‘No.’ Hermia grabs me, and at the sight of the blood on her face my heart falters again. She must have followed me as I made my way over Kane. She still looks dazed; it’s a miracle she wasn’t shot.
‘Are you okay?’ I ask instantly, which just makes Hermia mad.
‘I’m fine. But you can’t go after those weapons. They’ve got those weird police protection bubble things and the guns are useless unless you put them back together.’
I wonder how stable Hermia actually is, and whether to believe her. A few moments ago she looked like her brain had turned to mush. I watch Hermia wipe some blood off the small silver bracelet that seems to always be on her right wrist. I probably shouldn’t bring to her attention the blood that is still splattered over her face.
But despite that, I trust her judgement.
‘Any ideas on what we’re going to do then?’
And just as the words exit my mouth, I catch sight of the keepers, all sweeping the area in their long line. We are at the start of the tree line, where the sparse trees gather at the beginning of the forest. They will find us in a few moments if we stay here. There’s one keeper I have noticed quite a few times over the past week. He is usually escorting Hermia to and from our training and meadow room activities. This keeper is huge, muscle-wise, and his eyes are like black tar in a steaming vat. I’ve never felt eyes cut into me like his do, as they are doing now.
Quickly I pull my gaze away and wave my hand in an attempt to get the group together while the keepers have their attention on another part of the tree line.
Marina looks as though she is consumed in thought.
‘The maze,’ she almost yells.
I turn, running to make up the small gap between us, and clasp my hand over her mouth. I can see the fear radiate from her eyes. I wait, trying to hold my breath, until I see that they haven’t heard her, or me, and are still descending at the same pace. Once I release my hand I am shocked at how close I have come to her. I can still feel her breath on my palm.
‘Sorry,’ she whispers.
I shake my head a fraction. I feel like I should hold her, but I know it’s not the time and I probably wouldn’t have the guts anyway.
‘So what do you think about the maze?’ I ask in a hushed tone.
Marina looks around and then whispers, very quietly and very rushed, ‘Well, in the maze we couldn’t go the most obvious way because that was a trap—’ I can feel Winter’s eyes in the back of my head. She is probably giving Marina a death stare at the moment, evident in the way Marina’s eyes quickly dart away from her direction. ‘—if we just had a distraction then we could make our way around this line of trees here.’
Really, all we need is a distraction, something to buy us time.
Her logic is sound, though it is all just a guess, and I still worry. It seems too simple. Something tells me to trust her, though, and I try and convince myself that it’s not because I have certain feelings for this girl. I trust her judgement, that’s it.
‘How’s Lola?’ I ask Robert.
Lola is sitting up but she still looks like all the blood is gone from her face.
‘She’s trying,’ Robert answers and I nod at him and tell him what I plan on doing.
‘I’m going to get the keepers’ attention and then try and lead them back further into the forest so that the rest of you can get to the guns.’
‘You’re mad,’ he tells me, and then gives me an encouraging pat on the shoulder. ‘Good luck.’
I start to make my way down the line of trees again but am stopped by Hermia. Her face is cleaner than when I last saw her and she is looking a lot more normal.
‘You’re an idiot,’ she says. There is absolutely no lie in her voice, just brutal honesty—definitely a lot more normal.
‘Yeah, I know, you think it will work?’
Hermia shrugs. ‘Probably, though your survival is unlikely.’
My heart tightens. ‘Sure, thanks.’
We all stand behind our chosen trees again, only Marina is at the front, and I am all the way at the other end. At her signal, I take off, through the open ground of the meadow. Shots ring out again and my hands reflexively go to cover my head, but I keep running as hard as I can, making for the thicket of trees further into the meadow room. It no longer feels like a room, though—I can’t even imagine it ending now.
The bullets slow down as the trees grow thicker and thicker all around me; it is more like a forest now than a meadow.
I hear one of the keepers yell something I don’t understand, though I am worried it is a retreat.
Stopping at a large tree, I turn my gaze back to the keepers who were following me. There is only one left that I can see, in her large protection bubble. There are more still searching that I can hear in the distance, though they seem a little disheartened and they are about to turn back when I move out from behind the tree into an open clearing.
The keeper turns and points her gun ready to shoot at me. If only Cora was one of the keepers here today, at least she would get some extra satisfaction out of killing me.
I hear a gun cock and notice that it is not the keeper who has her gun on me, but Hermia. I sigh with relief, though I worry I have celebrated too early.
‘Drop the gun or I will pop your pathetic shiny bubble.’ The keeper smiles and drops her gun.
I thought this meadow was magical, somehow separate from the jail we are confined in, but now it’s ruined, just another part of the same evil that is confined within these walls.
I lean down and take the keeper’s gun from the ground and then the three of us start to make our way back to the clearing.
Everyone is there, with a gun pointed at each of the keepers’ heads, though Kane is on the ground with his gun pointed up at his keeper, his leg still bleeding onto the soft-bedded grass. I have never been so happy to see anyone in my life as I look around our small group of misfits. I look over and see Marina, who looks as relieved as I feel.
‘Is everyone intact?’ I ask around, still cautious of how tame the keepers really are.
