I embraced her crying. “Mom! What am I supposed to do? There is a part of me that wants to end it all.”
“If you die, then who would stop men like him? We died because we believe in you.”
The nightmare began when I woke up. I slowly got to my feet as the sun started to rise. Most of the sky was still black. I snuffed out the fire. My journey to find civilization – to tell someone, anyone, of what happened here continued. At least I didn't have to worry about the royal guard.
I kept making cuts on the trunks of trees with my knife. I had to put the bag down regularly. Climbing a hill, I took a break and drank some water. I decided to read the Leader's journal.
‘October 21st, 1574
I have taken the place of my father and decided to purchase this book. I will log every day of interesting occurrences. I’m glad my father finally kicked the bucket. About time I got to take over his work. He drank so much, no wonder that his fat ass died of liver failure. Now I get the money from selling these kids when Doctor Mengel develops his Ovium insects. The buyers have agreed to these selling terms but will read how much AP (Aura Power) the person has. If that is how they determine how much money we make here, then I’ll make more P.S.O. treatments. Only Scott died last time. Who cares if we bank more. We’re here for results, and my father was too soft on these kids.’
I put the book away. If I read anymore, I felt that I might destroy all of it. It may be frustrating, but I had to find out more, no matter how painful it became. I could flip through to important dates. Next time I rest, I’ll read more.
I stood up and moved further up the hill. Even if nothing was up here, I had to keep going to get a better vantage point. I extended my legs once to see what was going on around me. It exhausted me to use aura, and if I used too much of it, I would become mortal. The Black Forest was too dangerous for that, and I needed to ration my food supplies.
Eventually, the hill would become too steep and I’ll have to climb to the top of the mountain. The top was made of stone and it looked like someone sliced off the tip. I passed by a bush with red berries. My grin was like a little kid on Christmas morning. A different color! You get sick of the amount black after a while. I picked some berries, smelling them first. This was a foreign land and I had no idea if these were poisonous or not. I dropped the berries
Over an hour passed and there was a moist scent in the air. Lightning struck through the sky and thunder followed. A massive amount of rain fell, and the trees only provided partial coverage. The day had turned into night. I found a small cave to take cover. My clothes were soaked. The cavern was empty, and no animal scent was present. There was an echo from the water dripping off my clothes. The cave floor was smooth and provided an open shelter. I set up a fire and tried the tomato soup. The taste was so bad I had to pinch my nose to drink it. Tomorrow I’ll try the chicken soup. Anything was tastier than the tomato soup. What kind of meal doesn’t have meat in it?
The cave had some cracks in the walls. Investigating further, the cave had a sudden drop-off. I put a burning piece of wood down it. The descent seemed almost eternal with a tiny glimmer of light at the bottom. There was no way I was going to fall down the cavern. So, I set up along the outskirts of the entrance. I used leaves for a bed but when I laid down. I played my mother’s flute with one hand. It didn’t sound as good, but I went to sleep.
All I heard was my mother and squad mates chanting in unison.
“Why didn't you save us? Why didn’t you save us? Salan didn’t you care?” said the crowd of people I’d failed.
“Shut up! Shut up! I’m sorry!” I yelled back.
My mother quickly turned into spiders and crawled all over my body.
I woke up sweating. I noticed black bugs coming out of the cavern walls. They had a scorpion’s stinger, the legs of a spider, and the wings of a beetle. They were the size of a grown man’s hand. I squinted to see, small insects were crawling all over my body. In a panic, I grabbed my sack and bolted out. My aura pried most of them off. One stung my neck. I threw the bug off my neck and ran off into the rain. I moved faster and faster; there was still an eerie buzzing noise. The swarm still followed me. I bolted up the hill and the bugs went back to their hive.
