The Black Forest

by Jennifer Martucci

  “Whoa,” Pike says. “This room is…wow.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Ara says.

  “I’m sorry there are only two beds,” Todd stands in the doorway and says.

  “Are you kidding me? They’re huge!” Ara’s smile is contagious. Her eyes sparkle as they skim the room. “Everything is so beautiful!”

  “It really is nice,” Pike adds. While he doesn’t gush as Ara does, his excitement is evident. He tries to hold back the broad grin that works to spread across his face.

  “I’m glad you like it.” Todd beams with pride. “So it isn’t a problem? Having only two beds?”

  “No. It’s not a problem at all,” I reply.

  Ara moves further into the room.

  “Go ahead. Check things out,” Todd encourages her.

  Ara sits on the bed. Then bounces a bit. “Ooh! It’s so comfy!” she squeals. The expression on her face, as well as the squeal, remind me of when she was a little girl. In spite of all that’s happened, she’s managed to retain a sliver of youth. I see it now. My heart overflows with joy.

  Pike does the same, though he doesn’t bounce quite as hard. “It really is. And this blanket is so soft.”

  “Lena, a woman you’ll meet tonight, made it. She made both of them,” Todd shares.

  “Oh wow!” Ara’s eyes round. “That’s amazing. She’s amazing!” She looks down and smooths her hand over the fabric. “It’s so soft.” She traces the intricate stitching. “I’d love to be able to do something like that, to make something this incredible.”

  “She’ll teach you if you like,” Todd offers.

  “Really?” Ara’s face lights up.

  “Really.” Todd smirks.

  “Thank you so much!” Ara’s smile is so wide her cheeks round.

  Pike is up and moving around. He opens a door along the far wall. The door leads to a small room. Inside the tight space is a seat with a hole carved at its center. Beside the hole is a bucket with water in it. “What’s this?” Pike asks and points to it.

  Todd approaches. “That’s an indoor outhouse,” he says.

  “A what?” I ask.

  “You relieve yourself in there,” he points to the hollowed-out center, “and dump the water in after. Then it’s flushed through our piping system.”

  “I’ve never seen anything like this,” I say as I stare at in amazement.

  Aaron comes up beside me. Together, we stand in the doorway of the small room. “We had something similar at the Task Center,” he says. “But not in our rooms. There was a central one all of us used.” Though he recognizes the gadget, he looks at it quizzically. I open my mouth to ask in a low voice why that is, but Todd gathers the remaining people in our group.

  “Okay, let me show the rest of you to your rooms.” He leads everyone out except Ara, Pike and I. “I’ll see you in a few hours,” he says to us then shuts the door. I’m left standing, staring at a seat with a hole in its center in which I’m supposed to relieve myself that’s off of a room larger than any room I’ve ever been in and with beds that look soft and inviting and unlike any I’ve ever seen. I should be ecstatic. We’ve escaped the Urthmen village, escaped death at the ferocious claws of a veritable monster and found a large camp of humans with amenities I couldn’t have dreamed of in my wildest dreams. I should be happy. But I’m not. Something nags at the back of my brain. Something doesn’t feel right about this place. And I intend to find out just what that is.

  Chapter 16

  I stand looking at myself in the reflective rectangle mounted over the indoor outhouse seat and see a man staring back at me who looks like Todd or Nolan. “Oh my gosh,” I say and comb my fingers through my hair. A little more than an hour has passed since Ara, Pike and I were left in this room. I used the time to clean myself and change my clothes. Earlier, two women arrived. They left a large basin of water. To my surprise and delight, the water was very warm. A small, square piece of thick cloth accompanied it, along with a block of white matter that lathered and bubbled when I rolled it between my hands. Seeing how well the slippery, foamy block worked on my hands, I used it to scrub my face, rubbing it over my chin, cheeks, nose, forehead and eyes. But quickly, I learned that, when used on my eyes, the lather burned so badly they ached and teared. The intense sting caused me to submerge my entire head in the water. Once my eyes felt better, I left my head there and washed my hair then scrubbed my skin until it was pink. A razor was left with the basin of water, the cloth and the lathering bar. I used it to shave my face and then had Ara use it to trim my hair after I dressed. The result is this…this person unfamiliar to me.

