Project Omega

Something's Up

"What?" I asked as I laughed nervously. This girl really was nuts.

"Get out of there now," Kat's voice said in my earpiece.

"Stop it! Give that back!" There was some static while Matty Boy took back whatever it was Kat took from him. Then his voice said, "Yes, I think that will do. Come on out."

But I ignored his voice and listened to Renee as she spoke. "You don't remember. I can't tell you anything until you take one of those." She nodded to the pills in my open hand and I closed my fingers around them.

"I'm not just taking some random pills, Renee," I said as nicely as I could without freaking out.

"I didn't expect you to." She sighed. "Just wait 'till you're ready."

"Get out of there!" Atlanta's voice said.

"Ready for what?" I asked. The voices of the people in the other room was getting annoying, so I tore the earpiece out of my ear and stuffed it under my leg to block out the tiny protesting voices that emanated from it.

"I already told you. Now go. They're probably yelling at you to get out. They think I'm crazy." Renee's voice didn't sound sad; it was just a matter of fact.

"But-"

"Just go." Her hypnotizing eyes bore into mine, staring me down. Normally, I would have stared right back, but I was too confused and nervous to argue. I stood, grabbed the earpiece, told her goodbye, and walked out the door.

~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as the door clicked shut behind me, the other door opened and Atlanta, Kat, and Robyn all poured out, Matty Boy trailing behind them.

"What was that all about?" Kat asked.

"Sister?" Robyn was saying. "She really believes you're her sister?"

"That girl really is crazy," Atlanta decided.

"I know you all want a chance to talk with her, but given that she thinks she related to everyone, I think it would be best if you all went home." Matt's voice was bossy as he spoke, trying to regain his composer from the incident with the earpiece. "Give me that earpiece, please." He held out his hand and I threw the thing away from me. It was giving me a headache, and my head was already swarming with questions.

"Where did she get that necklace?" Robyn was asking me. Like I knew!

"We'll look into it," Matt promised.

"What was with those pills?" Atlanta said as Matty Boy pushed us down the hall.

At the mention of the pills, Matt stopped pushing and said, "Oh, yes. We'll have to run some tests on those and see how she got them. If you'll just give them to me." He held out his hand again.

I could feel the tiny tablets in my fist as I held my hand above his in a fist and let the pills drop one by one.

"Thank you," Matthew said. "Now, I am very busy, if you don't mind. Go away."

~~~~~~~~~~

I was peppered with questions I didn't know the answers to all the way home. "How did she get those pills?" "Where did she get that necklace?" "How did she know we were telling you to leave?" But I ignored all the questions and walked home in silence. When Robyn and Atlanta bade us farewell and went in the other direction, Kat was silent the rest of the way home. I knew that she knew I needed some time to think. But I also knew that she would interrogate me further after I had time to think things over.

No matter what, I kept my hand in a tight fist, scared that if I let go my sanity would go with it. So far, I just felt... odd. I didn't really feel anything. It was an eerie feeling. Like someone was watching me.