The List (Chapter 3)

The Second

Ken opened his eyes, he couldn’t move. 

His head ached and he tried to remember what had happened, a man had pulled him into an alley while he had been out on his run and he had been surrounded by men in dark black suits. Just like the ones who took his sister. 

He was there the day Elise was taken. He had been far off down a long line of kids walking back to the school after field day. He remembered hearing people scream up ahead of him and looking up to see a white van and people in black jump out and grab his sister. Even though he was a very good runner there were too many people and he hadn’t been able to get there before the van had shut its doors and dove off too fast for him to follow. 

He was in that same van. 

He tried hard to block out images of Elise here in this same position. Scared and alone being taken somewhere.

He was strapped to a chair and the road felt bumpy, he wondered what would happen when they got to their destination. 

The van stopped, one of the men in suits opened the door and another one undid Ken’s restraints. 

“Don’t try and run” the man said gruffly “you will only make things worse for yourself” 

He was led out the doors and through halls and door ways he tried to keep track of where they were going but quickly lost track. They stepped into a room with another guard in it and a boy in white shorts and a t-shirt that had a blindfold covering his eyes. 

The guards at his sides left him and stood at the door, then the lights went out. The room went pitch black and Ken couldn’t see anything but then there were two glowing blue eyes looking at him. 

“Well?” said one of the guards 

“No orbe” said a boy’s voice. The blue eye’s disappeared and the lights came back on. 

“What is your name?” asked one of the guards 

“Ken” he said, glancing at the tasers at the men’s sides. 

“Last name?” 

“Rainwood” He said 

“Good” said the man and he motioned to one of the guards who stepped up to the blindfolded boy and shocked him with a taser. 

Ken stared horrified as the boy fell limply to the floor.

‘This is a terrible, terrible place’ he remembered Elise saying in her email. Now he knew that that was certainly not an exaggeration.

Then he was unconscious.

***

“Wake up dude you’re safe” he heard someone say. 

Ken opened his eyes and saw he was in white shorts and a t-shirt with a dog tag necklace around his neck. He was lying on the lower bunk in a small room and there was a boy about his age sitting next to him. 

“Wh-where am I?” he asked, surveying his surroundings. 

There were two bunk beds in the small room and doors on either side of each of them and a large one to his left. 

“Cell D14” said the boy had brown hair and brown eyes. 

“I’m Frank, what’s your name?” 

“Ken” he answered 

“Here let me help you up” Frank said and he helped him sit up. 

“What is this place,this building anyway?” Ken asked. 

“We call it the Compound,can I see your tag?” he asked 

Ken held it out, Frank read it and smiled. 

“No power eh?” he said “You’re lucky” 

He held out his own tag for Ken to read, it said his name, age, and power. Frank apparently had super strength. 

“Do you know my sister? Her name is Elise Rainwood” Ken asked hoping to know where she was. 

“Yeah I know her!” he said “We’ll find her tomorrow,it’s almost time for bed and our other roommate Greg will be here soon” 

He heard footsteps outside and Ken stood up and looked at the door. 

It opened and there was a guard in black carrying a boy that was very pale. Frank went over and took the boy and set him down on the bed. He got out bandages from underneath it. 

“F-Frank” the boy on the bed said weakly. 

“Don’t worry Greg” Frank said “You’re safe now” he started to get the bandages. 

Greg grabbed the hand that held the bandages. 

“Dude! What are you doing?!” Frank said 

“Those will be used on a- person who will heal,” Greg said weakly. 

“What are you talking about Greg?” 

“th-they took it Frank” he said eyes wild “they took my power orbe” 

Frank’s face went pale as a sheet.

“No” he whispered he reached over and ripped off Greg’s shirt causing it to rip in half.  

There on Gregs chest, was a circle of stitches. 

“You-have t-to warn them f-Frank” Greg said weakly gripping the boy’s hand “t-tell them that level f-fifteen is re-reactivated” 

Ken stared at the boy’s exchange, he wanted to ask questions on what was happening but he could tell that now wasn’t the time for it. 

“Who knows?” said Greg “Maybe I will see Will in Heaven” tears were in both the boy’s eyes and Ken saw that he too was crying. 

“Will’s still alive” Ken said wanting to say something 

“Oh bless his heart!” Greg said then grimaced “you have to- warn them all f-frank I want you to s-see the sun before you g-go” 

Greg’s breathing became more ragged and his eyes started glazing over.

“g-goodbye my f-friend” he said in a ragged breath and then fell still. 

“No!” Frank shouted in anguish 

“wake up Greg! wake up!” he said, shaking the boy but he stayed still, not breathing. He set his friend back down on the bed. 

“They did this” Frank said quietly after a moment “they killed him!”  Frank swung his fist at a nearby bed post which splintered and cracked from the impact looking like it might break completely off. He sat panting for a moment seeming to fight back sobs before turning back to his friend lying too still on the bed.

He reached over and pulled off Greg’s tag and put it in his pocket. 

“W-we should get in bed, they will come to get him soon.” he said, not meeting Ken’s eyes. 

Ken got in one of the other beds, later in the night he could hear Frank sobbing under his sheets. He didn’t blame him. Ken felt like he could cry all night long. 

Greg’s body would be gone in the morning.