This place was more dangerous than I expected. The stinger made my neck inflamed. The pain was like a vice grip that got tighter. My neck started bulging up. I took the stinger out. I continued to run forward to clear more distance from the cave. My body grew exhausted. The rain stopped, but I had barely gotten any sleep. My neck hurt even more. My body sweat profusely. My aura stuck out involuntarily. Those creatures must be extremely venomous.
I took out my bottle of alcohol and applied it to the wound. It stung, but I hope it does the job. The swelling went down over time. At least there was some upside; my body was good at healing.
I let out a sigh of relief. “From now on, I sleep during the day,” I muttered to myself.
It seems the creatures here were nocturnal. Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks. Black figures in the distance bolted out of view. They would reappear but disappear as I moved forward. Who are these people? I drew my knife. Then, I heard the whispers.
Words like, “Abomination, Go away, Freak.”
“Get out of my head!” I screamed back.
The black figures became more frequent. I wasn’t dreaming. Putting Mr. Finch’s knife down, I launched a throwing knife at one. Nothing happened. It passed right through them. I wasn’t dreaming! They were there. I put my hand on the small bump. Could a sting do this?
Slowly over time my sweat and breathing got worse. My visions kept coming, and I couldn’t distinguish reality from fiction. The whispers continued. It was horrible trying to keep my sanity with those things popping up. I tried ignoring them.
“Salan,” said my mother.
“Shut up,” I ignored her.
“SALAN!” she shouted.
There was a small clearing on the hill, and it was flat. I glanced back and saw the cascading trees below me. No wonder people got lost here. My mother revisited me. This time her neck was snapped sideways.
“Salan…”
“You’re not real.”
“Salan!”
My mother clawed at my neck and blood spurted out. The pain felt real. I fell backwards. My body couldn’t move. I saw the forest turn to ash, and my vision faded away. When I woke up, it was daylight. My head throbbed. I struggled to get up, but my legs wouldn’t move. A fire seemed like a smart plan, especially while incapacitated.
I let my aura do the work of grinding the trees down. This wood burned easily. Hopefully, this would scare off some animals. My neck wasn’t swollen, but my condition worsened. I didn’t know what was poisonous or an antidote. Desperately, I skimmed the Leader’s journal. There was nothing about curing such ailments. I wasn’t surprised.
I applied alcohol on the sting. The venom must be in my bloodstream. I ate three cans of soup and drank a bunch of water. Maybe refilling my stomach would help fight off the poison. It was all I could hope for. Rationing my supplies was less of a priority now. I became paler and felt weak.
The day passed, and I couldn’t do anything but sit around. Using my aura, I ascended to pinpoint my location. This time I could only use my hands. I still had a two-day climb to make it up the mountain. I read more of the Leader’s journal to pass the time.
‘January 23th, 1575
Jefora and Cassiella have the best squads here. Salan however, needs some improvement. He still has some rebellious tendencies. I’m glad that the insects are coming out in two more years. The doctor seems to be working on it all the time. He didn’t give me any trouble for increasing the number of patients with the three-day P.S.O. treatment. Let the weak die off. The strong sell for more anyway. The bottom line is that the doctor is someone I can trust.”’
I couldn't contain my laughter. “Yeah right! What an idiot!”
My vision began to fade slowly, and I passed out. When I woke up, a black boar
was stalking me. I opened my knife pouch, slowly drawing the knife.
“Stay back!” I said grabbing the fire with a black aura, moving it back and forth.
The boar still cautiously moved forward. His eyes were bright red, and when he got closer, he snarled. His teeth had sharp needle-like points, and foam poured from his mouth. Putting down the torch, I threw three daggers. Two hit his head, and one hit his massive tusk. He let out a loud cry and passed out. I sighed in relief, lying back.
The boar suddenly shed all its furry black skin. Blood spurted out when the fur peeled off. A naked red boar with tinier tusks charged at me infuriated. I took out the knife Mr. Finch gave me. One of his tusks skimmed my side but did little damage. I toppled him over with his ow force. That could have been a lot worse if it weren’t for my Ju Jitsu training. I stabbed the boar over and over in the neck. Its movements stopped, and I paused. Out of frustration, I kept stabbing the boar until my face dripped with blood.
