He ran his fingers over his features and through his speckled blonde hair, visibly distraught. My resolve shattered and I knelt in front of him. I gently placed my hands on his cheeks and moved his face to mine. It was pleasant, yet electrifying to touch him. The physical contact was not done with ease, as it was with Zander, but I desired it more.
I whispered quietly, “Jude, you were never good for me.”
I released a trodden laugh and insisted, “Why don’t you let me be the judge of what is good for me and what isn’t, anyways?”
Jude smiled weakly. He shook his head and my hands from his face.
“Ana, I can’t even look at you without hating myself.”
His statement surprised me and I dropped to the ground with despondency.
I inquired, “What are you talking about?”
With sorrow in his eyes, he gently caressed my features. He traced a line from my cheek bone to my chin. The skin was tender to his touch and I slightly winced. It was the slashes on my face, the healing injury from his flesheater claws.
He dejectedly drew away and remorsefully stated, “I hurt you, Ana. If I am capable of harming you of all people. I can’t be trusted.”
He became upset and rocked in a crumpled position, much like when he awakened and attacked Zander. I was anxious and unsure of how to respond. Was he on the verge of losing control again? It was too much to handle and the entire conversation and situation was filled with pain and now panic.
After a few seconds of hesitation, I positioned myself to the side of Jude, facing the opposite direction. I forced him to look at me with the gentle guidance of my hand. His hair had grown longer, falling right below his eyes. I moved a few loose strands from his face. He tried to pull away, but I grasped his hands and kept him with me. Without saying a word, I leaned forward and kissed his unsteady mouth.
In Starosa, our lips touched briefly and the moment was unexpectedly interrupted. This time, I experienced a new and eager instinct. My lips opened and closed against Jude’s. At first, he was unyielding and stiff. But it did not take long for him to reciprocate my actions. His hands moved from mine and into my hair. I found myself wrapping my arms around him tightly. A fire flickered inside and we became more heated.
Without warning, Jude suddenly removed his hands from my hair and jolted. The yellow glow of a flesheater’s eyes flashed across his gaze. He dug his fingers into the earth and clenched dirt in his fists.
“Ana, you have to get away from me. This is... too much for me right now. When I lose focus, the remnants of the virus cannot be controlled. Please, you have to leave.”
He was breathing heavily and I was too. I stumbled from him, stood, and shuffled away slowly. Jude stared straight ahead, grasping the earth. I closed my eyes and turned around. My heart was pounding thunderously against my chest. I headed to the safety of the fire and drudges. My face was burning with the sensations our kissing had brought on. The heat from the flames did not help. It only increased the warmth from being entangled with Jude. I needed to calm ignited fervor and intensity from the encounter. The experience slightly scared me, but I found myself craving more.
Jude and I did not talk the rest of our shift. When it was time for the two other drudges to take our places on duty, we laid as far away from each other as possible. I remained close to the fire and attempted to relax. My cheeks continued to flame red, until I feverishly fell asleep.
We awakened with anticipation for our journey to Starosa. Zander was surprisingly happy. He helped me from the ground.
He asked, “How are you after keeping guard for half the night?”
Before I had time to answer, he motioned his head toward Jude. Jude was as far away from me as feasibly possible.
Zander questioned, “Did you two even talk last night?”
My heart raced as I thought about our kiss. I answered Zander too quickly.
“Um no, we hardly talked at all.”
Technically it was the truth and Zander seemed pleased with my answer.
After packing camp, I searched the desert wilderness. My eyes were drawn to the huge, scattered boulders. The large rocks resembled those peppering the outskirts of Starosa. The sun illuminated each one and they glistened with different specks of color.
