I curl up in a ball on the rough ground, like at home... but this different. I feel like one of the newly-born stars in the sky, breaking through the dark night for the first time.
Chapter Fourteen
It’s my turn to keep watch. It’s the middle of the night. Both boys are asleep, curled up on the hard ground, but I bet they could have slept anywhere, being so much tired.
The distant groans and movement that I heard earlier can be heard now, as well, but a lot closer. I can clearly sense them moving around the area that we are in. Blood pumps through my veins faster, as my heart starts beating like crazy. Oh, no, we’re going to face them soon…
I know I have to wake up the boys. I’m not even sure if the three of us are enough to win them. I can’t even calculate how many they are – the sounds that they make don’t tell me much.
“Dax... wake up.”
He is awake in an instant.
“What is it, Skylier?” His voice is still a bit sleepy.
“The Mutes are approaching us,” I say, trying to keep the shiver away from my voice. “I can hear their voices.”
Dax gets silent for a moment, then his eyes widen, as he also hears the groaning.
“Hayden, wake up,” Dax nudges his friend. There’s no time for explanation. As soon as Hayden opens his eyes, Dax tells him: “We’ve got to fight the Mutes. Get up!”
At that moment, just as the groaning gets louder, a group of Mutes emerge from behind the rocks. They look like normal people, except for the unshaved wild beard on the males and the rugged clothes. They move towards us, groaning, hungry for a bite.
“Grab stones! Stand in a circle!” Dax yells, seeing that the Mutes are going to surround us. Luckily, there are not too many of them. A small hope comes to me seeing that we have a chance.
I grab the biggest stone that I can find near myself in the shortest possible time. I’m not sure how I’m going to use it against them, but at least it is some kind of a weapon. The three of us stand back to back and start moving slowly, facing the Mutes. As if in slow motion, I see a couple of Mutes coming at me. Instinctively, I hit the first one on the head with my stone, trying not to lose it. It’s the only weapon that I’ve got.
“Don’t let them bite you!” Dax’s yells are heard right behind me.
I know, my mind answers.
The stone seems to have done enough damage to the Mute – he collapses to the ground, groaning loudly and holding his bleeding head. I know, I haven’t killed him, and most probably he’ll get up again – hungry Mutes can go any lengths to have their supper.
I hit the second one on the head, as well. Seeing that it does the damage, I aim for their heads only. Hearing the painful groaning from behind, I realize that the boys are also in the winning position. There are only a couple of healthy Mutes left – the others are badly injured.
Hit the injured ones, so that they won’t get up. Leave the alive Mutes to me and Hayden, I hear Dax’s voice in my head.
I do as he said. Killing off the injured ones is much easier and safer. We stand and look at the bodies of the Mutes around us. There are no more Mutes to take care about.
Exhausted, we slump down onto the ground. It’s still night, though I can feel the dawn isn’t far.
“Maybe we should go back to sleep?” Hayden suggests yawning.
Before I can answer, I hear voices and freeze. This time they don’t belong to the Mutes, but to the Purenet guards.
Skylier? Is everything fine? Are there Mutes again?
“The Purenet soldiers,” I say.
“And?” Hayden asks, alert again.
“They are packing up and going back to Purenet,” I mumble as I try to get all my words out. “And another team is approaching Grounders' base.” I didn't want to tell him what I heard, but I have to.
“What?!”
I nod. “That's why they can go back to Purenet.”
“No! Reznor was right all along. He'd said they'd come after me.”
“Who's Reznor?”
“Reznor is the leader of the Grounders, Ayah's brother.”
“Are the... you know, the Grounders, like, crazy? Can't they fight them off?” I say bluntly.
Dax stops walking and turns to me. “Do I look crazy?” He angrily waves his hands in the air.
“Mmm, well, right now you do.”
Dax shakes his head. “Most of them are sick, which is why I had to get the medicine.”
“What's wrong with them?”
“We think our crops were poisoned.”
“How?”
