The Genesis Project Prophecy of the Seven (2 page)

CHAPTER
2

“Reighlyn…My sweetheart…I don’t know how to begin. I don’t know what to say or how to say what needs to be said other than it has to be said…Oh…Don’t look at me like that I’m not crazy…I need you to promise me that you will listen to me…To what I have to say without interruption…I don’t know how…I’m just going to say this.”

She paused, releasing my hands and planting her face in them. She rubbed her hands over her face and under her eyes to clear any mascara that had ran. She looked back into my eyes with a determined look.

“Reighlyn
, your father is not dead. I received a message from him.”

I’m sure I must have looked like a fish with my mouth wide open and my eyes open as wide as they could be.

“Mom, what do you mean Dad is al…”

“Reigh, I asked you not to interrupt. Please just give me a chance and the time I need to tell you what I know.
Okay?”

“
Okay, Mom.”

“Alright. I received a message from your
dad. Or maybe someone saying they’re your dad. I can’t be certain. What I do know is that he used a code word… A secret word that only he and I used together in this package I got. Hold on,”

she
said holding up one of her hands.

“I didn’t know what to make of this either. Dear Lord, I still don’t. I don’t know what to do, to think
… I just know that I should have told you sooner. Talked to you about this instead of just dropping this on you, and for that I am truly sorry. I thought that I was protecting you by never telling you this. You must understand. Your Dad was in the military, this was true, but what I never told you is he was a part of a secret military operation.”

She paused, taking a few deep breaths before she continued. 

“Your dad was…gifted… He could do things that others couldn’t. Well, there
are
others like him, yes… How many I don’t really know, but somehow, the government found out and they sought him out. They talked him into being a part of this group of people they put together… People like him. Gifted. I don’t know if this package is real or if he is really alive somewhere, but I’m going to take it seriously and I would hope you would as well. He wrote me a letter. He explained that the government was up to something. There was a terrorist group trying to turn off the power… I mean the POWER…Like no more lights, cars… Well, at least not the ones with computers. But my point is, they have apparently gotten what they needed to succeed. This group your dad is a part of, when I say gifted, I mean they have abilities… They can do things… Do you understand?”

Mom paused looking at me waiting for me to respond making sure that I was following her.

I just nodded my head yes. Things had been happening to me that were unexplainable. Things that shouldn’t happen have been occurring for two years now.

I could do things. I never told anyone because I thought I was crazy and that it was all in my head.

“Reigh… Are you okay, love? I know this is a lot to take in right now and so much so fast.”

“I’m
okay, Mom.”

“Alright, well in the note it said they –
whoever they are
- were going to cut the power. He didn’t know when, he just knew it would be soon. How soon, I wish I knew. We may not have time to prepare but this terrorist group didn’t know how the U.S. military kept gaining information. In the note your dad said they captured someone and that’s how his cover was blown. He said we needed to go somewhere to hide. Reighlyn, these people are coming after people with gifts. They’re killing anyone who gets in their way. This world is going dark in more ways than one, love. We need to prepare and figure out where we should go. Where your Dad would take us if he were here with us.”

We sat in silence looking at each other. I secretly hoped this was fake and real at the same time. I wanted to see my dad
and to hear his voice and laugh, to see if his smile was the same as in the pictures and home movies we have. But if this is real, will they come for me?

They must know of my dad if he broke his cover to warn me. Will he find us? Does he want to find us? My face betrayed my emotions; my mom turned my face back to hers.

She gently cupped my cheek.

“Reighlyn
, my sweet girl, I know… I have always known. I didn’t know what to do or how to help you, so I gave you your space to see, to experiment and to learn on your own.

Your dad told me you would need that, but I can’t keep quiet now knowing they may come for you. I don’t know what your gift is. Your dad said each gifted has their own
unique abilities. Some have the same gifts, some are stronger than others, some gifts are rare and then some of us are born without gifts,” she smiled. “I don’t have gifts Reigh, but I grew up with your father, watching him develop his. I can help you, tell you the things he told me, but first we need to prepare and plan I don’t know how long we have, and I’m hoping that we’ll get word from your dad again.”

She sighed and hung her head into the palm of her hand.

“I miss him so much.”

She sniffled. “Reighlyn
, your dad was an elementalist. Do you know what that means?”

Elementalist? Obviously it had something to do with the elements, which meant that was what I was
. That is what I am.

“Yes mom, I know what that means. He could control the elements right?”

