KINETIC

The tall grass gently wavered in the dawn breeze the dew speckled across the field of vast green, the sun hadn’t even broke on the horizon yet but the sky was already a faint murky early morning blue, a beetle scurried along the grass jumping from blade to blade eventually fluttering onto the grey cotton of a trouser leg, the man was kneeling in the tall grass he kept staring at the sunrise a million thoughts buzzed through his head the pain pounding across his skull he didn’t even notice that blood was running down the side of his face. George enjoyed the soft breeze on his face but he needed to move he got up and turned to the fence that divided the field from the sub-urban area of houses, he walked through the long grass and reached the gate to allow people to access the footpath in the field, after climbing over the gate George stepped onto the pavement which felt cold on his bare feet but he didn’t care he was close to the house and he needed to find it.

The street was quiet the houses were semi-detached and had a row of trees and each side of the pavement, George wandered aimlessly down the middle of the road he tried to remember what house it was but he memory was fuzzy from whatever concoction they had given him. Tom came out on the corner house on the left and was carrying one of his recycling bins that he had forgotten to put out for the binmen last night, he walked across the driveway and placed the plastic box down at the end by the pavement, he stopped when he looked up and saw the strange man wandering down the street. Tom looked at him with concern the stranger was scruffy haired and had a beard he was large in weight around 300 lbs wearing an open deep green khaki style shirt and grey sweatpants, with the open shirt that is how Tom spotted that the man was covered with splatters of blood “Holy shit”, he started walking over to him and called out “Hey mate are you alright?”. George looked to the man who called out he recognised the slender build and dark brown skin and that kind hearted face, George smiled and his heart skipped he whispered to himself “It’s you” he began walking towards Tom who was slightly apprehensive but he couldn’t leave the barefooted man in the street “Are you alright?” George replied “I was, will be or I might be?” Tom saw the blood running down his face “Jeez did someone do this to you?” George just kept looking at Tom with a dazed expression, Tom took him by the arm “Come on mate let’s get you issued, get you cleaned up and something to eat” Tom led the both went inside the house.

Tom led George through the living room and into the kitchen and sat him down at the dining table Tom took a glass and filled it with water, he wandered back to the table putting the glass down and he sat on the chair to George’s left, Tom spoke “So what is your name?” George eyes wandered like he was reading the page of a book then replied “Um…George, my name is George” George still felt fuzzy he could hear the fairground music and smiled Tom replied “My name is Tom”, Tom was concerned by George’s behaviour “The cut and the blood were you in some sort of fight or did you get mugged?” George looked over his shoulder like he could hear someone behind him “A fight…a sort of fight…but I needed to get out, I needed to be here” Tom got up and walked over to George’s right and looked at the cut on his hairline “Doesn’t seem that bad I’ve got a plaster that could cover it” he walked over to the cupboard and took a small first aid box out placing on the counter, he opened it and found the plasters he returned to the table but noticed how grubby George was looking and the clothes he was wearing “You want to take a shower to clean up?” George nodded repeatedly then replied “A shower, that would be nice” he slid the chair back slowly and stood up steadying himself with the table Tom pointed to the direction of the stairs “It’s up the stairs and the bathroom is the first door on the left” George gave a thankful nod and made his way upstairs.

Up in the bathroom George slipped off his clothes letting them drop wherever on the tiled floor, he stood looking at himself in the mirror he ran his finger along the blood trail running down the side of his head. The white cloth hood quickly wrapped around George’s head, he thrashed and yelled as two men clad in dark clothes and masks restrained him by his arms and they dragged him outside, the city was dark and bathed in street lights the men carried George who kept struggling to get free and they hoisted him into the unmarked van that was tucked away down an alley, he was thrown down in the back of the truck and one of the men slid the side door shut with a loud slam.

