Glitch

by Brenda Pandos

  I inhaled a deep breath—cinnamon, vanilla, and sage—before I removed the blindfold and sat up.

  Escape! I need to escape!

  “I knew you were awake.”

  My eyes slowly focused on a woman sitting on a bench at the table. She looked similar to the boys, tall and thin, with dark hair tied away from her face; grey wove in at her temples. I tried to speak but my voice was lost. Suspicion covered her expression and I wanted to bolt. After a few long seconds, she stood and held out her hand.

  “It’s okay, dear. The effects will wear off soon. I’ll help you get up, if you want.” Warm yet rough, her hand pulled me to my wobbly feet. In the cold chill, I clutched my injured arm closer to myself, wishing for my furry poncho that had somehow disappeared. After instructing me to sit on the bench next to her, she tsked after unwrapping my puffy arm.

  “My, my. Hurts, does it?”

  “Is it broken?” I asked gruffly, noting the lovely new bluish bruises.

  “There’s your voice. I’m Lana.” Her blue eyes twinkled momentarily before her smile vanished. She nodded once and a dark brown braid tied with a leather cord fell forward over her shoulder. “Well then, Abby. Let’s see what you’ve done here.”

  She kneaded her fingers into my puffy skin, soft at first then more firm. I sucked in the air over my teeth as she made her way from my elbow to my wrist, hitting tender spots along the way.

  “Ouch!” I yelped as she neared my wrist, and I tried to tug my arm from her.

  “Ah,” she said with a smile, letting go. “Most likely sprained, maybe a torn ligament, but not broken.”

  She rose from the table and sifted through the things in her bag. Dressed in similar clothing to her boys, dark shirt, jeans, and boots, she didn’t exude the warmth you’d expect from a mom. Instead, she appeared to be ready for battle.

  She produced an Ace Bandage and before I knew it, she’d wrapped me up and put my arm in a clean sling. Kaden’s musk was replaced by fresh linen, and for some sick reason, I missed his smell. For a small moment, I wondered where he was and if this was all a trick.

  “What do you want with me?” The words slipped out.

  Her eyes lifted from my arm, surprised. “I want nothing from you. I assumed you and Kaden had an agreement.”

  My throat tightened. “Not exactly.”

  “Well, then…” She blew out a puff of air and studied me. “Until that’s settled, you’ll need to wear something less frivolous. ‘Cause this Brighton attire will never work here.”

  I smoothed my hands down the dirty pink fabric and pushed my feet under the chair. “These are my pajamas.”

  Lana sighed, then smiled. “That explains things. I think I’ve got just the thing.”

  While she disappeared down the narrow hall, I looked around. The small cramped space was the oddest layout I’d ever seen, considering the entire thing had a tree growing through the middle of it. Sparse furnishing with little décor, only a table with two benches filled the kitchen. The counter had a bowl and a pitcher under the single glass window. Besides a few candles, the counters and open shelves were bare. I moved over to the window. Outside was nothing but a thicket of branches and leaves. Then the floor beneath me swayed. I grabbed onto the counter.

  “Oh, you’ll get used to it. When the wind picks up, it feels like we’re gonna tumble and fall. But we never do.” She began to hum the nursery rhyme Rock-a-bye Baby and I shivered.

  “Fall?” I asked.

  “Yes, dear. We’re up in the trees,” she said, nonchalantly. “You’re a size 8 shoe, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  I hitched up onto my toes to peer out the small window. Down at least thirty feet below were tiny men milling about on the ground. I grabbed onto the wall, feeling woozy. I’d been wrong. It wasn’t so much that a tree grew through the house, as we were suspended in the air by said tree. “How’d I get up here?”

  “The boys carried you up when you faked being passed out.” She perched up her brow. “Why don’t you try these on. I think they’ll fit.”

  She laid down a grey long sleeved shirt, jeans, shoes, socks, and a clean, lacy, white bra on the table. I wanted to hug her neck for her kindness, but I had a feeling the clothes came with a price.

  At another creak and shift under my feet, my breathing picked up. I could never stay here, let alone live here. I gulped down my fear and snagged the clothing with my free hand. “Where’s the bathroom?”

