He scrunched up his nose in disgust at the putrid smell of the alley he had walked into. Rats and roaches scuttled in every which way as he approached, his boots crunching and squishing whatever trash he couldn’t be bothered stepping aside from. He pulled his cap lower on his head and quickened his pace so he could get out of the foul-smelling hellhole rapidly.

Once he was out, he looked up to see a moonless night sky. The sky had been moonless for a long time now. An asteroid as big as Ireland hit it and scattered its debris into orbit away from earth. Now, only manmade lights illuminated the streets. The memory of the moon’s destruction was still fresh in his mind like it happened yesterday when it really had occurred a few generations back. He witnessed it and grieved for it, and for himself. Why could the moon die and he couldn’t?

He shook himself from his reverie. It wasn’t the time to look back but the time to look ahead. For tonight, he’d get himself back and try dying.

He ran across the empty street, stuffing his clenched hands inside the pockets of his black hoodie, and disappeared into the shadows once again. 

2: Chapter 1

The first time Zoe visited a shifting facility it scared the wits out of her. Her Daddy was one of the scientists that further studied Shifting. Shifting. Just thinking about it sent shudders down her spine. She never really did understand people who underwent shifting. Why would they leave their bodies for another one?

These were her thoughts as she walked towards the elevator that had guards and was isolated enough that it attracted attention. She flashed her visitor ID at them and they each gave her a nod of acknowledgement. Without a word, she stepped inside the elevator and pressed six, which meant she’d be six floors below ground for the next few minutes. Her visits never exceeded an hour. He was just so busy. So busy he left Zoe and her Mom for his job. Her Mom and she never held grudges, though. They all loved science albeit of different branches.

The elevator pinged, telling her that she had arrived on sixth floor. She walked out purposefully and towards her Dad’s cubicle. She saw him immediately, flirting with a co-worker. She never had qualms about her Dad flirting. She just wished she wouldn’t catch him at it. It was awkward for her.

Finally, a few steps away from him, he noticed her. The lady flirting with him took her cue and went to leave them be but not before muttering, “Nice to see you again, Zoe.”

“Nice to see you, too, Mary,” Zoe said in return. She looked at her Dad and smiled genuinely, the first time she had in the week that had passed. “Hi, Daddy!”

Her Dad beamed at her. “Hey there, Sweetie! How are you? We sure have a lot to talk about, huh?” he said as he looked lovingly at her.

“Yeah. But I bet we wouldn’t be able to finish ‘cause, you know, you’re always busy,” she joked but there was truth and bitterness.

Her Dad sighed. “I know, Honey.”

She laughed. “Don’t worry, Dad. When I go to college I’ll take marine biology. I want to be a scientist, too. Just not like you. Shifting still gives me the creeps.”

“I’m still creeped out by it, if you must know.”

She looked at her father. “You are?” she queried, quite surprised.

“Yes,” he replied truthfully. She noticed he peeked at his watch.

Zoe blinked at him. “If you are, then why are you doing it?”

“It’s a debt that needs to be paid,” he cryptically explained and peeked at his watch again.

She frowned. “What’s wrong, Daddy?”

“Oh, nothing. Just expecting some—“

“Marcus!” a harsh voice interrupted.

“—one,” he finished.

A boy came into view. He was breathing hard beneath the black hoodie. He walked to where they stood. Zoe looked over her father. He seemed unperturbed by the stranger’s presence but he was still alert. Then the boy raised his right hand and a tattoo showed. Her father visibly relaxed.

“Sebastian, you shouldn’t have come.”

The boy—Sebastian— looked at him quizzically, even tilting his head to the right. “What do you mean?”

Marcus looked uncomfortable. He definitely didn’t want to be the one to impart bad news. “They—I think they know you’re coming tonight. They moved you north. Earlier today. I’m sorry. I couldn’t do anything to stall them.” Zoe was incredulous. Why was her father being so submissive to this skinny lanky boy?

Sebastian shook his head in disbelief. “No, no, NO! Damn it, not again.” He couldn’t believe it. He had waited and plotted a long time for this. Then what? Only to find out they moved again. “I should get out of here. The people upstairs can only sleep for God knows how long. Oh, shit! You should come, too. They’ll question you later. Why hadn’t I thought about it?” he muttered to himself.

