Re: :.:Gone:.:

[Taylor]

>ARABELLA>


I grin and scoot closer towards Paige. "Don't bother fighting, sweetie," I place a hand on her wrists to keep them steady. "It's cement. Not even Ryan over there with his super strength can get out of it." I nudge my head towards a blonde boy crawling about.

"It hurts me to do this, Paige, it really does," I shoot a quick smirk and eye-roll at Jake. "But you have to understand. If we want the FAYZ to succeed, if we want to live, we need to get rid of you freaks. Powers just aren't needed in the new world."

I place my hands behind my head and lean back against the gym walls. "So, while we're here. I really am curious, dear. What are your powers? You a teleporter? Elemental? I can't imagine you being powerful."

[Princess]

"I-I don't even know what you're talking about" I blurt out, my breathing becoming fast and uneven. "I don't have-" I'm interrupted by my own sobs, unable to bury my face into my hands this time.

"I d-didn't even break any rules, what did I do wrong?" I repeat the last part quietly, pressing my back against the wall at an attempt to get farther away from them.

[Taylor]

>ARABELLA>


"Don't play dumb, Paige," I sigh. "You're a three bar, according to Aria. Three bars aren't too common. You have to know what your powers are."

I learn over and tap the concrete; it's rock-solid now.

"Jake, help Paige get that mold off her hands. She's good to go now."

He pulls Paige to her feet by her forearms and rips the mold off of her hands, tossing it to Nellie.

"I truly can't stay long, Paige," I shoot a pitying look to her and rise to my feet. "I have things to do, a new world to run," I gesture towards the gym. "But you should get to know them. We've gotta run."

I blow a kiss to Paige and begin to sashay away but stop short in my tracks. "Nellie," I say, turning around. "Bring the freaks water and some cereal. I'm not that cruel to starve them," I wink at Paige before turning on my heel once more and strutting out from the gym once and for all.

[Princess]

I look up at Nellie in desperation, "Please," I choke out, "please, please don't do this." I sit down on my knees in front of her; the cement block is almost too heavy for me to lift on my own.

I wipe my face on my shoulder, gluing my eyes to the floor. "I don't have any powers, I swear I don't even know what she's talking about," I mumble softly. My hands are starting to go numb from the way the cement hugs them.

[Taylor]

>ARABELLA>


The four of us stand just outside of the gym, arms crossed and smug expressions on our faces. "That went smoothly," Aria says as she cracks her knuckles. "Who are we getting tomorrow?"

I shrug. "Have you gotten a reading on Ingrid yet?" I ask. "I'm almost positive she's a freak."

Aria frowns hopelessly and shakes her head. "Not yet. Every time I go to the firehouse, that girl Ellen sends me away before I can get to Ingrid."

"Have you read Ellen?"

"One bar. But, y'now, almost nobody knows what their power is, if they have them. You heard Paige over there; she had no idea she had a power."

I smile. "Looks like we know who we're getting tomorrow."

I pop my head into the gym and clap my hands together. "Nellie!" I snap. The mousy girl is pouring water and cereal into dog bowls for the freaks, who are salivaitng at the mouth as they watch her pour. Nellie jumps and drops the box and gallon; the freaks immediately snatch them up.

"Come out here!" I shout across the gym. "We've got work to do!"

[Princess]

Paige Sinclair~

(Time skip 1 week)

The only thing I've eaten in the past week is a dog-bowl full of cereal. I can count my ribs and feel my bones poking through my skin. I'm too tired to sleep, and too upset to cry. A piece of me wants to believe that Ingrid is coming, but that hope is slowly disappearing.

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


As I get ready for the day, I play my favorite song, '20 Dollar Nose Bleed', with my I-Pod. It's on 47% and I allow myself one song every other day in an attempt to preserve the battery. Although the power is up and running, Arabella has placed strict rules on what the power can and cannot be used for; charging electronics is not one of those.

