Josephine Carter's Story

"Jo! Get back in here!"
"I said I'm going out!"
"JO-"
The front door of the red brick townhouse slammed shut, cutting off the shrill, angry shriek of Josephine's mother. Another argument over Jo's newest hairdo had just gone down and Jo was sure the whole neighborhood had heard it. Pretending not to see her elderly neighbor glaring at her through the curtains, Jo jogged on down the street. The early morning was chilly and foggy. For a minute she regretted putting on shorts as she felt goosebumps forming all over her skin.

As she stopped to wait for a WALK signal, Jo felt a prickle in the back of her neck. She had an odd feeling. With a few peeks over her shoulder and around the corner yielding nothing, Jo simply shrugged it off and kept jogging.

The last week had been rough. They had been forced to drop another doctor as he got suspicious about Jo's joints. Even if she told him that she was "double jointed", he didn't really buy that excuse when he saw Jo idly twisting her feet around as she waited- almost 180 degrees. Keeping it all a secret was far from easy sometimes.

And now her mom was threatening legal action against Almega. Something about emotional damages and negligence. Jo knew everything her mother was throwing at them was crap. How was she supposed to be emotionally damaged when she didn't even remember being in the drug trial?

Hopefully the lawsuit wouldn't blow up in their faces.

Jo finally made it back home after her morning jog. As she tried to open the door to get in, it wouldn't turn. She was locked out. "Great." She muttered as she sat down on the front step. Now she had to wait until her mother felt forgiving enough to let her back in.

With the squeal of the alarm clock Robert awoken, using his telekinetic power accidentally launching the clock into the wall. By this day that was the 20th clock he had destroyed in his early morning fits, after the 5th clock Robert began to notice that his power was increasing again. He expected growth in the ability he already contained but the rate of improvement was becoming to grow out of hand, every day Robert went out into the lavished backyard that he owned and began to move 300 pound weights with his mind. First taking a seat at his door, then moving from side to side, than running and jumping over the small chairs and boxes. Continuing the same routine Robert headed out into his backyard for the warm up "new record" he thought as he launched himself off of the high second story balcony quickly using his powers to fling a chair under him, leaping off of his new stepping stone Robert focused on swinging the weights around moving them around him and tossing them across the yard. Sliding to a photo finish as he slams the weights down on the large presser plate stopping the clock, panting as the sweat dripped down his upper brow running down to the base of his cheek. "1:30.29" The large clock read, and with anger Robert launched the 500 pound plates into the base of the clock cursing aloud while the clock snapped in half.

"How the hell did I throw that..." He said to himself, but he was so surprised his body took no negative strain from the throw, even his mind was clearly thinking coming to the conclusion that moving any faster with the telekinetic course would be impossible but it was now time to move on to heavier objects. Wiping the sweat from his cheeks , Robert jumped in the air using his own power to levitate onto the balcony. Walking into the mansion like home heading into the bathroom for a quick shower, dressing in black pants, dark red and black Nike's, a short sleeved black shirt and snagging his Rolex watch from off the sink heading out the house. Feeling a sharp prick on the side of his neck, shooting his eyes around the block he found nothing rubbing his neck Robert continued down the street. He honestly had nothing in mind for this day pointless walking would be appropriate due to not having anything to do on a Saturday morning, cutting down the next street where townhouse's lined the street. As Robert made his way down the next street a girl looking around his age sat at the front of the step alone " Locked out?" He asked trying not to sound creepy or weird, stopping about 5 feet from the girl to continue to talk.

"Locked out?"
Jo looked up, pushing her red hair out of her eyes. It was weird still to see that color. Up until the morning before, it had been a plain shade of nut brown. It was that guy from down the street.. she'd seen him walking by sometimes but never bothered to say hi. Jo cracked a big smile and laughed. "Yeah, the ol' witch is having a little tantrum." Her hair was getting annoying already, so she snapped the hair elastic off of her wrist and started to pull her hair back into a ponytail. She sat with her long, bony legs reaching down the steps.

Jo knew that if her grandmother were there, she'd be chewed out for being rude and not standing up. With a groan, she used the railing on the steps to pull herself to her feet. "You live around here, right? I seen you a few times." As she popped her knuckles and bent her fingers around, Jo smiled again. "I'm Josephine." Without really realizing it, she was bending her fingers far enough to touch the back of her hand.

"And yeh.. I'm locked out. Shoulda brought my keys with me, ya know? Oh well."

