The awakening, p.9
The Awakening, page 9
part #1 of Eve Series
***
The blue car resembled a piece of mangled tinfoil wrapped around the
telephone pole. A thin trail of smoke oozed from the hood and crawled up the
mutilated frame, disappearing beneath the colossal truck that sat atop the car ’s
remains. Eve watched as the truck’s driver fumbled for the door handle, and she realized that she had been here many, many times before—but for whatever
reason, this time something was different. She looked down at her hands—they
were smooth and mature, with long, slender fingers and a faded, pencil-thin scar heading straight across her right palm. She had gotten that scar during a
fight in the seventh grade when one of her classmates had threatened her with a
knife. “I’m gonna cut that gift right out of you, chime,” he’d said to her through gritted teeth. Suddenly, she knew what was so strange about her dream;
she touched her face and felt her sharp cheekbones and pointed nose. The accident was so real, so accurate, but for the first time in eleven years, the dream had changed: Eve was no longer a child. She was seeing the nightmare
through the eyes of her nineteen-year-old self.
“Don’t you tell anyone, little girl. Don’t you tell a goddamn soul, y’hear me?”
Eve’s heart raced as she resisted the urge to kill the man with her own two
hands. What good would that do? After all, this was only a dream, and he was
already dead. Still, she couldn’t slow the heavy beating in her chest. After years of being haunted by this recurring vision, she had grown accustomed to it, desensitized even; and now that it had changed, she felt herself panicking once
again.
She closed her eyes— Maybe I’ll wake up, she thought to herself. When I open my eyes, everything will be back to normal. With one last moment of hesitation, she opened her eyes. The drunk driver was gone, and in his place stood Jason
Valentine.
He looked exactly as he had on the hospital gurney: his chest was carved
open, and his flesh and muscle hung limply at his sides. Eve stared in horror at
his pulsing heart, at the blood that drizzled down his stomach, past his navel, and onto his jeans, while his eyes looked back at her with an empty, lifeless gaze.
“We’re all going to die.”
His voice was calm and unwavering. Eve’s legs began to shake; she wanted
to run, to wake up, to find a way to escape Jason’s presence, but she couldn’t
stop herself from staring deep into his unblinking, expressionless eyes.
“We have to stop it. We have to make it end. Or everyone dies.”
Eve lurched up in her seat, and a couple of nearby students giggled and
whispered to one another as they watched her catch her breath. She was in the
Rutherford study hall, trying to tackle her assignments from the day prior but
failing miserably. Her eyes panned down to her scratchpad; her digital
textbook read Page One, and she cursed under her breath. It was Heather ’s fault
—her sleepless night, her tossing and turning, the new, horrible nightmares
that tormented her. With a sigh, she admitted defeat, gathered her belongings,
and headed for the door.
Eve hopped in the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor. It was
nearly seven o’clock, and dinner would soon be available in the dining hall.
The idea of eating there with the Billington elite, and even worse, with
Madison and Hayden, made her cringe. She would much rather eat by herself—
being alone was her comfort, her refuge, the only thing that felt familiar and
safe—but it was a luxury Madison had ensured she would never enjoy again.
The elevator doors opened to reveal a sight Eve hadn’t expected: the lobby
was filled with students, all madly dashing in the same direction—straight to the rec room. Curious, Eve followed suit, peering over their heads and
shoulders as they squeezed their way through the tight space. The room was crammed with Rutherfordians—many sat cross-legged on the floor, while
others shared the scant chairs, and some even teetered atop the tables—but
every last one of them had their sights set on the wall-sized HV screen.
The news was on. A sharply dressed anchorwoman’s hologram paced the
floor, walking through a few of the students who sat too close to the projection.
She stopped and faced the room, her tone somber and urgent.
“In our top story of the day, controversy tears through Billington University.
According to what we believe are reliable sources, Interlopers have invaded the esteemed college. Even more disturbing are reports that the Interlopers are not just occupying the campus—they are, in fact, abducting chimera students and performing live dissections on them.”
The students surrounding Eve nervously murmured to one another, but she
remained silent.
“An anonymous source within Billington has informed Channel 4 News that
as many as nine chimera abductions have taken place at the university over the past several months, and that Billington officials have resorted to extreme measures in order to keep these attacks out of the headlines. The most recent abduction and dissection, occurring just yesterday, is certainly the most shocking of them all: Channel 4 has confirmed that Billington sophomore Jason
Valentine, son of New York Senator Donald Valentine, is the latest attack victim.”
A small photo of Jason appeared in the top corner of the screen. His smile
was friendly and sincere, but Eve felt a chill run through her body.
“According to our anonymous insider, Jason Valentine suffered life-
threatening injuries to the chest and abdomen and is currently in recovery.
