The Ghostwriters’ Haunt

click here for chapter 1 of Metamorph

METAMORPH CHAPTER 2

“Members of the press, thank you for coming today” He began, “Please give your attention to Secretary Mullins for an important announcement regarding a new program being offered here at the center”. The Director motioned for Mullins to come forward. Mullins carried himself with a great amount of confidence. He seemed to have that air about him that suggested authority and strength. He cleared his throat and took a sip of water then began speaking to the crowd.

“This new program, called the Metamorphic Identification Program, is a compulsory program for a specific subset of the American society. Most people will not be affected in any way, but a handful will need to report to their local Health Department to meet with our surveyors.”

“Sir, how do we know who has to report and can you explain what a Metamorphic is?” asked a young reporter near the front. This had to be his first press conference because generally questions were held to the end. However, Mullins didn’t look at all peeved and answered him in stride.

“Sure, Kyle,” He said looking at his name tag. “I was just getting there. A metamorphic is a mutation living in the blood of some people. Something about their blood has made them have specific skills or abilities that allow them to do things that most of us would find impossible. We need these people to report to us so we can isolate the difference and make sure it is not a threat to our health and safety. If we do find it is a threat we will work diligently to find a cure, if not, we will merely catalog their ability and that will be the end of it. Either way, there are no ill repercussions for those who come forward.”

No repercussions my ass. I’d read the memo and I knew all that Mullins wasn’t saying. I had to get out of here before I fell apart completely.

“I’d now like to open the floor to questions.” He finished as nearly everyone’s hand shot up. Now was as good a time as any to sneak out. I touched Jay’s face softly, whispering goodbye and started winding my way through the crowd toward the door. As I moved from the back I saw the sunken socket lady leave the room, I just hoped she was going to the bathroom because I didn’t want to see anyone as I left.

I reached the hallway and walked with a purpose, swift and steady but from behind I heard quickly shuffling feet.

“Magda, are you ok?” Jay asked as he caught up to me, “Are you sick or something?”

“No Jay,” I whispered. “I just need to get out of here. Go back to the press room, I’ll call you later.”

But as I rounded the corner, who did I see waiting half way down the hallway but the creepy woman. I stopped abruptly when I saw her then swore internally for giving myself away. Surely she’d know I wasn’t just on my way to powder my nose.

I quickly began walking again trying to pretend to listen to the words coming from Jay’s mouth.“I don’t understand what they’re doing in there, the Libertarians are going to have a field day with this,” he was saying. I didn’t hear anything after that however; the sound of his voice was drowned out by a loud buzzing in my right ear. Then from no where a sharp pain struck my head fiercely and resonated down the entire side of my body. Reacting to the pain I grabbed at my head momentarily then immediately regretted it. Sockets now had a knowing smile spreading across her thin severe mouth. I tried my best to act normal as I continued on my way down the hallway but ignoring the pain and noise was becoming nearly impossible. Sweat was starting to bead my forehead and drip into my eyes as I forced my feet to move one after the other.

Jay was looking at me concerned as I moved sluggishly closer to Sockets. The pain and noise intensified as she stared harder at me and I knew there was only one thing to do. I didn’t want any evidence of what was going to happen so I flicked my eyes to the wall on my left where the security camera was mounted. I focused hard and made the screw loosen at the joint so the camera shifted downward and focused on the floor. I did this so subtly that neither Sockets nor Jay noticed it. Then suddenly the pain reared its ugly head. It moved all through my body and seemed to be burning in my veins. I moaned, gasping at its intensity and stumbled into the wall. I placed my hand on the smooth hard surface to steady myself.

“You wanna play?” I asked Sockets weakly, who was now only a few feet in front of me and clearly blocking my way.

“What on earth are you doing Mag?” Jay whispered fiercely.

Sockets nodded, smiling a sick smile and then I did the only thing I could think to do. I couldn’t take her down outright, I didn’t want to give myself away, but I could take her down in a round about way and I needed to do it fast because I felt a fainting spell on the horizon.

I grabbed my sling back with my free hand and flung it at Socket Lady as hard as I could. But as it flew I focused my will on the shoe and gave it better aim and force than it would have had otherwise. It struck her squarely in the forehead with a force that knocked her out cold. She crumpled to the floor with a dull thud and immediately the pain stopped.

