Scarlett looked curious.
“When he found out that we had powers, he wanted to use us to win his latest war in the Middle East. He saw us as a group of undefeatable super soldiers.”
“What?” she was shocked. “But we’re just kids. And you say this was three years ago.”
“Yeah,” Jay jumped in. “We were all aged 14 to 16 at the time. He imprisoned us and treated us like nothing but a weapon. We weren’t human to him, just another thing to use to get what he wants. He told us that if we didn’t fight for him, he’d kill our families. So the ten of us rebelled, freed ourselves and set about faking our families’ deaths and putting them into hiding. We’ve been on the run ever since.”
“So that’s what happened to my family?”
“Yes,” Neelam assured her. She stood up and walked over to sit next to Scarlett. “We helped them to safety, then made it look like arsonists had burned the house down. I’m afraid that we don’t know where they are now though.”
“Can I find out?”
“No,” Neelam insisted. Scarlett noticed that Dylan was now sitting in the corner looking troubled, while Neelam took over the speaking. “None of us can contact our families for fear of leading Goulden right to them. He’s been known to spy on us, so whilst he is still after us, we have to keep them as safe as possible.”
“We can’t see our families?” Scarlett was devastated.
“I know how much you miss them,” Neelam said, putting her arm around her. “But we really can’t risk it while things are like this.”
A forlorn silence filled the room and Scarlett realised that she had to suck it up and be brave. Everyone else was in the same boat as her, after all.
Dylan stood back up and regained his place as the main storyteller.
“We’ve spent the last few years trying to help the people who need it in this messed-up country. The police sure as hell don’t so anything. They’re all corrupt and under Goulden’s control.”
“So is that why they’re after you too?”
“Partly,” Dylan said. “That and what happened at Victoria Station just over a year ago.”
Scarlett sat forward to hear more. That must be the Victoria Incident she’d read a little about…
“What happened?”
“Goulden’s men rampaged through Victoria Station in rush hour one evening and blew the whole place up. They made out that we’d done it with our special powers and turned the nation against us through relentless lies and propaganda. As I said, he’s got most of the newspapers and TV stations on his side.”
“Oh my goodness. That’s awful. How many died?”
“More than 4,000 people,” Dylan replied.
The rest of the group stared at the floor with a haunted look on their faces.
Scarlett felt sick.
“And we’ve been blamed for it?”
Dylan nodded. “You can understand why the country hates us. Goulden struck a double whammy there, you see. He drove us underground, made people despise us, and made the public adore him again. He painted us as a ‘super-powered terrorist problem’ that needed to be fixed, then he was hailed as a hero for wanting to get rid of us. He’s made people think he’s the only one who can keep us at bay and the public must vote for him or the super-powered freaks will kill more innocents.”
“He’s created a climate of fear,” Scarlett concluded with a heavy sigh.
“Yep. Clever, isn’t he? There’s another general election due next year and he looks set to walk it. Even though he’s brought this country to its knees. It disgusts me.”
“And since then, everything’s got worse,” Neelam said. “The country has rapidly fallen apart as everyone lets the great Goulden get away with murder, probably quite literally from what we’ve heard.”
“Meanwhile, the group broke in two,” Dylan explained. “The other five are angry about the way they’ve been treated and they want revenge. They think attacking the government and violence is the answer. They want to bring down Goulden whatever it takes – even if they have to kill him. We refuse to go that way and stoop to his level. We want to bring him down the fair and proper way.”
Scarlett remembered the group she’d encountered earlier.
“Is that who I met this morning?” she asked.
“Yes,” Dylan nodded.
“But there were only four of them.”
“There were five before. One, their teleporter, was feared killed with you. You were both fighting when a building you were in collapsed. But because you’re the most powerful of all of us, we desperately hoped you’d survived. And you did.”
Scarlett had survived, he was right, but as far as she could remember, she’d been hit by a lorry, not crushed by a building. Maybe it was time she explained her side of the story so they understood she wasn’t “their” Scarlett. Or at least she didn’t think she was.
“The thing is,” she began. “I don’t remember this world, any of it.”
“We’d figured that,” Jay laughed. “You’ve lost your memory.”
Scarlett stood up and started to pace the room.
“No I haven’t. I do have memories, but they’re of somewhere else. I was living in a happy, normal London. There was no Goulden or New Way party, David Cameron was prime minister. Times were tough, true, but they were nothing like this. I was living a normal life with my family, studying for my A’ levels and just being, well, normal. Then on my 18th birthday, I was meeting my friend at the bus stop when a lorry nearly hit me. He ran to save me and that’s the last thing I remember.”
It was their turn to look confused.
“Do you think she banged her head?” Lucy asked.
“Maybe someone brainwashed her?” Jay suggested.
“Guys! Listen, the next thing I knew, I woke up here four weeks later in a completely different world. The people in the hospital insisted I wasn’t in a road accident, and they didn’t know who I was. Then I stepped outside to find hell on earth. I thought I was having a nightmare or I’d woken up in some crazy future, but the date is right, it’s just everything else that’s different.”
“I don’t get it,” Lucy said, scratching her head. “What do you think happened?”
