by Arden, Mari
Slipping past the lopsided tree like a ghost, I move as fast as I can, not daring to look anywhere but ahead. I don't know how many Saguinox are out there, and I don't want to find out. It's hard, but I try to run. My bare feet press against jagged rocks and uneven ground, but I tell myself the pain is nothing. Survival is everything. Pressing ahead, I ignore thorns from thick shrubbery. I hear a sound and I still, completely frozen. My heart's beating as loud as the gunshots.
"Kenna." The voice is hoarse, filled with pain.
"Chloris?" I whisper in the dark, a sudden relief filling me.
"Right here." She sounds like she's next to me. Searching, I see nothing but leaves.
"Where?"
Something soft touches my shoulder, and I jump back. "Here," she answers.
I blink, as understanding dawns. Parts of her face are visible like her eyes, and her swollen mouth, but everything else is hidden, camouflaged by the night and her body.
"You're a tree," I state the obvious, dumbfounded to see her in her other form.
"Sort of. It's camouflage," she replies, wincing. "Can you get off my leg?"
"Oh. Sorry." I move, shifting my weight to my other foot. She's still cringing though so I ask, "Where are you hurt?"
"Everywhere. Burns. Scrapes." She closes her eyes in pain, breathing hard. "I was thrown in the air. I think I have a couple broken ribs, and the explosion did something to my body," she whispers. "Kenna, I can feel parts of my powers returning, but I can't open them. I hurt all over."
"Did they bomb us?"
"I think so. Either that or they've hidden explosives everywhere. Probably both."
"Where are Nymphora and Kaiden?" With alarm, my eyes search around Chloris, but I see nothing. "Where?"
She doesn't answer, but she shakes her head, the same trepidation reflected on her face.
"I was behind you, and then I was thrown over there." Her head jerks forward in the direction I came from. "I crawled over and hid here."
"How long ago?"
"Ten minutes, maybe less. I was knocked out good."
"They're here somewhere. They have to be. We'll find them." I promise, not willing to think of a different alternative. "There are trees everywhere. They're just hidden somewhere." I break off as I see the expression on her face.
Her eyes are open and she's staring dazedly at me. I step nearer. They're glazed looking and glossy. Her body has a brownish tint to it that makes her look deceptively like a tree. Yet, this close I can smell burnt flesh and rotting skin.
"Chloris," I try to shake her gently, but firmly so she'll look at me. "We're going to get out of here." Her skin's strangely dry and ashy. Slowly, her eyes roll up, and I can see the startling whites against her green face. "I'm not leaving without you, Chloris!"
She can't hear me anymore. Seeing the expression on her face, I grab her before she abruptly falls. Any ounce of power she might have been using vanishes. Putting her arm over my shoulder, I stand with her. Real terror drums through me. I have no idea where we are, no powers to speak of, and Chloris is putting all her weight on me, unable to move on her own.
Unexpectedly, searchlights shine around us and I know the Saguinox are out there looking. Waiting.
A bullet whizzes past me.
"Duck, Chloris!" I shriek. When I crouch, her body goes down with me. Her eyes are completely closed now, and I'm petrified she's lost consciousness from the pain. Seemingly out of nowhere, lightning flashes across the sky, followed by a raucous rumbling.
"Haven't you heard? Escape is an illusion."
Chapter 24
Blood.
It smells like I'm drenched in it. I try to swallow but I can't. The taste is in my mouth. I can't tell if it's mine or if it belongs to someone else. Maybe both.
My eyes are trying to adjust in the dark, but spots of white and orange flutter across my vision. Disorientated, my fingers clutch at the ground beneath me, feeling the soft soil. Trying to discern where I am, I lift my hand. Nothing. I can't feel anything there. Terror ripples through me.
Taking a deep breath, I inhale in debris and ash. Immediately, I begin coughing. The movement hurts my chest, and my feeble body jerks in a spasm. I try to speak, but nothing comes out. My fingers dig deeper into the ground, desperate to move, desperate to feel anything. But there's only a void.