“He could only control two, air and fire. He said it was rare for someone to control two. Most gifted only have one. It’s even rarer for someone to have three gifts, even if they’re correlating like the elements. It’s unheard of for one person to have four but four correlating...”

Mom looked at me expectantly and I knew what she was waiting for, but after keeping my secret for so long
, I didn’t know how to say it even after she just told me she knew.

I sighed.

“Are you like your dad? Do you control air and fire? Or just one of those?”

“I… I can control all of them. The elements
… I mean… and move objects without touching them physically.”

I waited for her to say something. Now her eyes were wide and her mouth was open.

“FIVE? You have FIVE! Oh, Reigh… Oh, my love, you’ve had to keep this to yourself. How scared you must have been when this started happening. Oh, sweetness, we’ll figure this out together. We’ll figure it all out.”

We began planning but dad’s message hadn’t reach us soon enough. Two days later
, the world that we had known literally fell apart into utter chaos and anarchy, so we took what we had and held off looters and would-be thieves and possible murderers.

We stayed in our house as long as we could
. We’d stock piled water and dried foods, candles, batteries and such, so we had enough of the essentials to last us till we could safely move out of the area.

I think part of the reason we waited so long to leave the house was in hopes that dad would find us before we left to our chosen safe place.

People began disappearing, fires raged, taking down whole neighborhoods, and dead bodies riddled the streets.

The terrorist group was more of a militia. When word came that they were in our area
, we knew it was past time we took off. The world was a different place without lights, power and computers… Without technology of any kind.

How I missed my iPhone
… I couldn’t allow myself to wish the past would come back. I had to think of the now and how I was going to use my “skills” to protect Mom. To protect myself…This militia had been collecting the gifted.

Trying to convince them to serving their cause, some did so willingly. Reaping the benefits of the destruction and chaos feeding their dark souls, with the pain and horror of their victims acting as if it were food to sustain them
. I couldn’t allow them to get to us.

I had to keep us safe
. I hoped and prayed my dad would find us, that he would come back and protect us. Maybe he knew of a way to stop the Militia. Maybe we could save others like us and not just ourselves.

Maybe then he could answer questions I had about these gifts
, like why did I have so many? Does this mean I’m in more danger than most gifted? Mom thinks so.

I grabbed my notebook and began to write. I left a note inside the teddy bear my dad had given me right before he left for his tour, hoping he would find it if he didn’t find us first.

I told him how much I missed him and forgave him for not being there for mom and me. That we knew he did what he did to protect us. I told him I had the five gifts and that I knew he would be proud of me. Finally, I told him I loved him and to please find me and especially mom.

There’s never been anyone but you dad. It had always and will always only be you for her.

CHAPTER
3

We moved everything we had packed into the kitchen
. It was closest to the back door, joining the garage and the house.

My
Jeep was in there. Mom was thankful I had a taste for vintage cars. She said I was very much like my dad in that sense. I smiled to myself. I wondered how kids who hadn’t been around parents still reflected them in ways.

At 3:00 A.M.
, we packed down my Jeep with all the gas cans, water, food and the duffels with our personal possessions. I walked through my room letting my hand touch things as I passed them. My picture of my Ex-Boyfriend Blaine and me. We were so happy together. His decision still didn’t make sense to me, but I loved him enough to see that he wanted to experience life without me. Dad I want that? No. No, I didn’t want that. I loved him, but I would much rather have him as a friend than nothing.

I touched my bed bare of any linen now and sat looking around
. This had always been my room. It was hard to believe that I would be waking up somewhere other than in my bed, in my room, in the only house that I’d ever lived in. Mom and I were literally walking away from everything that we’ve ever known.

The world had changed so much since then
, though. We wouldn’t survive here long even with my gifts. Too many people would either want to use me or hurt me. I knew this now.

I got up and went to my desk
. I took the teddy bear off and set it on the middle of my bed facing the door. I walked back to my desk and took my photo album out and took out three photos. One of Mom and I at the ‘Welcome to Texas’ sign, one of Mom and I standing inside the caves, and one of Mom and I at my graduation. I hoped my photos weren’t too obvious but I wanted Dad to have a chance of finding us.

I laid the pictures in front of the teddy bear. I had no idea if people would raid the house when they saw we were no longer on the premises.

I had no idea if he would even come, if he even wanted to come. I know that he sent the letter to Mom somehow, whether out of love or guilt, I didn’t know.  I hoped from the bottom of my heart it was out of love more than guilt, which I’m sure he battles with.

