TWO: VINES

Jael switches on the torch light.

"Amalya?" she leans closer and sees Amalya's pale face beside the door of the closet. Jael looks into the open closet. She looks at the mirror at the left.

"What happened?" Jael sits down on the floor beside Amalya. She studies her face and she stands up.

She pulls Amalya up by the arms and places her on her bed. She shuts the door and leaves.

Daleth is in his shorts on his bed. He is writing in his bed. His hair is ruffled. His sheets are scattered.

His veins are very visible at the moment.

The veins … the thick green vines with thorns … they are tying him up at his ankles… faster more come from other sides of his bed and it wraps him up at the wrists up to his elbows … it comes up his body to his throat strangling him where it hurts and growing over his face.

"Christ." His eyes flick open. He looks at his arms and ankles to be sure that he is okay. He looks down at his body and his covered with sweat.

"Daleth! It is time for breakfast." He stands up and wipe his body with a towel. He doesn't even bother wearing cloth.

"What's wrong with you?" asks Jared with a plate of pancakes in his hand.

Jael looks up from coffee mug. "Wow. You are a mess."

Daleth rubs his eyes. "Vines."

"Vines?" Jael asks

Daleth is confused himself. "I'm sorry. I'm just …. I don't know, okay?"

He sits down across silent luke. He sees Amalya covering her eyes.

He nods towards her. "What's up with her?"

Jael stuffs her mouth with pancakes and muffles something.

Daleth quirks a brow. "What?"

Jared helps out." She thinks it is cause you' re naked."

Daleth looks at his shorts and he chuckles. "This is crazy. "I'm barley naked."

Jael scoffs. "You think."

"Well, is that why she is covering her eyes and not eating… what are those?"

"First, you are half naked with only shorts on. Second, those are veggies. She doesn't eat pancakes, "Jael explains." "What's up with your wrists?"

"What up with – "he stops midway when he sees his red injured wrists. "What the heck?"

Daleth stands up and rubs his wrists. They aren't hurting but they are injured. He looks so confused. "come, let me clean it up." Jael pulls him by his elbow out of the kitchen.

Once they are outside she stops him.

"What is that? You had better tell me."

He runs a hand through his ruffled hair.

"I' ve told you. I don't know."

She looks at him curiously and continues to pull him to her minilab. She sits him down on a tiny chair and she gets her first aid kit.

"I'm not injured."

"What do you mean you are not injured?" asks Jael.

"It's not hurting"

"Excuse me?"

He looks frustrated. "It isn't hurting, Jael."

Jael pulls back to look at Daleth. "Are you okay?"

Daleth stands up. "I just need to think. I will jog around in the bushes. Don't come out to look for me. I will be back."

Jael doesn't complain. She lets him.

Dr. Dave and his assistant, Dr. Jane run in with the men in purple and black.

They run in to meet broken walls and glass. Dr. Dave stops making Dr. Jane to almost bump into him.

"Dr. Jane, who is that?"

"Rosie Tangers."

"Dr. Dave turns to a man in purple clothes.

"Check her last un sucked memories."

The purple man leaves. Dr. Jane touches Rosie on the face. It is cold but she is breathing. The man in purple comes back with a video on a black electronic pad.

"Sir? I thank I found him."

"Who?"

"Daleth."

Dr. Jane lets out a shocked gasp. "Let me see." She stands beside Dr. Dave. 

"He took Amalya. And Rosie saw. Wipe away every memory of Amalya from Rosie's mind," Dr. Dave orders another man in purple.

Dr. Jane gasps." I beg your pardon?"

Dr. Jane shoves him on the shoulder. "What do you think you're doing? This is a hospital!"

Dr. Dave starts laughing. "A hospital? This is no hospital, Jane. It is not time to be the nice one. We can't risk this agency getting known. Meanwhile, every one of you" he points at the men "should be on the lookout for Daleth."

Dr. Dave gives Dr. Jane a once-over and he leaves.

Dr. Jane tries to pick up Rosie and she sees the vines. She begins to separate the glass from Rosie's body.

She uses the glass to cut the vines around Rosie's wrists.

After taking Rosie to her lab to carry out some tests, Dr. Jane decides everything is for the best. She programs Rosie to go against two: Daleth and Amalya.

"The whole damn thing is messed up" Daleth says to himself with his voice eching in the bushes.

"Amalya's entire stuff might even get me killed. Stupid world where innocent children are used as lab rats."

Daleth steps on a tree branch that snap in half but he hears another behind him. He turns back to see no one behind him. "Hello? Jael? If it's you, I' ll advice you to go back. This place isn't save."

He turns and keeps walking. "Whatever, it is your choice any way."

"Ouch!" He hits his shoulder. He looks right in front of him and it is a clear space of air.

"What?" He tries to walk again but something is just there. Right in front of him. The places his hand there and he realizes.

It is a force field. Daleth hears another footstep and something hits his feet. He looks down to see a ball of black and red stripes.

"What the-" He hits the floor as the ball explodes. His head is hurting and he knows he cannot endure it. He waits for darkness to fall over him and it does.

By 9:30pm, Jael is checking the security systems for a sign of Daleth. She is the only one that knows daleth's abilities. She personally studied him.

There is no sign of Daleth and Jared comes into Jael lab. He stands beside the shelf of chemicals in glass tubes.

"You know this is your fault, right?"

Jael heard jerks up from her work desk

"My fault?" She raises her voice "How is any of this my fault?"

Jared exchales. "Why would you let him go out like that in a hoody and shorts with no weapons and -"

"Oh really?" Jael stands up from her chair "You think I'm like you that restricts people rights, huh?. What did you want me to do? Go after him? He said we shouldn't but if you think you're strong enough, why don't you go?.

Jared frowns "Do I hear Mockery?"

Jael steps closer. "It is not mockery, coward. It is called challenge."

Jared gives her an eye level glare "Jael, Don't you-"

The door comes bursting open.

"He is gone," comes an almost whisper.

They turn to see luke standing at the entrance. Jared looks confused.

Jael squints. "Did you just talk?"

Luke rolls his eyes. "That I do not speak doesn't mean I'm dumb."

"I don't get it." Jared says. "You always speak to us in sign language.

"Not everyone likes to talk. I just wanted to tell you that Daleth is gone."

Jael almost jumps out of her skin when she hears this." What do you mean  'Daleth is gone?'"

Luke keeps silent and almost walks past her. She pulls him by the shoulders.

"He is gone. Not dead but gone. Give yourself a break, Jael." Luke walks out and Jael falls to the ground." No way."

Jared rubs her shoulder. "Tomorrow is another day, Jael. "He pulls her up. "Come and sleep."