The Soldiers of the Cyto Field

by Nguyen,Peter

  “So I heard you and Carter signed up for the Northern Military. Don’t get me wrong but I would never expect the two of you to ever join them” says Mr. Rivera adjusting his glasses.

  “Honey, it’s for the best, at least now they’re safe from injection,” Mrs. Rivera says.

  “Yea. I wasn’t sure at first until Carter convinced me” I say looking over at Carter.

  “Well I’m proud of both of you boys either way. Just think about it, in a few more months you’ll both be serving your territory,” Mr. Rivera says.

  Mrs. Rivera passes out plates of scramble eggs. Coryanna breaks the toast of bread in half hands everyone one and then hands me glass of orange juice.

  “Is your mother coming over Hazer?” says Mr. Rivera.

  “That why I came over. She’s sick” I say.

  “Really? I talked to Gabby last night at the festival, she seem fine. Now that I’m thinking about it, she was coughing a few times,” Mrs. Rivera walks over with her arms folded, “Do you have any idea what’s going on with your mom?”

  I don’t want to tell them about the snake bite because my mom would get mad. I realize I have no choice if I want my mom to get any better. Mr. Rivera has worked at the Northern military once; surely he must know something about wild animal bites. I finally spill out the news I was keeping, “She told me that snake had bitten her, but she doesn’t know whether is poisonous or not” the words came out louder than I expected but they have to know.

  “Oh Dear!” Mrs. Rivera grasps.

  “Is she alright?” says Carter who looks wide awake now.

  “She’s in bed but I don’t know if it’s serious.” I say.

  “Don’t worry Hazer. This is more common than you would expect. Just follow my instructions and she’ll be up and cooking in no time” says Mr. Rivera.

  “Oh honey he needs to take his mom to a real doctor” says Mrs. Rivera.

  “Are you kidding me? Back in the days I use to teach all of the armatures. The scientists were coming to me for advice.”

  “Tell me what I have to do” I say.

  “Hazer are you sure” Mrs. Rivera ask.

  I nod.

  Mr. Rivera takes a deep breath and finally replies, “There is an herb called the Nightshade. It only grows by the gate that separates Capa and the Hunting Ground. It’ll cure any venomous bite. Insect, snake you name it.”

  Mr. Rivera stands up and walks behind him, pulling a photo off the wall that has many pictures of plants and most are from Ms. Rivera’s Garden. He hands me a picture of a purple rose with red thorns.

  “Thank you so much Mr. Rivera.”

  There isn’t time to waste so I quickly rush to the door. I can hear Carter rushing after me as I run outside in the rain.

  “Hazer wait!” Carter shouts.

  I finally reach my house and I quickly open my door. Carter is running after me but I quickly close the door. I rush upstairs to my mom’s room. The sight of her sleeping calms my heart. I quietly close the door and walk back down stairs where Carter is still knocking on my door.

  I finally open the door and Carter runs inside. The water on him soaks the floor and shivers from the cold rain.

  “Dude, don't even try to stop me Carter. This is my mom we’re talking about.”

  “I’m not going to stop you.”

  Carter reaches in his pocket and pulls out a small blue cylinder medal.

  It’s his Gleammer.

  He hands me the thin metal object. I’m a confuse to why Carter is handing me this.

  “Take it. It’s much better than using a flashlight. The soldiers will spot u a mile away. With this it’ll just look like the stars are shinning brighter.”

  “Wait are you really going to give me that?” I ask.

  “Sure, I know how much your mom means to you. Even though it means risking your life to save the ones you love, it's totally understandable. You know how to use it right?” Carter asks.

  “Of course I remember. We made the whole sky lit up blue last year and you almost set Garret’s house on fire,” I laugh.

  “Just be safe man” Carter says, pulling me his handshake.

  He opens the door and the sky has already cleared up. I press the Gleammer and it shoots out a blue ball of light in the distance. Carter and I both look up and smile at the blue ball of light that explode into a billion tiny stars.

