by Patra, CS
It was strange. If they could monitor their every move, why hadn’t they eliminated them yet? What were they waiting for? Why were they still alive?
I understand…nothing. Jackie realized as she felt around her mouth. She wanted to get that wire and dig it out. She wanted to feel it.
Instead, she felt nothing.
Chapter 12 – Crystal
Crystal had a funny feeling when they entered the old arena again. It was so empty yet it felt like someone was watching them. She kept checking out corners in case she ran into something. What if there was a trap laid out for them? What would they do then? As she stared at the outside, she thought about what could be lurking in there. There were spirits lingering around. These spirits weren’t going to rest until someone discovered the truth.
“I guess it’s now or never.” She told everyone. “We’re back to where we started.”
“I feel so weird,” Jackie murmured, hugging herself. “I remember not wanting to be here. I told myself I would leave after the first battle or something.”
“Yeah, I had no interest in this either,” Pam said. “Who would have guessed, huh?”
“I wonder what convinced him to commit suicide here.” Nikhil looked around the place. “Yeah, it holds an audience but why this arena? If you wanted to make a statement, why not somewhere more open to the public? Did he know we’d be here?”
“We don’t even know who he is,” Crystal said. “The media won’t release his name. We haven’t found his profile on anything. I doubt Marie or anyone else would know who he is. I wish I understood what he wanted to say.”
“It’s probably the same thing my brother was trying to say,” Ash murmured. “They both felt like they had no way out. I don’t know what convinced my brother to kill himself, but I know he felt hopeless. He probably didn’t think anyone would care if he lived or died.”
There was an awkward silence between them. Crystal’s mind was focused on all those who had died. It didn’t matter how much she knew about them. All of them were trying to tell her something. Their deaths were a warning. If Project 99 was such a good thing, why were so many of them dying? What were they afraid of?
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Ren asked. “Let’s go inside.”
“I can’t believe so much time has passed since we’ve been here,” Pam said. “My heart was pounding when it all went down. I didn’t understand a thing. Even now, I still don’t understand what happened.”
Doug lifted the yellow tape and let everyone inside. “It seems like they’re still renovating this place. I don’t know how much you’re going to find here.”
“It’s where this all started for us,” Crystal said. “This is where we came together. We just didn’t know about it until we ended up in Nikhil’s apartment.”
They were back in the arena where they had gathered for the first time. This was the spot where they had seen the man burn himself alive in front of the whole crowd. Each of them kept thinking they could have stopped him. Had they known what he was planning, they would have kept him from dying.
“It wasn’t even that long ago, but I feel like it’s been years since we stepped in here,” Misty said. “I wonder why they picked this place to commit suicide. It’s not that well known to everyone.”
“I don’t think they wanted to give a message to everyone. Just to certain people,” Crystal said, looking up at the seats. She had been in this audience and she had nearly fallen asleep during the match. She had been hoping that this was going to be her nap time. Instead, it ended up being more exciting than expected.
“Did anyone ever find out who that man was?” Pam asked. “I think by now they should have gotten a name or something.”
“I believe so, but the authorities aren’t releasing the name to the public,” Ren said. “At least their family has been informed. Why?”
“I was just wondering if they were anyone that we knew. I wonder what could have led them to do this,” she murmured. “It seems like there are a lot more dead bodies than I realized. Who told these people to commit suicide?”
Ash tried to tune that part of the conversation out but he couldn’t help it. He had the exact same thought. His brother wouldn’t kill himself unless someone told him to do so. It was the only explanation that made sense. He walked around the center of the arena, remembering where the man had been standing. He remembered the shock when that man killed himself. He remembered those words; everything is a lie. It didn’t make sense back then but now he was starting to believe it.
Crystal saw this and decided to join him. Unlike the others, this was the second person she had seen commit suicide. She had pushed aside the person that had fallen off the building. Back then, she didn’t put too much thought into it. It was tragic but she figured it was a one-time incident. If she had known that another person would commit suicide in front of her, she would have done something about it. She wished that she had known the name of the other person as well. She looked down at the ground and thought about how far a person could be pushed. What did it take for someone to kill themselves?
“I passed by him,” Ash murmured. “When I was going to sign up for the next battle, I passed by him. I didn’t think about it at the time. He seemed so out of it. I just thought he was weird and ignored it.”
“I’m pretty sure a lot of people thought that,” Crystal said. “I remember another person jumped to their death a few days before I came here. I didn’t think about it before, but I wonder if they are connected to each other. That was around the time that I met Marie. She was the one who told me that everything was a lie. Now it makes me wonder how much of my life is true. What am I? Who am I supposed to be?”
He wandered away from her for a second and went over to the other side. Out of everyone, Crystal felt the most pity for him and Misty. They were too young to get pushed into something like this. She could still see Ash squirming on the ground when those goons caught him. He was trying so hard to get out of their grasp but failing. It was the first time that she had realized how young and weak he was. When he was having his asthma attack, he became vulnerable. He stood his ground but they were willing to hurt him for it.
