“The door’s wide open,” Jack said, gesturing towards the cottage. “You guys sit tight and I’ll check it out.” He didn’t wait for a reply before he put the van into park and jumped out. Danny just snorted in agitation, sending me a glare, which told me how annoyed he was. As soon as Jack was out of hearing range, Danny lit into me.
“How the fuck did you get out here anyway? Hitch a ride, you little tramp? I bet some old guy diddled you the whole way.”
Used to his attacks, I ignored him. Despite not wanting to look, I watched as Jack entered the cottage and disappeared from sight. For some reason, seeing him step into the void made me extremely worried. The laughter began again, Kale’s cruel voice drumming inside my head. Even when I put my hands up to cover my ears, it still continued on.
“Shut up! Shut up!” I began to holler, rocking back and forth in my seat.
Danny looked at me like I was an even bigger freak than I was. “What the fuck? You shut up. Shut your damn mouth!” His loud yelling joined in with Kale’s until I couldn’t differentiate between them. I shut my eyes tight.
Suddenly he pounded his fist against the dashboard making my eyes bulge open in fear. Everything stopped. The voices, the yelling—everything but the fear. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Jack hadn’t come back out. Why he was taking so long was anyone’s guess. Danny swore in frustration and climbed out of the van. He slid open the side door and told me to get out. With me in the lead—not by choice—we began walking towards the open door of the cottage. My heart started racing and my breath became heavy in my chest. Every step I took was like walking towards the executioner’s block. I hadn’t crossed the threshold since the Event and even though Danny was with me and Jack was inside, I didn’t want to do it now. When I reached the door I hesitated.
“Inside,” Danny growled.
My hand shook as I reached for the screen door. It was the heavy wooden door that had been left open. I stared at it once the screen was wide enough to step past. Scorch marks were scarred across the deep red paint as though left by the fiery hand of a dragon. When my feet refused to move, Danny gave me a not so gentle shove from behind. I practically fell into the room beyond.
“Jack?” Danny yelled over my head. He walked around me and went into the living room where there was a fireplace and a big picture window that faced out towards the lake. To my right was the galley kitchen. Just beyond that was a long hallway with doors leading to a bathroom and bedroom on the right, and another two bedrooms on the left. The entire cottage felt completely still, yet, not quite empty. My eyes darted around searching the corners in the dim light expecting something terrible to spring forth.
“Where are you, Jack?” Danny demanded. He began stalking down the hallway and systematically opened each of the closed doors. At the last door he hesitated. He turned to look at me from where I’d wandered another few steps and could now see down the hall. I wanted to shout at him not to open the door. There was no reason why that I could logically explain, but whatever was behind it, I felt should stay hidden. Danny smirked at me and his hand reached for the knob.
That’s when everything began to shake. Just like I remembered from four years ago—it's how the nightmare had begun. As the door swung open I saw Danny raise a hand to his eyes as a blinding white light shot out. He turned away and took one step before he gripped the wall as though something had a hold of him. This time, when his eyes met mine, they were full of fear.
“Jack?” I yelled. Danny was pulled back into the room, slowly, his nails grabbing at the wall, fingernails leaving scratches. Once he disappeared from view the door slammed shut. “Jack, Danny needs help!” The floorboards continued to rumble and shake and when I backed up towards the door my legs were unsteady. I moved in slow motion, like the way I sometimes did in dreams when I was trying to get away.
Blinding light suddenly lit up every window and I had to sink to the floor and cover my eyes to escape the glare. I spun round and crawled forward but the scorched wooden door slammed shut making me turn back toward the living room. I got in front of the fireplace and faced the other door—the one leading to the front deck—before everything stopped and became still. The light was gone and slowly I got to my feet. It was then I became aware I was no longer alone.
I turned in resignation, ignoring the screaming voice in my head that urged me to flee, and faced my tormentor. The man who’d hounded me endlessly, first as a nightmare, then as my lover, then as my enemy, since I was sixteen years old.
“Kale?”
He stood tall and unmoving, his face a mask of cold determination. “Ayres, actually,” he said.
“For real?”
His hand reached out and unwillingly I moved forward to take it in mine.