  Admiring her work, Ara steps back, still holding the razor, and says, “You look very handsome!”

  Feeling my cheeks warm and a smile spread across my face, I lower my head and say, “Thank you.”

  Ara fairly floats out of the small space in the white dress she wears. She spins and the soft fabric that skims her knees fans out a bit. I smile and shake my head. Her golden curls shimmer as they bounce and tumble down her back. Her skin is clean, the cuts and bruises barely visible, and her eyes shine with joy. Seeing her as she is, I silently chastise myself for being so suspicious of this place. Ara deserves to feel this happy, to look so lovely and feel so free. I don’t want to ruin it for her or Pike. Or anyone. Giggling, she arches one eyebrow at me and says, “What?”

  “Nothing,” I reply quietly. “You just look so pretty.”

  My sister beams. “Thank you,” she says excitedly. “I love this dress! This room!” She twirls again. “I can’t believe this place exists. It feels like a dream.”

  “Me neither,” Pike says. “It does feel like a dream.” Standing with his freshly-shorn hair and smooth, clean skin, dressed in pants and a button-down shirt similar to mine, he looks more man than boy. I’m proud of him. Proud of Ara. They’ve both been through so much. They’ve seen and experienced things no one should have to endure. Yet they have, and they manage to smile in spite of it all.

  “You guys look so nice!” Her exuberance is unmistakable. “I’m so excited to meet everyone. And a little nervous. But mostly excited!” She doesn’t stop moving, flittering from one end of the room to the other as she speaks. “Do you think they’ll like me? I hope they do.”

  “Who wouldn’t like you?” I ask.

  “Well, I don’t know. I’m sure a lot of people wouldn’t.” She chews her lower lip pensively. I mean, I’m not like them.” She shrugs and allows her shoulders to slump a bit afterward.

  “What do you mean you’re not like them? You’re a human, aren’t you?” I wink at her.

  “That’s not what I mean.” Her smile capsizes.

  “I know what she means,” Pike chimes in.

  “Please share.” I fold my arms across my chest as I lean against the door to the hallway. “Tell me what you mean.”

  Ara no longer twirls. Instead she subtly shifts her weight from one leg to the next. “I don’t know.” She takes a long, curly tendril of hair and allows it to coil around her finger. “I mean, you saw the way they looked at us before.”

  “Like the bred humans at the Task Center did,” Pike adds.

  “I think it may’ve even been worse than that,” Ara says. “The people at the Task Center were normal at least.”

  “You call those people normal?” Pike chuckles. “Yeah, the bred humans were normal. Sure.” He rolls his eyes. “If by ‘normal’ you really mean delusional.” Pike smiles and Ara laughs.

  “Okay. Okay. Fair enough. The bred humans were led to believe something that wasn’t true. They were fooled.” She runs her hands down the lower half of her dress. “They were gullible. I kind of felt sorry for them. They believed the Urthmen.” She huffs derisively. “The people here…I don’t know. They’re different.”

  “Of course they are. They’re different than the bred humans and they’re certainly different than us,” I say. “For starters they live here.”

  “They live here and look at them!” Pike s
ays. “They look nothing like the humans we met in the cells or anywhere else.”

  “Everyone is so bright and shiny and perfect here,” Ara says quietly.

  “You are bright and shiny and perfect, too,” I tell her. I gaze at her and smile.

  She lowers her head. “Not like them,” she says. “They’re different. They’re better.”

  “No, they aren’t.” I push off against the wall and find myself pointing my finger at her. “No one is. They have stuff we don’t and didn’t. They’re lucky. But having things doesn’t make a person better. Who they are and how they treat people does.” I drop my hands and let them land against my thighs. “Remember what Mom and Dad taught us?”

  “They taught us to hunt and steer clear of those lumpy purple berries and the plants with the white specks. Those’ll kill us,” Ara answers smartly.

  “They taught us a whole lot more than that,” Pike answers for me with a shake of his head.

  “Yeah, they taught us to be honest and kind and loyal. Did you forget about that?” I say.

  Ara shakes her head. Her chin is low but she looks up at me through her lashes.

  “Does any of that have to do with looks?” I ask.

  She shakes her head.

  “Does being shiny and bright and perfect help you to catch dinner or make you the best sister a guy could ask for, who, by the way, thinks you’re way prettier than any girl here?” I say.