The hood was removed quickly and George was partially blinded by the bright lights he blinked several times and finally came into focus, he was knelt down on the floor with his hands bound behind his back he looked around and saw white panelled walls and long filament light that ran along with the ceiling. A voice came from behind George “I know it must be confusing” footstep came around from the other side until the mystery figure came and stood in front of George, a slender bald man wearing black trousers and a lab coat crouched down to look at him in the eyes, George struggled with the plastic cable tie and he barked at his captor “Where the hell am I?!” the man replied calmly “You have been brought to a special facility for training” George was confused “Training? What training?” the man continued “Not long ago you were tested and deemed positive for psionic cognitive behaviour” George was scared he had no idea what was going he had no clue whether these people were talking the truth or if they planned to harvest his organs. The man spoke again “So have you shown any PCB on any level?” George replied “I have no idea what you are talking about?!” the man frowned slightly “Very well, we have many procedures and tests that will unlock what’s inside” he looked to another man who was bearded and looked like a special ops soldier “Bailey please take our new resident to the block and introduce him to his room and the others” Bailey grabbed George roughly and got him on his feet then started pushing him towards a door on the far side of the room, he shoved George through the door and George was stood looking in the mirror running his finger down the trail of blood on his face.

Tom paced the kitchen with many thoughts rummaging through his head ‘What am I doing? He’s a total stranger, a blood covered stranger in mismatched clothes that clearly aren’t his, he could be a psycho or a serial killer…does he need to go the hospital? Do I call the police? He looks like he needs help, I couldn’t leave him outside like that’ Tom saw his phone on the table and called 999 after a few rings the operator spoke out “999 what’s your emergency?” Tom spoke feeling slightly anxious “Uh…yes, hi I was taking out my recycling bins and I found a man just walking down the road, it looks like he has been drugged and is bleeding” the operator questioned Tom “Do you require an ambulance?” Tom wasn’t sure who to ask for “I’m not sure the cut isn’t that bad but he said that he was in a fight of some sort, I think that he may have been attacked or mugged” the operator continued “Ok we will dispatch a police officer to your address as soon as we can” Tom nodded “Thank you” he proceeded to give the operator his details and his address, he hung up the phone and sat down at the table and could hear the shower running upstairs.

Water swirled around the drain of the bathtub, George was stood leaning with one hand against the wall letting the water from the shower head cascade over him he watched the blood wash off his body and mix with the water and disappear down the plug. When he stepped out the bathtub he felt the crisp grass beneath his feet, the smell of grilled food and popcorn was a wonderful scent and the music playing from the speakers filled his ears, George wandered through the fairground as people shrieked for joy as they rode on the different rides. A voice called out to George from amongst the crowd he turned to see Tom coming over holding a cuddly teddy and novelty sunglasses Tom smiled “Look what I won” he placed the sunglasses on George and passed him the toy bear “There should be some space in the backpack to keep him” George laughed and looked at the bright pink bear “I already have one travelling companion” Tom smirked “Well I wanted you to have some happy memories from all this chaos” George looked up to Tom and could feel his heart pounding in his chest “I already have Tom even before I met you” Tom nodded “Yeah I’m still getting used to that” George noticed that Tom was shifting slightly like he was holding something back George looked at him puzzled “What’s wrong Tom?”. Tom looked to George and finally plucked up the courage to speak “George…I just wanted to say that…I would never have believed that months ago I would be on the run with a man I just met from laboratory torturers and psychic assassins, but I want you to know something…” George waited for Tom to speak during the pause “Tell me what?” Tom continued “I wouldn’t change anything, I will always run with you George…because I love you” George’s eyes widened and he couldn’t hold back his smile “You love me?” Tom smiled “Since day one I knew there was something about you and I know we’ve already had sex and all that but I wanted to make sure I knew how I felt” George spoke “Me telling you that I was already in love you at that first day when we met didn’t influence anything did it?” Tom replied “Hey you already know what’s happened or happening but I can say for myself that these feelings are all my own” before they could kiss the needle was jabbed quickly into George’s neck as he fell down he struggled to get out from the restraints of the hospital bed that he was strapped to. George was moved from the bed to a chair and placed at a table, his head had been shaved on one side with electrodes attached to his scalp, the bald man was sat on the opposite side of the table holding several cards he gave George an inquisitive look “Come on Sigma you need to try harder” George was tired and his head was screaming with pain he spoke with gasping breathes “I can’t do it…please let me go!” the bald man held up one of the cards he could see the image on the other side which had the image of a piece of artwork “Tell what do you see?” George shook his head “I…don’t…know” the bald man was silent then asked the question again “What do you see Sigma” George was frustrated “I can’t see anything, I don’t know what you want me to do?!” the bald man nodded to a clerk who was stood next to a machine that George was hooked up to, the woman turned the dial and the electricity surged into George’s head, he seized up and howled in pain he felt like his skull was splitting apart. The bald man didn’t even react he just sat there watching George scream, he simply repeated the same question “Sigma what do you see?” the pain was still intense and suddenly George could see it the picture of the woman dancing with a man, he winced and yelled out “A WOMAN! A WOMAN…DANCING!” the bald man smiled and put the card down “Excellent Sigma” he stood up and placed a hand on George’s shoulder “Pain is the key to unlocking hidden potential” the man returned to the table and sat back down he took the next card and held it up “Now what do you see?” the pain continue to burn through George mind as he clutched his head.