“That’s much better,” I said, breathing more steadily. I glanced over to Jay who was standing, open mouth, staring at me.

“Jay, I’ll explain, I promise.” I said pulling him toward Socket Lady’s limp body. I dragged my nails across my face leaving large red marks and a small trail of blood.

“What the hell are you doing?” Jay shrieked, grabbing at my arms and trying to restrain me.

“Jay, have you ever known me to be anything but sane?” I asked him pointedly.

“No. Until now, that is.” he said, looking at me angrily.

“Then please trust me. I want the other cameras to see the scratches on my face and I need your help. Do you have that stupid knife thingy you always keep in your pocket?” Jay nodded looking even more confused,”

“You’re not going to kill her Mag, I won’t let you.” I shook my head at him and blew my hair from my eyes in exasperation.

“I’m not going to kill her. I need you to cut yourself and I NEED YOU TO TRUST ME!” I said that last part rather fiercely. Jay’s eyes were wide with shock and uncertainty but he complied and pulled the knife from his pants pocket. He fiddled with it a moment trying to get it open and got ready to cut himself on the top of his arm.

“Not there, someplace no one will see, and not deep. I just need a little blood. Do please hurry!” I whispered frantically at him. His hands were shaking as he tried to steady the knife on the flesh of his stomach.

“I can’t do it, you do it!”I groaned grabbing the knife and gently, but quickly as I could, I cut a thin superficial line across his belly. He winced slightly but kept silent otherwise. I picked up Socket Lady’s limp hand and rubbed his blood on her tips, then as gross as it was, I positioned her fingers in a claw and then raked them gently down his side.

“Why are you doing this!” he asked alarmed. I let her hand drop with an unpleasant plop and after examining the scene for a quick moment I decided it looked ok. I stood, pulling Jay with me, and led him through the corridors to the service entrance. Thankfully no one was around, so we left unnoticed.

Once outside I led him to the right side of the building where we stood outside the view of any security cameras. My face was still bleeding and Jay looked white as a sheet.

“Mag, what the hell is wrong with you!” He yelled at me.

“Jay, Jay listen to me. I’m one of them, whatever they’re calling us. I’m a Metamorph. I can’t tell you anymore but Jay, he wasn’t telling the truth in there. He intends to intern us and study us. It even said something about Military uses. I saw it in a memo on the Directors desk this morning.” Jay gave me a perplexed, disbelieving stare.

“Don’t look at me like that! I needed to borrow a pencil. It doesn’t matter. Listen, I guess our blood has something to do with it, that’s why I used yours. Just in case they check it. If they ask, you say she attacked me and I left upset, you came with me to make sure I was ok then you called security.”

“But I didn’t call security.” He said confused.

“Jay, you WILL call security just as soon as you go back.” I said, exasperated. Then as an after thought I raked my nails across his hand.

“Why’d you do that!” he yelped.

“Just in case they check close enough and realize the sample I left on her was male.” I answered.

“Ok, but why did you attack that woman?”

“She was doing something to me, she was in my head. Wow, she was a monster Jay. And she could tell what I was too; she was trying to stop me. Listen, I have to go into hiding. They’re going to start checking the blood networks in a couple of weeks to make sure no one is missed and I can’t be around when that happens. Thank God Wyvern hasn’t had his blood sampled yet.” I started pacing back and forth wondering what to do next.

“Jay, after you call security I need you to go inside to HR and get my file from Sylvia. Tell her you need to write up an incident report for what happened, and then remove anything in there that mentions my maternity leave or Wyvern. Also, stop by my office and remove everything in there that suggests I have a child. They cannot know he exists or they may go after him too.”

“Magda, you can’t be serious about this. This is America.” Jay said trying to reason with me.

“Jay! Look around you! Look at yourself. I’ve been pretending to date you for 6 months for Christ sakes! This isn’t the same place it used to be. Now go, please! Please, you have to do this for me. If they ask you deny everything, if they find it’s your sample I left then tell them you didn’t realize you’d been scratched in the fight. And if all else fails just cry and tell them I threatened you. I don’t care. Just do it, and for God’s Sake get away from this place.”

I grabbed him and held him hard to me. I would miss him.

His lips brushed my cheek softly and he breathed in my hair…”if only you were a boy,” he whispered.

“If only you liked girls,” I laughed back. I kissed him one last time on the cheek and ran for the bus.