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Part 5Walking into the baggage claim area, she felt two pairs of
eyes rake over her body. The hairs on the back of her neck rose in alarm. She
snuck a peak at the corner of her eyes but all she could see was a shadowy
figure darting away. Her curiosity sparked and against her will, her feet began
moving to where the shadowy figure went. She looked up and saw the restroom
sign above her head. Moving into the little corridor, she heard a door slam
behind her and spun around. It was the door marked Gentlemen. Liz suddenly felt silly and gave herself a little laugh.
For all she knew, it could’ve just been a normal guy checking her out.
Shaking her head, she went back to retrieve her luggage. *I’ve been hanging out with the aliens for far too long.
I’m being too paranoid. Besides, why would there be any aliens out here in
Washington? The FBI will surely catch them.* Calling a cab, she thought she saw a flash of pink hair
amongst the crowd of people on the opposite side of the sidewalk. Before she
could really put any further thought on it, a yellow, black, and white cab
pulled in front of her. The driver helped her load her stuff into the back
trunk and she climbed in. Looking out the window, she watched the scenery go by with
disinterest. She was too lost in her thoughts. All she did for the past week
was think, and think some more. *My brain’s probably frying and turning into mush about
now.* She mused. Arriving at the hotel, she tugged her luggage into the
elevator, refusing anyone’s help. The song “Independent Women” by
Destiny’s Child from the Charlie’s Angel movie rang in her head as she
pressed the buttons in the elevator. Question:
Tell me what you think about me
The
shoes on my feet All
the women who are independent “Miss? Miss?” *Someone’s talking to me. Wake up.* She had gotten too caught up in the song to notice that she
had reached the intended floor and was now leaning against the rail. Her mind
immediately focused on the man in front of her. “Oh yes. Sorry.” She grabbed her bags and took off for her hotel room.
*Idiot.* She said to herself. *Room 254. Room 254.* Inserting her key, she grasped the handle and turned it,
opening and revealing one of the best suites in the hotel. She stood
dumbfounded by the beauty. A large window leading to a balcony, well furnished
furniture, a king size bed, and enough room for four. A look of puzzlement stretched on Liz’s face. *How did I
get this?* She double-checked her key, making sure they didn’t give her
someone else’s room. She threw down her bags at one corner, and jumped onto the
bed like a kid who just ate too much sugar. She was testing the mattress’
springs. Liz went over the window and gazed out into it, amazed at
the sight. She could see over many buildings and figured this was a good spot
to see the sunrise and sunset. Ring. Ring. *Who could that be?* She reached over and said hello into
the receiver. There was a moment of static before an electronic voice
called out, “Liz Parker?” Liz’s eyebrows rose and her internal warning bells
sounded. “Yes, this is she. Who is this?” she asked with caution. Days
spent with her old gang taught her to never be so trusting, it can only land
you in heaps of trouble. The voice paused, and started, “You are searching for
your biological parents, correct?” Liz’s suspicion aroused some more. “Yes I am. Now, for
the last time, who are you?” she repeated. “I am a friend.” *A friend.* Liz scoffed. *How many times have I heard that
before?* “Listen buddy,” Liz said, “I don’t know who you are
and frankly, I don’t care. So whatever you got to say to me, say it now or
else I’m going to hang up the phone.” She was done playing games. The past 2 years of her life
was a game, a maze. Gambling on life, running like mice in a cage, jumping
into pain. Liz opened her mouth to say more but the voice cut her off. “I have the information you are looking for. If you want
to know about your parents, come meet me at the dock tomorrow, 12 PM sharp.” She could tell that whoever was on the other side of the
phone was going to hang up. “Wait!” she nearly screamed into the phone. “Yes?” the electronic voice was back. “Which dock? There are a lot of docks around here.” “Listen carefully and write these directions down.” She grabbed the nearest writing utensil and piece of paper.
