Antidote Trilogy: The Complete Box Set

by Taylor Hondos

  I didn’t know what he saw but he backed away and entered a new room just a few steps away. There was another large bookshelf, still standing, and he stood atop the chair to reach the top book. The room transformed and I gasped. I clasped my hand over my mouth to remember to stay silent even though I was outside.

  This was recognizable in the back of my mind but I saw blackness as I tried to look deep inside my mind as to why I was so accustomed to this view. I tried to view the boy again and my vision finally came back to a room with many computers and a TV high upon the wall.

  My view returned and I was shattered to see the boy was upset. Visibly broken down into a million pieces, I couldn’t handle this view. The boy slammed his hands down on the giant globe machine in the middle of the room. It spoke angrily to him. “Access Denied.” And he began to scream. He furiously shoved the computer beside him over and he kicked at it until it busted.

  “Damn it!” he shouted. He sat beside what he had done and put his head in his hands. “Why won’t anything work? I know it is in her name.” He had a crazed look in his eyes. Maybe he was crazy because he was talking to himself. I wanted to go down and comfort him. I mentally slapped myself because that would never happen and never could happen.

  He got up furiously, with his hands on his knees to help him stand, to the globe again and spoke fast. “She has been taken. She was unsuccessful. This system is in my name now.” he waited patiently and then screamed in aghast when the computer told him again, “Access denied.”

  “Why?” he shouted uselessly. He typed furiously again. “Why is my name not on the system?” he slammed his hands down on the globe.

  “Because she has not failed.” The computer spoke in a sinister way. He froze.

  Finally he took a deep gulp. “Yes. She did. I saw it myself.” He said uselessly in my opinion. He was talking to a computer.

  “When the item I need has returned to me, then she has failed. She has died then.” The boy lifted his head up, longing in his eyes and confusion.

  “What item?” he said very stricken by the voice. He slammed his hand on the globe when it didn’t answer. “Answer me.”

  “She knows. Not you.” He crashed his hands into the globe once more. I was surprised there wasn’t a crack in this computer globe from all the slamming he did. He looked like a man on fire but he brought himself up once more. He turned around and began typing again.

  “Thanks for your help.” He muttered under his breath as well as a few curse words.

  That was when a strange realization hit me. This boy was not dying or appearing to die so why was he really a target? Was he trying to destroy us with whatever he was trying to discover? Maybe there was a reason I felt to come here other than my own curiosity. Maybe I was going to figure out an important secret.

  He sat down once more beside the broken computer screen and looked over at the screen. He stared at it emotionless for a while. Then he began to laugh, insanely at that. I watched on with confused eyes. What was his deal?

  He kneeled down beside the computer he had just furiously broke. He took his hand and punched the screen so that it cracked more. He cackled on as he tugged inside it. He made a sound as if he was wounded but he kept going. Seconds later, his hand came out with blood streaking down it in vicious forms but he seemed to not feel the pain of it anymore.

  He pulled out a sheet of paper from the inside of the computer screen. Blood was all around it so it was hard for me to read. He pulled the note completely open. It was long but I caught sight of a few words in it. “Trust him, for me. My Lena.” He laughed without humor. He ripped the paper to shreds and threw it in front of him. He got up slowly and sat down in his chair. He laid his head in his hands and I listened to his angry sighs before I finally pulled my eyes away.

  Chapter Eight: Destruction

  I LAID MY head down on the cold roof and welcomed the shudder running through my body. The note was addressed to a Lena. Could this Lena possibly be me? I knew nothing about myself. I felt an instant connection to my target, and he knew a Lena.

  It had to be a coincidence that I was named Lena and that note was addressed to a Lena. Then I had a frightening thought, what if he knew I was watching? Maybe this man was watching me too and knew I would think this note was to me. After all, I’d been told he was evil. I didn’t want to be captured again. I couldn’t be. I shouldn’t feel a connection to my target. Something wasn’t right. In order to achieve my goal, I needed to hate him.

