The Colony

by RMGilmour

  “Yes,” I nodded, relieved. They weren’t sending me to slaughter after all. I should have known they wouldn’t hurt me, or let me get hurt. I needed to work on not believing all the negative stuff that tumbled around in my head.

  “Good. Lena, take her in.”

  I followed Lena to the wall in silence, wishing I had on one of her warrior suits. At least then I may have stood a better chance of running faster than the wards.

  She stopped about a foot from the mirror; both of our reflections stood side by wavering side.

  “Don’t worry,” she said. “If anything happens, I’m sure you’ll survive and be almost-happy once more. You’re resilient, remember?”

  Not exactly the sort of words of encouragement I needed, but maybe this was her way of telling me to be careful, and I accepted it with gratitude.

  “I don’t want to be self-destructive though, so if I come out alive, you have to come up with something different.”

  “Deal,” she smirked, and slammed one fully gloved hand against the wall.

  Around her hand, the wall shimmered and glowed gold, as it attempted to absorb her. But instead, she seemed to absorb it, as black veins spread from her hand, moving outward across the immediate area, before turning that portion of the surface a solid black. It then spread in a crooked arch upward, reaching above her head and down to the ground, creating a doorway.

  The new black surface appeared to sink into the mirrored wall, as though it was a dead space, and as I peered into it, I couldn’t see through the doorway to the city beyond. It was a void, a black empty space that had no depth, but seemed to go on forever. It reminded me of the void I used to feel inside of me. And here I was, willing to walk into it.

  Lena pulled her hand away from the arch, and it stayed just as she’d created it.

  “You don’t have long, but you won’t need long. I’ll be here to keep it open just in case you do.”

  “Thanks,” I whispered, and moved to stand directly in front of the darkness.

  Now face to face with my old friend, I took one shaky step forward after another, allowing the void to swallow me whole.

  17

  My City

  The darkness lasted barely a moment, but it was just as I’d imagined the void would be - empty, no sight, no sound, no feeling; I was a blank slate, nonexistent.

  And when I stepped through to the other side I breathed once more, thankful to have my faculties return.

  I beamed at the plain, white wall before me; I was in the city! Jordan’s city. I grinned at this thought, despite the danger. And with my very next breath I could feel him, as though he was right beside me. His warmth stirred within me, summoning my essence to tingle upon my skin. But I kept it locked inside. Instead, I tried to determine in which direction I would find him. And then it became clear. A road map was forming in my head with the paths before me leading the way. I knew exactly where he was, and I knew exactly how to get to him.

  “Jordan,” I whispered.

  But I shook him from my mind, remembering the reason why I was in the city in the first place. I could easily call him to me, but I wanted him nowhere near. I was about to become a ward magnet, and I couldn’t risk him getting hurt.

  I looked back at the dark doorway, thankfully it was still there; though it looked just as eerie from this side of the wall. Then moving several feet toward the left, I followed my floor plan down the first short pathway.

  Pausing for just a moment, I peered out of the city wall at the forest beyond, to see if everything appeared the same when looking outward as in. At first the trees were just a blur of green and brown, but as I moved closer and focused my eyes upon them, the images became clear. The city on this side of the wall also reflected off the surface, and mingled with the vague greenery on the other side. And I wondered if there was only forest along the entire outside of the wall, blocking any view, preventing its inner residents from seeing the outside world.

  I followed the line of the ceiling - which seemed to be made of the same material as the wall - toward the city center, as far as I could see. The Spire wasn’t yet visible, but what I could see was a ceiling that slanted upward at an angle, and off to my left, was another angle that slanted away.

  The sun did not shine through the ceiling and the blue sky held no presence. Instead, the ceiling glowed softly, creating an overall lighted effect across the city, and I wondered how the city would look at night. Would it be covered in complete darkness, or would it offer a gentle glow? Or would it attempt to mimic a starry sky?

  Shaking off the distraction once more, I dropped my gaze, ready to march along the city streets, but before I could take a step, the building before me began to permeate color. It was taking on a new form. The walls turned a red brick, and on top slanted a dark-grey roof. Windows appeared complete with shutters, along with a wooden doorway. Small trees and a stretch of grass spread around the outside. I turned to the next building and it also became infected with color, except with pale orange walls, a porch and a flower garden.

  The white, angled walkway between the two houses was now a light-grey, concrete path and I made my slow way out, and into the first street. The next house before me also began to change, and I watched the colors and textures as they spread from where I stood, across all of the plain, white buildings before me, giving them life, making them real.

  My steps slowed as I traversed the next angled lane-way, and I then turned left once more. I was mesmerized by the transformation; from a collection of dull, white shapes into a neighborhood of color and grace, and it reminded me of the neighborhood I’d happily grown up in. I easily recalled images of my brother and I, as we dominated the sidewalks and the empty streets on our bikes, lost in our own world.

  And the very next house I came upon, became my house. The house I’d grown up in. Complete with my mother’s failed attempts to raise two flower rows along the garden path, and our bikes, mine red, Sam’s blue, laying side by side upon the grass.