  “There you go” Carter shouts back at me.

  Carter’s dad said my only hope is the Nightshade. I guess my best option is to leave at night since I’ll be less visible.

  ~

  I open my bed room door and quietly tip toe pass my mom’s room. Kaleb is sleeping in the hall so I have to quiet enough not to wake him up.

  I quietly walk down stairs, opening our front door.

  It’s extremely dark outside and I’m unable to see my own hands. The pollution has made the sky so blurry that the stars and moon can’t even bring us light tonight. I reach into my pocket and take out the Gleammer. I point at the sky and press the small button. I hold tightly as the Gleammer shoots a small ball of light in to the sky, exploding in to a million stars. The tiny blue specs, glisters over the damp overgrown lawn.

  Everything looks so enchanting, a radiant feel from the blue lights.

  In few minutes of walking, it gets dark again and I reach into my pocket for the Gleammer, using it once more. Carter is right; using a flashlight will be more suspicious.

  I notice I’m now in the closed space inside the forest, where the sky is no longer intact. The Gleammer will be useless from this point. As I search my way through the dark forest, I start to hear soft running in the nearby bushes. I assume they’re just harmless animals but I kept my guard up.

  I finally reach open land where I’m able to use the Gleammer. Everything lights up again, illuminating the night sky. I look around the grass to find the Nightshade, but no hope. Nothing but dandelions and sunflower near the meadow.

  As I keep searching, looking through the tall overgrown grass, I notice a subtle movement behind me. It’s gone once I turn around, but as I move forward I have the strangest feeling like something is lurking from behind. Something is defiantly behind me. I turn around again and examine my surroundings. Then I see it. It isn’t a person as it slowly crawls towards me on four legs. Its presence is just like Kaleb’s but its approach is unassertive. The strange creature walks into the light and revealing its jet black fur. My heart starts to pound as it strikes fear in my eyes with its snare. I back away from the wolf, knowing it could be contaminated with high level radiation. I’m old enough to know that it takes two bites from any animal to give a person a fatal radiation poisoning.

  I immediately pick up a nearby stick and I try to scare it off, but I’m only provoking it’s rage. It growls with foam, emanating out of its vicious chops. It suddenly lunges at me but I quickly swing the stick hitting it in the head. It quickly recovers and comes back with such speed, scratching me on the arm. I swing the hard stick down on its head again.

  It finally backs away.

  I stand ready for its next attack but wolf looks at me with challenge. I have to get away from this thing, all of suddenly it howls. The wolf’s vocals crack as it get louder. I then hear other howls nearby.

  Realizing the wolf’s a harbinger, I slowly back away. The tiny blue stars begin to fade, making it dark to see. I quickly reach in my pocket but I realize I must have dropped it when the wolf attacked me. I look around the grass but it’s get darker each second.

  I quickly spot it, picking it up blindly as the dark takes over. I struggle to find the button by using my sweaty hands. I finally light up the sky with the Gleammer and twenty wolves are surrounding me with their demonic omen.

  I begin swinging my stick blindly as the wolves close in. One of them jumps and bites the wooden stick. Its force is so strong that I can hear the hard stick starting to break. Another one jumps from behind.

  BANG!

  I look up and it’s Northern Troop holdi
ng a rifle. She quickly reloads and shoots more rounds into the wolves.

  “GET AWAY FROM THE THEM!” she yells.

  I notice the stick that I’m holding is dissolving in white foam. I quickly let go before it touches my hands.

  BANG!

  The wolf with the stick in his mouth falls to the ground lifelessly. The rest of them start to run in different direction. My heart starts to calm as I realize I’m no longer dog food. The armed girl points her weapon at me with curiosity.

  “Whoa please don’t shoot” I say, throwing my hands up.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Hazer Wes.”

  She finally lowers her gun and walks into the open field where the blue tiny stars start to shine on her body. I’m starting to question if she is a Northern troop because of the clothes she is wearing. She has on a black trench coat but she is wearing the uniform pants. Her long wavy brown hair falls perfectly on her thin body as she takes off her cap and her brown eyes start to shine as she walks closer.