“Face it, guys. We’re not going to find much here,” Jackie said. “It’s where it all started but I don’t think Project 99 would bother with this place.”
“Yeah, I gotta agree with you,” Nikhil nodded. “I bet this is probably the only death that took place here. According the news, the police didn’t find many clues. They didn’t understand why someone could die here.”
“I still don’t get why someone would die here,” Crystal said. “I don’t understand any of this. I have answers, but none of it makes sense.”
“They probably wanted someone to see this,” Doug said. “No, they wanted a lot of people to see. They wanted people to know what was going to happen. They were warning us of a storm that was coming. That’s why they let us know that everything was a lie. They were hoping to get a message across.”
“How many people do you think understood that message?” Pam asked.
“It’s hard to say. I had no idea what to believe when I first heard those words. It was frightening but I never thought it could lead to this,” he sighed. “Why do I feel like we haven’t even scratched the surface of this mystery yet? We know things but we don’t know the crucial things. What are we? Are we even human to begin with?”
“We’re not monsters,” Misty said. Deep down, she didn’t sound so sure of it. “We can’t be monsters. Right?”
“No, we’re not,” Crystal said, trying to bring some positivity back. “Don’t let what anyone says influence what you feel about yourself. Even if we’re not human, our lives are worth something. We have to make sure everyone else understands that too.”
“Do you believe that?” Ash asked. “Do you really think that we’re not human?”
“We have to be.” Crystal said. “If not, we have to live our lives like one. Hard as it is, we can’t let it c
ontrol us.”
She took one step forward and heard someone yell. “You!”
“Oh no, we’ve been spotted!” Misty panicked, looking around for an exit. “What do we do?!”
Crystal looked up at where a group of men had formed. “We’re surrounded! Come on, guys! Think of a plan!” She found an open door up ahead. “There! Run there!”
Doug took the lead and tried to drag them out. People began yelling at them to stop and a few were starting to run toward them. “Wait! Don’t go anywhere!”
Ash found one of his spy-ders and threw it on the ground. It exploded into smoke, which distracted the men. “Keep running! This will hold them off!”
Crystal grabbed his hand and pushed ahead through the exit. One by one, they made it out and someone yelled at them. “Everyone! Everyone, over here!”
“Who is that?!” Pam demanded.
“I don’t know! Should we go with them?” Jackie asked.
Crystal looked behind her at the smoky filled arena and back at the person waving to them. “I don’t think we have much of a choice, guys! Come on!”
They ran over to where the person was and she beckoned them to follow her. Crystal squinted as she tried to make out this figure. It wasn’t Marie and it didn’t look like anyone else she knew. She had no choice but to find out who this was.
“Hurry up! Hurry up!” The woman was yelling at them, pointing to her house down below. “Get inside! All of you, hurry up! I don’t have all day!”
“We’re coming! We’re coming!” Ren panted. “Who is this woman, guys?”
“I don’t know but we’re about to find out!”
Crystal ran down the hill to where the house was and opened the door. She was expecting to find something horrible but it turned out to be a regular home. There were couches, a sofa, a small coffee table with magazines on it, and pictures all over the walls. She kept waiting for something to pop out and scare them. One by one, everyone else came in and they were just as shocked as she was.
“What is this place?” Ash asked.
“It’s someone’s home. I don’t get it,” Misty murmured. “Who does this place belong to?”
“Well, I can answer those questions.” The woman from behind them answered. She was much older than they had expected but she seemed friendly enough. “Make yourselves at home. Would you like anything to eat or drink?”
“I just want answers,” Jackie said. “Who are you?”
The woman’s smile only got wider. “I’m the one you’ve been searching for.”
Chapter 13 – Pam
The house was not too far from the Bradley Institute. They could get there in fifteen minutes simply by walking. Misty was staring at the clock on the wall. She had promised that she would be home before dinner. She hoped that this wasn’t going to take too long. The old woman motioned everyone to take a seat. Pam was also worried. Her children would be home soon, but she hadn’t called to say she’d be late. They were with her mother at the moment so they would be safe. She just didn’t know about this old woman. She was standing around, looking at all the photos. She felt like this should make more sense to her, but it didn’t.
“I guess we should thank you for helping us,” she began. “I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
“Oh, it’s no problem. Like I said before, make yourselves at home.”
Even though they all wanted to sit down, they were hesitant to do so. The house looked almost too perfect and quiet. They didn’t even know if they could trust this old woman. How did she know they would be at the arena? Did she see them walk down there? Why would she want to help them? Pam could not stop staring at the photos. They were of this woman when she was much younger but there was something familiar about them. She felt a connection that she didn’t understand.
“Well, go ahead. You don’t want to spend the whole time standing, do you?” She asked. “Your feet are going to get tired.”
