The Wilted Flower District

by Martin Niewood

  “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Aerial. I apologize for the way you were handled but we had to take all the proper precautions. I’m sure that the two of you are confused. I don’t care. You’re of no importance to me. Your sister, on the other hand, is of great value. I see you more as an incentive for her to behave. You two have nothing to worry about as long as this little one does as I say,” Aerial smiled.

  Glancing over at Weylin I could see him shaking despite his best efforts to hide it. “Please let us go. We have nothing to offer you. What do you want?” Weylin’s voice quivered.

  It was evident that we were in trouble but the situation still was not clear to me. I felt panicky but I knew that I had to remain calm if I was going to help Ophelia. Looking around I asked the first question that came to mind, “What is this place?” Aerial wanted Ophelia for some reason but why was she so important. “Why are we here?”

  Shaking her head, “I’ve been doing this a long time and you might be the only person that has asked me a question like that. You’re not afraid, are you?” Aerial asked.

  “I’m just trying to make sense of all of this. Sure, this place, your intentions, even you scare me but you won’t break me.” Firmly I stared into her eyes unsure of whether or not she bought my bravado.

  Aerial smirked, “Foolish child, everyone breaks. You just need to know where to push.” She paused. “You think you’re better than me, don’t you? When you look at me, you see a monster but I’m nothing of the sort. I’m just like you doing what I need to for survival. Believe me, because I’ve seen real monsters. And when you come across a monster, you’ll know instantly.”

  “Don’t try to justify yourself to me. You are a kidnapper and, if I had to guess, a killer,” I shouted back.

  “That’s cute. You think that if I were the killer, everything would be wrapped up nice and neat with a pretty little bow. It would cleanse you of this mess but the truth is never clean. The murderer is in this room but it isn’t me.” Aerial tapped her band and an image spayed onto the wall. A picture of Claude Cole, the kid that was murdered, appeared smiling and happy. Turning towards Ophelia, “Tell them what you did, Ophelia.”

  Tears fell down Ophelia’s face slowly, “I swear it was self-defense.”

  Aerial waved her finger, “No, it wasn’t.”

  I should’ve said something but I needed to hear Ophelia say the words.

  “He made my life hell. He assaulted me and tortured me daily. He threatened to break his word. He didn’t deserve to live,” Ophelia said as she continued to sob.

  “Somehow, I don’t think the courts would agree,” Aerial responded.

  “You’re right. I don’t care,” Ophelia turning to look at Aerial shouted. “I could have let him live. I still see his face staring up at me begging but I didn’t want him to live; I wanted him to pay. I destroyed his body and afterward I didn’t feel sorry about it. My sole regret was that more of your men caught me.” Ophelia’s sadness turned into deep hatred. “I know why you brought them here and I don’t care. I won’t help you again!”

  Aerial, clenching her fist, punched Ophelia straight in the face causing her to fall to the ground. I started to leap towards Aerial but she pulled a gun from her jacket and pointed it at Weylin. “Take another step and he’s dead. The first rule down here is that I’m always in control.”

  Glancing down at Ophelia, I contemplated whether we could overpower Ariel but I wasn’t going to put Weylin in danger. Ophelia’s hand started to glow as though she was preparing to use her preter ability when the gun went off. Holding my ears, I ducked from the loud sound and quickly glanced towards Weylin who was lying on the floor motionless but fine.

  Aerial peered down at Ophelia, “I won’t miss the second time. Besides I’m happy you’ve finally started to embrace using your preter ability again.”

  I never thought to ask or was old enough to understand Ophelia’s preter ability. “Why are you interested in her preter skill?”

  “You don’t know? Her ability is incredibly rare and infinitely valuable although her attitude could certainly stand some improvement.” Aerial paused to kick at Ophelia’s legs before continuing. “I consider myself an expert in evaluating talent. After all, I am the one who selects the most gifted of preter children for my clients. I have a reputation to uphold and my buyers do not expect me to traffic inferior product.”

  “Product? What product?” I asked.

