I did the same with Peter’s bag. I took the blanket from my bag and draped it over both of us.
“Thanks,” she said. Then she added, “Maybe we should check to see what Donald was bringing.”
Her voice cracked when she said his name.
I grabbed his bag, which was stuffed with a few snack foods, two containers of water, some matches, and two small black cases.
“Let me see those,” Abigail requested.
I handed her both cases, and she examined them. She opened one of them. Inside was a black watch, identical to hers. In the corner there were four capsules: two yellow and two green.
“These are the watches we use to control our abilities. One of them must be Mary’s. The other is probably for you,” she said.
She flipped over the watch and twisted the back plate off. There were two little compartments.
“This is where you put the CC1586 capsules. Yellow is for the relaxer. The green is for the stimulant,” she explained as she placed the capsules into their corresponding holes.
“Let me see your arm,” she asked.
I lifted my left arm palm up, and she put the watch on. She then flipped my arm over so the face of the watch was pointing up.
“The watch always suppresses your ability by secreting a relaxer that was contained in the CC1586 virus. It is basically a watered down version that made people go into coma,” she explained. “It is very difficult to use your abilities with the watch on because that part of your brain is put to sleep in a way. If you press the side of the watch in, it will release the stimulant. It wakes up the part that explains to your body how to operate more efficiently, letting us control our abilities. When the stimulant is active, the relaxing agent acts as an inflammatory in a way. It slows the swelling of the brain, giving you better control over all, and you can sustain it much longer.”
“Cool,” I admitted. “Thanks.”
She placed the cases back in bag. We were both silent for a few minutes before Abigail spoke.
“I’m sorry,” she said with pain in her voice.
“What would you be sorry for?” I asked in surprise.
She sighed.
“I was scared. I froze. It should never have happened,” she started. “When the Guard came out and hit me, I fell down, but I was not knocked out. I was so scared I just laid there. I saw everything you did. I even let you carry me.”
She raised her knees and rested her head.
“Then back at the house, I did it again. I don't know if we could have saved Donald, but I should have tried.” She burst into tears.
I wrapped my arms around her.
“It’s okay. Everyone gets scared. I was scared. You had good reason to be. I will never hold it against you. I promise not to tell anyone.” I tried to console her, but it just seemed to make her cry harder.
We sat there for what seemed for hours. I stayed quiet with my arm over her shoulders as she cried. She finally had no more tears and leaned back.
“Try to get some rest,” I told her. “I will keep watch.”
She moved the bag she was leaning on and put it against my leg, resting her head on it.
I tried to stay perfectly still so I would not disturb her. It was not long before she fell asleep.
As I lay there listening to the animals of the night shuffling around us, I began to think about all that happened that day. Reality started to sink in that I probably would never get to see my family again. That man at Mary’s house had said they were all infected. They were probably already carried away by now, or worse.
I could not control the tears, so I silently let them come. In minutes, I was fast asleep too.
Chapter 10
I woke up with a jolt.
Pat. Pat. Pat.
It sounded like footsteps coming toward us from behind.
I shook Abigail’s arm, and she opened her eyes.
“What…?” she started, but I put my hands over her mouth.
“Shhh. I hear something,” I whispered in her ear.
She carefully removed the blanket, and we both stood up. We could not see over the root system, but we could hear the footsteps coming closer.
“Once they pass us, we can jump them from behind,” she whispered.
I nodded.
I placed my hand over my watch, preparing to press the sides in. I never tested it, so I hoped it worked. More importantly, I hoped it did not hurt.
The footsteps were just on the other side of the roots now.
I held my breath when a face came into view.
“Mary?” I exclaimed.
Mary screamed and slapped her hand over her mouth.
“You scared me! Oh thank god you’re alive,” she said as she rushed forward and gave me a hug.
Abigail coughed.
Mary stepped back and looked around. Casey and Peter walked into view.
“Where is Donald?” Mary asked with wide eyes.
Abigail looked down.
“He didn’t make it,” I spoke up.
“It was Aaric Dealbeorht,” Abigail added.
Mary gasped and cupped both hands over her mouth.
“It’s my fault,” she sobbed. “I forgot the watches at the house, and he said he could get them.”
We explained to Mary what had happened from the beginning up until the point Donald died. I left out the part about our families being infected. I did not want Casey and Peter to freak out before we were safe.
Mary then told us that, once she left the classroom, she met Donald by the trees. That’s when she had realized she forgot the watches. Donald said he would grab them and meet her in the woods in front of the house.
After Donald ran off, she heard the gunshots. She started to run into the woods, but there were Guards there too. She hid under an old bridge as the Guards past, and she waited a while before she continued to sneak through the woods. She kept ducking and hiding behind trees occasionally to let Guards pass. She ran into Casey and Peter a little past the big tree near the road. Casey told Mary that we were heading to her house to see if she was all right and the plan was to meet in the woods in front of her house. By the time they had reached the house, there were already cars there. She figured Donald was already out in the woods by now and told Casey that Abigail would bring me to the evacuation point and that they should head there. Since Casey had to stop and put Peter down for a few minutes on the way to the house, they did not know if Abigail and I had already come and gone. At first, Casey did not want to go, but they heard footsteps and decided to move further into the woods. Peter’s bag must have slipped off without anyone noticing.