He smiled. “For real.”
Chapter 3
Just like all those years ago, I awoke with a head full of cotton and a dry mouth. This time, however, the now familiar pristine white walls of Lindove did not surround me. Instead, everything was cold metal. And bars.
I became aware I was curled up on the floor in a thick rough blanket that scratched at my skin. The floor was clean and bare and looked to be made of concrete. Was I in jail? It would explain the barred window at the top of the imposing steel door of the cell.
There’d been an earthquake, I remembered that, and the bright light. Then...there’d been Kale, yet he’d said his name was Ayres. I’d taken his hand. After that everything was a blank. A terrible thought entered my mind. Had Jack and Danny been found dead, just like Uncle Mick and Aunt Erin had?
Shit!
Maybe they thought I was a killer. I mean, to have the same crime committed in the same place leaving only me left alive was pretty convenient. It definitely smacked of guilt. But I hadn’t killed anyone. It was a mistake. I got up on shaky knees and used the wall for leverage as I climbed to my feet. That’s when I noticed I was naked. The blanket had pooled around my feet. I reached down and snatched it up, pulling it around my shoulders, and crept toward the door. I peered through the bars and from what I could see it appeared I was in some sort of cellblock. A prison no doubt. They’d locked me up in a place nowhere near as nice as Lindove this time.
From my vantage point it was impossible to see too far. There was a cell directly across from mine and I noticed the bob of a head just below the bars. I waited until the head came up again and called out, “Hey. Hello?”
A small pale face framed by a riot of dark curls came into view. “Hello?” a young female’s voice answered.
“My name’s Mandy. What is this place?”
“I...I dunno. Been here for a few...days...I think.” She took a moment to get out her words. Maybe her throat was as dry as mine?
“Did you do something? Something bad?” Must be a prison for women.
“No. Nothing. There was...bright light. A man...”
What? Sounded like the same shit I’d seen. “What’s your name?” Dammit, I needed water.
“Lissa.”
“Lissa?” Sounded like a lisp.
“Yeah,” she said. “Oh, no! Someone’s...coming.” She ducked out of sight. When I heard the steady tread of boots in the hall I did the same, moving as far back as my cell would allow. I wrapped up tightly in the blanket and sat down, trying to conceal my nakedness as my cell door began to rattle. A moment later it swung open. A very large man stood in the doorway.
Perhaps it was the poor lighting, or my fanciful if somewhat crazy imagination, but it appeared half of the man’s head was made of metal. I squinted my eyes and blinked several times before I confirmed my suspicion. Yep, definitely metal.
“Rise,” he said, his voice gruff and as cold as my ass had been on the floor. Despite what was assuredly a wild Episode I was having, I didn’t want to take any chances so I rose to my feet.
“Come,” he said, gesturing me forward.
Taking a big gulp I did as instructed. He reached out suddenly and snatched my blanket away, tossing it aside.
“Hey!” I made a move to retrieve it, but froze when he raised a hand to strike me. He wore a long gray lab coat over his clothing, which appeared to be a one-piece black jumpsuit. Lowering his hand he reached into his pocket and removed a strange handheld instrument. I stood, stiff with embarrassment, as he waved the device over my midsection and then lower toward my womanly parts. The object hummed and little lights flashed on and off. He grunted with satisfaction before he put the device away.
Then he left. Just like that. Only pausing to pull the door shut and lock it behind him. Snatching up the blanket I peeked through the bars and saw that he’d gone into Lissa’s room. He hadn’t bothered to shut her door after he entered either. I suppose with his great bulk the odds of getting past him were slim to none. The cyborg dude must have yanked off her blanket as well, ’cause I heard her howl in protest. The word ‘pervert’ was yelled more than once. Apparently she wasn’t as smart as me, ’cause I heard a loud smack and then a cry—it hadn’t come from him.
Quick as he’d been in my cell, he wasn’t much longer in hers. When he turned to leave I ducked down until I heard the click of his boots head off down the hallway. I could hear choking sobs and I knew Lissa was upset. I’d been a little disturbed by the encounter myself. Instead of calling out to her, I curled up against the back wall and wondered what was going on. Just where in the hell was I? What had happened in the cottage? And where were Jack and Danny? Dead or alive?