  “Exceptional preter children, you dim wit,” Aerial spat back at me. “I traffic gifted preter brats.”

  “Preter trafficking?” I was confused by the notion, considering that most people either feared or hated us. I didn’t understand to whom she was selling preters. “How did that become a business? Nobody in the Domain wants preters. Who would pay for them?”

  “There is still so much that you don’t understand, do you? Why do you think that Ophelia wanted to meet you in the middle of nowhere on the Northern Shore? The body wasn’t the thing you should’ve been paying attention to; it was Bramy Cave. It’s not an ordinary cave; it’s a portal to another world.”

  I tried to contain myself from laughing but I couldn’t. “You’re insane. I’m standing here trying to understand you and you’re going on about magical caves.”

  Aerial raised her voice, annoyed at my response, “Bramy Cave in the Northern Shore is a portal to another world known as the Kingdom. She wanted to meet you there to show you the portal. She had chosen a hideout in the Kingdom for your family but I guess that doesn’t matter anymore. On your feet, Ophelia! Tell them it’s true.”

  Ophelia pulled herself up and shook her head yes but I was still having a hard time understanding. “Are you saying that in this other world there are people who want the preters as slaves or something? Are there other portals? Why don’t people know about this? Shouldn’t this be common knowledge?”

  “I have very important friends who keep these sorts of things hidden. But yes, that is the gist of it. As for other portals, I don’t know of any except for the ones that your sister here can create. That’s why I need her; that’s why she’s so special. There are times when we are not able to use the Northern Shore portal and we need to improvise. That’s where Ophelia comes in. She’s our Plan B, our insurance policy, aren’t you dear?’” Aerial’s knowledge confounded me and made me question everything. She was right. There was still so much that I didn’t understand about any of this.

  “Do you think that there is a portal back to Earth, back to the living?” I asked.

  “You’re not the first person to ask me that question. Years ago, before we even had the knowledge about these portals someone important in the history of the Domain asked that same question and I told them the same thing I will tell you. Who would want to go back to being ordinary? Who would give up the Elsyn simply to live a menial life on Earth?” Aerial’s answer showed me what this all was about. It became clear why she was trading preters.

  “You’re trading with these people for the real Elsyn aren’t you?”

  “How do you think Cerpen make the synthetic Elsyn? They need the real stuff and are willing to pay dearly for it.” One side of Aerial’s mouth turned up into a half smile. “What do you think they use as a base, spun straw? You are so naive.”

  “You’re selling it on the black market?”

  “Certainly not” Aerial sneered. “Your friends at the Pink Serpentine scrounge around the countryside to find the odd Elsyn plant. I would never waste my Elsyn on the likes of you. If you knew how powerful these people are you’d realize that it’s not selfish.” Reaching out to touch the tattoo on Ophelia’s neck, she continued, “We trade for the Elsyn but it isn’t as if we have a choice, is it Ophelia? They could send their people here and destroy us if they wanted.”

  “Then why don’t they?” I asked.

  “Because destruction isn’t the best way to maximize results. Manipulation is what they are after and to be honest they’re getting what they want,” Aerial respon
ded.

  “Who are these people? My voice grew louder as I looked from Aerial to Ophelia and back again. “Why don’t we raise the alarm and try to revolt against them.”

  “They’re known as the Marked. These people have legendary abilities. Earlier you looked at me as though I was a monster and I told you that you would know a monster when you saw one. The Marked are the monsters to whom I was referring. I’ve seen them in action and they are invincible. But don’t you worry as long as Ophelia does what I ask, you’ll never have to see one.” With that, Aerial touched Ophelia’s shoulder causing her to collapse in pain.

  A blinking blue light came from the doorway from which Ophelia and Aerial had emerged. There was no sound as it started to flash repeatedly. Suddenly, I saw a figure behind Aerial silently emerge from the shadows and press a gun against Aerial’s head.

  Penny’s all black attire stood in stark contrast to the paleness of her face and hands, “Drop it, Aerial!” Turning to us, she asked, “Are the three of you okay?”

