Chapter 11 An Apple A Day

I woke up and briefly forgot where I was. Last night seemed like a dream, but I instantly saw these foreign covers and knew that somehow everything I'd witnessed recently was somehow reality.

I sat up and looked to my left to see Jackson's bed empty yet perfectly made. He left me alone in his room- perhaps this was some sort of test after my escape attempt. Part of me of course wanted to run, but after personally getting my butt kicked I decided the best thing to do was to straighten up my makeshift bed and wait for someone else to come back.

I took the time to look around the room I was now sharing, reading the spines of books he had stacked neatly by color in his shelves and an assortment of composition notebooks labeled by 'movies, tv shows, books, and miscellaneous.'

I was about to grab one when I noticed that on top of the shelf laid two picture frames lacking pictures inside, one of which was cracked.

The door opened and I quickly straightened up and watched Kyle and Jackson walk into the room, "Oh you're awake," Jackson said, while Kyle gave me a nod and told me, "Good morning princess."

I hope I'm not blushing. Him saying princess was a lot more endearing than when Jackson had said it with attitude.

"Morning," I whispered, offering a closed smile.

"How are you feeling?" Jackson asked.

"I mean... physically maybe a little tingly but still freaking out."

Jackson pursed his lips and nodded, "Perfect."

"You slept in past breakfast but I'm sure we can take you to the cafeteria and find you something to eat," Kyle said.

I blinked, "Okay but what's the catch. What do I have to do?"

"Princess it's food. We all deserve to eat and you are the guest of honor," Kyle chuckled, motioning for us to follow.

I didn't understand. Why would I just be allowed to eat without them asking anything of me in return? I mean I literally tried to run away last night and no one was saying anything about it? No punishments?

I looked at Jackson and he gave me a nod, letting me go through the door first and following Kyle down the same route I had used in my failed escape attempt into the commons.

My lips parted and I stopped, staring at my surroundings and all the details I had missed in the dark.

The ceilings were high like a regular school but all across the second floor balcony were banners with symbols on them, all with a gray background. Lining the stairway and balcony were glowing lanterns the gave off a blue hue. The commons was packed with people, talking, staring. I was the only one with normal eyes but I guess that somehow made me abnormal.

To the left was the cafeteria, to my right an auditorium, and in front of us behind a large staircase were doors into a gymnasium. All along all I'd seen so far there were hints telling me that the place was old, the floors and walls were cracked, holes of every shape and size every so often, the ceilings looked dirty and yellowed, as did the corners where the walls met the ceiling. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a very long time.

Hanging from the ceiling was a larger banner with a different crest than the others, one with two clasped hands inside of an eye.

"Come on Ayla," I looked down and met eyes with more silvers, staring and whispering about probably me. I was used to people at school whispering about me anyways so I rolled my shoulders back and followed the two into the cafeteria.

There were about fifteen circular tables sprawled out all over the cafeteria and two entrances into a line where they were serving food. My stomach growled but I tried not to look excited as we entered.

Jackson went ahead of us and looked into some cabinets under the line, pulling out a couple cans and a bag of chips.

Mother's voice echoed in my head, telling me to watch what I eat.

"We have some breakfast stuff still set out like muffins and fruit," Jackson looked at me and offered a closed, small smile. "Help yourself to whatever."

I looked at the assortments of food and grabbed an apple although I was starving. I didn't want to seem greedy and take advantage of a place I just tried to get out of or that I liked it here. I guess part of me was willing to wait it out for an explanation so I could give the place a chance. Now that I saw we were at an old abandoned school with the strange decorations it has, I wanted to know what was going on even more.

"Jack did you get eggs last time you were out?" Kyle asked, already heading to the back of the kitchen.

That was I think the second time I've heard someone refer to him as Jack and not Jackson and I wondered what I was expected to call him.

"Duh, doubt there's any left though." Jack(son) sat down at a table and took a bite out a green apple, "Please don't mess up my kitchen!" He yelled at Kyle who responded by smacking one of the freezers with his hand.

"Ayla you can sit down if you want."

I looked at him and nodded, sitting across from him.

