The Perfect Outcast

by Melissa O. Hansen

  “Thank you, Lance,” said Jade.

  “One more thing,” he said as he slid open a drawer in his desk, pulled out a book, and held it up for them to see. “This is our wilderness guidebook. We wrote it specifically for those new to Carthem, and it covers all the dangers we know of. I’m sorry I didn’t get this book to you sooner, but I wanted the content to be as accurate as possible, so I’ve spent the past two weeks updating it. I suggest you read it all before leaving tomorrow.” He handed the book to Rex, who eyed it nervously.

  Lance continued. “Baylor will take our best radio, which will allow you to communicate with us during the first part of your journey, then with Millflower and Jaden for the last half. Phones work only in the towns.”

  He smiled at them, then stood up and reached out his hand to shake theirs. “I’ll let you finish your preparations. Thank you for meeting with me. Please, travel safe.”

  Rex and Jade thanked him, and as they stood up to leave, Lance turned to Alina. “Can I speak with you for a moment in private?”

  “Oh—of course,” she answered.

  The others left the room, and when the door closed, Lance sat down at his desk. “Alina, I have something to ask of you. It’s up to you, but if you’re willing, it will help our cause tremendously.”

  “I’ll do anything to help,” she agreed.

  He gave her a crooked smile, the first that seemed genuine. “Thank you. Will you donate some of the serum that runs in your veins? You must know by now how powerful it is. With it I may be able to create an antidote to the poison in Sampson’s creatures.”

  “Yes, of course! How do I donate it?”

  “The only release is through tears. Your skin can’t be punctured.” He pulled a small vial from his desk drawer. “We don’t need much. The serum replicates rapidly under the right conditions, which is why Sampson has an endless supply of it. Try to release some before you leave tomorrow. Think sad thoughts, laugh until you cry—whatever it takes.”

  She grinned. “A little more notice would’ve been helpful.”

  “I apologize, but I’m sure you’ll do fine. Reading that guidebook can bring anyone to tears.”

  That evening after they finished packing, Rex knocked on Alina and Jade’s door with the guidebook in hand. They agreed to study, together, all they could about Carthem’s dangers before facing them. Alina and Jade sat on the bed with their backs against the wall. Rex plopped down in the chair and opened the book.

  The preface, written by Lance, warned that the book became outdated almost the moment it was printed, as new dangers arrived daily from Pria. He encouraged anyone who survived any new encounters to report them immediately so they could be added to the next edition.

  “That’s reassuring,” Rex muttered. He cleared his throat and began to read.

  “‘Carthem’s wilderness is a deadly place, thanks to Victor Sampson and his desire to eliminate all who live here. Some threats, however, are natural and do not have Prian origins. This book will discuss both dangers, with emphasis on the serious and common. We do not guarantee it will cover all dangers. Our best advice: if something looks suspicious, get away.’”

  Rex looked up and snorted. “Valuable advice indeed.”

  Jade giggled.

  He read on. “‘The most threatening of the natural dangers is severe weather, and each season holds some risk of exposure, such as hypothermia, heat stroke, and dehydration. Travel is recommended during the mild seasons of late spring or early fall, and be prepared with plenty of water, warm clothes, and fuel in case of unexpected extremes.

  “‘Other natural dangers include wild beasts native to Carthem. They are not confrontational like the engineered beasts from Pria; however, death can occur when people underestimate their instinctual power. Some of the most dangerous are bears, wild cats, and moose in the northern mountainous areas, poisonous snakes and scorpions in the desert, and blood-sucking insects in the eastern rainforest.’”

  Rex looked up, confused. “I’ve never heard of any of these things, have you?”

  Jade and Alina shook their heads.

  “How are we supposed to recognize them? Some guidebook. And blood-sucking insects? I don’t like the sound of those.” But the next page answered Rex’s question, with a picture of each native creature above a descriptive caption.

  “‘Be wise with these animals, but don’t fear them,’” Rex continued. “‘Generally, if you don’t seek them out or threaten them, they will avoid you. The creatures to be feared are the ones contrived in Sampson’s laboratories.’” Rex shuddered.

