I have to do something now! Everything moves in slow motion when I jump to my feet, pull the gun from behind my back and aim it at the closest guy.
I squeeze the trigger and his body falls limp to the ground. The second one swings his fist but I see it in time. Using his momentum, I send him flying onto his back, firing a second round into his head.
Then I spin back around at Fash with the firearm pointed at him. He holds his hands up in the air, stretching out his long white coat. Even in the low light, I can see the hint of silver in his hair.
“Who are you?” I burst out. He smiles and slowly lets his arms fall to his side, withdrawing them behind his back.
“They call me Fash.” A bizarre calm emanates from him. He’s taller than me by several inches with fading blonde hair. He looks older but very fit. His strength could rival my own.
I don’t know if I could take him in a fight. Best if I don’t find out. “What do you want with me?”
He shrugs his shoulders “Nothing much. I am going to steal your food though, then I’ll probably kill you.” I reinforce my grip on the gun, his words rattling me.
“Oh really? I don’t know if you noticed but I’m the one holding the gun.”
He smiles sinisterly. “For now. But what happens when you’re not?”
My face contorts with confusion. Why is he so confident? A little on edge, I take a step forward to intimidate him.
“I will shoot you. And I’ll make you watch as I spill your guts out before you die,” he replies coldly. Voices come from outside the room.
“Fash! What’s going on? We heard gun fire!” I’m unnerved by Fash’s threat. It’s best to retreat for now. I’m competent when it comes to one on one fighting but he holds the advantage with an entourage.
I’m alone and outnumbered in an unknown city. I fire two shots at him. He ducks and darts to the left, slamming against the plaster.
I burst in the opposite direction towards the other end of the room. Just a few feet away is a broken door, propped up, covering a fissure in the wall. I rush to it and pull, slamming it down.
Fash yells angrily, his voice muffled by an enormous bang that sends a bullet whizzing past my head.
That’s why he was so confident. He had his own pistol ready to fire. I dive through the gap into the darkness. I need to move fast. I hit the floor on the other side and scramble to my feet. I run down the dilapidated hallway blindly, trying to keep my bearings.
I weave in and out of corners, waiting for someone to pop up. After what feels like a minute, I trip over some fallen debris which knocks the wind out of me. The coarse and dusty air sticks to my throat, making me cough violently.
A muffled voice and thunderous footsteps advance towards me. “Find him! Find him and kill him! I want his head!”
I jump up and sprint as fast as I can. “. . .must getaway.” The words spew out of my mouth between steps. My whole body stops as I turn a corner right into someone!
Before I can react, a powerful right hook from the Blooder digs into my stomach. The force of the punch is staggering. He then slams both his fists against the back of my head, sending me to the ground. I hold my arms against my chest, begging for air.
I can’t breathe! Everything goes fuzzy while my vision turns to black and white. The leather clad marauder pulls out a long, glinting object from his pocket as he knees down by my head. I feel the rusted edges of his knife cutting against my neck, dragging it from my jugular to my forehead and back down again.
He raises it high in the air. I can’t move! This is it. This is the end.
I brace myself for death, when a large piece of stone hits him square in the face. The man topples over clutching his nose with his hands, howling in pain. I look around to see who it was that saved me, then feel myself being dragged away.
Is it Fash? Did he catch up to me? I can’t tell exactly what’s happening. I hear words but I can’t understand them as the screams of the injured Blooder fade into the background.
I look at the face of the figure dragging me away, seeing an empty darkness, then I’m lifted up onto their shoulders. I try to speak, but my mouth won’t open. A few unintelligible moans tumble out of my semi closed lips before everything disappears.
Next thing I know, I’m awake and jerk upright with a loud gasp. I’m in an old blue room with singed walls. The long-forgotten deep black strokes from a fire that climbed up to the ceiling once.
In the corner is a small white rocking chair, and there are three windows in front of me. In front of the center window is a white round table.