“I don’t know!” Scarlett said, a little too loudly. This was very frustrating. She sat back down again, feeling defeated. “I don’t know,” she repeated sorrowfully. “This is all so much to take in.” Scarlett could tell they thought she was talking nonsense. How could she convince them that what she said was true, so they could help her find out how she got here?
“Why don’t we change the subject for a while?” Neelam suggested. “Give Scarlett a bit of a break.”
Scarlett gave Neelam a thankful look.
“But don’t you think we should put her through some training to see if her powers still work?” Dylan asked.
“Dylan.” Neelam yelled, hitting his arm. “We can let her rest for one night. She’s been through so much.”
“Yeah but…”
“No buts Dylan.”
The two glared at each other. Dylan may be the group’s leader, but it was clear that Neelam liked to play the big sister and she was sure she knew best on this occasion.
“Do you want some lasagne?” Lucy said in a bid to lighten the mood. “Food always helps.”
“Yeah sure,” Scarlett sighed. How could she make them understand that she didn’t have any powers? Lasagne seemed like a much better option than Dylan’s training idea.
“I’m starving,” Jay said, jumping up to run to the kitchen.
“Don’t worry, Scarlett,” Neelam assured her. “Everything will make sense soon. Come on, let’s go through to the dining room,” she smiled.
Scarlett wanted to stay alone with her thoughts for a while and try to make sense of everything, but she felt it’d be rude to say no. Plus she hadn’t eaten for days.
“OK,” she said, getting up and following them dutifully into the other room. Her spirits lifted when she saw the del
icious lasagne Lucy had made.
“Scarlett,” Dylan said as he sat next to her. He was awkwardly playing with his knife and fork and staring down at the table.
“Yeah?” she asked, as she turned to look at him. He looked so handsome up close, with his strong cheekbones and piercing green eyes. She looked away, feeling embarrassed by her feelings for him.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I don’t mean to push you. I was just so scared that we’d lost you forever that I want you and your powers to be back at full strength as soon as possible.”
“That’s OK, I understand. There’s no need to apologise.”
“But I want to. I know you’re more than capable of looking after yourself.” He laughed. “You know what I’m like though. Always wanting to work.”
Scarlett didn’t know what Dylan was like because she’d only known him a day, but listening to his explanation of the world and seeing him with the group today, it was clear that he felt responsible for them all for some reason. She noticed he was still clinging to his knife and fork. Why was he always so tense?
“You should relax more,” Scarlett said while playfully smiling at him. She reached for his hand to encourage him to loosen up. He looked at Scarlett with surprise. She gulped with panic and dropped his hand. What had she done that for? She put her head in her hands and stared at her plate.
“Sorry,” she mumbled. She darted her eyes around, unsure where to look or what to say next.
“No need to apologise,” Dylan smiled in a shy kind of way. Their eyes locked and her stomach flipped around in a million somersaults as she smiled back at him.
“Lasagne?” Lucy yelled, a little too shrilly as she banged some pasta and meat in front of Scarlett so hard that it was a surprise she didn’t break the plate. Suddenly, the lights in the room flickered off and on with a loud crackling sound.
“Lucy!” Neelam snapped as she put a dish of vegetables on the table. “What have I told you about your temper?”
“I haven’t got a temper, why should I have a temper?” The lights flashed again.
“Lucy’s worried that she burned the lasagne,” Neelam explained.
“No I…” Lucy started, but a glance from Neelam shut her up.
“Because her power involves controlling electricity, sometimes Lucy’s tantrums can cause electrical things to malfunction. Things such as lights,” Neelam explained, gesturing at the lamp above them.
“Yeah, sorry,” Lucy mumbled. She seemed a bit ashamed now of her little mood swing. “I hope you enjoy your food.”
“It’s amazing, thanks,” Scarlett said as she tucked in. It was delicious and she was so hungry, she wolfed the rest down in silence. She didn’t want to waste time talking when she could be eating such yummy food. There wasn’t even a sign of it being burnt. Was that really what Lucy was so upset about?
“Would you like some more?” Neelam asked, as she noticed Scarlett had cleared her plate.
“No, thank you. It was lovely though, thanks Lucy.”
Lucy, who seemed to have calmed down, smiled. “That’s OK. I’m just pleased I didn’t poison everyone!”
“Or electrocute us,” Jay quipped.
Scarlett wanted to joke along with them, but it had been a long few days and she was feeling really tired – especially after all that pasta. She looked at her watch, it was only 2pm, but she was really struggling to keep her eyes open.
“I’m shattered,” she admitted. “Is there anywhere I can lie down?”
“Of course,” Neelam answered. “You have your own room upstairs.”
“I’ll walk you up there,” Dylan offered.
Scarlett looked at Lucy. It had crossed her mind that the blonde’s mood had been linked to Scarlett talking to Dylan earlier, but she must have been mistaken because Lucy was calmly staring out of the window now. Realising she wouldn’t be offending her, she accepted his offer.
“Thanks, Dylan,” she smiled.
“Come on, this way, he said, leading Scarlett out of the oak-panelled dining room and into the hallway. It was such a grand, beautiful house. She’d been so busy asking questions, she hadn’t stopped to appreciate her surroundings.
