out there watching us. I don't think a simple cattle brand like that is going to cut it."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34Ex4swyk7
He examines us like an artist examining a block of marble for cracks and impurities. "Aha! I know what we'll do." He grabs our arms and forces us forward. The boy's body still lies on the ground surrounded by a puddle of blood. The only difference is he's dead and there is no warmth left in him.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzWxoey95m
"Answer some questions first and I won't kill you." He smirks. "Where are the other Socius?"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXWpyun5jk
"Go to h-" He kicks us in the stomach. A scream hangs in our throat that can't escape. We fall to our knees and throw up green stomach bile, the only thing left inside of our stomach.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MCzH7ShsR
"Bad choice Socius." He drags us through the blood and snaps handcuffs on our wrists. He places a gag in our mouth. It's a heavy cotton gag that makes no noise when we scream. "Come on little Socius, keep walking. I know you can do it." We scream and try to fight but there's nothing left. It would be easier to just let them make it a short death. But we can't we will fight and die like the other Socius before us.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBPyQ3wW5T
He stands us up against a wall, snapping our handcuffs into designated crevices. The wall is slick metal, stainless steel, and below our feet is a large drain. It makes for an easy clean up.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxvYO6CbDd
The man pulls a lump of metal from his pocket and we watch in terror as it moves between his fingers, straining to get to us. We know what it is. "I know that you understand what this is. It'll hurt you very bad. I see it this way, if I was to put it on your skull, you would have three minutes. It will hurt very bad. But… I can save you if you join our side."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vY3C9IpSj
He presses the metal against the top of our head an instantly, strands of rich dark hair fall down to our shoulders. The pain kicks in and leaves us screaming in pain. It's going to cut through our skull, then the dura mater, then arachnoid mater, and then the pia mater before burning a hole through our brain and ultimately killing us. A slow and painful way to die indeed.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWulzl7zfA
Our desperation makes us strain against the bonds and fight to get the gag out of our mouth. We scream in pain and frustration. Three minutes, it's all we have. Three minutes. We work at the gag in our mouth, screaming, panting, fighting the need to give into fear and pain that makes us want to give up. Our dry tongue presses against the foul tasting cloth and shoves harder and harder. Finally something happens, and we press forward to work the gag away from our mouth. Blood is dripping from our skull. Who knows what damage the metal has caused to us? The brain itself can't feel pain but our head sure can.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0En9JbosiM
We scream at him with a hoarse throat. "You will never win! You can't win! You're a stupid Inimicus that won't ever win this war!" It gets his attention and he growls. "You can kill me but there are more out there! You will never win!"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIeosm6Tfxn
"We are fighting for freedom! We are fighting for posterity." His words sound rehearsed. 840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDIPQ0wvDo
"We are fighting for equality and liberty!" We start spouting off about everything that we are fighting for. The Inimicus isn't happy, but he isn't the one slowly dying. That's us.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWxmVbep7D
"Shut up!"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ866SM2nXy
"We are fighting for the people! For the innocents! For the-"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWP8j0m2ASd
He presses a handgun to our forehead. "Shut up or I'll blow your head off! Try me Socius." It's a quicker and more rebellious death, we'll take it. 840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikCRWMiyeZ
"For liberty and justice for all!" The Inimicus doesn't hesitate and pulls the trigger.
I wake up, grabbing the hair on top of my scalp and screaming. I'm at home, lying on my bed with Danny asleep in the chair beside me. I sit up and stare at the mark on my arm that has turned grey. She's dead. Another Socius pair. That means there are seven Socius left. I don't know if we can do it anymore. I used to believe we could but now I know we're going to lose this fight. This fight that matters more than anything I've ever done in life, is a lost cause. But all we can do is fight or die an easy death. At least complicated deaths make it seem like you did something with your life. It shows you stood for something even if you fell.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhcbKOwvvi
"Ash?" Danny's voice is a whisper that is half masked by a yawn. "Ash you okay? How did it happened?"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtFwaXdhpB
He leans up against me and hugs me. I cry into him because I feel so empty. "Danny, they killed her." He pats my back. "Danny they killed her."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExfb7WevJN
"I know," he whispers. "I know they did. Calm down, you're going to hyperventilate."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTp2q17S0z3
I breathe for a while and manage to calm myself. I curl up and lay my head on my knees. Danny stays beside me the whole time, not saying anything but just breathing in unison with me. His presence is comforting.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqn07ebktzW
I listen and can hear the hushed voices of my parents whispering downstairs. They sound urgent and sad.840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsPq4PMIW5
"We can't stay here, Heath, you know as well as I do that they know where we are."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYtcUNhKWs
"We can't leave or we'll be dead meat. We can't run anymore. You know that as well as I do. If we run, we die."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5xkR8rFP0
"If we stay we risk everything." My mother's voice is low and urgent. "If we stay here, we risk someone turning to their side and squealing on us. I don't trust any of them except Ash. They could be too easily swayed by the Inimicus so called 'slavery'. They haven't seen what we have, they don't know what we know. And if they were to turn on us…"840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQMXfUJW4G
Dad is quiet. "Danny and Ash would die. I can't let them die, I won't let them die. We have to stay or the Inimicus will find us. We can blend in here, we can escape into the forest or drive a few hours into a large city like Charlotte and lose them."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynOe3cngIn
"It's not that easy and you know it. I wanted to stay at Texas and we did it. Remember how that worked out? Ash was tortured and they killed an innocent. That girl died in cold blood and whose fault is that? It's ours, Heath, it's our fault."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLWGh7kmdV
"We can't leave," Danny whispers to me. "I won't leave, I know that something important it going to happen here." 840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXARr7zFVCy
"I don't know anymore." I whisper back to him. "You know that terrible sinking feeling you get when you realize you have a test on a book you didn't read? Magnify that by a few hundred and it'll describe how I feel. I feel like there is nothing that we can do to win. We're going to lose and die in the process, and kill humanity while we're at it."840Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9OqFEYaLb
Danny shakes his head. "I know, I'm beginning to feel like we're all going to die."
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