I took my photo album and held it close to my heart, I stood in the door and looked back at my room knowing that this would be my final day as an innocent child and my becoming and adult would happen far faster that I had ever
hoped shut the door which echoed in my mind and soul as final and proceeded down stairs so we could make our way out of Tennessee toward Texas.

I found my Mom in the kitchen writing a note of her own. She folded it and placed it in the cookie jar on the counter. I didn’t ask, I already knew.

I gave her a small reassuring smile.

“Are you ready
, Mom?”

Mom walked over to me and clutched me in a way that only a
mother could to her child; a simple hug that spoke in the volumes of love that pulsed with every beat of her heart and soul.

“No
, love, but what else are we going to do? “Mom said, giving me the reassuring smile I had just given her. I hugged her back trying to make her feel as safe as she made me when I was in her arms. We both knew we wouldn’t be safe for long, at least not until we could get to the caves and make sure we could secure it. If we couldn’t do that, I had no idea what we were going to do.

We had no backup plan.
This had to work.

“Alright
, Mom. We need to go before light,”

I said
, grabbing her hand for the strength and support I knew we both needed right now.

This wasn’t just our house
… It was our home; our place of security and comfort and now we had to leave out into the unknown.

“Let’s go
, love, before I lose my nerve and try to figure out a way to stay.”

She laughed a little at that only because she knew it was impossible and crazy.

The amount of attacks on people and people disappearing were increasing in our area. We knew it was now or never. We knew it was past time we left.

We got into my
Jeep. I was driving. I figured I’d be driving a lot considering mom didn’t know how drive a stick.

Mom opened the garage door that was supposed to be electric with the emergency exit lever.

She pushed it up and I cranked the engine making a face at how loud it sounded. I turned to start backing up so I could get the car out fast and she could get in as soon as she shut the garage.

A scream erupted from behind the
Jeep. I grabbed my softball bat and jumped out the Jeep ready to smack a homerun up the side of someone’s face if they tried to hurt my mom.

“MOM!” I screamed coming to her aide.

“MOM! Where are you?! Are you okay?”

“Reigh
, oh my! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to scream… Blaine… It’s Blaine, Reigh… It’s okay,” Mom said, coming over to me hugging me and helping me to lower my bat. I was shaking. I was beyond words at the moment. I went from being ready to smack someone into another lifetime in 1.3 seconds.

“Blaine? What are you doing here? I thought you left for Boston with your parents.”

“Reighlyn, they’re gone. They’re gone.”

Blaine’s voice cracked as tears spilled over his gorgeous blue eyes.
Keep your mind right, Reigh…,
I thought to myself.

I shouldn’t be thinking of his beautiful
six foot three frame or his blue eyes that are so blue they looked like they were made out of ice.

How I loved this jerk. From his sandy
blond hair and chiseled jaw to his firm strong frame that made every girl and woman around him drool, including me.

Mind on the present Reigh
, I coached myself back into the present.

“What do you mean they’re gone? Who’s gone and what are you doing here its 4 am. Don’t you know what’s going on? Aren’t you afraid of the Militia and of all the loons out here killing people for nothing?”

I asked Blaine He looked at me as if his entire world had been ripped from his hands.

“Reigh. I…” Blain stuttered trying to say his piece.

“My parents are gone Reigh.”

Mom and I gasped at the same time
. I began looking around, remembering we were outside in a new dangerous world, one we didn’t know anymore.

“Where’s your Mom and Dad? What happened? Where’s Becca Blaine?” I waited looking at him but making sure I kept an eye on our surroundings.

I didn’t know how to control my gifts on a large scale. I could do little things but I didn’t know if I would be better with my gifts or my bat.

I knew Blaine would be able to do some damage but we’d be hard pressed if we were confronted by more than a few. I looked back to Blaine waiting
, wishing we could just get out of there already.

“Blaine it’s not safe out here
. Either come with us or tell us what you have to say and say it quick. This place isn’t the safe neighborhood we grew up in any longer,” I told Blaine. I loved this big jerk, but I knew we needed to go. We could make room for him if we needed to and I knew he would be a huge help.

“Blaine
,” I started to say again, reaching my hand out to touch his arm. He recoiled at my touch which confused me. I’m sure he realized I was hurt by his reaction to my touch just by the look on my face.

