Immortals- CHAPTER 7

There's something to be said for waking up to your girlfriend singing Sax by Fleur East in the shower. Apparently the song was pretty big back when it came out like a gazillion years ago and, unlike most the music back from the 2010's it's actually kinda decent. Though Cara sings it better of course. I lay flopped out against the soft pillows, my eyes tracing the lines of my girlfriends sketches that are plastered all over the roof. The smell of her gingerbready perfume lingers in the air like a memory. Sitting up, I run a hand through my hair and smile. Sketch pads and arty shit litters the room along with so many scented candles it's a fire hazard. Dream catchers hang from the ceiling and books are stacked in piles all around the room. That's one of the most surprising things about Cara- she can read and write. Barely anyone in Zone 3 can, since no one seems to think that we would like an education as well. Cara only knows because she's got these massive dreams to be a singer someday. If you ask me, she can do it. You should hear the songs she writes. Her precise guitar that her Gran gave her stands next to the bed and I can't help myself but to pick it up and play a couple of chords. When you go out with a musician, you pick up a few things.

"Since when do you play?"

I look up to find Cara leaning against the bathroom door, dressed in an over sized band shirt and her hair still wet from the shower. I smile cheekily over at her.

"I do actually pay attention when you play you know."

The girl laughs and sits down on the bed next to me, kissing my cheek.

"How's your leg, beibu?" She muttered into my hair.

"Kinda sore, but it'll heal," I reply. A massive ass lie since my leg is killing me, but oh well. Cara doesn't need to know that. Reaching over the side of the bed, I grab a shirt off of the floor and yank it on, pulling my hair up into a ponytail. My hand brushes over my backpack and suddenly what I've been trying to forget is brought straight to the front of my mind.The files I stole from Carreua. Something must have passed over my face as Caras grabbed my hand, rubbing the back of it.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, it's fine." I need to look through all of this myself before I talk to anyone about this, even Cara.

"It's not nothing. I know you Sky, somethings up."

"Nothings up beibu, it's fine. I'm fine."

The girl cocks her eyebrow, locking eyes with me. With surprising speed, she lurches over to my side of the bed and grabs my bag, yanking it up onto her lap. Yelping, I try to snatch it off of her, but she's far too quick. Scouching over to the other end of the bed, she opens up the bag and pulls out the stolen files.

"What are these?" The girl asks, holding them up infront of me. Sighing, I crawl over to her and take the files from her hand.

"I got these from Carreua last night."

"Why did you take them? They're not what you went in for."

"I, um, haven't quite told you the whole story about what happened..."

It only takes me about ten minutes to tell my girlfriend everything that happened, but it feels like forever. So much has happened that you could probably fill a good few book chapters. By the time I've finished, Caras hand is clasped around mine and her eyes are locked on the files.

"So," she whispers, "Tea?"

Sometimes I swear my girlfriend is psychic.

We shuffle into the kitchen and perch on the counters, sipping the drink without a word. We don't really need to speak I guess. My mind is still trying to process everything that I've found out over the past few days and answer all the damn questions it's brought up. The fact that I might not even been related to my parents is one of the big things. I'm not so fussed about not being related to my father, he's a douche anyway, but my mum... No, the files have to be lying. She would of told me. There's no way she wouldn't of told me or written a letter for me about it after the accident if it was true. But still, something about the kid in the picture...



"Skylar?" Caras voice snaps me back into reality.

"Hm?"

"I asked you what the rest of the file said."

"Um..." Truth be told, I haven't actually read it in full yet. When I found it, I kinda freaked the fuck out when I read my name and then I was held up in that hospital place for two days. Haven't exactly had much reading time. I nip back into the bedroom and grab it from the bed, walking back into the kitchen. A large gust of wind blows me back into the room. Cara just raises any eyebrow and I smile sheepishly, looking down at the file.

"Subject name, Alex Tyler Brace. Born, _____. Sex, male," I stop briefly and look over at my girlfriend, "Well we all know that's lie."

"Keep reading!"

"Genes, healthy. Safe for release, yes. Responding well, yes. That's all there is, except for a shitload of sciencey things I don't understand," I say, rifling through the pages. Cara looks through the other files, her eyebrows furrowed.

"It looks like the only thing that connects all of these people is that you were all given something called the IE formula. From what I can make out from the med notes, it's some sort of genetic thing that amplifies the base instincts and adds in a completely new genetic compotent. God knows what it does, but with a few blood samples and some mild observation, I might be able to isolate it, see what it does."

I just kinda stand there staring at her. Jesus Christ she's smart.

"What?"

"Nothing, just feeling extremely dumb right now."

Cara just rolls her eyes and turns back to the research notes & files. Finishing my tea, I jump up onto the counter next to her, crossing my legs.

"So, if this file is really about me..."

"There should be a genetic marker in your blood that we can identify as the formula. Compare your blood to a normal persons blood and something should show up."

"What might show up?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know? It's not like I've done this before, beibu," she sasses me. I can't help but smile at my girlfriend.

"You're the sciencey one, don't you-"

Before I can even get the words from my mouth, the front door flings open. Heavily armed guards barg into the apartment, guns pointing straight at us. I can barely make out any of the words they're shouting. Their tough hands paw at my skin, trying to grab me. My arms and legs lash out towards the guards with a mind of their own. I can hear myself screaming at Cara to run. Scrambling is going on behind me and I can only hope that Caras managed to get away. It's me they want. An arm comes around my face and I bite down hard. Blood pours into my mouth. My fists whack into whatever they can find, my hair clinging to my sweaty face. Hands clamp down onto my arms. I can feel myself being dragged outside. The light is almost blinding. My feet dig into the floor and I pull against the guards, trying desperatly to get the fuck away. My voice rings in my ears but I have no idea what I'm saying, my mind totally focussed on beating the hell out of these guards. Adreline pounds in my ears, my limbs still lashing out like some sort of wild animal. My hands connects with something hard and I fall to the ground. Blinking rapidly, my eyes focus on something moving above me. A chilling laugh rings in my ears. Something darts towards me from the roof. The world turns into darkness.