  Aerial sunk to her knees and slowly placed the gun on the floor, looking at Penny with contempt she hissed, “Mortals, you’re all idiots.”

  I watched, surprised that Aerial gave up so quickly.

  A slew of uniformed police officers raided the area and while one of the officers kept his weapon aimed at her, the others cuffed and removed Aerial from the room. Penny walked towards us calling for immediate medical attention for Ophelia. As the emergency personal lifted Ophelia onto a stretcher, Penny gently touched her shoulder reassuring Ophelia that everything was going to be okay. Following the stretcher out, I saw Penny stop and helped Weylin to his feet. I could see the shock in his eyes. He was frozen in panic and completely removed from his surroundings.

  Leaving through a connecting corridor, I thought about where all the other preters were. Why were we here alone? Then my mind drifted to darker places like how many preters prayed for something just like this to happen but it never came true. If they truly were in the Kingdom or whatever and she wasn’t lying about those monsters, then I felt genuine sorrow.

  Tired, I walked through the doorway taking in the fresh air and the bright light. Immediately I recognized we were at the Northern Shore. I knew that Bramy Cave was only a half a mile away. I don’t know what possessed me but I started sprinting towards it. I could hear Penny chasing behind me calling my name but I couldn’t stop myself; I needed to see it again. I needed to understand where my sister had been.

  After a few minutes of running, I stopped at the entrance to the cave, bending over and catching my breath. Penny caught up to me a few seconds later.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Penny asked.

  “I needed to see something for myself. Aerial told me some things and I just can’t believe them.”

  Penny placed her hand on my shoulder, “I heard some of what she said and I can tell you, it wasn’t true. She is a psycho and none of that was real. Just the delusions of a mad person. I mean, who would believe preter trafficking and magical caves.”

  I wasn’t sure if I believed Aerial but I had to see with my own eyes. Falling to the ground I began to stick my hand into the tidal pool in front of the cave, looking for anything but there was nothing. I searched but Penny was right. Standing up, I began to walk away. “I’m sorry, I’m sure that now I look crazy but I had to be certain.”

  Penny smiled and patted me on the back, “No, honey, you’re not crazy. At your age, it’s impressive how you’ve handled yourself throughout this whole ordeal. You’ve been through a lot but it’s over now. Come on. Let’s go check on your family.”

  Standing on the beach, watching the waves slap against the rocks, I was not as confident as Penny that this was over. I turned to leave when Penny suddenly grabbed my forearm, “What’s the matter?” I asked.

  “Do you see that?” Penny questioned.

  Focusing my attention back on the tidal pool at our feet, I saw something shimmer just beneath the surface, “Is that a bracelet?”

  Penny picked it up and examined it, “Have you ever seen a symbol like this before?” She held up the gold bracelet with a single charm, three concentric circles that caught the late day sun—the same symbol that was tattooed on Ophelia’s neck. Shaking my head, yes, I was at a complete loss. “We should go,” I said, wondering if there was any truth to Aerial’s words.

  “Agreed,” Penny responded.

  The two of us backpedaled and ran back the way we came. When I was far enough away, I turned around to look at the Northern Shore one last time and swore to myself that I would never go back. I never imagined that finding the truth would lead to more questions than answers but the Domain was a curious place that always relied on balance. Uncovering one mystery led to another and then another. Turning to Penny with my back towards the Northern Shore I worried how much of Aerial and Ophelia’s conversation she had overheard and how Penny knew where to find Aerial’s secret prison. “Let’s get out of here,” I said. “I don’t think that any of us are safe.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Sitting by Ophelia’s bed, I replayed scenes from the nightmare that had overtaken my life while cybernetic monitors methodically beeped in the hospital hallway behind me. The bed itself appeared to be a simple plane that extended from the wall but in actually it was quite complex. Beneath the surface on which Ophelia lay was an inch of sand with continuous waves of water that moved her sufficiently to avoid the occurrence of pressure ulcers. The bed could be tilted in various directions and portions of it could be raised or lowered according to the medical needs of the patient. The walls, awash with artificial sunlight, flooded the ever-changing scenes on the ceiling designed to provide a restful and uplifting experience for the patient.

