Anomalies

by Sadie Turner

  “Hey, you could have killed me.” I press my fingers to my wounded neck.

  “I know. Pick up your sword.” Mick waits for me to collect the fallen object and begins the lesson again. “What is the most important thing to do when you confront an opponent?”

  I remember what Taj told me, “Know my enemy and know myself.”

  “Excellent. Now, the reason I disarmed you so quickly is because you did not know your enemy. You immediately judged me by my slight stature and glasses. You underestimated me and were reckless, and I used that to my advantage.”

  Mick teaches me how to draw my sword quickly, and we practice this move over and over until I can draw as quickly as he can.

  “Once you draw your sword, the most important thing you can do is to relax.” He instructs, “You are already in a hazardous situation; everything around you is tense so you can’t afford to be. You must stay in control. Assess the situation. Stay calm and breathe.”

  Mick shows me different ways to stay calm. Most of them include taking meditative breaths so that I can regulate my breathing. “There are many mantras you can say. All of them will help you focus, but you should choose one to help protect you in this situation. Repeat after me, Aad Guray Nameh.”

  “Aad Guray Nameh. What does it mean?”

  “It’s over three thousand years old and will surround your magnetic field with protective light. Say it three times before you go into battle.”

  “OK,” I say tentatively. I am not quite following his methodology, but he seems to know what he is talking about, and I’m willing to try.

  Once I master the breath work and the chanting, he shows me how to keep my balance so I can strike or parry without being hit.

  “Keep your feet shoulder wide, and when you move, always make sure that your legs stay apart.” He pushes me, and I fall down.

  “Get up. Your feet should never be too close to each other.” He pushes me again, and I fall.

  “Get up. You need to focus, Keeva. Your footing is imperative for balance. The more the sole of your foot touches the ground the more grounded you are.” He pushes me again, but I manage to hold my ground.

  “Good, now you need to assess the situation. Warriors always need to be aware of their surroundings and their assets and liabilities, as well as those of their opponent. Everyone has a weakness, Keeva.” He grins and then hits my legs repeatedly with the broad side of his sword, “For instance, tall people have a longer reach but often leave their legs exposed.”

  “OK, OK, I get it,” I protect my legs from his parry of blows until he is satisfied.

  We continue with the tough-love lesson as I learn to focus, balance, protect myself, keep my elbows bent, and learn to be sure of my attack. The entire time I am fighting, I practice controlling my breath and silently chant my mantra.

  On the third day, I fight Takumi, who is Mick’s best warrior. I remember all of my lessons as we face off. The Craftsman Brigade has all gathered to watch the event. Most of them stand on Takumi’s side. He is their hero. Rezz and Zilli stand on my side. I appreciate their vote of confidence, even if it’s misguided.

  I look at Takumi. He is fit and lithe. His long black hair is pulled back into a slick ponytail, and he moves like a tiger. Before we draw swords I assess him and the situation, observing how he smiles to the audience, clearly showing off. He is both overconfident and a bit of a clown as he postures for his friends. These are weaknesses I can use to my advantage. I am calm and confident as I quickly draw my sword. He has experience over me, but I have Mick’s tutelage.

  If I can just wait for him to make a mistake, I can win.

  Our fight is like a chess game. We parry, attack and counter each other. His overconfidence has been replaced by determination as he delivers a series of blows, which I deftly deflect.

  Takumi has better stamina than I do and as the fight continues, I have to work harder to stay focused. We circle each other, eyes locked, waiting to see who will make the next move, and without warning, Inelia’s voice enters my head.

  Inelia repeats the message that she first imparted at Monarch Camp, “If you erase the self, there is no you, just infinite possibility.”

  Suddenly I no longer see myself as the attacker or the defender. I am neither afraid of striking nor of being struck. Takumi looks at me strangely, aware that something has shifted within me. I wait as he lunges in for an attack. I take advantage of his unbalance and step to the side while disarming him.

  I barely register the group’s applause as Mick announces me the victor.