While Fall Out Boy and Brendon Urie sing, I peel off my pajamas that haven't been washed with soap in weeks, and change into an outfit. My dad's Ramone's t-shirt, which I tie with a bobble to make shorter, a red flannel 'round my waist, and high-waisted shorts. I place my hair in a pony tail and use a red bandanna as a headband; my attempt at being fashionable in the FAYZ. Kill me, right?

"Ingrid!" Ellie yells up to me from downstairs. "D'ya know how to make pancakes?"

"You're an idiot!" I shout back, pausing the song before making my way down the stairs to the firehouse's kitchen. "Pancakes are insanely simple to make."

I giggle at the sight before me; Ellie, still in pajamas with her hair a red frizzy mess, with a bunch of ingredients you don't need for pancakes sprawled in front of her.

"Nice outfit," she comments. "How fashion forward."

I stick my tongue out at her and reach into a cupboard, pulling out a box of pancake mix. "You're jealous," I say as I search the fridge and pull out the box of eggs (containing only 2), and a carton of almond milk (normal milk has all expired). "I'm, like, Beyonce but in the FAYZ."

"You wish," Ellie laughs and cracks the eggs into our last clean bowl.

I splash a bit of milk into the bowl and pour the pancake mix in. Ellie takes out a whisk and begins to whisk the ingredients together as I turn on the stove. We have to be quick; Arabella allows everyone only 15 minutes a day to cook with power.

I'm about to turn around to ask Ellie for a pan when I feel something sticky and cold drip down my face.

"You did not just throw pancake mix at me."

"I did."

"Ellen Isabelle Joseph," I wipe the mix off my cheek and lunge at her, wiping it onto her face now. "This means war."

With that, we commence a pancake war, emptying the bowl slowly as we throw the mix at each other.

After minutes of laughing, tears, and mix, we sit on the counter together, wiping mix off of our clothes, face, and hair. "Now we have no breakfast," I sigh and glance at the empty bowl. "Way to go, El."

"Me?" She takes a chunk out of her hair. "You started it. What are we supposed to make for breakfast now?"

I hop off the counter and reach into the cupboard once more, grabbing a box of Cheerios. I spin to face Ellen and shake the box at her. "Cheerios!"

As I begin pouring the cereal onto plates (have to make do without bowls, right?), a knock at the door causes Ellen to jump off the counter and begin running towards it. "Got it!" She says as she flings it open.

A high pitched scream makes me drop the box and start running towards the door. I get there just in time to see a black SUV at the end of the road.

With no hesitation, I begin running. Full speed.

My shoes feel like they're on fire, and my ponytail stings my face. It feels as though my face is peeling backwards, like on those cartoons I used to watch as a kid. 100 MPH. 200. 300. 400. 500.

I keep in front of the SUV, hiding behind buildings for a few seconds until it passes. Repeat.

The SUV stops at Coates Academy. I crouch behind a large oak tree and watch as Arabella, Carter, Aria, Nellie, and Jake climb out the car, Jake holding an unconscious Ellen in his arms.

I resist the urge to run out then and attack them. It's suicide; Jake and Carter both have guns dangling from their belts, whilst Arabella has a machete on hers.

Instead of running out, I wait for them to enter the school and tip-toe in just seconds after the door closes. I follow them as they enter the gym, and stand outside the double-doors. Although they close the door behind them, I get a glimpse of what's inside and immediately feel bile rise into my throat.

The smell of the creatures inside drifts into the hall where I am. Their cries fill my ears. Their appearances are burned into my brain.

Although all of them looked like hell, one stood out to me in particular; a girl crouched in the corner, sitting in her own filth, with blonde hair in a messy bun and numb blue eyes. Paige.

Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm. This is where they've been sneaking off to. This is what the rumors of Paige being gone are about. Arabella told us that Paige has come down with a flu and has been at home this past week.

I choke back a sob and try to control the anger that courses through my veins.