Motionless, I realize I'm lying down. Maybe I'm staring at the sky, but all I see are spots too bright to be real. A deafening silence roars in my ears. It's an unnatural kind of quiet. My body is numb, but my mind is beginning to stir. The last thing I remember is Kaiden cutting the wires. Like a movie, snippets play in my head: going into the caves, trying to free the prisoners, and an alarm shrieking.
A loud boom shakes the ground I lie on. As if on cue, every part of me suddenly becomes alive. Nerve endings tingle, and I let out a guttural sound. Arching my back, I strain to breathe clean air amidst the debris floating into my mouth. When I'm breathing again, the first thing I do is look at my trembling body. I'm covered in dirt and blood. My dress is drenched in soil and body fluids darken the once scarlet color into an almost black one. My chest hurts, but it isn't my lungs that make me ache. My skin's cut, and I notice bruises and scrapes covering my arms and legs, too.
"Holy crap." My shocked whisper barely drifts into the night before a loud sound shoots past it, violently surprising me. It sounds like gunfire. Alert and in pain, I know I have to move. I'm on the ground with nowhere to hide and nothing to hide with. Trying to crawl, I attempt to roll over. It takes a few tries, but the sounds of more gunfire motivate me to keep struggling.
I'm crawling through a war zone. Even though I don't see any bodies, there are debris, holes, and other materials like glass on the ground. Some parts are covered in smoke, and when I pass through it I cover my mouth. The smell is sickeningly sweet, and I'm petrified it's filled with poison.
One knee is bloody with the ground pressing into it. I want to walk, but I'm afraid I'll be seen. My vision's still spotty, but eventually I see grass and bushes. The prison walls loom ahead, covered by a faint cloud of smoke. Vague memories of Kaiden putting something on the fence to disable the electricity drift into my mind.
There's a part up ahead where a piece of land broke, sliding under as if something has collapsed beneath it. I crawl there, hiding behind part of a tree. The gunshots sound even louder here, and I wonder if I've moved myself nearer. There's no time to change though because an earsplitting boom explodes in the sky, and I crouch, trying to protect my head with my hands. Gravel and other debris fall on me. It's so thick I choke. Curling myself into a tighter ball, I find it's impossible to shield myself from the torrent of soil, ash, and sticks, but I try anyway. Glass and thorns scrape my skin. I wince, but I don't move, riding out the waves like a vulnerable seed in the wind.
It's over in less than a minute. When it's done, my ears are numb, and I hear sounds as distant echoes. I can't stay here. Checking my surroundings, I try to analyze my next move. If I climb over, it will only bring me back to the Saguinox and probable death.
I'm on the edge of a very small field, but beyond that trees and dense shrubbery surround this place. Making the only decision I can, I go to my right where the trees are heaviest. Crouching on wobbly feet, I note I'm about fifty feet away. It's not far, but right now it feels like miles. Something burns, and I'm sure I've stepped on a piece of glass somewhere. My feet and body are completely bare, with the exception of my flimsy dress, but I don't feel the night chill. Adrenaline filled panic and heat from the thunderous explosions wash over me, giving me an electric high that keeps me moving when I know I shouldn't be.
Slipping past the lopsided tree like a ghost, I move as fast as I can, not daring to look anywhere but ahead. I don't know how many Saguinox are out there, and I don't want to find out. It's hard, but I try to run. My bare feet press against jagged rocks and uneven ground, but I tell myself the pain is nothing. Survival is everything. Pressing ahead, I ignore thorns from thick shrubbery.
I hear a sound and I still, completely frozen. My heart's beating as loud as the gunshots.
"Kenna." The voice is hoarse, filled with pain.
"Chloris?" I whisper in the dark, a sudden relief filling me.
"Right here." She sounds like she's next to me. Searching, I see nothing but leaves.
"Where?"
Something soft touches my shoulder, and I jump back. "Here," she answers.
I blink, as understanding dawns. Parts of her face are visible like her eyes, and her swollen mouth, but everything else is hidden, camouflaged by the night and her body.
"You're a tree," I state the obvious, dumbfounded to see her in her other form.
"Sort of. It's camouflage," she replies, wincing. "Can you get off my leg?"
"Oh. Sorry." I move, shifting my weight to my other foot. She's still cringing though so I ask, "Where are you hurt?"