“Normally the Purenet aircraft flies over us in the daylight about once a month, checking up on us.”
I nod. They are lucky that it is only once a month, we are checked on every second of our lives.
“Then one day, the hum of the plane came in the evening. I remember because of the tapping on my roof. When I went outside, it wasn't raining. At the time I didn't think much about it, because the weather can vary. Once the new crops were ready to harvest and were eaten, people began to get sick... really sick.” Dax starts walking once again, impatient for the guards to leave.
“Why didn't you get sick?” I ask.
“You are nosy, aren't you?” Dax smiles, with a playful twinkle in his eye. “A few of us were okay. Mainly those who were originally from another Sanction. I guess we were safe because of the immunizations we received as children.”
“So the people that left to get the medicine were only the ones who weren't sick?”
He just pulls in his bottom lip and nervously nods.
We both fall silent; there's nothing I can say. We are sitting here waiting, with nothing we can do.
“Can you get in touch with the Grounders?” I ask.
Dax nods with his eyes closed.
“Is the radio with the others?”
Again, Dax just nods.
As we watch the guards ride off to Purenet, I want them to come back. I don't want to see what they have left behind.
“Are you sure you want to come with us?” Dax asks, as he prepares to leave. The guards are a faint blur and they will be back inside Purenet in a minute.
“Yes.” And no.
“Which is it?” Dax asks bluntly.
“She said yes,” Hayden adds, shaking his head toward Dax like he is stupid.
“Yes, I said.” I jump onto the back of the bike. I'm not staying here, just in case they come back.
Dax swipes his finger over the panel, and the bike takes off, flying over to the other rock formation, a lot faster than before... almost like he's trying to throw me off. I grip my fingers into him, not caring if it hurts. I'm not falling off this bike!
Before I even have the chance to prepare myself for the sight I'm about to see, we are at the rocks. Dax slows the bike down to a crawl.
An awful, acrid odor floats up my nose. It's so strong; I can almost taste the smell. My stomach begins churning, making me gag. My tongue folds up against the roof of my mouth as it try to block out the taste. Swiftly I place my hand over my nose and mouth... this smell is burning flesh.
Dax turns off the bike and we come to a halt in front of the bonfire made of bodies that are twisted and cracking. I'm unable to peel my eyes away from the horrific sight—how could humans do this to one another?
Dax bends over and vomits uncontrollably. Hayden just stands there, totally stunned.
I jump off the bike.
Find their bags...
I try to look past their burning corpses, but the cracking of their flesh keeps drawing me in. I scan the area for their bags, but they aren't here. The guards didn't take them, so there must be some caves.
Focus on the bags... I tell myself as I step around the fire.
Placing my hand on the rugged wall, I follow the rock for a few moments to where it stops. They hid the bikes in a slim dark cave which you would only find if you were looking for it.
I squeeze my body between the jagged edges of the rocks and the bikes and s
weep the bags up from the pitch black cave.
“I've found stuff!” I yell, as I hold up the remaining personal belongings of Dax's friends. My heart sinks, as the burnt flesh fills my nostrils once again.
Dax wipes his hand across his face, removing the last traces of vomit.
“Let's get out of here.” He shakes his head in disgust.
“Reznor, can you hear me?” Dax repeats, as we stand behind the rocks we slept by last night, away from the burning bodies.
“Dax... Where are you?” a voice crackles through the old black radio.
“The guards are on their way. Get out!” Dax begs.
“I knew it!” Reznor snaps. “Get back here with the others.”
“They already got them. It's just me and Hayden left,” Dax admits shamefully. There is silence.
“Reznor, are you there?” Hayden yells.
“Reznor?” Dax is gritting his teeth now.
Silence follows. And then... “I'm here... everyone is too sick to leave... we have to fight...”
“No, you will lose!” Dax shouts.
“What choice do we have?”
“I am coming. I have the medicine. Don't shoot... I will surrender... Do you hear me, don't shoot! They want me.”
