Throughout the world, Power Uppers are the hottest drug on the market. A single pill allows any Normie to obtain the power of a Super. The drawback? They're also highly addicting and the cause of most financial ruin.
Tayla wants nothing to do with s...
اوووه! هذه الصورة لا تتبع إرشادات المحتوى الخاصة بنا. لمتابعة النشر، يرجى إزالتها أو تحميل صورة أخرى.
Tayla groaned as someone shook her awake. She swatted one hand at air and mumbled, "Five more minutes mommy."
The person continued to shake her, increasing in speed, until Tayla opened her eyes. April leaned over her, smiling. It wasn't a dream, the night before, her mom with the Recruiters, it was all real. Tayla closed her eyes as her cheeks burned. Danika wasn't with her, she wasn't home, everything was still wrong. April pat Tayla's cheeks. She opened her eyes to the woman holding a donut out for her.
"Thank you." Tayla wiped her eyes and took a bite. She looked toward the nearest window. Water dripped over the glass, smearing what remained of the grime. April tapped her should, motioning Tayla to get up and follow her.
She had nowhere else to go, sticking with April seemed the most logical choice until she could clear her head. Even going back home seemed to no longer make sense. At least not until she understood why the Recruiters took her mom. Yes Danika used a super power, but she wasn't a natural born Super. They'd have no reason to take someone who took a Power Upper. That's all Danika did, it had to be all she did.
April lead her back out the window they crawled in. Wind yowled through the alley, spraying rain everywhere. Tayla pulled on her sweater, trying to protect her neck from the cold. If she'd known she'd be traversing the underbelly of Eden city, she'd have worn a heavier jacket. April didn't appear bothered by the cold, even with the multitude of holes shredding her camouflage jacket. She glanced back at Tayla following close by and stopped walking.
Both hands worked to unwind the tattered scarf circling her neck. April tossed it over Tayla's head and wound it around her neck.
"No, April I can't!"
She shook her head and pressed a finger to her lips. One hand reached inside her jacket, pulling out another scarf. It was lighter and in worse condition than the one she'd given Tayla.
"I'll take that one then!"
April pat Tayla's cheek and turned away. There wasn't a single piece of her clothes that didn't have fraying edges or holes exposing her skin to the elements. Tayla didn't understand why she as so willing to give up her nicer scarf when Tayla's clothes were in better shape. They stopped again when they reached a box sitting beside a closed clothing store. April dug through the remaining contents, pulling out a single glove and three socks. She gave one sock and the glove to Tayla before putting the other socks on her hands. Tayla smiled at the instant warmth provided by the sock over her hand, even if it looked silly.
The mostly deserted streets were bright despite the clouds still covering the sun. At least the lightning had stopped though the rain continued to drizzle down. Rain was something she liked. At least it was still safe in Eden City, unlike in the scorched lands to the east where the bombs fell during the Great Nuclear War. That area was so badly scarred, and still ripe with the fallout, it was off limits to all. A wall stretched from the southern coast and curved around the scar where acid rain melted everything. Tayla often wondered how the radiation didn't extend to Eden City, the scar wasn't far away.