Everyone nods, except for Kane, who gives a half-smile.
I turn and catch a glimpse of Lola, looking white as a sheet, staring at Kane’s leg.
‘Lola!’ I grab her by the shoulders and she looks at me. ‘You need to help him,’ I almost snap at her.
I watch as her head starts to shake violently from side to side. It seems as though she’s looking for an escape. Unfortunately there’s no escape for any of us.
‘Lola, you are the only one who has any idea what to do,’ I say hastily, and Lola tries, I can see it in her eyes, she truly tries.
‘Wrap it, tight, it should help with the bleed—’
She can’t finish because she vomits right in front of me. So I pat her back and try to comfort her for a second before I move over to Kane and take off my shirt, ripping it to make a bind. Isaac comes up behind me and hands me a shirt.
‘I always wear two. Thought you might want it, just so the girls don’t get distracted,’ he says and then offers me a smile, which I can’t help but return.
‘Thanks.’ I slide the shirt over my head and go back to try and fasten the material around Kane’s leg.
Robert and Isaac come over to try and lift Kane, but I take over from Robert, telling him, ‘I need you to look after Lola—you did really well with her before.’
Robert nods and goes to Lola’s side.
Marina looks at me for the longest moment, and it’s strange that her face holds lingers of a smile, though it is still covered in concern. She then snaps herself out of it. I smile to myself but then see that Kane is looking directly at me. I should have expected it, really, since I am kneeling right in front of him.
I hear someone clapping. I turn and point my gun straight at Darria, which makes him laugh.
‘Try it, bet you everything I own that it won’t work,’ he says.
I wait another second and then lower my gun, still keeping it in my hand.
>
‘You all did marvellously well,’ he says, as though we’ve finished an adventure course or something.
‘Time for dinner, I think. Why don’t you all go get cleaned up and meet me in the formal dining room in half an hour. Keepers, take them back to their level.’
We all just look at him for a moment and then file out past him, until he gets to Kane.
‘You’d better go to the infirmary for that leg, actually. I’ll take you there, let’s do a raincheck on the dinner,’ Darria says merrily, and Kane looks shocked and terrified all at once.
‘I’m feeling a little faint too, could I go get checked out?’ Georgie pipes up, though it seems painful for her to even speak. Darria looks at her and his smile is unchanging. I can’t say I noticed Georgie much through the whole ordeal. Lola, who is gaining back a little colour, says nothing of wanting to see a doctor. Maybe I should have paid more attention to Georgie. Why is Georgie so willing to go along with this man who has ripped us from what we perceive as normal lives?
‘Of course, my love, this way,’ and he ushers her out the door with Kane hobbling along behind, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. I want to go after them, to protect them, but then I remember that I failed at protecting John. What good would I be protecting Kane and Georgie?
The rest of us leave and I allow myself the hope that I’ll get to see that fake sun again tomorrow.
I have just gotten out of the shower when I come out into my room and see her sitting on my bed.
‘Sorry, I don’t know why I’m here,’ are the first words from her mouth.
Marina sits in a beautiful pale grey dress that is short enough to make my heart race, but covers her enough to stop me from doing anything about it.
‘Why are you sorry?’ I say, coming slightly closer to her without even trying to think the action through.
‘More that I’m sorry about today actually,’ Marina looks down, embarrassed. ‘I yelled out, I came up with that stupid plan that could have had you killed, I could have had us all killed—’ Marina looks over to me then, her eyes so clear and calculating. I smile over at her and consider taking her hand. I decide to keep a tiny bit of distance.
‘We wouldn’t have even gotten to that point if it wasn’t for you.’ I can’t help but continue smiling at her ridiculous account of herself.
‘But—’
I put my hand to her mouth, but only the tips of my fingers, and I can feel her smile underneath it.
‘Stop it, you were the hero today,’ I say, and feel my smile fade as I take my hand away.
‘I’m pretty sure that award goes to you. Risking yourself like that.’
‘Pure human stupidity, that’s all it was.’
Marina’s smile has faded too. She is looking at me in the same way she looked at me before, with her deep blue eyes, the same colour, I would guess, as the marina she is named after.
‘Can you promise me something?’ Marina asks, as though the question has been building all her life, and I try and pull myself out of her gaze long enough to answer her.
‘Anything of certain possibility.’ I whisper back. This makes her choke a laugh that she just manages to stifle into a smile.
‘That seems fair,’ she whispers back and then I wait for her to ask more, but she only drops her gaze. We are so close I can feel her breath on my face.
‘Say it,’ I tell her, almost inaudible.
I feel in this moment as though I am breaking some unspoken rule, yet I can do nothing to stop it.
‘Please don’t be stupid,’ she whispers as she raises her head. At first I’m confused and I don’t understand what she’s asking. Marina sees my expression and looks as though she is trying to backpedal her words. ‘Just don’t run off into a battlefield again before I’ve had a chance to get to know you.’ Her words are shy, but shocking.
‘I’ll, um . . .’ I answer, not really fully understanding, but knowing that I would do whatever she asked of me. ‘Stupid things are kind of my forte. But I’ll try.’