Sources speculate that no one within the Valentine family, including Jason, was aware of his status as a chimera. Senator Valentine took an anti-chimera-rights stance during his campaign, and thus far, has not released any statements regarding his son’s condition or the attacks at Billington in general.”
A few students snickered to one another as they pointed at Jason’s photo. For
a brief moment, Eve thought that she heard one of them mutter, “Chime.”
“This tragic discovery at Billington University marks a turning point that
many have feared: the US Government has now officially declared the
Interloper population a physical threat to chimeras.”
“What are you doing?”
A sharp voice rang in Eve’s ear, breaking her concentration. She jumped—
then looked to her side and saw Hayden’s grey, beady eyes staring back at her.
“God, Hayden, you can’t just sneak up on people like that.”
“Madison sent me to look for you. You’re late for dinner.”
“I’m late? Is she my roommate or my mother?”
“Less talking, more walking.” Hayden scanned the room, her face vapid and
expressionless. “Let’s go.”
Eve followed Hayden toward the dining hall, shoving her thoughts of the
Interlopers to the back of her mind as best she could. As they made their way
past the long rows of tables and chairs, she saw Jason’s mangled body flash before her eyes, and she blinked furiously to rid herself of the images. With little time to calm herself, she finally found Madison’s table and sat in front of her.
Madison trailed her fork through her salad, tossing bits of lettuce across her plate like a child playing with her food.
“Ugh,” she moaned. “This salad is the worst. These cherry tomatoes taste
like barf.” She looked up at Eve and growled. “Where have you been?”
“I was in the rec room watching HV. Haven’t you seen the news? They’re
talking about your beloved Jason.”
Madison plopped her fork in the middle of her salad and grimaced. “Don’t
even remind me of Jason. So disappointing to hear he’s a chimera. Gross.”
Eve winced. “Gross?”
“Totally! Just think, if we were to have babies, they’d be tainted, like crossbreeds, or mutts. Plus, I’m sure his chest looks like a vomitosis mess now that it’s been ripped open and sewn back together.” She wrinkled her nose and
pushed her half-eaten salad off to the side. “I can’t even eat just thinking about it.”
Eve bit her lip and shoved her hands deep into her pockets, attempting to keep
her anger out of sight as she dug her fingernails into her palms.
“So, I’m guessing he’s been cut from your list of top ten future husbands?”
“God no. He’s been demoted, but not removed completely. He’s down to number ten now—barely hanging on by a thread. But he’s still rich and pretty.
That counts for something.”
Eve rolled her eyes. “I can’t think of anything that matters more.”
“I don’t know what she sees in him,” Hayden added, slurping her juice and
glaring pointedly in Eve’s direction. “I don’t know what she sees in a lot of
people.”
“Ladies! Fancy seeing you here!”
A bubbly voice trilled behind Eve, catching her off guard. She cringed—she
knew exactly to whom it belonged.
“Heather!” Madison beamed, much to Eve’s surprise. “Hon, you look
fabulous!” She hopped up from her seat and gave Heather a firm squeeze.
Heather glanced back and forth between Madison and Eve. “I didn’t know
you two knew one another,” she said, her eyes lighting up with delight. Eve was
familiar with the look—and she didn’t trust it.
Madison smiled. “Oh, we more than know each other. We’re roommates and
instant friends. Attached at the hip, really.”
Eve looked briefly at Hayden; the blonde angrily scowled back at her and
downed her juice like it was a shot of vodka.
“Well, isn’t that special.” Heather ’s eyes danced across Madison and landed
on the large, glittering orbs that hung from her earlobes. “Madison, I must say,
those are some beautiful diamond earrings.”
“You noticed!” Madison shot a quick glower at Hayden and Eve. “These two
bottom feeders haven’t said a word about them.”
“Are they a gift from Daddy?”
“You know me too well, Heather.” Madison cupped the dangling gems,
stroking their platinum settings affectionately. “They’re new, you know. You
can’t buy them in stores yet, and they’re already sold out in presale, but those sort of restrictions don’t apply to me, obviously.”
Heather cocked her head. “They’re awfully sparkly.”
“That’s because they’re Everlasting Diamonds, the latest thing in synthetic
gems.”
“Synthetic?” Hayden asked. “So… they’re fake?”
“They’re the future of fashion, you idiot,” Madison snarled. “Natural diamonds are scratch-resistant, but they’re not shatterproof. Everlasting
Diamonds are totally indestructible.” Madison flicked her wrist nonchalantly.
“It’s chemistry or something, I don’t know. But I do know that it’s the first of
its kind, a diamond to surpass all diamonds. Nothing like this has ever been made before.”
Eve squinted her eyes, blinded by the shimmering monstrosities. “I don’t
understand. Why would anyone need a shatterproof diamond?”
“Why would anyone need a needle lace dress hand-stitched by Finnish nuns?
Because it’s extravagant and dynamic and above all else, it’s a statement.”
