Risorgimento: Rebirth

by Maya Daniels

  Fear starts inching like icy fingers up my spine, but I push it away. It's useless, remember? I sternly tell myself as I crawl closer to them.

  "What's wrong with him?" Sitting on my heels next to Sara, I can't look away from the boy.

  "It must be the flu or a cold…" Her hands are shaking while she looks anywhere but at me. "It'll pass."

  "Sara." Stopping the frenetic movement of her hand, I take it in mine, tugging gently until she looks at me. "I can't help if you guys don't tell me what's wrong." When she says nothing while tears run unchecked down her cheeks, my heart stops beating for a second. "Can I help? What does he need?"

  "I'm coughing out blood now," Eddie says weakly, remnants of the cough still shaking his body occasionally. Sara bursts out crying, pressing her face into her hands.

  "What do we do?" My mind is spinning, no clear thought staying long enough to help me come up with an answer. "What do we need?"

  The mutt whines softly, having crawled with me next to Eddie. His head is laid on top of the boy's legs, and sharp, round brown eyes watch me intently. Sara and Eddie are both looking at me too. Startled, I realize they are not just watching me, but are looking at me to find answers. Even the stupid mutt. I want to jump up and run, to scream that I'm just as lost as they are, maybe more so. Then Eddie coughs again, a splatter of blood coating the left side of his thin, dry lips.

  Something in me breaks like a crystal glass dropped on a marble tile.

  "We need to find a doctor." The words coming out of my mouth sound distant and faint.

  "No!" Sara grabs my arms in a death grip, so strong you’d think I was getting ready to leave.

  I wasn't. My body is frozen solid in this spot.

  "He needs help, Sara. Help that you and I can't give him." Shaking off her grip, I reach my hand out, pushing the damp hair off Eddie's forehead. "I'll find help, Eddie, I promise. Just hang on, okay?"

  "It's okay, April. It'll pass. Please don't leave." His gray eyes are glossy with fever, making me stare at him, dumbfounded for not noticing it before. "No one will help us; we know that. It can only get us all killed."

  Silence follows his words, and the sounds of drops hitting a puddle in the tunnel are too loud to my ears. Like a nail to my brain, they keep pounding.

  Plop…plop…plop…

  "No!" my shout makes Sara jerk back. Startled at my outburst, Eddie's eyes open wide. Even the mutt perks up his floppy ears. "No one is getting killed, and no one is dying. Do you hear me?" My brain is rattling in my head, coming up with a dozen ideas and dismissing them the same second. Grabbing Sara by the shoulders, I stare at her sternly. "We don't need a doctor. I'm going to find medication. You need to keep him breathing until I come back, understood?"

  "No…but…no," Sara stutters, flinging her head violently left and right, her braid slapping both our faces.

  "Yes!" Shaking her until she stops and stares at me wide-eyed, I breathe through my nose to stop the panic that is building inside me. "I'm not sure how long it'll take me, but you must promise not to leave this place and keep your brother alive, Sara. I will find medication, and I will come back. Do you understand me?" Stressing that I will come back, I wait until she nods jerkily. "Good." My shoulders sag before I push myself up on trembling legs. "That's good. Everything will be fine, you'll see."

  Sara nods more firmly, grabbing her brother's hand in both of hers. Eddie watches me, hope shining brighter than the fever in his eyes. There it is again—hope, that cruel bitch—but I'm adamant about beating her at her game this time. Ten years and one dead monster proves I have luck on my side. I can do this.

  Walking up to the metal ladder leading up towards the streets above us, I look over my shoulder one more time. Both of them give me wobbly, encouraging smiles that gut me on the spot, making my hands grip the metal tighter. Climbing up with determination I haven't felt before, I keep praying for one thing.

  I pray that I can keep my promise and come back.

  I pray that I don't turn out to be a liar just like my parents.

  I almost jump out of my skin when a horn blares in the distance, causing voices to hoot and scream, answering the sound. Panting, my fingers dig into the bricks of the wall at my back, clutching it for dear life.

  This was an idiotic idea!