"Famous?" Jo's hair turned as red as her dye job and she laughed nervously. Suddenly it seemed that she found her feet very interesting. "Not really.. I'm just the newspaper's fodder for a slow news day." She shook her head and laughed again. They always sent the same photographer, who seemed a little overenthusiastic about photographing teenaged girls in leotards.

"Anyway.. if you live around here.. Have you seen that van that parks on the street every once in a while?" Jo looked back up while she kept fiddling with her fingers. As long as they were talking, she could at least find out a bit about her fears. "I started noticing it last month. It's black and doesn't have windows in the back. You know. Kidnapper van." She laughed at her own joke. But Jo's smile faded quickly. "It's creeping me out. It'll park different places every time, but always within three blocks of here. And every time I'm walking near it, it leaves. It's like..." Jo's voice faded off and she stayed quiet for a second. "Never mind. But anyway, you seen it? It's creepy. There's some white logo on the back and I never get a chance to see it."

Jo didn't know why the hell she was asking Robert about this. She hadn't even mentioned it to her mother or any classmates. But for some reason, she felt like she had to. There was a connection. It was like meeting a cousin that you knew when you were a baby, years and years later.

Watching Josephine's face turn a tomato-ish red color Robert instantly thought that he said the wrong thing, "Idiot, why must you make a fool of us" he thought to himself looking at Josephine with a weakened smile. Noticing she followed up with a light hearted joke, Robert began to laugh softly although he still felt that he encountered an error with his speech before hand.

"Anyway.. if you live around here.. Have you seen that van that parks on the street every once in a while?" "I started noticing it last month. It's black and doesn't have windows in the back. You know. Kidnapper van." Robert listened carefully to her story, from what he learned from his classes when someone is trying to relate a story to you through a joke they are worried. Also from the tone in Josephine's voice he knew that she was concerned about this black van, letting his mind wonder and flash back to the previous days Robert came across the same thing. Except this van would be parked outside of his house during this morning and night work outs, although he didn't pay much mind to the van, now he did. Looking over to Josephine pressing his back into the railing "Yes I have seen this van, it usually parks outside my house or a little farther down from it every morning and night around the time of my work outs." He answered both questions to the best of his ability without making himself seem stupid.

Tapping his hand against the railing still, glancing down the street looking for said van, then back to Josephine "Their one block down." Robert said. He Knew that the van he just pointed out was the one she was speaking about, but it was strange for her to bring it out of no where. The only reasoning Robert could come up with is that she was actually afraid of whatever this van was up to, "um do you want to get out of here." Robert said with a slight smile " you are still locked out, we can sit in my entertainment room, I rather not have you nervous and such." It felt painful for him to get the last part of his sentence out, for it was strange to invite someone you've just met over to your house. But Robert knew that the van down the street was making her more nervous, leaving was the best choice

Kan was taking his usual afternoon run when it felt like someone was drilling holes into his back. He shook his hair out of his face with annoyance and risked a quick look behind him. There it was again. Who drove stupid creeper vans anymore?
No one... unless they were stalking someone.

The tall lean young man started running again, this time picking up his pace. People looked at him all the time. He was popular. He had a lot of friends and admirers... but this was a bit too much. He wasn't worth stalking over. Kan looked back again, narrowing his dark shining eyes. They've seemed to be following him lately. It was getting really bothersome. Of course.. if the creeper van people were intent on hurting him... they'd be in for a surprise. He slipped his hand into his pocket and gripped the lighter. If he had this, he'd be fine. Yup. No one would be able to get close to him after that. Kan kept his eyes fixed on the van, trying to get a glimpse of whoever was in it.

Unfortunately he didn't notice that he was just aqbout to run into a couple of people until it was too late and he was on the ground.
It was a guy and a girl with red hair.

"Shoot. Sorry, guys. I wasn't really watching where I was going... hehe." He smiled good naturedly

"ACK!" Jo was opening her mouth to say something to Robert when she felt someone collide with her. Her gymnastics training served her well as she tumbled down. Tucking into a little ball, Jo rolled quickly and sat on the sidewalk unscathed, looking at the boy who'd run into her. "Ey, walk much?" She laughed at her own joke as she hopped back up to her feet and offered the boy her hand as help.

-

Inside the van, two men in all black peered out of the tinted windows at the trio in front of Jo's townhouse. "Look at that. Three at once." The taller one muttered as he snapped a photo. "Too bad we haven't been cleared to eliminate." The second one seemed more stern than his partner as he picked up a walkie-talkie. "We have visual on subjects 3, 17, and 23. Repeat, visual on 3, 17, and 23."