Marcus shook his head. “I can’t go. Take my daughter away from here. Keep her safe. Take her home. Whatever. But please keep her safe. That’s all I’m asking.”

Sebastian nodded his head solemnly.

Zoe couldn’t watch anymore. “Dad! You’ll come with us. No way I’m leaving without you,” she said defiantly.

“Please, Sebastian, take her away from here.”

She clenched her fists. “No! Why would I have to ‘escape’ with him? We did nothing wrong.”

“Except being seen with me,” Sebastian said as he raised his hands, palms up. Up close she could see that his tattoo was not just a random cluster of black swirls. It looked suspiciously like the number one.

Clueless, she asked, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sebastian had the nerve to roll his eyes. “Now is not the time for idle chatter. We have to get out of here.” He gave her Dad a final nod and hauled her on his shoulder, ignoring her cries of protest.

She saw him raise his tattooed hand towards the first surveillance camera they encountered. “What are you doing?”

“Letting them know who’s against them.” He ran to the elevator, hoisting her higher on his shoulder as he grunted. “What will you do if I let you down?” By that time they had already entered the elevator and it started to ascend.

“I’ll do nothing rash. Just put me down!”

They heard the ping of the elevator. Zoe was shocked by what she saw when the elevator doors opened. Everyone, including the burly guards, was asleep.

“How did you do this?”

“Sleeping gas, of course,” he answered in a tone that implied it should have been the most obvious thing in the world. “Come on.” Grasping one of her clenched hands, he ran towards the door. No one intercepted them but just as they ran around a corner, a group of cops appeared. They backed tracked and went the opposite direction. “Shit. Okay, kid. I’ll do something kind of weird. Don’t freak out.”

Across the street, a lone man was walking. Sebastian approached him, Zoe in tow. He let go of her hand and exchanged it for the man’s. A brief light flashed where their skin contacted each other.

The man spoke: “Come on.”

“What?”

The man drew an exasperated sigh and turned his palm upward. There was the tattoo Sebastian had shown her earlier. Upon seeing her incredulous face he said, “I’ll explain later. Come on!” then he gripped her hand again and they ran into the night. She was too much in shock from what she witnessed to object. What in the world had she gotten herself into?

Zoe looked back at the boy who was Sebastian earlier. Gone was the fierce look he held. His blinking wide eyes looked around curiously, as if he had no idea why he was there. She had a vague thought that maybe he really had no idea. He was lost from view when they entered an alley.

“Where are we going? What’s wrong with the boy? What are you?” she fired question after question.

“I’m taking you home. I’ll explain later. Nothing’s wrong with the boy,” he said in a clipped tone. If she wasn’t mistaken, she could hear bitterness in his voice as he said the last sentence.

Sebastian seemed to know where she lived. They arrived in front of her house without him asking even one question. He dropped her in front and started to back away.

“Wait! You said you’ll explain. You can’t just get away without doing so.”

He turned back at her. “I will tell you later. I’ll check on your father first. Go to sleep. You may need it.” He ran away and out of sight.

3: Chapter 2

Zoe felt someone tap her lightly on the shoulder. She moaned in annoyance and rolled over, away from the intruder. The next thing she knew was she was being shaken vigorously. She opened her eyes and almost screamed had the stranger not cover her mouth with his hand.

“Shh. It’s me, Sebastian,” he said as he cautiously removed his hand. He had acquired a different body again. “Go change. We have to get out of here. The cops got your Dad. I’m sorry. But they’re coming for you.”

Zoe knew negating him was futile so she decided to play along. “Okay, but you better explain everything to me.”

“Fine, but only after we have reached a safe place. Hurry up, will you?” he ordered as he shut the door behind him.

Zoe shuck off her night clothes and yanked on random clothes from her closet. “Okay, I’m ready. Let’s go.”

They went to the streets and walked in silence. Zoe watched him as he walked in front of her. He might be using a different body now but his actions betrayed him; his gait, his posture, and the way he held himself were all still the same.

After trudging along the sidewalk for about half an hour, they found themselves in front of a small house. Sebastian knocked three times.

No answer.

He did it again, this time more urgent. 

Nothing.

He banged on the door.

Third time was a charm. An irritated woman answered the door. “What do you want? It’s the middle of the night, for Heaven’s sake!”

