ZWorld Ch15

Paris's steps pierced through the earth as she continued to storm off in no particular direction. What was going on? Her first few weeks in the country were fine, everyone and everything seemed normal. Now this? She huffed in frustration, hoping this was a "one time" thing, even if it did happen twice already. As she kept going, her eyes started to gaze around before she realized she didn't know what she was doing or where she was going. She had been so angry, she just left. She moaned heavily and pulled at her head, causing a few onlookers. Noticing this, she embarrassingly turned back to head toward her dorm.

As she walked back, her hands began to relax which caused the paper that Nathan had given her to drop from her fist. She subconsciously felt it slip through her fingers, paused then turned around. It was lying on the ground all crumpled up. To pick it up or to not, she wasn't sure. It's not like she needed it, those people were crazy, probably in some cult or something. If she went to the hotel, if it even was one, they'd probably just kidnap her or torture her or some other sort of thing crazy people do. Her lips puckered and she breathed in hard before a wave of defeat rushed over her. FINE. She thought to herself, giving in to the temptation, and bent over to pick it up. She definitely didn't need it, but, just in case, for whatever reason.

Reaching her dorm, she almost didn't notice the fact that the area around her seemed rather quiet. Usually there was some noise, but it was silent. She looked around to find herself alone. She wasn't sure what to make of it, though it made her feel uneasy. As she turned back to continue toward her dorm, a figure blocked her path. A white man dressed in a suit stared directly at her. Paris immediately stopped in her tracks and made a small gasp. The man began walking toward her causing Paris to instinctively step back. After what has happened so far today, she felt a rather strong distrust towards the man.

"Excuse me," the man spoke out to her as he grew ever closer.

"I'm s-sorry," Paris stuttered. "I must be back to my dorm now," she explained then aimed to walk around him, being sure to keep her distance.

"We need to talk, I'm afraid," the man replied as he quickened his pace and then stopped once he was only a few feet from her.

"Please, I am very busy, I must go," she tried to say as calmly and collected as possible, not wanting to appear frightened. Before she could get anywhere, he grabbed onto her shoulders and held on tight.

"It's important, you're going to have to come with me." There was no option in his tone, his face was solemn but stern.

Paris started to breath heavier as her eyes widened. No more, she begged. Almost instantly she ducked down to loosen his grip then pushed herself off from him. She jumped back then screamed, "Stay away from me," before running around him and heading toward the safety of her dorm. Just getting inside should be good enough, only those with access to the building could get inside. Plus, there surely should be other people there who could help her.

Sweat dripped down her forehead and the looming desire to glance behind her just to see if he was following seemed to overwhelm her. Just one look, one little look. She turned her head slightly and would've screamed if she could. The man was inches from her. The momentary shock caused her to lose balance and she tripped, causing not only herself to fall but for the man to collapse on top of her. Paris's heart nearly stopped and she frantically moved his body off of hers as she attempted to crawl out from under him.

Finally free, her eyes quickly locked onto two more men in suits coming toward her, blocking her way to the dorm. Unable to go to her dorm, she turned around to run in the opposite direction, hoping to find some way to get away, however, two more were coming from over there.

She was trapped.

The man on the ground got up fast and latched himself onto Paris from behind causing her to yelp and shake violently.

"Get off me!" she screamed in vain. One of her arms managed to wiggle its way free and she slammed her elbow into his side. The man winced in pain and Paris twisted around then kneed him in the abdomen, causing him to take a few steps back.

"Damn you," the man grumbled as he grit his teeth.

Paris didn't know what to do. She felt like her life was over, like this was the end. She was only 18, she was too young. Her mother, Markus, all of her friends, she'd never see them again. She was shaking as her mind tumbled. I don't want to die. Her eyes closed just as the man leapt at her, her arms outstretched as her body tensed, expecting to be tackled.

A strange sensation traveled throughout her body as time seemed to slow down. A chilling yet somehow warm pulse traveled from her spine, out and all around her body, up the shoulders, down the arms and releasing from the fingertips before it dissipated. She suddenly felt relaxed and at ease before remembering her situation. She quickly opened her eyes and in front of her was a sight she'd never forget.

He was still—unmoving. Eyes wide, mouth ajar, eyebrows furrowed, arms reaching for her, but he didn't move. Paris was confused and she took a step back, fearing it was some sort of ruse. He wasn't breathing, or blinking, or doing anything. It was as if he was frozen in time.