  I should've waited until morning before heading out in search of a hospital, pharmacy, or anything I can think of that sells medicine. Daylight means humans. Brainwashed or not, they are easier to outrun or manipulate. I know, because I've done that before. What I have never done, nor have I dared, is walking around in the middle of the night when all of them are out and about. Rivulets of cold sweat trickle down my spine, causing the shirt to stick to my skin.

  If you were not scared for your life, and had no problem donating hemoglobin to whichever monster felt thirsty around you, life never changed. Businesses, institutions, even schools continued to function like all was right in the world. The only thing missing was the police. Everything was governed by the guardians—a name they gave themselves. During the night, vampires dressed in all black patrolled the cities. When the sun came up, humans, or wannabe vampires as we called them, would take their place. At times, the monsters were indistinguishable from the humans, both acting cruel and inhumane.

  Trembling at those thoughts, I swallow the lump that is lodged in my throat the size of a tennis ball.

  "Don't be stupid, April. You'll be fine," mumbling under my breath, my shaky voice does nothing to assure me.

  The hairs on the back of my neck prickle, and numbness crawls through my body. I can feel eyes on me, but my desperate search shows no one around. Swiveling my head left and right, even looking up, squinting in the darkness in case someone is watching from the roofs of the buildings, assures me it's just my paranoia. Still, I can't stop the shiver that passes through me, unable to shake off the feeling.

  With a deep breath and a good reminder that people depend on me to make it back alive and on time, I peel my fingers one by one off the bricks. Tiptoeing to the mouth of the dark alley, I dart my head out fast for a quick glance. The street seems empty, only the lights from the few large stores and the yellow glow from a couple of street-lights cut into the darkness. After a few deep breaths, I repeat the same thing, slower this time, checking everything before daring to step foot out of the shadows. The feeling of being watched follows me around, like the stench from the dumpsters I can't seem to wash off my skin, no matter how hard I scrub when I get a chance to have a quick shower. But the stench is good. It means they can't smell me in the tunnels or even on the streets above it. The invisible eyes probing the back of my head and between my shoulder blades, however, is not. It makes me jumpy and jittery.

  The Financial District looks deserted. Come to think of it, it has been tranquil the last few days compared to how it usually is in this part of town. On a normal night, this place will be bustling with life, music coming from the bars, chatter like a buzzing of bees adding a constant hum that never goes away and mixes with the honking of cars and raving of engines. Quiet is not what you associate with Los Angeles, so red flags and alarms are blaring in my head. LA looking like a ghost town often happens when the Council has some grand celebration or something great happening. Everyone gathers at the Council Towers, leaving the city to breathe a breath of fresh air, so to speak. Tonight might be one of those nights. Grinning from ear to ear, I shake off my hands next to my body.

  "Lady luck at your service again, April." Giddy with excitement, I speed up my steps, almost skipping down the street.

  Passing the Los Angeles Public Library, another shudder goes through me when I look up and see the sign of the street. Hope Street stares mockingly at me. Unwilling to be superstitious, dismissing it all as a coincidence, I continue with determined steps. Grand Avenue is close by, and that means the Millennium hotel. Where there is a hotel, there must be blankets. With each step, I start piling up a list of things I need to grab for Eddie. He will need to be warm to get bet
ter. Maybe they have some medication there, too. I'll have to check before I continue looking someplace else. If I find everything there, I'll go back faster. Not wanting to dwell on things like how I'm going to accomplish getting inside a hotel, I keep dreaming about the look on Sara and Eddie's faces when they see me. The unusual quiet lulls me into a false sense of security and safety, but I relish it. It's not often you can walk down the street without looking over your shoulder.

  Passing the buildings, I startle when I see another person moving parallel with me. It must be another poor soul looking for food. Sympathy makes me smile sadly at her. Her brown hair looks like a rat’s nest, un-brushed and coiled on top of her head. A smeared face with dirt and grime is turned towards me, while her big, dark eyes watch me curiously. The black shirt and pants she is wearing hang on her frame, shapeless. My heart skips a beat, and the breath gets stuck in my throat when I see her boots. Stopping in my tracks, I face her, lifting a hand to my face. She does the same.

  "Of course, she does the same, you idiot. It's you!" muttering under my breath, I keep staring at the mirror-like walls of the building.

