Free Minds

Chapter 13.

    The first thing I did when I got home was take off my clothes to have the longest, scrubbiest shower I've ever had. A shower that even surpassed the one I took after watching my first dirty movie.

   Staring at the foamy toothbrush in my hand now, thoughts kept piling in, each more demanding and inquisitive than the last. Great, I have monster hair in my mouth.

   What on earth was happening in Zavlon Academia right now? What was the reason behind everyone's weird behaviour? How had those creatures—whatever they were— been able to make it into the school and take over? Was that girl the last student who had tried and failed to get away? Was I the only one who managed to escape?

   After leaving the shower and getting dressed, I walked to the garage/laundry room, hoping that being around my recreations would clear my head. The old, persisting questions, however, didn't settle in time for my mind to accommodate the new ones building up.

   Upon remembering the cut I had sustained while trying to pass through the school's gate, I reached over to grab the first aid kit in the corner and searched for the things I needed for my metal grazed arm. The stinging from methylated spirit didn't even make me flinch. My thoughts were directing me to focus more on whether the painkillers I had just taken from the bathroom's cabinet would do any good to the nasty bruises erupting from the areas I had been monster-handled.

   Oh God, what was I going to tell Mum? 

   I was supposed to be spending Liberation Week at Zavlon. I had never lied to get out of school before. How I was supposed to explain what had happened without sounding psychotic?

   Were they even looking for me? They couldn't have followed me home... right? Well, now I couldn't tell my mother or Tali even if I wanted to.

   It was a long, melancholic walk to my bedroom.

   I let out a frustrated scream as my head hit the pillow. My eyes turned to reservoirs as they remained clenched, holding back the streams of tears that showed no signs of ceasing.

***

"You really don't seem sick to me." Mum said, raising her brows at my blanketed state in my bed. I tried not to shrink under her peering.

"I'm not saying I am," I replied. "but I could be."

"And you're sure they said there was a flu outbreak?" She placed a hand over my forehead for the thousandth time.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Why else will the school cancel Liberation Week? They still didn't want to take any chances though. It's not like they want us to experience the actual virus."

   I could think of another reason.

   To ward off any suspicion, I added, "We're probably going to hear from the school soon anyway. The flu was detected in only three students. I've been texting Minji. She's going to let me know if there is any change."

   Minji...

"And they're sure it's not the real virus?" she frowned.

"They took multiple tests to make sure. I promise, Mum," I remarked. "Besides, the virus hasn't been recorded in decades. I'm really doubtful Zavlon Academia would be the first place for it to reappear."

"Okay." Mum's sigh was in unison with the mental one I gave. "Just don't leave your bed for petty reasons just in case. And certainly not this house. And, tell me immediately when you hear something. Don't think this one week thing is a vacation. I'm going to find a lot of things for you to do."

"I know," I mumbled.

   After a brief hug and a goodbye, my mother left for work. My thoughts immediately pounced, not shielding their readiness to consume me.

   Not if I had anything to do about it first though. I jumped out of bed and raced to the thing I knew would do just the trick of distracting me from this hellish situation, even if it was for a while.

   One of the most vivid memories of my childhood was when I encountered my first Seekers comic book. Mum had to take me to the hospital since no babysitter was available and she couldn't leave a six year old home alone in response to an emergency call to all nurses from the hospital at midnight.

   Without getting arrested for child endangerment, that is.

   So, as she tended to the unexpected barrage of patients, I was stuck under the not-so-watchful eye of one of the nurses in the children's ward. Long story short, the glossy pages of action, heroism and humour kept me through the night.

   That was the first comic book I read (and "borrowed"). Seekers Comics made me understand that absolutely anyone could become a hero. Most times, these brave few were often poor, mocked, misunderstood and unknown behind those costumes, but this didn't steer them from doing what they could, even the ones without exceptional abilities.

   Was I like them?

   I wish. Why else will I be inspired by and living vicariously through them?

   And now some years later, the garage/laundry room, my safe space and site for device remakes, also had a spot for tiny hill-sized stacks of various comics; what my mum would call 'an ominous death trap' or Tali would describe as 'one step away from becoming a creepy shrine'.

   I don't think I should be blamed for the level of comic explorations and discoveries I've obsessed— I mean, engaged in over the years.

   Today, a classic Seekers Comic was enough to make me temporarily forget the questionable incident that occurred just yesterday. Almost, anyway.

   I ogled through my collection for a Seekers comic I haven't read in a while when the sight of a dark device was caught by my peripheral vision.

   The Virtuo glasses that Tali yanked from my head remained intact in the corner she had thrown it toward. How could we have forgotten to add this to the other devices we dumped into Clearwater?

   Although—I took hesitant steps towards it—judging by what happened, the chances of them looking into what we did two days ago had definitely disappeared. I picked it up to get a better view. Who knows, maybe if I was able to take this thing apart to find the source of the problem, I could get it working aga—

"You have triggered the touch sensor system." A calm voice with the uncanny ability to still freak one out blasted through the device, filling the room

   I dropped the device at lightning speed. This was what I got for trying to fix things.

   The machine was unfazed by the hit it took to the ground, the voice still saying, "I repeat, the touch sensor system has been triggered. The incoming message will be available in three..."

   I had to get out of here.

"Two..."

   This wasn't the time to be an even weightier bitch gravity, just let my legs go.

"One..."

A/N:

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  Published: 24th September, 2021.