Instead of answering her verbally, he raised his hand, which Zoe found tiring. He had been doing the same thing all over again since she first saw him. But it had a different effect on the woman. Her face changed. It softened, and she even hugged him tightly.

Zoe didn’t know where to look. She felt awkward and uncomfortable. Obviously she had stepped into a private moment. Unwanted thoughts entered her mind as she let the moment pass and she studied her shoelace.

Finally the two disentangled themselves from each other. “Long time no see, Karina.”

Karina laughed. “Long time no see, big brother.”

Well, that spoiled it, Zoe thought. Karina looked over to her. “So, who’s this?”

“Hi. My name’s Zoe. Nice to meet you,” she introduced herself before Sebastian could answer for her.

Karina giggled. For someone irritated-looking a bit earlier, she seemed to be cheery. “Nice to meet you, too. I’m Karina Walker.” She turned her gaze to her brother. “So, what’s this all about, huh?”

Sebastian’s face turned serious. “I think it’s better if we go inside. Can you contact the others?”

“Of course. Come on in.”

Karina lived in a simple one-floor house. They entered the living room and Zoe was surprised to see a shelf that bowed from the weight of the paperbacks it held. Nowadays, people don’t bother acquiring actual books because of those electronic ones.

Adjacent to the shelf is a TV set that was propped against the wall, a long couch facing it. Several pictures hung on the wall opposite it. She walked over to them.

The largest one consisted of six teenagers. The tallest one had raven-black hair and his eyes were of the color of honey. He was looking at the girl on his right with wide eyes and a broad grin, as if he couldn’t believe she was really there with him. She was looking at him with the same expression. She had caramel brown hair that curled around her heart-shaped face. It was obvious that her grass green eyes were sparkling in delight. Next to her was a brown-haired, brown-eyed boy who was looking at them with mock disgust so comical Zoe had to laugh. On the other side of the black-haired boy was another girl with the same hair and eyes as he. She looked so much like the boy Zoe figured out they might be siblings. On her left side was a redhead with stormy gray eyes, smiling at the camera with his arm draped on the shoulder of the boy next to him, who had blond hair and brown eyes.

The picture was faded and the people in it looked all so old fashioned she wondered when the picture was taken.

“Come on, dear. You must be tired. I’ll show you your room for tonight,” Karina said. The way she said it, Zoe couldn’t help being reminded of an old lady.

She yawned and realized that, even though she had been sleeping not an hour ago, she really was tired. She wordlessly followed Karina into a hallway and they stopped in front of a door. Karina opened it and ushered her inside. Without inspecting her room, Zoe flopped on the bed and let sleep envelop her.                                                                             a aa a a  a a a  a a a a a

4: Chapter 3

Zoe woke up with the sun shining down on her. She opened her eyes and saw that the window was open.

She took a sitting position and stretched. She trotted lazily to the bathroom and washed her face. Oddly she found a brush and did her hair. Satisfied, she set off for the living room.

On her way there she heard voices from the dining room so she changed direction and went there instead. Five people were eating and talking on the table.

Four heads looked up to her from their food. “It’s about time you wake up. You almost missed breakfast,” a smiling stranger said.

Ignoring his remark, she said, “Good morning. Where’s Sebastian?”

A hand shot up. It came from the only guy that didn’t look up when she entered. “What? You miss me already?” he teased. Unsurprisingly he had Shifted to a different body. Again. He was eating along with the others. Others she hadn’t seen before except Karina.

She made a face. “No dumbass. Are you going to shift again? ‘Cause seriously, you’re giving me a headache.”

Sebastian stopped chewing and looked at her thoughtfully before saying, “No. I guess I won’t. I bought this body after all. It would be such a waste if I Shift again.”

Zoe shuddered at his words. Buying bodies people wanted to be Shifted to was not uncommon but the thought of invading another body besides yours, even if it was soulless, disturbed her. Sebastian and the others seemed unperturbed by it though, for they continued to eat.

A voice interrupted her train of thoughts. “Hey Seb, are you going to introduce us to your new friend?”

“I am not his friend. I don’t even really know him!” Zoe said before he could speak.

Sebastian sighed, whether from her words or just pure exasperation. “Right, right. Where are my manners? Zoe, this is Minho. Those are William and Ezekiel. Guys, Zoe.” He spouted the names as he pointed to the corresponding person. Minho had the only brown hair, William’s eyes were dark blue and Ezekiel was the only dark-skinned guy in the room. “Aren’t you going to eat? Breakfast is almost over, you know.”