I sit up for a moment, my chest burning with pain too terrible to withstand, then I slowly lay myself back down.
“You took quite a hit,” a voice says behind me. I jump again, the sudden movement sending pain all over. “Now, now, you don’t want to aggravate your wounds,” the voice soothes in a low tone.
I strain my eyes to see him standing in the open doorway. He’s dressed in all black from head to toe with a sash covering his face. The man approaches me cautiously, putting his hands up as if to say ‘I’m unarmed’.
I relax my muscles and allow him to come closer. He examines me, pressing lightly on my wounds. “I’m not trying to get fresh with you, son, I just want to get an idea of the damage you’ve been inflicted with.”
I try not to laugh, but holding it in hurts my lungs. So I laugh, but that only makes it worse. I watch his eyes glance over me, humming every few seconds whenever I would react to the pain or not. Finally, he looks at me directly and pulls down his sash.
His face is worn with deep grooves and wrinkles, marking decades of experience in his dark skin which blends seemingly with his apparel. And his eyes are the most surprising shade of blue I’ve ever seen.
I’m mesmerized by them. “You’ve got some very serious bruising on your ribs. At least two are broken and the rest are probably bruised. Plus, I wouldn’t be surprised if you had some internal bleeding. Although, you don’t have a fever and there’s no dark spots on your body so it’s safe to assume you don’t. You’re very lucky, young man. Not many have stood up to a Blooder and lived to tell about it.”
He stands up and brings over a metal pan filled with semi clear water. He dips in a poorly made cloth, then rings it out and places it under my shirt against my chest. The discomfort makes me groan. “Come now, you won’t get any better if you don’t cooperate.”
It’s surprising how much I want to trust him even with my suspicions high. What if that’s his intention? To lower my defenses and then kill me when he has the chance? He looks at me curiously, like he knows what I’m thinking.
“Don’t worry now, son. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“You don’t even know me,” I say harshly.
He withdraws a little. “You’re right.” He smiles and gets up to leave the room.
“Why did you do this?” I dial back my defensive tone.
He pauses, peers out the window, then looks back at the floor. “Because it was the right thing to do.”
Without making a sound, he glides through the doorway. I look around to see what I’m lying on. It’s an old mattress. Worn out, filled with holes and stains. A pungent odor pierces my nostrils. In an effort to get away from it, I close my eyes and try to sit up.
It’s no good. The pain worsens, making my head fall down again.
“I told you not to move, son. That’s only going to make things worse.” He returns with a pillow in hand, placing it under my neck. “Now how does that feel?”
“It’s good,” I reply. “But what’s that smell?”
He lets out a little chuckle. “You’d better get used to that. That smell is sulfur. When the bombs dropped, they coated them in sulfur to make the air hard to breathe.”
“I didn’t smell anything at the courthouse.”
He nods in agreement. “That is strange. Do you take any medication?”
“Yes.”
“If it numbs your pain, chances are it’s nu
mbing your sense of smell too. You can tell it’s wearing off since your sense of smell has returned.”
Medicine? My pack! With horror I realize I didn’t have time to recover it before escaping the Blooders. I scoff loudly, pounding my hands against my head.
“Woah, take it easy, son,” he says.
After I calm down, timid curiosity gets the better of me. “I’ve never seen anyone with such dark skin before.”
He seems surprised by my comment. “Oh really? They don’t have blacks where you come from?”
I shake my head.
“Where is it that you come from then?” he asks seriously.
“I come from the Sphere.”
His whole face lights up with wonder. “You’re from the Sphere?”
I nod.
“So… so you’re one of the people that lives inside there? Are there more of you? What’s it like?”
Overwhelmed and annoyed, I turn my gaze to the broken window towards the lifelessness of the city. With gloom, I shake my head while the dark clouds swirl and twist in the sky. His smile lowers into a frown.
