Chapter 6: The Bathroom Window

I was dragged onto the couch and the lady had disappeared in an instant to the bathroom.

I clasped my hands together reluctantly so I wouldn’t get blood onto the couch as Makenzie went to go fetch me a glass of water. I really didn’t ask for any but she insisted so I couldn’t have stopped her.

“Are you okay?” asked Adam once again making me roll my eyes internally. “Yes Adam, why do you ask so much? It’s not like I’m dead.” I laughed weakly and looked up at him. He just looked down with pity. “Because Zinc, I am your protector. If anything were to happen to you and you were on the brink of dying or dead…I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.” he sat down next to the couch and looked at his hands. “Adam, I’m not going to die. Yes I might get injured like I did today, but I wouldn’t let my life get taken by something as foul as them. I’m not going to die.” I said and he smiled at me making e smile back.

“Let me see your hands Missy.” The lady came back with white bandages. I gave her my left hand and she started to wrap my bleeding hand in the bandage. The bandage immediately started soaking in my blood and I watched as Adam looked away. The same thing happened with my right and I watched in amazement at all the blood I had lost.

“May I ask what your name is?” I asked weakly and out of breath. The lady looked at me and smiled with her soft and deep wrinkles. “My name is Charlotte.” I smiled and looked down at my toes that wiggled with amusement.

“Do you mind if we ask you who you really are and where you really came from?” asked Charlotte. I looked at Adam with worry but he just looked at his feet.

“Mom, they’re just like me.” I looked at Makenzie with confusement but I was surprised. She walked up to me and handed me my glass of water before continuing.

“They came from one of those damned Multivision houses. She’s like me Mom-a runaway. She’s been in one of those houses ever since she was just a baby. Her real Mother looked devastated.”

I struggled to sit up and it took a lot of work, but when I did, I asked; “My real parents? I have real parents? How deep did you go?” I asked seriously wanting an answer.

“Makenzie! You didn’t! How could you Reach inside a poor girl like her?” Her Mother yelled at her.

“Your real Mom loved you very much. Your Dad was a real nice man. You have an older sister named Desa. She loves one band only and won’t stop listening to it. You were a strange child too. You wouldn’t touch anything you weren’t allowed to touch. You wouldn’t talk unless you were spoken to. It’s as if you don’t have any curiosity at all.”

I just stared at her with terror and happiness. I could feel my eyes start to water but I stopped the tears at once and looked at my bandaged hands.

“I’m sorry Mom, but I panicked today and couldn’t stop myself from Reaching. But I found out something else quite useful.”

I took a deep breath and hugged my knees in anticipation. I didn’t want to hear what she was talking about anymore. I didn’t want to hear what a great family I was taken away from. I didn’t want to know if they were alive or dead. I didn’t want to know if she was lying about the whole thing because I couldn’t remember any of that stuff. She could be lying, but after all she is a Reacher. But I didn’t know what that was so it could be possible that that was another lie as well.

“Zinc, you’re a special person. That’s why you were taken into Multivision. They collect special people with powers and grow them to become secret weapons. You are the first one to escape successfully without getting killed. You’re a Scribbler.”

I dug my head in my knees and looked down not wanting to hear anymore. I just wanted to run from there and forget something like that could ever happen. I wanted to forget all about what she said and just keep exploring the world. I didn’t ask to be told any of that. I didn’t want to know and I had wished that I could turn back time and shut her up.

“Zinc?” I heard Adam and that’s when I realized I was to deep in my thoughts to notice I was crying. My tears were soaking into the material of my jeans but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to hear any of it anymore.

“Makenzie, I think you went too far this time.” said Charlotte as I cried deeply into my knees.

“Zinc, I meant to tell you about being a Scribbler but I just couldn’t bring myself to tell. I’m really sorry but I couldn’t just barely meet you and tell you what you were. You probably wouldn’t have trusted me.” said Adam.

“What I am? Are you saying I’m not human? Are you saying I’m some kind of alien from a different planet who wasn’t meant to be with a real family?” I asked still dug into my knees.

“N-no, you are human. You’re just n-not like other p-people.” I shook my head furiously and wiped my eyes before raising my head.

“Do you think I can go to the bathroom real quick? I just have to…clean up.” I asked Charlotte and she nodded.