“Can I go now?” she asked in return. By this point she didn’t want an explanation anymore. All she wanted to do was go back to her life and pretend this part hadn’t existed, that she hadn’t associate herself with people like Sebastian, people who worked in mysterious ways and had nothing better to do than terrorize other people.

He stared at her with so much intensity it was creepy. “No, you can’t,” he said and didn’t elaborate further until she gave him a glare of her own. “It’s not safe,” he simply said.

“Okay. I know the cops are looking for me, but I think it’s only because, you know, I was there when you came barging in and maybe they’d just want to question me?”

Sebastian shook his head. “They’re not going to question you. They’re going to imprison you. Being an accomplice of a criminal is frowned upon by law.”

“C-criminals? You, all of you, are criminals? If you’re all criminals then how come I haven’t heard of you?”

Zoe was surprised when it was Minho who answered her. “The government thinks we are. As for why you haven’t heard about us…it’s because, uh, let’s just say we’re not really what your typical criminals would be. We’re more like of a threat. What do you think will happen if the government tells the public that people who can Shift at will are on the loose, who can rob them of their own bodies, who can take their control away from them, even from their own minds?”

She felt the world stop spinning. Why hadn’t she realized that? This was worst than facing a Shifted*. These strangers represented the very thing that repulsed her. She was facing Shifting itself. Her worst nightmare.

--------

Sebastian saw Zoe’s face pale. Her posture became rigid. If he didn’t know better he might’ve concluded that she was afraid. Was it even possible? Is it because of the strangers in the room? Admittedly they were both still strangers to each other. At least that was what she knew and he’d let that be that. But he knew her better than anyone else in this room. Hell, he knew her even better than her Dad did. He knew her so well he could sense when something was wrong with her. Something definitely was now.

He adopted a concerned look. “What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing’s wrong,” she stammered.

“What’s wrong?” he asked again as if she didn’t say a word to him.

“I said nothing’s wrong!” she said more forcefully. It was clear to him that she meant it to be assuring but it came out more scared.

Sebastian stood and she visibly flinched. “Leave us,” he ordered and they filed out without a question. He walked over to her. As he took his steps she seemed to be getting smaller and smaller in his eyes. He realized she was cowering in fright. “Zoe. What’s wrong? Tell me.”

“You’re what’s wrong. You shouldn’t exist. You’re a monster,” she said in a soft, barely-there voice.

Sebastian laughed. He had heard that before many times in his unnaturally long life it was almost an everyday thing to him. But he couldn’t help the bitterness that leaked into his laugh. Somehow, hearing that from Zoe had hurt. “I know. You think I haven’t heard that before? Why do you think I came to that goddamned Shifting facility in the first place? Because I know I shouldn’t exist this way. I was―still am― trying to retrieve something they have that belongs to me. Something that will make me feel me again.”

“I’m not going to ask you what that thing is yet.” Her voice was somewhat steadier. Maybe his show of emotion helped her realize that he was a human being, too, albeit a queer one. “But why do you still want to retrieve that? You’ve said before you tried doing it again in the past. Why not just give up and live a normal life? You have this body anyway.”

He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “That’s the problem. I can’t just do that. It wouldn’t help matters. Because… because…”

“Because?” she urged. God, he forgot how confessing to someone could be hard and awkward.

“Because the ‘thing’ I’m trying to retrieve is my body. And my soul is tethered to it and because of that I can’t die. In a way, I’m immortal.”

5: Chapter 4

Sebastian was immortal?

She couldn’t grasp the idea. Besides, there were too many holes.

“Immortal?” she scoffed. “You can’t possibly that. It’s only been fifteen years since Shifting has been discovered. How could you possibly know that?”

Sebastian smiled at her. It lit up his whole face. “You’re right. It’s only been fifteen years. Since the public did anyway. Karina, Will, Minho, Zeke and I have known it even before that. Or some part of it anyway. It goes a long way back.”

“How long?” she asked before he could continue.

“Long enough to witness the Great Wipeout. To be exact seventy-eight years before it, Shifting was made.”

“The Great Wipeout? But that’s like four hundred years ago!” She couldn’t believe it. This whole situation was surreal. How could this all be?