“Oh… I see.” An awkward silence follows his obvious disappointment. “What’s your name?” he asks, kneeling beside me.
“It’s Krys.”
His smile returns. “My name’s Eli. I’ve lived here for over sixty years. Welcome, Krys, it’s an honor to meet you.” He extends his hand to mine and I shake it.
He grasps it firmly and says, “I’m sure we’ve got a lot to talk about,” then releases it.
“You’ve lived here your whole life?” I ask.
He nods his head in response. “That’s right. I’m about sixty-three.”
“I have so many questions. What happened to everything?”
Eli places his finger in front of his mouth and hushes me. “There will be time for explanations later, Krys. First thing we need to do is get you well again. Then, we can talk.”
He stands and walks to the door. Before closing it I try my original question again. “Eli, why did you save me?”
He looks up as if to really consider my question then says, “I’m not sure. If it were anyone else, I probably would have let them die. But like I said, it was the right thing to do.” With a smile on his face, he closes the door.
I stare out at the clouds once more, my eyelids closing slowly. Their heaviness increases as I drift off.
In my dreams I hear strange noises. The sounds of things that I’ve never heard before. But wait, this isn’t coming from my mind, it’s inside the room. The tune decreases with each passing chorus.
Slower and slower until it stops altogether. Like shattering glass, I’m struck awake by a curdling scream. My heart hurts it’s beating so quickly!
I bounce to my feet, ignoring the pain, and walk over to the window. The building I’m in stands at least three stories tall; down the street less than half a block away from me, a petite shadow staggers away with frightening desperation.
“Somebody help me!” shrieks a woman’s voice. She’s being followed by a tall, slender man; stalking her like an animal. Her assailant advances playfully, worsening the hysteria as her screams become wilder.
Sympathy washes over me, yearning to help this woman. “I have to do something,” I murmur but as I’m about to turn around, a hand presses down against my shoulder. It’s Eli. He was right behind me, watching.
“It’s too late for her, Krys,” he whispers.
Outrage is written on my face. What kind of man would save me but won’t do the same for a woman? I couldn’t help but criticize him. I don’t even know him.
I don’t know if he can be trusted. Sensing my disapproval, he leans close to my ear. “You see, the Blooders control this area. Everything from the bridge to the end of the city. They’ve existed since before I was born. They believe they hold all power over those that come into the city.”
“I guess that means you too, right, Eli?” I say with unapologetic cruelty.
He exhales then continues. “They do whatever it takes to survive. I’ve seen a group of Blooders kill an entire family without a single hint of regret or remorse. Men, women, children, it doesn’t matter. They are ruthless, soulless, unfeeling fiends that take what they want and destroy everything else in their way.”
His voice begins to shake as his eyes wander. The screams of the woman have stopped now. He takes his hand off my shoulder and begins to examine me. “You’re a lot stronger than you look. You’re bruises are already healing.”
“In the center of the Sphere is my city, Pura. I was a part of the security system of the city. We were given pills with a unique compound that helps speed up the healing process.”
He looks at me curiously and says, “You surprise me, Krys. I thought you meant to say the Sphere is just as bad as the world outside?”
I grab my head and slump down, the temporary energy boost wearing off.
“Right. Right, sorry,” Eli yields, helping me lay down. I feel his hand slip over my BAND. No reaction. He replies only with, “I’ll let you sleep for now. But I’ll be in the room right next to you. So if you need anything don’t be afraid to let me know.”
I nod my head and pull the sleeve down to cover my BAND. “Thank you, Eli.”
He stands and exits once more. The world is more alive than I thought. With far more death than I had hoped for. Maybe when I wake up it will be a little bit better. Just maybe.
I entertain several thoughts before falling asleep. The last thing to occupy my mind is Leina. I hope she’s still alive. I need to know what happened to her. I peek at the table where stands a tiny white box with a glass figurine inside it.