When the pain subsided George looked and saw that he was still dripping wet from the shower he grabbed the towel from the radiator and began drying himself, once he was done he put his clothes back on and made his way down the stairs and back into the kitchen. Tom was by the sink making himself a cup of tea, he turned when he heard George come in “Hey feeling better?” George nodded “Yes thank you, it’s definitely helped clear my head” Tom pointed to the kettle “Would you like a cup of tea?” George shook his head “No…no, caffeine gives me headaches, I try to avoid it” George sat down at the table and drank his glass of water, Tom was stirring sugar into his tea he turned back to George “Um I have something I’ve to say, I didn’t know what to do so I called the emergency services and they said that they would send out a police officer to come and talk with you…if that’s ok?” George looked out the kitchen through the living room and watched the window that looked out to the street “Yes that’s fine…although you didn’t speak to the police”, Tom was confused and spoke with curiosity “What do you mean?” he was beginning to feel worried. George turned to look at Tom “I need you to understand Tom, I have no intention to hurt but you are going to be in danger in about fifteen minutes”, Tom felt his heart begin to get faster “What the hell do you mean?!” George went to explain further “Have you ever heard of Psionic Cognitive Behaviour?” Tom shook his head “Psionic? You mean like psychics” George nodded “Exactly” Tom couldn’t help but laugh “Like reading tarot cards and reading minds” George nodded again “Yes…sort of I mean tarot cards are bollocks” Tom laughed again “Oh I see”, George knew this would happen so he tried to explain further “I know it’s difficult to believe but I was kidnapped from my home over four years ago and taken to a secret facility where they believed in developing people how had certain psychic abilities”. Tom could see the serious in George’s face “And you have these psychic powers?” George nodded “Yes” Tom needed proof “Ok show me” George saw a bowl of loose chain on a shelf next to the table he picked up a ten pence coin “Are you ready?” Tom nodded and George replied “You think I’m nuts right?” Tom nodded again making George laugh “Ok, ok fair enough…now just watch” he flipped the coin across the room, instinctively Tom went to go and catch it but he noticed something unusual.

The coin was frozen in mid-air right in the middle of the kitchen, Tom was stood in disbelief he walked towards the coin and moved his hands over all around the coin to see if it was on strings he looked over to George who was smiling “How the fuck are you doing that?” George tapped the side of his head, Tom picked the coin out of the air and he walked over to the table and sat down still looking at the coin George spoke “Still think I’m crazy?” Tom spoke quickly “Oh definitely but I’m starting to believe you” Tom looked up to George “So what happened at this facility then?” George’s smile vanished “They would take people who would have any presence of PCB and then torture and experiment on them until finally something in the mind clicks and then whatever ability or abilities they have eventually surfaces” Tom leaned in with intrigue “So what do you have?” George shuffled in his chair “I have telekinetic abilities so I can move things and I also have what they call temporal cognitive perception” Tom was fiddling with the coin in his hands “What’s that?” George continued “It means I can experience events in moments of the past, present and future” Tom sat upright in his chair “Fuck off! You can see the future?” George nodded “It’s not just seeing it I sort of experience it like I’m actually living it I feel everything that goes on” Tom looked fascinated “That sounds so cool…so how did you get here?” George paused for a moment he could hear the faint sound of the emergency alarm “Well what they unlocked within me helped with my escape” the flashing red warning light flooded Tom’s kitchen and the alarms blared out.