  “‘Sampson releases animals of his own creation into Carthem. He makes these creatures innately aggressive. Their instincts are to kill. Wilderness travelers must carry a weapon at all times and should consist of parties of four or fewer. The larger the group, the easier they can be tracked. It’s common for lone travelers to elude all creatures, but we recommend a party of two or three so there can be a guard every hour of the night.’”

  “Great!” Alina cut in. “I’ll be the guard every night!”

  Rex and Jade smiled, but her words did little to ease the tension in the room. Rex handed the book to Jade. “I can’t read any more.”

  “Try to relax,” she encouraged as she took the book and cleared her throat. “‘Prian-made creatures locate to the climate most conducive to their survival. Sampson has picked up on this, so he creates animals fit for certain regions. As a result, we have dangerous creatures throughout all of Carthem. We will describe creatures by region so travelers can prepare according to their routes.

  “‘The southwest area of Carthem is a dry desert. It’s the least traveled region as there are few settlements. Only one Prian-made creature thrives here, the skin-sucking carber. This scaly, sand-burrowing animal is about the size of a small cat, has large eyeballs and a long, skinny snout. The carber attacks by latching onto its victim and sucking water from the body. This dehydrates the victim within minutes and leaves the carber replenished for several months, sometimes years. Since no one has survived a carber attack, no one knows how painful the experience is, but the victims’ screams imply a horrific and excruciating death.’” Jade grimaced. “Ugh, look at that thing!” She held up a picture of a scaly beast with sand colored eyeballs.

  Rex’s teeth chattered. “We’re not going through the desert, are we?”

  Jade glanced at the map. “No, thank goodness.”

  “No wonder nobody lives out there!” Rex said.

  “Well, from the looks of it,” said Jade, her eyes skimming the page, “the carber seems to be one of the tamer creatures.”

  “What?” Rex cried.

  “Let’s only read about the areas we’ll be traveling through,” suggested Alina. “Hearing about all of Sampson’s creatures is not going to boost our morale.”

  “Good point,” said Jade as she turned the page and continued reading. “‘The most traveled route is the road between Stormport and Jaden, a distance of three hundred miles. A majority of the path is through the prairie. It’s hot in the summer with little shade.’ Hmm, good thing we have a vehicle. ‘The biggest threat is a small maggot-like creature called a brainwaste.’”

  “Brainwaste?” Rex exclaimed.

  “Stop interrupting, Rex. ‘Brainwastes are tiny insects that flourish in the tall prairie grasses. They cannot fly, so they crawl up the grass stalks and cling to vehicles or travelers. Once they have found a victim, they enter through the ear canal and drill through the skull, where they feast on the brain. Victims rapidly lose their senses, hallucinate, and become violent. There are no warning signs until the creature burrows through the skull, which makes removal impossible. Victims become delirious and attack anyone within their proximity. If someone in your company complains of a painful drilling sensation on the side of the head and becomes incoherent, it is best to flee immediately. This is difficult but necessary to protect the lives of those nearby.’”

  Rex smothered a squeal from his mouth.

>   “But there’s good news!” Jade read on. “‘Thanks to our scientists in Stormport, we have an effective method of eluding these creatures. Tight metal patches, called ear shields, snap around the head and cover the ears completely. These patches have proven effective against brainwastes. A thorough examination of the body, particularly the head, should be done before the ear shields are removed.’”

  Rex slapped his hands over his ears. “Okay, I’m not removing mine until we get to Jaden. What else do we have to worry about?”

  Jade read on. “‘Most of Sampson’s creatures carry the same danger—serum poison.

  “Ageless serum is what makes Sampson’s world possible. He can manipulate it into a potent, deadly toxin, which is then carried through a host. When his insects or animals transfer this poison through bites, scratches, or blood-sucking, it kills their victims slowly and painfully. The inner organs fester, secreting the toxin through every orifice. This can then infect anyone who comes in contact with the victim.’”