My eyes blurred by tears and anger, I stumble into the bathroom to think of a plan. Wait for them to leave. Help them escape. It all seems to easy, of course. How would I get the concrete off them? Using a hammer could probably kill them. Arabella would see them eventually. She'll kill me, and maybe them.

The risk is worth it. I'll take the kids in there somewhere until I can find out how to get the concrete off their hands. All I must do now is wait.

It seems like hours I sit in a stall with my feet up against the door, simply sitting until I hear the roar of an engine signaling they have left.

Immediately I make my way into the gym, not even considering that they left someone to watch over those in the gym. I fling open the doors and step in, trying not to gag on the stench.

Oh my god. "Ellen! Paige! Holy shit.. I'm so sorry." I stand, shocked, looking at all of them crawling around.

[Princess]

I look up at the sound of my name, my brain too fuzzy to understand what's going on right away. I stare blankly at Ingrid for a moment before making a failed attempt to pull myself to my feet. The concrete shouldn't weigh much, but it feels like lifting a thousand pounds.

"Ingrid?" I croak, "W-what are you doing here? You'll get killed!" Tears begin to fill my eyes again, but I don't bother trying to wipe them away. I already look like a mess, there's no use.

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


I stare blankly at Paige. Her face is sallow and sunken in; her arms look like twigs about to snap. The skin above the concrete on her hands is bright red and scaly.

Ellen comes up behind Paige then. Instead of the numb sadness that's on Paige's face, nothing but anger is on hers. "Get us the fuck out," Ellen attempts to lift up her arms, but they come crashing down to the gym floors with a hollow thud. "We're being treated like dogs."

I ignore Ellen for a minute and focus on Paige. "You've been here for a week," I process slowly. "A week... that means.. you came here that night."

I bite down hard on my lip, focusing on the physical pain of that to keep myself from crying. "Why did they bring you all here? What did you do?"

[Princess]

I flinch at the sound of the concrete hitting the ground, and let out a quiet whimper, "They said it's because we have 'powers,' but I don't know what they're talking about. I never had any."

I shake my head, pressing my forehead into my knees. "You need to get out of here, they're going to catch you if your'e here."

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


"Powers," I repeat slowly. "That's ridiculous."

I put my head in my hands and try desperately to think of what to do. "I-I don't know what to do. I can't leave you all here. I need to get you out," I close my eyes. "W-W-What do I do?"

[Princess]

"I don't know, Ingrid." I lean back to check the door behind Ingrid, making sure nobody has returned yet. "But you won't be able to do anything if you just stand here and wait for them to catch you."

I tilt my head towards another door leading to the back of the gym. "Whoever's on guard today will probably be back really soon."

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


"Powers," I repeat slowly. "That's ridiculous."

I jog into the former gym coach's office, which has been revamped into a watch room for the guards. Soda cans and chip bags are scattered around, an ipod with earbuds dangling is perched on the desk. And... jackpot.

Below the desk is an array of weapons; a pocketknife, a shotgun (I shudder), pepper spray, and a hammer. I snatch the hammer and run back out into the gym towards Paige and Ellen.

"Okay, um, so I'm going to try to help you guys," I announce to all of the kids. "Just line up and I'll try to get as many of you out as soon as I can."

I pause and bite on my lip. "This will probably hurt a little. But, it's okay. In Perdido Beach, we have doctors." I don't mention that the doctor is Lana, a girl who has no idea what she's doing.

They begin to line up before me, but I walk to Ellen first and begin to chip away at her cement. I have to hit as hard as I can, aiming away from where her hands should be in the block, before even one crack appears. Ellen grits her teeth and tries not to show pain, but I can see tears streaming down her face.

After what seems like hours, her hands are free of the cement. From just an hour inside the block, her hands are pruney, shriveled, and pale. I shudder to think what the others' will look like. Ellen's left hand hangs limp at her side; I don't think that the wrist is supposed to poke out like the way it does.

Ellen wraps her arms around me gratefully and moves to the side to allow the next person to be freed; Paige.