“Stay dead this time you bastard,” I uttered.
Beyond the fangs, this creature was perfect for hunting. The hide skinned itself. I set up the fire to put the boar on a spit. As soon as the meat browned, I devoured the meat. The meat tasted like heaven. It was my first actual meal since I ran away from Faslow. Freshly cooked meat beats tomato soup any day.
After I ate, I noticed my legs twitched when I tried to move them. It gave me a glimmer of hope that I could walk again. If I died there, no one would know what happened in that place. No one would stop the doctor. The boar was at least cautious of the fire. I took the boar off the spit and made the fire as big as possible. The light was hope in a black abyss. Maybe people would see it. The higher I went, the better the signal would be. Staring at the massive fire, I passed out again.
I woke up with no nightmares. Suddenly, I smelled something approaching. The scent was unfamiliar. Footsteps were coming from a black bush. My eyes slowly adjusted. Two bright yellow eyes appeared from the fray. They stared right through me. Was the creature stalking me? The animal cautiously moved forward. I couldn’t tell if I was hallucinating again. It had black fur with menacing yellow eyes. The creature was a large black panther.
14- The Privilege of Trust
“If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow; but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much.”
― Mark Twain
“Stay back!” I said with my aura bursting.
The panther was frightened even for its massive size. The only difference was that the tale of the cat had a pointed end. Its face looked like a lost child rather than a predator. Was it a tactic to lure me in? I had no knowledge of this place or its creatures. If you told me pigs could fly here, I’d believe it.
I kept my eyes on the creature. It didn’t seem aggressive. I threw a piece of meat at the cat. It kept its eyes on me. We both didn’t trust each other. When the cat moved over to the meat, it limped. The cat's paw had a thorn through it and couldn’t get out with its teeth. The thorn was bent and made an L- shape. My vision started to fade again from the poison. I slapped my face to stay awake.
“Hey, come here kitty. I’m not going to hurt you.”
The cat’s ears perked up. Its eyes turned down in sorrow. It was like gazing into a mirror. I took off my hood and showed my cat ears. This seemed to gain its trust. The cat ignored the meat and moved closer to me.
“So, you’re all alone in this world too, huh?”
Our eyes were only a meter apart now. I readied my hand in case it decided to kill me.
“Meow.”
“You want me to take the thorn out, huh? Alright, this is going to hurt. You ready?”
“Meow.”
The cat moved his paw towards my lap. I pulled it out quickly, and blood spurted out. The cat moaned. I moved my hands back. Once the cat licked the wound, it moved closer. Then curled beside me.
“Meow.”
“Sorry, you startled me.”
My eyes wandered back and forth as my vision began to fade. I collapsed backward with the cat on me. When I woke up, the cat had ripped my shirt and was licking my chest. I sprang backward, startling the panther. Had the cat attacked me? My lacerations chest had healed and my neck didn’t hurt anymore. My aura could heal wounds but not that fast. The pain was completely gone. I felt fantastic. I got up smiling. The cat peeked at me with utter curiosity.
“Did you do this?”
“Meow.”
“So, you did? Thank you.”
“Meow.”
“Wait a second. I understood that. How can I understand what you are saying?”
“Meow.”
“I don’t know isn’t a valid answer!”
The panther moved its ears back and ran in the opposite direction. It disappeared into the bushes.
I stuck out my hand, “Wait I’m sorry.”
What had I done? The only friendly companion I had in this forest was that panther.
“Go ahead and leave! Everyone else does anyway! My mom! My friends! I have nothing!” I shouted into the abyss.
I kicked a pebble near my toe. Then, the panther broke the silence.
“Meow.”
It moved up and rubbed against my leg. I held onto the panther as it purred in my arms.
“Please don’t go. I don’t know if you’re real or not but please don’t go.”
