“We’re sitting ducks!’ she yelled to Atlas as the sleepwalker got closer. He was still in a fighting stance, and Brenna didn’t want to leave him, but she was ready to run for safety. They weren't going to make it. She hated that leaving him behind even crossed her mind in passing, and she would privately punish herself for the rest of her life for that. But she would take that over no life at all when they were so close to what they had come for.
He rolled his eyes, at the last moment, and barreled through the sleepwalker, knocking it off its feet long enough to give them a head start. They made a run for the outer fence, trying not to scream as they got caught in the barbs at every inch they climbed, but they forced themselves up higher and higher. Luckily, no one fired a shot. Maybe it was some crazy test, like if they could climb over it, then they would get to stay. It was both brilliant and cruel at the same time.
Finally, Brenna reached the top, and below was a stream of water, not really a stream but a small river, that circulated around and through the Oasis. She looked to Atlas and nodded, praying their aim would be accurate, and nothing was waiting for them below the surface to rip their flesh the same way the sleepwalker would.
She closed her eyes and leaped at an awkward angle, trying not to get any more caught in the barbs. Her minimal clothing had already been all but ripped to shreds. When she broke the surface, she knew she had made it. Now, it was as simple as going with the current and finding a good place to get out, assuming there was nothing meant to eat her so that she never made it beyond this point.
Her head bobbed up, taking in a gasp of air as she followed the current to a gentle place, finding a familiar hand reaching out for her. Of course, Atlas had already made it across.
She huffed at him as he laughed at her disgruntled look and the fact that she was almost bare and drenched. He pointed back to where they had come from, and she gagged, turning away at the sight of the sleepwalker that had come after them, his rotting flesh torn and caught in various places where he had tried to climb the fence after them.
“I don’t know how the two of you managed that one,” a voice broke through her thoughts. She followed it over to a woman she hadn't seen before, wearing all kinds of gear as if she was ready for a war. Her hair was dark, and her eyes dark as well. She looked beautiful and cleaner than anyone Brenna had met in her life. She had a gun pointed at them with a smile on her face, displaying two rows of perfectly white teeth. Well, they apparently had good hygiene and medics there.
Brenna put her hands up, feeling like a deer in headlights. “We do not come to harm anyone. We heard about this place and want to see if it is real and if it is safe,” Atlas said, speaking for them both. She was glad he was staying calm under the stress because she was not. She was totally clammed up.
The woman started to drop her weapon only to holler out, “Take them!”
From a door Brenna had not seen before that blended in too well with the wall, a group of men and women with guns came out, grabbing them. She kicked and screamed, but it was useless as they dragged her back through the door and down a long tunnel. She became claustrophobic and didn’t like that she was in front, unable to see Atlas behind her.
“Do not fight, Brenna. It will make it worse,” his voice came out. Brenna didn’t want to comply. She wanted to just go back home. She never should have brought him there.
She was forcefully laid down on a strange bed with wheels. It might have been more comfortable than any bed she ever slept in, but she didn’t care. She screamed and reached for Atlas, who had been put on a similar bed. There were two women in strange white clothes and masks approaching. Atlas was too far away to reach.
“No!” she bellowed, fighting as her clothes came off, snapping with her teeth at the men that held her down like a rabid animal. “Let us go!” she wailed.
“What's wrong with her? Is she turning into a sleepwalker?” one of the men asked, and she hissed at them and continued to fight, finally getting a good punch in before she was held down in a lying position, unable to move anymore. Tears began to well up in her eyes just as the woman in the white clothes raised a needle to her neck, plunging it in. She let out one last cry for Atlas before everything turned black.
Brenna woke up feeling particularly uncomfortable. She looked around and recognized nothing, remembering the events of what happened to her and Atlas. She looked down at herself to see there were some kind of tubes running through her arms, and they both hurt and itched at the same time. Her body was without any clothes but was covered in a plain, white piece of cloth. It was too soft to be any material she recognized. She shouldn't have been afraid of such a place, a place that was perfect and had managed to grow a community of humans once again. Not being with Atlas gave her a feeling of unease, and she didn’t know what all this was for or what was being done to her.
She moved the sheet away, causing a beeping sound to assail her ears, over and over. She covered them and screamed at the strange sound until someone came into the room. Another one of those women in white clothes with a mask. “Do we need to knock you out again?” she threatened by pushing Brenna to lay down on the bed.
“No, please, no,” she begged as the woman fiddled with one of the odd tubes in her arm.
“You have got to cooperate. Don’t you see we are trying to help you?”
“You had armed guards carry me away. You knocked me out and separated me from my friend. Now you are putting weird things in my body and holding me hostage. How is that helping me?”
“You haven't been above ground long, have you?” she asked with what Brenna thought was pity in her voice. She wanted to spit at her. Then again, she wanted answers, not to be knocked out again.
“About a year,” she answered. “What's it to you?”
