The Search for Artemis - By P. D. Griffith Page 0,20

We should be completely safe,” Dr. Longfellow answered. Following his response, another roaring sound of buckling metal reverberated through the room, which caused him to crouch down. “We should be,” he added tremulously.

Sofia and the suited man stood unfazed. They watched unaffected as the objects in Room 132 spun vigorously around. They gazed intently as Landon’s body lifted a few inches off the gurney, only held down by the leather straps. They stayed focus as the walls sounded as if they were going to crash in upon them. They paid no attention to the cracking of the monitors in the observation room or to Dr. Dodgson’s cup of coffee as it floated off the console.

The doctors, however, scrambled around the room. Dr. Dodgson feverishly typed things into different computers, attempting to complete his actions before the screens cracked and went black. Dr. Márquez ran back and forth between the glass and the door, trying to decide whether he wanted to stay any longer, and Dr. Longfellow rapidly wrote on a clipboard, that was until his glasses floated off his face and he began to chase them around the small room. All of the doctors let out a little gasping scream as they rose a few inches off the ground, one by one. Even still, Sofia and the suited man remained calm and collected.

After a few seconds of floating, Sofia and the suited man noticed Landon’s body go limp and fall back onto the gurney. Instantly, all of them dropped back to their feet and the objects coursing through the air dropped to the ground. The syringe, however, was lodged into the large pane of glass, and cracks snaked outward from its impact point.

“I have never in my life seen something like that!” Dr. Dodgson ran around the observation room in a frenzy, pushing buttons and clicking switches. “That was insane!”

“Completely safe,” Dr. Márquez said sarcastically between pants. “Look at the state of this place! Look at the glass! This place isn’t safe!” Perched on the edge of a full-blown panic attack, his voice got higher and higher with every sentence.

“Interesting,” the suited man said, finally turning away from the glass. “Inform Dr. Wells that I’d like him to pay special attention to this one, and I want to remain constantly updated on his progress. What’s his name again?”

“Yes, sir. Of course, sir. Landon Wicker, that’s his name,” Dr. Longfellow said as he cleaned his cracked glasses on his lab coat. Without responding, the suited man strolled out of the observation room.

“I should get in there. He’ll be waking soon, and he shouldn’t have to be alone after that,” Sofia said. She seemed disturbed by the terrible display of power.

• • • • •

Sofia stood by Landon’s side for about ten minutes before he began to stir. Once he opened his eyes, he lay there emotionless, staring blankly into Sofia’s face, almost as if he was looking past her. Tears welled up in his eyes and fell down the side of his face, but Landon didn’t pay any attention to it. He was numb.

Sofia placed her hand on his shoulder, attempting to comfort him with her soft touch, but Landon didn’t respond. He merely continued to stare at her. Water streamed over his temples and disappeared in his hair.

“Landon, it’s okay.” Sofia spoke reassuringly. She didn’t need him to tell her what he saw. “It was an accident. You had no control.” As she spoke, she delicately removed the restraints that still held Landon on the gurney.

Landon sat up, turned his face away from Sofia and cleared the tears from his face.

“Landon, please, look at me. Please,” Sofia said. Her voice sounded gentle and pleading. Landon took a quick breath in through his nose and then turned his body around to face Sofia, who looked at him with large, compassionate eyes.

“Landon, we can help you. That is why I brought you here. Yes, what happened is a great tragedy, but you’re special. Even if you don’t believe it now, you have a gift, and we can teach you how to use it—control it. There are hundreds of other kids around your age who have come to us with the same abilities, and we teach them to master their skills, so that things like what happened to you don’t ever happen again. We can protect you. If you choose to stay, we can make everything right. The police will stop looking for you, and you’ll be free to live a happy life