‹ Prequel: Move
Risk
Negotiate
My eyes opened quickly and I was staring at Riley upside down. I was laying on the ground and my head was propped up in his hands. I shifted myself and stood up. I brushed the white sand off of me. My eyes drew to the sun. The moon was no longer in sight.
I turned and looked at Riley. Sam quickly moved to his side. They both stared at me. Their eyes fell on my body. Hunter and Cassidy were also staring directly at me. I creased my forehead and looked down at myself. That's when I understood the staring.
My entire body was glowing a pink light. My skin was bright and shiny. I could feel the energy rush through me. It felt incredible. It no longer hurt. I felt more powerful than I have ever felt.
I looked at Sam and Riley. "I take it that it worked."
Sam nodded. Riley just kept staring at me.
"Now what?" I asked.
Sam moved his eyes off of my body and looked at my eyes. "You are going to have to go back to Texas and release the energy."
"So, you're saying I have to go back to where the disease was let go." I stated.
Sam nodded and his eyes began scrolling over my body again.
I looked out onto the ocean in front of us. Waves crashed against the shore. Wind blew the white sand over my feet. I lifted my feet slightly so the sand would fall off.
I looked at Riley. "What do we do about him?" I asked nudging my head towards the trees where Edward was somewhere.
"What you do best." Riley said calmly with a slight frown.
"What would that be?"
"Negotiate."
"With him?" I asked.
Riley nodded. "You are the only one that knows him best now. He has all of your powers. Kill him if you have to."
I looked down at my glowing body. "Wait." I said. My head turned to Sam. "Does this whole glowing thing only affect me because I am the alpha?"
Sam's eyes became wide knowing my plan. "Yes. The energy inside of you only went to you. He shouldn't have it. This energy only has an affect on you. It increases your powers."
I turned my head towards the palm trees. My senses told me Edward was still in the jungle.
"Do not follow me." I said to all of them as I moved towards the trees.
My feet urged me through the trees and towards Edward's scent. It was a strong scent that smelled like Riley. I knew it wasn't Riley because it smelled good, but at the same time the smell was disgusting. I made a face at it.
I was enveloped by the trees as I moved back towards the shack. It was dark in the jungle, but my glowing made everything brighter. I didn't need to see anyway.
I planted my feet in the ground as I stood several yards in front of the shack. My eyes stayed focused on the trees in front of me. I didn't need to see that he was right behind me.
"You know," Edward said over my shoulder. "You don't seem like a negotiator."
"Well, I don't seem like a lot of things. Then again, I seem like a lot of things that I am not." I said not looking back at him.
"That's not true, love." He said.
I wanted to turn around and hit him as hard as I could. It would ruin my plan though.
"And how would you know what I am?" I asked still looking forward.
"Because, I have everything you have and had. I should know." He said.
I turned my head slightly looking over my shoulder at him. My body was still facing away from him.
"You have everything, but yet nothing." I said. I turned my body towards him and looked in his deep brown eyes. "Not a family that cares, nor friends. You actually have nothing."
He gave a shy grin. "So, you are saying that you have everything?"
I looked down at the ground and pretended to think. I looked back up at him. "I do in fact, except for a father. You can have him if you like. Then again, why would he give you my brain piece? Why would he give you, the villain, a second chance to live? Perhaps he's just using you, like he used me."
Edward frowned and looked at me. His face was serious and it seemed as if he was thinking about it.
"I bet you anything that he is using you to kill me. If you kill me, he's just going to kill you in return." I continued. I looked at his confused face and gave a slight smile. "He's not the good guy. He wants this disease to kill everyone. Once it does, he's going to find us more easily and he's going to kill all of us and he's going to have the world to himself. He is willing to kill his own family."
Edward looked into my eyes and pursed his lips. "You are the most complicated woman on the Earth."
"I know."
"You are so complicated that if I kill you now you won't have to be killed by your father. He can't kill me because I have everything inside your little brain." Edward said.
I frowned realizing he was slipping out of my grasp. My frown slowly turned into a smile as I thought of a better plan.
"Kill me then." I said.
Edward frowned. "You want to die?"
"If you kill me, you can have this stupid glowing thing." I said calmly.
He creased his forehead trying to understand what I was doing.
"You really want to die." He stated.
I sighed. "I have nothing to lose. My father wants me dead, I have killed half of the Earth, and I am glowing."
"What about Riley and your brother and sister?" He asked in confusion.
"What about them?" I said. "Besides, they want you dead. Kill them too if you want."
Edward smiled. "Fine then."
Edward pounced into the air and he flew over me. I looked up at him. My arm reached for his leg and I pulled him down the ground. He fell on his face with a thud. I let go of him and walked over to where his head was. I crouched down and looked at the head of hair.
"You honestly think I would sacrifice my life to you." I said into his ear. "You are...very inexperienced."