I studied a boulder located at the edge of the desert and forestland. Something shiny caught my eye as it reflected light from the sun. I peered at the strange glow and ambled forward to investigate. As I inched closer, I discovered what was shimmering. It was a miniature metal square, melded into the rock. There were words and numbers etched in the metal. I traced the letters with my fingers and read the words:
Test Site 1 of 3
The inscription took me back to the mysterious hole in the ground. The place Jude carried me for refuge from ferocious flesheaters. I remembered that square piece of metal read Test Site 2 of 3. Like before, the words and numbers did not hold any significance. I even speculated if I might be reading them wrong, but upon closer examination shook the notion. Soft footsteps approached. I glanced to discover they belonged to Jude.
I greeted him with a half-smile and bashfulness. If I was unsure of my affections before, I was more certain now. Our kiss set strong feelings into motion in a dizzying way. I enjoyed his presence.
He questioned, “What are you looking at?”
“Look, there are words etched into this metal. There was something similar in your hidden shelter too. What was that random, underground, and concealed place? The large metal hatch locked into position and it was in the middle of the wilderness. It does not make any sense. What do you think?”
Jude traced the lettering. He seemed to be in serious deliberation. Ultimately, he had no answers for me. The lettering did not mean anything to him either. He pressed the metal square. A loud scratching sound assailed my ears as the abnormal section moved inside the boulder.
The rock scraped backward and revealed a large earthy compartment beneath. Staticky and uneven speech filled the air. The voice sounded odd. It spoke in short, sharp, and staccato tones. The recording repeated three times:
“Three months have not passed. You may not put in an order for supplies at this time.”
After it sputtered these words, the boulder slowly moved back over the opening. Original order was restored. Jude and I stood in quiet shock.
I broke the silence and exclaimed, “What in Starosa was that!?”
Jude’s face reflected complete disbelief.
“I don’t know, Ana.”
“Do you think this would have happened in the underground room? If we pushed on the metal piece?”
Jude released a long lingering breath before responding, “Why don’t we ask Evander? Maybe he will know.”
I nodded in agreement and we headed back to the group. Nothing was mentioned about the kiss we shared the night before. As we walked, I was acutely aware of how close he stood next to me. Our arms brushed here and there. Even these simple touches were having a magnifying effect on me.
Zander approached. He pointed at the mysterious rock.
“What were you two doing over there? Did you find something?”
Jude answered, “Yeah we did. We are going to ask Evander about it.”
Evander’s crackly, hoarse voice interjected, “Ask me what?”
Before we could respond, Evander put on a mischievous expression and pried, “How did you two fare during guard duty last night?”
He winked in my direction. His gesture brought embarrassment and nerves. Did he know about the kiss? I averted my gaze to the ground.
I shyly responded, “Oh it was fine, uneventful.”
Jude shot me a flustered look with raised eyebrows. We silently speculated if Evander witnessed anything. Gazing at each other, we bashfully grinned.
Immediately after, Jude’s features twisted in shame and he turned away upset. He recalled losing control and experienced resulting guilt. I remembered how enchanting it was to have his hands in my hair and his body and lip
s pressed against mine.
Zander appeared confused as we stood acting strangely. He interrupted the awkward moment.
He forced himself to remain cordial and proclaimed, “They found something on one of those large boulders. Tell Evander about it already. I want to know too.”
With a pained look on his face, Jude snapped back to the task at hand and responded.
“Yes. Over there, on one of the boulders. There is a metal square with the words, Test Site 1 of 3 etched into it. There was a similar piece in the underground room Ana and I used for protection. It had a comparable engraving. Test Site 2 of 3 was imprinted there.”
I asked, “What do you think it means, Evander?”
By this time, the entire group of drudges were listening to the intriguing account. Evander scratched his gray, hoary head as he considered the information.
Slightly impatient for Evander’s response, I fired another question, “What is a Test Site?”
Evander exhaled and his hunched shoulders fell. He shook his head from side to side in shaky, aged movements.
He leaned heavily on his makeshift cane and replied, “I am not sure.”
Kylar, the tall and lean worker drudge spoke next. His hair was short and dark and his skin was bronze colored. He was casually doing knife tricks with two combat blades.
