Steamy Cogs

by Jessica Ripley

  Chains jingled from behind the locomotive as Knox stepped out from behind it, cracking his knuckles menacingly. His evil eyes were lit with pure malice. How could someone take such pleasure in being so mean? Zee wondered, watching the bulky man stand next to the back of the locomotive, just next to the length of rails and ties that disappeared into the black of the desert night. The smirk on his face was unsettling. Zee wanted to rip it off of his face. She took a deep, calming breath in an attempt to keep her emotions in check.

  “What is so amusing?” She asked, trying to keep an eye on both men.

  “Where do you think your other friend is?”

  Zee’s eyes snapped to the back of the locomotive. She couldn’t see what was behind it, but she started piecing it all together: the waiting engine, the rattling chains, Dylan.

  Pierce let out a laugh. “I think you understand why it is so important for you to accompany us back to the Hub now.”

  “Zee, don’t…” Dylan’s disembodied voice started, but Knox kicked behind the engine. Dylan’s scream that followed ripped through Zee and something ruptured inside of her. The well of energy that she was storing inside of her flowed out in a quick burst towards Knox, throwing him away from Dylan and into the black void of the night.

  “That’s what we want, Zee!” Pierce didn’t seem at all concerned for his henchman. He was brimming with excitement over her show of power. “Do it again!”

  “No.” She was not an animal that could be commanded. She had her own free will, her own freedom. It was the same freedom that all people deserved.

  “Fine,” Peirce sneered like a brooding child. Zee expected him to throw a tantrum, but instead he let out an ear-splitting whistle. The locomotive began to lurch forward. Dylan let out another cry as his body was slowly dragged behind the steam wagon that was gathering momentum.

  Zee angled her concentration inside the cab, on the fire box. She quickly drank in the energy of the fire bed, extinguishing the energy stored inside the steam wagon. It swirled inside of her, rippling under her skin. The energy hummed throughout her body. Her hair slowly raised, standing on edge. Deep inside of Zee, a fire burned, churning in her core. The engine sputtered. The steam thinned. Then it stopped dead.

  A bead of sweat trickled down the side of Zee’s face as she stared at the men, waiting for them to make the next move. She had never siphoned off this much energy from a source before. She knew that her body could handle it, but her core temperature was rising slowly. Compounded by her sunburn, Zee was beginning to feel like she was on fire.

  Pierce stomped towards the locomotive as Knox appeared out of the night, his arm hanging limply at his side. “What is wrong? I told you when I whistle, to push the throttle to full,” Pierce whined.

  An old, thin man stained with coal dust peered out of the cab of the locomotive. “The fire just went dead, sir.” Zee could see the manacles on the old man’s wrist, a pink circle under them where they dug into his tender flesh. She was disgusted with Peirce, more than she ever had been in her life. The training that they put her through was one thing, but seeing firsthand how he treated the people who relied on him for food and supplies…. It was time for his rule to come to an end.

  “If you want something done right…” Pierce muttered, walking briskly back to his automobile and grabbed something off of the seat. Zee was too busy watching Dylan struggle to stand behind the steam wagon. Her heart ached, noting the dried blood on his face and the puffiness around his left eye.

  Without warning, a crack erupted. Zee jumped at the noise and to her horror watched helplessly as a spurt of red erupted from the old man’s chest. The dim light in his eyes died as he slumped to the side, chains rattling as he slid down. A tear streaked down Zee’s cheek. This was all her fault. She extinguished the fire and now this poor man was killed because of her. Maybe Alice was right. Rebelling against Peirce was futile. The energy inside of her threatened to bubble out, becoming uncontrollable from her intense emotions. Zee breathed in slowly, calming down and slowing the vibrations under her skin. It would do her no good to lose control.

  “Don’t cry for him,” Peirce cooed, “I released him from his life of servitude. You should be happy.” Zee balled up her fists. She closed her eyes, desperately trying to cool her anger. She needed calm emotions in order to not burn through the well of energy stored inside of her.

  Pierce motioned for Knox to get in the cab. The locomotive dipped as the ox of a man stepped on the steel ledge. He pushed the dead man out of the way as if he was nothing more than clutter. After a moment of silence, Knox reappeared, his dark brown knit in confusion. “The fire’s completely out. I can’t start it.”

  Pierce gazed at Zee. She didn’t like watching him think in silence. He was too unpredictable, too unstable.

  “Oh, well,” Pierce finally said. “You know I like my theatrics, but…” He raised the gun towards Dylan, taking aim. Dylan closed his eyes in anticipation.

  Zee focused, calming her inner anxiety. She brought up a small cord of energy from deep within her and let it vibrate through the gun, careful to not set off the bullet. Honing the energy into the molecules of the metal of the trigger and hammer, she welded them both so they would no longer move. After realizing that the gun would no longer fire, Pierce tossed the gun up in the air and caught it by the barrel. He began whipping it across Dylan’s face.

  Zee felt inadequate. No matter what she tried, it seemed to backfire. She didn’t like violence, but she could see no other solutions. In a blur of speed, she rushed towards Dylan and grabbed Pierce’s hand before he could land another blow. He screamed in pain as she snapped his wrist back, sending him down to the ground sniveling in agony.

