The Energy Room (The Elementum Trilogy) (15 page)

I shut my eyes as tightly as I could, somehow convincing myself that this would keep Al out of my head. I tried to lean away from him as he took my face in his hands. I flinched slightly at the stab of pain, as he used his shirt sleeve to wipe away some of the blood from my chin.

‘
Trust me,
’ Al’s voice penetrated my thoughts, trying to deceive me again.

I knew better, now. Al had bested the best liar I knew: me. I was not going to let him do it again.

“Locate the Lakin fellow first,” William said, taking a swig of whiskey as he smirked.

“
Lakin Adams,” Al began. My eyes opened wide to examine his face. Adams was not Lakin’s last name. “He lives in... Houston, Texas.”

I wanted to smile, but I refrained. I was wrong. Al was not a traitor. He was helping me protect the others. I hoped against hope that my thankfulness did not show on my face.

I caught a glimpse of William nodding to one of the security guards, who then left the room. Fear shook me. It wouldn’t take long for them to realize that Al was lying.

“
Lyla Adams,” Al started, another lie. “Boston, Massachusetts; Nadia Turner, Lincoln, Nebraska; Joseph Turner, Atlanta, Georgia; Bryant Dawson, Phoenix, Arizona.”

At each name, another guard left the room, until there were only four remaining. I cocked my head, as Al looked at me apologetically. I couldn’t understand why he seemed regretful, but I was so confused as to why he gave some of us the same surnames. Al leaned back on the table, acting as though he was emotionally drained as he retreated his hands to his pants pockets.

“I appreciate your service, Mr. Waldreck,” William said, slurping noisily at the remainder of his whiskey.

‘
Prepare yourself,
’ Al’s voice whispered in my mind.

“
Unfortunately, someone with telepathic abilities can’t be trusted in this sort of operation,” William continued dismally, reaching inside his blazer.

Al kept his back to William, maintaining steady eye contact with me for a moment. Before I could understand what was happening, BANG! The gunshot rang throughout the room like a freight train. I screamed, throwing myself to the floor out of reflex, and bumping my broken nose on the way down. I shut my watery eyes, shaking my head in denial at the thought of losing the man who I was so grateful to.

Ears deafened by the ringing, I hesitantly forced one eye open, expecting to find Al’s lifeless face staring back at me from the floor. My mouth fell agape at the scene.

Al had spun to face William, flinging his hands out of his pockets to release fistfuls of some sort of coarse powder into the air. I quickly recognized it as the sand from my last lab-run. Beams of yellowy light emitted from his hands, intertwining with the tiny grains of sand, causing them to expand and morph together. Before I knew it, a labyrinth of rigid glass surrounded us, separating us from the forces of evil in the room.

William, who had been awestruck, finally understood what was happening, and began pelting the glass with bullets. The guards behind us followed his lead. I flinched with each loud bang, covering my head as I flattened myself against the floor. I expected the glass to shatter immediately, but the bullets caused nothing more than minuscule chips on contact.

“
We have to go,” Al said hurriedly, helping me to my feet.

I stared at all the men who had run out of bullets, and resorted to pounding on the glass with the butts of their guns. I tried not to stumble, allowing Al to lead the way out of the room into the brightly lit staircase.

The next floor up was the computer lab. Most of the lights were dimmed, as it was still very late at night. Al held his finger to his lips, gesturing that I needed to be quiet. I nodded in understanding, and hunched over as I followed him through cubicles. I was unsure where we were going, but I didn’t question it.

He pulled me under a small desk just in time to remove ourselves from the path of the guards who had left the room earlier to check on Al’s information about the others. When the coast was clear, we forged ahead to the one lit cubicle of the floor.

Fidgeting nervously in his seat, was a very anxious Dr. Helmsworth.

“
Hurry. It won’t be long,” Al whispered, holding my hands out for Dr. Helmsworth to examine.

I felt a bead of drool run down my chin, as my mouth fell open once again. If it had been physically possible, I’m sure my jaw would have plummeted all the way to the floor.