“Are you sure you can stand?” asked Adam and I accidentally snapped at him.

“I’m fine! I don’t need help with anything!”

I threw my legs off the couch and stood up grabbing my backpack with all my art stuff in it. I furiously tip toed to the bathroom because it probably would have hurt more if I had stomped.

I closed the bathroom door softly before locking it and walked over to the mirror to look over myself.

My light brown hair had suddenly turned snow white and I had no idea how or why. I had natural brown hair so why did it suddenly fall white?

My cheeks were stained with tears that gave it a little shimmer effect over the smooth cut Illia’s heel gave me. My lips were curved down and were a pale pink. Some of my hair fell into my eyes that were a soft purple instead of their regular brown. What happened to me?

I wiped my eyes again and ruffled my hair as I looked into my own eyes seeing what I had become. What if what they said was true? What if I was who they said I was?

I clenched my teeth and turned away from the mirror feeling betrayed by…myself. I no longer felt like me. I no longer felt like the old Zinc I was. I felt more rebellious and violent. I wanted answers. I wanted to ask questions. I wanted to be left alone.

I dug into my backpack pulling out my iPod and turning it on. It was eleven thirty at night on the same day.

I looked at my old regular calendar background that has been on there for the whole month without me changing it once.

I turned it off and stuffed it back in my backpack as an idea popped in my head. I had to admit it sounded stupid and dangerous but I just needed time to think on my own. I would just have to see if I could sneak the other backpack into the bathroom.

I left my backpack on the floor next to the tub and tiptoed over to the door softly and carefully unlocking it. I opened the door ever so slowly and poked my head out looking both ways seeing that nobody was in the hall. I tiptoed out of the bathroom leaving the door cracked and hid behind the wall that would lead to the living room.

I looked into the living room ever so secretly seeing that nobody was there but I could hear their voices coming from the kitchen.

“I know what Multivision is because I was once there but as soon as my Mom knew where I was, she walked straight over there and said she would call the cops if she didn’t get her daughter back. It worked because Multivision is a secret service that not even the FBI knows about. If they were discovered, everything would have gone to waste and their filthy rich leader would be thrown to prison if not executed.” I head Makenzie say as I tiptoed once again, into the room and snatched the backpack running out of the room as fast and quiet as possible.

I pushed myself back into the bathroom closing the door so it didn’t make a sound. I walked over to my other backpack and unzipped it after unzipping the one with the food. I double checked what we had and it turned out we didn’t eat anything yet. But that meant I would have to carry two backpacks. I groaned softly but had another idea.

I grabbed the backpack with my art stuff and clothes and started to loosen one of the straps to its full limit. After that, I threw it over my shoulder and had it sit on the opposite hip. I grabbed a pair of cutting scissors I found on the sink and cut the other strap off so it wouldn’t look so ridiculous. I put the food backpack on my back and left the strap on the floor accidentally. I was meant to pick it up but I was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Hey, when are you coming out? Charlotte’s wondering if she could give you more medication.” I heard Adam. I looked at my hands and realized they were hurting worse than my ankle that had died down and was barely noticeable.

“Oh, I’ll b-be out in a couple minuets. I just have to put a Band-Aid on my cheek and I’ll be ready to come out.” I lied looking at the window that was small but I thought I could fit through it. “Okay but hurry.” he said and I heard his footsteps fading.

I walked over to the window and unlocked the little notch before sliding it upward as quietly as I could. When it was completely open, I jumped up and had the window pane press into my stomach giving me an uncomfortable feeling. I started to pull myself out when I heard Makenzie call my name from the end of the hall. As she came closer my name began to get louder and Adam joined in. I was trying all my might to wriggle out of the window and I finally did when I felt that they were banging on the door and trying to turn the knob.

I landed on my stomach which knocked the wind out of me but I had to hurry and get up so I could run off without them.

As I started running, I hear my name being yelled out in the open. The voice disappeared in the darkness.

I felt like I was being swallowed by the shadows as I disappeared quickly in the trees. I was being consumed by the woods as I was going deeper. Deeper and deeper I felt the pain in my chest that I have never felt before. My legs were starting to ache and my vision was starting to defy me.

I calculated wrong and rammed my shoulder into the trunk of a tree and slammed into the leaf scattered grass seeing complete and total darkness.