-

The sound of screeching tires made Jo snap her hand back and look up. The black van sped out of its parking spot and past them, running the stop sign at the corner and getting out of sight before she could say anything. However, just because they were gone wasn't a reason for Jo to shut up.

"HEY! Good riddance! Next time you come by with your rapemobile I'll have a surprise waiting! Yeah..!" Sighing and letting her arms fall down, Jo frowned. "Whatevs. Creepers don't have anything on me."

Kan took the offered hand and got up from the side walk. Then he followed her gaze as the van pulled away. "They'll be back.." He muttered quietly to himself. Then the red head started yelling at them and he cracked an amused grin. She seemed pretty cool.

"yelling at them while their gone doesn't help"

Kan narrowed his eyes as he looked back behind him. "My God... They keep following me everywhere!" He dusted off his hands.

"Robert, huh? My name's Kan." He grinned but glanced behind him again. Great. Now they had him paranoid. "Sorry about that guys.. I think a couple of fan girls are going a bit overboard." Kan smiled sheepishly but his eyes darkened. Would a few girls really go that far?
Not likely... but he didn't really know anyone else willing to watch him day and night.

"Sure, I'll come along. Why not, eh?"

Jo grinned as a thought crossed her mind. Going off with two boys she barely knew to a house she'd never visited with no other girls to "defend" her. It would piss off her paranoid mother so much. "Ya, I'll go too. Not like I'm going home anytime soon." With a little laugh, she pointed at the locked door. "Anyhoo, I'm Josephine. You can call me Jo if you wanna." She said to the boy who had run into her. "And I don't think your fangirls are interested in stalking me too. Unless I've got a different stalker who happens to have a matching black van."

"I think it's the company my mom's trying to sue. You know, keeping an eye on us in case.." Jo forced herself to shut up. They didn't need to know about Almega. They didn't need to know why her mother wanted their money. She didn't need more people running away from her like she had some sort of disease. Her whole life, she'd suffered every time she let her secret out. The move from Manhattan to Brooklyn was one of those incidents. Jo really did miss her old house.

"So.. Robert.. lead the way then, bro."

Roberts eyes peeked up and his brow raised as he turned and walked down the street "What do you know about Almega Josephine?" He said bluntly while walking forward, being an already terrible in conversation an invading question here and their wouldn't bother. Her name hasn't only been in the paper due to her outstanding gymnastic work, but her mother was frequently mentioned in a web blog for suing the company Almega. Robert knew that he was a test subject of theirs many years ago, and already suspecting them to be the cause of his parents death he was suspicious of the company. But he had never made the possible connection with the black van outside of his house, and with that the peices were starting to fall together... they were stalking children involved with the Y project. Sighing Robert spoke again before Josephine could respond " Tell me when he leaves, I'll share something with you. I figured it out."Robert said with a cold tone, he knew Josephine could be trusted but this other kid has no idea what is going on. Not likely Kan knew of Almega and its many secrets Robert couldn't trust him with his own secret.

Reaching the mansion within 10 minutes, Robert ran up to the door unlocking it allowing his few found friends inside. With a smile he presented "Welcome to mi casa" Robert said with a bow, walking the others inside. The house was beautiful chrome and marble lined the floors and made up most of the wall, the living room had a brown 9 seater sofa, with 59inch tv hanging on the wall and surround sound speakers. He hoped they were not to impressed by the house, for he didn't care for it much.

Jo kept quiet as they walked into Robert's house. Talking about Almega made her uneasy. They hadn't exactly made any threats, but the company had sent her mother quite a few letters urging her to call off the lawsuit, "for her own safety". When she was younger doctors employed by Almega used to come by to check up on her once a year until she turned 6. Then they just stopped. The company had cut off contact with her, and presumably, all of the other subjects from the Y drug trial. Now that the bills were piling up and the collectors calling all hours of the day, her mom came up with the little scheme. Either they'd sue the money out of them, or get another settlement to shut them up.

"I was on their medicines when I was a little kid and I haven't been feeling well lately. Mom's panicking and says it was the meds." Jo made up a lie off the top of her head. She got twitchy when she lied, and it was obvious. As she sat down on the sofa she was picking at her black fingernails and kept crossing and uncrossing her feet. "I want her to drop it, it's just not worth causing a fuss over. I feel better now, to be honest."