"Vhat...just happened?" Paris said aloud to herself, dumbfounded. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see the other men running away, their words of panic lost on the whistling of nothingness she heard in her ears. Did she do that? Did she somehow stop him? It must've been some sort of illusion, some sort of trick. Nothing like that was possible. She stared and watched as his body slowly turned a desaturated grey, his eyes still wide from shock, staring straight at her. Her breathing was choppy and uneven as she struggled to focus on anything other than his face. It was angry, furious, yet somehow underneath it, she saw fear. She blinked away and turned to look at the ground then to her hands. The sensation she had felt, was that related? Or was that some strange near-death-experience thing? But his yelling, it stopped once she felt it go away.

Have you ever noticed anything...different about yourself? Something, anything out of the ordinary?

You are one of eight chosen warriors with elemental abilities...

Was it...true? Was everything they said...real?

Paris's eyes slowly made their way back to the man as he stood, coldly silent, unchanged. Did I...kill him? Her vision became blurry as she felt a wave of dizziness. Her body seemed to spin as she tumbled to the ground, landing hard on her hands and knees. Nothing made sense anymore. What had she done?

...elemental abilities...

But what did that mean? She hugged at her sides as she sat alone and afraid in her void of confusion when her hand rubbed up against the pocket that had the crumpled up note resting inside. Everything seemed to pause as her hand slowly reached into her pocket and gently pulled out the paper. She grasped it in both her hands as she opened it up, revealing the hotel name and room number that those people were staying at.

Paris stared at the paper as she debated what to do. Those people seemed to know things she didn't, as if they knew this might've happened. They were trying to warn her. Paris shut her eyes tightly—scared. She was afraid of herself, what she might do. She couldn't control what happened, what if it happened again? What if she accidentally...killed someone again?

Whoever they were, they may be able to help her, and they seemed much friendlier than the suited men did. Gathering her strength, she stood up and looked at the man one last time before running off.

--

Daniel glared at Kim having just heard the new information. Ana had apparently been traveling around looking for the others all over the country. She had been using the portals to go from place to place, scan for them then jump to somewhere else.

"And so what, you just keep this to yourself? What else does she tell you?"

Kim was insulted by his insinuation. How dare he think that Ana told her anything at all. It was enough torture to have her body violated and randomly controlled by some other entity but to also deal with Daniel and his attitude – it was if he was blaming her, like all of this was her fault. She didn't choose for this to happen.

"It's not like she tells me everything, in fact, she rarely tells me anything," she snapped. "Just because she's inside me doesn't mean I can read her damn mind!"

Daniel scoffed. "That makes you in the best position to find out these things. Maybe if you tried a little harder you'd be able to figure this all out. See what she sees, hear what she hears. Something! We're left in the dark!" he yelled back.

Kim clenched her fists. The way he spoke made it sound like it was something anyone could do. As if it was easy for her to just take the wheel. She had no control what-so-ever. Ana did. Whenever Ana wanted to come out, she came out. It wasn't for lack of trying. Ana was more powerful, she was the one who made the decisions. She was the one who could do what she wanted whenever she wanted and Kim hated her for that. She hated Daniel too who belittled her situation. But most of all, she hated herself for being so weak. Daniel could never understand, no one could. Only she and Ana knew what it was like to be trapped in the depths of her mind, or wherever it was they were when not in control.

Tension was high. Nathan could feel it. He hated always being in the middle. He looked at Kim and he knew she was troubled. The lines below her eyes seemed almost ingrained. It wasn't just lack of sleep, it was also stress. This stuff was really taking its toll on her. It was taking its toll on all of them. It still felt unreal, like any moment he'd wake up. His body, his mind, everything ached, he just wanted things to go back to the way they were. He glanced at Daniel who acted as if nothing had phased him. Sure he was mad for not being able to understand some things but he seemed unaffected otherwise. Unless, of course, there was more going on than he could see.

"Do you think she likes me any more than you? Do you think she trusts me any more than you? You don't know shit! You think you do but you don't," Kim almost cried. "Why don't you stop pretending and grow the fuck up." Nathan saw her fighting back the tears as she angrily turned away and quickly stormed to the door to escape the toxic atmosphere. As she swung it open, she was surprised to see Paris standing on the other side who looked just as shocked to see her.

"Oh, uh," Paris muttered quietly. Kim paused for a moment before moving aside and passing Paris leaving her dumbfounded at the door. "Did I come at a bad time?" She stared at Nathan and Daniel who stood shifting their weight and avoiding her gaze.

