The Weapon Within: A Paranormal Dystopian Adventure (The Unexplainables Book 1) (17 page)

‘
They did it.’ She was struggling to breathe, her chest rising and falling rapidly. ‘I told you they would.’

‘
Did what?’

‘
Tried to kill me.’

‘
Oh, Gracie no! It was a terrible accident. You weren’t the only one to get hurt – there were two others. You’re going to be ok though, they’re going to take you to the hospital.’

‘
I can’t feel my legs.’

‘
They’ll look after you. They’ll see what they can do.’

‘
Can’t you use your powers to make them ok?’

‘
No, I’m sorry. It doesn’t work like that. But the doctors will help you. Try not to worry. Do you want me to try and contact your mother?’

Her eyes widened and then she closed them completely.
‘Remember what I said,’ she whispered, ‘they’ve got me now. Don’t let them get you too.’

A
paramedic approached and took hold of the end of the stretcher. Within minutes the doors were shut and they were gone. A shiver ran down my spine. Turning, my gaze landed on the main building. Nicholas was standing at his office window, watching the scene. When he realised that I’d seen him, he beckoned to me to join him. The people around me were clapping. Linda linked her arm with mine and pulled me all the way into the office.

‘
How are you feeling?’ Nicholas regarded me through his dark glasses. I took a long drink of hot tea from the mug in front of me.

‘
I’m ok, I think.’ My hand shook slightly as I placed the mug back on the table.

‘
That must have been very difficult for you to deal with,’ he said softly. ‘I know Gracie is your friend.’

‘
She said it wasn’t an accident.’ I looked over at the fish tank. The yellow fish was there at the front of the tank. It seemed to be looking out at me, through the glass.

‘
Ava?’

Tearing my gaze away, I looked at him. He hadn
’t moved and his expression remained the same.

‘
Is that what you think? That one of our Paradise members attempted to hurt Gracie and put several other lives at risk at the same time?’

He didn
’t sound angry but it felt as though I were being reprimanded. When he put it like that I could see why.

‘
No. I know that no one would do that.’

‘
Gracie is not well. When she arrived at work this morning she was showing signs of distress. She was asked if she would like to take the day off but refused.’

‘
She’d come from my pod. She stayed the night.’

He raised an eyebrow and gave a small nod.
‘Paradise Community is a wonderful place. However our way of life is not suitable for everyone. For someone like Gracie, who came to us already lost and damaged, it was always going to be difficult. We were hoping that she would embrace our ways and find happiness here, but alas, she has fought us all the way.’

‘
What will happen to her?’

‘
She’ll be treated in hospital, as will the other poor unfortunate casualties, and then she will have a choice as to whether she wishes to come back and try again, or move on. Either way we will offer her our full support. I’m just glad I happened to be here when it happened. I fear that if it weren’t for the ambulances arriving so quickly, and you of course, the outcome could have been far more serious.’

‘
You called the ambulances?’

‘
I did, yes.’

Finishing the last of my tea I sat back in my chair and crossed my legs.

‘I wish I could have done more.’

‘
You reacted as soon as you heard the commotion. You assessed the situation, took control of it, then lifted the entire heap of rubble off the victims. How could you possibly have done more?’

‘
I hadn’t thought about it like that.’

‘
You proved that you are a true leader today. Those people out there will do anything for you now. You have their allegiance and should be very proud of yourself.’

‘
I should?’

‘
Yes! Don’t you see? This is your rightful place. These people need you to fight for them and to protect them. Think about it, and when you’re ready I’ll be waiting. Ok?’

*

There were a lot of people around when I left the office. Not wanting to talk just yet, I made for the door but bumped into someone on my way through.

‘
Sorry,’ I muttered.

‘
Hi, Ava,’ a voice cut through my thoughts.

‘
Oh, hi Joe. How are you?’

‘
To be honest I’m upset about what happened today.’

‘
You’re not the only one. It was a terrible accident.’

‘
Have you heard how Gracie is doing?’