  I flew into the night’s sky and soared for a while, as I tried to clear my head. I halted in midair as I searched around me. My eyes had been clouded by images of the boy and the note that I didn’t realize the world around me.

  I landed on a highway with ease, far away from the town. Cars were turned over on their sides. All I could think in my head was, “zombie apocalypse.” There wasn’t a sign of life on the highway and I ran to the side of the road.

  The town was not the only thing full of destruction. I jumped over the railings and as soon as I landed on the other side, everywhere I walked was death. Dead bodies surrounded me as I walked. The stench of rotting skin encircled me. I wanted to help these people, but they were gone. Half their bodies were gone. Some were mangled on the ground dead, others were moaning as they lay dying among the corpses.

  A man on the ground moved and I ran over to help him. He screeched at the sight of me. I found to my disgust that his arm was completely rotted off. I held my nose, and fought the urge to gag.

  “Let me help you. Please.” I said calmly to him. “Who did this to you?” I wanted to cry, but I was no longer allowed that release.

  He did not have any legs and he crawled frantically away from me, using what was left of his arms to carry his body far from me. I wanted to reach out for him but I was afraid my newfound strength would hurt him instead of help him. “Get away from me.” he squawked in a hoarse voice. How long had he been out here like this?

  I still walked forward and before I knew it, he was reaching with his good arm into his pocket, and produced a gun, aiming it at me. “Wait sir, please. I can help you. I can bring you to the Doctor and he can save you.”

  I didn’t know what to do, but before I knew it, I was being shot at. I didn’t budge from my place. I didn’t even feel the pain; it was just an annoying tug of my skin. I looked down to see that I had been shot in the arm and felt the shot when it landed in my head. It was only as if a pressure were being placed on my head, instead of the deadly pain that I was supposed to experience.

  I put my hand up to my forehead where I had been shot and looked down to see my skin already clearing where the bullet hit. He shot at me again and it was as if I were in slow motion. I held up my hand and shouted because it was coming near my chest, my heart. I didn’t want my body to have a weak spot and I assumed my heart would be that weak spot. The heart is the easiest place to be tricked or hurt. As the bullet approached me, my body formed a shield. A literal force field was around me and it was as if I were in a bubble. The bullet hit the ground uselessly, and the man up looked in shock. I lowered my hand and lessened my shout as the bubble disappeared.

  Out of frustration, I plucked the bullets out before they were in my skin forever as I walked forward again. He was just afraid of me, and I knew I could help him. I had to try. “Please sir. If you’re done shooting at me, then let me help you. I know it’s very frightening. I was sick like you once. Come with me, and I can help you.” I held my hand out for him to grab. I would carry him to the compound. How would I explain this to Dr. Ravana? Oh, just went to admire my target but then came across this fellow. Maybe he would be proud I followed his orders a few days ahead of time.

  He looked to me in disgust. I shook at the weight of that look. “I will never be what you are; sick or not.” He shouted to me. “Tell your friends, I will never be with them. None of us will go with you.” He screamed into the air. “You can tell your Doctor friend to go to hell.” I flinched away from him and before I k
new it, the gun was being lodged in his mouth.

  “No!” I screamed but it was too late. I cringed away as the shot fired. I looked in front of me after a long moment. He was obliterated. I chocked on my spit and knew the tears I needed so badly wouldn’t fall, as they never did anymore.

  People did not want to become like me, whatever I was. But I want to show them that I wasn’t bad. Or was I?

  I stood as tall as I could without looking at the man before me; completely destroyed on the ground. I continued to move forward through the destruction. I walked, stunned and wanted nothing more than the tightness in my chest to go away.

  I reached down to touch many of the fallen bodies. I noticed that many people were in the same boat as my last friend. They shot themselves in the heads to avoid being sick or what I am, I guess. I wrapped my arms around me as if there was a new coldness to the air.

  I reached a woman with her child in her hands. They were both dead, but I still reached to feel her pulse. Her skin was cold to the touch and I shivered away from it. A sickening thought came over me as I felt for their heartbeats.