“Reznor? Reznor?”
He doesn't reply.
“Screw this!” Dax gets up and shoves the radio into a bag pocket on the side of his bike. “Get on, we are leaving!”
Hayden jumps onto his bike.
I do as Dax commands; I have a feeling he'd leave me if I didn't. Even though he doesn't want to be like his brother or father, it's clear their blood still runs through his veins.
As we speed off in the new morning, the clouds are ripping the sky apart as if they are trying to break free, allowing the sun's rays to shine through, lighting the path for us.
The sun rises to the middle of the sky, its heat burning down on my raw flesh. I know it's midday, and we are close.
Thick black smoke bellows up into the beautiful sky.
Dax slams on the breaks, nearly sending me flying. “Goddamn!”
As quickly as he stopped, he starts again, swerving sideways and thrashing my body against his.
“Quick, Hayden, it's a plane, it's heading our way!” I scream, as I see the white object emerge from the black plumes in the sky.
Dax spins his head around. “Hold on!” He presses a button on the control panel.
The force of the air pressure yanks me back, my arms struggle to keep my grip on Dax, and luckily they do. We speed off toward the red rock formations, our only protection in the open desert.
The plane gets closer. They will see us in matter of moments, if they haven't already.
The bike slows, and then comes to a halt. “Pass me the bag,” Dax orders, as I leap off the seat.
Dax takes it from me and retrieves two blankets, throwing one over to Hayden.
“Get up against the bike. Sit down, make yourself small.”
I do as Hayden says.
Hayden shakes the blanket; unfolding its full glory. It's painted to blend in with the rocks. Hayden crouches down next to me, nudging me as he does. It's not that easy to make yourself small when you are a muscular male. Dax is sitting by his bike, wrapped up in the blanket.
With a fling of his arms, the blanket is over us and the bike.
There are tiny gaps through the coarsely woven materials, giving us mini peep holes to look out of.
The plane roars above us.
“It's getting closer, push the blanket under your feet,” Dax hisses.
As the roar of the engine increases, so does the wind pressure. It's pulling the blanket outwards, like a dome.
“Hold on!” Hayden yells over the sound of the plane.
I grit my teeth as I wrap my fingers tightly around the blanket. My knuckles begin to turn white and sweat drips from my forehead. The heat is unbearable.
Pushing down, I can feel the blanket coming away from under my feet.
The pressure pulls stronger and my hair whips forward, as the pressure from the plane intensifies.
I can feel my grip loosening; I'm going to reveal us. Dread fills my stomach as my fingers peel away from the blanket.
A split second before my fingers lose their grip, the wind forces stop pulling. The plane has passed by.
Only now the blanket has a reverse effect and it sucks in toward us with a suffocating force.
“Skylier, you can let go now,” Hayden says after the sky becomes silent.
Instantly I let go. My arms are burning from holding the blanket and are weak from yesterday's fall. I shake my hands to get the blood flowing again.
Dax rummages around inside the bag for the radio.
“Reznor, can you hear me?”
Nothing but silence follows.
“We have to go,” Dax orders.
Chapter Fifteen
We walk towards our bikes.
“We built this city on rock and sand,” Hayden starts singing again, his voice gradually becoming louder. “Say you don’t know me, or recognize my eyes, say you don’t care who receives the prize…”
I start dancing as he sings. It seems like I haven’t danced for ages – it feels so good to move my body in the rhythm. And I don’t know why, I’m starting to like this song that he sings quite often.
“You dance well,” Hayden points out.
Oops, he noticed.
“I wasn’t dancing!” I chuckle.
“Yes, you were,” he also starts laughing. “And very well, by the way.”
“Just like how he was singing,” Dax adds, and now I’m not sure if he meant whether my dancing was good or bad.
We’re smiling when we reach our bikes and get onto them.
The expansive rock formation is a blur as we drive to the Grounders' settlement.
A sweet fragrance reaches my nose. As I search for the spot where the scent is coming from, it hits me—the most beautiful sight I have ever seen.