  My breath caught as I waited to see if the children inside, would come running out of the house resembling Sam and I, recreating some memory from the background of my mind. And I realized I’d stopped walking once more, while waiting for that memory to take shape.

  I forced my feet to keep moving, tearing my eyes away from my home, and I inhaled the stunning beauty the city was shaping into. The gentle light overhead had also become infected with color as it transformed into a deep-blue sky complete with wispy, white clouds.

  One house to my right, lost its color, and returned to its plain, white shape. It was the only house that reverted; the rest seemed happy to retain their new look. But it was enough to remind me of where I was and I glanced about, looking for the wards, not even sure I would know them if I saw them. I wished I’d been better prepared though, to expect such pleasant distractions, and I hoped I hadn’t strayed from the path I’d intended to take.

  Determined to stay focused, I shook the childhood memories away, and took several more steps forward, but stopped when a searing pain grasped my left arm. It felt like a hook had buried itself under my skin and wrapped around my bone. It then pulled my arm sharply forward and I fell, scraping my forearm and elbow upon the ground.

  I was expecting the pressure to be in the center of my chest as Aleric had demonstrated in the tree, not in my arm. And at first, I wasn’t even sure if it was the wards, or if I hadn’t just tripped. However, before I could even get to my feet, a deeper pain erupted in my forearm and spread down into my hand.

  It had to be them. I’d dreaded this moment, but I knew I needed to move and fast. Pushing myself to my feet, I ran back down the street, retracing my steps, arrow right, then left, as the pain spread over my elbow and up my arm. I grasped my wrist with my free hand and briefly inspected where the pain had begun, but there was nothing there.

  My muscles in that arm began to cramp; Aleric said nothing about cramps. But I didn’t stop moving. I had to find my way
back to Lena.

  I sped around the next right, down the short lane-way, then left, and then I heard them. Many feet pounding the pavement behind me. I wanted to glance back, but didn’t. The pain had spread over my shoulder and was moving up my neck, and I wasn’t sure if I could even turn my neck enough to look back anyway. But I didn’t need to see them. I could hear them well enough, and I imagined a dark mass of running feet, their eyes all aimed at me.

  I angled down the next right, then cornered left again, but I still wasn’t back at the wall. I couldn’t have come this far in! I hoped I wasn’t lost, but the streets though simple to follow, all began to look the same.

  The pain moved into my head, across my chest and down my back, quickly followed by the tightening in my muscles, cramping but not releasing. I remembered the glove on my hand, but I didn’t think they were close enough to justify using it. I wanted them caught, forever trapped, never to regenerate, not sent back to the safety of their Spire.

  The next right revealed the wall and I sprinted down that last lane-way. Thankfully, the darkened doorway was still open.

  My neck and my head ached, and tensed worse with every beat upon the pavement. The light hurt my open eyes, and I wished I could close them, even if only for a moment’s respite from the pain. The sound of my feet and theirs hammered in my ears in unison. But so far, my legs were ok, and I kept them going with every ounce of speed I had within me.

  As I leapt into the doorway, I felt a sharp pull travel through my right shoulder blade, then clamping into my chest. Unable to balance, I felt myself falling backward, but Lena stepped in front of me, grabbed my arm and yanked me through.

  “Run!” she roared at me, as I stumbled onto the grass.

  They were close, I could still hear them, but I knew the Rathe were waiting.

  The pain spread down my thighs, slowing my steps, as I ran through the trees. The new pain in my back filled my chest, and constricted my lungs, until I could barely draw breath. And then it spread down my right arm, cramping that hand as well.

  From behind me came the sounds of fighting, of bodies falling with a thud to the ground, but I didn’t stop to see who was falling. I couldn’t stop. I was afraid if I did, I wouldn’t be able to move again. I needed to find Haize.

  I felt it next in my knees. It then moved down my calves, stiffening my ankles, and into my feet. My cramped muscles were begging me to stop, but I kept my legs in motion. I needed to move until I no longer had control. My left hand was now a claw, my arm stiff, held out in front of me. My breath, I forced back in short gasps.

  And with the intake of air, came his presence. He was near, but I wished I could will him away. I didn’t want Jordan anywhere near this.

  He called my name, but I couldn’t turn my head. I ached to see his face, but my neck was frozen in place. He was yelling at me… for me to run faster.

  I saw him then, enter my field of vision. He was still too far away, but close enough for me to see the pain crease across his face, as he looked from me to just behind me.

  I wanted to see what he saw, but instead I heard fast, heavy feet; they were close and I willed myself onward. But I was losing control of my body. I was slowing; my legs didn’t want to move, and I knew I’d be caught.

  Hoping Jordan could reach me, could help me, I scanned the ground for a grave. I was close. One green outline caught the corner of my eye and I veered in that direction, but my hips and my thighs no longer wanted to co-operate and so I lurched toward it.

  My clothing was grabbed from behind, yanking me down, and I forced my legs to react through the cramp. I wanted to scream, but I needed what little air I could grasp at to keep me from passing out. Hoping my muscles wouldn’t break into pieces, I kicked out behind me, and felt one stinging contact after another, though I doubted my small movements made any difference. I tried to close my hand around the glove, but my fingers were fixed in place; my hand wouldn’t move. I couldn’t even remove the glove, to place it on my other hand, I’d waited too long.