He questioned, “Do those words mean anything to you? Perhaps something from the Previous Sphere?”
Evander motioned his head in agreement and said, “Maybe. Those words are familiar. In the Previous Sphere, a test site could be a few different things though. A place to go where tests and exams were taken. Or it could refer to an area where experiments took place. When new inventions were developed, it could be the site where they were tested and tried, to discover if they worked properly. I am not sure what it could mean for us, here on this land. It’s definitely odd.”
Jude spoke, “Maybe the thicket of trees and Starosa are part of the area called Test Site 2 of 3. And this vast desert land is Test Site 1of 3.”
Tony asked, “Was this place used for tests or experiments in the Previous Sphere, maybe?”
He was the robust worker drudge with jet black hair and beady, dark eyes.
Evander nodded his old feeble head and replied, “Yeah, maybe.”
Jude added, “There is more.”
He went on to tell them about how the boulder moved and the strange voice spoke to us. After he finished, other drudges ran to investigate. They had to see and hear for themselves. Evander slowly made his way to the boulder as well. When everyone returned to the campsite, discussion erupted amongst our group.
“What was that?”
“What did it mean about it not being three months?”
“Ordering supplies?”
Tony rubbed his chin in contemplative movements and said, “Well, I don’t know. Doesn’t Chief Meadows send some of his elite tens and the toughest firstlings out of Starosa every three months?”
Kylar twirled one of his knives in the air and caught it with ease.
He added, “Yeah, and they always come back with something new and a load of stuff for Starosa.”
Zander asked, “Evander, what do you think? Do you think the Chief knows anything about the peculiar boulder over there? Or about the similar metal piece in the mutt’s,” he motioned at Jude and continued, “weird escape hole closer to Starosa?”
Jude would have reacted more irritated at Zander’s snide remark, if he was not so anxious to hear Evander’s reply. Evander let out a slow, staggering breath.
He stated, “I’m not sure. We don’t have time to dwell on these abnormalities right now. We have a much bigger task at hand. Let’s focus on one thing at a time, like the freeing of our people.”
Evander was right. Unanswered questions floated in everyone’s heads while we journeyed. We finalized our plan of action. Jude was going to enter Starosa, and procure the guns. Securing the lethal weapons from the Chief and his elite tens would give us a fair advantage. I secretly hoped he would not run into Rykeir. The encounter would never end well. After acquiring the key and guns, he would gather as many weapons as possible. We would distribute these weapons to drudges willing and able to fight with the revolt.
We would wait hidden in the trees for him to return and report. We would enter through the fence of buzzing electricity, and the fight for our freedom would commence. An extreme portion of the plan’s potential victory, rested on Jude’s shoulders. Many of the drudges, especially Zander, did not trust him. He was Chief Meadows’s son after all. Jude’s behavior did not help matters. He was often found clenching his fists and breathing rapidly away from the group. He was struggling to control the remnants of the virus. He was not always stable. I knew this from personal experience. However, nobody questioned Evander’s wisdom and Evander supported Jude without falter.
After a tiresome day of traveling, we were on the outskirts of Starosa. I took in the familiarity of the place. It had been my home my entire life. It was radiant in the distance. Brenna and the other drudges were still toiling there. They had no idea we had plans to save them from their lives of drudgery. I believed I was inadequate when it came to battle. I had a paltry frame and my skills with a knife were mediocre, but I was determined. I would do what I could to help win this fight and stay alive. We noticed there were not any drudges on Remembrance Duty, which was an odd occurrence.
Evander grasped Jude’s shoulder and spoke, “Okay, it’s time.”
Zander called out, “You better not screw up, mutt.”
Jace went and shook Jude’s hand and said, “Good fortune to you, boy.”
Jude initiated his burdensome quest towardStarosa. As he trudged to the electric fence, my heart sank with worry. I was also disappointed. He had not told me goodbye. Perhaps, it was because everyone would be watching. Or maybe, and more likely, Jude was bent on keeping his distance. The lingering traces of the virus were still too strong.