“I know. Let me start from the beginning. Karina, the others and I were all part of a…let’s just say it was some kind of government project.”

“Why were you a part of it? This project led to your…ability, right?”

He beamed at her like a delighted teacher. “Why I was a part of it I won’t tell you but if you want to ask them why they were a part of it I won’t stop you from. And yes, it led to my having an unfortunate ability. They made us into Shifters. During the Great Wipeout, the facility we were in was destroyed. Minho and I sort of died. Well, our bodies did but you must know what I mean. That was when we learned that we can’t die. If the body dies, our souls will just pick the nearest able body and Shift to it. It was such a convenience then but after some time, when we realized we couldn’t die even from old age or sickness, it turned to a big nightmare we might never wake up from.

“The difference between us and the Shifted is that our souls aren’t contained and theirs are. Think of us as butterflies, both that Shift, and the bodies as flowers. In the open, the butterflies are free, flitting from flower to flower with no inhibitions about them. Put a butterfly in a jar and they wouldn’t be able to do that. The bodies we Shift to don’t contain us. That’s what I learned from the test Marcus and I have done anyway.”

Just like that it all slammed her back to reality.

Sebastian noticed. “Hey, we’ll get him back, okay? Don’t worry.” When she nodded her assurance to him he continued. “Where was I? Oh, yeah. The project was supposed to go on for only a hundred years but as I’ve said the Great Wipeout happened.”

“What does that have to do with this project of yours anyway?”

“Do you know why it’s called the Great Wipeout?” He continued his speech without waiting for her response. “It’s called such because during that time the world population was reaching eight billion. When that meteor as big as Ireland hit the moon, some debris from the moon went to earth. The impact obliterated more than half of Asia near the Pacific, all of the islands in the Ring of Fire and most of America, including all of the inhabitants. Five billion people died. Our facility was affected. Hell, it was destroyed. We had to transfer quickly. Unfortunately, the transportation vehicle I was in encountered some major difficulty―”

“You blew up?” she guessed.

 “Something like that. I know those people think we were dead. I don’t know why they might come up with that but the thing is they didn’t try to find us. We didn’t have any means to find them so we just didn’t try to. We tried to live normal lives but it was hard. We had to steal, you know. Not just anything but bodies. We steal lives, memories not for us, time, and families. For three hundred and seventy-five years we lived like that. Then Shifting came. The soulless bodies we don’t have to steal anymore. The process was so similar to what we do I got suspicious. Your father helped me, and my suspicions were confirmed. Shifting facilitators know about us. They have us. So Karina, Minho, Will, Zeke and I started plotting but we were always too slow. We learn the location, we plan, they move. It’s like they know about us. We made a few attempts but we didn’t get to infiltrate further without knowing they were already gone or something.

“But this time it’s different. Others have been put into the equation. Your father and you. We can’t risk Marcus. We have to get him as soon as possible. We’re going to succeed this time.” He laughed and looked at her sheepishly. “I’m sure I’ve bored you with my talk. I’ll leave you now to eat. You should get ready after that. We’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

“Okay,” she said and was left to contemplate about all of that while she ate.   

6: Chapter 5

Zoe found herself looking at the same picture hanging from the wall. She felt like she should know them. Strange…she had not felt like that last night.

“So what do you think?” a voice behind her said. She turned around and came face to face with Minho. She walked to her side and they both looked at the picture.

“I don’t know. I feel like I should know them but I can’t figure out why.”

Minho laughed heartily and pointed to the brown-haired, brown-eyed boy. “That’s me.”

“Really? This is a picture of you? The real you? How had this survived all this years?”

“The original picture’s gone. It was black and white. During the dawn of the twenty-first century computers became popular. We had it converted into a digital file and had it edited. This is the result,” he finished.

“Is this exact?”

“Nope. It’s as close as we can get it.”

“So who’s who?”

Minho started pointing as soon as she said it. “Thought you’d never ask. This blonde’s Will. The redhead’s Zeke. They’re really close ever since I can remember. The black-haired beauty’s Karina, the tall dude’s Sebastian…and that’s Sarah.”

Zoe asked curiously, “Sarah? Who’s Sarah?”

“I don’t think the story’s mine to tell.”

“Oh,” she simply said. “Will and Zeke either don’t talk much or just don’t like me,” she observed.