They had to stop about a mile in because Peter was getting too heavy, and they rested. They woke up before sunrise and started towards the mountain again, and now here we were.
“We better get moving. I don't want anyone following us,” Mary said.
We walked for about ten minutes before Peter broke the silence.
“I'm so hungry,” Peter whined.
I had not noticed it, but I was starving also. I had not eaten since yesterday morning. My stomach gurgled.
“There is some food in Donald’s bag,” I remembered.
We all stopped and huddled around the bag. I grabbed two apples and a pack of crackers, and we split it. I took out a bottle of water and passed it around.
I noticed the watch cases at the bottom of the bag.
“Mary, Donald did get the watches,” I said.
I took out the two boxes and handed them to her.
“That amazing boy,” she said with red eyes. She glanced at my wrist. “I see you put one on already. Did she show you how to use it?”
“She did,” I responded.
“Good.” She turned to Peter. “You can use the other one. Maybe this will keep Casey from carrying you.”
Peter’s ears turned red.
“Thanks,” Peter said as he opened the box, and Abigail started to help him set it up.
In a few minutes, we fi
nished our meal and began to make our way forward.
Mary began to talk about all the different things that we would see in the West.
“You will not believe your eyes! Soft beds with real blankets. Air conditioning. Oh, I miss AC. I miss the heater. I miss real clothes. Shampoo, conditioner, soap, hot water, clean water,” Mary began to ramble. “And the food. Cakes, Chinese food, pizza, hamburgers, spaghetti, fried chicken, donuts…”
All of our stomachs made a huge gurgle, and we all moaned together in pain.
“Please stop, Mary. I can’t take it!” Abigail begged.
“Oh, come on, Abigail. There has to be something you miss?” Mary asked.
“Yeah, all of what you just said!” Abigail replied. “And I miss the music.”
I guess that talking about what they missed gave them motivation to move on because they went back and forth for about an hour. I stopped listening and started to think about what I missed the most—my family.
“What about your families?” I asked.
I knew it was the wrong topic as soon as the first word slipped from my mouth, but I could not help it.
There was a pause, where Mary and Abigail looked at each other.
“I have no family,” Mary spoke up. “I mean, I have no blood related family that I know of. I was one of the kids that was bred and was supposed to be given away to a foster parent. I was three when a man came and picked me up. We were in his car, and he started to light up a cigarette. The driver hit a bump, and the lighter burned into his chin. He got angry. Even though I was only three, I still remember. I reached up, and touched his chin, and told him it would be okay. I had healed the burn. I was so tired; after that, I fell asleep. When I woke up, we were in a clearing in the middle of the woods with a bunch of crates. He told me to get inside and that I would be safe. I was so scared. I screamed until my voice was raw when he left. About an hour later, I heard a loud rumbling noise, and the crate started to move and lift into the air. I don't remember much after that. I was taken out and given to foster parents; they were actually scientists, but they treated me like I was their own. They are my family.”
“So you could use your abilities when you were that young?” Peter asked.
“That was the first time I used them. It was by mistake; I didn't know what I was doing,” Mary replied. “I didn't do it again until I was eleven.”
“I am sorry,” I said. “I didn't mean to ask such a personal question.”
“I am like Mary,” Abigail ignored me. “My family back home is not related to me. I showed up when I was almost ten. My dad realized that I was different. When I was playing out in the yard, I picked up a rock half the my size and threw it across the road. The town representative was passing by and saw what I had done.
“A few days later, my dad and I returned home from trading food. The door was opened, but no one was home. The wall console showed that Guards and the town representative had entered and left with my mom and three sisters. My dad flagged down a patrol car and knocked the Guard out when he got out. My dad put me in the back seat and drove off.
“The car was tracked, so within an hour we were being followed. He swerved into the woods and drove a few hundred feet before we ran into a tree. He got out and threw me into the bushes. He told me to be quiet, no matter what. He told me, when everyone was gone, to go back to the road and keep walking towards the largest mountain until I came to a small house on the side of the road. He said I would be safe there.
“Then the Guards came. He told them he gave up. Then Aaric Dealbeorht showed up. He explained that assaulting a Guard and stealing a car was punishable by death. Aaric took out his gun and pointed it at my dad. He said he admired how my dad was not scared to die and that he would let my dad kill himself. He gave my dad the gun. My dad was about to raise the gun to fire at Aaric, but Aaric had already grabbed my dad’s head. My dad gritted his teeth and screamed. Aaric backed up and told my dad to shoot himself. My dad raised the gun to his head. Before he pulled the trigger, he said, ‘I love you.’ I closed my eyes.
