Post by silent.lullaby on Jul 11, 2009 14:04:46 GMT -5
Boot Camp For Terribly Twisted Teens [Chapter 32] Back Home
Nick was asleep again as Liam took his turn driving. Driving took little effort, there were no cars on these old roads, they were taking the long way back to their hometown in attempt to keep away from police vehicles.
Liam yawned, and pushed the button for his automatic window to go down a touch, the cold air keeping him awake. He looked over to his cousin sound asleep, slightly snoring with his head against the window. Turning his attention back to the road and taking a left onto another continuing on their long journey his mind wandered.
Claire could speak to the dead? How peculiar. Seeing her at the barbeque seemed like years ago, when in reality it was only three weeks ago. She seemed so confident, so put together. Guess she didn’t want to end up like her mother, he thought.
Thinking of Claire’s mother, Liam tightened his grip on the steering wheel. They were going to an asylum to try and convince her, her daughter is in need of her. He wondered if Claire ever visited her mother. Wondered if any of her family did.
Cory, Claire’s little brother was at risk too. What if he had some kind of power, heck what if Daniel did? Knowing Nick and Daniel were close, Liam wanted to ask but looked over to find Nick still snoring he didn’t bother waking him, it would be time to switch drivers soon. His question could be answered then.
Then again everyone hid these days. Liam was one of those people. The ones who kept their mouths shut about their powers and hoped they stayed under control. He didn’t want to be sent to a place like Kennedy, nor to an asylum or a lab to be poked and prodded. Was hiding better though? Here he was, on the run. He could still leave, no one would know any better. Only Nick and he wouldn’t say anything to anybody.
The fear of someone finding out later on made Liam nervous, he couldn’t turn back, he had to stay with Nick, if something happened he’d regret being a coward and leaving. Liam knew he’d have to stay now, even if he really didn’t want to.
“Where are we?” Liam turned to see Nick stretching.
Liam told him they were only a few hours away from their hometown, “how are you going to ask Mr. Keeds what asylum his wife resides in?”
“Don’t plan on asking Mr. Keeds.”
Liam looked confused but his cousin didn’t elaborate. “Then how do you intend on finding out?”
“You’re going to ask Cory, I can’t be seen.” Nick said, “you ask Cory, we’ll be arriving in town just a bit before he should be let out of school.”
They switched seats and Nick started driving a little above the posted speed limit. “Did Daniel ever tell you he had a gift?” Liam asked after a while.
Nick kept his eyes on the road, “no, Daniel didn’t, then again, I never told him that I did either.”
“Should I ask Cory if he has a gift?”
Staying quiet for a moment, Nick pondered this. Should they ask? What if they were wrong? They only had proof that the females in the family had powers. What if neither Cory nor Daniel had them? They would look like fools. Alternatively, if they didn’t, what would happen to Cory? Would he get sent to Kennedy too? “I don’t know,” Nick replied, “we probably should?”
Nick didn’t sound confident in his answer and that left Liam with a growing worry in the pit of his stomach.
When they finally parked outside of the school there was still five minutes before the final bell would ring. There were a few parents outside talking to one another while waiting. Others stayed in their cars. “What if Mr. Keeds is here?” Liam asked.
“Their house is within walking distance, I doubt it.” Nick responded though he acknowledged that it still was a possibility.
The final bell rang loud and they sat up in their seats looking at each kid that walked out the door trying to make sure they didn’t miss him. “There he is, blue baseball cap,” Nick pointed.
Liam got out of the car, “Cory, Cory Keeds.”
Cory turned around, then looked behind him like there might be another Cory Keeds around. “Hey, I’m Liam, I’m a friend of Claire’s.”
“Oh...”
“Yeah, I hear she’s in some kind of boot camp, is that true?” Liam asked shoving his hands in his jean pockets doing his best to act casual and keep the tone conversational.
Cory adjusted his back pack and kicked the ground a little. “Yeah.”
“That’s too bad, what did she get in trouble for?”
Cory shrugged, “don’t know really. She would stay out late, and drink a lot. Sometimes she’d get in trouble with the police.”
“Why do you say you don’t know, Cory?” Liam asked, “you listed off a few reasons my parents would send me somewhere like that.”
Cory looked up before speaking, “sometimes I heard her talking but her phone would be out of her room, but she’d still be talking, she’d sound angry, or scared sometimes. I started to wonder if she’d get sent away like Mom... and she did.”