Edward moaned and tried to lift his head. I pushed it back down with my hand. He let out a breath and moaned again.
"You are a bitch." He mumbled.
I gave a crooked smile. "Thank you."
I stood up and looked at his head. My arm lifted over his head. My pointer finger and thumb outstretched. I pointed my pointer finger at his head. He tried to lift his head. I shoved my foot in the back of his neck and he fell down again. Blood began coming out of his scalp. I didn't blink once. My finger stayed pointed at his head.
"Goodbye, Edward." My thumb pressed down into my palm and a bullet shot through his head.
My arm fell to my side. I stared at his limp body. More blood oozed out of his head. I waited patiently to see if the bullet would come out. I waited for several minutes and it never did. Edward was finally dead.
My arm fell back to my side. I slowly turned around and walked around the shack and through the trees. I swiftly moved the branches away from me. I got to the beach and stood in front of them all. They were all staring at me. I didn't look at any of them.
"Is he coming with us?" Hunter asked.
I shoved my hands in my pockets and looked out on the crashing waves.
"Edward won't be joining us." I said.
"Well, can we go now?" Cassidy said. "It's too hot here."
I ignored her and just stared out into the ocean. Riley came to my side and didn't bother to touch me.
"Alyssa, we do have to go." Riley said.
"Why?" I asked with an angry tone.
He gave a sarcastic laugh. "We have to save the world."
I turned my head slightly towards him, but my eyes stayed on the ground looking at his feet. "The world needs to save itself."
His tone became serious. "How about you act like the entire world for a moment?"
My eyes slowly looked up into his. "I may just end up being the world if this doesn't work."
"Don't say that."
"Why not? It's true. If this glowing thing inside of me doesn't work, you and I will be the only people left." I said.
Riley frowned and lifted my chin. He looked deep into my eyes. "I don't have to read your mind to know what you did back there. Alyssa, I don't care. You did what you had to do. I am the one that made you hate him."
"No." I said looking back at the ground. "My father is the one that has ruined my life."
Riley put his hand under my chin and lifted my head again. He let me go and looked at me with a smile.
"Whether you are glowing or not, I will always be here to fix your life. I am willing to take a risk for you." Riley sounded confident. "Now, you know what you have to do."
I looked back at the ocean beyond the horizon. "I have to go to Texas."
Cassidy came up to my other side. "I'm with you after you release the cure."
"No, Cass. I have to deal with him alone."
All six of us stood side by side staring out at the horizon all thinking the same thing. The cure would be released from me and the survivors would stay survivors. That wasn't the part that made us all nervous. We were more worried about killing my father and living partially normal lives.
I turned and looked at Riley. Sam quickly moved to his side. They both stared at me. Their eyes fell on my body. Hunter and Cassidy were also staring directly at me. I creased my forehead and looked down at myself. That's when I understood the staring.
My entire body was glowing a pink light. My skin was bright and shiny. I could feel the energy rush through me. It felt incredible. It no longer hurt. I felt more powerful than I have ever felt.
I looked at Sam and Riley. "I take it that it worked."
Sam nodded. Riley just kept staring at me.
"Now what?" I asked.
Sam moved his eyes off of my body and looked at my eyes. "You are going to have to go back to Texas and release the energy."
"So, you're saying I have to go back to where the disease was let go." I stated.
Sam nodded and his eyes began scrolling over my body again.
I looked out onto the ocean in front of us. Waves crashed against the shore. Wind blew the white sand over my feet. I lifted my feet slightly so the sand would fall off.
I looked at Riley. "What do we do about him?" I asked nudging my head towards the trees where Edward was somewhere.
"What you do best." Riley said calmly with a slight frown.
"What would that be?"
"Negotiate."
"With him?" I asked.
Riley nodded. "You are the only one that knows him best now. He has all of your powers. Kill him if you have to."
I looked down at my glowing body. "Wait." I said. My head turned to Sam. "Does this whole glowing thing only affect me because I am the alpha?"
Sam's eyes became wide knowing my plan. "Yes. The energy inside of you only went to you. He shouldn't have it. This energy only has an affect on you. It increases your powers."
I turned my head towards the palm trees. My senses told me Edward was still in the jungle.
"Do not follow me." I said to all of them as I moved towards the trees.
My feet urged me through the trees and towards Edward's scent. It was a strong scent that smelled like Riley. I knew it wasn't Riley because it smelled good, but at the same time the smell was disgusting. I made a face at it.
I was enveloped by the trees as I moved back towards the shack. It was dark in the jungle, but my glowing made everything brighter. I didn't need to see anyway.
I planted my feet in the ground as I stood several yards in front of the shack. My eyes stayed focused on the trees in front of me. I didn't need to see that he was right behind me.
"You know," Edward said over my shoulder. "You don't seem like a negotiator."
"Well, I don't seem like a lot of things. Then again, I seem like a lot of things that I am not." I said not looking back at him.