He seemed glad to change the topic. “I guess it’s both. Now don’t feel bad towards them. It’s hard being unable to die. You have to witness the people you cared about around you age and die. I think it’s their way of coping. If they don’t like you, if they don’t get close to you then if we fail and we drift apart then they won’t be much affected when you’re gone.”

“But we’re going to succeed this time right? We can’t fail.”

He smiled at her sadly and suddenly he looked very old. She could see the burden of the years in his eyes. “They’re just being realists, Zoe.”

“Guys, I think we’re all set,” Sebastian said from the door. He and the others had been preparing their things while Zoe and Minho were talking.

“Zoe, are you ready?” Minho asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be. I think.”

Three gravatonic motorcycles were waiting for them outside. “Okay, guys. We’ll ride in pairs. Will and Zeke, Minho and Zoe and I’ll ride with Karina. We’re heading north.”

Zoe wanted to look Sebastian in the eye but he wouldn’t even look at her. He didn’t let his eyes stray to her direction. Was Something Wrong?

…………………………………………………..

The wintry northern air blew on her unprotected cheeks. Sebastian and the two others were driving so fast their path was a blur. They weaved in and out of traffic, evading almost being hit by a car here and there. Barely. She had forgotten that the boys used to drag race in the past.

“So you want to talk about something?”

Sebastian took his time before answering his sister. “Do you remember that time when we went to Baguio? It was so cold there but I really liked the strawberries and peanut brittle.”

“And it was also the first time Sarah went to the Philippines, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it was. I’ve been dreaming about it repeatedly.”

“Maybe that’s a sign.”

“A sign of what?”

“Just a sign.”

“But I feel like I’m violating her memory.”

“Why?”

Instead of answering he just shrugged and focused on his driving. He didn’t tell her that every time he dreamed about that it wasn’t Sarah with him. Not anymore. 

7: Chapter 6

1940

Michael Walker was going to have visitors. It was not uncommon, since he was a high ranking American military officer. The visits just increased in frequency; it was understandable, with the threat of another world war and all that.

Today, it was James Finch, a retired general and friend, and his family. They were expected, and by the time they arrived, which was around midafternoon, the household was ready for them.

It wasn’t James’ first visit to the manor and he and his wife and daughter purposefully walked to the parlor, where his old friend was waiting for them.

“James, Meredith, welcome! Sarah, my dear girl, I see you’ve grown,” Michael greeted the family, a big smile on his face. “Come and sit. You do not know how delighted I was when I received your letter. It has been a while since we have seen each other, has it not?”

“Indeed,” James agreed and launched into his timeline of adventures, stories about the war and the Great Depression in America. The three adults immersed themselves into a lengthy reminiscence of days past and current events.

Soon enough two young figures entered the room. Sarah saw them first and gasped in delight, causing the adults to look around.

“Why, it’s Uncle James and Aunt Meredith! What took you so long to visit?” The speaker was a boy of seventeen years, with black hair and brown eyes not unlike his mother’s, strong broad shoulders and sinewy arms. He was a bit on the lanky side but his shoulders indicated he would grow out of it. He was wearing brown trousers and a white button down long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

“I swear to God, Michael, these children grow up fast. Look at your boy. Sebastian’s already a handsome young man. And is that beautiful lady, Karina Elizabeth? My, my, you’ve gone five years and now look at you! A budding flower, sure to capture the eyes of many men. Isn’t that right, James?”

Karina blushed, which did nothing else but enhance her fine features. Meredith was right, though. Karina was sure to grow into a charming lady. She was beautiful as much as her brother was handsome.

Michael chuckled, which brought everyone’s attention to him. “Well, now, Sarah has grown to be just as enticing. Surely you’ve noticed that?”

At the mere attention of her name, Sebastian’s face lit up. “Sarah? She’s here? Where is she?”

“Are you blind, boy?” Can’t you see her sitting next to her mother?” Michael half-taunted his son.

Sebastian stopped short. “Sarah? Are you telling me she’s that bewitching little maiden? Well, in that case, I see you’ve really grown,” he teased. Sarah blew him a raspberry. “Or not.” He laughed. “I can totally imagine you doing that. Hey, Uncle James, can Karina and I steal her for a while?”

“Of course. Just bring her back by dinner,” James said, riding along his antics.

“Great. Come on,” he said. The three youths filed out of the room, missing the smiles on the grown-ups’s faces.

