would crush you,” Lefty says.
“Your power cannot wrinkle his shirt.” Righty says and jabs his brother in the side.
Kaitlyn and Ted both stand behind me. “I’ll be back out in five minutes. Stay away if you can. I don’t want everyone inside to freeze because of something we can avoid. Okay?”
They both nod.
Turning back to the blue brothers, I say, “What do I need to do?”
Chapter 8:
“Stand right there.”
“And do not move.”
“There will be a tight pinch.”
“It will not hurt…after the first few seconds. Then maybe ten minutes later.”
“Close your eyes.”
“Breathe.”
“And on the count of three, open them.”
“One.”
How HowHo “ I take a deep breath.
“Two.”
An immense pressure builds up around me. It tugs at my skin, trying to peel it off. Strands of hair pull at the root, tearing out of my scalp. My lungs are ready to explode. Another second of this and I’ll die.
“Three.”
I open my eyes and the pressure releases. Holding my breath wasn’t a good idea. I suck in air, trying not to pass out. A pinch, they said. More like a vacuum.
“Not bad.”
“Except you did not breathe.”
“You have three minutes before it seals up and–”
“You do not want to be stuck here after that. If you thought the first time hurt, getting back would kill you.”
“Literally.”
They both laugh.
A sea of people are in front of me, crowding tables and sharing chairs, a few still in their hospital beds or tucked away in the corner. I scan the room, searching for mom. Tinjo really did take her some place different. I stop on Mel’s face. She’s leaning over one of the hospital beds, checking a woman’s pulse and shaking her head.
I run over to her. “Mel,” I say.
She holds up a finger, her lips moving as she counts. “This isn’t good. If she doesn’t get a new drip soon, she’ll go into shock. John, I need you–” She turns and looks at my face while she talks. “You’re not John.” She blinks a few times and then says, “Oh my god. Sam? Where have you been?”
“Trying to get back here,” I say.
Putting the bed-ridden woman’s hand down gently, Mel storms over to where I stand. Her body language suggests she’s ready to slap me, but she wraps her arms around me instead. “I thought you were dead.”
I’ve never been good at hugging back, so I fold my arms around her back and let them hang there until she steps back. “Why would I be dead?”
“You didn’t answer my thousand phone calls or any of my texts. Then they threw us in here and everybody’s phones stopped working.” She shrugs and looks down as she says, “I was worried about you.”
I smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “Thanks. But I’m okay.” Relatively speaking. “Are you okay? How long have you been in here?”
“Hours? Days? I can’t tell. I went to check on your mom. It got so cold. Before I knew it, I woke up in here with everybody else.”
“Have they hurt anyone?”
“I have no idea who they are,” she says. “You’re the first new person I’ve seen since waking up.”
So the Dinmani stayed hidden during containment. That explains why nobody inside is panicking.
“Thirty seconds.”
I’m not sure if that’s Lefty or Righty, but my heart rate quickens.
Mel looks around behind her. “Who said that?”
“No time to explain. I need to go. I’ll be back as soon as I can to make sure you’re still okay. Take care of everyone, okay?” I turn to leave, but she grabs my arm.
“You can’t leave, you just got here. Plus, we could use help.”
“I want to, but I can’t. It’s hard to explain. Trust me. I really have to go.”
“Fifteen seconds.”
“Then I’m coming with you,” she says, defiant, crossing her arms.
I look from her to the door and then back at the patients crowding the room. “You said they need all the help they can get.”
“There are enough doctors here to help out. I can’t let you waltz out of here alone.
“Your power cannot wrinkle his shirt.” Righty says and jabs his brother in the side.
Kaitlyn and Ted both stand behind me. “I’ll be back out in five minutes. Stay away if you can. I don’t want everyone inside to freeze because of something we can avoid. Okay?”
They both nod.
Turning back to the blue brothers, I say, “What do I need to do?”
Chapter 8:
“Stand right there.”
“And do not move.”
“There will be a tight pinch.”
“It will not hurt…after the first few seconds. Then maybe ten minutes later.”
“Close your eyes.”
“Breathe.”
“And on the count of three, open them.”
“One.”
How HowHo “ I take a deep breath.
“Two.”
An immense pressure builds up around me. It tugs at my skin, trying to peel it off. Strands of hair pull at the root, tearing out of my scalp. My lungs are ready to explode. Another second of this and I’ll die.
“Three.”
I open my eyes and the pressure releases. Holding my breath wasn’t a good idea. I suck in air, trying not to pass out. A pinch, they said. More like a vacuum.
“Not bad.”
“Except you did not breathe.”
“You have three minutes before it seals up and–”
“You do not want to be stuck here after that. If you thought the first time hurt, getting back would kill you.”
“Literally.”
They both laugh.
A sea of people are in front of me, crowding tables and sharing chairs, a few still in their hospital beds or tucked away in the corner. I scan the room, searching for mom. Tinjo really did take her some place different. I stop on Mel’s face. She’s leaning over one of the hospital beds, checking a woman’s pulse and shaking her head.
I run over to her. “Mel,” I say.
She holds up a finger, her lips moving as she counts. “This isn’t good. If she doesn’t get a new drip soon, she’ll go into shock. John, I need you–” She turns and looks at my face while she talks. “You’re not John.” She blinks a few times and then says, “Oh my god. Sam? Where have you been?”
“Trying to get back here,” I say.
Putting the bed-ridden woman’s hand down gently, Mel storms over to where I stand. Her body language suggests she’s ready to slap me, but she wraps her arms around me instead. “I thought you were dead.”
I’ve never been good at hugging back, so I fold my arms around her back and let them hang there until she steps back. “Why would I be dead?”
“You didn’t answer my thousand phone calls or any of my texts. Then they threw us in here and everybody’s phones stopped working.” She shrugs and looks down as she says, “I was worried about you.”
I smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “Thanks. But I’m okay.” Relatively speaking. “Are you okay? How long have you been in here?”
“Hours? Days? I can’t tell. I went to check on your mom. It got so cold. Before I knew it, I woke up in here with everybody else.”
“Have they hurt anyone?”
“I have no idea who they are,” she says. “You’re the first new person I’ve seen since waking up.”
So the Dinmani stayed hidden during containment. That explains why nobody inside is panicking.
“Thirty seconds.”
I’m not sure if that’s Lefty or Righty, but my heart rate quickens.
Mel looks around behind her. “Who said that?”
“No time to explain. I need to go. I’ll be back as soon as I can to make sure you’re still okay. Take care of everyone, okay?” I turn to leave, but she grabs my arm.
“You can’t leave, you just got here. Plus, we could use help.”
“I want to, but I can’t. It’s hard to explain. Trust me. I really have to go.”
“Fifteen seconds.”
“Then I’m coming with you,” she says, defiant, crossing her arms.
I look from her to the door and then back at the patients crowding the room. “You said they need all the help they can get.”
“There are enough doctors here to help out. I can’t let you waltz out of here alone.
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