He opened his mouth to say something when the sound of yelling cut him off. We both looked over and saw a girl marching over, yelling something I couldn't make out.

Oh no... another girl to come destroy me?

She came right at me and I quickly stood up but she surprised me by... hugging me?

I gasped and wiggled in her tight grip before she let go and let out an excited shriek. "Jack! Jaaaaaaack!"

He shook his head, "I am very much aware..."

"She's real? God!" She grabbed my hands and held them out, looking over me. "All those whisperings from old foreseers, all those visions I had and she is actually real and finally here!" She jumped.

Jackson stood up and released our hands, "Since this is going to go on for a while let me introduce her. Ayla, this is Mavis."

"Mavis Rosdale," The girl repeated. She had the energy that reminded me of a toddler but looking at her she was actually much older and probably older than Jackson and Kyle. She had deep tan skin that contrasted with her silver eyes sand electric dyed pink pixie cut hair. The undercut and roots displayed black, matching with her all black outfit apart from the two bulky silver rings on her fingers.

Kyle came out still chewing on whatever he found and hugged Mavis, "Did your meeting with Chicago go well?"

She groaned, "You always know how to kill my mood, Wells." She rolled her eyes and looked back at me, "Mood restored."

I was starting to get a little uncomfortable at this point.

She smiled and took a deep breath, "I know that was definitely a lot and I'm still talking super fast but it truly is such an exciting thing to see this day come," She glanced to Jackson and beamed. "I am so proud of you Jack  and you too Kyle since I heard you were thereeee."

"I knocked her door down."

"Oh okay..." She laughed before turning back to me, "And Miss. Ayla, I know this is overwhelming and you must have so many questions that I would love to answer."

Part of me perked up at the thought of all the thoughts jumping around my brain finally getting an answer.

"And I am proud to say I'm officially on this case and will be one of your companions as you  take sanctuary here."

"Sanctuary?" I repeated.

She nodded, "Didn't your parents go over this?"

I felt my stomach twist and I looked away.

"Oh... well all will be revealed once our team goes to the head leader's office and then after you meet her."

I heard Jackson behind me suck in a loud breath and even Kyle seemed to tense up as the mention of whoever this head was which inherently made me nervous.

-

I waited outside in an uncomfortable plastic chair, occasionally hearing whatever was going on in the office if they raised their voices. I could feel the tension in the air and in turn my stomach was in knots and I chewed off my nails wondering what was about to happen when I had to go in. I hoped I wouldn't be alone.

The hairs on my neck raised when their voices got louder and I felt ashamed. I mean they were in there definitely talking about me, I was in trouble and I don't even know what I did. I don't know anything.

The door slowly opened and out walked Jackson with his eyes closed taking in a deep breath. I could see his jaw was clenched and his eyebrows were turned up, I could tell he was upset.

"Jackson?" I quietly called out.

He opened his mouth and sighed, looking at me, "Come in."

I gulped and took a deep breath before standing up and following him in. There was no way I was in trouble- unless I was about to get yelled out for trying to escape. The thought made me tremble.

Mavis and Kyle watched us enter and in front of them sitting at a desk was a girl with dark blonde hair pulled back into a sleek bun. She wore casual clothes that I personally thought weren't fit for someone who was supposedly in charge.

I heard Jackson snicker beside me.

Their leader was twirling a pen in her fingers, studying me before she set it down and stood up. "What were you expecting for me to look like, Miss. Gordon?" She leaned in front of her desk with her head turned to the side.

I felt my breath stutter and I released my hands that I didn't know I had clasped, "Um..."

"Did you expect my manner of dress to be formal? As if your arrival was a... celebration? Or do you simply just expect leaders to be dressed for the occasion aside from... complicated circumstances?"

"I-"

"Is my appearance not good enough for you?"

"No!" I let out with a shake in my head. "Not at all..."

She gave me a snide smile, "Good." She had a deep voice that reminded me of the girl that tried to kill me last night.

"And speaking of last night, what was your plan if you somehow managed to get outside? As if you could even get passed our night watch and defenses, back up plans among back up plans in case anyone was in our borders? And didn't Jackson explain you are here for protection?"