Looking over at Jo shaking his head softly "Honestly I don't mean to be intruding or rude, but you don't have to lie to me. You moved way more than you have when you were talking to me earlier, we don't have to touch upon the Almega topic again if it is that bad" Robert told the red head as he headed to the sofa dropping his body on the sofa turning on the T.V. He tossed Jo the remote "Pick something to watch" Robert said smiling, he honestly didn't know how she would react to his words, although he tried not to sound rude Robert thought he crossed the line. Closing his eyes and leaning back "I was under Almegas experiments too, how do you think a 16 year old lives in a house like this alone. I lost my parents after they got the settlement across, I've been alone sense then" with the last words he mumbled Robert wiped his face and stood back up. He only told the Jo to comfort her while she was obviously not over the conflict with Almega, Robert gave up on his plots of revenge and took to the books and learning more about the company so in the future he could take them down through the law not his powers.

Kan's eyes flashed as Robert brought up Almega. He had never met people who had also been involved with them. He just kept quiet, playing dumb, as he followed Robert into the extroardinary house. Wow. If Kan lived in a place like this... The Korean shook his head slightly. There was no way he was taking money from the people that had killed his father.

"Nice place you've got here," Kan stated, looking around. Tch. It didn't matter if it was a nice place to live. Why would anyone want to live alone in such a huge place? That would have drove him crazy. "I was on the meds too. I was allergic to almost everything. Which wasn't normal. Asians have a pretty strong immune system. The pills worked though." He kept his voice light. The medication had also turned him into a dangerous weapon. They were lucky he was able to control it... otherwise.. the whole world would have been eager to learn more about the fire boy.

Kan took a seat gingerly on the expensive looking couch. It had probably cost more than his car. Jeez.

"Yeah, my body didn't like the meds either. They kind of mucked up my growth." Which wasn't a lie, really. When Josephine had gone in for Almega's drug trial, she'd been recently diagnosed with dwarfism. When she was measured after a year of testing, she'd grown way past the size they'd expected. Not only was she no longer classified as a dwarf, she was in the highest available percentile for her age. And when she got to thinking about it, Jo realized that was probably why she was so flexible. She'd been essentially stretched out from the growth. Her body never intended to get as tall as she was.

"So three kids that just happen to know about Almega run into each other on the street and they've all seen the black van of creeps.. is there a punchline in there somewhere?" Jo laughed at her own joke as she switched on the tv and began to flip channels. She'd missed tv since the cable company had cut them off. Not only the cable, but their internet was cut off. For some reason, their phone was still connected, even though it was the bill Jo's mother had stopped paying first. It made her uneasy and she didn't know why. The night before, when Jo was in her room, her mother actually answered the phone for once instead of ignoring the ringing. Jo didn't catch anything besides ".. Won't give in... I'm getting my money!"

"Yeah, my body didn't like the meds either. They kind of mucked up my growth." Jo told the two boys. Robert agreed with her cause well they improved his growth not messed it up in anyway, Robert knew if his parents would have never accepted the trails he would have died at the age of 5 or even earlier. But that wasn't something that needed to be shared. Robert was born extreamly small and with brittle bones, his early childhood development had his parents grasping for a early cure and Almega and their Drug Y fit that perfectly. His parents were among the first to sign the forms for the testing consent.

"So three kids that just happen to know about Almega run into each other on the street and they've all seen the black van of creeps.. is there a punchline in there somewhere? Jo laughed.

Standing up off of the sofa looking at the two sighing, "let me get to the point." Robert said, slowly raising the sofa with his telekinetic power. Not caring much if the two were shocked or startled, for Robert knew that the two were mutated like himself except their mutations were different. Robert looked into the Almega corp. sence the death of his parents, and he focused on taking them down for what they did, learning some every interesting facts those mutations occurred in almost every subject that didn't die during the Drug Y trails. "Well this isn't why I asked you guys to come over, but Jo when you brought up Almega it got me to think. I wasn't the only one who was mutated, I took a chance with showing you my own ability so yea." Shrugging and keeping the two in the air while he walked back and forth pacing himself, thinking "Wait what if they arn't the ones...no they have to be I know this for a fact, those documents couldn't have lied", turning to his left side Robert pulled a stack of papers with his telekinetic power. "Those documents involve our testing take a look" Robert told them as he thought.

(OCC: sorry long day at school)

Kan cracked a forced grin as Jo laughed. This was strange. Maybe he shouldn't be here... He glanced at Robert.

"let me get to the point."