The figure is frozen in a peculiar position, wearing a pink dress and strange shoes. On the boxes side is a tiny metal crank. I turn the crank a few times then let go. A tinkling melody plays as the little dainty figure spins around and around. “Maybe tomorrow will be better, just maybe.”
Chapter 10 Dependence
She looks down at me with a very stern look on her face. I know I’m in trouble. But it’s quickly replaced by a smirk.
She bends down and scoops me up into her arms. Wiping away my tears she says, “It’s okay, my sweet child. No one can hurt you in my arms.”
She walks with me through a grassy green meadow, her white gown dragging behind. I look forward at a beautiful white building held up with long round pillars. “Where are we going?” I ask. My infant voice ringing throughout the misty air.
Without breaking her focus she says, “It’s a surprise.” Her answer makes my skin crawl, leaving me uneasy. The closer we get to the building the more anxious I get.
In the distance are twenty four men and woman dressed in IRIS uniforms with outstretched arms. I look to my birth-giver for safety and let out a scream. Her face melts into a mangled and horrid visage. She grasps me tightly with terrible strength.
“Let me go!” I wail.
“Come now, baby, we must not keep them waiting.” Her distorted voice sends shivers down my spine. I fight for my life but her grip is too strong. Such intense fear.
Then, in the blink of an eye, everything changes. The white atmosphere becomes darker until it’s a musty gray. The green and luscious grass withers away into a dead and barren necropolis. The white building turns dank and ugly, with the ceiling nearly caved in.
I’m no longer a child, but my normal self: standing a few feet away from her with my gun ready to fire. “Let me go right now!” I yell.
She scowls at me angrily. “How dare you threaten me! You terrible boy. I’ll make sure they kill you slowly.” I scream and pull the trigger.
Inside the burnt room, I fling myself from the mattress; bouncing off the floor and press up against the wall, swinging my arms wildly. Eli is next to me, shushing me. “It’s okay. Krys, it’s okay! Please, you need to be quiet.”
I survey the room, my face drenched in sweat, and peer into Eli’s eyes. He looks back at me with a mixture of worry and fear. My face scrunches up as I sl
ide down to the floor; letting out deep, heart wrenching sobs.
“Come-come now, son. It’s alright.” I breathe in deeply, trying to recover.
After a few minutes of silence between us, I sit up. “I’m sorry. It was just a nightmare.”
“This wasn’t just a dream, Krys. Your suffering has been more than just mental.” He presses his hand onto my forehead. “You still don’t have a fever but you do feel warm.”
“I was back in Pura, then the courthouse. In my dream. I saw… I saw horrible things.”
He removes his hand and presses his lips together before asking. “Why did you go the courthouse in the first place?”
Shame compels me to look down. “I was giving up.”
“What do you mean?” Eli’s voice quivers, knowing the answer.
I look away. “I wanted to end it.” The sobs come back harder now. I can tell the hopelessness is getting to Eli. He must have been waiting his whole life for those Sphere doors to open. Believing that his salvation was on the other side.
It might be funny if it didn’t happen to me too. Both of us, victims of hope. “I didn’t want to live anymore. So I found what I thought was a suitable place to die.” The silence is calming.
I don’t want to talk anymore. I don’t want to keep explaining what I’m feeling, because I don’t want to feel anymore. My thoughts dwell on Pura and its dependents.
What was once enmity has mutated into a consuming envy. Envy that they don’t have to endure this burden of unbridled emotions. How I long to return, to assimilate, to be a part of the system once again. As long as I don’t have to feel anything ever again. It burns in me with the same intensity as my anger, and I hate myself for it.
Outside is a little lighter than it was yesterday, with the clouds still hiding the sun behind a thick blanket. Eli sits down against the wall beside me, my sobs having subsided. I have to snort every few seconds to keep my nose from running.
He looks forward as if talking to nobody “I understand.”
I scoff mockingly “How can you understand? You don’t know what I’ve been through.”
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