George ran down the corridor the blood running down the side of his head from pulling out the electrodes his head was still foggy from the sedatives, he was wearing white scrubs that had the Sigma symbol on his back, he kept running when suddenly one of the armed guards turned the corner and aimed they assault rifle at him yelling “FREEZE!” George didn’t stop he held out a hand and pulled it back sharply causing the rifle to fly out of the guard’s hands and George grabbed the rifle and struck the man hard in the face with the butt of the gun, George took the rifle for added defence and continued on. He reached the observation labs which was a large room filled with glass cubicles he moved quickly his barefoot kept his steps quiet he looked in all directions but no guards, in the cubicles George could see the others like him some were sat in chairs and being forced to watch weird videos that are designed to hypnotise and induce varieties of emotions and hallucinations to make them more subservient, others were lying on tables with wires and tubes attached to them which were hooked up to machines. George felt pity that he couldn’t help he spoke to them under his breath “I can’t help you yet” he passed through the cubicles, another hallway and George was ambushed by another guard who kicked away George’s weapon the guard tried to punch at him but George had the advantage seeing all this numerous times before he knew what to expect although the sedatives fogged his mind so the ambush was expected George blocked the punch and kicked at the guard’s knee making him crumple to the floor and brought a swift strong punch to the man’s jaw with a crunch and knock the man out. Before he could run another three guards appeared and aimed their weapons, George thrust his arm out and moved it up making the guards fly up and hit the ceiling hard and crash to the floor, George continued to run. Outside it was dark the large metal door to the entrance of the facility suddenly erupted forward spewing dust and rubble, the metal door bounced heavily against the ground making huge indentations in the grass, George emerged through the haze and he looked to see where he was but the area was unfamiliar despite that he knew where to go he wandered off into the darkness, he needed to find Tom.

George sat quietly and looked at Tom who seemed bewildered at the story he had just heard “Holy shit…so where are you going?” George struggled with what to say but he needed to say it “Actually I have been looking for you” Tom tilted his head curiously “Wait what? What do you mean you’re looking for me?” George shuffled slightly “I’m going to sound even crazier but you need to listen…Four years, four years of experiments and agonising pain at some points I wished that I would die so that all the horror would end” he eyes welled up with tears, Tom felt a twinge of grief at seeing George getting upset “But there was one thing that made me carry on…I saw that someday I would have that happy ending and there was you…with me, I lived this moment and every moment…” the sea water crashed on the sand as George could feel Tom’s lips on him when they said their first kiss on the beach, Tom stroked the bristly hairs of George’s beard “Every time I felt happiness…” George looked at Tom in the kitchen with such longing “The times were I felt safe when at my most vulnerable” the hotel room was dimly lit George was on his back he grunted from the feeling as Tom was straddled on his hips, Tom bit his lip as he rode up and down steadily as the two of them made love he ran his hands across the hair on George’s stomach, George placed a hand on Tom’s face “Are you ok?” Tom gasped with passion as he smiled “Yeah…I’m good” George smiled back. George smiled as a tear rolled down his cheek “You without knowing have been with me through those four years to the point where I actually fell in love with you” Tom was suddenly shocked “What you love me? But we’ve never met” George continued “I know this is ridiculous for you to hear but although you have never met me I have already met you over and over again, you were that reason that I couldn’t just roll over and die because there is that happy ending and I need to get there but for that to happen I needed to find you Tom” George looked out the ocean that lay below the cliff, George had his eyes closed and listened to the sound of the waves crashing, he smelled the salt of the sea air and smiled he had no reason to be worried there was no threat anymore, Tom came up behind him and wrapped his arms around George’s waist George looked over his shoulder and saw the warm expression on Tom’s face as he spoke “It’s time to come in, the food is ready” George replied “I’ll be in in a minute just want to enjoy the sight a bit longer” Tom nodded “Ok, but don’t be too long” Tom walked back to the house as George looked back to the sea enjoying his favourite moment. George leaned across the table and took Tom’s hand “I love you with all my heart” Tom couldn’t find the word to say after hearing all this when suddenly George looked to the window back in the living “They’re here!” Tom replied “Who are?” George saw a figure move quickly outside “Get down” Tom was confused “What?” George looked and yelled “GET DOWN!” the back door near the table burst open with a loud crack Tom fell to the ground as an armed guard barged in their rifle ready, George slammed down a fist onto the table and roared with anger as the splinters from the wood and the guard were frozen on the spot, he got up from the chair and with a sweep of his arm the guard was flung back through the shattered doorway. The squad members that were out in the driveway began to open fire with silenced rifles, bullets tore through the glass and began shredding up the furniture in the living room Tom yelled in panic “What the fuck is going on?!” George shoved him down and crouch to look him in the eye “Tom listen to me these are the people I was talking about they are here for me but if they find you here they will kill just for talking to me” Tom flinched as he heard bullets piercing through the kitchen wall George spoke loudly over the noise “Look you have no reason to trust me, but look me in the eyes when I say…if you come with me I will protect, you will be safe with me and I will let no one hurt you” Tom looked at George and he could see the seriousness in the stranger’s expression but something deep down Tom knew that George was telling the truth, Tom nodded “Ok” George nodded back “Ok let’s go!” he grabbed Tom by the arm and pulled him off the floor “Stay behind me alright?” Tom nodded again. George stormed into the living room he grabbed the air in front of him then pulled his hand back quickly, one of the soldiers was pulled through the window causing shards of glass to scatter across the room as the soldier landed on the coffee table, George took the gun and spun around and barked at Tom “DOWN!” he fired three rounds that struck another soldier that was attempting to enter through the back kitchen door, George nodded to Tom “Come on” when he turned back two other soldiers jumped through the window as a third broke through the front door, George dropped the gun and quickly thrust out both hands which sent the three soldiers and half the front of the house spewing out into the driveway knocking over any other soldier outside. 

