The Final Lullaby
Learning of Her Power
"....Her power is far more extensive than we realized..."
"...What's happening?...."
"...What is this?..."
"...HELP ME! SOMEBODY! PLEASE!..."
Star blinked her eyes rapidly as she awoke from the side effects of the drug. She was no longer in that godforsaken room. No, she now lay on the soot and ash covered ground. Standing up, Star looked all around her and allowed a single tear to slip down her hallowed out cheeks. In the place of that awful hospital, now stood columns of burnt building. Charred bed springs lay all around her. Ash covered the ground and blanketed the trees.
Shivering in the thin, burnt garments that she wore, Star raked at her tangled brunette locks with her fingernails and desperately tried to remember what had happened for this massacre to occur. But her memory failed her. The only thing that came to her mind was when she had awaken in the room in the hospital.
Shaking her head out of her miserable thoughts, Star began a slow trek toward the line of trees that she knew from past experience led to the city. It was only about a mile or so from the nearest bank, but because the hospital had been abandoned in the late 50s, early 60s, nobody really came around it. That was the reason the scientists could get away with so much. They had been conducting experiments on people prior to the hospital being closed down, but it had been prolonged and allowed because of the abandonment of the building.
As she walked, she allowed her hands to caress each and every object nearest her. It was her gift, you see. She needed to feel the texture of the object to be able to manipulate it. But, she also had powers that not even she knew of. Due to the amount of tests and experiments done on her, she had somehow locked her full capabilities up and the only way that she could ever revive her true potential was to remember. But that would so much harder than she was willing to admit to herself.
The tranquil atmosphere troubled Star. She had never heard such a silence as this and it irked her to hear it now. There was a gentle breeze blowing, but it only caused the ash to rise and she had to stifle her coughing because it sounded too loud without the ambient noise behind her. There were no birds chirping, no dogs barking, there wasn't even a ripple in the grass caused by insects. It's like all the life had been wiped out in that area. Star noticed that this abrupt silence lasted her entire walk to the closest part of town. There was nothing to be heard but the gentle breeze that steadily blew.
What startled Star was how much ash lay everywhere. She had no idea what had happened or why it even happened to begin with, but she knew that this impending silence scared her. Not near as much as being in that hospital had, but close enough. There seemed to be absolutely no life at all. It was like a bomb had been set off in the town and everyone in the blast area had died.
"Hello! Can anybody hear me?! Somebody!" Star screamed out. The panic rose in her chest and had almost consumed her when she heard a noise that she had never heard before. It was the sound one makes after their larynx has been burned by flames and scorched by smoke. The sound was almost guttural to her sensitive ears.
"Hello?" She questioned. She stood in the middle of the street. Her feet had taken her into the city, even though her mind was still fixated on the previous events. Her tangled hair rose and fell with the ever present wind. She stood bare foot in the middle of the street, her hands projecting the red light, but this time at nothing. Her clothing had been scorched in the apparent fire, but miraculously still clung to her nutrient deprived body. The guttural sound made it's way up the street, but due to the ashy, sooty air, a fog had formed and whatever this "thing" was escaped her view.
Her breathing escalated and she kneeled down to the ground. The toxic air had gotten into her lungs and was making it near impossible to breathe correctly. The raw panic that she had felt being in or near the hospital forced itself upon her and threatened to over take her, when suddenly, she was being lifted into the air. Her eyes had closed and she couldn't force them open. A pair of arms encased her waist and tossed her gently over a broad shoulder. Her breathing became shallow and her eyes slipped closed. Sleep once again took over her, but this time it was not drug induced.
"...What's happening?...."
"...What is this?..."
"...HELP ME! SOMEBODY! PLEASE!..."
Star blinked her eyes rapidly as she awoke from the side effects of the drug. She was no longer in that godforsaken room. No, she now lay on the soot and ash covered ground. Standing up, Star looked all around her and allowed a single tear to slip down her hallowed out cheeks. In the place of that awful hospital, now stood columns of burnt building. Charred bed springs lay all around her. Ash covered the ground and blanketed the trees.
Shivering in the thin, burnt garments that she wore, Star raked at her tangled brunette locks with her fingernails and desperately tried to remember what had happened for this massacre to occur. But her memory failed her. The only thing that came to her mind was when she had awaken in the room in the hospital.
Shaking her head out of her miserable thoughts, Star began a slow trek toward the line of trees that she knew from past experience led to the city. It was only about a mile or so from the nearest bank, but because the hospital had been abandoned in the late 50s, early 60s, nobody really came around it. That was the reason the scientists could get away with so much. They had been conducting experiments on people prior to the hospital being closed down, but it had been prolonged and allowed because of the abandonment of the building.
As she walked, she allowed her hands to caress each and every object nearest her. It was her gift, you see. She needed to feel the texture of the object to be able to manipulate it. But, she also had powers that not even she knew of. Due to the amount of tests and experiments done on her, she had somehow locked her full capabilities up and the only way that she could ever revive her true potential was to remember. But that would so much harder than she was willing to admit to herself.
The tranquil atmosphere troubled Star. She had never heard such a silence as this and it irked her to hear it now. There was a gentle breeze blowing, but it only caused the ash to rise and she had to stifle her coughing because it sounded too loud without the ambient noise behind her. There were no birds chirping, no dogs barking, there wasn't even a ripple in the grass caused by insects. It's like all the life had been wiped out in that area. Star noticed that this abrupt silence lasted her entire walk to the closest part of town. There was nothing to be heard but the gentle breeze that steadily blew.
What startled Star was how much ash lay everywhere. She had no idea what had happened or why it even happened to begin with, but she knew that this impending silence scared her. Not near as much as being in that hospital had, but close enough. There seemed to be absolutely no life at all. It was like a bomb had been set off in the town and everyone in the blast area had died.
"Hello! Can anybody hear me?! Somebody!" Star screamed out. The panic rose in her chest and had almost consumed her when she heard a noise that she had never heard before. It was the sound one makes after their larynx has been burned by flames and scorched by smoke. The sound was almost guttural to her sensitive ears.
"Hello?" She questioned. She stood in the middle of the street. Her feet had taken her into the city, even though her mind was still fixated on the previous events. Her tangled hair rose and fell with the ever present wind. She stood bare foot in the middle of the street, her hands projecting the red light, but this time at nothing. Her clothing had been scorched in the apparent fire, but miraculously still clung to her nutrient deprived body. The guttural sound made it's way up the street, but due to the ashy, sooty air, a fog had formed and whatever this "thing" was escaped her view.
Her breathing escalated and she kneeled down to the ground. The toxic air had gotten into her lungs and was making it near impossible to breathe correctly. The raw panic that she had felt being in or near the hospital forced itself upon her and threatened to over take her, when suddenly, she was being lifted into the air. Her eyes had closed and she couldn't force them open. A pair of arms encased her waist and tossed her gently over a broad shoulder. Her breathing became shallow and her eyes slipped closed. Sleep once again took over her, but this time it was not drug induced.