“Blaine
,” I said again with more force, throwing out my hand toward my Jeep, trying to get through to him that we were leaving. “Reigh, they took them. They would have taken me too but I had went out to get supplies. We were trying to get things we needed to head to a safer place. We heard that some people were forming a rebel army to deal with this militia. Dad wanted to go join. He said it was our duty that we should do whatever we could to protect the people and others like us.”

Blaine paused
, looking directly at me. My mouth dropped.

“Blaine? What do you mean protect others like us?”

He looked ashamed.

“Blaine, are you gifted? Is that why they took your family?”

He looked at me for what seemed like hours, when I knew in fact it was but a few seconds.

“Reigh, it’s why I broke up with you. I wanted to protect you. My dad said it wouldn’t be fair to you. That you may not understand.”

“What can you do?” I asked him trying to not be peeved. My heart still hurt for him.

How could I have thought he was a jerk? He was protecting me. Well I still believed what he did was jerky.

“I can...” He paused trying to find words to explain. “I can electrocute things. My body acts as a conduit. I can throw electricity from my hands or send it though items, even send it through every orifice of my body to turn myself into a weapon. My Dad can do the same thing just not on the level that I can and my Mom could send out shields, and Becca hasn’t shown her gift yet, if she has one. Sometimes, only one child is gifted… Sometimes they all are; at least that’s what dad said,” he paused waiting for me to take this all in as if it was a shock and it would have been, had I not knew exactly what he was talking about.

“Blaine
, I’m not shocked…I’m shocked you broke up with me over this. Do you have any idea what I’ve been going through? You’re not the only one with problems and gifts!”

I yelled at him and turned to get back into my
Jeep.

“Mom
, let me back out please,” I said as if exhausted. Blaine looked shocked that I was more upset over the break up than over the fact he had a gift.

Good
. Serves him right
, I thought.

“Get in
, Blaine. You’re not the only special one around here.”

I backed out and watched
Mom close the garage door while watching for uninvited guests.

We needed to get out of here
. We’ve been outside for too long and looters may have taken notice of us and our loaded down vehicle.

Mom jogged back and hopped into the back while Blaine came around and hopped in the front
; the only place his long legs would allow him to fit. He looked over at me as I put the Jeep in reverse.

I looked at him and gave a half grin speaking volumes of mischief
. I slammed the Jeep in first gear as I headed toward the highway.

“You’re not the only gifted in this car
, Blaine.” I said again, glancing at him and back at the road.

“You and your mom?”
he asked as if it couldn’t be possible. I laughed for the first time in a long time.

“No
, just me.” I replied, waiting for the question I knew was going to come.

“How? If you didn’t get it from your mom? I mean you got the gift from your dad
, obviously, but you didn’t tell me either. Reigh what can you do? What did your dad do?”

“Not so many questions
, Blaine,” I stopped him.

“Yes
, I got my
gifts
from my dad.”

I paused waiting to see if he heard the emphasis I put on gifts.

Blaine grabbed my right hand that I had rested on the gear shifter of my Jeep

“What can you do Reigh?”
he asked in a quiet voice.

“I can control all the elements and move objects with my mind. My dad could control
air and fire. I don’t know how strong his gift was but l haven’t used mine much except for small things. I haven’t exercised it to know what I could really do.”

“Well, I need to figure out how to get my family back. I can help you
, Reigh, but will you help me? Please, I need you, Reigh. I needed you before I knew this but I need you even more now. I’m sorry I broke up with you the way I had. I didn’t know how to tell you and if you would even accept me. Please forgive me, Reigh.”

He lifted my right hand from the gear shift and pressed it to his lips. I felt my hard reserve melt at the feel of his full lips.

I hated that his family had been captured, but I was glad he came to me. I was more than glad he would help me and had the experience of growing his gifts to help me with mine.

Even more ecstatic
, he wanted me gifts or no gifts and we didn’t have to hide from each other any longer.

I looked back to see my mom had curled up and fallen asleep. She looked exhausted
, even in sleep. I knew it would be a while before the worry lines on her face smoothed out.

She was so strong. I hoped I had half the strength she had; I couldn’t go wrong if I did. I told Blaine about our plan and agreed in our logic
. We’d have what we needed in the caves to work out my gifts and a clean water source, which was a major deal.

So
south we went, eyes searching every vehicle that came to close to ours, knowing that we had to get there as soon as we could and that the longer we were on the open road, the longer we chanced one of the vehicles being the Militia and not others fleeing.