  “Bathroom?” Lana laughed, shaking her head. “If you need to relieve yourself, then I best suggest you get dressed and we’ll go find a tree.”

  I stared at her. A tree? Did she expect me to pee outside?

  Her lips thinned. “You’re no longer in Brighton, love, and we do with what we have available. The men folk have it easy, but for us… squatting is how God made us. Now get dressed. I’ll turn around.”

  I continued to gape in shock. No bathrooms? Squatting in the wilderness? What if someone saw me?

  Lana tapped her foot impatiently, but I couldn’t move. She turned her head. “Come on, girl. The men folk will be poking their noses in soon.”

  I put the clothes down. Quickly, I slid off my pajama pants and pulled on the jeans. Letting out a puff of air, I barely managed to button the top with one hand. How was I going to get the bra on?

  “Does it fit?” Lana asked, startling me.

  “Kind of,” I mumbled, running my hand over the tight waistband.

  “After a few days here, you’ll slim down and loose your Brighton pudge.”

  My jaw dropped. Was she calling me fat? I huffed and removed my bandaged arm from the sling and studied the bra. I wasn’t sure if my B cup would fill a C, but at this point I’d wear anything for some sort of support. Unthreading my arms from the shirt and leaving it circled on my neck, I quickly put the cups over my boobs to hide them and slipped on the straps. Then I was stuck.

  The door knob rattled. “Ma? Can I come in?”

  I gasped at Memphis’ voice, stepping backward, practically tripping over the bench. Holding the bra up with my hurt arm, I tried to pull the pink pajama shirt down around myself, failing miserably.

  “Boy!” Lana yelled. “Keep out and hold your horses! We’re almost done!”

  The knob stopped moving. Through the door, I heard Memphis mumble his disdain. She tsked and waltzed over to me, tugging the two ends of the bra and clasping them into place behind my back. She tugged off my old shirt and replaced it with the new one. “There.”

  Sensing her impatience, I lowered my chin. “Thank you.”

  “Good thing I locked the door.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “You’ll be needing these, too.” She handed me a small satchel. “Feminine stuff and underwear. They’re new, don’t worry.”

  My cheeks bloomed as I weakly smiled. Then my stomach turned. Her suggestion meant I’d be here a while, and I wasn’t ready to embrace what Kaden had told me earlier—not yet.

  “Let me get you a bag.” She clicked the lock and opened the door. “Memphis. Put on Abby’s shoes. I’ll be right back.”

  I turned to Memphis, thankful to see a kind face. He eyed me up and down, finishing with a crooked smile. “I told you Ma was about your size.”

  He motioned for me to sit as he picked up my socks and shoes. He kneeled down, and I felt bad he was fondling my disgusting dirty feet. Beyond him through the opened door, I saw the cleverly disguised web work of tree forts. I gawked as a man floated between two trees through what looked like a patchwork of branches hanging in mid air—most likely a bridge. Memphis followed my gaze, then kicked the door closed with his foot.

  “You all live in the trees?” I asked.

  “Not entirely,” he said as he wiggled the shoe onto my foot. “We don’t always stay in one place.”

  “Where do you stay then?”

  “Anywhere we can. Underground. In abandoned buildings, you name it. Anything to keep the EA guessing,” he said nonchalantly.

  Thinking of
how they kept tabs on us with DOD watches, cameras in public, and all of our correspondence, I wondered how the rebels were able to remain hidden.

  “How many are in your group?”

  “Well… a few—”

  “Memphis,” Lana’s voice inflected his name as if in a warning to stop talking. “I’m sure Abby is thirsty and hungry. Would you be so kind as to fetch her something to eat?” She gestured to the door.

  “Yes, Ma.” Memphis gave me an apologetic frown and stepped outside.

  Longingly, I watched him exit, missing the buffer his presence gave.

  “I’m sure you have lots of questions about our way of life, Abby, but until we get matters cleared up on why you’re here, we must not discuss things that could harm either of us.”

  I pursed my lips. Didn’t she not know I was the victim here?