Cory looked upset but Liam had to ask, “where did your mom get sent?”
“Carlin Institute,” Cory responded, “Claire wasn’t sent there though.”
Liam nodded, “have you heard stuff... like your sister?”
Cory glared up at Liam, “I never said she hear stuff.”
Liam felt awkward being called out by a kid, “you didn’t answer my question.”
“I don’t hear things,” Cory responded and turned in a huff and stormed off.
Liam walked back to the hot-wired car and sat in the passengers seat. “Didn’t look like that went to smooth,” Nick noted as he pulled out.
“Yeah well... he doesn’t like to be accused of hearing things.”
“Well his mother and sister were sent away for hearing things, maybe he just wants to keep it completely secret.”
“Maybe, or maybe he doesn’t hear things,” Liam responded.
“Fair enough, so where is his mom?”
They had to drive for hours to get to the Carlin Institute, it had a beautiful exterior and Nick drove right by it. “What the hell dude?” Liam asked looking back.
“Did that look anything like an asylum to you?” Nick asked.
“Well... no not really.”
“I’m thinking we should do some research on this place,” Nick suggested, “just so we are prepared.”
“We pasted the local library on our way here.”
“Lets check it out.”
In the library, they found that the Carlin Institute was not a mental institution. It was for the incredibly intelligent to continue studies. “What a load of horse shit,” Liam muttered. “What if it’s like those Kennedy labs?”
“What if it’s a place for people like us?” Nick asked, “one started by us and for us?”
“What a nice idea,” Liam said, “but highly unlikely.”
“If Claire’s mother is there, on a voluntary basis,” Nick whispered, “it would make more sense if it were a safe place.”
“The entire voluntary basis could be a load of horse shit,” Liam interjected.
“We aren’t going to know unless we go and find out,” Nick said, “and it’s the only chance we’ve got right now. There is no way to find Rick, Hawkeye, and Claire. We could backtrack to Kennedy, but there are only two of us.”
“And if there are hostiles in the Carlin building?”
“We do our best to escape, by any means necessary.”
“We still have another option,” Liam whispered.
“I’m not running away from this,” Nick argued, “but I wouldn’t blame you if you want to.”
Liam sighed, “no, I’m with you.”
“Okay, so lets find out just what is inside this Carlin Institute.
Nick was asleep again as Liam took his turn driving. Driving took little effort, there were no cars on these old roads, they were taking the long way back to their hometown in attempt to keep away from police vehicles.
Liam yawned, and pushed the button for his automatic window to go down a touch, the cold air keeping him awake. He looked over to his cousin sound asleep, slightly snoring with his head against the window. Turning his attention back to the road and taking a left onto another continuing on their long journey his mind wandered.
Claire could speak to the dead? How peculiar. Seeing her at the barbeque seemed like years ago, when in reality it was only three weeks ago. She seemed so confident, so put together. Guess she didn’t want to end up like her mother, he thought.
Thinking of Claire’s mother, Liam tightened his grip on the steering wheel. They were going to an asylum to try and convince her, her daughter is in need of her. He wondered if Claire ever visited her mother. Wondered if any of her family did.
Cory, Claire’s little brother was at risk too. What if he had some kind of power, heck what if Daniel did? Knowing Nick and Daniel were close, Liam wanted to ask but looked over to find Nick still snoring he didn’t bother waking him, it would be time to switch drivers soon. His question could be answered then.
Then again everyone hid these days. Liam was one of those people. The ones who kept their mouths shut about their powers and hoped they stayed under control. He didn’t want to be sent to a place like Kennedy, nor to an asylum or a lab to be poked and prodded. Was hiding better though? Here he was, on the run. He could still leave, no one would know any better. Only Nick and he wouldn’t say anything to anybody.
The fear of someone finding out later on made Liam nervous, he couldn’t turn back, he had to stay with Nick, if something happened he’d regret being a coward and leaving. Liam knew he’d have to stay now, even if he really didn’t want to.
“Where are we?” Liam turned to see Nick stretching.
Liam told him they were only a few hours away from their hometown, “how are you going to ask Mr. Keeds what asylum his wife resides in?”
“Don’t plan on asking Mr. Keeds.”
Liam looked confused but his cousin didn’t elaborate. “Then how do you intend on finding out?”
“You’re going to ask Cory, I can’t be seen.” Nick said, “you ask Cory, we’ll be arriving in town just a bit before he should be let out of school.”