  I am too busy feeling another octopus leg click back into place.

  “HOW DO YOU FEEL?” Sobek asked Calix after his son reluctantly left his friends watching the double feature and joined Sobek in the inner office.

  “Alive,” Calix admitted. He felt guiltily drunk with his newfound power. “But what will happen to him?” He gestured to Emmett who now looked slightly comatose, just staring at the television. He appeared bizarrely calm for a teenager who had just seen a brutal film.

  “It’s an expected reaction because you siphoned so much of his energy. You must learn to control your power. Emmett was just a tiny taste of what is available. There is more, oh so much more, out there … but you have to be willing to taste it.”

  Calix had sampled the power of siphoning energy. It was intoxicating.

  Yet his moral compass started to go crazy as he realized the ramifications of his actions. Even though the taste was addictive, it would hurt other people. He would get stronger feeding off their weaknesses. It wasn’t right. This was against every belief his mother had indoctrinated in him. It was wrong. But he had to placate his father. He had to outsmart him.

  “So, how does this work?” Calix asked. “Do I just go up to random Sabbatical City tourists and siphon their energies? Getting close enough to them to feel their auras and tasting just a little bit so that they don’t pass out?”

  “Yes, that is exactly how you will hone your skills.”

  “Stealing from strangers … it seems so cruel.” “

  Then you don’t have to.”

  “I don’t?” Calix was confused.

  “No. Why feed off of strangers when you can practice on friends.”

  “What?” Calix wasn’t sure what he was hearing.

  “Don’t play stupid, Son. You are not finished your training for tonight.”

  Calix’s heart sank as he suddenly realized what his father was going to say before he said it. “No. Absolutely not. I can’t, Father.”

  “You can.”

  “But you said I had to choose so I chose. I chose Emmett. I’m done.”

  “It is a world leader’s prerogative to change his mind.”

  Calix and Sobek stared at each other for several minutes, neither one wavering. In the background, they could hear the screams of Rao, August, and Byron. Emmett was still silent.

  “Father–”

  “It’s not up for discussion. There is approximately an hour left of this vid. Just enough time to taste the nuances of three new energies.”

  Calix felt sick. “I can just go down to the commissary–”

  “You can stay right here.” Sobek glanced at his watch. “59 minutes.”

  Calix bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from crying. It was the only way he knew to calm himself down. He turned and looked at his friends who were engrossed in the vid. Calix didn’t think it would be possible to hate his father any more than he already did.

  “Oh, and Son,” Sobek said putting his hand on Calix’s shoulder, noting the almost imperceptible flinch, “Do be careful. Daddy’s not going to save your little friends this time.”

  As Calix sat down next to Rao, preparing to breathe in the energy of his best friend in the world and praying that he could control his thirst, he was certain of one thing.

  One day he would, without a doubt, kill his father.

  I am exhausted.

  Taj has kept me on a strict training reg
imen and even though I know I am getting stronger and smarter, I am tired all the time. My body aches from the nonstop running and fighting and conditioning. Every night, I am asleep mere seconds after my head hits the pillow. I crave my soft hammock and look forward to sleeping seven solid hours before the training begins again.

  One night, after a particularly grueling day, I have been asleep only a few hours when my hammock shakes, and I feel a tug which wakes me. It’s Kai and Genesis. What are they doing in the girls’ tent? I’m having a bit of a déjà vu from the time when Kai woke me up at Monarch Camp in the middle of the night. That feels like a lifetime ago. I blink a few times to adjust to the darkness. Why are they both here? They don’t even really get along, or do they?

  “What are you—” I barely manage to say before Genesis puts his hand over my mouth. Kai puts his finger to his lips, motioning for me to be quiet. They both nod at the door, expecting me to join them outside.

  Still wearing my sleep shorts and T-shirt, I slip on a pair of boots and creep out of the girls’ tent. No one stirs as I leave. They are all fast asleep … just like I should be.