Suddenly, I did not care what any of them thought… Zander, the other drudges, or even Jude. I took off after him.
I implored, “Jude! Wait.”
His body coercively halted. He begrudgingly faced me. He did not hide the fact he was displeased with my actions.
He insisted, “Ana, please...don’t.”
His features were grave.
I commanded, “Jude, be quiet.”
My comment surprised him and he looked shocked, until I smiled.
I urged, “Please, be careful. Okay? You are stronger than you think. I can tell you are getting better. You can do this.”
Jude moved his head in agreement, but his face revealed disbelief. I leaned forward and embraced him tightly.
I whispered, “Make sure you make it back here…back to me.”
He lifted my chin to face him and softly uttered, “I promise, Ana.”
I squelched crippling concern and trudged away. I desperately hoped he would succeed and we would triumph. I headed back to the band of drudges and attempted to ignore the inexplicable hurt in Zander’s eyes.
I memorized each of their faces…Lamont, Tony, Kylar, Jace, Andrea, Evander, Zander, and the other drudges in our band of rebels. There were fourteen of us in all...five women and nine men. Would each of us survive? We were outnumbered by the firstlings, but we would be fighting for so much more. Would it be enough to win against all odds?
Chapter 29
We waited for what seemed like an eternity for Jude to reappear. As their impatience increased, the drudges murmured against Evander for trusting a firstling. Evander dismissed their complaints. He did not have the tiniest inkling of doubt. He knew Jude would follow through with the plan. His assurances affirmed when a person was called to do a task as tremendous as Jude’s, the Creator above would qualify the person to accomplish it. I trusted Jude as well. I only feared Rykeir would find him before he could succeed. I was terrified Rykeir would kill him before he could accomplish his daunting tasks. This feasibility frightened me more than anything else.
/>
A long, agonizing night transpired before he was spotted heading back. He was barely visible in the early rays of the rising sun. The ground was made of pins, needles, and burning coals while I anxiously waited for him to be close enough to touch. He was no longer wearing ill-fitting drudge clothes, instead he wore his old firstling attire. His shirt and pants were snugger than before. I am sure I was the only one aware and this fact made my cheeks flush. He carried a large, faded black bag. I anticipated it held weapons. A wave of relief and encouragement washed over the group with rolling force.
Jude followed through with the plan and from the looks of it, he was profitable. The possible success of our quest appeared even brighter when he approached our group waving a golden key in the air. The sun glistened off the metal in tiny rays of victory. The guns and ammunition were locked away and he held the only key.
Jude recapped events leading to the acquisition of the key and securing weapons. It was filled with nail biting close calls. He dodged and eluded Rykeir many times. His father almost killed him when he discovered what he thought was a drudge rummaging through Jude’s room. Jude revealed himself in the nick of time. As a revered firstling, the weapons were easy to secure, but the key and guns were nearly impossible. He decided a sleeping syrup would be the only solution for prying the key from his father’s grasp in the middle of the night. His mother woke and gave him a fright, but she was easy to subdue in her groggy state. With luck he graciously succeeded.
Jude went to Evander and handed over the key and a small black bag. Nobody heard their exchange and were too busy preparing for battle to notice. It was intriguing, but I refrained from inquiring after the bag's contents. Jude had abandoned his crudely crafted club before entering Starosa earlier. This time, he grabbed a knife for defense. It would be less conspicuous and more lethal for the dangerous task at hand.
Evander announced, “It is time.”
We made last minute preparations for the impending battle. Conflict loomed over our heads. Evander would stay near the electric fence. He would protect the key manufactured to unlock the most lethal weapons in Starosa. We hoped to prevent major blood loss and our possible defeat. We could have used the guns to our advantage, but we wanted a fair fight. We also feared the repercussions of them landing in the wrong, ruthless hands during battle.
The Forbidden Plan Page 23