  “Who are you?” I ask.

  “Faye Knight.”

  She takes a step closer not knowing if I’m a threat. She looks lost as if she doesn’t know where she is.

  “Which way is the military?” she ask gripping her gun tighter.

  “Aren’t you a Northern troop?”

  I mean I would get lost in Capa’s forest due to the large unity trees but isn’t it her job to know the area. Her eyes widen.

  “You got me. I’m not a Northern troop.”

  “Look I’m not a threat. You’re in Capa, the Northern territory.” I say looking down at her large rifle in dread.

  The strange girl starts to walk around me and observing my body. She reaches over and touches my arm. While having her eyes on me, she slowly moves her hand towards my chest and my hearts starts to beat faster than normal. I feel like a prey all over again as she zips down my leather jacket.

  “Umm what are you doing?”

  She ignores me and continues to slide the jacket off. My arm has a strange feeling almost as if it’s going numb. Faye starts to examine my arm and I realize there’s a cut across my bicep.

  “You’re hurt” she reaches into her bag takes out a needle shot.

  “What is that?”

  She holds up the shot and reaches for my arm. My skin has never been pierced by a sharp needle injecting before, especially from a stranger. The chemical rushes into my blood stream.

  “Relax I made it myself.”

  “Sorry, it’s the needles. They are just sign of death around here. Where did you get it?”

  “It’s from a herb I picked up, Nightshade. I believe it destroys all toxins in you, but it only grows near the Northern gates.”

  The blue tiny stars start to fade away making it harder for Faye and me to see. She reaches in her pocket and takes out a flash light. She pulls the injection out and I suddenly regain feeling in arm.

  “I know you just meant me but someone close to me is dying unless you give me that herb,” I say.

  “There’s just one problem with that. I’m all out” Faye says.

  “Do you know where we can find more?”

  “It’s way too dark out here. Why do you need it anyways?” says Faye.

  “My mom, she’s been bitten by some animal and now she’s not acting like herself.”

  “Hey I’ll make a deal with you. If I help you find one then you have do anything I say.”

  “Um, I guess,” I say as I scratch my head.

  She begins to walk towards the dark forest; I pick up my jacket and quickly follow her before I lose sight of her. Even though she’s holding a gun, I casually walk besides her, showing her my trust.

  “So I’m guessing you’re not around here are you?”

  “No I’m not.”

  “Are you from our enemy territory?”

  “Yes, I was sent here on a mission, but my sister got caught and I’m going to rescue her.”

  “That explains the failed attempt of your disguise.”

  “I changed back because my mission is complete.”

  “What is your mission anyways?”

  “The less you know the better,” she winks.

  “I’m hoping I’m not walking with some sort of terrorist,” I weakly chuckle, trying to find the humor.

  She doesn’t laugh; instead she stays focus on her path.

  “So how many wars you been in?” she ask.

  “This would be my second. The last time my gate opened was 8 years ago, and you?”

  Faye turns towards me with a confuse expression. “Just two? Kid you got a lot to learn. This would be my fifth war.”

  “Your gate opened five times?! How did you guys manage to survive?”

  “My father and the rest of the Western government are very strict; they do what needs to be done for our survival.”

  I remember the old man who would tell me about the territories and it’s unknown. I asked him one time who does he believe is the strongest realms in the world and he believed it was the East and the West. Knowing that this girl might be part of a grand army, I should not get on her bad side.

  “So why did you save me?”

  “We maybe at war with each other but it doesn’t mean I’m going to lose my humanity<” Faye says.

  “Look I’m sorry about your sister but I don’t think there is anything you can do about that.”

  “What do you know? You’re just a street kid.”

  “I’m telling you the truth. They will kill you if they find out you’re not from here. Besides I lost someone too” Faye stops walking and looks at me with confusion.