"Uh, no, it's okay, come in," Nathan welcomed and Paris slowly stepped inside. "Um, Daniel, why don't you fill her in on," he made a short pause, "what we know." He softly smiled at Paris before walking toward the door. "I'll just be right back."

Daniel watched Nathan as he left the room then sighed to himself. That was not a job he desired, and like Paris had brought up, the timing could've been better.

Kim walked down the hallway till she reached the glass door that lead outside. She pushed it open and sat down on the steps. She rubbed her head in frustration. Wake up. Just be over. This is all a dream. Like before, just a really shitty nightmare. She wished. But wake up to what? A new thought occurred to her. She huffed a laugh. That's right, what would she wake up to? Her old life? The one where she stayed home by herself the majority of the time? The one where her parents were divorced? Her parents, she had nearly forgotten. Kim wondered if her father had noticed her missing by now, if had ever come home, of course. He had two jobs and they almost never saw each other. And her mother, Kim didn't even know if she was still alive. She doubted it then pushed the thought out of her mind. She felt angry, betrayed, like her life was just some toy someone was playing with.

"Are you happy?" she moaned out softly to whomever it was to blame. "Is this fun for you?!" She bit her lip as she blinked a few tears away. She wrapped her head in her arms and she gripped at her hair. "Why me?" she whispered, voice cracking. "Why...?"

–-

Paris turned to Daniel, feeling a bit out of place and awkward given what just happened. She didn't know what to think of their little group. She still felt scared and uneasy after what she had just gone through, and while she didn't entirely trust them, they were the only ones who could have any answers.

While Daniel still had pent up anger, he had to, yet again, push it aside for the moment to now deal with this new situation. He wasn't exactly sure where to start, not that he had much to say anyway given how little they knew. If anyone should explain anything to this girl, it should be Ana, though if Ana were the one to explain things to Paris, it wouldn't be like she'd say much at all. He then wondered what it would be like finding the rest of them. Who and where they'd be, how much they would know themselves. Thinking about that caused him to feel like this journey would be a long one which brought him much displeasure.

"Um," Paris mumbled as she stood waiting for Daniel to do or say something. Daniel jumped out of his thoughts and stared blankly at her before finally speaking.

"Oh, Paris, right? Maybe you should sit down," he said as he gestured towards one of the beds then took a seat himself in one of the nearby chairs. Paris nodded and complied as Daniel rubbed his temples. "So, what happened?" his tone serious.

"Ho-how did you know something happened?" Paris was shocked, nervous even. Did he know? Even worse, could he or this group have been the one to send those people? She began twisting her fingertips and her breathing grew deeper, quickly regretting her decision to come.

"You were pretty adamant about not coming. I assumed something must've changed your mind between then and now," he explained, also taking notice of her becoming visibly more uncomfortable. "Are you okay?"

Feeling distrust towards him, Paris decided to keep as many details as possible to herself. She'd wait to see where this goes before revealing too much. "I am fine, I just," she paused for a moment, "thought a lot of what you said and am...curious."

It was an obvious lie but Daniel ignored if for the time being. "Alright, well," he began. "to be honest, we don't all know everything about what is going on, but what we do know is that," he paused as he thought of how to word things. "We all have unique special abilities, and we're pretty sure that, because of that, people are after us." He carefully watched her reaction. She looked away once he said that. She didn't seem to surprised, more just, afraid, like she already knew.

"You met them, didn't you?"

Paris looked up, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. "Va-?"

"That's why you came here," Daniel was piecing it together. Paris didn't respond, she wasn't sure how to. She hadn't said a word, she had no idea how he figured it out.

"Who are they?" she asked frightened and confused. Daniel glanced away as he rubbed his hand through his hair.

"Honestly? We don't know," he was unhappy with his reply, not to any fault of his own, not exactly, but not knowing who those people were deeply troubled him. "They've been after us for days now, I don't know how they keep finding us," he mumbled the last part to himself. It was like they were always on top of them, they never had a break. No matter how fast they moved, they were always a few steps behind and closing fast. He looked back at Paris as he saw her shaking slightly. "They're dangerous, very dangerous. If they come after you, don't hesitate to fight back," he paused remembering past encounters. He didn't want to admit it, but he was scared of them. Scared of what they might do, what they could do. Not knowing, that was something that frightened him the most. "It could very well save your life."

Paris still seemed shaken up, his words seemingly having no redeeming affect. "They will try to come after me again, von't they?" Paris said, her breathing uneven. Daniel sighed.

"If they're here, they'll try to come after us all."