  Alina flushed with anger. “What an interesting pattern we have here. First, Sampson’s victims always suffer—death can’t be quick or painless. And then he makes sure anyone who comes to their aid also dies. This prevents others from helping.”

  “What choice do they have?” Rex asked.

  “None. That’s what makes it so sad. Abandoning loved ones in their agony. At least I know I can stay and comfort anyone who dies by my side.”

  “I hope you won’t have to,” Jade said.

  Alina’s voice caught as she spoke. “I’m terrified of these creatures, and they can’t even hurt me. I worry about all of you.”

  Jade reached out and rubbed her back. “At least nothing can hurt you.”

  Alina didn’t look at her. She grew tired of them emphasizing her value.

  Jade returned to the book, but the list of creatures was so extensive, she only skimmed through them. They included bloated, crusty millipedes and other bulbous insects that oozed poisonous serum, birds that attacked in swarms and pecked poison into people’s brains, cat-like animals with venomous claws that shredded the skin, and of course the killing stones—hard-shelled creatures that expelled deadly quills.

  Rex’s face turned a pale shade of green. “Why does everything have to be so gross? Oozing and festering and crusting over?”

  “Speaking of gross, look at this, Rex,” Alina said, studying the book over Jade’s shoulder. “Here’s the creature that chased us up the tree.” She pointed to a picture of the bizarre-looking beast, with its spiky body, sagging jowls, and gnarled fangs. “It’s called a monyx and can sense warm blood from over a mile away.”

  “Huh?” Rex asked. “You mean freshly spilled blood?”

  Alina scanned the page. “No—warm-blooded animals, including humans. The monyx smells the blood in their veins. Wow, we were lucky. The spiky tail releases serum poison that paralyzes the victim. When he can’t move, the monyx continues to slash until he finds an artery, then drinks the pool of blood that follows.”

  Rex clapped his hand over his mouth and ran to the bathroom. Alina and Jade grimaced over the retching sounds.

  “You okay, Rex?” said Alina, after he went quiet. “I’ve done that before. It’s not fun.”

  “Yes, I remember,” Rex moaned. “After you rode the coaster at the spring festival.”

  Alina cringed. “You saw me? I ran away after I got off and threw up my lunch in a bush. I was so worried someone noticed!”

  “I was always looking out for you. But don’t worry, I’m pretty sure no one else saw.”

  “You know, I’m done reading about these creatures,” Jade said, flipping through the pages. “Our defense strategy will be the same for all of them—”

  “Yes. Running for our lives,” Rex called from the bathroom.

  “—Let’s read about the other dangers, the non-poisonous ones.”

  “You mean Sampson uses something besides serum poison to kill people? I didn’t think his brain could stretch that much,” Rex scoffed as he came out of the bathroom, wiping his mouth.

  “Yes. They’re humans.”

  Alina knitted her eyebrows together. “Huh?”

  Jade continued reading. “‘A particularly dangerous—and mysterious—group of creatures are called mirages. Little is known of them, as no one who has attempted to study them has survived.

  “‘According to eyewitnesses, mirages are usually seen in the haze of dawn or dusk, at what appears to be a great distance from the traveler. The sight of the mirage is alluring and captivating because of an aura they emit to ensnare their victims. If one succumbs to the aura, he will seek out the mirage to his ruin.

  “‘Only those who recognize and immediately resist a mirage have lived to share their experience. Because of this, anyone who beholds one must flee at first sight; if they look twice, they will succumb. This has proven true—and fatal—100% of the time.’”

  “What do these mirages do to their victims?” Rex wondered.

  Jade raised her eyebrows. “No one knows. The bodies are never found.” She shivered as she continued reading. “Because of their intrigue, these creatures draw the attention of the curious and are a popular method of suicide. However, they are not to be trifled with. Some have sought them out, thinking they could escape after the first glance. Under no circumstances should you seek them out. Only inadvertent encounters have produced survivors, and the best defense is to flee the moment one is seen.’”

  “Whoa,” Rex said nervously. “How do we recognize them?”

