𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

𝐢. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

"AND THAT'S TIME! pack it up ladies!"

the brunette slowly resurfaced from the chlorinated water, sighing in disappointment. charlotte had came second yet again. to anyone else that would be a great accomplishment but charlotte being raised in to be a strict perfectionist, she knew she was screwed as soon as she got home.

her parents were strict to say the least. their heavy expectations weighed down on charlotte. she was expected to be an elite athlete or a civil judge, when in reality she was a teenaged girl who didn't have a clue with what she wanted in life.

older brother micheal was doctor. he was married to a nice filipino girl, with a baby on the way. meanwhile her older sister angie, was a successful businesswoman at a big company in the city, she's getting arranged for her wedding and that's all her parents could talk about.

and when they weren't talking about how successful micheal or angie were, they were scolding charlotte.

why wasn't smart like her siblings?

why didn't take swimming seriously?

why was she such a disappointment to them?

to her she was the child they never wanted.

"second is first to lose."

"be like your siblings."

"you're a disgrace to our family name."

charlotte could already imagine their faces when she would get home. even if she did win, they'd still be disappointed. she didn't want to hear their harsh words again.

she was the last to walk into the locker room, it was almost empty. she changed, as she knew what she was about to endure.

she looked outside, it was lightly drizzling. she liked the rain because it's pattern was aimless. it didn't have an exact destination, it simply went anywhere it wanted to with no one to stop it.

and with this thought in mind an idea brewed in her head. what if she ran away? just for a hour or two. sure, her parents would be mad if they found out the truth but surely could tell one measly lie.

she contemplated again before walking out the back door of the school.

she smiled to herself lightly. she hadn't been this rebellious in her life, but she loved the feeling of carelessness.

she got on her bike, pedaling throughout town. the breeze skimming through her long silky hair as she stopped at the beach. she starred out at the waves crashing, as she walked closer to the ocean.

she let the water rise up to her claves. she stayed forty minutes longer until she started to pack up. she took in one last look at beach, snapping a picture on her phone as a guy approached her.

"nice view right?" he asked as she nodded. the guy was a couple years older than her, not being any older then twenty-seven.

"i'm just passing through town and i'm could use some directions?" he asked politely.

"i really have to get home-" charlotte says getting on her bike.

"it will only take a second, i just need to get to main street." he said as she sighed.

"okay" she said, walking closer to the ride where her bike was parked. "its down here to your left-" she spoke as she felt a cloth forcefully against her nose and mouth.

he grabbed her forcefully, as she screamed quietly fighting the chloroform. her limbs grew tired as she started blacking out. she cried as she was thrown over his shoulder.

"i said let me go!" she begged quietly as she saw the outline of another man.

"number twelve is secured." the first man said, guiltily looking away from the girl.

"good, start the transfer."

upon the order the man was given the doors of a van were opened as they cuffed charlotte's hands as she continued to cry. she felt like passing out any minute now, in her mind this was the end of road.

"please! i'm sorry i'm sorr-" she begged. tears falling down her face as the feeling of sleepiness started to take over. she turned her head, trying her best to keep her eyes open. she felt like she was floating, colors faded to black as the doors closed.

charlotte marie anderson. ☾

"NANA IM BACK!" reggie shouted.

the boy walked through the back door of his grandmother's house. he sat down as he watch the older lady make her famous lemonade.

what started off as a quiet saturday in the small town would be one of the memorable days of reggie's life. whether he wanted to or not, he couldn't ever forget the day that changed his life. the life of reginald, 'reggie' west was anything from normal.

his parents died when he was younger in an accident. since then he never really dealt with his parents death, only finding comfort from someone else. that someone being his grandmother linda, the boy was always emotionally tied to her especially when she promised to take care of her.

she was the sweetest old lady you could ever meet. she was the type to always offer you a cold drink on the hottest days of the year. she liked to crochet little knit-nats for others. and she always was kind to others. she was one of the precious souls the world had to offer.

it was saturday afternoon and reggie had agreed to help his grandmother with some stuff around the farmhouse. she poured him the drink

the doorbell had rang upstairs and reggie sighed as he went to answer the door.

"reggie dear, i'll get it. you just drink some lemonade." the frail old woman spoke kindly as reggie nodded.

in that moment he was calm, he waited around starring out the window at the tall grass swaying back and forth.

the sound of arguing and loud noises interrupted his gaze. he called out to his grandmother, expecting a quick reply in return but what heard was ear piercing screams, he ran into the hallway seeing the crimson red blood and bunch of men storming the house.

"grandma!" he shouted. he couldn't bare to see the sight, it hurt too much.

"the boy's downstairs!" a husky voice said as he heard harsh footsteps coming towards that direction.

and in that moment, he ran. he didn't know where his feet were taking him but he bolted out the side door, into the corn fields.

he couldn't breathe, he felt as if he were suffocating himself. what if she wasn't dead? who was after him? what did they want from them? we're they going to kill him?

his mind was racing, and all he wanted to do was scream. and so he did.

lighting came from the sky, striking the old oak tree. it caught his attention as he stopped, looking at how far he ran. his body ached.

"what the hell-"he began until he felt something pinch his neck.

he went pull to it finding the small dart in his palm. everything started fading to black, until sound stopped.

"subject seven secured."

reginald sam west ⚡︎

"MOVE IT!" the guard yelled, roughly shoving kate forward.

she wanted to turn around and strike him, but she knew better. she walked to the back of the bus in chains and collar as he looked out the barred window.