‘
No, all I know is that she and the other two were transferred to hospital. It’s lucky that Nicholas called for the ambulances when he did.’

Joe frowned.
‘Strange really, isn’t it?’

‘
What’s strange?’

‘
Oh, just that he must have called them at almost the exact time the accident happened in order for them to come so fast.’

I shrugged.
‘He must have quick reactions.’

‘
Maybe. Did well to be standing in the window so long too, considering how the light affects him.’

‘
I’m sure that anyone would have made an exception under those circumstances.’

‘
Yes, I’m sure you’re right. Oh well, I’ll let you get on. You take care now, won’t you?’ He tipped an imaginary cap at me and walked away. Shaking my head I made a run for it, hoping that I could get home without meeting anyone else.

*

I spent a lot of time in my pod over the following week. Nicholas’s words repeated in my mind over and over. The image of Gracie broken and in pain was permanently imprinted on my memory. The thought that I could have done something to help the poor, frightened creature who had crept into my home haunted me. If only I could turn back time and do things differently.

T
hen it dawned on me that although things had gone wrong with Gracie, it didn’t mean that I couldn’t protect other people. Nicholas was right. If my powers could stop any other innocents getting hurt then surely that was my calling?

With a new bounce in
my step I left my pod, slamming the door shut behind me, and marched straight in to Nicholas’s office without knocking. He was sitting in his usual seat, papers strewn across the desk. He looked up as I entered but his face gave no hint of surprise.

‘
I’m ready.’

‘
Wonderful.’ He nodded at the chair opposite. ‘We have work to do.’

Standing, looking down
over the sea of faces, my stomach twisted into a knot. My new uniform felt itchy and uncomfortable compared to the soft, flowing fabric of my community clothes. It was red in colour and consisted of trousers, a starched jacket, a cap and clumpy black boots. Above the left pocket on my jacket was a small, metal badge which had a P for Paradise engraved in gold above four thin lines. I was the only one with four lines and that meant I was in charge.

‘
Can I have your attention please?’

The entire group of guards clicked their heels to attention and looked at me. Their uniforms matched mine except for the fact that the highest ranking guards had just two lines
on their badges. Nicholas, Simeon and Linda all had three lines on theirs. That they had given me a higher level of importance than themselves humbled me greatly.

The guards were a real mixed bunch. Mostly volunteers, they came from all sorts of backgrounds and had all committed themselves to protect Paradise Community. They
’d been given basic training, along with some fairly hefty weapons.

‘
Today, our government admitted that they have lost control and they have lost hope. We knew this time would come and we have spent the last few months preparing for it. This afternoon the government transferred the responsibility for law enforcement to us. Thanks to Nicholas’s hard work and dedication, he has been able to persuade them that the time has come for changes to be made. The new laws have been written with protection in mind. They may seem harsh but we all know they are necessary. For the time being the priority is to bring peace, control and security to the community outside Paradise. In order to do this, we must ensure that all Nexes be kept apart from Standards. We will begin with the surrounding areas then work our way across the country. Phase one of our plan is to go into the town of Betnor and create a border which signifies where each community may live. The Standards will be given the town and the Nexes the village. We are bound to face opposition from both sides but I trust that you will deal with such issues with sympathy and compassion. We are privileged to be in a situation where we can see the truth – that Paradise is the future. We must protect those who cannot protect themselves and we must gain control. Are you all ready?’

‘
Yes ma’am.
’

‘
Ok, let’s go!’

*

Simeon arrived at my side, his usual grin fixed in place.

‘
Hey,’ I grinned back, ‘I haven’t seen you in ages. How have you been?’

‘
Great, thank you. I heard about the accident. How’s everyone doing?’

‘
They’re all pretty badly hurt. Phil has internal injuries and is still in intensive care. Chon has been moved on to a ward and is recovering slowly but has to stay in a while longer for observations, and Gracie damaged her back. They’re not sure at the moment whether she’ll walk again.’ The words choked in my throat as tears sprang to my eyes. Simeon placed his hand on my arm and squeezed gently.

