Telestic (The Transcendent File_002)

21. Misfits in training = A-Team Potential?

"Rome wasn't built in a day. Things happen for a reason. Just because the past didn't turn out exactly like you wanted it to...doesn't mean that your future cannot be better than you ever imagined. Once you learn who the source of all evil is – you will blame yourself for not seeing the signs that were never there. John Green once stated, 'It hurt because it mattered.' K.W. once asked, 'Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?' Remember that quote as you take on the darkness. Never change yourself. Never sacrifice your happiness for someone undeserving."

- Transcendent Book of Life

"Emma? Are you leaving without me?" squabbled Poppy as she stands back, cocks her head to the side while folding her arms. Her words were harmonious. A pleasant sound after being thrown into a mad, mad world. Nikki stares blatantly at the ground avoiding eye contact while plucking debris out of her curly, brown hair. Mikey stared longingly at my sister as if she was the most beautiful human in the world; at least in his eyes she was.

Dabbing the blood on my forehead, I pull my hand back and look down at the sticky substance. "That's probably not a good sign." Eddie swivels me around towards him and examines my head. "I'm fine." He touches my laceration and I wince in pain. "Did you hit your head on a cinder block?"

"Yeah?"

"Emmy."

My eyes turned to him and latch on as if my life depended on it. The way he said my name. It brought me back to a time before darkness, supernatural, and extremely complicated family matters. Was the brainwashing effect nipped in the butt? Is he really himself? As my eyes watered, I realized that once the earthquake happened – it caused anyone under 'his' influence to be out of the perceptual trance. Meaning Eddie and Nikki weren't brainwashed any longer. My sister and Eddie came back to me. "Eddie." I shared a sliver of a smile before he cupped the back of my neck; but the moment ended when I twitched my neck from his touch as the contusions began to ache.

"The effect it's over. His mind control stopped when the earthquake happened."

"Was it natural or supernatural?" questioned Mikey once he stopped staring at my sister who barely noticed him. "Huh?" He slowly responds with, "Was it a natural or supernatural phenomenon that caused the wide mass destruction?"

"Natural."

He had good cause for his concern. In a town overrun by supernatural beings, you have to be on the fence about everything. Mikey had a laceration stemming from his lower wrist to his elbow; with tiny rocks and dirt embedded in the cut; while Eddie had a nick above his eye, blood spooling from his ear, and some snags in his white shirt and blue jeans. "Mikey..."

"Huh? Yeah? What?"

"I'm sorry." All he does is hold his hand on hers and shakes her apology away before pulling her in and sealing the moment with a warm, passionate kiss. "Not to ruin these must-have moments, but we have more pressing matters that our lives depend on. The source of all evil will be on his way to collecting his products – us. So, if we could maybe get a move on it and leave this Nest – that would be much obliged. Time is of the essence." Rowed Poppy as she gestured us to hurry up. She was babying her left arm as she held it close to her body. Her mustard colored, ruffled-of-the-shoulder crop top was missing sections in the back; along with it being tethered at the bottom. While her shoes were completely unfixable: broken wedged heel with black scuffs covering the leather. Looking at her, you could see her hair was a frenzy with the braids falling out with sticks and pebbles embedded throughout her red locks. She glances down at her poppied-covered black phone case and turns it over to see the severely shattered screen. "Great. Just great. Add that to my list of things to do alongside stopping the darkness that lurks around Willoughby."