  In an instant, Zee was sitting on the tracks holding Dylan, whipping the blood from his bruised face. He was warm underneath her. She gently ushered vibrations into the chain that linked Dylan to the engine, stretching it out and breaking the link so that he was free from the locomotive. “Are you okay?” She whispered, cupping his face.

  Dylan let out a chuckle. “I’ve been better, but this isn’t so bad.” He smiled, mending her heart immediately. Helping him up, they walked passed Peirce, pretending he wasn’t there. He shouted protests and threats at them that they ignored, turning their attention to Alice instead. Zee quickly freed Alice from the hitching post. Alice instantly threw her arms around Dylan. “I am so sorry!” She sobbed into his neck.

  Zee put a comforting hand on Alice’s shoulder. “It’s okay. You did what you had to do,” she added, knowing that the men threatened the truth out of Alice. She was the one who told them that Zee was with Dylan, but Alice still kept the secret about the bar’s basement. “It’s over now. Let’s go.”

  The three of them started walking back to town as the sun began peaking over the horizon. Its rays spread golden fingers across the vast sands of the desert.

  “You can’t leave!” Peirce was screaming behind them. Zee heard the small engine fire up before she noticed the headlights behind them. The engine of the automotive screamed as Peirce aimed it at them. Zee spun around, watching the insanity in Pierce’s face. She knew in that moment that he would stop at nothing. It wasn’t anger that fueled her, but the knowledge that she was doing what she had to in order to keep them safe. She tried to let him walk away, but Peirce was relentless. He wasn’t yet fifteen feet from them when Zee released the well of energy inside of her, letting a great wave erupt forward. The steam wagon was thrown back and crashed. As the boiler exploded, shrapnel was thrown in a flourish. Zee set up an energy barrier that blocked any metal away from the three of them.

  They stood in silence watching the wreak burn. The carnage of this night would usher in a new way of life for not just the three of them, but everyone who relied on Peirce.

  Their revolution wasn’t without hiccups, but with the help of the steam engines, communications and meetings were held between the elected leaders of each desert town. A trade agreement was created and instead of being depende
nt on one tyrant, the towns now had a symbiotic relationship, trading their goods amongst themselves as needed. No one lived in fear. And though Zee knew that Knox was out there somewhere, he at least had sense enough to stay away from them. Who knows, maybe he ventured off into the desert and was swallowed up by it.

  Zee leaned back on Dylan as he stroked her long hair. It was almost five months since Pierce died and Knox disappeared, but Zee still sometimes woke up in a panic, afraid she was in the small, dark room where they would keep her for punishment. Dylan would always wake up immediately and comfort her. The electricity of his touch still sent shivers and goosebumps down her arms. She smiled. “What kind of a name is Dylan?” She asked, knowing now that everyone else in the town aside from he and Alice were named after everyday things, like different plants or pieces of equipment. She sat up and looked at him expectantly.

  “I’ll tell you if you answer something for me.” He leaned in and kissed her. She felt the vibrations of his love down to her toes. Zee couldn’t believe that life could be like this. Some nights she woke up from a nightmare, afraid that once again she was thrown in the darkness of solitude, but Dylan would rouse next to her and wrap her in his muscular arms, instantly relaxing her.

  “It’s a deal.” She smiled, leaning in for another kiss. “But you answer first.”

  A big smile broke across his face, as the evening breeze ruffled through his hair. “I’m named for a musician: Bob Dylan.”

  Zee giggled. “What a funny name. I’ve never heard of him.”

  “Well, if Throttle in Sand Haven can create this generator like he thinks, I can fire up the record player and educate you.” He beamed at her.

  “I would like that very much.” She let herself get lost in the depths of his blue eyes. She never got tired of learning about Dylan and his family. The more she learned about him, the more her love grew. “What’s your question?”

  “Does that song you’re always humming have words?”

  Zee threw her head back and laughed. “That’s your question?”

  “Yes.” Dylan gently traced the line of her cheekbone.

  She stared up at the clouds in the blue sky. The same blue of Dylan’s eyes. Zee knew the song had words, important words, but it had been so long since she was allowed to sing it. Her mind floated back to when she found the recording locked up tight in the Hub. It was back when she was a child and Pierce let her wander the facility. Easily, she had picked the lock on the storeroom and rummaged through the piles of forgotten history until she found something that called out to her.

  Dylan draped his arm across Zee’s shoulder as she continued to stare at the blue sky. Taking a deep breath she started singing. “Oh, say can you see…”

  About the Author

  Bonnie resides near Buffalo, NY, but also frequents the family cottage near Georgian Bay, Ontario. She attended the University of Buffalo and earned a bachelors in art with a major in Cultural Anthropology and minor in Classics, as well as a masters in art with a major in Archaeology. Aside from learning about other cultures, Bonnie has a passion for psychology. These subjects influence her writings as she frequently has her characters not only battling outside forces and social issues, but dealing with their inner demons as well.

  In her spare time she also paints, draws, writes poetry, and snowboards. She also devotes a lot of time to her dogs (who are more like her children), her family, and her boyfriend and his daughter.

  www.bonnielynncarroll.com

  Also from Eighth Ripple Press

  Love Lost

  Shifting Shards

  December Wishes