Chapter
20
A Trace Lost
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I gasped awake, springing up hyperventilating…
“Oh sweetie are you ok?” Ms. William said worried as she pressed her brisk hands over my forehead, “No fever, thank goodness!” She said ecstatic.
My lips quivered, “Ms. William w-what happened, I-I mean I was in this EMQ room and-and then a second later I’m here…”
She pressed her finger against my lips, “Shhh, nothing to worry about ok… it was just some accident that happened that left some deranged fiend out and about, roaming the courtyards without moderation… just a wolf…”
“A what?”
“A wolf, a grizzly beast with fur, sharp paws… and a long nozzle type noise… they have unparalleled senses for blood.” she giggled. “One must have broken free from the Preservation Zone outside our facility.”
I closed my eyes and set my head back down on the comforting pillow, my breathing eased. I’ve heard enough nonsense, my mind was fatigued: to be quite honest my entire being was; weariness just exuding throughout. I crunched my eyes until the darkness ceased and bright auroras of sparkling lights twirled throughout the back of my eyelids… the peace was satisfying until Dr. Harris’s face vividly appeared in my thoughts: I panted.
Ms. William’s hand grasped a hold of my shoulder, “You ok?”
I opened my eyes and took sight of her beautiful sapphire eyes, “Who was that doctor that was in here with me?”
Ms. William sat next to me, she was silent, and face expressionless: thinking perhaps?
“There wasn’t a doctor honey, Mr. Cove just carried you here and then left… perhaps it was Mr. Cove you mistook for a doctor when you were passing out,” she laughed a bit uncomfortably.
I hesitated my reply, “No, no…” I cleared my dry throat, “Just forget… so-so were you inside an EMQ room too?”
She laughed, “Of course I was… it was a mandatory thing we had to do unfortunately... I mean they don’t just prop open for no reason Sam… it’s for our safety, and this time I don’t think it was a test. To be honest with you I’ve never had a real emergency like that… it’s strange that it would start now”
“And what about the sky though… I-I mean before I went to class however long ago it was… it was really black”
“Oh, honey, trust me, the sky’s appearance has nothing to do with anything bad going to occur. Even though in certain books of course the sky’s presence is sometimes concluded to a character’s well being: as though sadness and peril were soon to strike…but,” she pursed her lips and smiled innocently at me, her light pink lipstick slightly glazing like ice with the touch of the sun beaming down from the window.
I believe something clicked, like a light bulb turned on, “Everything will be okay, there’s nothing to worry about… and,” she sighed diligently, “Mr. Cove removed you from his class and placed you under a Student Management Program… I tried to talk him out of it but he started yapping about how you weren’t paying attention, this and that… ugh, it was so annoying, I just gave in and just said ok, that’s fine.” She said.
I groaned, “Ok… and what exactly is this program?”
She grinned, “Well… it’s some stupidly easy program… honestly it’s completely ridiculous in my opinion just a waste of time… and, and,” she lolled like a child, I nervously chuckled beneath my breath at her reaction.
“Sweetie you’ll be just fine, it just teaches you… ah hell: it’s just another way of passing you to another teacher…” she stood and made her way to the door, “I’m going to fix you up some food ok, and we can talk some later.” She left.
I felt infuriated; how could I have been the only person to have seen Dr. Harris, was I becoming ill again? Could it have been some kind of illusion playing tricks on me? I didn’t know what it could be and pondering only brought ache to my already exhausted conscious.
And then Mr. Cove, his sorry… hypocritical, I couldn’t stand even thinking about him. Calling me a spoiled child… I mean what nerve does he have to say such a thing… and then him acting so awkward and unlike himself in the EMQ room?
I anticipated a different story other than what Ms. William had told me about this ferocious beast roaming rampant throughout the area, I was expecting some sugarcoated unreality as always; Mr. Cove and Rachel didn’t even mention what was out there to and pretended they knew nothing... of course from what little I overheard them talk proved otherwise.
I tightened my fist, I felt outraged.
Ms. William appeared at the door way, “Breakfast is almost done sweetie, you can come to the kitchen…” she grinned at me, “Why are you still sitting there anyways, aren’t you hungry?”
I nodded, “I’m starving Ms. William.” I said.
I remained quiet; I couldn’t keep my mind off of Dr. Harris, I didn’t know if it was my mind playing tricks on me, but I know, I know it was too real to be some dream.
“What’s on your mind?” Ms. William asked.
I sighed, “Nothing”
“Obviously something dear”
I twiddled with my fingers and stared at the table trying to come up with a proper false to convince Ms. William I was ok, “Wondering if Amy’s ok,” I quickly lied.
Ms. William smiled, “She’s fine, Sam, I spoke to Amber not too long ago.”