  “Actually,” I lifted my head. “I’d really like to discuss how to get me home.”

  Lana’s eyes widened slightly before she recovered. I suddenly understood where Kaden got his ability to hide his emotions so deftly.

  “Then why did you leave Brighton?”

  “Because Kaden kidnapped me.”

  With thin lips, she gripped tighter onto the pack, her knuckles bleaching. “Well…” She sighed. “I’m sure there’s an explanation.”

  Had Kaden not mentioned his plan? That he thought I was the Oracle and their future leader? I couldn’t be sure, exactly. Whatever the case, she was a good actress. But this left me unsure what to say. I didn’t exactly want to get Kaden in trouble, especially if my Complement had visited him. He’d risked his life as a favor to her, though I didn’t want to fulfill the bargain. All I really wanted was to get home and to ask the help of friends I could trust to straighten this out.

  At the low rumble in the sky, Lana’s eyes lifted to the ceiling. “Oh, no.” She swung her glare to me, her face pained. “I think you’ve gotten your wish.”

  Within seconds, a short blast of a trumpet filled the air and Memphis scurried into the house, slamming the door.

  “We need to get her outside,” Lana barked. “She wants to go home.”

  “No,” he clasped onto my good arm, “not yet.”

  I pulled away from him, nervous and frightened. This was the moment of truth. Who did I believe? Kaden? Or everything I’d been told since I was a child? Returning to Brighton meant obeying the rules and ignoring the lies I now knew first hand. But staying here meant living off the land, peeing in the forest, and fraternizing with criminals, not to mention Kaden’s expectations that I’d rule their people eventually, which was absurd.

  Lana moved to the trunk of the tree and pressed her finger into the bark. A door popped open, revealing a room inside.

  “Come on.” Lana motioned us forward. “Memphis! Let her go.”

  I stood, firmly rooted. What would it hurt to be rescued? To go home?

  “Abby!” Pain radiated from Memphis’ eyes as he took my hand and laced his fingers with mine. “I promised Kaden I’d take care of you.”

  Kaden. I was beginning to hate his name.

  “I’m not Kaden’s property, and I want to go home.” Though I’d said the words with conviction, something in my gut told me I was making a grave mistake.

  Lana hissed again, telling Memphis to hurry.

  Memphis dropped my hand. “Fine, I won’t make you then.”

  I stared into his eyes as the whipping sounds of the blades grew closer and more ominous. “I’m sorry, Memphis. But this is not my life. I belong in Brighton.”

  He leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. “I respect your decision. I’ll never forget you, Sugar.”

  Sadness lingered in his eyes before he turned and stepped into the closet.

  “Last chance.” Lana’s hand was on the rope tethered to the interior side of the door. She had a pleading look on her face, one that begged me to keep quiet about their existence. “There’s a ladder outside to get you to the ground.”

  “Okay,” I said.

  She bowed her head and momentarily closed her eyes. There was something there, a sense of disappointment, before she shut the door. I didn’t like being so misjudged.

  My heart raced as I reached for the door to go outside. Was I making the right choice? Dread sunk into my bones, but I thought of Mom and Dad, of Elle and Landon, of home. I was moments from seeing them.

  An electrical zap sounded behind me before something shoved hard into my back. “Don’t you dare go home!” a female voice hissed.

  I stumbled sideways, away from the door and toward the secret room, knocking into it. I turned to the sound, looking for the source. Only sparkles of light on the circling motes punctuated the air. I stood, speechless.

  The door behind me opened, and Memphis encircled his arms around my waist pulling me inside. Darkness enveloped us as the door shut. Together we breathed heavy, listening to the whirring sounds circling back and forth. Memphis’ arms held tight around my stomach; his breath heavy against my ear. I wiggled to gain more space.

  “Please,” I begged.

  “Shhh,” Lana said. “Not until they’ve gone.”

  The sounds of the helicopter should have spread fear through me, but the stranger, the voice, the girl—it rung in my ears. And I knew the truth.

  I’d finally met my Complement, the Oracle.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Memphis and Lana didn’t move immediately after the helicopter’s whirring blades drifted out of earshot. Only after the stifling heat produced by three bodies became unbearable, (in a very small space, mind you) did she finally allow Memphis to open the door.