  I haven't looked at myself in months, so it’s no wonder I don’t recognize my own reflection. Snickering at my own stupidity, I stick my tongue out at myself before moving on. Who cares how you look? The only thing that matters is to keep breathing.

  Breathing is good. It's necessary.

  Before I know it, I'm staring at the majestic hotel from across the street. The arched entrance, with its sandy-colored marble, pulls me in like a moth to a flame. As if mesmerized, the invisible thread rails me in and I follow it. Catching myself in time before I can do something idiotic, like walking up to the door, I squeeze myself between two buildings, watching. That nasty feeling probes at the side of my head, but I ignore it. If anyone were watching me, I would've been dead by now. The bloodsuckers don’t play games with those like me. They kill on the spot, dust their hands, and move on with their day.

  "I hate when I have to babysit." The deep voice, way to close for comfort, makes me scream. Pressing both hands to my mouth, I even hold my breath.

  "Stop bitching about things and do what you're told" Another voice, this one sounding bored, disturbs the silence. "Unless you have a death wish. I doubt the Council will be happy to offer you a day off because you don't feel like babysitting."

  "The pathetic humans thought we were monsters." The deep voice chuckles gleefully. "Let's see what they think after the Italians spend some time here. They'll beg us to rule over them as long as we stay here."

  "I wonder why they came," the bored one drawls. "And unannounced at that. The Council almost burst a vessel when they popped out of nowhere at their doors."

  "You think they'll try to take over?" The deep voice sounds worried, and anything that worries a monster makes me want to scream and run. Gulping down panic and taking slow, shallow breaths so they don't hear me breathe, I stand frozen, listening.

  "I hope not!" snapping, the bored one shuffles around. Oh God, vampires are sitting right above my head on the fire escape of the building. I have no idea how they didn't see or hear me. Unless they got here right after me when I heard them speak.

  "I thought you didn't care one way or another."

  "I don't. What I care about is my own head. Seventeen dead since they came here a few days ago." Pregnant silence stretches, making me think that was it. "Not all of them human." My eyes widen at that last sentence.

  "What are you saying? It's a takeover for sure?" The cracking of the metal railing accompanies the deep voice.

  "No…" The bored one stretches the word. "I think they are searching for something." More shuffling. "Or so it seems."

  "Searching for what?" After a long moment, a gasp is barely heard above my head. "You don't seriously believe those ridiculous stories, do you?"

  "I don't know…Sebastian is here, too." I have no idea who that is, but by the sound of fear in the voice of the monster, I pray I never find out. Sniffing makes my thought process freeze. "What's that stench?"

  I almost jump out of my skin when a growl comes from the shadows. The mutt jumps out in the open, baring his teeth and looking around with his hackles up.

  How the hell did he get here without me carrying him up the ladder? Was it him following me around, watching?

  "This city is getting more disgusting by the night. Let's move spots, then we can keep an eye on the other side," the bored ones says after spotting the mutt's display of hostility at the empty street.

  The cracking and groaning of metal tell me they are moving. My oxygen starved lungs are screaming at me to take a proper breath instead of pathetic little sips I've been doing. Sweat trickles down the side of my face, but I don't dare move. The sound of boots hitting concrete startles my soul out of my body for a second. I watch the backs of the two monsters as they walk away, unaware of my presence. The one on the left is the one with the deep voice. I know because I hear him speak before they disappear from view.

  "I hope I never cross Sebastian's path," he tells the monster on the right.

  So do I buddy, my mind answers him silently while my legs turn to noodles, crumpling under me, and I drop on the ground.

  Soundlessly gulping air, trying my best not to weep with joy for not being seen, I look at the mutt. He stands in the same spot, growling, terrifying noises coming out of his chest until the two vampires disappear from view. When he turns back towards me, he sits on his butt, all noise stopping as his tail twitches. Frowning, I continue to watch him warily. His tongue lolls out, and the tail moves faster.

  "Unbelievable," murmuring incredulously under my breath, leaning my back on the building, I close my eyes. This whole scenario feels wrong, and everything in me screams at me to run and hide. Nothing good can come out of this.

  It’s almost as if I'm challenging Lady Luck to prove that she can be as cruel as her sister Hope.