I slam the hammer down on Paige's concrete, grimacing at the noise it makes. It takes 5 slams for the concrete to give a bit. It takes hundreds more to finally move just one chip from the block.

As I hammer away, I glance up at Paige to search her face for signs of pain.

[Princess]

I cry out as she hits at the cement surrounding my hand. Broken pieces of concrete embed into my skin, only to dig in deeper as she hammers at them.

I turn my face away and squeeze my eyes shut, hoping to block out the pain as much as possible.

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


While I hammer, I can't help but notice that I hit on Paige's concrete harder than I hit Ellen's. I aim for Paige's hands more than I aimed for Ellen's. Angry thoughts swirl around my head and I release them by smashing the concrete as hard as I possibly can. I almost bring the hammer down on Paige's bare hands before stopping myself.

"Next," I say dryly, turning my attention away from the pale, muscleless mess that used to be Paige's hands.

I sit for hours, criss-cross-apple-sauce as they called it in Kindergarten, chipping the kids' cement. Ellen and I rotate occasionally, she uses her one good hand to hammer and I wrap her other hand in a piece of my shirt.

"Is that all?" I ask, scanning the gymnasium. Through the window in the gym, I can see the sun is about to set. "Everyone free?"

And that's when I hear the engine roar.

[Princess]

I stare at my hands for a moment, turning them slowly to get a good look at them. They both look deformed; it's hard believe they are my own.

I hug my hands to my chest as the rumble of Arabella's SUV echoes around the gym. "W-we need to get out of here," I struggle to get on my feet; I haven't been able to stand up on my own in a week. "Where are we supposed to go?"

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


"Okay, everyone, we're gonna try to sneak out through the exit in the library. I checked all the exits before coming in; this one leads us into an ally, and from there it's straight up the hill to Perdido."

I open the door to the hallway. "Try not to make any noise. Be as quiet as possible," I whisper to the kids as they pass me and head into the school.

As a group, we shuffle through Coates. I try to ignore how fast my heart is racing and concentrate on getting to the library. I am the last one to enter the room, and attempt to close the door behind me but am stopped by a hand in my way.




>ARABELLA>


"Going somewhere?" I grin at Ingrid and yank the door open, propping it open with my foot.

Ingrid's face flushes, but she curls her fists and stands firmly in front of me, guarding the freaks behind her. "Get out of here, Arabella. You people are sick."

I place a hand against my chest and mock a shock expression. "Us? Sick?" I turn to face Carter, Jake, and Aria, and frown at them. "You've really hurt our feelings, Ingrid."

Jake steps in front of me then and cocks the shotgun in his hand. "Step aside, Ingrid. We's lookin' for the freaks. Get outta here while you can."

Ingrid crosses her arms and shakes her head. "They're not freaks. Nobody has powers; that's ridiculous. This isn't Harry Potter."

I pout my lower lip out. "You're right, Ingrid. This isn't Harry Potter," I jut my hand out, pointed at Ingrid, and jerk it to the side. Her body goes flailing into a shelf, sending books crashing down on top of her. "My powers are much better than Harry's."

The freaks look up at us with expressions of defeat; none of them bother to use their powers. I begin to giggle to myself; this was all too easy.

A redhead suddenly steps up to Jake. "I get it now," she whispers to him, just loud enough for the others to hear.

And then I barely register a ball of fire appearing in the palm of her hand before a gunshot is head and the redhead falls to the ground.

"Ellen!" Ingrid shrieks.

[Princess]

I let out a loud gasp as Ellen's body drops to the floor, turning away from the sight.

I grip onto Ingrid's shoulder as my knees threaten to buckle under me. The gunshot rings in my ears as I stare at Arabella, searching her face for any signs of remorse.

"W-what's wrong with you?" My voice shakes as I struggle to find words. The other kids stay quiet as they take in the sight of Ellen's body; watching somebody die isn't anything new to them.

