Chapter 7

I could still hear the voices speaking to me and I got up running behind the house. I kept going until I got to the old church and I went inside. “Please,” I could see the ghosts chasing after me.

“Don't run away,” they chanted.

“Stop,” I pulled out my phone because my legs were shaking so bad that I couldn't make it home like this. I had been holding the voices back too much and now they could utterly destroy me.

 

“You have a duty,” the old woman ordered.

“Shut up,” I pulled out my cell phone and sat down on the steps.

“Be cunning,” she continued.

“I don't know how,” I dialled up the first number I could think of.

 

“Save me,” the lost boy shouted.

“I can't,” I yelled back at him.

 

“May, is that you what can't you do?” Seth's voice surprised me.

“Seth, I'm sorry I shouldn't have called, I just...” I looked at the vaporous people, “I do not want to be alone right now, I should call my brother.”

“May, is something wrong?” he asked, “Are you seeing those ghosts again?”

“I saw things, Seth I cannot let them happen, I am lost though and I'm terrified,” I felt the tears in my eyes, “I need to shut them off, but they'll just come back stronger.”

“Where are you?” he demanded.

“The abandoned church near the outskirts,” I buried my head in my lap, “I want to go home.”

“Hold tight, Maya,” he said then the phone went dead. I dropped the phone and covered my ears again trying to block out everything.

 

“Fight,” the young girl told me.

 

“Surrender,” faded man countered.

“I don't know what to do,” I rocked back and forth, “Just go, please.”

 

“Never,” the lost boy said, “You can't get rid of us.” I started to sob then I felt arms wrap around me, real arms. I clung to the warmth automatically still crying.

 

“It's going to be alright, May,” Seth whispered, “You can control them, they are a part of you now and I know you can take them in a fight.”

“They won't shut up,” I shook my head.

“Give them what they want then,” he said stroking my hair.

“I am not a soldier, I am a rebel like you, Eva, Kiara, Rogers and all the others,” I took a deep breath, “I accept that and I have to save as many people as I can.”

“What are you saving them from?” he pulled away slightly.

“The environment is changing too fast, Seth there is going to be a big storm and it'll freeze over everything here,” I looked up at him, “I can't let everyone freeze to death, but they won't believe me when I tell them, I know you probably think I am crazy.”

“Where did you hear this?” he questioned.

“I saw it in my head, I see things sometimes when the ghosts talk to me,” I explained, “You don't have to trust me on this, but don't stop me.”

“I trust you completely, May,” he hugged me again, “You're safe right now though, right.”

“Just don't let go,” I ordered.

“Do you want me to get you home so you can see your brother,” he offered.

“He'd just tell to be strong, but I am so tired I can't fight,” I buried my head in his chest.

 

“Just breathe, May that's all you have to focus on,” he promised, “Tell me about your week in the bunker.”

“Oh, well my brother set me up on a forced date with that guy from the banquet,” I cleared my throat, “He is ignorant though and I am just a project to those two they'll never get it.”

“You don't have to go out with him,” he answered, “Your brother can't tell you who you can be around.”

“He is my legal guardian,” I sighed, “But he cannot stop me from hanging out with you and the girls or forbid me to go to the meetings.”

“What he doesn't know can't hurt him,” he guessed.

“Exactly,” I finally pulled away, “I am still afraid of the future, but I want to do something with my life and it's the first time I've felt that way in a long time.”

“What do you want to do?” he asked.

“Be brave, save everyone and I am not getting those injections,” I saw that the ghosts had disappeared, “I can accomplish more being a freak than I ever could as one of those yes men.”

“Yes woman,” he corrected.

“Yeah, right,” I nodded, “Seth, how do you deal with the numbers you see? Is it hard remembering everything?”

 

“I used to think I was losing my mind, but now I just remind myself that things get worse before the miracle arrives to save me,” he shrugged.

“Can I ask another question?” I turned towards him.

“Of course,” he agreed.

“How many times had you seen me before you talked to me?” I inquired.

“About a thousand times,” he answered, “You are a very noticeable person.”

 

“If you're going to tell me that I am beautiful...” I began.

“You're nice looking, but you were always so sad back then everyone was so hopeful that they could cure what they had,” he explained, “It became a goal of mine to make sure you were there day after day, you were always giving scared girls your place in line so I knew you were approachable.”

“Yet your first line was to say, 'You're the ghost girl',” I raised an eyebrow.

“By now, you should know I am not as smart as most people with eidetic memories are,” he made me laugh.

