The New Regime

Having calmed down a bit due to Devin's calm disposition rubbing off on her, Amanda decided she would stay with him for the night. After the scare she had earlier in the day from what she saw, she didn't want to be alone, especially at night when it was dark.

Sitting on the edge of Devin's bed, she sighed, thinking about what all had happened in the past few days. It had been such a whirlwind around her; she didn't know which was up anymore. She almost didn't even know who to trust anymore.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Devin asked, kneeling on the bed behind her.

"I just...I'm scared. I really am scared. What if things only get worse from here?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him. His eyes seemed to glow in the dim lighting. "I really think we should leave, before it's too late," she whispered.

"I already told you, even when this all started, that I'm not leaving. This is my home. And I don't want you to leave me here alone either," Devin said, his voice steady as he placed his hands on her shoulders, thumbs rubbing the tense muscles under her skin. "I promise you that everything will be better in the morning. You'll see," he cooed into her ear, nipping it afterward, causing Amanda's eyes to close in the simple pleasure. He moved down her neck, his hands leaving her shoulders to caress her sides.

Leaning back into Devin's body, Amanda groaned as one of his hands slid down inside the front of her jeans, pressing against her most sensitive part with hard strokes. Turning her head toward him when he stopped sucking her neck, she caught his lips and in a matter of sheer moments, she was under him, his hips nestled between her parted legs as their kiss deepened, tongues sliding against each other.

Rolling over onto his back, pulling Amanda with him, Devin pulled one hand off her body, reaching over to the nightstand. Silently pulling the drawer open, kissing Amanda harder and faster to keep her distracted, he pulled something out. It was the perfect time to get the job done. After all, he had promised her that everything would be better in the morning.

Moving the syringe between his fingers to get a good grip on it, he brought it up behind her neck, lining the needle up with the bone at the base of the neck. One hard drive and he'd break clear through the bone, piercing the spinal cord, and his job would be done. She'd soon be one of them.

Feeling a sudden burning prick at the back of her neck, Amanda's eyes shot open, nerves coming alive. Quickly she shoved Devin's arm away, feeling the syringe break her skin further as it was ripped out. Pulling her lips from his and jumping off the bed in a split second, she saw the glowing look of malice in Devin's eyes - a look she had never seen before.

Reaching up to the back of her neck where she felt an intense stinging pain - Devin hadn't broken through the bone but had already started the injection, which she could almost feel coursing through her blood - she touched the crimson liquid slowly seeping from the ripped skin, looking at her fingers in shock when she pulled away. Looking up as Devin slowly advanced on her, syringe still in hand, she opened her mouth.

"You're...you're one of them," she stuttered. "But how? When did they get you?" she asked quietly, feeling tears prick her eyes as she realized she'd lost Devin forever.

"Today, when I came back here. They were waiting for me. You don't understand how amazing it is, Amanda. To be happy all the time. Nothing bothers you. Nothing angers you. It's perfect. Not to mention...you can fly," he said, eyes still glowing as he slowly began to lift off from the floor a few inches.

"They're going to kill you, Devin. You're going to disappear, just like the rest of them," Amanda croaked, her eyes glossing over.

"See, that's the thing. They're not killing us. You've got it all wrong. They're sending us to a new place," Devin explained, touching back down to the floor and stepping closer to Amanda, who was backing toward the door.

"Where? What new place?" she asked, voice wobbling as she felt behind her for the doorknob.

"No one really knows. But it's going to be perfect. The perfect world with the perfect people. And you're going to be perfect there with me. I told you everything was going to be fine."

"It's not going to be fine, and I'm not going to be one of you!" Amanda nearly screamed, throwing open the door from behind her and running. She scaled down the steps, not caring if Devin was behind her or not, and she jumped to the bottom, stumbling shortly but regaining her footing before racing out the front door. The entire street was empty, full of silence. She quickly got in her car, revving the engine. Like she had earlier when coming off Foster Hill, Amanda broke the speed limit, not bothering to care. She needed to get back to her house, pack what she needed, and get out of there. She needed to escape.

Once she pulled into her driveway she didn't even bother to cut the engine, knowing she would only be gone a moment or two. Sprinting up the stairs she got to her room, dragging a suitcase out of the closet and stuffing it full of clothes and personal items she would need before zipping the case shut. On her way back downstairs, she thought for a fleeting moment about Liz. She wondered if she'd been injected with the vaccine yet. If she hadn't, she was leaving with Amanda, because she didn't want to go alone.

Grabbing the phone in the kitchen Amanda quickly dialed Liz's number. Hearing the ring repeat over and over on the other line, Amanda cursed herself. She wouldn't be surprised if she was the only one who hadn't been brain washed by this New Regime. She didn't feel any different after the prick from Devin's attempt, so she wondered if it had even been successful at all.

Phone still pressed to her ear, Amanda was suddenly aware of her care out in the driveway. The engine had been shut off, and she could have sworn she heard the crunching of rocks underfoot.

They were here.