  Both hands were so tightly tensed, I was sure my hooked fingers would break off as I dug them into the ground. I clawed at the grass, and pulled myself along until I was right beside the green line.

  The ward rolled me over the line, pulling himself on top of me.

  “You’re mine,” he growled at me, his hand was raised ready to strike. This time I could see the pointed object in his grasp, and I dreaded to think what it would do to me in the state I was in.

  A flash of a green light pulsed from the marker beneath me, shooting up and over me, stopping the ward’s attack.

  The ground beneath me gave way and I felt myself falling into the grave, along with the ward. I gasped again and again, trying to force what little air I could into my body, attempting to stave off the darkness that tried to conceal the world. My fingers dug into the soil, trying to stop the fall, but I was slipping.

  Two strong hands then hooked under my arms, dragging me up and away. As the ward fell, he grasped one of my already twisted, cramped ankles, and pulled himself hand over hand, up my leg, and I peered down into his dark eyes as he climbed closer, his mouth twisted into a cruel imitation of a smile. He raised one arm above his head, his weapon ready to strike at me once more.

  Jordan wrapped one arm around my chest, holding me to him, as his other arm swung down. His fist connected with the ward, knocking him off me.

  While he lifted me out of the hole, my immovable gaze was glued to the ward as he fell. Staring back at me, his eyes widened in shock and a scream tortured his mouth. And as my vision turned green then blackened, his face burned into my brain.

  “Stay with me,” Jordan whispered.

  Cradled in his arms, he held me tight against his chest. His scent rolled into my lungs with my last taste of air, bringing a tiny flutter of pleasure to my mind. I wanted to breathe him in again, but there was no more breath for me to have. I was lost in the darkness, with wavering thoughts, unable to even scream at the pain that solidified my body.

  And there was too much movement. I wanted it to stop. The pain was easier when I wasn’t being jostled about, I could almost make it disappear.

  His voice reached my ears in angry yells and screams for Haize. I heard my name called over and over. I wanted to respond, but I had nothing to respond with.

  The moving and the yelling seemed endless as each pierced a new pinpoint of pain in my brain. But as all things must eventually come to an end, the movement soon stopped and I felt a coldness beneath me, pressing into my back. Another set of hands forced a spasm to reverberate through my chest, renewing my awareness of the clamp that crushed through that disjointed part of me.

  An argument reached my ears, but the words were a blur and I couldn’t even make out who the speakers were. A high-pitched ringing began in my head and it drowned out all other sounds from the outside. But even that soon diminished and I found myself floating in a sea of darkness, resting gingerly upon its surface. It hadn’t yet claimed me, but I knew it would.

  The pain was mostly gone. An occasional pinpoint would spike through me, but even that had decreased to little more than a dull ache. However, the downside to this new relief, was that I could no longer feel him around me, his scent no longer filled me. I didn’t want him to go. I’d rather have the pain back if I could have him back too, and I struggled to feel something, anything to keep the sea from taking me.

  I felt a clamp around where my jaw should have been, forcing my mouth open and a stickiness enveloped the insides. A moment later, cold air rushed down my throat, filling my lungs, but none of it contained him. A brief piercing jolt to my chest, forced the air back out, and then nothing. The darkness enclosed me, sinking me into its unknowable depths, eliminating any lingering pinpoints of pain, the need to scream, and Jordan.

  18

  The Gift

  His words whispered in my dreams, sometimes calling me back to him, sometimes filling me with images and feelings, line
s I’d read a thousand times.

  His voice a soothing balm, bringing me back to the surface of awareness. His warmth was all around me. His hand upon my face, gently stroking my temples. I could feel his body next to mine, and I slowly slid my arm around him.

  It was then that I realized that my body was back to normal; I could move and breathe without any pain.

  There was softness beneath me, a cool breeze quietly wafting over me, and a slight sound of rustling leaves and branches that mingled with his voice, as he gently recited the words I knew by heart.

  “You’re as resilient as those flowers,” he said.

  “You remembered it,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

  “No,” he quietly responded, still stroking my face. “I read it from your collection.” And I could hear the relief in his voice that time, when he spoke. “I’m sorry for not saying it just right.”

  I opened my eyes eager to see his face, but the too-bright daylight forced them closed again. I blinked them back open to find him looking down at me. He was smiling, but barely, and dark circles under his eyes suggested he hadn’t slept for some time.

  “It was beautiful,” I whispered, my voice was dry. “You said it perfectly. You gave it your heart and filled it with life.”

  He slid down beside me so his face was next to mine and whispered, “You have my heart.” He then kissed my forehead, his warm lips lingering on my skin. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m fine. No pain.”

  “I have a gift for you,” he said, his smile brightening. “I made it. Sort of.”

  I looked down to see him holding a book. Very similar in size and color to my own that was left upon my bookshelf back on Earth.

  “It’s not exactly the same, but it’s everything the Central Unit could see and hear through us.”

  As I accepted my gift, my mind skipped happily back to that night. It seemed like a lifetime away, but those memories would never leave me. I cherished every moment.