“Yeah, well I did see before,” I informed him, “My first line line probably would have been 'hey is your hair on fire' or something about your hair burning your face.”

“I would have enjoyed that conversation,” he chuckled, “So are you feeling any better?”

 

“You know you are a better therapist than the one I have, maybe I should just go see you for my counselling sessions,” I joked.

“What days are your counselling meetings?” he remarked.

“Next week I have them on Tuesday and Wednesday,” I replied.

“Well on Tuesday we have a meeting to attend and on Wednesday the girls have decided to throw you a birthday party,” he told me.

 

“A birthday party,” the words sounded so normal I couldn't believe them.

“Yes, you're turning seventeen so you should celebrate, even if we are all going to have to leave our homes or freeze to death you should have some good memories to look back at,” he insisted.

“I guess you're right,” I sighed, “I'd invite my brother, but he'd be furious.”

“He'll come around,” he promised, “Now we should get you home.”

“My brother is not going to be happy,” I got up to my feet, “But I've followed his rules my whole life and I deserve some freedom.”

“Exactly,” he hopped up, “So what are you going to do on Friday?”

 

“I'm going to call Dr. Peck in the morning and cancel the appointment, I have to take charge of my life at some point,” I bit my lip.

“You're making the right decision, how do you think your date will react?” he asked.

“He and my brother will try and talk me into the injections, but I will not be poked and prodded for being different than other people,” I headed out the door.

“I just forgot my coat inside,” he hurried back in and I headed down the steps.

 

“Garnet,” Darren appeared out of nowhere when I got halfway down the sidewalk, “What are you doing out here?”

“Just going for a walk,” I looked back to see Seth walk out of the church, “What are you doing out?”

“Patrolling, it is past curfew,” he remarked then spotted Seth, “Hey boy, do you know what time it is?”

 

“It's two thirty in the morning according to my watch,” Seth joined us.

“Exactly, you should be at home,” Darren told him, “I'll let you off with a warning this time.”

“A warning,” Seth crossed his arms, “You aren't wearing an official uniform so you aren't an officer, so I'll go home in my own time.”

“Are you looking for an arrest?” Price demanded, “You know I bet you're one of the defective boys who refuses to grow up, whereas the rest of us become accomplished and you can't handle it.” That was big talk for someone who asked my brother before he asked me out.

“Defective huh,” Seth replied and for the first time I saw Seth glare at someone, “Maybe you know my father, Doctor Edmund Peck I am sure you don't want to get on the wrong side of him.”

 

“Dr. Peck,” I spoke up.

“I'll leave you to your wandering,” Darren took my arm, “I am getting you home, your brother won't be happy about this.”

“See you around, ghost girl,” Seth called after us.

“Same to you, Peck,” I peered back at him.

“I'm sorry,” he mouthed and I looked away immediately. Seth was Dr. Peck's son, it didn't make sense. They didn't look alike, Seth had a sweet look to him and Peck was very stern in appearance. Seth had been keeping a big secret from me, I trusted Seth Adams with my life, but Seth Peck could be a liar for all I knew. Was his mother's name Adams or was it all just a fake persona? I didn't know what to think, I was so distracted that I was barely aware of the path we were walking down.

 

“Edmund Peck's son is a freak,” Darren remarked and I glared at him, “I guess no great family was left untouched.”

“I suppose not,” I answered, “I don't need an escort home.”

“It appears you aren't following curfew anymore, so you need someone looking out for you,” he smirked.

“That's my brother's job,” I argued.

“Also your boyfriend's job,” he said.

“You're not my boyfriend, we haven't gone out on a date and I don't even know if I can bear to be in the same room as you for more than an hour,” I crossed my arms.

 

“What is the problem, Garnet?” he questioned.

“It's been a long night, I am tired just leave me alone,” I turned onto a side street.

“Is it something to do with that boy? Do you know him?” he inquired.

“Of course not, I don't know anyone, but you, Cass, Dr. Peck, my therapist and the people at the party,” I rolled my eyes, “I am not allowed to socialize with people who would accept what I am.”

“What has gotten into you?” he pulled out his bottle of red pills.

“Those,” I grabbed the bottle, “These things are just making you a slave to be used when your leaders see fit, I can't believe how naive you are.”

“I'm naive,” he snorted.

 

“Exactly,” I nodded, “Oh and I'll have to cancel our date because I am not getting drugs injected into me when I know they won't fix the problem.” I left him shocked.

Author's Note

please comment on grammar mistakes.
what do you think of Maya?
What is your opinion on the title?