“A statement of what? Wealth?”
“Exactly. Besides, the toughness is what makes these bad boys so twinkly,
and really, that’s all that matters.” Madison turned to Heather, her eyes glowing
with self-regard. “My daddy even let me come up with the commercial slogan:
your heart will never break, and neither will your diamonds.”
“Well, aren’t you the little marketing maven. So much so that you’ve sold
me,” Heather cooed. “It’s a shame they’re not available for purchase.”
“I know, it’s a real pain in the crotch, but what can you do?”
“What can you do?” Heather repeated, stroking her chin almost comically.
“That’s a phenomenal question. If only someone had special access to these
Everlasting Diamonds. I know if I did, I’d give some to my friends.” She stared
at Madison, her eyes fiercely focused. “My closest companions. The ones who
knew my deepest secrets. You know, out of the goodness of my heart.”
Madison looked back at Heather, her cheeks suddenly morphing from pink
to white.
Heather folded her arms. “But that’s just me, of course.”
Madison sprang to life, immediately digging through her golden clutch like
a dog tracking a scent. She yanked a velvet coin purse from her bag and
poured out its contents: three small diamonds.
“An Everlasting Diamond for each of you,” she said, placing one into the palm of each girl’s hand, “because that’s how much you all mean to me.”
Eve eyed the jewel; it was small, the size of a pea, and yet she knew its value
likely surpassed even her most lavish estimates.
“Madison, you are so generous!” Heather chirped, admiring her gem in the
light. “How unfortunate that I have two ears and only one diamond.”
Madison forced a pained grin and reluctantly pulled one last gem from her
coin purse. “Now you have two diamonds,” she managed to utter through
poorly concealed gritted teeth. “Just for you, my oldest friend.”
“But what about—”
“Shut up, Hayden,” Madison snapped. She turned to Eve, who had remained
quiet throughout this odd display, and scowled resentfully. “I know you’re not
too familiar with the finer things in life, but that diamond is worth more than
you are. If you lose it, I’ll gut you like a fish.”
“Speaking of guts…” Heather placed her diamonds in her handbag and
turned to Eve, gently resting her hand on her shoulder. “How are you holding
up, darling?”
Eve grumbled and shook the girl’s hand from her shoulder. “I’m fine, thanks.”
Heather leaned in toward the girls. “We were in the medical ward yesterday
when the whole…” She paused and looked from side to side. “… situation
happened.”
Hayden’s eyes lit up with curiosity and Madison gasped.
“Eve!” the heiress yelped. “How come you didn’t tell me?”
“It’s something I’d rather not talk about. Ever.”
Heather took a seat facing Eve. “You know, I had a class with Jason during
the first semester of our freshman year. I never would’ve suspected that he was
one of them.” She turned to Madison. “What about you, doll? You’ve known
him for quite some time, haven’t you?”
“No one is more shocked than I am, that’s for sure.” Madison pouted
melodramatically. “I feel lied to—betrayed, really. He should’ve said something. He should’ve told me—”
“He didn’t know.”
The table fell silent, and Eve felt all eyes on her . For God’s sake, learn to keep your mouth shut, she thought to herself, and yet she couldn’t help it. She looked up at the three girls beside her.
“They said so on HV.”
Heather frowned. “You seem so tense, darling. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I said I’m fine.”
Heather giggled. “Oh, Eve, so tight-lipped and full of mystery. I swear,
you’re like an onion—you have to be peeled back layer by layer.” She stood from her seat and patted down the pleats of her skirt. “It’s been so lovely catching up, but I have places to be and things to do. Thank you for the diamonds, Madison.” Just as she stepped away from the table, she stopped and
turned toward the girls one last time. “Oh, and Eve, my little enigma, do take
care of yourself. I certainly can’t wait to see each and every one of your layers.
They’re fascinating, I’m sure.”
The threesome watched Heather scamper away, completely silent until she
had turned the corner and left the dining hall.
“Thank God she’s gone,” Madison hissed, slumping in her chair with relief.
“That could’ve been a suckgasmic mess.”
“What was that all about?” Eve asked, dumbfounded. “The compliments, the
diamonds. I thought you hated her. You told me she was a vulture.”
“Yeah, well, she can’t know that.”
“Why not?”
“Eve, don’t be so naïve,” the heiress sneered. “That slophole has ruined too
many reputations in her lifetime. I can’t risk getting on her bad side. You know
what they say: keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
Eve caught herself before she rolled her eyes. In fact, she realized that her disapproval was almost hypocritical. After all, she was eating with Madison
and Hayden, two girls she couldn’t stand to be around, and for what? For
safety. For survival. That was what she had told herself each day as she tolerated their company. In her desperation to coast by anonymously, she was
becoming what she despised: a fake. Keep your friends close and your enemies
closer—the words echoed through her mind, and she knew they described her