They switched seats and Nick started driving a little above the posted speed limit. “Did Daniel ever tell you he had a gift?” Liam asked after a while.
Nick kept his eyes on the road, “no, Daniel didn’t, then again, I never told him that I did either.”
“Should I ask Cory if he has a gift?”
Staying quiet for a moment, Nick pondered this. Should they ask? What if they were wrong? They only had proof that the females in the family had powers. What if neither Cory nor Daniel had them? They would look like fools. Alternatively, if they didn’t, what would happen to Cory? Would he get sent to Kennedy too? “I don’t know,” Nick replied, “we probably should?”
Nick didn’t sound confident in his answer and that left Liam with a growing worry in the pit of his stomach.
When they finally parked outside of the school there was still five minutes before the final bell would ring. There were a few parents outside talking to one another while waiting. Others stayed in their cars. “What if Mr. Keeds is here?” Liam asked.
“Their house is within walking distance, I doubt it.” Nick responded though he acknowledged that it still was a possibility.
The final bell rang loud and they sat up in their seats looking at each kid that walked out the door trying to make sure they didn’t miss him. “There he is, blue baseball cap,” Nick pointed.
Liam got out of the car, “Cory, Cory Keeds.”
Cory turned around, then looked behind him like there might be another Cory Keeds around. “Hey, I’m Liam, I’m a friend of Claire’s.”
“Oh...”
“Yeah, I hear she’s in some kind of boot camp, is that true?” Liam asked shoving his hands in his jean pockets doing his best to act casual and keep the tone conversational.
Cory adjusted his back pack and kicked the ground a little. “Yeah.”
“That’s too bad, what did she get in trouble for?”
Cory shrugged, “don’t know really. She would stay out late, and drink a lot. Sometimes she’d get in trouble with the police.”
“Why do you say you don’t know, Cory?” Liam asked, “you listed off a few reasons my parents would send me somewhere like that.”
Cory looked up before speaking, “sometimes I heard her talking but her phone would be out of her room, but she’d still be talking, she’d sound angry, or scared sometimes. I started to wonder if she’d get sent away like Mom... and she did.”
Cory looked upset but Liam had to ask, “where did your mom get sent?”
“Carlin Institute,” Cory responded, “Claire wasn’t sent there though.”
Liam nodded, “have you heard stuff... like your sister?”
Cory glared up at Liam, “I never said she hear stuff.”
Liam felt awkward being called out by a kid, “you didn’t answer my question.”
“I don’t hear things,” Cory responded and turned in a huff and stormed off.
Liam walked back to the hot-wired car and sat in the passengers seat. “Didn’t look like that went to smooth,” Nick noted as he pulled out.
“Yeah well... he doesn’t like to be accused of hearing things.”
“Well his mother and sister were sent away for hearing things, maybe he just wants to keep it completely secret.”
“Maybe, or maybe he doesn’t hear things,” Liam responded.
“Fair enough, so where is his mom?”
They had to drive for hours to get to the Carlin Institute, it had a beautiful exterior and Nick drove right by it. “What the hell dude?” Liam asked looking back.
“Did that look anything like an asylum to you?” Nick asked.
“Well... no not really.”
“I’m thinking we should do some research on this place,” Nick suggested, “just so we are prepared.”
“We pasted the local library on our way here.”
“Lets check it out.”
In the library, they found that the Carlin Institute was not a mental institution. It was for the incredibly intelligent to continue studies. “What a load of horse shit,” Liam muttered. “What if it’s like those Kennedy labs?”
“What if it’s a place for people like us?” Nick asked, “one started by us and for us?”
“What a nice idea,” Liam said, “but highly unlikely.”
“If Claire’s mother is there, on a voluntary basis,” Nick whispered, “it would make more sense if it were a safe place.”
“The entire voluntary basis could be a load of horse shit,” Liam interjected.
“We aren’t going to know unless we go and find out,” Nick said, “and it’s the only chance we’ve got right now. There is no way to find Rick, Hawkeye, and Claire. We could backtrack to Kennedy, but there are only two of us.”
“And if there are hostiles in the Carlin building?”
“We do our best to escape, by any means necessary.”
“We still have another option,” Liam whispered.
“I’m not running away from this,” Nick argued, “but I wouldn’t blame you if you want to.”
Liam sighed, “no, I’m with you.”
“Okay, so lets find out just what is inside this Carlin Institute.