27. Taylor

Jack washed up with wet wipes, hoping boy nr.3 would soon wake up. His thoughts wandered. Was it good staying here, should they leave this building? Neither of them knew the world outside this limited range they lived and looted in. Wasn't it a bit too late to wait for rescue? They all knew that nobody would come. 

Hunter knocked in his 'unique' way, barging in directly after. 'Good timing.'

"Why is everyone even staying here?" He sat on the sandy floor, leaning against the bed. "Our ressources won't last forever, why not go and see where it takes us?"

Hunter sat across from him, leaning on the wall. "You mean going through the sand without clear sight and with no idea what has been going around killing high school boys?"

"Yeah....right... I just have a really bad feeling that we should leave soon." 

Hunter saw his concern and felt infected. "Let's talk to everyone tomorrow about it. Without the Boy's answer we have nothing."

"What do you think is going on?" Jack asked.

"I don't know.... maybe it's really a military project? Like, observing us in extreme situations?"

"Yes... that could be the reason why nobody is heavily injured. There was blood when I woke up, and I made friends with a pole, but everyone else looked fine. How could this be possible after an explosion? Or a meteor. But why burying people?" He asked.

"Maybe the moment of the incident has already been the first test, and most of us lost the bet."

Hunter mumbled.

Jack tapped his finger on the floor "I'm thinking even now, I can't be the only person with an ability. Let's test this." He jumped up and got a bottle with a sip of water left, the candle, and sand was already here and there on the floor. He lined everything in front of Hunter with expectation in his eyes. "Try it."

"And what do you think, I should try?" Hunter asked, lips twitching.

"You know, like how they do it in the novels, maybe you have an elemental power? Come on, do it." 

Hunter chuckled. "How?" 

"Dunno, feel the power in your dantain or something."

"I just feel a bit of irritation in my dantain." Hunter grinned.

"Was the meal not to your liking?" Jack asked blankly.

Hunter laughed, "No way, don't get disgusting."

"But it can't only be me, then do you know if you heal as fast as I do?" It wasn't like this in the books.

"I haven't tried it yet..... let's see." Hunter pulled out a scalpel from his shoe. He cut himself in the finger before Jack could even react. They looked at the blood that came after a while. 

Lilly had indeed cut him here and there after putting down the plaster, but he hadn't noticed something strange.

They waited but the cut didn't heal. Their heads were stuck together without blinking. When it knocked heavily on the door they both jolted and turned around.

Loki would have asked them what they were doing, but the situation didn't allow him to stall even for a moment. With a grave face he said, "You have to come and hear it from Taylor." Then he turned around.

"Taylor?" Jack asked.

"The High school boy?" Hunter looked at him, and both sprung up.

Everyone was already there. Some had slept already and were groggy like Emily and Sean.

On the couch was the woken up boy nr. 3 Taylor. He shook his leg while staring at the floor. Lilly sat beside him and held his hand, whispering soothingly in his ear.

When everyone was there Loki coughed to remind Lilly. She squeezed the hand of the boy and said "I'm sorry you have to do this. But it's very important. Please recounter everything that happened one last time." The boy nodded and started speaking robotically without ups or downs in his voice. Everyone was holding their breath to listen, but they already knew that there wouldn't be good news. The boy's body which was originally still behind in his growth looked even smaller at this moment.