  “Yeah, Ara, does it?” Pike adds.

  “Normally when you guys gang up on me I get angry. But it’s hard to be angry when you say something nice.” She looks up and her green eyes are filled with emotion.

  “We’re not ganging up on you. Just telling you the truth,” Pike says. “And hey, I bet none of the girls here can shoot an arrow like you. With your looks and your skill, they should be jealous of you. Not the other way around.”

  The comment causes Ara to stand taller.

  “I agree. Deadly shot and killer looks,” I say and watch as Pike pretends to hold a bow and arrow, drawing it back taut. He mimes releasing it then whistles the sound the arrow makes when is shrieks through the air.

  A soft knock at the door distracts Ara. She moves to the door, looking graceful and lovely as she does, and opens it. “Wow! Reyna! You look amazing!” I hear Ara gush.

  “Thank you. You look so beautiful,” Reyna replies. I can’t see her. Ara blocks my view. But when my sister steps aside, my breath catches in my chest. I hear her say my name. It sounds distant, like it’s echoing from under water. Is she talking about me? To me? I have no idea. I can’t think. I can barely breathe. I can’t even swallow. And I refuse to blink, lest she should vanish.

  “Lucas!” Pike whispers my name loudly. I snap out of the trance I’m in, the one that has my eyes riveted to Reyna.

  Captivating in every sense of the word, her flaxen hair reflects every particle of light, sparkling and shimmering as it falls down to the small of her back. Straight and trimmed bluntly on the bottom, her hair is free of leaves, dirt and blood. The tangles are gone and it frames a face so exquisite I can’t look away from it. Palest porcelain skin has been thoroughly cleaned and offsets ice-blue eyes. I watch as her eyelashes flutter. Long and oddly dark compared to the paleness of her skin and hair, I walk, wanting to be closer. Wanting to hear what’s causing her to bat her eyes. To smile.

  I cross the room and find myself standing, staring at Reyna while she talks to my sister. She stops briefly. She looks at me and though I’m certain I look like a complete idiot and may have even drooled a bit, something flashes in her eyes. An emotion dances across her features. She blushes, stammers then smiles. “Lucas, y-you look so handsome,” she says breathlessly.

  “Thank you,” I reply. The smile on my face is so broad my cheeks ache. “You look…stunning,” I tell her and feel myself flush from my neck up.

  Ara looks between us and says, “Okay, I’ll leave you two alone,” then disappears behind me.

  Reyna clears her throat. “So, any new thoughts about these people?”

  “No, not really. In fact I feel a little guilty when I see and hear how happy Ara and Pike are to be here.” I look over my shoulder to see whether they’re listening. If they are, they don’t acknowledge it.

  She reaches out a hand and lightly touches my forearm. My skin grows heated. “Why don’t we move out into the hallway,” Reyna suggests after seeing me check on Ara and Pike. “That way we have privacy.” She smiles. Between her touch and her smile, my thoughts grow muddled.

  “Sure,” I reply. I step out the door and into the hallway and lean against the wall. Reyna stands opposite me with little more than an arm’s length between us. The scent of wood and meat burning is vague. Another scent permeates the air. Floral and slightly fruity, I realize it comes from Reyna.

  “I gave some thought to all of this, too. I can’t make sense of it. I think we have to just meet all of them and see. What else can we do?” she says.

  “You’re right,” I agree. “That’s all we can do.” “I poke my head around the corner, checking on Ara and Pike.

  “You don’t need to worry, you know. You can even close the door. They’re fine and I’d see the door if it opened,” she says.

  She’s right, of course. I’m nervous and fidgety. Looking in on them gives me something to do. Otherwise, I’m left with sweaty palms and the urge to wring my hands. “Uh, good point,” I say then close the door. I return to my spot, leaning against the wall, and decide to place my hands in my pockets.

  “You look really nice,” Reyna says. Her words make me lightheaded.

  “Thank you. You look really pretty,” I reply.

  “Thanks.” She looks down at her dress and slipper-like shoes. “I’m used to being barefoot or wearing boots. These things are awful. They look good. But they feel awful. I wonder who made these.” She laughs.

