The Unexplained

Chapter 6

Hopefully, I'll get a couple hours of sleep before the nightmares come...

I close my eyes as I curl up in the corner. I must've slept for a couple hours because I slowly open my eyes to darkness, still half asleep, and I feel someone lift me up and carry me. Moments later I feel my body being gently laid on the bed and covers pulled over me. I mumble softly, snuggling into the sudden warmth and I feel the bed dip only very slightly on the other side before I drift off into sleep again.

~~

-Austin-

It has been a few hours since Phe went to bed. Since she did, I've gotten some time to actually think about what happened today. I escaped from Facility 9, which is good, then I met a crazy 6-year-old in an 18-year-old body, then I find out that they're practically forcing me to share a room with the person I had previously been a mentor for. Yes, a very interesting day indeed.

Now, everyone except for Phe is gathered around at the dining table in Cas and Abby's house. Cas had made dinner for all of us, which was really kind of her. Unfortunately, I don't feel up to eating much, so I simply pick at my food, poking it a few times with a spoon or a fork.

"Wait, so you two knew him nine years ago?" Jack asks as he jabs a thumb in my direction. "Like, way back when?"

"Yep," Abby replies. "We were going to escape together...but he got caught..."

I frown. "You're never going to let me forget about that, are you?"

Nine years ago, Clara and I had decided to escape. We were best friends, and we wanted to help each other. Anything that we could do to make things better for each other, we'd do it.

"Austin?!" Clara said as she ran up to me, grinning. Her wavy, strawberry blonde locks hung around her shoulders like a halo.

I smiled at her. "Hey, Clara! Is something wrong?..."

"Nope!" she said, then she held out her ration to me. "I heard you went through some pretty difficult training this morning. That you didn't get to eat." She jabbed the tray to my chest. "Go on, take it!"

I had given her a look of disbelief. "Clara I already ate, I don't need anymore-"

"Too bad," she interrupted, pouting. "I don't need it, and since you didn't eat this morning, you should take it!" She smiled again. "Please?" Her eyes were pleading.

I laughed softly and took the tray from her. "Alright, alright. Thank you, Clara." I returned her smile, almost grinning.

I didn't know that at that point, it'd be one of the last times that I would ever genuinely smile again. Clara showed me kindness when no one else did, and I repaid her kindness with my own. We had decided we were going to try to escape. Clara was powerful. Very powerful. Her power was getting to the point where the mentors would have to start extracting her power to keep her from going crazy, but she still had enough to almost make it as a mentor at 8-years-old. She had a chip implanted in her neck that allowed her to use her powers outside of the cells. They never saw it coming when we began our escape. Clara was able to use her powers to get all of the guards out of the way. Unfortunately, I wasn't very fast back then, or strong.

"Come on Austin! We're almost there!" Clara shouted as she grabbed my wrist. She pulls me through the halls, and I pant as I stumble along behind her.

Suddenly, a soldier with steel armor had stomped out in front of us. Clara snarled and tried to melt the man's armor, but it didn't work. I was grabbed from behind and in the midst of my thrashing and shouting, I could hear Clara shouting at the person carrying me. I shouted at her. I shouted for her to go.