Liberation

Chapter 9

Julia's point of view:

The next morning is a flurry of events, from Evelyn's hurry to serve breakfast for everyone, Genevieve shape-shifting for Jacqueline's amusement, Victoria fumbling with her thumbs under the table, Cassia asleep with her head down on the table, and Peter sneaking smiles at me from across the table.

"Here you all are," Evelyn says as she sets down a plate of an abundance of eggs, bacon, sausage, fried ham, and biscuits for all of us.

Everyone dives into breakfast, inhaling everything on their plates. That is, except for me; I have other things on my mind.

"Evelyn, could you tell me how many different powers there are and what they are exactly so we'll know what we're up against?" I ask.

"Dear child, I haven't the slightest idea how many there are, or even what they really are. Will Collins had the society built to where people receive their powers when they're born. No one has the same power, so there's an infinite amount. If you want to know what the powers are, you'd have to ask Will yourself. Hypothetically speaking, of course," she says, much to my disappointment.

"Well, how about this: why is it that you say you and your family can think for yourself, while there are mindless people out there being killed for no reason?" I ask, wanting answers.

A shadow passes over Evelyn's face as she begins to explain. "A long time ago, Will devised a plan to take away what people keep to themselves, their hopes, dreams, memories, likes and dislikes, even their own thoughts. So he decided that once a year, every member of his society would travel to his headquarters and take a pill that would rob them of what he wants to eliminate. But what he doesn't know is that certain people have a gene that makes them immune to the pill's effects. My grandparents and my husband's mother had this gene, which has thus allowed us to pass it down. And since we are only watched outside of our homes, all we have to do is pretend to be like everyone else, and Will doesn't suspect a thing."

"Umm, mom?" Victoria asks Evelyn with a shaky voice.

We all turn to look at her, Victoria's tone suggesting something terrible. "We're due for the pill this afternoon," she says.

"No dear...I wrote the date down...can't be...mustn't be..." Evelyn trails off, tugging on loose string of her hair in nervousness. "Why can't you all go and take it and we'll just wait here for you to come back?" Cassia asks.

"The authorities always check homes after residents leave to make sure no one stayed behind. Not taking the pill is punishable by death," Genevieve says, surprising us all that she has the capability of being serious.

"You'll have to come with us and take the pill," a new voice says.

I look over my shoulder to see a man leaning against the wall with a cup of coffee I must not have seen him get. His black hair, tinted with the silver streaks that come with age, is tousled from sleep, and his grey eyes have a kind of light that presume him to see beyond what others can. There's an aura to him, almost as if he connects the family together.

"Julia, Cassia, Peter, and Adam, this is my husband, Caleb," Evelyn says, and the tone that her voice undergoes when she says his name shows the love the two have for each other.

He takes an empty seat next to Evelyn, a plate of food in front of him that he leaves untouched. "Mine is the power of connection; as I look at all of you, I can see golden strings of life that show what you are to one another, like a giant web of friends and family," he explains. Then, he points at me and then carries his finger over to Peter.

"The string that connects you two together shines brighter than the rest. Treasure that," he says, giving off a warm smile.

But then, his expression suddenly turns sad as he looks at Adam. "Your string is frayed; someone you once loved was ripped away from you, weren't they?" Caleb asks. And Adam gives a slow, painful nod, his memories of Natalie's death becoming so vivid that I don't even have to evaluate him to know what he's thinking.