Dr. Helmsworth nodded, lifting a set of small keys from around his neck. He quickly typed something into his computer, completely deactivating my Electro-Cuffs before inserting the keys into the two small holes on the bottom of the shackles, and turning them at the same time.

I felt as though the burdeniest of burdens had been lifted from me, as the Electro-Cuffs fell to the floor with a thud. I gripped my wrists, examining the reddish, wrinkled skin that had developed underneath them. A single tear of happiness rolled down my cheek, as I beamed at the wonderful man fidgeting nervously in his seat.

“You have to go. Now,” Dr. Helmsworth said, hastily shooing us from the tiny, open office.

“
You’re not coming with us?” I asked, as Al tried to pull me back toward the stairway.

“
I would just slow you down. There’s no time. Go,” Dr. Helmsworth replied.

“
They’ll kill you when they find out you helped us,” I stated sadly, Al still tugging at my arm.

“
Then don’t let me die in vain, Angie,” Dr. Helmsworth smiled, eyes watering as he gazed at me lovingly.

I nodded, finally allowing Al to lead me back to the stairway. I had never been to the higher levels of The Facility, and I had no clue what to expect. We moved carefully, Al keeping an eye on the stairway beneath us as we ascended.

The staircase ended at a sturdy, white door. Al reached for the handle, sighing to find that it was locked. He knelt down to the keyhole, beams of light emanating from his fingertips as he blew a few grains of leftover sand into the opening. I was uncertain of what he did, but there was a loud click within moments, and the door creaked open.

We were in a dark room, surrounded by silence, without even the guiding light of an exit sign. I tugged on Al’s shirt sleeve, like a child afraid of the night.

‘
We are not alone,
’ Al’s voice said doubtlessly. ‘
Listen
.’

We stood completely still, and sure enough... I could hear the muffled breathing of at least three other people in the room with us.

‘
What do we do?
’ I questioned inside my head.

‘
Get down,
’ he replied.

I dropped to the floor at the sound of a lighter clicking. The room was lit up with fire, spreading from Al’s palm like a flame-thrower. There were a few gun shots, but before the hidden guards managed to do any damage, they were running around the room like beheaded chickens, completely ablaze and screaming in agonizing pain.

Al grabbed my hand, lifting me back to my feet. We used the light of the burning guards to navigate our way to a plain, wooden door at the other side of the room. Al didn’t bother to check whether or not it was locked, rather he just kicked the door open with brute force.

We entered into a small stairwell, which led straight up to a door above our heads. Hopeful beams of light fell onto our faces from cracks around the door, the sounds of screaming guards growing silent behind us.

I held my breath, as Al pushed into the door with his shoulder. I closed my eyes to imagine seeing the real sky for the first time, and to feel the warmth of the true Sun beaming down on my face. I wondered what the air smelled like. I wondered what it would feel like to stand in the middle of a prairie, with the real breeze whisking through my hair. I wondered... what that awful smell was!

Nauseating, fluorescent light burned my eyes, as I followed Al up the steps into a toxic-smelling room, lined with nauseatingly-green tiles on the walls and floor. I squinted my eyes, attempting to focus them against the light.

We were in a men’s bathroom. Almost surely, a men’s bathroom that someone had recently used. It was the worst smell I had ever been subjected to, but I was amazed at how flawlessly the door blended in to the floor when it was closed.

I gasped at the sight of the creature that was staring at me from the far wall. Unhealthy shades of blue, purple and black surrounded the monster’s eyes, and its face was covered in blood. Tufts of blonde hair frayed wildly around its face, and... I realized the hideous beast was me. I was growing to dislike mirrors.

“
Angie,” Al said, nodding to the bathroom exit.

He poked his head through the door, looking around quickly before leading me through.

We were in some sort of grocery store, though it was very small. Shelves, lined with cans and boxes of food, made for very little room in the aisle ways. At the other end of the shop, I could see a glass door, and on the other side of that glass door... was darkness. I had totally forgotten that it was the middle of the night.