“Up here,” Dylan said, as he made his way to the huge staircase. “Your room is on the second floor.
“How many floors are there?” she asked.
“Five in all. I’ll give you a proper tour when you’ve had some rest.”
“Wow, this staircase is amazing,” she said, as they climbed the steps. She instantly told herself off. The staircase is amazing? What on earth did she sound like? For some reason, being with Dylan had turned Scarlett into a gibbering wreck. He must think she was a complete fool.
“I love it too!” he agreed. “Most people think I’m a geek for thinking buildings and stuff are pretty. My dad was an architect. I must have got it from him.”
She stopped still. “Was?” she asked. “Do you mean…?”
Dylan stared at the floor solemnly, then looked back at Scarlett with tears in his piercing green eyes.
“I’m so sorry…” she started to say. “I didn’t… but you said our families were safe.”
Dylan stared at the ceiling as he blinked back the tears and composed himself.
“I said yours were. We got everyone else’s families to safety because Goulden killed mine to prove he meant business. He blew up a bus, killing my parents, my sister and nine others. Made it look like a terrorist attack you see.”
Dylan was trying to be all brave about it, but Scarlett could tell he was still deeply upset. Who wouldn’t be? No wonder he was so protective of them all. The poor boy. She wanted to hug him. To tell him it’d be OK. But he started walking again.
“This is your room here,” Dylan said as they reached the next landing. “Everything is as you left it. We couldn’t bear to change anything. We hoped so much you were still alive and you’d be coming home.”
Dylan pushed the door open for Scarlett.
“I’d better let you get some sleep now. If you need anything, we’ll be downstairs, or later I’ll be in my room next door.”
Then Dylan ran back down the stairs as though he couldn’t get away from Scarlett quickly enough. He was obviously shaken from talking about his family and wanted to be alone. She resolved to look out for him while she was here, like he always did for everyone else.
She turned and walked into her room, which had magnolia walls and vibrant purple curtains with a matching bedspread.
“Good thing I love purple,” she thought. She wanted to explore and see what kind of things the Scarlett in this place owned, but she was so tired, she just collapsed on the bed fully dressed and passed out.
Chapter 6
“Dylan,” Scarlett heard Neelam shout. “The water pressure in the shower has gone all screwy again. Can you come and use your power to fix it?”
Scarlett rubbed the sleep from her eyes and glanced at a clock on the wall. It was 9.10am – she’d been asleep for nearly 17 hours. Just then, she heard someone stomp out of the room next to hers.
“For heaven’s sake, Neelam. Can’t you just call a plumber?”
“Not while I’ve got shampoo suds all in my hair, no. Please help, I only need some water for a couple more minutes.”
“OK,” she heard Dylan reluctantly agree. “But then we’re calling a plumber.
Scarlett got out of bed and tip-toed onto the landing.
“What’s going on?” she asked Dylan, who was standing with his back to the bathroom door.
“Our shower keeps breaking. You know what old houses in London can be like, so this lot think it’s fine to use me as a resident plumber every time it stops working.”
She laughed. “You control water, right?”
“Yeah. I started out by being able to control the flow of it, such as making the water come through these pipes, then I learned how to control its temperature like I showed you with the hot chocolate the other day.”
Scarlett remembered sitting
in the café with the group just the day before yesterday. It seemed like so long ago now.
“Obviously, I can do that on much larger scales too though,” he said. “No one ever changed the world by messing around with a bit of water in a paper cup.”
They both giggled.
“Will I get to see you use your powers?” she asked.
“Of course you will, if you stick around…” He paused. “You are staying with us, right?” he said hopefully. Was it just Scarlett’s imagination, or was he blushing a little bit?
“Yeah,” she smiled. “Why would I go anywhere else?” she couldn’t believe it, she was flirting. With a boy. A nice boy. And unless she was mistaken, he was flirting back.
“Good. I missed you. I never realised I would… so much…” he trailed off.
“Argh!” Neelam screamed from inside the bathroom, interrupting them. “Dylan, will you concentrate. You just upped the hot water and scalded me in here.”
“Oopsie,” he giggled quietly.
Seconds later, Neelam stormed out with a towel round her.
“Did you do that on purpose?” she yelled. “It’s so unlike you to lose control of your powers.” Neelam suddenly noticed Scarlett standing there and smiled a little knowingly, but politely chose not to comment.
“Scarlett! You’re awake, but why on earth are you still wearing the same outfit?”
Scarlett looked down, She’d forgotten that she’d fallen asleep in yesterday’s clothes… the day before’s clothes really. Well, if she thought about it, she’d first put them on four weeks ago. Urgh!
“I don’t have anything else to wear,” she explained.
“What are you talking about? “You’ve got such an amazing wardrobe in there,” Neelam said, waving her hand at Scarlett’s room.
“Have I?”
“Neelam’s right,” Dylan agreed. “Haven’t you looked in your closet?”
Scarlett shook her head. “No, I went straight to sleep yesterday and ran out here to see what all the commotion was about this morning.”
Out Of Time Page 5