  The mutt trots closer to me, looking around as if he understands the danger we are in and doesn't want to give me away. His snout nudges my hand, looking for a scratch. Absentmindedly, I rub his head while I'm trying to come to grips with the fact that the damn dog might've saved my life just now. I want to be angry and tell him to go away, but those keen brown eyes stare at me adoringly.

  "You little shit. I have a soft spot for you, and you know it. If you get me killed, I'm going to be pissed."

  Stiffening my shoulders so I don't walk around like I'm epileptic, shaking and stumbling over my own feet, I lift myself up. Calming down my breathing, glancing at the dog to make sure the mutt stays put, my focus shifts to my surroundings. If the conversation I heard is anything to go by, it’s no wonder there is not a soul around. Whoever this Sebastian character is, I hope he never gets anywhere near me. Not that he will know I'm around if he does. The stench that bothered the two vampires has saved me more times than I can count. If their stomach is turning when I am near, they can't concentrate on looking deeper into who and what I am. All everyone wants is to get as far away as possible. Snickering, I glance down at the mutt.

  "Two stinking buddies is what we are, Mutt." Frowning, I watch him perk up at my voice. "I need to give you a name if I'm to let you stick around."

  One more quick sweep around me and I gingerly start walking down the street. The hotel visit can wait. There must be someone there if the vamps were keeping an eye on it. Self-preservation tells me I should get as far away from here as possible. That tingling feeling between my shoulder blades comes back with a vengeance, but now that I know it's the mutt, I ignore it. Darting from one shadow to the next, squeezing between vehicles, trees, and buildings, I continue on my search for medication. Seeing the pharmacy after a few turns, I almost hoot with joy.

  The building glows like a beacon of light nestled in the middle of an empty parking lot. Goosebumps cover my arms, and I rub my hands over them, my eyes dancing in my head while looking for a threat. This entire trip tonight seems too good to be true. In my experience, nothing comes
this easy, and never without a hitch. That was life before the Council took over. The mutt bumps into my thigh, making me look down at him. He does it again, this time a little harder. By the looks of it, even he doesn't like being out in the middle of the night. Taking his advice, I creep up towards the building. One side of it is dark, and the lights left inside the store not reaching it. Bolting from behind the tree I was using as cover, I head straight there.

  Hitting the wall harder than was necessary in my rush to get away from open spaces, my palms scrape against the rough surface. Turning around, pressing my back on the wall, I stick my head out the corner to see if anyone noticed my wild dash across the empty lot. Of course, no one did since it's a ghost town tonight, but I can never be too careful. When everything stays as quiet and as undisturbed as before, I release the breath I've been holding. So far, so good. Now, I only have to figure out a way to get inside the damn building that glows like a lighthouse without being seen. I have broken into homes, after watching for days to make sure no one was around, so I could get some clothes and other necessities. I’ve never taken from those that have little. Growing up, I liked the stories of Robin Hood, and I convinced myself that I was like him. I’ve even taken more than I need but left it when seeing groups with children for them to find. Watching from a hiding place, my heart would beat faster, matching their happiness when discovering the treasures I’ve left for them. A store, on the other hand, had never been one of the things I considered getting near. Not unless I had a death wish.

  Crouching down, I stay there for a while with no desire to move from the shadows. Not a sound reaches me the entire time, and that raises my suspicions. This doesn't feel right, no matter if Death himself has come to LA. Where is everyone?

  The crunching of gravel and scraping of boots on concrete paralyzes me on the spot. The mutt next to me perks up, his lips pulling back over sharp teeth and his ears standing straight, but all of that without making a sound. In the middle of my terrified state, that little thing seems like it's most important. Then, the sound comes again, and I forget everything. Without thinking, I bolt out of my hiding spot, heading right for the pharmacy doors. The fact that they are locked at this hour doesn't register until I'm yanking on it with all my might. The metal bar on the glass rattles, but it doesn't budge. A sharp jerk on my pants makes me stumble, and I stare wide-eyed at the mutt. He has his jaws clamped on my pant leg, pulling me away from the doors. I follow his lead since my brain is useless, the terror making me irrational.