  Jade pursed her lips and scanned the page. “‘There are no pictures of them because no one who has attempted to photograph one has lived. But survivors describe them as intoxicating, more than anything experienced before. Their strong aura stirs a warning only to those on guard. Different survivors have different accounts. The important thing to remember is if you pause to consider the temptation, you will fall.’”

  A long silence followed. “That’s pretty freaky,” Rex said.

  “Listen, this is even freakier. Sounds like they aren’t the worst,” Jade said, reading on. “‘The most dangerous of all creatures is the nightstalk. It’s so named because of how it hunts its prey. The nightstalk attacks at night and uses fear to capture its victims. Nightstalks are human in origin. They’re a puzzle to scientists because of their deadly nature, yet they carry no poisonous serum. Their terrifying features, combined with their gruesome killing methods, have made them the most feared of Sampson’s creatures. They haunt all regions of Carthem. People describe them as living nightmares, and some believe it is this reputation that gives them their power.

  “‘The first sign of an approaching nightstalk is sudden and unwarranted fear. If possible, flee immediately, while you can still move. The fear paralyzes the muscles and slows the brain, allowing the nightstalk to overpower the victim. It then skins the victim’s body with its long nails and consumes the heart in a slow, painful death. They also have a mysterious telepathic connection, so if one nightstalk is killed, others are alerted, and they unite to find and kill whoever threatens them. Though it hasn’t been proven, Carthem scientists believe these creatures can be defeated if one can overcome the fear.’”

  Jade stopped reading, and a chilling silence filled the room. Alina knew this creature; she’d seen it in the Gordian laboratories. She’d felt its paralyzing terror and how difficult it was to overcome. Would being immortal make it less overpowering, as there was no possibility of death? She didn’t know.

  “Does the book explain if Sampson uses people from his dungeons?” Alina asked. “He mentioned something like that to me.”

  Jade stared at Alina for a long moment, then picked up the book and cleared her throat. “Alina, I should warn you—” she broke off.

  “What?”

  “Just—prepare yourself.” She hesitated and took a deep breath.

  “‘Sampson uses his prisoners in Gordian as puppets in Carthem. These victims’ minds have been altered by his exper
iments. Their mental conditions differ, so they are unpredictable in their behavior, but some of the most common traits we see are self-mutilation (though never to the point of death) and aggression toward others. Like the animals, this seems to be ingrained in them. Sampson often equips them with weapons, and, despite their incoherence, they are powerful fighters because of their hostile nature.’”

  Jade looked up and met the wide eyes of Rex and Alina. “I’m not as surprised as you because I knew this already. He’s an evil man.”

  She turned back to the book, her hands shaking as she held the pages. “‘Sampson exploits his prisoners to enact revenge. Occasionally one will be found haunting the outskirts of a town, only to be recognized as a beloved friend of someone living there. If any of Sampson’s traitors left a lover behind in Pria, they can almost be certain to meet him (or her) as a deranged killer sent to finish them. If a confrontation takes place, they are left with a heart-wrenching decision: kill the loved one, or be killed by him or her.’”

  Alina jumped off the bed and darted to the bathroom, her sob escaping her mouth before she could close the door behind her. She crumbled to her knees and muffled her cry in her tight fist.

  The repercussions for leaving Zaiden behind were worse than she imagined. Endless life in a dungeon seemed merciful now. She gripped her hair at the scalp and wept.

  The serum! I’ll get back at Sampson by helping Lance. She took out the vial from her pocket and held it against the side of her nose until it spilled over.

  Rex left the apartment, his fingers tapping on the door as he passed, and a few moments later she heard a soft knock.

  “Come in,” Alina choked out. Jade entered and gently pulled Alina up, leading her back into the room. She helped her onto the bed and sat crossed-legged next to her.

  “Maybe I read too much tonight,” she whispered.

  Alina shook her head. “You can’t hide the truth from me. The sooner I know, the better. The hardest part is, I finally accepted I might never see him again.” Her voice shook as the tears returned.