‘
I’m so sorry to hear that and I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help. What an awful tragedy. The new accommodation blocks are fantastic though, considering everything that’s happened. I believe that’s mostly down to you.’

‘
I couldn’t risk anyone else getting hurt.’

‘
Well, we certainly needed them.’ He surveyed the scene around him, his eyebrows arched. ‘I’d no idea there would be so many new members.’

‘
Me neither. I hardly know who anyone is any more.’

‘
So, are you coming to the town or staying here?’

‘
Oh, I’m coming. Have you seen Nicholas?’ I scanned the area. Some of the guards had congregated by the 4x4s parked in the car park whilst others were setting off on foot.

‘
Yes, I saw him on the way over. He said to tell you he’s been called away urgently but to go ahead with the plan and he’ll be back as soon as possible.’

‘
Oh, ok. Right, well I guess we’d better get going.’

*

We arrived in the town to find the place in chaos. My guards surged from their vehicles, trying desperately to control a huge crowd of people. Simeon grabbed a megaphone from the back seat of our car and climbed out into the street.

‘
Ladies and gentlemen,’ he called out, ‘as of today, the law states that Unexplainables and Standards must live separate lives.’

Boos and jeers filled the air and several people jostled forwards. The guards formed a line and attempted to stop them moving any further. Simeon continued as though nothing had happened
, ‘These laws have been put in place for your own safety and protection. Please co-operate with the law-enforcement guards and move to your designated areas. Anyone resisting will be dealt with accordingly . . .’

The rest of his sentence was lost as the crowd surged towards us. The guards did their best to hold them back
, but inevitably their line disintegrated and fighting broke out. Chunks of wood and bricks were lobbed at us and occasionally a Nex attempted to use their power against us.

I waded through the masses, helping out where I could. Slowly, we pushed them back. A line had been drawn through the town where there was a natural break between the buildings
, and we moved many of the Nexes back beyond this line.

On the town s
ide, the Duds were clustered in groups, looking scared of both the Nexes and the guards. Coaches had been brought in to take any willing Standards to the commune. Not many people had taken us up on the offer – the buses stood three-quarters empty.

‘
Ava!’ someone screamed my name. I spun around, searching for the source of the voice. Four guards were dragging Beth away from the divide whilst Noah was being restrained on the ground several metres away. I took a step towards her but a woman blocked my path. Tears streamed down her face as she grabbed hold of my shirt.

‘
Please don’t take my baby away. He can’t help being a Nex. His father was one but he walked out on us. I’m all he’s got. Please!’

A guard prised the woman
’s hands off me and pulled her away, but her eyes didn’t leave mine. Something deep inside me shifted but before I could think about it, Beth screamed again. Her parents were standing on the steps of one of the coaches.

‘
Beth, please.’ Her mother glanced at me and her expression became more worried. ‘There’s no point in fighting them, you’ll just get hurt.’

Noah suddenly broke free from his captors and sprinted towards Beth. I held my hand up and willed him backwards. Shrieking
with rage, he slid back into the arms of the guards.

‘
Take her,’ I told the ones holding Beth, then glanced at her briefly. ‘It’s for your own good.’

‘
No it’s not!’ she shrieked. ‘This isn’t right, Ava. I can’t believe that you’d be a part of this. I thought you were my friend.’ Shrugging the guards off, she marched up to the bus and pushed past her parents, storming right to the back seat. Her parents stared after her then looked back at me.

‘
Paradise is our future,’ I muttered. It was the first thing that came to mind. I turned to the guard next to me. ‘Call ahead and tell them to put extra security on this lot.’

‘
Yes, ma’am,’ he replied, grabbing his radio and banging on the side of the bus to instruct the driver to set off.

*

It took four hours to gain some measure of control. I’d been hesitant to use my powers on the basis that I didn’t want to frighten the Duds, however it became apparent that it was the only way to get through to the Nexes. They feared me and were quick to fall back once they saw me coming.