“This is a hospital. Have you read books about those, maybe?” the woman asked in a kinder tone as she began worrying over Brenna’s body, revealing the rest of it. Brenna could see there were bandages now all over her where the barbs had caught her. She racked her scared brain and remembered it had to do with medics, buildings where a bunch of medics cared for sick and injured people. She nodded. “Let me help you, and then you can get all your answers. You sustained severe injuries from the fence, and we need to check your blood to make sure you haven't been infected at all.”
“Infected by what?” Brenna asked, tilting her head.
“Sleepwalker venom, of course. Weren't you chased by one on your way in?”
“Oh,” Brenna said, her body relaxing only slightly. “But if this is a hospital, why can't I see anyone else, and why did I have to be taken by armed guards?”
“Would you have come willingly?” the woman asked, giving her a look with her eyes, the only thing that was showing under the mask. Brenna said nothing but knew it was the truth. She likely would not have. Despite her hopes, she had no trust of this place or the people in it, because her instincts always had her on high alert.
“Just relax, you’ll know soon if you have the virus or not,” the woman ordered.
Brenna followed her with her eyes as she did several more things that Brenna couldn't explain before leaving the room. Making sure she was alone once again, she hummed the tune Atlas had sung to her to try and soothe herself in the silence. She was wide awake and just wanted to know if Atlas was okay. Maybe once she knew that, she could relax.
Chapter Thirteen
Brenna looked down at herself, tugging at the clothes she was given. It covered much more of her than she had gotten used to living with the Batista. They had clothes for necessity, just covering up what needed to not show. The clothes she had been given were much more like that of the Colony, though a little less bland in color. The Oasis had to have resources that even she hadn't thought of if they had clothes in all colors and a real hospital.
She hadn’t seen the sun in what she had assumed was days. Finally, the medic had come to tell her the good news— not only was she not infected by the sleepwalker virus, but she was also o
ne of the few who were immune. And to think she had been so scared of them. But Atlas likely wasn't immune. So, it wouldn't matter, either way, she would still fight them off for him.
Brenna blinked as the sun hit her. She found herself on the other side of the hospital this time, walking out into what looked like a small village. To her right, all she could see was that towering brick wall that made up the inner layer of the Oasis.
She found herself standing in front of the same woman that had so rudely greeted them the first time. "Nice to see you made it out, and you seem to be a little more in control of yourself," she said snootily, and Brenna glared at the woman.
"You could have just told us what was needed. No force was necessary,” she growled out. "Now, where is Atlas?"
"I am assuming you mean your dark-skinned friend. He should be on his way out any minute." She pointed to the door Brenna was brought out of, and Brenna stared at it, waiting for him to appear. She didn't like the way the woman had referred to the color of his skin and wanted to be sure he had not been harmed.
"If he has not received the same treatment for his injuries as me, I hope you understand there will be hell to pay."
The woman simply laughed. "Feisty, I like it, but don't be stupid. You have no weapons. Your knives have been taken, and you have not been approved for any of our weapons yet," she warned. "This is all typical procedure, anyway. Your friend is fine. We have to make sure anyone coming in doesn't have the virus. It would be too dangerous to have one inside the walls. We have a vaccine for those that come in, but it often makes the person ill, thus the long stay." Brenna was about to correct her and tell her she was immune but then thought better of it. She got the feeling the woman didn't like her very much, and she didn't need to give her any more reason to despise her. She was already on thin ice.
Finally, the door opened to reveal Atlas, whom she'd never seen in normal clothes before. She would have laughed if she hadn't been so seriously relieved. She went for him, wrapping her arms around him as she began to cry into his shoulder for no reason. "I was so scared. Are you okay?" she asked, pulling away and wiping at her eyes with him helping her.
Brenna looked up into his face and smiled, but his face wasn't his usual. "I am alright, though I have not been well. They gave me something."
"A vaccine, something that keeps you from catching the sleepwalker virus," she explained, looking to the bitch for confirmation and getting a firm nod. Brenna took Atlas's hand, not willing to let him go again, and she turned back to the bitch. "So, now what?" she asked her curtly.
"Now, you learn to live with us. Name's Liz, by the way."
Brenna scoffed as if she would ever be calling her by her name.
"How do we find a place to live or work or even know how this whole place runs?" Brenna asked, crossing her arms over her chest. No way were they just being set loose like that.
"That's where I come in, the welcoming committee." Brenna turned at the sound of the husky voice to find it belonged to a man, a young man probably the same age as her. His hair fell down in golden ringlets, and yet there was nothing feminine about him. His muscles were subtle yet well defined, and he wore all black. His skin was not as dark as Atlas, but it was darker than hers. The only imperfections she could see were a few freckles on the right side of his face. His smile was mocking, turned up on one side. And despite being above ground, his skin was almost as pale as hers had been before she came above ground.
Without thinking, she instantly dropped Atlas's hand and then held hers out to shake, clearing her throat to hide what she had just done. It was dumb, just a knee jerk reaction that her young, hormonal body had to a good-looking guy. "I am Brenna, Mr. Welcoming Committee," she threw at him, and he quirked his lip up higher, revealing his teeth. They weren't quite, as perfect as the bitch's, but they were all there.