  Holding Ophelia’s hand, I absently traced my thumb across the top of her smooth skin until hitting one of the thousands of scars covering her body. I couldn’t imagine what she had endured over the last few years for although I suspected what they had done to her; I couldn’t comprehend the pain or the courage it took to endure such torture. Ophelia lay motionless in her hospital gown, her breathing imperceptible if not for the monitor above her head. The left side of her face was bruised from the punch that Aerial had delivered yesterday and dark circles had deepened under both eyes. After evaluating her condition and treating minor injuries, the doctors had prescribed a sedative and she had slept soundly. Unexpectedly her eyelids flickered and a faint smile spread across her battered face. I couldn’t speak. Seconds later the Virtual Patient Observation robot in the corner of the room appeared to come back to life asking in a robotic voice, “Are you awake, Ophelia Rose? Ms. Rose, are you awake?”

  A wave of pure excitement and relief swept my body as I rose from the chair sliding it back with my legs. My mom who was asleep on the other side of the room instantly roused herself and rushed to Ophelia’s side. Mom’s clothes were crumpled and her hair was flattened on one side but she looked radiant. The two of them embraced tightly and sheer joy was evident in mom’s tears.

  “Honey, thank god you’re all right. I love you so much. I’ve missed you,” mom’s voice cracked trying to express her feelings.

  Looking at Ophelia, she knew and reciprocated mom’s sentiments without saying a word. Instead, Ophelia raised her head slightly, kissing mom on the cheek and hugging her again. Realizing that I should let them have their space, I decided to leave the room and check on Weylin. More to do something useful than to satisfy our nonexistent hunger, he had volunteered to get us coffee and snacks from the cafeteria downstairs. I decided to find him and give him a hand.

  Quietly slipping from the room, I walked down the hospital corridor crowded with state of the art medical equipment and anxious strangers. I imagined each of these patients, visitors and healthcare professionals had narratives as unique as my own but somehow mine felt stranger, perhaps because it dealt with things that would soon become public knowledge. Standing in the hall waiting for the elevator I hoped that things would be better now b
ut I knew that reality was sure to disappoint. Yes, we got Ophelia back but we couldn’t change what they did to her nor could we help those preters that weren’t saved by the raid that Penny led.

  When the elevator doors slid open, Weylin was holding a bag filled with treats and a four-pronged cup holder with a variety of hot and cold beverages. The heavy eyes and trembling drinks in his hand were the results of no sleep the night before followed by massive doses of caffeine in an effort to stay awake. Before I could say anything, my A2B band beeped and I recognized an incoming call from Penny. Holding up my finger to Weylin before he said anything he pointed in the direction of Ophelia’s room and I decided to let him go. It was difficult to hear with all the traffic so I stepped into a corridor adjacent to the nurses’ station.

  Tapping my A2B band, I answered, “Penny, what’s going on?”

  Penny’s voice was distant and she seemed out of breath, “Can you hear me?” The connection was bad and I could barely make out her words. “You’re in danger. Watch the news. They are after me and it won’t be long before they catch me. Violet, I discovered his secret. Griffen is involved.”

  “Who is after you? Involved in what?” I shouted but the line was dead and with no visual, it was impossible to pinpoint her location. Danger? What was she talking about? Glancing up I saw the 5 pm news broadcast. The ticker beneath the news anchor read that Aerial Andrews had been released after being acquitted of all crimes. Furthermore, the extremists responsible for the murder of Claude Cole, the destruction of Griff Glass and the recent rioting were now in custody. According to the report, domestic terrorists known as the Red Knights, a small reactionary group of mortals intending to sow discontent and disrupt the normal workings of the community, had hatched a terrible plot aimed at exaggerating existing tensions between mortals and preters to turn citizens against each other and trigger a civil war.