'a new home' she thought humming to herself. she had over fifteen 'homes' over the years. it was all same. she knew, she'd be watched, experimented on, and shipped away. it was a never ending cycle of solitude and boredom for her.

she looked out the barred window, the road always looked the same. forests that go on and on for hours here and there buildings passed the bus came to a stop as a raven haired boy in similar cuffs waited to get on the bus.

the bus doors opened, as the same boy walked towards kate's direction. he smirked at her, making her a bit flustered.

she also had this feeling she couldn't describe, but that boy made her nervous and she liked it.

"number ten keep it moving!" the guard shouted as he shoved kyle into a seat a few rows up.

"hey! watch it, keep your paws to yourself big guy." kyle said as the guard looked at him. he pulled kyle closer and whispered to him.

"i'm sure you don't wanna your little girlfriend to know what you are. keep it up hot shot." he said pushing kyle away.

his mind wondered off into space as it always did. he had so many questions about himself. was he a monster? i mean his family thought he was.

meanwhile kate's curiosity about the mysterious boy kept her mind occupied.

"subjects five and ten secured."

kate rose may. ☯︎

kyle james johnson. ♞

"ZACH?!" elijah called out.

"zach come on! this isn't funny, where the heck are you?!" elijah yelled through the rain.

it was his job to watch over the younger boy while they were outside.
but his younger foster brother jack insisted on baking cookies.

now it's dark and raining, and zachary is no where to be seen.

"did you find him?" elijah asked jack to which he shook his head.

"f-f-crap!" he stammered, he could never curse.

"i'll go down the hill, stay inside." elijah instructed as jack handed him a flashlight.

elijah never liked the dark, always finding it scary but his concern for his foster brother was more important.

he was only seven, and very imaginative. elijah could recount the time the boy broke his arm, he thought it would be a good idea to climb a tree and of course he fell.

his cries broke elijah's heart, and he could only imagine the boy now.

it was cold, and the bottom of the forest was dark. trees looked like shadowy figures from horror movies. he was scared for zach.

he could feel the anxiety rising already.

"zach! zach where are yo-" elijah got out before a smaller body collided with his.

the younger boy was soaked, i mean completely drenched in rain water.

"zach?"

"we need to go!" zach said getting ready to run again.

"where? why?"

"they're after us! come on! we need to hurry!" zach argued dragging elijah back to their home.

"who is?" elijah chuckled.

"the bad people, we need to go!" he said persistently, the younger says pulling elijah's arm.

"where's your jacket?" elijah asked as zach shrugged.

"go inside with jack i'll be back in a second with your jacket, okay?" elijah said calmly, he thought zach was imagining some sort of cops and robbers senrio.

"promise?" zach asked, to which elijah promised wrapping his finger around the other boy's.

a promise he couldn't keep.

he originally thought it was the neighborhood bullies trying to scare zach, but to his surprise the seven year old was right. what elijah could make out as people with bright flashlights searched in the rainy forest.

the boy dropped his flashlight. backing away, silently as possible but with his luck a branch snapped under his foot.

lighting and thunder viciously boomed and flashed a crossed the charcoal sky.

"subject eight secured." a man said, as the restrained elijah let out muffled screamed.

elijah oliver calhil. ☁︎

"ESTELLA!"

"yes mom!" estella replied.

"we're going out to town, we'll be back soon okay?" dina said to her daughter.

"okay."

"you know the rules, no boys!" her dad, stewart hollered from downstairs.

"okay, okay! i got it! now go!" she said, telling her adoptive parents a short goodbye.

she was grateful that dina and stewart had given her a home, but she knew their intention wasn't for a child to love. well at least not after the accident that killed her birth parents and nearly killed estella. that day was a blur but the nightmares were apparent of what happened to her. she could remember the giant boulder shielding her then twelve year old herself.

sure she had abilities but it never really affected her. it's not like she didn't know about them. she just didn't use them, and she went on with life.

she went on with her usual activities, she didn't even know she was asleep until she awoke in the back of a moving vehicle.

"what the hell-" she whispered to herself as she looked at the cuffs around her hands.

an asian boy sat across from her. he too, wore the cuffs.

"hey...hey! wake up!" she whispered to him.

the boy jolted up, as he took in his surroundings.

"shit, what the fuck?" he cursed. "how did we-"

"i don't know. i woke up and we were here." she rambled.

"do you remember what happened?" he asked her.

"i was-i remember-i can't remember what happened. do you?" she questioned as he shook his head.

"if they try to kill us, you run, i'll hold em' off." xavier said.

"trust me, we're better off if i stall." estella chuckled.

"no offense..." she paused wanting to know his name.

"xavier but zay is also accepted." he said. "and you are?" he asked

"estella"

"i never stood behind a man, and no offense xavier but i can take care of myself." estella smirked.

"that's valid." xavier nodded.

then out of nowhere the doors opened as light blinded their eyes.

"this is my stop, later stella." he said as he attempted to turn invisible but like a broken computer the invisibility trick glitched bringing him back to his normal state.

"what the-" he muttered as security grabbed them both, walking into the building.

"subjects three and four secure."

estella nicole greene. ♲

xavier matthew mckalister. ⚔︎

BRI'AS SPEAKER NOTES:
soooooo, that was long as hell.
1.8k words in fact [ now 2.43k words ] i hope everyone is doing well. i'm happy to get back to this book. i feel like i jumped the gun the first time i wrote k-12 so i'm giving it some more depth. go drink some water and i'll see you in the next chapter!!
-bria <3