They exited the house and walked until they reached the strawberry fields. Sebastian stooped down to pick one.

“Hey, is it fine for you to do that? The owner might see us,” Sarah warned. Instead of answering her, he plucked two more and offered them to the girls. Karina took one but Sarah stared at the other.

“It’s fine. My mother’s family owns the farm. The locals even called her―what was that term again?”

“Haciendera,” Karina supplied.

“Right. The locals called her that. They even call us Señor or Señora when they see us,” he said.

“Really? Aren’t those Spanish?”

He nodded. “Philippines was a colony of Spain or something before you Americans came here.”

“You Americans? You speak as if you are not one.”

“Technically speaking, I’m only half-American. My mother was Filipina, remember? I may have spent my childhood in America and have only lived here for five years or so, but it’s not that difficult to adjust, especially when the people here are just so warm and hospitable. This may be disloyal to America but I like it here better,” he said fervently.

Sarah said nothing to that. She looked behind her, to Karina. “Why aren’t you joining the conversation?”

“It’s more fun eating these strawberries than do that,” Karina replied before taking a bite. “My brother bores me to death.”

“That’s not nice.”

Sebastian let out a laugh. “Well, whoever said my dear sister was nice? She may look like a fine doll but her disposition is surely one to give you a headache,” he said in a fond voice, a complete opposite of his words. He even patted her head, much to her annoyance.

She swiped away his hand and said, “Stop doing that! Have you forgotten you’re only two years older? Two years, Sebastian! Don’t treat me like a child.”

Sebastian looked at her in mocked surprise. “Two years only? A child? My poor sweet sister, why would you think that? Whatever do you mean?”

She sighed. “I do not know, brother, maybe because you always pat my head and speak softly whenever you address me. I’m tired of that, Sebastian.”

“But you see, Karina, no matter what, you’ll still be my darling little sister. You should be getting used to that idea by now.” Karina blew a breath in response.

Beside them, Sarah laughed. “Sebastian, was that deliberate? You managed to engage her in a conversation,” she observed.

Sebastian leaned back. He actually looked smug. “I did, didn’t I? Well, I say we go ahead and give you a tour, Sarah.” With that he turned away from them and started walking ahead.

Karina shook her head in a disgruntled way. “I swear my brother has the shortest attention span.”

…………………………………………………..

They thought they barely made it to dinner. The adults were already seated around the dining table by the time they arrived. Sebastian bowed his head to them. “Sorry we took so long. We lost track of time.”

“Truly. And also, I think we must first wash our hands. Those sugared peanuts you gave me are sticky,” Sarah said.

“They’re peanut brittle. How many times do I have to tell you that?” Karina grumbled. The two just looked at her with grinning faces.

“No. you can all do that later. We have something important to tell you. Sit down, all three of you.” When the three sat down James continued. “Sebastian, Karina, I’m afraid you two have to come with us when we go back to America.”

“What? Why?”

Michael spoke up, “I am given an assignment to go to Pearl Harbor. The situation in the West is direr than we thought it was.”

“Can’t we just go with you?”

“It would be easier for all of us if you come with James and Meredith.”

Sebastian sighed in defeat. “I understand. Father, please be careful.” Michael nodded. Karina abruptly stood up, scraping the chair’s feet on the floor in the process.

“I’m washing my hands. Are you not?”

The dinner was predictably sober after that.

8: Chapter 7

They stopped for the night at a small town near the road. Zoe’s legs had already been asleep long before they settled in. her face was burning from the chilly night air that was colder than before and her teeth were chattering audibly.

She tried getting off the motorcycle but her knees gave out. Luckily, Minho was there. He snaked his arm around her and gripped her by the waist firmly. Instinctively, she looked at Sebastian in response. He wasn’t looking at them; he was busy adjusting the bike he had parked.

Goodness, Zoe thought, since when did you look at a guy like that? She was so into her mind she didn’t realize Minho was talking to her until he touched her freezing cheek with one warm hand.

 “Hey, are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, just cold,” she answered as she tried to smile ruefully.

“Can you stand?”

“Yeah. I-I guess so.” The feeling in her legs was coming back so there was less danger of falling on her backside. Minho let her go and she quickly felt the warmth of his arms diminish. He took off his aviator jacket and draped it over her hunched shoulders. “Thank you.”