  I stumbled from the room, breaking free from Memphis’ arms and sucked in a fresh clean breath. The space where my Complement had been didn’t sparkle anymore. Had I imagined her?

  “Well, then.” Lana closed up the room and turned, her face wrought with concern. “Since Abby has decided to stay, I need to speak to your father.”

  Memphis’ cat-like smile made me regret my decision.

  “Where’d you see Kaden last?” Lana pulled on Memphis’ arm, drawing his attention away from me. “If they’re scanning the forest and have come this far—”

  “He’ll be fine, Ma,” he said. “He’s with Jewels.”

  Jewels? A snarky bit of jealousy rose my hackles. Who was Jewels? I pushed the stupid thought away.

  Lana’s shoulders tightened as she looked out the window. “Well, that’s good to know, but I hate to say it. We can’t stay here now.”

  Memphis kept watching me adoringly, as if his adoration swayed me to stay. His smile broke as soon as the door flew open.

  “Why is she still here?” A man with a striking resemblance to Kaden pointed at me. “You had your chance. They came for you.”

  Lana moved alongside the man. “Abby has decided to stay.”

  The man clenched his jaw. “I don’t care what Kaden has done, she’s not welcome here.”

  “She’s not the enemy, Peter,” Lana retorted.

  My life was being batted around like a birdie caught between two cats. Why did my Complement insist I stay in this nightmare again?

  “She’s not a threat, Dad,” Memphis began. “Kaden took—”

  “You have no say in this, Son,” Peter barked. “And until Kaden returns, safe and sound, I’ll hold you responsible.” Though he said it to Memphis, his glare found me.

  I stepped backward.

  “We need to discuss this in private.” Lana tugged on Peter’s arm, pulling him outside.

  As the door closed, the awkwardness escalated. I moved to the window, felt the sudden pang of queasiness from the height, then decided to sit on the bench. I tried to look everywhere but at Memphis and his inquisitive eyes.

  “Glad you decided to stay.” He sat across from me.

  “Your dad isn’t.”

  “Ehh… once he sees reason, he’ll get over it.”

  The extra joy in his voice made me want to tell him I hadn’t chosen to stay because of his
admission of whatever that was. My Complement’s shove wasn’t something to argue with.

  With the confirmation of Kaden’s experience, everything he had said began to replay in my mind. That my Complement told him to rescue me otherwise I’d be bait against the future-me and that I was to lead the rebellion. I felt completely overwhelmed and inadequate, and mostly unwelcome in this foreign place.

  “Yeah, well, before I decide to stay indefinitely, Kaden needs to explain some things.”

  Memphis sighed and shook his head. “You know, he’s kind of unpredictable.”

  I snorted in agreement. Unpredictable topped my list, next to cryptic, complicated, and way down at the bottom was cute… but I had a tiny inkling he did have a good heart. “So what exactly did he tell your dad about all of this, because he doesn’t seem very happy to see me, the future leader of your people.”

  “Don’t worry about my dad.” Memphis pushed his hand through his hair. “Kaden said he had a vision that you needed to be rescued from Brighton and that you’d be a vital part of our community in the future.”

  A vital part, but no mention of being the leader. Great. He was just as scared to tell his dad the truth as I was to actually take charge. “Did your dad believe him?”

  “Uhhh… he wanted Kaden to wait, and see if an Elder received duplicate confirmation first.”

  “Duplicate confirmation?” I could see it now, the Oracle leading a group of seers, all fighting over whose vision was better.

  “There’s been an Elder or two who’s had dreams about stuff the colony should do to stay alive…” He sat back and propped his hands behind his head. “It was Kaden’s first vision, and no one has suggested we visit Brighton before, if you know what I mean. We kind of want to stay out of their way.”

  I furrowed my brow. That wouldn’t last for long if future-me had anything to say about it. Rebels typically attacked.

  “But you knew Kaden didn’t have a vision. He actually met someone from the future.”

  Memphis narrowed his eyes at me for a moment, the corner of his lip tipping up.