“How long has it been since that thing with the EMQ room happened?” I was truly curious, last time I passed out I was out for three days.
She shuddered, “Not long, it happened yesterday afternoon… it’s only like eight A.M Sam,” she informed me, “Anyways, I’m making some eggs and bacon!”
I grinned slightly remembering the last thing I asked for before I woke up back in bed was chicken. Rachel came to mind too, her beautiful hazel eyes and burning red hair, I sat there motionlessly just imagining her angelic complexion.
I felt Ms. William tap my shoulder, “Here,” she slid the plate full of scrambled eggs and sliced bacon, “Enjoy!” She implied overly excited.
I sat cuddled up near the riverbed, arms wrapped around my knees, rocking myself back and forth just staring aimlessly into the murky gurgling water running by. The sky was still disturbing, black and flowing awfully unnatural with a very misty rain descending in wisps of sheets.
There was this odd feeling circulating around me, I didn’t know what it was or how to comprehend its troubling essence, nevertheless find a cure for it… I felt weary and exasperated.
“It’s a bit dangerous to be roaming around unsupervised Sam,” Oliver said.
I turned my head and saw he was sitting, arms crossed, on a rock not too far from me; he grinned at me, “Supposedly the Council has yet to release any information concerning that little incident.”
“But wouldn’t that mean we’d be locked in the EMQ rooms still?” I quickly added.
Oliver shook his head, “In a way no, but in another perspective perhaps being confined in that room would be safer… I don’t know if I’ve told you but I’m one of the ones in charge in capturing abnormalities.” He smirked.
“Good day,” said a mysterious voice before I could ask about this abnormality; the man’s footsteps were approaching us from the bushy area to our left, “Fine afternoon.”
Oliver laughed, “Quite a welcome John.”
John, a tall and slender man, baldhead, completely dressed in a black suit, and hands covered by leathery black gloves, sat besides Oliver. His black shoes glazed majestically as though they were surrounded by a glistening aura of light. I sat perplexed and scared, what if this man was one of those Council members?
He saw me eyeing his unusually familiar attire, “You must be Sam,” he said delighted, “Reese has said a lot about you.” John kindly smirked at me.
“This boy right here has quite a road ahead”
“Yeah,” I said sarcastically, “One whose LCP is classified,” I stuck my tongue out at Oliver, he chuckled.
??
?Rare.” John alleged.
“Indeed, very.” Oliver muttered.
After a prolonged moment of uncomfortable silence I said, “Do you know Reese?”
John nodded, “That’s right.” He affixed adequately, “He’s told me about your little mission,” he turned to Oliver, “Know that old Dr. Harris figure?”
Oliver’s face turned grave, “Of course… who hasn’t…”
“He released Sam here… without any clearance and somehow was able to walk freely without our cameras or security AI knowing this… he slipped through a blind spot and none of us know exactly how.” John explained.
Oliver shook his head rather dismayed, “That’s unbelievable… why didn’t I know of this?”
“It was classified… but now that he has yet again appeared in our radar we need you and your Myrmidons to assist in his capturing.”
“What about that beast?” Oliver quickly protested.
John took a deep breath, “We’ll have to postpone it for a bit I guess… I’ll see if any of my S.S Monitors could possibly take it from here,” John turned to me, “All this you’re hearing mustn’t be told to anyone ok Sam?”
I nodded.
“We were informed by Jane that you mentioned Dr. Harris, is that correct Sam?” John asked.
“Y-yeah… he-he appeared in my room earlier today before...”
“Wait, wait, are you telling me that you saw him today?”
“Yeah,” I said, repeating myself.
Was it that complicated to comprehend that he was in my room this morning before dawn even broke. I told Ms. William and she didn’t believe me, but they heard me mention him through Jane and now they’re searching for him, but they can’t believe he was in my room: which was the entire reason I mentioned him in the first place.
“How come Jane didn’t see anything or mention even witnessing an illicit wandering in your room?” John quickly remarked.
“I don’t know, I-I mean don’t AI’s go idle or something”
Rumbling shook the ground.
“We’ll have to finish this discussion at a later time Sam. Oliver be with your business and Sam get going home as quickly as possible,” he turned to me, his face serious, “I’ll contact you at a later time ok, I’ll discuss matters with the Council Officials and we’ll end Dr. Harris’s reign.”
Before I could say anything John and Oliver, they were already gone. I blinked, shook my head, and they were still gone; so quickly, invisibly. I shuddered.
“Discuss matters with the Council about Dr. Harris’s reign?” I whispered uncomfortably trying to decipher all these awkward things John was talking about.
I closed my eyes and tried to envision the times I did witness this mysterious ghost, but this vacant space bloated my conscious… I lost all trace, not a single recollection of the moments I stood next to him, looked into his eyes.
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