[Taylor]

>ARABELLA>


I watch as Ingrid shoves Paige off of her and falls to the ground, crawling over to Ellen's body. She's yelling and shrieking for someone to go get help while she checks Ellen for signs of life. There are none.

"Well, now you know what happens when you don't listen to us," I rest my head on Jake's shoulder, who cackles and cocks the shotgun. "Everyone line up and follow us back to the gym."

Suddenly, there's a blur and Ellen and Ingrid are gone. Another blur. Paige is gone. Another blur. Two-by-two, all of the freaks begin to disappear before my eyes. Nobody has enough time to blink, let alone move, before the library is empty.

"What the fuck just happened?" I snap, spinning to my face my group.

Aria chews on her lip. "Either they all have their birthdays today, or Ingrid is a freak."

"What makes you think she's a freak?"

"The blur would come back every time; someone was using some sort of power to come back and grab a freak. I dunno if it was superspeed or teleportation or what, but it was a power."

I throw my hands into the air and growl. "Well, why the fuck are you all just standing around? Go look for them! And take a gun."

[Princess]

At one moment I'm inside Coates' library; the next I'm inside the lobby of a hotel. Before I can react, Ingrid is gone and grabbing another person to bring back with her.

I'm lost for words as more and more of the kids appear in the lobby with me, just as confused as I am. They shuffle around as they slowly start to realize where they are, but not exactly how they got here in the first place.

"What was that?" I demand as Ingrid returns with the last us.

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


When the last person has been brought to the hospital, I fight back the urge to collapse. I ignore Paige and run to Ellen's body and fall next to her. "Ellen," I whisper and nudge her shoulder. "Ellen, wake up."

My voice grows louder as I shake her body, her blood staining my hands. "Wake up! Get up!" I practically scream and shake her shoulders violently.

As tears stream down my face, I forcefully wipe them away. I hide my head in my hands and feel silent sobs raking my body. "I'm sorry," I whisper. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."


I only allow myself to break down for a few minutes before stumbling to my feet and rubbing at my face. "O-O-Okay. Let's split up. Find rooms that are open and report back here with the numbers."

[Princess]

I stay back with the rest of the kids here, watching silently as Ingrid breaks down in front of us. I open my mouth to say something, but think better of it and leave quietly to find a room.

I nudge the door of an empty room open, peering inside for anyone who may be there. The room is empty of life, but there are multiple luggages scattered around the room as if someone had been living here before the FAYZ.

Before I give Ingrid my room number, I peel off my soiled clothes, throwing them in a corner of the room. I zip open one of the bags, pulling out a large T-shirt and boxers. I slip into them almost too easily; the boxers are almost falling off and the shirt is big enough to be a dress.

As I approach the main lobby, several of the kids are gathered around Ellen's body to pay their respect. I avoid looking at her body as I make way towards Ingrid.

"I'm staying in 132," I mumble, fixing my eyes to my feet. "I'm so sorry, Ingrid. I know this is hard for you, why won't you talk to me about it?"

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


"You don't care that she's dead," I say simply. "You don't give a shit that she got shot in the head for no reason. The only thing you care about is the fact that you're alive."

I jot down 132 on a sticky note I found in the main office's desk. "You're only concerned about yourself, Paige," I bring my eyes up to meet hers. "That's the thing. You're so selfish and self-centered, you don't even care that someone got shot. One of the kids you used to look after could be laying there and you wouldn't care."

Sighing, I begin twirling the pencil 'round my fingers. "We're all having dinner in the restaurant on the fifth floor in ten minutes. If you'd like, you can join us. The showers are working here, too. Freshen up, and here," I place the pencil down and pick up on one of the 'first-aid' kits another girl, Maddie, and I put together. "This has lotion and some bandages for your arms."