"Everywhere. Burns. Scrapes." She closes her eyes in pain, breathing hard. "I was thrown in the air. I think I have a couple broken ribs, and the explosion did something to my body," she whispers. "Kenna, I can feel parts of my powers returning, but I can't open them. I hurt all over."
"Did they bomb us?"
"I think so. Either that or they've hidden explosives everywhere. Probably both."
"Where are Nymphora and Kaiden?" With alarm, my eyes search around Chloris, but I see nothing. "Where?"
She doesn't answer, but she shakes her head, the same trepidation reflected on her face.
"I was behind you, and then I was thrown over there." Her head jerks forward in the direction I came from. "I crawled over and hid here."
"How long ago?"
"Ten minutes, maybe less. I was knocked out good."
"They're here somewhere. They have to be. We'll find them." I promise, not willing to think of a different alternative. "There are trees everywhere. They're just hidden somewhere." I break off as I see the expression on her face.
Her eyes are open and she's staring dazedly at me. I step nearer. They're glazed looking and glossy. Her body has a brownish tint to it that makes her look deceptively like a tree. Yet, this close I can smell burnt flesh and rotting skin.
"Chloris," I try to shake her gently, but firmly so she'll look at me. "We're going to get out of here." Her skin's strangely dry and ashy. Slowly, her eyes roll up, and I can see the startling whites against her green face. "I'm not leaving without you, Chloris!"
She can't hear me anymore. Seeing the expression on her face, I grab her before she abruptly falls. Any ounce of power she might have been using vanishes. Putting her arm over my shoulder, I stand with her. Real terror drums through me. I have no idea where we are, no powers to speak of, and Chloris is putting all her weight on me, unable to move on her own.
Unexpectedly, searchlights shine around us and I know the Saguinox are out there looking. Waiting.
A bullet whizzes past me.
"Duck, Chloris!" I shriek. When I crouch, her body goes down with me. Her eyes are completely closed now, and I'm petrified she's lost consciousness from the pain. Seemingly out of nowhere, lightning flashes across the sky, followed by a raucous rumbling.
"Haven't you heard? Escape is an illusion."
Chapter 25
The voice is close, and I freeze, motionless. It's a voice I've never heard before. It's breathy and low, filled with a Saguinox accent that makes me fear the unknown.
"We have a friend of yours."
For an endless moment, I feel completely trapped. What does he mean? Nymphora and Kaiden's faces flash in my mind in snippets. Suddenly I'm picturing them hurt, and in pain, at the mercy of a Saguinox guard. Clutching Chloris's arm tightly, I attempt to maneuver us further back. I try to be silent, but her dead weight is impossible to conceal, and the leaves hiding us rustle like bells.
Laughter rings out, and his voice is amused. "Do you really think you can hide?" His accent punctures each word, emphasizing it like a stabbing dagger. "I smell you. Do you know that? I hear your beating heart. I can taste your perfect fear." He makes a satisfied sound, as if he's sampled something delicious. "Death's waiting." He speaks those words in whisper, a sick awe lacing his smooth tone.
A psycho alien! Somehow I know we're in for it now.
"Do you know what I do to little humans like you?" he asks, the low rumble of his voice sending chills through my already frozen skin. I push Chloris further back. A light rain is beginning to fall, and every drop sticks to her like syrup. Trying to ignore it, I frantically place leaves and other plant parts over her body. Her swollen red lips are the last part of her I can see, and I place a large leaf over it until she's completely disappeared.
I hear a loud shrieking and the wind picks up. Before I can blink, everything around us begins to crumble. Leaves, shrubs and trees are literally breaking before my very eyes. The trunk of a tree next to me falls, and I move back to avoid it, but before I do that it shatters into dust. A thousand leaves collapsing and disintegrating into brown powder drown my scream out.
Something hits me, and I'm flying. It feels like an invisible hand is pulling me, and shooting my body across the sky. All I see is smoke, and blackened earth before I'm stopped, suspended in mid air. My legs are flailing helplessly for an unbearable amount of time, then my body violently turns, viciously jerked back toward the ground. Plummeting down faster than a fireball, I choke on my own vomit as the force of whatever he's doing pushes the contents of my stomach up into my throat. The ground is hard when I finally fall, and something inside my leg snaps, breaking into a dozen parts.