  I stood up uneasily and checked myself for a pulse, as I often did now. Pain made me feel alive and when I couldn’t feel even a gunshot, a gunshot that should have killed me, it worried me. I felt the left side of my chest and for the pulse in my wrist. I was shocked to not feel anything. I froze in place and realized that I really was dead. Theo was right when he said we no longer had hearts. That didn’t explain why I could feel my heart hammering on a few occasions. I had to keep waiting to see if it would somehow miraculously come. Could I have imagined feeling my heart pound?

  I kept my hand waiting for a pulse. I gulped for air and realized that I didn’t really need air sometimes. I held my breath. I had to try. I closed my eyes and imagined my target. I imagined his hard jaw and the way he smiled. My eyes shot open. Woo Nelly where did that come from? I had never seen him smile before but somehow it seemed real. I felt butterflies and smiled. I knew it would come. I closed my eyes and jumped when I felt a tiny pulse.

  He made me alive. I knew he did. I wasn’t dead. I just didn’t desperately need my heart anymore or air. That was a scary thought because I wanted to be alive with a pulse and a heart. I wanted to love, as I knew I once did. As this mother loved her child, I was sure I loved someone else. Maybe I felt love for my target. I stopped. I was sick. I didn’t know this boy and I was completely infatuated over him. I had to stop this now.

  After a while, I was exhausted from my feelings for my target and seeing the death all around me. I left the dead humans on the ground and knew that I would have to take a new approach if I wanted to help a human in need. I raised myself in the air and looked below to examine the rest of the world.

  I realized as I continued my journey that death wasn’t the only destruction. The world was smoldered. As if someone tried to burn down earth in it’s entirety, but the job was not done. I couldn’t bear to see it. I didn’t remember who I was, but I was left with a piece of information that was crucial. Earth never looked like this.

  Earth was once green, and it was supposed to be beautiful. There were oceans that I saw outside my window. They were not destroyed. I was thankful for that at least.

  Nearby towns still held houses, but I had no clue what left them standing. What had happened here? I needed to ask Theo. I couldn’t ask Dr. Ravana, because he probably wouldn’t approve of me going out into the world without his permission. Theo warned me of Dr. Ravana and maybe this wouldn’t be the best thing to bring up.

  I flew further and did not see one speck of green outside. I looked at the night’s sky. I knew the sun still shone because I saw it when I first met my target.

  Dead bodies were everywhere. Not just near the highway but everywhere I turned. It was as if they all dropped dead and no one was around to bury them. Their limbs were bloodied and black rot was all around the dried blood. To my dismay, I realized people were not outside. No one was attempting to help the dying, and it appeared as if no one was around anymore. The activities of everyday life seemed to be abandoned. Not a single store was open, and I wondered how people ate anymore in these conditions. There was no explanation for the destruction I saw.

  I lowered myself down to the houses and peeked inside a few. They were all abandoned. The only humans I had seen were my attackers and my target. I reached a lake and smiled at the familiarity of it.

  I sat down on the edge and took off my shoes. I lowered my feet towards the water but as I did, my skin seemed to burn as I swooped down to it. I couldn’t touch it. Every single time I did, a force unknown by me held me back. The water made my eyes burn and I stood abruptly to get away from it. I put my shoes back on and rushed away.

  I could not touch the water and I was startled to realize that I did not have any bodily urges. I knew there were standards to live such as, drinking and eating but I was not hungry or thirsty. I had spent days without either one and I still didn’t need it. I was not human, I knew that but why would water be so out of reach for me?

  I had so many questions. A rustling sound behind me disrupted my thoughts. I wasn’t frightened, but threw my hands up to protect myself.