"That's not true, love." He said.
I wanted to turn around and hit him as hard as I could. It would ruin my plan though.
"And how would you know what I am?" I asked still looking forward.
"Because, I have everything you have and had. I should know." He said.
I turned my head slightly looking over my shoulder at him. My body was still facing away from him.
"You have everything, but yet nothing." I said. I turned my body towards him and looked in his deep brown eyes. "Not a family that cares, nor friends. You actually have nothing."
He gave a shy grin. "So, you are saying that you have everything?"
I looked down at the ground and pretended to think. I looked back up at him. "I do in fact, except for a father. You can have him if you like. Then again, why would he give you my brain piece? Why would he give you, the villain, a second chance to live? Perhaps he's just using you, like he used me."
Edward frowned and looked at me. His face was serious and it seemed as if he was thinking about it.
"I bet you anything that he is using you to kill me. If you kill me, he's just going to kill you in return." I continued. I looked at his confused face and gave a slight smile. "He's not the good guy. He wants this disease to kill everyone. Once it does, he's going to find us more easily and he's going to kill all of us and he's going to have the world to himself. He is willing to kill his own family."
Edward looked into my eyes and pursed his lips. "You are the most complicated woman on the Earth."
"I know."
"You are so complicated that if I kill you now you won't have to be killed by your father. He can't kill me because I have everything inside your little brain." Edward said.
I frowned realizing he was slipping out of my grasp. My frown slowly turned into a smile as I thought of a better plan.
"Kill me then." I said.
Edward frowned. "You want to die?"
"If you kill me, you can have this stupid glowing thing." I said calmly.
He creased his forehead trying to understand what I was doing.
"You really want to die." He stated.
I sighed. "I have nothing to lose. My father wants me dead, I have killed half of the Earth, and I am glowing."
"What about Riley and your brother and sister?" He asked in confusion.
"What about them?" I said. "Besides, they want you dead. Kill them too if you want."
Edward smiled. "Fine then."
Edward pounced into the air and he flew over me. I looked up at him. My arm reached for his leg and I pulled him down the ground. He fell on his face with a thud. I let go of him and walked over to where his head was. I crouched down and looked at the head of hair.
"You honestly think I would sacrifice my life to you." I said into his ear. "You are...very inexperienced."
Edward moaned and tried to lift his head. I pushed it back down with my hand. He let out a breath and moaned again.
"You are a bitch." He mumbled.
I gave a crooked smile. "Thank you."
I stood up and looked at his head. My arm lifted over his head. My pointer finger and thumb outstretched. I pointed my pointer finger at his head. He tried to lift his head. I shoved my foot in the back of his neck and he fell down again. Blood began coming out of his scalp. I didn't blink once. My finger stayed pointed at his head.
"Goodbye, Edward." My thumb pressed down into my palm and a bullet shot through his head.
My arm fell to my side. I stared at his limp body. More blood oozed out of his head. I waited patiently to see if the bullet would come out. I waited for several minutes and it never did. Edward was finally dead.
My arm fell back to my side. I slowly turned around and walked around the shack and through the trees. I swiftly moved the branches away from me. I got to the beach and stood in front of them all. They were all staring at me. I didn't look at any of them.
"Is he coming with us?" Hunter asked.
I shoved my hands in my pockets and looked out on the crashing waves.
"Edward won't be joining us." I said.
"Well, can we go now?" Cassidy said. "It's too hot here."
I ignored her and just stared out into the ocean. Riley came to my side and didn't bother to touch me.
"Alyssa, we do have to go." Riley said.
"Why?" I asked with an angry tone.
He gave a sarcastic laugh. "We have to save the world."
I turned my head slightly towards him, but my eyes stayed on the ground looking at his feet. "The world needs to save itself."
His tone became serious. "How about you act like the entire world for a moment?"
My eyes slowly looked up into his. "I may just end up being the world if this doesn't work."
"Don't say that."
"Why not? It's true. If this glowing thing inside of me doesn't work, you and I will be the only people left." I said.
Riley frowned and lifted my chin. He looked deep into my eyes. "I don't have to read your mind to know what you did back there. Alyssa, I don't care. You did what you had to do. I am the one that made you hate him."
"No." I said looking back at the ground. "My father is the one that has ruined my life."
Riley put his hand under my chin and lifted my head again. He let me go and looked at me with a smile.
"Whether you are glowing or not, I will always be here to fix your life. I am willing to take a risk for you." Riley sounded confident. "Now, you know what you have to do."
I looked back at the ocean beyond the horizon. "I have to go to Texas."
Cassidy came up to my other side. "I'm with you after you release the cure."
"No, Cass. I have to deal with him alone."
All six of us stood side by side staring out at the horizon all thinking the same thing. The cure would be released from me and the survivors would stay survivors. That wasn't the part that made us all nervous. We were more worried about killing my father and living partially normal lives.