Then the damn couch started rising into the air and Kan gripped the arm rest tightly. Shocked. "What the hell..." He muttered to himself before hopping down. Heights didn't bother him much but they weren't his favorite place ot be either.

"So the Y drugs mutated you too, huh?" Kan raised an eyebrow at Robert before pulling out the lighter from his pocket.

"See this, here?" He flicked it on and with his free right hand, pulled out the little flame completely. Then he let it swirl around his arms as he thought. What about Jo? He looked over at the red head and inhaled some smoke. He smiled slightly before blowing out a little flame from his lips. "I can control fire.." he said lightly and then Robert pulled out some papers. Files. Now Kan wasn't so sure he wanted to read them. What if a side affect was something bad like an early death? Who would take care of his family then? Hesitantly, he reached out and took them from Robert.

Jo actually felt more at ease as Robert moved the couch and Kan blew smoke. She'd been afraid that she'd spoken too soon, that she'd given herself away to a couple of normal kids.

"Well, I have to say, the two of you got cooler stuff than me." Placing her hands on the arm of the couch, Jo pulled her legs up quickly to cross her ankles behind her head. Her arms supported her easily as she sat in her very pretzel-like pose. "This is pretty much it. I'm super-flexible. And the doctors think that my bones are hollowed out too, so it keeps me light." Letting her legs go back to their normal pose, she lowered herself and sat on the couch again. Taking one of Robert's files that he offered, she flipped it open and looked over a page. It really just looked like gibberish to her.

"And I think I have to apologize then... I've gotten you in danger. My mom suing Almega drew attention to me. And I guess them watching me got them to notice you guys too. I don't think they're watching us just to keep tabs. I think that Almega's up to something."

"And I think I have to apologize then... I've gotten you in danger. My mom suing Almega drew attention to me. And I guess them watching me got them to notice you guys too. I don't think they're watching us just to keep tabs. I think that Almega's up to something." Jo told the two.


"Haha no need for apologies" Robert spoke up trying to keep the situation under control, pulling a specified file from the stack and spreading its contents in the air "This one has your names and mine listed in order from type of mutation, which ones would be the hardest to subdue or kill... They are after us, its just the facts I had to share this with you. As you know they have our address and have been watching our houses, I have no idea when they will attack but I can keep you updated if you keep in touch" Robert finsihed his mini speech like his college professor would, he presented the good and the bad but the only thing is now how the others would react. He wasn't going to involve them right away but it seemed like they both were knew of Almega's, willingness to go after their failed projects. Shrugging almost forgetting to place the sofa back down, Robert rubbed the back of his head glancing at Jo.

"Hey, just to let you know... our mutations might grow and change into something much stronger if put under harsh emotional, physical, or mental strain. So that flexibleness might grow into something else." Robert said with a slight smile trying to comfort Jo.

"Keep in touch huh? Sounds ok." Jo's voice trailed off. Even she didn't feel like cracking jokes anymore. It was becoming apparent that the situation with Almega extended far beyond her mother's greed. And if they were being watched, chances were that there were other kids, former subjects, being spied on too. And then the thought of being watched in the shower hit Jo and she twitched. She'd always been an inward worrywart.

The buzzing of her smartphone pulled Jo out of her thoughts.

New message from: Mom
Where r u? Home now

"Ugg." Jo groaned and stood up. "Well.. Robert.. and Kan.. It's been a pleasure, but I have to get home before the Wicked Witch starts getting homicidal." While she felt more uneasy about the black van, Jo felt better just in Kan and Roberts' presence. She'd never met another Almega Y subject. And knowing that she wasn't alone in being "weird"-and better yet, that she had some other Y subjects on her own street- made her feel better than she had in years.

"The number's here." Kan scribbled his phone number on a scrap piece of paper and placed it down on the coffee table. Would it be better to just cut off all ties with these two people? They were obviously being spied on as well... Would being with them hurt his chances of.... not sure exactly but whatever.
Were they also studying the rest of his family? He clenched his jaw. If they had... well, he would make sure they pay for it.

"Ugg." Jo groaned and stood up. "Well.. Robert.. and Kan.. It's been a pleasure, but I have to get home before the Wicked Witch starts getting homicidal."

He looked up at that.

"I'll come with you, Jo." Safety in numbers? It made him feel uneasy to think about Jo just walking on home alone... when that van could come back. Now that he knew why and who was watching him... He was starting to grow more paranoid by the second.

Kan made his way to the door. "See you Robert."