Realization forced me to stop in my tracks, violently yanking on Al’s hand.

“What?!” Al asked urgently.

“
If it’s the middle of the night, why are all the lights on?” I questioned in a whisper.

No sooner had the words left my mouth, than the sound of a cocking shotgun announced itself from behind us. Al sighed, drooping his head as he raised his hands in defeat. I mimicked him, but with the added bonus of wobbly knees and just the smallest fear of peeing my pants.

“You’ve got ten seconds to tell me what you want,” a male voice interrogated.

My ears perked. The voice sounded so familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Our heads lifted in hope, as we realized whoever this person was, he was not from The Facility.

“We were just passing through town, and needed some supplies. We thought you were open,” Al lied, quite convincingly. I was impressed.

“
People don’t pass through here, and that door was locked. Turn around,” the voice demanded.

I gulped
, turning as slowly as I could to face the person who was holding us at gun point. I kept my eyes closed tightly, imagining that it would make being shot in the face a little less horrible. I waited for something to be said, but silence hung in the air like humidity on a hot summer day.

“
Angie?!” the voice cried, and suddenly I knew why it sounded so familiar.

“
Wait... Are you? NO! Angie, don’t open your—” but Al didn’t have time to finish his sentence.

Just as I set my gaze upon the most amazing face I had ever seen, something extraordinary took place. As soon as
our eyes made met, pillars of blue light radiated from my body, dancing and swirling with the orange light that was emitting from the body a few feet in front of me. The piercing pain between my eyes was not enough to cause my gaze to shift from him.

It felt as if my entire being was changing, becoming more whole, and combining with the being across from me.
In that moment, I was connected to every living thing on the planet. I felt the wind in the trees, and the waves of the oceans. I felt so complete, I was unsure how I had survived before, feeling any differently. This was the way people were meant to live their lives—in total tranquility and oneness. It was all so clear.

The light pulled us closer together, until our faces were only an inch apart. We placed our hands on each other’s cheeks, our eyes now solid currents of light and energy. Nothing else mattered. I was exactly where I was supposed to be, with exactly who I was supposed to be with. All the questions in the world were asked and answered in that moment. Time stood still, sped up, and ceased to exist. I understood peace, as every emotion joined together to create a new feeling I had never known.

In my peripheral vision, I noticed a sparkle within the intertwining beams of light. No—there were two sparkles, circling us and growing larger. The beams of light supporting the glittering objects seemed to condense into the objects themselves. Before I knew it, the lights were gone, and two beautiful gems rested on the floor in the small distance between us.

I was amazed by what I had just experienced, and had difficulty forcing my vocal chords to work. It was as though I had expanded to the size of the universe, but was being crammed back into my puny, confining body.

“Ahem!” Al cleared his throat, after the man and I had been standing in silence for a while.

“
Al,” I said, finally removing my hand from the man’s cheek, “this is Lakin.”

“
I figured. It’s nice to meet you. I’m happy for you that you bonded. It’s amazing that we ran into you. But we really don’t have time for this right now. Grab your crystals, because we have to go,” Al said frantically, waving us toward the front door of the shop.

“
What are you doing here?!” Lakin asked, as I scooped up the gems from next to our feet.

They were beautifully faceted, with iridescent shades of blue and orange glimmering in the light. Each had a rigid side, which fit perfectly against the other when held together. I had never seen anything like them. The closest thing I had seen to them was the necklace Al had given me for my birthday. In fact, they were nearly the same shape and size.

“I will answer your questions later. We have to leave—right now,” Al exclaimed, pushing us both toward the door.

We fell abruptly into the cold air of the night, causing my lungs to stumble at their first real breath of fresh air. I inhaled deeply as we ran, smiling at Lakin next to me. I hoped Al knew where he was going.

“Lakin, where are we?” Al asked, leading us into a protective patch of woods.