  “My brother was also taken. After my dad offered him in order to save me, he regretted it so much that he broke into the lab just to see Rylan one last time. My dad was then shot to death.”

  I can tell my story has made Faye a little frighten but she stays confident.

  “Well I’m sorry about your lost but that’s not what’s going to happen. After I get my sister back, I’m going to destroy their precious serum” says Faye.

  “The injection?! Ok now I know you’re crazy.”

  “At least I’ll die for my country and I’ll be doing you a favor.” Faye storms off into the woods leaving me in the open grassy field. I don’t know why she’s is risking so much. She doesn’t look like she knows where she is heading.

  “What are you doing?” I says.

  “What does it look like I’m doing” says Faye.

  “You look like you’re lost.”

  Faye ignores me and continues walking in the deep dark forest. The only light source is Faye’s flashlight. I start to remember going out here with my mom when I was a young. We would set up a camp and hunt all day for food. We stop going because the animals out here are now contaminated with radiation. I start to walk beside Faye as she shines the light left to right.

  “Why are you so close?”

  “No, I just don’t want to run into those wolves again without a gun.”

  Faye reaches into her pocket and hands me a tiny knife. It’s as small as my pinky.

  “Are you serious? I said wolves not rats.”

  Faye starts to laugh causing her to trip over a rock. She falls on a patch of leaves as I look ahead and notice a teal light illuminating the forest.

  “I remember this place.”

  “Where are we?

  “I use to fish here when I was younger but I don’t remember the water glowing teal” I help Faye up and we walk to the strange water. I never have seen anything this beautiful before.

  “What is this place?”

  There aren’t any fishes in the water so I’m guessing it isn’t sustainable. Faye picks up a stick and trenches it in the water. The stick quickly rots and crumbles to pieces.

  “I can’t believe I use to fish here.”

  Faye suddenly tackles me into a bush and covering my mouth. I quickly spot two Northern Policemen walking on the side of the lake.

  Faye lets go of my mou
th and picks up her Assault rifle. She aims at them but I quickly stop her by grabbing the gun from her.

  “What are you doing?” Faye whispers.

  “Are you crazy? I’m about to become a Northern troop. There is no way I’m letting ruin this for me.”

  “He is the one who took my sister” says Faye.

  “How do you know” I say.

  “You can’t forget a face like that” says Faye.

  I look outside the bush and I notice one of them has a small tattoo on the side of his face that resembles a flame. Faye grabs the gun but I wouldn’t let go.

  She suddenly punches me in the mouth and snatches the rifle.

  “What the hell!” I say wiping the blood off my lip.

  Faye aims at the soldier and shoots two rounds. The shot was so silent that I can only hear the two troop’s body’s drop to the ground. She quickly runs towards the lifeless troops and search them.

  My hearts starts to race as I realize we just committed a murder. I shouldn’t have left my house. What the hell was I thinking? I start to pace my breathing and slowly get out of the bush. I begin to walk towards Faye.

  “You do realize we can get executed for this?”

  “I’m not going to get caught” says Faye as she grabs the troop’s ammo and supplies.

  She starts to roll one of the bodies into the teal water.

  “Are you going to help or are you just going to stand there like a child?”

  I take a deep breath and help Faye push the rest of the man’s bodies into the water. His body starts to dissolve along with his clothes. I know I should be used to seeing people die but this looks sickening. His body finally disappears in the acidic water.

  “This was the man that killed them” says Faye.

  I reach for the second troop that has a tattoo and suddenly he wakes up grabbing my hand and throwing me to the ground. Faye takes out his gun but he quickly punches her causing her to drop the Assault rifle. He pulls out a pistol and aims at Faye. I quickly move his hands.

  BANG!!

  He misses and hits the tree. He elbows me I fall to the ground. Faye quickly kicks the pistol into the water causing the weapon to dissolve. My heart is pounding to fast as I search around for a weapon. Faye kicks him again but he catches it and pulls her towards him. He then pushes her towards the water but she immediately grabs his shirt. Faye is now hanging about four feet above the water.