“No problem. Let’s see if they have spare rooms for us.

At the inn, they rented two rooms; one for the boys and one for the girls.

“Oh, I can finally rest. Riding all day can be a bit tiring, can’t it?”

Zoe could only shrug. She was tired; she never had travelled that far away from home before.

“We should rest, Zoe. Tomorrow I will be gone with three of the boys to do some business. You do realize we can’t just leave the city without the necessary documents. Don’t worry. One of them will be left behind with you.”

“Okay. You catch your sleep now. I’m too tired to sleep. Maybe I’ll lie down for a bit.”

“Suit yourself.”

………..

Her father made the five o’clock news. Zoe was lazily browsing the channels when one particular news segment caught her attention. Her father’s serious face looked back at her from the television. She read the headline under his face and her own paled. He was accused of one thing: bioterrorism.

After the Great Wipeout, nations decided that they would never again use science and technology in warfare. The leaders of countries stopped creating weapons that could put humanity on the brink of extinction again and instead focused on developing things that would help mankind, especially in the field of medicine. It was ironic, really, that the apocalypse would be the one thing that would make mankind realize the errors in his ways.

Of course, not everyone agreed to this turning into a new leaf and some rebelled, though their reasons went beyond her understanding. The breakouts weren’t subtle too. A bombing here and there; kidnappings of powerful political figures; and something like those. The efforts were futile though, since the armaments were obsolete and the modern equipments studier and easier to repair.

No matter how worthless their attacks were, they were still relentless. Then, eight years ago, exactly seven years after Shifting was legalized, propaganda erupted everywhere. Abductors, they said. Innocent people were being abducted and forced out of their own bodies, to live a stranger’s life, while the rebels wore their skins and took what wasn’t theirs. After all, what was more painful than being betrayed by someone who was supposed to be a loved one?

The propaganda worked. Many people were terrified. Chaos ensued. Civil wars threatened. All throughout the world. It was like the Great Wipeout on a smaller scale.

Fortunately, the outbreaks had been controlled; however, the rebels earned a name that day. They had been known from that day on as the Walkers.

And now her father was being branded as one of them.

Anger rose from the pit of her stomach. Her father was innocent! They shouldn’t be accusing him of something he didn’t even do.

It was all his fault. If he hadn’t dragged her father into his own mess then none of these bizarre things would be happening. It was all Sebastian’s fault.

With her fury fueling her, she stood up from where she was sitting. She was walking and already halfway to the door when she faltered in her steps, a single thought popping in her mind.

Could it be possible? she asked herself. No, it was just a coincidence, she tried to convince herself as she shook her head. It was just a simple coincidence. That was all.

She sat back on the bed, her fury draining with her realization in mind.

Walkers…

She stood up again and decided to confront Sebastian, her purpose a bit different this time. She started again for the door then stopped yet again.

Karina hadn’t come back yet from…hell, she didn’t even know where she went, and it was getting late. If Karina was still gone, was it possible Sebastian had gone with her, or had he stayed? If the latter proved true, it would be a shame not confronting Sebastian now, when she felt willful.

Shaking her head at her thoughts, she decided to just go on with what she had in mind. She went on ahead to the boys’ room.

Talk about luck.

William was alone in the room and appeared to be sleeping. He was reclined on the right side of the bed they were all sharing, his arm draped over his eyes. He moved when the door creaked on its hinges. The arm fell on his side; however, he didn’t wake up.

Zoe moved closer. William, along with Ezekiel, didn’t particular like her. At least, that’s what she thought, seeing as they weren’t particularly welcoming. Her entrance in their lives wasn’t the best there was either. Not to mention she had been a brat. She couldn’t possibly blame them for how they were acting like, now could she?

Her shoulders slumped. She knew she shouldn’t have expected much to see Sebastian. It shouldn’t have surprised her to not see him there. Lately, he had been acting weird around her. It seemed that every time she saw him, he would immediately go out of his way to distance himself from her. It wasn’t just coincidental, for it happened for far too many times to be considered that. He had gone from the same room for more than once or twice or even thrice for it to be just coincidence.

She sighed. Maybe she wasn’t meant to find out yet if her assumption was true or not. She turned around and quietly tried to go back to Karina’s and her room when she heard him speak to her, directly for the first time. His words sent a jolt down her spine, making her stop in her tracks. 

“I know who you really are.”