I gulped and nodded, "But it didn't seem that way," I quietly added.

"And why's that? Because you're sharing a room and sleeping on a floor?"

I slowly nodded again.

"So you expect to be pampered is what you're saying."

I choked on words but shook my head, "I don't think I've ever been pampered, ma'am. I didn't expect it to just... start."

"Then what was your plan? Who would you have possibly turned to with your parents being unavailable which I hear they already were before we shut their minds off?" She stood up and stared down at me, "Who would've believed you?"

"That's enough," Kyle snapped.

I quickly wiped tears away from my eyes and looked away from her gaze.

Mavis and Jackson were looking at me with stunned and sorry faces.

"And now you get to live here with everything provided, everything handed to you, with full on duty protection at all times. People are putting their lives at risk to make sure nothing happens to you."

"I didn't ask for that!"

Her eye twitched but she quickly recovered, "Understand this Ayla. You are here as a grant from my mercy. If you weren't anything special I would have let you try to leave here and watch you get electrocuted from the cameras in my office. Every breath you take while you're here is at my mercy, do you understand me?"

I stared at her with wide, attentive eyes.

"And if you try anything funny. Anything that I happen to find suspicious then I will not hesitate to have you eradicated. Do I make myself clear?" She shouted into my face.

I stifled a sob and slowly nodded, covering my mouth with my hand.

"Hmmm. Good." She backed away and eyed my companions, "Get out."

Jackson grabbed my hand and pulled my out swiftly while the others followed, Kyle slamming the door as we exited.

"She's such a maniacal bitch!" Kyle huffed.

"Watch it," Mavis warned with seriousness in her eyes. Her whole demeanor had changed. "That wasn't going to go any better even if circumstances were different."

What circumstances? What did their leader even mean- half of the words she said didn't even make sense to me.

"I'm so freaking confused," I sobbed, looking away while I dried my eyes. "What did I do?" I looked between them.

Jackson sighed, "It's okay, I promise. She loves her position of power she's not nice to anyone and she certainly doesn't have any part in protecting this base or any of us."

I shrugged, "I don't know what that means I don't know what she meant why does she hate me my god I didn't do anything and now-" I wrapped my arms around myself and squeaked as I dug my nails into my own skin, trying to suppress how badly I wanted to scream.

Wherever I go... even if it is apparently for my own benefit... I'm kicked out of every world I enter.

"She's just doing her job." I recognized that voice. "What did you all expect? Her to go easy on the ticking time bomb that now sleeps next to you, Jackson?"

I looked up and locked eyes with the same blonde from last night, the same cocky look strewn across her face.

"Ayla is not a threat."

"Maybe because she's been kept ignorant all her life. Go ahead and train what all the visions say she has, tell her everything, and see what side she goes to."

"Jasmine," Mavis warned, "Knock it the hell off Ayla didn't do anything wrong and she certainly didn't ask for this. All we can do is make her comfortable and handle this slowly."

"Slowly is what is going to get us all killed! It's what is going to lead the Insurgence right to this base! You honestly want to tell me that he hasn't figured out that she's real?" Jasmine pointed out me whilst looking at Mavis.

I closed my eyes and zoned out the way I did whenever mother was screaming. They were all yelling about me but I had no idea what they were saying. This was definitely worse than when I do know exactly what people are saying. Whether it's mother screaming at me for whatever normal thing I did wrong or the kids at school whispering thinking I can't hear them calling me a killer and a psychopath. I didn't even know what that word meant until I went home and looked it up.

"Jasmine you are not even part of our team so how about you remove yourself from this and mind your own goddam business," I heard Kyle's booming voice over my head.

Jasmine... somehow it was quite a fitting name.

She was cackling, "Oh yeah? I'll see you tonight in your bedroom Kyle and you won't be putting on the same facade."

"What is even the point of yelling at us right now? Yell at me, this was my idea," Jack wasn't screaming which was a pleasant change but Jasmine only laughed at that.

"You're totally okay with this considering she got you kicked out of school and your family murdered right after."

My eyes snapped open and I looked at Jackson who was already looking at me.

"Jackson," I whispered, a chill rolling throughout me. "Excuse me what?"