“Meow.”
“Who are you calling weak?”
I laughed to myself. “Am I insane? Is this really happening or am I imagining you from that sting back at that cave? I don’t even know anymore. I can’t explain how I understand you.”
“Meow.”
“What’s weird is that my wounds healed on my chest, along with the pain in my neck. Even with the hallucinations, both of those aspects were always there. There is a good chance you’re real.”
“Meow.”
“Real is something that isn’t fictional – something that exists in this world. Something you smell, touch, taste, see, and feel.”
“Meow.”
“Yes, I’m real. Where are your parents?”
The panther’s its ears went down.
I smiled, “Do you want to stick with me then? I’m a lonely loser just like you after all.”
The cat's ears perked up and nodded. It started to purr, and I couldn’t help but do the same.
“It’s going to get dark. We need to keep moving. There are others we need to find who can help us. This forest is dangerous.”
“Meow.”
“They probably look like me but with bat wings and ears.”
“Meow.”
“We can’t? Why not?”
The panther pointed to the boar with its paw and then back to itself. I had no idea what the panther meant by this. It communicated with body language or one-word answers.
“Meow.”
“Murder? They killed your kind?”
The cat bowed its head.
“Is that why you are alone?”
The cat nodded again but seemed unhappier.
“Sorry I shouldn’t have asked.”
We both stood in silence.
“Alright, how’s this? We still need help from those people. So, when we meet them, do not attack, understand? Stay behind me at all costs. Like it or not, we need their help. If they do not listen to reason as many people do, run and hide nearby. I will come back and find you again, OK? Promise me. I don’t want to lose you too.”
The cat paused then nodded.
“I can’t lose you too. My heart can only take so much.”
“Meow.”
We both ate the whole boar and continued up the hill, but this time, I mustered a smile. One friend, that’s all it takes when you're feeling down. This cat understood me more than most people. I am going to protect this creature. I refused to let any more of my friends die. Life doesn’t wait when you're down; it will keep kicking you until you wipe away your tears and get back up. To cheer myself up, I talked to my new
friend.
“So, what should I call you?”
“Meooow,” the cat’s voice rose at the end of the word.
“That’s an awful name.”
The cat slumped his shoulders and avoided eye contact. There was an awkward silence.
“Would it be OK if I named you? You can name me too if it makes you feel better?”
“Meow.”
“Well my name is Salan.”
The cat shook its head back and forth.
“I think I understand how you feel now,” I laughed.
Another day and we would be at the top of the hill. The fact I can understand my new friend was weird. Each meow I heard my mind translated automatically. I’m going to see some flying pigs soon. I know it. Passing by a black bush, I had another idea.
“How about Thorn?”
“Meow.”
“What about black panther?”.
“Meow.”
“That’s not lame! That’s what you look like!”
My mind raced back to the moment I had first met Cassiella. The name I made up was Jonas. Since my world’s been flipped, how about my name as well.
“Alright, how about Sanoj, it’s Jonas backward. It’s a fake name I came up with a long time ago.”
“Meow.”
“You like it! Alright, what about mine?”
“Meow.”
“Think I should stick with Jonas huh.” I smiled, thinking about my experience and how that was the first time I met Cassiella. Just thinking about her made my heart sink. It’s still a part of me.
“Jonas, it is.”
We traveled up for a whole day. We took a break when we came up to a rock wall. That was the end of the hill and the start of the mountain formation. Upon closer inspection, I could see that it was a mix of a silver-like color.
“I never thought seeing a plain old rock wall would impress me, but you get sick of black after a while.”
Sanoj sat with his shoulders hunched, “Meow.”
“Yea we’re resting here for tonight. Tomorrow though, we are going to the top of the mountain.”
Sanoj glanced up at the mountain and then over his shoulder. He was avoiding my eyes. If I went back to Faslow, I can’t say I wouldn’t feel the same.
Untold Deception Page 19