Time to Run

I appeared in front of my house. It is a white mansion. Two white bars hold up the roof of the house. I went onto the porch and touched the swing. The garage opened. Beside it, I see a green window.

I went inside. My dad came towards me. He was dressed in a blue dress shirt and jeans. His eyes were green.His hair was dark brown. He stomped his feet as he came towards me.

"Meet me outside." he said

"Why?" I said.

"Just do it." he said.

I went back outside. I started to cry. He must know that I injured Jaren. I can't believe he's so angry at me. He almost never acts this way.

A midnight blue mustang backed out of the garage. Food wrappers and bags were thrown all over the floor. My dad stuck his head out the driver's window.

"Get in." he said

I got in the mustang. My dad drove up to the stop sign. My dad glared at me.

"Skyrid, I want to know what happened." he said.

"It was just a fight."

"Just a fight? You put him in the hospital!"

"You mean, he's alive?"

"Yes. Jaren's alive."

The reporter was right. Jaren was miraculously alive. I feel so relieved. Like a huge worry had been lifted off my shoulders.

We started driving again.

"Dad, how is he?" I said.

My dad gripped the wheel hard. "The doctors say his temperature is above normal." he said.

"I didn't mean to do it." I said.

"I know. I saw the footage from the safe room."

"Dad, do you think I'm a freak?"

My dad pulled over.

"Skyrid, I'm a cithian too." he said

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I wanted to wait until you had your malfunction so that you'd understand."

My dad drove back onto the road. I looked behind us. I saw a black S.U.V with a siren on top of it. A man in a white uniform was the driver.

"Oh shoot, it's the Strikers!" I said. I tapped my feet nervously.

My dad better think of something. I do not want to go back to the Striker Prison camp.

The Striker held a megaphone up to his mouth. .

"Pull over, Cithians!" he said.

"Quick,Skyrid, press the red button!" My dad said.

I pressed the red button. A green orb came down around us. I beat my fists against the orb. A white portal appeared in front of us.

We were pulled into it- the car shook from side to side as we were pulled in and the orb drained a lot of our energy into it.

We appeared in front of a white building with an Orange Needle on it. The green orb disappeared. We landed on the asphalt and got our energy back.

My dad drove us into the parking lot. It was crowded. Almost every parking spot was filled. Thoughts ran through my mind. We better find a parking spot. I want to see Jaren again before he dies.

My dad parked his mustang. My dad handed me a black survival bracelet.

"What is it?" I said.

"It's a device that'll cloak your true identity."

"How?"

"Here, it's a special mirror. It'll show you what you like to other Hitons."

I looked like a officer with a white uniform on. A medal badge was on my chest along with a nametag that said: General Clayton, Co-Head Striker. Two yellow ropes were hanging down from my right shoulder. Handcuffs were buckled onto my belt. My eyes were turned into a light brown.My hair disappeared. My face turned milky white. A green ball cap appeared on my head that had three silver stars on it.

"Why did you choose the Co-head Striker as my disguise instead of someone less important?"I said.

"I chose him because he's the only other Striker that has an appointment to see Jaren.

I was a striker. If I'm right, everyone will see me as the Co-Head Striker.

They say this Striker is one of the most powerful Strikers.He was once a Cithian, but he gave up his light powers to be gifted the dark powers.

It was said that Furliceo Woolsley gave him his powers. Furliceo is the Master Striker. He's feared by all. He's our greatest enemy.

He blames the Cithians for causing his pain. His pain is really a warrior power possession. He was possessed by his powers and turned evil by them.

***

We all got out of the mustang. Flowers were at each side of the entrance to the hospital. Lilies and roses were on both sides of the double doors. My dad opened the left door and I followed him inside.

A black lady was sitting at the front of the desk. Her green eyes glowed. I backed up for a minute. Her black hair swung back and forth in the air of the fan. She was wearing a black suit and a red dress shirt.

The room was burning hot.

"Hello, Sir. How can I help you?" she said.

"I'm here to investigate the latest Cithian attack." I said.

"You must mean Jaren James. Right this

way." She said.

"Thank you. What's your name?" I said.

The lady raised her eyebrows.

"Ashton Lawrence." she said. Ashton lead us to some red doors. Above them were these numbers: "287". Ashton pressed some numbers on the keypad. The doors slid open.

"So, how's Jaren?" I asked.

"Bad. The doctors have tried everything; even skin replacement. But, it just made the burn worse."Ashton said.

A man in white came down the hall. Green eyes lay behind his broken glasses that were held together by duct tape. His hair was gray.

He entered the room right beside us. We followed him. Room 1 was painted sky blue. A nightstand was by the the hospital bed. The room smelt like charcoal.

The patient was Jaren. His face was wrinkled. His mouth had dried out. All he could do was moan. He was also dressed in a white hospital gown. His clothes lay beside his bed. The light had burnt 6-inch holes all over his clothes and he was hooked to a heart monitor.

***

Ritter was standing beside Jaren's hospital bed on the left side. Two Strikers were standing in front of us at arms length. Ritter pointed at me.

"He did this! Arrest him!" he said.

The Strikers looked at me.

"That's General Clayton. You need rest!" One said.

"Yeah. General Clayton would never do something like this." the Other said.

The doctor looked at all of us.

"My name is Dr. Tristan Tyler. Jaren's case is a difficult one." he said.

"How so?" I said.

"His kidneys are shutting down and his heartbeat is very fast." Dr.Tyler said.

"Those aren't the normal symptoms to Cithian Power Exposure." I said

"I know." Dr Tyler said.

"Are you saying that you can't cure him?" I said.

"Yes."

Jaren's heartbeat dropped.

"It's time to say your goodbyes." Dr. Tyler said.

"May I touch him?" I asked.

"Yes, General." Dr. Tyler said.

I went up to Jaren. I touched his chest.The wound healed and disappeared Jaren's heart rate rose.

A Striker looked at me.

"You're not the General! You're a Cithian!" he said.

My dad and I ran out of the room. The Strikers chased after us.We ran down the hallway as the Strikers followed behind us.

A intersection was right in front of us. We went right. The Strikers were still behind us. Another intersection. We went left. The Strikers went left. Doctors chased after us too. A third intersection appeared. We went forward. The Strikers went left. But, the doctors still chased after us.

"Touch my hand."My dad said. My dad reached out his left hand. I grabbed hold of it.