The two of them ran outside of the ruin of the house George stepped out into the street but couldn’t see any other soldiers he started walking down the road there was a cross road, Tom looked at the ones sprawled across the driveway covered in bricks and glass “Holy shit” George shouted to Tom “Tom come on we have to go!” Tom glanced at something behind George he pointed and yelled “GEORGE LOOK OUT!” George turned to see a black police style van driving towards him he took both arms and swept to the left hard, Tom stood in awe as the van was flipped over on its side and it rolled down one of the other streets, George ran over Tom and placed a hand on his shoulder “Come on Tom we need to go now” Tom nodded but was too stunned to speak, the two of them ran off down the street away from the devastation of what was George’s past to an unknown potential of what could be a happier future.

Long after George and Tom had fled more soldiers had arrived at the house they searched inside and collected the bodies of the members of the squad that failed in taking George down and had them lined up in the driveway. Footsteps tapped on the flagstones of pavement as the bald man arrived at the house his shoes crunched from the broken glass on the ground, he looked at the mess and then at the house he looked to his man Bailey “How many?” Bailey replied “Four dead, several injured by the time we arrived Sigma was injured but apparently he’s not alone” the bald man removed his sunglasses and nodded to a thought in his head as he looked back to the devastated house “Very impressive…You were holding back Sigma what else are you hiding”. The bald man stepped out into the crossroads and look at the turned over van he then glanced at the road ahead and imagined that it was the route they had taken to flee, he walked back to Bailey “We need to find them…release Zeta” Bailey recoiled slightly “Sir are you sure?” the man nodded “If anyone can find him and bring him in it’s her, she's in the containment unit in the truck”. Bailey and a few of the soldiers went to the back of the van where there was a large metal door Bailey unlocked it, the doors slid open and inside was a woman in her early twenties short blonde hair which was shaved on her left side, she was bound in a straitjacket which was suspended by chains that were attached to the roof and floor of the truck, after removing the chains and the jacket Bailey gently led the woman out of the truck her expression was very spacey like she couldn’t even comprehend where she was or what she used to be. She was brought in front of the bald man who smiled “Hello my girl” she smiled at the voice but she kept looking in all directions, the man walked around and stood behind her and leaned in close by her ear “Your brother Sigma seems to think he has a happy future…find him and make sure that that doesn’t happen” Zeta began to walk down the street with each step the ground rumbled and cracked with the power that she possessed, she kept glancing around as lampposts twisted and contorted she then fixed her gazed in a certain direction and knew where George was, she smiled and knew that she would find him Zeta continued onward the predator now had the scent of its prey.

END