My mind jumped from one scenario to another hashing out this concept or that one over and over—there was nothing else to occupy me. The next thing I knew the bottom slat of my door slid open and a tray was shoved inside. Dinner I guessed. I stretched out and grabbed it, dragging it back to the wall where I could get a look at it. The food at Lindove had been decent. Much more so than this shit. Whatever it was. A single bowl held what appeared to be watery porridge, or maybe it was stew, with chunks of green stuff in it. The awful sight aside, the smell was enough to put me off. There was a mug with plain water in it. I drank it down much too fast and then regretted not rationing it. God only knew when I’d get more. I poked my finger in the mush and then put it in my mouth. Damn, I was hungry. Couldn’t remember the last time I ate. The taste was bland but not terrible. They hadn’t bothered to give me a spoon. Using my fingers I scooped up the mush, eating every last bite, then settled back against the wall to see if it’d stay down. When my gut remained calm, I got to my feet and moved to peer out the door.
All was silent across the hall. Lissa was probably gagging down her bowl of crap as well. She’d been here a few days so she was probably used to the hospitality by now. About an hour or so later—I guessed—the single dim light on the ceiling in my cell went out. Judging by the dark corridor I presumed it was lights out and time to sleep. Too bad I wasn’t tired. My mind was far too wired.
Once more I pondered my dilemma until sleep finally overtook me. When I awoke, the light over my head was back on again. My bowels were crampy, and I really needed to use the bathroom.
“Lissa, are you awake?” Hopefully she’d know how things worked in this joint. When I saw her head pop up through the bars I sighed in relief. “I gotta go to the bathroom, what should I do?”
“Someone’ll come soon to take you down,” she told me.
Damn, I hope so.
Sure enough I heard the heavy clip-clop of boots coming down the hall. The cyborg dude opened the door and I was actually relieved to see him. When he ushered me out the door I didn’t hesitate to obey. We walked down the long cellblock and I counted the heavy doors as I passed. Six. There were more in the other direction but I wasn’t sure how many. Placing his thumb on a scanner, my guide opened a doorway and led me inside. It was a large room with a row of toilets in it—metal, of course—and a row of metal sinks on the other side. In the back area it appeared to be open showers.
“Knock on this door when you are finished.” He left and shut the door behind him.
Since I was the only one in the room at the moment I had a semblance of privacy. If I hadn’t needed to pee so badly the cold metal toilets would have forced that issue soon enough. I glanced around as I did my business and then washed my hands. There were no mirrors so I had no idea how I looked. My blanket was pooled on the floor and I covered myself up before I knocked on the door to be let out. I was surprised when the cyborg led me, not back to my cell, but down a different hall. The scowl he sported made me hesitate to ask.
Hall after hall we traipsed down and then we got into an elevator and shot up a couple of floors. When we headed down another long corridor—this one with windows along the right side—I gaped and had to stop.
Holy crap that’s outer space outside!
The cyborg—he might actually be a cyborg—noticed I wasn’t trailing obediently behind and turned to snap at me. “Come!”
“But...but...” I gestured grandly at the view.
He smirked. “If you look hard, you may spot Earth.” Then he had the audacity to wink at me.
I turned to the window and stared, as instructed, to search for Earth. Generously, my guide even helped to point it out. Yep. There it was. Good ole Earth. Just as it appeared in all those space shots I’d seen on television.
If I hadn’t known before, I now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt—I was certifiably nuts.
Chapter 4
“Where are you taking me?” He’d had to take my arm to encourage compliance.
“You will see.”
Not much for words, this one. His scowl was back, but I wouldn’t let it discourage me from nagging. Not when I was clearly having an Episode. Come to think of it, I’d never actually realized I was having an Episode mid-Episode before. Maybe I was improving?