"Names Heath, actually, but nice joke. Who's your friend?"
"I'm Atlas," he said, stepping up and offering his hand. Brenna couldn't help but notice the firm shake he gave. Was he jealous? "What makes you the welcoming committee?" he interrogated, looking at Heath suspiciously.
"I am actually the mayor's son, next in line to be the leader of Oasis and all that jazz," he said, pretending to be enthused by it.
"Why can't we meet the mayor?" Atlas asked, and Breanna gave him a look. She needed him to chill if they were going to learn anything.
"He is a little busy trying to keep this place running," Heath said bitterly, gesturing around to the village. "Now, how about a tour before we get you settled into some jobs and homes, yes?" he offered, and Brenna followed him blindly, looking back at Atlas in annoyance when he didn't budge.
"C'mon," she hissed at him, and he followed, looking none too happy about it.
She ignored his sour mood for the moment and turned her attention back to Heath and the Oasis.
Brenna stared in shock and awe at all he had to show them, from farms and different sources of power to real houses, livestock, and people everywhere. They were working together and living together in harmony. She didn't see one evil stare, a threat, or anything coming from any of the people.
“Am I the only above grounder?” Atlas asked, awkwardly using the term for all of those like them rather than mentioning the Batista. It was unlucky they even knew what that meant.
“We have actually gotten several coming to us over the years, but they have all been accustomed to a certain way of living,” Heath answered, looking thoughtful. “Many decide to leave and go back to their homes, but those that have stayed for various reasons such as illness or for safety, they have formed their own small community. I can take you there when we are done with the tour of the main city if you would like?” he asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.
Brenna was torn. She had been living as a Batista for a year now and had absolutely nothing against overgrounders. In fact, she found she much preferred them. But she didn’t come here to be isolated. She wanted to know all there was to know about the Oasis and find a home for herself and possibly the rest of the Batista, and she didn’t foresee it being secluded if they were being treated like everyone else. She wanted to be part of a place where everyone was welcome.
“Why do they separate themselves?” Brenna asked, trying to break the silence and help Atlas in his decision. He was clearly ill at ease.
“Honestly, I think it is simply a culture shock. The accommodations we have here would be nothing like they are used to. I am sure you feel at least some of that yourself. Many just can't handle it and go back to some of their old ways, which we allow within reason. But they are welcome anywhere they want to be just like everyone else,” Heath assured. Brenna smiled at him and then back at Atlas, trying to show him it was alright, but he still didn’t look impressed. “My mother was actually one, though she died long ago.”
“I would like to see it now unless there is a rule against that,” Atlas spoke up, and Brenna went up to him, grabbing his arm. Her mouth was open in shock. She couldn't believe he was acting this way.
“What are you doing?” she whispered. “How are we going to learn about this place like this?”
Atlas shook his head. “They are going to tell us the truth about why they are separated. I don’t trust this.”
Brenna shook her head. “You don’t even know yet. I want to see everything. Get a job and a home. Please, don’t do this.”
“Please, let me go. I will find you again. I won't leave you. You are still going to be my wife.” He took her hand and gave it a light kiss before giving her the first real smile since she had been reunited with him. She breathed a sigh of relief, though she still didn’t like the idea of him going off on his own.
“Brenna, would you like to go as well?” Heath asked, interrupting them. Brenna turned away from Atlas and shook her head, not knowing how to talk with the lump that was forming in her throat. She didn’t want to get separated.
Heath began giving Atlas directions on how to get to the overgrou
nders, but she didn’t even listen. It was like she was underwater and couldn't bring herself back up. Could she trust him to come back? Would he be safe? Would she be safe? They had barely seen anything or gotten to know anyone. Looks could be deceiving.
As Atlas walked away, he smiled at her and mouthed that he loved her, or maybe he said it out loud, and she just couldn't hear him. She didn’t turn away until he did, now looking back at Heath who had a curious expression on his face.
“Sorry if we ruined something good there,” he said in a genuinely guilty tone.
Brenna shook her head, unsure of what to say. So, she shrugged. “No, it's complicated.” It was the first time she had admitted it out loud. But it had always been complicated between them even as natural as it felt. How valid was the blessing of the Batista in this place? Only time would tell. And that was if they survived.
Chapter Fourteen
“So, were you born here?” Brenna asked, prying further and further into both the Oasis and Heath by the moment. Since Atlas had gone on his merry way, she had been shaky, nervous, and out of control. The sun was lowering in the sky, and it was beginning to rain. It reminded her of what had happened out in the abandoned city with Atlas. How she had been on top of him, all her clothes abandoned to get soaked while she writhed over him in pleasure, her head tingly and fuzzy, from the spirits.
She shivered as she looked up at Heath with his rippling muscles, tucking her hands under her arms for a moment and trying to calm herself. She told herself it was simply the memory of being with Atlas and her strange hormones ever since she experienced lust for the first time getting the better of her. And suddenly she couldn't deny what was right in front of her. Heath was good looking in his own way.
Thirst (The Oasis Plague Book 1) Page 9