  I didn’t see anyone although I distinctively heard someone. I slowly backed up against a tree, hoping my heels wouldn’t step on a twig. I amazed myself as I climbed up with ease on each branch as if there were an actual ladder. What was even crazier was that I walked up the tree backwards so I could face the ground to see my intruder. I watched from above the ground and was startled to see it was the boy from the house, my target. He didn’t seem to see me and he brought out a bulky cellphone. The cellphone triggered a familiar sensation, a memory I couldn’t grasp.

  Someone answered and his magical voice spoke. I felt butterflies flurry in my belly. “Gabe, I can’t do this. I don’t know what to do.” He said in a sad way. Someone responded and the boy responded once more. “I know I can’t give up. Look around you. Everyone is dying. When she turned into one of them, everything got worse. It’s only been a month and now.” he paused to listen. “It was as if the disease became airborne Gabe.” Aha, my suspicions were true. “No one is safe. They needed her more than we know. Sebastian left her all the clues. Only she is able to get into the system. She owns it.”

  He didn’t speak but nodded as if this Gabe fellow could see him. “I will keep trying. I just don’t know if we should give up or not. I mean I don’t want to but maybe I can make her better. I could kidnap her.” He stopped short and held the phone from his ears. I tried to listen but it seemed like there was a block on the phone where I could not hear. “I get it. Jesus. It was a suggestion. A joke even.” He told Gabe. He closed the phone and sighed darkly.

  He turned towards the lake and in that moment, I felt like him. I was just looking at the lake for answers. He approached the lake and bent down enough to touch the water. He splashed water on his face and I closed my eyes as I imagined how that must have felt.

  Without another moment, he flew into the night and I looked on awe. I decided to follow him because he could fly as well. I flew at a distance and I looked on to see that he had a jetpack. Clever. I didn’t need a jetpack so I knew he was human. I wished he were like me because I could have a companion. He seemed a little angry though. I couldn’t help but want to laugh.

  I was drawn to him. This boy that I didn’t know was someone I cared for. My mind continued to go dark around the edges whenever I thought of how much he meant to me. As if static was blocking my memory. I hated that.

  I moved to the tree outside the house as he landed inside. He took off the pack as he slammed it onto the ground. He always seemed to be angry and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He stiffened for a second and peered up through the hole in the roof as if someone were calling his name, as it closed slowly. He was looking right at me with wistful eyes. I winced. He saw me.

  I sank lower in the tree and tried to conceal myself but I knew it was too late because just before
the door closed completely, he smiled to himself. I caught the glimpse and I was captivated by how beautiful he really was.

  I felt myself open up to the possibility that he knew me and that he knew who I was before this. I jumped onto the roof opposite his house, and used my power to peer inside. He sat down on his bed and threw himself back. He looked tired and he beamed to himself before closing his eyes. I felt myself smile as I heard soft snores erupt from him. They were comforting and I found myself dozing off on the roof I laid on to the sound of snores that made my heart patter a little bit. I knew I had a heart from the one who was trying to deceive me.

  Chapter Nine: Drawing Lines

  I WOKE UP with a start and searched my scenery. I was on a roof. Crap. I sat up quickly and realized that I had fallen asleep across from my target’s house. I jumped up and peeked inside his bedroom; he was gone.

  I peered around the house and was startled to see he wasn’t in the house. I began to panic. He had to have seen me on top of the roof. I was here all night. I was so foolish. How could I have let this happen?

  That’s when I saw him, no I sort of felt him, because I looked exactly where he was, in the backyard of the house. He was foolishly pulling on a rope from the ground in the backyard. What was he doing?

  I jumped to my normal tree beside the roof I slept on to get a better view of what he was doing. I landed with ease on the branch. I looked down and mentally slapped myself. What if he were to see me wearing the same thing he saw me in to begin with? I mentally slapped myself once more. Why would I care? I would have to kill him eventually. Numbness went through me as I remembered that crucial fact.

  “Hey you.” He yelled to me. I idiotically was out in the open during my senseless bickering in my head. I didn’t respond because he could have been talking to anyone. He walked around to see me better and I smiled as easily as I could. “Yeah you in the tree. Do you mind helping me do something?”