“
We’re in Freedom, Maine,” Lakin answered, grasping my hand as if he would never let it go.

Al stopped so suddenly, we almost toppled right over him.

“...You are serious,” Al said, eyeing Lakin suspiciously as he read his thoughts.

“
Yeah, why?” Lakin responded, taken aback by Al’s change in demeanor.

Al chuckled
, shaking his head in disbelief as he carried on.

We ran for what seemed like ages, against the cool
, Maine air. Exhaustion enveloped me, causing the woods around us to seem more mystical and terrifying than they probably were. I jumped at every snap of a twig, expecting a guard with a gun to pop out at any moment. I wondered what was happening inside Lakin’s head, he must have had so many questions; nearly as many as I did. I trusted Al to answer them all in time, but I could feel them building up inside me, seeping through my skin. I wondered how long it would be before I turned into a big, gooey puddle of questions.

As the sky was turning gray with light through the treetops, the sound of running water found its way to my ears. I didn’t know why, but the sound was comforting, spreading a feeling of warmth throughout my body. After crossing over a small road in the trees, the faint glimmer of light against moving water caught my eye.

“Where are we going?” I asked, wondering if we were near the ocean and Al had somehow arranged for a boat to be waiting for us.

“
Freedom Pond,” Al answered plainly.

“
Why? There’s nothing there,” Lakin said, confused.

Al returned to his silence, leading us closer to the water. Beauty struck me as we neared the edge of the pond. Trees branched out from our sides, lining the shimmering sight with dark green foliage. The water was peaceful and still, and seemed to go on forever. I wondered if the rest of the world was as radiant as this.

Al led us to a small, wooden bridge, but instead of walking over it, he directed us to the magnificent waterfall underneath. I stared in amazement, as we traveled down the steep bank. Al stopped at the very edge of the stream that the water gave birth to, looking back at us with a smile.

“
Will you tell us where we’re going, now?” I pleaded, enjoying the first break we had taken since leaving The Facility.

Al gave us the most mischievous smile, before removing a ring from his finger, which contained a crystal not unlike the one around my neck. The gem shined brilliantly as he held it out in front of him, splashing through the knee-high water toward the waterfall. Lakin and I stared in disbelief as the shower of water parted above him, revealing a solid
, stone wall. Al caressed the wall gently, leaving a trace of white light from his palm against the rock. The light spread out like a spider web, until it formed a doorway to a dark tunnel, which I was less than excited to enter.

“
Come on,” Al said, waving us through the entrance.

“
Is there a back door, or something? Maybe one that looks just a little less creepy?” I asked cautiously.

“
No. Now, come on,” Al demanded, waving more aggressively.

Lakin and I moved carefully, stepping slowly into the cold, clear stream. It didn’t seem necessary, but I ducked my head as I traveled under the parted water, into the damp
, stone tunnel. Lakin and Al followed behind me, the stone wall closing to block out all light and sound.

Al’s face lit dimly at the click of a lighter. He held his hand over the flame, absorbing a ball of flickering light into his palm. Having refrained from using his abilities for the majority of his life, Lakin watched the phenomenon with the wondrous eyes of a child.

In all the excitement of the evening, I hadn’t noticed the growing blood-stain on Al’s shirt, just below his left shoulder. The blotch was dark and shiny against the light from his palm, and a hole sat neatly in the center of it. It hadn’t occurred to me that William’s bullet may not have missed its target.

‘I’m fine.’
Al’s voice echoed in my head, and I left it at that.

It was difficult to judge time as we walked through the tunnel, but I was relieved that we no longer had to run. My legs ached, informing me how incre
dibly out of shape I was. Grasping at the stabbing pain in my side took up so much of my attention, I was almost too side-tracked to notice the light at the end of the tunnel. I was definitely too side-tracked to comprehend what I was looking at, once we entered into the light. Perhaps it was just too astounding to fathom.

We left the simplicity of the tunnel, and entered into the utter impossible.