Just when I was about to start with more questions, the cyborg thumb-printed a door, and when the light went from red to green he opened it. Ushering me inside, we entered a vast room, circular in shape. The view from the many large windows was stunning—dark space all around with shiny little stars sparkling everywhere. A table curved around half the wall and seven men were seated. All of them wore the one-piece black jumpsuits from what I could see, except the shoulders and chest area were colored either green or red. Perhaps I was having an Episode on board the Enterprise? I scrutinized the faces staring back at me expecting to see television stars, but I didn’t recognize any of them—except for one—Ayres. I wasn’t surprised. He seemed to star in all my Episodes. Catching my gaze he inclined his head in way of greeting. Playing it cool I copied his gesture.
Cyborg led me to the center of the floor. “Earthling one-five-six. Under protection of...Ayres.” Was it just me, or did he sneer a little?
“Very good. Thank you, Gol. You may leave us,” said the man with the red shoulders sitting directly in the middle of the others.
Gol the cyborg nodded, turned, and briskly strode from the room, leaving me alone and naked, except for the blanket. The man who’d addressed Gol scrutinized me and I squirmed under his gaze. He must be the leader, I surmised.
“This is your entry?” he said to Ayres.
“Yes, Sir Baynar,” Ayres said.
He nodded his head after staring at me a moment. “She is small like the others. I agree to it.” He turned to the men on the panel. “What say you?”
“Aye,” they all agreed in unison.
“Pathetic little things,” Baynar said.
Ayres shrugged his shoulders. “She complies with the regulations.”
What the hell are they talking about? And for that matter, why were they discussing me like I wasn’t even in the room? God, this felt too damn real. My other Episodes were life-like but kind of fuzzy, as though a dream. This didn’t feel like that.
“Drop your blanket,” Baynar said to me. So much for being ignored.
“Pardon?”
His eyes flashed and the hand he rested on the table clenched into a fist. “Can she not hear?”
“She is perfect, I assure you,” Ayres said, turning a hard gl
are on me.
Episode or not, I wasn’t about to show these guys my goods.
Before I could say a word, Ayres got to his feet and was beside me. He took hold of my blanket and wrenched it from my body. I tried to snatch it back but his hands gripped it tight.
“What the fuck?” I snapped, vainly trying to cover my boobs and my bush. Unfortunately, my long dark hair was still in a heavy braid down my back so I couldn’t use it for a shield.
“Stand straight and don’t move—if you want to live,” Ayres threatened. His voice had been low, just for my ears, but deadly serious. The look in his eyes warned me.
Burying my shame, I dropped my hands to my sides and froze. My chin rose determinedly, but I refused to make eye contact with anyone.
It seemed an eternity before Baynar had his fill. “She is acceptable.” The other men voiced their agreements while Ayres covered me back up. “You may return her to her cell.”
“Thank you, sir,” Ayres said.
As he began to lead me from the room, the leader called to him and Ayres stopped. “I trust you will fill her in on everything?”
“Yes, sir.”
“The tournament will begin tomorrow morning. Be in position...and...good luck to you.”
Ayres nodded and led me from the room.
I spun on him as soon as the door shut behind us. “What the hell is going on?”
“Keep your voice down,” he snapped. He didn’t speak to me again until we got inside my cell. The door shut, and with him inside, the room suddenly seemed much smaller. I’d been biting my tongue and biding my time, but now, looking at the giant before me I suddenly grew wary.
What if this was real?
“Sit if you prefer,” Ayres said. “You will listen to what I have to say and then you must rest.”
I sat.
As he gathered his thoughts, I studied him. He was much more lifelike than the other times I’d seen him. Imagined him. I corrected myself. Yet, if he was only a figment of my imagination, then how did I know him so well? Ever since I’d lost my aunt and uncle he’d been there. Of course, I’d fabricated the way we’d met, dated, and fell in love. Easily, I’d slipped into another life, one separate from life at Lindove. Over time it’d become easier to do. That Kale—Ayres—would eventually turn into a violent, obsessive boyfriend had been inevitable. Perhaps, in a way, my mind was healing from its turmoil and the only way to get back to reality was to force Ayres away—make him so unlikable I’d have to let him go? My last Episode had me fleeing him in terror. Maybe I was not fleeing Ayres per se, but attempting to escape a return to reality?
Survivor Planet Series 2-Book Box Set Page 2