In front of me is a bright array of flowers, scattered between the lush green grasses, swaying in the afternoon breeze along a winding stream.
Then the color begins to change and the rocks merge to brown, then to a crisp, fresh green.
Life isn't just growing here. It is flourishing. There is red, rocky ground with sections of grass sprouting up, with delicate milky-white petals coating it.
The higher we ride, the greener it gets, and my lungs tighten as the air gets thinner. If we carry on like this we will be able to touch the clouds, and slip into an unknown kingdom and the freedom of afterlife.
Mud is flying up as Dax and Hayden try to ride through the almost-impossible ground, which has now turned to a thick sludge.
“We have to go on foot from here,” Dax states, as he pulls the bike to a halt.
Hayden nods, then shrugs his shoulders in disappointment and smiles over at me. The heat instantly washes over my body; I know my cheeks are turning pink. It's like I've never seen a boy before. Well, Hayden is more like a man, and a good-looking one at that! There is no way he is an original Grounder; he must be a banished Purenet. I wonder what he did—must've been bad to be subjected to all this.
Quickly I glance at Dax, so Hayden cannot see my glowing cheeks. Unfortunately Dax does, and he gives me a disapproving scowl, just like my father would.
Damn, give me a break…
“What about the bikes?” I quickly ask, before I get some smart comment from Dax.
Dax rolls his eyes.
He smiles smugly as he continues to push his bike. Turn after turn, the path gets tighter and darker as the sunlight is being blocked by the overhanging rocks. The bikes can only just barely fit through some places.
Dax steps to the side, and the blazing sunlight crashes into my eyes, blinding me. I swiftly jump back and move my hand up to block the light. My ankle twists on the jagged, uneven ground, as my body jolts in another direction.
Hayden's arms wrap around my waist, stopping me from landin
g backwards on the ground.
His hands don't move; they just stay firm around my waist, longer than necessary. “Sorry,” I add softly.
He smiles down at me warmly. “Not every day a beautiful girl falls in your arms, is it?” This time, both of our cheeks glow. “Ha...” He lets out a nervous laugh. Maybe he's not as confident as he likes to think. I like him even more now.
This is the Grounders' home, hidden between the canyons. Their very own oasis surrounded by the forest. I've dreamed about this place, it's like the drawings we are shown at school from before the wars. A place that time forgot.
I'm excited and nervous all at once. “What the…?” I yell out, as something hits me on the top of the head. Looking up, I see a handful of silhouettes on top of the canyon. It’s the Grounders with guns pointing at Grounders' settlement.
Peering through the canyon once again, past the beauty of the oasis, the true horror takes its form. Bodies are lying motionless on the ground, and crimson red flows through the stream, down the canyons, and through their settlement.
We are too late...
“We had no choice but to run. We were outnumbered; they took Reznor,” one of the Grounders yells down to us, as they make their way through the canyons. Rocks and dust fall with every step they take.
“Tanis, have the guards gone?” Dax yells frantically.
“Yeah, they took hostages,” a man Dax called Tanis yells. As he gets closer it's clear to see he’s one of the original Grounders—he was born here, along with the other Grounders he’s with. He’s bigger than Dax and even Hayden, with tattooed and tanned arm muscles trying to break free from their clothing. Dax and Hayden have similar tattoos, an old style of handwriting. Everything about these men is bigger, from their jaw bones to their hands, making their guns appear tiny.
“What’s he doing here? Reznor banished him,” Tanis says, pointing his gun at Hayden. His guns don’t have the blue glowing light on them like the guns Purenet soldiers have. The black gun looks heavy, yet light in his hand.
“Not now, Tanis! Did they take Ayah?” Dax asks.
“We don't know,” Tanis replies, as he jumps down the last section of the canyon. Dax's bike slams to the ground as he drops it, and he takes off sprinting toward the settlement.
Wasteland: Age of Sanctions (A Invasion Survivor Series) Page 8