“Yea, I’m listening.” The voice rattled off quick navigation directions and
street names. Liz had to write quickly to catch up with it. “You have it all?” the voice asked. “Yes, see you there. And no funny business,” Liz said
sternly. The only reply she got back was a click; the voice had hung
up on her. The nerve! She glared at the phone for a minute before heading out,
picking up her purse on the way out. She went sightseeing, looking at the
famous landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial. The camera she brought along came
in handy, she took quick snap shots of the places she went. *Maria and Alex would love to see these.* She thought sadly
as she watched the sunset over the horizon. She caught herself in time,
realizing her mistake. *How could you forget!* Liz scolded herself. *Alex is dead
and you and Maria aren’t on speaking terms.* Positioning her camera, she took a few shots of the sunset,
its brilliant colors of yellow, orange, red, and blue. A sigh escaped her
mouth as she thought about her two past best friends again. Glancing at her watch, she quickly made her way back to her
hotel. It was already near midnight and if she wanted to meet the mysterious
person on the phone earlier, she would have to have a good night’s rest. The bed was extremely soft, as if it was made exactly for
Liz. She had no trouble going to sleep, but her dream was much less peaceful. She knew that there would be a slight chance that Isabel
would try to dreamwalk her. She was prepared for that happening, but she
wasn’t ready to see the onslaught of images that was presented to her in
slumber land. Dream… (Liz’s POV) Haze and fog is all I can make out. Squinting, I catch a
glimpse of what looked like an average sized military compound. One second I was looking at it from afar, and the next,
I’m right at its doorsteps. Bared-wire fence surround this place like a
cage, it’s a replica of a prison. I hear footsteps approaching and duck into
one of the corners where I was assured no one can see or hear me. I peek my head out, and saw a small group of kids at least
4 years old. I counted the shaved heads, taking note that there was 8 kids in
all, 4 girls and 4 boys. There were barcodes on their neck too, if I wasn’t
this close to them, I would’ve assumed that it was just tattoos. They were dressed in simple white clothing, long-sleeved
shirts that looked like they were made from a thin material and pants that
were fitted for the hospital. I shiver and get goose bumps just looking at
them. They stood in two straight lines, parallel and have equal amount of
space between them. Two men, dressed in clothes that remind me of G.I Joe,
stood in front of them and with a sharp blow to the silver whistle he has rung
around his neck, the kids began demonstrating moves that looked impossible to
be possessed by 4-year-olds. I watch in amazement as they went on and on, never tiring
or breaking a sweat. Another whistle and they halted in their steps. One of
the men reached over to a young girl and corrected her posture by twisting her
arm. Her face twisted into a grimace. I switch my attention to
the small boy next to her, he looked ready to jump and attack the man. A
feeling nagged my mind. There was something familiar about him. It wasn’t
just him, it was the whole group, the whole place. With a burst of knowledge, I knew that the little girl was
my younger self and the boy was Zack, my brother. They were all my brothers
and sisters. I grew up here, in this cold compound, alongside with them. The scenery changed with a sudden swiftness. The small band
of kids now looked older, and their faces marred with signs of fatigues. They
were running into the woods that surrounded the compound. What use to be the
fences now lay shredded on the soil ground. The light tower to the left of the compound awakened and a
loud siren emitted from it. The kids looked to each other, gave some hand
signals, and rushed off in pairs of girl and boy. My body follows them, but my feet aren’t even moving. My
stomach drops, I know what’s going to happen next. Horror sweeps into the pores of my body and I stood frozen
as one of the pairs got captured. The boy twisted in the arms of a man and got
broken free of his grasp. The girl wasn’t as lucky. I couldn’t see their
faces but I knew that the boy wanted to go and help the girl. He stepped
forward and tried to get her but another man stood in his way. He had no
choice but to flee the scene, leaving the petite girl behind with those
dangerous men. The girl was still struggling against the men. One of them
took out a guy and knocked her unconscious with the butt of his gun. Blood
spilled from the gash he had created on her fragile head. They were carrying
her in their arms when out of nowhere, a purple flash of light struck them in
the chest and they fell to the ground dead. I look at the girl. A woman dressed in black was now
picking her up. The scene changed again, faster than I could blink my eye. The
woman was driving a jeep, one that was similar to Max’s. The little girl was
seated in the passenger seat, strapped tightly to the chair. The car stopped
at the edge of a lake, a house peeking from the side. The woman reached over,
unbuckles the seatbelt, and carried her to the porch of the house. Placing her
on the doormat gently, the woman waved her hand over the girl’s body. All
traces of blood were erased and the barcode on the back of her neck
disappeared along with it. She knocked the door and retreated back into her
jeep, driving off quickly. The door opened, and from that instant, I knew that the
little girl, was I. End Dream (End POV) Liz woke up drenched in sweat. She looked at the clock
beside the bed and gasped. It was already 11:25 AM. She jumped into the
shower, picked out a suitable outfit, and
ran to the dock, following the directions she had been given the day before. When she reached there, there was no one in sight, nothing
but the calm water and many birds flying overhead. She glanced at her watch
again, it was two minutes before 12. She leaned over the rail, watching the
water flow with the current. “Liz Parker?” someone said from behind. It was more of
a statement than a question. Liz turned around and gasped, her eyes growing wide. “What are you doing here!”
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