--

Nathan stood behind the door as he watched Kim. He felt his heart stinging with pain as he saw her suffering, knowing there was little if anything he could do to help. Kim meant a lot to him and he knew he meant a lot to her. If only things could be different. He thought to himself, wishing a better life for all of them.

Nathan grabbed the door handle and held tightly as he took a deep breath before opening the door. He knew Kim heard him even though she didn't turn around. He let it close completely behind him before moving toward her. He opened his mouth to speak but then closed it, feeling uneasy.

"Hey," he said quietly. He couldn't ask how she was feeling or if she was okay, that was obvious. "Look," he started, pausing as he watched for any reactions. "Things...things will work out. We'll make them work out. I...I don't know how at the moment, but we'll think of something. But we gotta stay together as a team." Kim turned to face him as he continued. "I know it's hard, well, I don't entirely know, but...let us help you, let's all help each other and we can get through this." He placed his arm on her shoulder and he helped her stand. "Just one step at a time, right? We'll all step together. You're not alone, none of us are. We'll be fine, you'll be fine, I promise."

Kim smiled in return. Nathan always had a way of cheering her up. She leaned in for a hug and he welcomed it. He held her tight and for a moment, there was bliss. A buzz erupted from Nathan's pocket and they separated. Nathan took out his phone and his skin turned white. Kim noticed and quickly looked to see what it was before stunned herself.

It was his parents.

Kim and Nathan looked at each other as the sound of the phone's vibration filled the silence with fear and doubt. Kim broke the glance then headed to the door, slid her card to unlock it then cracked it before turning back and saying, "It'll be okay." Nathan nodded though still afraid. Kim stepped inside and walked slowly back to their room, occasionally looking back at Nathan.

Nathan breathed heavily as he answered and raised the phone to his face. He closed his eyes and his mind was spinning with what they would say, what he could say and just what would happen.

"Hel-"

"Nathan!" his mother yelled then seemed to speak to his father, "He picked up." Her attention turned back to him. "Nathan, where are you? What happened? We had so many messages on our machine about you missing school. What is going on?" Her voice was stern with a mix of concern. Nathan almost couldn't believe it. They had never shown any interest in his well being before. Good grades seemed like the only thing they cared about, though deep down he did know there was a bit more, but they certainly never expressed it. It hurt him to have hurt them and he wasn't going to make things any better for them.

"Mom, I'm okay," he started as he ran through possible things to say in his mind.

"Where are you?" his mother asked again.

"I'm doing something really important right now."

"Nathan, what is-"

"Just, calm down for a second and listen, okay?" Nathan said forcefully. Could he see her face at that moment, he knew she would be shocked. He never stood up to his parents ever, never back-talked once. This was a whole new world for him. He couldn't be the obedient son anymore.

--

As Kim continued on to the room, she felt uncomfortable. All the arguing that had just happened seemed long in the past. Nathan and his parents filled her mind. It was too much to think about. All this time, all this traveling, not once did she consider the repercussions or the people and things she left behind. It hit her hard.

Kim shoved the room key into the slot and opened the door to see Paris sitting on one of the beds and Daniel across from her in a chair. Kim breathed deeply as she stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. She glanced at Daniel who stared back at her to which she quickly glanced away and crossed her arms, nibbling on her lip as she did so. Paris took notice of their awkward behavior though not wanting to be involved, said nothing.

"Where's Nathan?" Daniel asked. Kim looked over at Paris then to Daniel before responding.

"We have a problem."

Daniel immediately stood up and walked toward Kim. Paris grew nervous and scooted farther away on the bed, not sure what to expect.

"What kind of problem?"

"Nathan," she started. "His, uh, his parents...they just called." Her sentence was broken as her mind thought of her father and how he should've known by now that she was gone, but he hadn't called. He didn't contact her in any way. She didn't know if she should say anything to him. Did he even care? Maybe in the past he would have, but for a while...he's been distant.

"Where is he?" Before Daniel gave a chance for an answer, he walked past Kim and out the room into the hallway. Kim turned around to follow and Paris, curious, went after them as well. Daniel turned to his left and saw Nathan standing outside.

--

Nathan paced back and forth as he pondered what to say. There was no good way to explain the situation in a way they would deem acceptable. They couldn't understand, it was impossible. He turned to look back into the hotel hallway to see, to his surprise, Daniel, Kim and Paris all staring back at him. He breathed in hard before continuing, "This is something I need to do," he paused as he glanced over each one of them. "It's something I have to do. I can't explain what that is exactly, and you wouldn't understand anyway. I just want you to know that it means more to me than anything else has before. I'm not coming home for a while but I promise, once it's all over, I'll come back."