Marina nods. She is about to drop her head again when I speak, drawing her attention back to me.
‘Can I also ask you for something?’
Now she looks confused. Without waiting for an answer, I kiss her, but I only kiss her cheek—I chickened out, okay, this girl is scaring the hell out of me. My breath is so light, it mixes with hers and we become one of the same.
‘Stay with me,’ I say.
She smiles at me. And with the smallest tilt of her head, she nods. She stays.
Marina exits my room, giving me a quick flash of a toothy smile as she does, and I wait a second so it isn’t so obvious that we have been in here together. The chances of people not noticing are slim.
When I enter I see that Lola and Robert are making dinner behind the large marble counter, Georgie is sitting in a plush plum armchair reading, and Kane and Isaac are on the sofa playing a video game. Kane’s leg is elevated in a soft cast and a brace; must be a hell of an annoyance, though he is still giving it a good go at beating Isaac, whose hair looks like an alpaca’s coat. Not even running through a forest all day could coax him into running a comb through it. I shake my head at them, glad they are having fun. Marina takes a seat at the table and I go to sit with her, breaking the rules we set forth just minutes ago, but am stopped by the look on her face. I roll my eyes and go over to Lola and Robert instead.
‘What are we making?’
‘Chilli—’
Then Lola drops, stiff as a board, to the floor.
Robert and I both look down at her. Then we look at what she must have been looking at. There is a tiny bit of tomato paste on the back of Robert’s hand; she must have mistaken it for blood.
‘That must get damn annoying,’ I say, looking down at Lola again.
Robert wipes his hands on a tea towel and goes to inspect Lola, who looks even paler than usual, which is difficult. Her red hair already means her complexion is light-bulb white, though it looks a little darker because of all her freckles.
Robert tries to fan Lola with the tea towel he still holds in his hands. I like Robert, he isn’t too in your face—in fact, he’s actually quite forgettable. I’m actually surprised I remember him from school, though I am also glad to have someone even vaguely familiar.
Maybe that’s an advantage. People have always seemed to notice me in a crowd, and now I wonder if that’s such a good thing.
I look around the room and realise Hermia is nowhere to be found. She’s probably still hiding out, waiting for today to finally end.
Part of me questions why John died—why go through all this trouble to get us all here and then just kill us off? Robert stands and then goes back to cooking.
‘She’ll come to in a few minutes.’
Cautiously I make my way back over to Robert and begin chopping an onion that he places in front of me.
‘You said your father was an army general?’
Robert stops chopping for a moment and goes very still, then starts up again as though nothing had stopped him.
‘Yeah,’ he says—nothing more.
We are silent for a few minutes.
‘Did he tell you anything, anything that might make Darria interested in you?’
Robert doesn’t say anything, just keeps chopping for the longest time. Then he stops and turns to me.
‘My father left me tapes. Video diaries or something. They were close to finding out who had been going after the royals in Great Britten, and who assassinated President Collins II. It was all in the diaries. The way he explained how the ground outside the city looked from the sky, so far past dead he knew nothing could ever grow there again. About how their helicopter almost crashed, twice, on the way to Great Britten. But he had to get there, I don’t know why but somehow he had to. The last tape—’ Robert stops and grips his knife with such strength his knuckles go white. ‘The last one, he knew he was going to die. He said these men had arrived first, and they had killed everyone. Even a small boy of ten
or eleven they slaughtered.’
I keep chopping my onion and my eyes start to sting. I look around to make sure no one is listening to us. Marina is off talking to Georgie in the corner—Georgie doesn’t seem to cry so much when she’s talking to someone one on one. Kane and Isaac are still engrossed in their video game.
‘Who did he say it was?’
‘Same people Darria says. The Cain.’
My mind races. Who are these guys and why are they so desperate to take over the free world?
I turn to the sound of Lola stirring on floor, coming back to the world of the living.
The door smashes against the wall and Winter sails in from her bedroom. I watch her walk over to the TV and switch it off. Kane and Isaac both groan in protest, but neither of them fight for the remote back.
‘How far away is dinner?’ Winter demands. She is the only one not to help out with our meal preparations. I mean, you can’t blame her for being a spoilt brat, right?
‘Be faster if I stopped fainting,’ Lola says from where she still lies on the ground.
Robert and I laugh down to her and Robert reaches out to help her up. I hear Winter exhale impatiently. We go back to cooking, and I go back to hoping I can get more information about our apparent enemy.
Hermia
Days pass, though they feel like seconds marked down on a chalkboard. Today we would draw the seventh mark. I don’t know where I heard that expression; chalkboards haven’t been around since the end of the last millennium. Those that survived obliteration are in antique stores, selling for thousands of dollars. My grandmother is a collector. People cling to the old world like it will bring them peace, help them to accept the world they are forced to live in now. They try to make out that this world we live in is a hellish shadow of its predecessor. Then there are others who believe this new world is something to be made of, that we have no chance of living in the present if we still cling to the past.
I have come here, the last place I want to be, with special permission from Darria himself, though I refused to ask him face to face. It seems my keeper is also good for delivering messages.
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