  “I’m guessing someone who really likes the way long legs look in delicate shoes. Probably a man.” She catches me staring at her legs. Her cheeks turn bright red and I feel mine do the same. “I’m sorry,” I mumble.

  “Don’t be.” She says. Ice-blue eyes, heated and intense, grip me, and an enigmatic expression plays upon her features. Her long blonde hair is brushed back, over her shoulders and out of her face, making her look almost girlish, but that’s the only part of her that looks childlike. Growing increasingly nervous, anxiety threatens my sanity. I manage to tear my gaze from her face and rest them, instead, on her arms. Long and slender but toned they are lovely. The bodice of her dress hugs her curves. I’m aware of every part of her, too aware. I drop my gaze. My heart beats so hard and so fast I wonder if she can see it, or hear it. Every part of me wants to be near her.

  Impulsively, I place a hand to the wall and lightly push myself away from it, closing the distance between us. I hook my index finger under her chin, lifting it so that her eyes meet mine. For a long moment, we look at each other, so close the flowery scent of her swirls around me, filling me. I feel her heat; can see the pale flecks in her irises. Without overthinking, I cup the sides of her face in my hands and firmly press my mouth to her lips.

  Panic screams through my insides in a tingling rush of flutters. I do not know what to do and she doesn’t respond at first. Neither of us is sure what to do next. I stand like a dope with my lips pressed to hers. My entire body flushed, I’m a stoic warrior battling not with my sword but with my will. I know I probably shouldn’t be kissing her. Not now. Doing so could get us kicked out for all I know. This isn’t the time.

  For a second, I think about pulling away. And she does, too. Or at least I think she does when she slides her hands between us, placing them against the hard planes of my chest. Her touch sends a sensation similar to fire swirling in my veins. The warmth of her hands through the thin material of my shirt. Her proximity. Her lips on mine. All are terrifying, but also exhilarating. It feels so right, so warm and wonderful.

  Sighing, her lips part, and I succumb to the prickling sensation that ma
kes my scalp shrink and goose bumps arise on my flesh.

  The world around us disappears, the battles we’ve fought, Urthmen, arenas, monstrous beasts, all of it fades. All that is left is Reyna and me. I am in a warm cocoon of bliss, heat diffusing through my chest as her arms wrap around my neck. Pulling me close. Enveloping me. My arms move, as if of their own volition, and slide around her waist. I feel her body sink into mine.

  Our breath mingles. She tastes sweet. The air is stolen from my lungs, and suddenly I can’t remember how to breathe. Her embrace tightens; an urgency sparking between us that rivals a brushfire. I tell myself to stop, to withdraw, but I can’t. I’m swept away on an all-encompassing tide of elation.

  The overwhelming joy and excitement I feel is abruptly interrupted by the sound of giggling. My sister, Ara, peeks out from a door cracked open. “Well, it’s about time,” she says.

  Reyna laughs embarrassedly. I clear my throat and promptly step away.

  “You two better come inside. Remember, Todd is sending for us for dinner soon,” she reminds us.

  Dinner. Oh yeah, I think. My stomach rumbles. I smile nervously at Reyna, hoping she didn’t hear it. If she heard it, she doesn’t react. I’m grateful. We step back into the room and within seconds of our entry, there’s a knock at the door. Pike opens it and a girl around my age stands in the doorway. “I was sent to get you for dinner,” she says softly. Golden brown hair frames large tawny eyes and cascades down her back in soft waves. Past her I can see three other girls knocking on the doors.

  “Okay, we’re ready,” Ara says excitedly. She walks to the door and stands beside Pike.

  “Excellent. Follow me.” The girl smiles. The smile doesn’t touch her eyes. It seems a common occurrence here. “My name is Shay.”

  “I’m Ara and this is—” Ara starts but Shay quickly holds up a hand to silence my sister. Shay’s eyes grow wide.

  “I’m sorry. I forgot. No introductions until dinner. Apologies.” Shay then turns on her heels and marches out of our room, expecting us to follow. We look among each other. I don’t know whether Shay was scared or rude or forgetful. Somehow I suspect forgetfulness doesn’t happen often here. From what I’ve seen, everything runs well. Neatly and tidily. As if Todd, the foreman, wouldn’t have it any other way. Maybe I’m wrong. I hope I am.