Into The Light

I couldn't pass out an escape this like I did before so I just squeezed my eyes shut and tried to block it all out. The sound of the cars, the people, the feel of their eyes staring at my crumbled form. I felt exposed to the world. Every step Finny took seemed to cause me more pain. I set my jaw and held in the cries. It would only bring more people if I screamed. Finally I heard the opening and closing of a door and felt myself being placed on a new, soft, surface. Opening my eyes I saw Finny walk away ,but I still never saw Willow. Is she even here?

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Willow said in a hushed voice.

"Alex! We found another one! He's doing what Jamie did!" Finny shouted as someone walked into the kitchen with a yawn.

"Another one? This one isn't a mouse or anything right?" the tired voice asked.

"No, try raven," Finny said as he started fixing something.

Suddenly a face appeared over the back of the couch just as the pain passed. I was on the floor reaching for the gun that had been in my pocket ,but now I was in new clothes meaning I was unarmed. That did matter.

"This is Alex. He's a good buddy and ,well, allot like you," Finny said as he took a sip from his cup.

"No one is like me, we've been over this," I told him, waiting on Alex to make the wrong move.

"I know what's wrong with you though," Alex said before Finny could argue," You're destabilizing. Been away from drugs too long. The frog kid that came with the soldiers died last week. Personally, I waiting on my destabilization to start. Never know when though."

"Destabilization?" Willow said quietly as I looked at her,"Would I do that too?"

"What are you? It varies. I mean, look at Finny. Perfectly fine, been out for years," he said, gesturing to Finny who's still in his military outfit with the bullet hole, blood, and everything.

"I died three times from it. Once back on that ship too," he said raising his glass," Thank the gods for that."

"Willow is a weeping willow. The tree," I told Alex as he thought about it," Only been away from the lab a year."

"She's got a few months before the minor side effects kick in. Jumpiness, shaky hands, paper skin, lack of appetite, you know the drill. Then after that comes the painful shocks. You'll have those for about three years then, poof, dead," he sounded a little too calm for my liking.

"But Aaron-" Willow started.

"Has been taken on and off the drugs for years at a time," Finny said as Willow glared at him.

"That just speeds it up," Alex said wide eyed," I don't know if I can help you ,Aaron."

With that the bronze haired boy with huge eyebrows ,that reminded me of and owl's, walked up the stairs disappearing. Finny slapped his face and Willow just stood horrified. I couldn't breathe for a minute. All this time I've been fighting, running, hiding, to stay alive. I was going to die? I was going to die. Now, I had to make every day count. I have to enjoy what's left of my life. Or pretend to while I make a master plan.