[Princess]

"T-That's not true," I stammer out. "I do care.. I would care if anyone died."
As I attempt to stand up for myself, Ingrid's words cut through me. I didn't scream like everyone else when the gunshot went off; I didn't swallow bile when I saw Ellen's body. Did I really care?
I accept Ingrid's first aid kit with shaky hands and nod as a thank you. Without allowing myself to embarass myself even further, I turn on my heel and take off towards my room. It's only on the second floor, right next to the stairs.
When I reach my room, I toss the first-aid kit onto my bed and immediately head for the showers. After stripping myself of my clothes, I practically leap in, not allowing the water to heat up for even a moment.
I find myself giggling with pure joy as the water hits my skin. The water alone gets all of the dirt, blood, and filth off of my skin. My hair softens under it.
The rose-scented soap I see in the corner of my eye practically makes me shriek with giddy. I squirt a heaping handful into a loofa and scrub myself, inhaling the scent deeply.
I even get to lather my hair up with vanilla shampoo and conditioner.
When I step out of the shower, I feel like an entirely new person. Ingrid's words don't matter right now. The dead body in the lobby doesn't matter. The fact that my parents are gone doesn't matter.
I pat myself dry with a fluffy white hotel tower and reach into another suitcase. I pull out a pair of oversized grey sweats and a loose white v-neck.
After some digging, I manage to find a comb in one of the suitcases, and take a few minutes to carefully comb through my hair.
I walk out of my room and am greeted with the sight of the other kids wandering the halls, looking just as refreshed as I am. Their hair is wet from the showers, and they all wear oversized clothing.
We take the stairs up to the fifth floor to the restauraunt. It's fancy, that's for sure. A piano in the corner, a bar, and a tank filled with lobster.
However, Ingrid, or someone else, has turned into a buffet-style place. There's plates and utensisl stacked on one table, and half a dozen other tables filled with all sorts of food.
I don't realize how hungry I am until I actually smell the food. My stomach growling, I grab a plate and begin filling it immediately.

[Taylor]

I N G R I D }


Once the sticky note is filled with room numbers, I jam it into my pocket and begin the hunt for a room of my own.
I end up finding one just on the second floor, room 131. The beds are still made, with mints placed on the pillows.

Suitcases rest on the floor, filled to the brim with fresh clothes. There's a mini fridge against the wall, probably packed with all sorts of sodas and sweets.

None of those are as appealing to me as the shower.

I turn the water on immediately and peel off my t-shirt and shorts. Although I had only been wearing them for a few hours, they were stained with Ellen's blood and my own sweat.

The cool water feels incredible, the warm water feels like a blessing.

I lather my hair with coconut shampoo and conditioner, and spend ages soaping up my body with the vanilla-raspberry soap.
I'm almost disappointed when the water begins to run cold and I'm forced to get out and wrap myself in a white towel.

I dig through the suitcases in the room, looking for something to wear. Unfortunately, the people that once inhabited this hotel room were, apparently, not very punk.

They were, however, very confident.

Every shirt is cropped, all the shorts no longer than five inches. I'm beginning to panick, thinking I'm going to walk out of this room wearing booty shorts and a cropped top, when I see a pair of black sweats and a grey cardigan.

I snatch them immediately, and grab one of the bigger crop-tops. Fortunately, due to its size, the shirt is long enough to cover half my belly-button. I allow my hair to hang loose around my shoulders for the first time in weeks; even before the FAYZ, my hair was never down.

I slip on a pair of Uggs from the case and head up to the restaurant. By the time I get there, almost everyone is already eating.
I smile at a few of the kids who look up at me as I pass and tug my shirt down when I feel stares. I then begin to fill my own plate. A bit of fruit salad, chicken, a PB&J, and more.

I sit down next to Maddie and her blonde, curly-haired friend, Riley. Much like everyone else in the room, they both have hollow expressions on their faces; they have no hope.

[Princess]

I take my seat near the back of the room, next to a burly kid who was making fast business of wolfing down his food. I start gulping down the contents of my own plate; I hadn't realized how little I've eaten in the past week until now.

I stop eating as Ingrid walks in, my face turning into an embarrassing reddish hue. I cross my leg over my knee and fix my eyes to my plate, poking uncomfortably at the food on it.

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