Nathan slowly released the phone from his ear, voice choked as he fought back tears, he heard his mother's voice echoing through the speaker demanding to know more but he ignored it. The decision was made. That was the path he choose and it felt right. They were all in it together, like he said, he couldn't leave them. It was their mission, their battle to fight, their war to win. He was in it till the end.

He hung up the phone then turned around to look at the sky. Was this what freedom felt like? Was this what it felt like to be able to go wherever? To do whatever? He smiled as he felt relief for some reason. He closed his eyes and took in the fresh air. A sudden weight began to press on his shoulders as he slowly realized the position he was in. It wasn't freedom...

A car door closing some ways away caught his attention and he opened his eyes to find the source. He spotted some men in suits exiting a vehicle and heading towards the hotel. Oh no, it can't be. Reality sunk in and he hurriedly went back inside to warn the others.

As he opened the door, he saw all three of them standing in the hallway looking at him. Nathan's face was white and it was clear he was afraid. The message went through and Daniel rushed back to the room with Kim pulling Paris along. Nathan continued off after them.

"How did they find us?" Daniel growled loudly and he threw their bags on the beds to pack.

"What happened?" Kim said frantically as she watched Daniel quickly packing.

"They're in the parking lot, they're coming into the hotel," Nathan explained as he joined in helping Daniel. Paris gasped and started shaking her head.

"Nein, nein, nein, I cannot be here, I have to go," Paris breathed hard as she headed towards the door. Daniel saw and ran over to her.

"Wait! You can't go," he said as he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Paris tried to shake him off.

"Nei-, I want to leave, I do not vant dies people after me," she was becoming hysterical. Daniel moved to wrap around her to force her to stay in the room. He held her tight as he tried to calm her down.

"Listen," he said as she shook in his arms, remembering what happened the last time someone tried to grab her. "Listen to me!" he yelled. She stopped, tears falling down her face. He pressed his lips close to her ear and whispered, "You take one step out that door, and they will kill you." She struggled again but he squeezed tighter, a slight cry escaped from her mouth. She didn't want any of this, she wanted things to go back to normal.

"Kim," Nathan whispered. Kim turned to him, all of them were just as afraid as Paris, Nathan and Kim saw it on each others' faces.

"Listen," he hushed again. "We have to stay together, protect each other. If you leave, we can't help you." Her breathing slowed a bit and he loosened his grip, releasing her. She turned around, hand covering her mouth.

"Va-," she choked then breathed in and out slowly, calming herself down. "What du we du?"

All eyes seemed to naturally fall onto Kim, which took her by surprise. She wasn't expecting any sort of weight of leadership, but then again, those eyes weren't really staring at her. She didn't know what to say. Daniel scoffed and moved over to the beds and picked up their bags, tossing one to Nathan, taking control of the situation.

"We leave," he said as he headed toward the door and Nathan and Paris followed.

"Not that way."

They turned around to see Kim, posture straight, face stern—it was Ana. Daniel internally cursed. Paris eyed her closely as she was confused. Almost every moment this girl acted differently.

"How do we leave then?" Nathan asked. Ana turned around to face the window then lifted her arms. As Nathan and Daniel had previously seen before, a foggy black void slowly appeared in front of her. Paris was awestruck. Were these the abilities they all spoke of?

Suddenly, they all heard a banging on the door. They all glanced back, knowing what was on the other side.

"We're out of time," Ana said. "Hurry!" Nathan was the first to go through with Daniel after him. Paris was frozen in place, so fear stricken she couldn't move. Her mind was a mess of emotions and thoughts. Ana growled in frustration as she grabbed a hold onto Paris's collar and yanked her along into the portal, just as the door was kicked in. Paris's eyes locked onto the men standing in the doorway as they grew more and more out of focus until they blurred completely away into new surroundings.

Fresh air rushed through their hair and the sound of ocean waves seemed to come from all around them. Paris blinked a few times as she tried to get a better look around. There were large long buildings and the smell of fuel and salt. Nathan walked around and to one of the buildings and glanced at a sign, attempting to figure out their location. What he saw made him speechless. He turned around to Ana and took a few steps toward her.

"We're not in Kansas anymore..." Nathan said heavily as he sighed, looking around. Ana raised an eyebrow, confused by his comment.

"We were never in Kansas."

"Well where are we now?" Daniel interjected, annoyed.

"Not in America," Nathan responded then pointed to the sign behind him. Daniel got closer to it to find that it was written in Arabic.