  Both Kai and Genesis are waiting silently outside the tent flap. When I come out, they turn on their headlamps and hand me one. It is a tight leather headband with a small light attached to it. I strap it on my head and turn it on, giving me a bright red beam to illuminate my path. I follow them nearly a half-mile past all the tents to a section of Underground City where I haven’t yet been. Beyond Lachlan’s garden, I can make out enormous mountains of dirt, remainders of the dry earth that was cut away when Underground City was created. The red glow from my light makes the place appear ominous.

  “Whoa.” I walk through the forest of dirt hills which are at least twenty feet tall. It is surreal. “What is this?”

  “Pure, unadulterated soil,” Genesis says as he rubs some of the dirt through his thumb and forefinger. “It is soil from before the war. Nothing here is genetically modified or infused with Sobek’s fluoride solution.”

  “Wait, I thought it was just in the water?”

  “It is, but think about it, Keeva. Where does rain come from?”

  “Huh? What does that have to do with anything? I don’t know.” Suddenly I feel stupid. Why is Genesis quizzing me? Why isn’t Kai saying anything?

  Genesis continues, “The water that is in our lakes, rivers, and oceans eventually evaporates. It goes into the sky and it makes the clouds. Eventually, the clouds become so full of water they let some of it go onto the… .” He lets the sentence hang, expecting me to finish it.

  “Earth,” I say.

  “Exactly. The rain, which originated in the ocean, hits the ground and sinks into the dirt. And while most rainwater is pure, because Sobek has manipulated the water, everything is slightly contaminated. So we’re stockpiling dirt down here for when the time comes.”

  “The time comes for what?”

  “For us to return above ground and start society anew,” Genesis says proudly.

  I keep walking, in between talkative Genesis and silent Kai. It is a strange role reversal. I had no idea Genesis was so well-informed. He is clearly passionate about his work on the land and committed to the revolution as much as Kai.

  “So, where are we going?” I direct my question to Kai.

  “Another test. Courtesy of Taj.” He leads me beyond the last hill of dirt to a clearing. There is an enormous ditch and even though it’s dark, I can see it is filled with water.

  “What kind of test?” I have a strange feeling of apprehension. Even though I am flanked by my trusted friends, there is something odd about their behavior.

  “Taj wants you to work on your swimming,” Kai says matter-of-factly.

  “It’s a well.” Genesis nods to the dark ditch. “The walls are made of stone and impossible to climb.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” I am starting to get a bit freaked out.

  “To prepare you,” Genesis says. He sounds … apologetic.

  “So, she wants me to go swimming. In a ditch?”

  “A well,” Kai says.

  “Whatever. Is she crazy? It’s the middle of the night,” I stammer.

  “Sometimes the best time to train is when you’re not at your most alert. It forces you to go into survival mode,” Kai offers.

  “Thanks, but I’ve had enough of survival mode lately. I just want to go back to sleep.” I turn to head back to the tents, but Genesis blocks my way. He is large and immovable.

  “Get out of my way,” I demand, but he holds his ground.

  “Kai,” I plead, “this is ridiculous. I’m exhausted. I’m going to be of no use to anyone if I drown.”

  “Exactly.” Kai grins. “So don’t drown.” And with that glib statement, he and Genesis push me over the edge of the pit.

  I’ve been down here for two days and it is clear that no one is coming to save me.

  Once my friends betrayed me and pushed me over the edge of the well, I felt like I was falling forever, even though it was just a few hundred feet before I felt the cold water splash, enveloping me as I sunk under the surface into the thick water. I immediately kicked off my boots, not worrying that they wouldn’t end up on the community shelf the next day. When I managed to swim back up to the surface, I sputtered a bit as I caught my breath. Luckily, the headlamp remained on my head so that I could make out the walls of my water prison; slick and tall mud and stone packed walls which contained the water. I was furious. How dare Kai and Genesis trick me. Of course, Taj was behind the test and they were only acting on her orders, soldiers following blindly. I wondered if all initiates have to plunge into this well of water or just me.