Eventually
, I called it a night and climbed into one of the 4x4s. By the time we reached Paradise, all was quiet. A few people headed in to the canteen but I was too tired to think about food.

After a hot shower I fell into bed
, but my mind was racing with the memories of the day. We had achieved a lot and yet it didn’t make me feel happy. Something was niggling at me and I couldn’t put my finger on it. It was as though there was something buried deep at the bottom of my subconscious. Eventually I got up and turned on my MP3 player, hoping to find solace in some music.

*

The next morning I put on my uniform and marched to the front of the queue in the dining room. There were a few new faces dotted around but I couldn’t see Beth or her parents. Simeon joined me at the table and for once his face was serious. Dark circles rimmed his eyes and the sparkle was somewhat dimmed. He tilted his head so that he could speak to me without being overheard.

‘
Well, last night was something of a success, don’t you think?’

I nodded.

‘And I think that you coped admirably. People really respect you.’

‘
They’re scared of me,’ I replied flatly.

‘
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. In time they’ll learn to trust that your decisions are sound.’

‘
I hope so. It just feels strange.’

He frowned.
‘How so?’

‘
I just feel bad about some of it.’

‘
Can you give me any examples?’

‘
Well, last night there was a woman who told me that her child had been taken away from her because he was a Nex but she wasn’t. And then there was my friend Beth and her boyfriend Noah. They just seemed so right together but now they have to stay away from each other. We are doing the right thing, aren’t we?’

H
e put his arm around me and hugged. ‘How would you feel if that child accidentally set fire to his house and killed his mother? It sounds extreme I know, but it has happened. And your friend Beth – surely it’s better to protect her from harm? I’ve seen the devastation that can be caused by Nexes losing control. I know it seems harsh but Standards cannot be expected to make safe decisions about a faction of society who hold powers that they simply do not understand.’

‘
You really think they’re in danger?’

‘
Yes! Standards are both naïve and vulnerable. When the Nexes first began showing their powers, the Standards were afraid of them. Once the government decided that the Nexes were to be accepted, their attitudes changed overnight because they trusted the government. That trust has diminished over the last decade. The government’s indecision and weak leadership has meant that they’ve been unable to stand up for themselves and move away from the situation. Even though they know the risks, they would rather bury their heads in the sand than deal with the problem. If we went to war tomorrow, the Standards would be crushed. They are incapable of protecting themselves against the Nexes.’

‘
I suppose you’re right.’

‘
They’ll thank you in the end. And for what it’s worth, I believe in you.’

‘
Thanks, I appreciate that. So, are you going down to the town now?’

‘
No, I have some jobs to do here. I’ll head down later this afternoon unless things take a turn for the worst. How about you?’

‘
I think I’ll do the same. I want to speak to Beth. I’m not sure she’ll want to see me but I’m going to try.’

‘
Well, good luck with that. I’m sure she’ll come around eventually.’

Nobody else spoke to me at breakfast. Linda smiled but hurried away and everyone else seemed to avoid me.
I was deep in thought as I left the building and at first didn’t notice the car parked outside with its engine was running. As I walked past it, the driver’s window opened.

‘
Ava?’ a voice called. I looked inside and saw Joe, sitting in the driving seat.

‘
Hey Joe. Are you going somewhere?’

‘
Actually, I wanted to speak to you. Do you have a few minutes?’

‘
Now?’

‘
If you wouldn’t mind.’

‘
Ok, where do you want to go? I can see if there’s a meeting room free.’

‘
Actually, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind coming in the car with me. There’s something I need to show you.’ A bead of sweat trickled down his brow and his hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white.

‘
Are you sure you’re ok? Maybe I should get someone.’

‘
Ava, please! I’m begging you, just get in the car. We haven’t got much time.’

I wanted to walk away
but he looked so desperate. Sighing, I walked around to the front passenger door and got in.

*

‘Whoa! Slow down!’ I gripped the edge of my seat tightly as the pods flew past on both sides.

‘
I’m sorry but I have to show you this. It’s the only way I know how.’