“We’re just a little shaken by all this. That’s all,” Crystal said, finally taking a seat. “We just want to take a minute and think about what happened.”
“I know, dear. Take a moment to catch your breath. You had quite a scare back there. I almost thought you were going to get away. Thank God you listened to me and came down here.”
“Who are you?” Misty asked. “Were you spying on us or something?”
“I only checked up on you because you went to that arena. It’s the first time in ages that anyone besides the police went there. I had to make sure that you were all right,” she said. “You crossed into some dangerous territory. If Project 99 found you, then…”
“Project 99?” Ren cut her off. “Are you part of them?”
“I am, but not in the way that you think. I’m on your side,” she explained. “I have always been on your side.”
“Prove it.” Ash crossed his arms and glowered at her. “How do I know you don’t want to hurt us?”
The woman ignored his question and looked over at him. It wasn’t the clothes or the snooty look on his face that got her attention. She kept staring into those glowering blue eyes and it suddenly hit her. “Oh my! I almost didn’t recognize you! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”
“Do I know you?”
“Can it be?” She whispered, trying to touch Ash’s cheek. He pulled away. “It’s all right, dear. I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to get a good look.”
“Keep your distance,” Ash warned her. “I don’t like to be touched by people I don’t know.”
“That’s the thing. I know who you are, Ashton. You just don’t remember and you’re not supposed to.” The woman looked at Ash’s glaring face. “The last time I saw you, you were just a baby. You must have been about five months old. Now you’re a handsome, young man. You look so much like your older brother. You both were given your mother’s eyes and her lips. Your chin, however, is identical to your father’s. Then there’s that little bit of me inside you as well.”
“What are you talking about?” Ash asked. “How do you know about me?”
“Why wouldn’t I know anything about Harrison and Vivienne’s son?” She asked. Ash’s eyes widened at that as the woman looked around and pointed to Doug. “You’re Robert and Joanna’s son, aren’t you?”
“Those are my late parents.” Doug nodded.
“Let’s see…” She looked at Pam next. “You’re Frank and Marie’s daughter.”
“My father passed away but yeah, those are my parents.” Pam agreed. “How did you know that?”
“I know all of your parents. I knew Ramesh and Chitra Sampath before they left for India.” The old woman looked at Nikhil who had no idea how to react. “I know Ricardo and Lucia Vargas who always hated being referred as Ricky and Lucy. You remember, Jackie?”
“Yeah, I do remember.” Jackie said. “How did you know that was their nickname and that they hated it?”
“I said that I know you all. Just like I know Mark and Laura Garrison’s daughter as well as Tim and Alice Zeng’s daughter and…” She stopped at Ren. “You’ve changed the most.”
“I get that a lot.” Ren said. “You can say it. You know Peter and Janice Abernathy’s daughter who is now their son. The question is…how do you know our parents that well? Just who are you?”
“I know about all of you. I’ve known about each of you since you were born. Well, I admit I didn’t follow up on Misty so much. The last I heard of you, your parents had given birth to another healthy baby girl. However, I knew them very well back in the day.” The woman explained. “Afterwards, I lost touch with everyone. I had a feeling you would find out the truth soon.”
“You know about us?” Crystal asked. “Does that mean you are…”
“That’s exactly what it means,” she nodded. “Some of those are my genes inside of you.”
“Patty DeLong.” Doug realized out loud. “You’re the one who sent those guys after us. They tried to attack us back there!”
“Actually, they weren
’t trying to attack you. I asked them to bring you to me,” Patty explained. “They work for me and they found you after so many years. I couldn’t believe it at first. Most of you were still children when I last saw you. It’s never a good idea for the chimera to get to close to their children.”
“Chimera?” Misty whispered. “Would that make you our mother?”
“In a way, I am,” Patty said. “You all share a little bit of me. It doesn’t matter how old you are. You are linked together. We have a connection that no one else can share.”
Pam took a deep breath. “Can you explain that connection to us? We’ve been trying to figure it out for a while. Just start from the beginning. What did you want with us?”
“I wanted to meet you again. I wanted to see what you were up to. I do apologize for startling you like that,” she said, taking a look at each one of them. “It was not my intention to scare you. I’m not from the Bradley Institute. At least, I’m not a part of them anymore.”
“Then who are you?” Ren asked. “How do you know so much about us?”
“Well, like Doug said, my name is Patty DeLong. I have been a chimera in the Project 99 experiment for many years now. I know you were desperate to find me. You’re dying to know where you came from. It’s true that your mothers gave birth to you, but they all had a little help. You are all like my children and I have been trying to keep up with you. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. A lot of Project 99 experiments moved out of the area and I lost touch. You’re the only living ones that are still in this area. That’s why I had to see you. Imagine my luck when you walked into that arena. I figured the only people besides the authorities to do that would be you.”
“I don’t think I follow you,” Pam said. “You’re a part of us?”