  I swam around the perimeter of the pit, biding time until the morning when someone, anyone would come and collect me, but no one came. I shouted out, but no one answered. Remembering my journey from the tents, I calculated that the pit was at least two miles from the center of Underground City. There was no one within shouting distance. After a few hours, I stopped screaming to conserve my energy. How was I ever going to get out? While the well was not as large as I originally thought— I could easily make it from one side to the other in less than ten minutes—there is nowhere to rest.

  After another several hours, I am getting tired of treading water. There is nothing to hold on to. I am falling apart mentally and physically. I don’t really see the point of Taj’s master plan. Is she planning to push me to my breaking point? Or slowly kill me? Kai and Genesis wouldn’t let that happen. Or would they … if Taj ordered it? Perhaps I am not as strong or special as everyone thought. After yet a few more hours of treading water and floating, I am ready to give up. I want to fall asleep and not wake up again, I am that tired. I am resigned that I will never see my father again. I will never see my sister again. As the second night falls, I stretch out and float on my back, looking up into the blackness.

  Suddenly, the water rushes around me. I am turned over unexpectedly and I am pulled under the surface. I feel something slimy rub against my leg. I am not alone. I try not to panic as I swim furiously toward the side of the pit. Yet, there is another splash and another. Eight splashes in all. Either something is attacking me or it is determined to invade my space. Whatever it is, the creature is faster than I am. I pick up the pace; however, the thing is right beside me. Finally I turn, beaming my light directly on it.

  It is an octopus, a highly intelligent creature Taj told me about.

  Something happens to someone when they are at their worst. When all is lost and there seems to be nothing left to lose. When you realize that no one is going to save you and the only thing you can do is to save yourself.

  I start to laugh and I can’t stop. Maybe I am having a nervous breakdown, or maybe I just don’t care anymore. My fear completely evaporates. A calm washes over me as I stare at the beast, who seems more afraid than me.

  The ugly creature bobs in front of me, waiting. I speak softly and slowly, “Hey there, where’d you come from?”


  As if he understands me, the octopus dives down before resurfacing.

  “From below?” I wonder if he is trying to tell me something. There is no possible way I can climb out. Genesis had told me that. Wait, had he been giving me a hint? Why hadn’t Kai said anything? Instead, it was Genesis who told me exactly what I needed to do. Sometimes, you have to go backward to go forward. Sometimes you have to go down to go up. And I can’t go up. Even if I had the strength, I no longer have the energy. I’m running on no sleep, and I know I have to get out of the pit to survive. I smile at the realization.

  I want to survive, I really do.

  “Lead the way,” I instruct my slimy friend as I take a deep breath of air and dive under the surface.

  At the bottom of the pit is a netted opening. I easily swim through the net and out into an underground room. There, I find a copper ladder built into the wall, which leads me back up to the surface. I climb out a trap door which is located behind one of the mountains of dirt. Exhausted, soaked, and filthy, I trudge back through Underground City, feeling the fourth octopus leg click into place as I climb back into my hammock.

  Just in time for the bugle to wake us up for breakfast.

  SOBEK SPENT THE NEXT THREE WEEKS instructing his son on the nuances of siphoning energies. He taught Calix to walk up to strangers at the apothecary and grocer. He challenged his son to steal energy from a waiter while she was taking his order at a restaurant. Sobek even tutored Calix how to sidle up to children who were waiting at the sweet shoppe. Calix got so good at stealing energies that the victims barely knew what happened. Sure, they were a bit dizzy and light-headed at first, but Calix only took what he needed.

  And it was delicious.

  But nothing tasted better than fear, and Calix spent his nights honing his tastes in dark alleys when he could smell fear on people’s auras. He especially enjoyed hanging around the cinema when there was a horror vid playing. Fear did taste better than embarrassment, excitement, or misery. Lien could survive on all emotions, but fear was definitely top shelf.