“They took my dad’s body away, and I sat there the rest of the night, crying. In the morning, I went to the road, where I followed it to a small house with an older couple. I told them who I was and that my dad was dead. A few days later, they took me out into a field and placed me in a box, and I was brought to the West.”
I felt bad for bringing up the topic. Things started to make sense about Abigail's actions. She was independent because she had no real family. She got mad when I said they wouldn't take my family because I was infected. It was because her family was taken away because of her. It must be tough for her to trust anybody.
We walked in silence after that until we reached a steep slope in the mountain.
“The cabin is between those breaks in the mountain,” Mary pointed.
She led us to an overgrown path that zigzagged towards the crevice.
“A couple lives up there. They maintain the radio tower that the East uses for communication. Two of their children were taken about ten years ago if I remember correctly. The husband was out at the tower, and, when he returned, two of his children were missing. His wife told him that Guards had taken them. Apparently, they were spotted at school with bloody noses. They told the wife that the only reason that all of them were not being taken away was that they were needed at the tower. They threatened the couple, telling them, if they tried to do anything stupid, they would be back for their other child,” Mary continued. “I guess that didn't sit well with them. They began to intercept radio calls between our spies and the West. They offered their aid if the West would take their youngest child. It was a good deal to have someone controlling the airways, so the West agreed. They make sure the airspace is clear by monitoring the airwaves and letting the West know when it is safe for pickups and drop offs to happen.”
“So they are your contacts?” I guessed.
“Yep,” Mary responded. “I radioed them, and they contacted the base.”
The trek was not as difficult as it looked since we were following a mostly cleared path. A few times, it looked like the mountain had slid down, blocking our path with a wall of stone. Mostly, we just climbed or walked around, but, just as the cabin came into view, we ran into a ledge about forty feet high that appeared to wrap around the other side of the mountain.
Abigail elected to throw Peter up the small cliff along with my rope. Peter was not happy about being tossed like a ragdoll, but he agreed.
Peter and Abigail activated their watches so they could control their abilities better. Abigail placed herself with her back to the wall and held her hands between her legs so Peter could place his feet in.
Peter took a running start and pushed up on Abigail’s hands as she launched him upwards.
WHAM!
Peter crashed into the wall and fell down.
He was fine other than a ripped shirt and an angry look on his face.
“I'm sorry,” Abigail apologized. “Maybe if I moved forward a little—”
Peter mumbled some choice words and backed up to get a running start.
WHOOSH!
Peter flew through the air like a rocket. Then, as fast as he went up, he came down.
THUMP!
We heard Peter grunt as he hit the ground. At least he made it this time.
“You alive?” I called.
There was no answer, but then we heard movement, and a rope fell over the side.
“It’s tied off,” Peter yelled down.
“Who goes first?” Casey asked.
Mary had a stunned look on her face.
“I can’t climb that!” she blurted out.
I looked at the rope.
“Maybe we can make a loop in the rope. The rest of us can go up first and pull you up,” I suggested.
Mary thought about it for a second then agreed. “Okay, that will work.”
“I will go up first,” Abigail offered.
A sinking feeling formed in my
gut as I realized I had no idea how to climb a rope either. I had tried during the survival classes but never made it more than a few feet.
“I will go last, to stay with Mary,” I offered.
Maybe if I watched Abigail and Casey do it, I would have a better shot at it. I could just imagine myself sitting in a loop as a pretty girl pulled me up. Nope, that was not happening to me.
“Are you guys coming?” Peter shouted down.
“I’m coming up now!” Abigail shouted back.
She began to climb at a pretty rapid speed. I wondered if she was using her watch. She reached the top and yelled down that she made it.
Casey went up next. Again, he began to climb almost as fast as Abigail.
Then it was my turn. I had not learned a thing from watching them. I gripped the rope and pulled myself up. I wrapped my legs around the rope, attempting to support my body. I slipped.
My hands and calves were burned by the rope as I slid two feet to the ground.
Mary walked over and quickly put her hands on my legs and then my hands until all that was left of the rope burns was a little blood.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Try walking up the wall,” she suggested.
I nodded and gripped the rope again. I placed one foot on the wall and pushed back, then placed my other foot on the wall. It seemed like it was working, so I began to move slowly towards the top. Once I was about two feet from the top, I encountered another problem—getting over the ledge. I felt helpless. I let my pride go.
“Hey, can I get a hand,” I struggled out.
I heard some movement.
Please don’t be Abigail, please don’t be Abigail, please don’t be Abigail, I repeated in my head.
I was relieved when I saw Casey poke his head over and give me a wide grin. He extended his arm over.
“Come on, a few more inches,” he urged.
I took another step and panicked. I threw myself up, and he grabbed my hand and pulled my over the side.
“Watch what you’re doing!” Mary yelled in an annoyed voice. “I almost got hit by rocks!”
I looked around.
Abigail was near a tree holding the rope while Peter was untying the knot.
Sky of Dust: The Last Weapon Page 6