His laughter is louder than my howl of pain, and all I hear is the echo of his cackle as a throbbing pain centers itself on my whole right side. Looking down, my ankle is turned at a frightening angle. Unable to bear the intense throbbing, I clutch it, feeling bones that shouldn't be there protruding against my skin.
Hearing him behind me, I look back. Another blue flash of lightening fills the sky, creating a halo of light around the beautiful creature. He's dressed like a medieval prince. A fitted metal chest piece is wrapped around him like a cloth. He has on dark pants protected by metal plates.
He's covered in blood.
He's dragging something behind him. At first I think it's a bag, but when I stare harder I realize it's too large. He's hauling it effortlessly, wrapping gleaming chains around his fingers. Almost instantly, wisps of dark hair come into sight, and I gasp.
She's a prisoner. The one I'd released earlier. Mia.
My stomach drops.
There are metal chains around her neck, and he's using it as a leash, dragging her weak body through the mud. Her hands claw at the restraint, trying to breathe, but he only pulls her harder, wrapping the chains tighter.
"I hear there are prisoners are trying to escape. That's never happened before. No one's ever been that stupid." He grins, showing white teeth. "It's my duty to rid this world of stupid people. It looks like we'll start with you two."
Suddenly, I recognize his face. "You're Damien, the ambassador," I say, almost accusingly. The merciless countenance looking at me now bears almost no resemblance to the angelic face flashed on television for weeks. After everything I know about the Saguinox I'm not surprised, but for some reason I still feel betrayed.
"Yes," he confirms.
"Why are you doing this?" I ask, my voice more feeble than I want it to be.
"There's a war brewing, and I'm afraid you're on the wrong side of it. Earth will be our home now."
I shake my head. "You can't have our planet."
His smile doesn't reach his eyes. "I'm afraid it's already too late. Now," he says with deadly calm. "Where are the rest of them?"
Has everyone escaped? A flutter of hope spreads through my chest.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"No?" He looks impatient. "Fine. Maybe you need a little incentive." He points to Mia, who looks terrified. "Her life will depend on you." Fear grips my heart. Without taking his eyes off me, he lifts a hand. Mia jerks upward,
held up by an invisible rope. Seeing him do magic momentarily shocks me.
"I can make this hurt. A lot. And I can make it last a very long time. For both of you." He pauses. "Where are the others?" His voice is deadly soft, and instinctively I flinch. He waits patiently, pointing to Mia, ready to show more magic. Breathing hard, I try to come up with a plan, but all I can think about is pain and what will happen if I can't figure this out.
"Nothing?"
I'm frantic. "Wait! Please! I- I really don't know--"
His growl of impatience drowns out my words. With a flick of his wrist Mia glides to him, a foot off the ground. Her body is moving at an odd angle, and as she comes closer I see something is pulling her skin forward. It's like Damien has hooks on every inch of her body. She's jerking, making terrifying sounds of pain. Every move she attempts to make only brings her more torture. As she nears, her skin is stretched further from her body until I can see blood. At first it's just a trickle, but as she makes her way to his side, scarlet liquid cascade down like a waterfall. Damien snaps his fingers, disturbingly excited. Skin from the left front of her face rip off, crumbling like eggshells.
I hear two voices screaming. When one abruptly stops, I realize the other abnormal shrieking sounds are coming from me. I tell myself to stop, but I can't. I see bones, and muscle, and mutilated flesh. I smell her pain and it's filled with the scent of metal and blood. Damien's other hand rises, slowly curling into a fist. As his hands coil inward, I feel an invisible hand squeezing my throat. It silences me, and all sounds stop.
"That's better," he says, turning toward me. " Now that you understand, every minute that you waste more skin will come off."
He's continuing to talk but the only thing I hear is the pounding of my own heart. I want to tell him that he's suffocating me, but his invisible grip on my throat is tight and unyielding. Deprived of air, my body panics. Damien's face starts to blur. Slowly, I see his glowing eyes slowly merge into one. I try to take another breath, but I can't.