Looper

by Ann Bakshis

  Addie’s house is much smaller than Frey’s, and not as well maintained. The walls are plastered in soft blue wallpaper. Scuffed hardwood covers most of the floor. The common room is small as is the kitchen. We follow her down the hall to the bedrooms. Addie says I can bunk with her and Frey can stay in the spare room. Her parent’s room is across the hall next to the lone bathroom. I set my bag at the foot of the bed. I’m not sure how the two of us are going to fit on such a small mattress, but I don’t comment and smile instead.

  “I know this place isn’t as nice as Frey’s, but it’s home,” she says, plopping down on the bed. “So, what do you want to do for the next two days?”

  I hadn’t really thought about it. I just wanted to get away from Nan. In reality, I would just like to do nothing.

  “What do you recommend?” I ask, sitting next to her.

  “Well, there’s the Arcade that opens later this evening. It’s so much fun.”

  “What is?” Frey asks, entering the room.

  “Going to the Arcade,” Addie says.

  “I haven’t done that in years, so sure why not?”

  We retreat to the common room and spend most of the day watching music videos and munching on food. I don’t pay the display much attention, unlike Frey and Addie. There are certain videos they can’t keep their eyes off of, almost like they’re in a trance. Those are the ones that hurt my head the most – mainly because the scenes move too fast for my mind to process. I excuse myself and go back to Addie’s room to lie down. The end tables next to her bed both have the same dragon statues as Frey’s sister’s room.

  How am I going to sleep in Addie’s bed? What if her statues have the same effect on me as the others did?

  I forgo the nap and sit on the floor under the lone window in her room instead. I close my eyes and concentrate on what’s transpired the last several days. I need to sort it all out, so I start making a checklist in my head.

  My parents are alive. My father was once the leader of Tarsus, but only for a short time. Why? Where are my parents? What did Leader Fallon do with them if she didn’t kill them like everyone thinks she did? Why was I placed in the orphanage?

  Leader Fallon is somehow responsible for the damage done to my hands. She’s modified me. Given me the ability to handle any competitor’s weapon, both inside The Litarian Battles and out. She says I owe her, but for what? Should I even trust anything she says? She lies easily to her people, why not to me?

  The Patrician. Who and what are they? How do they control society through Leader Fallon? What is their purpose? Why did they loop me into their headquarters, or wherever that was?

  The Dracken. I know Frey and Addie belong to this group since they both have a dragon tattoo. Leader Fallon said they’re trying to conduct a realignment. But how and why?

  Who do I trust? Frey’s drugged me, yet I do really like him and feel safe around him. Brink has reverted back to his previous atrocious behavior, but it’s escalated. What he tried to do to me at Troy’s house, he never would’ve done at the orphanage. Why the sudden changes in him? And why did he tell Garrett that I was promised to him, and by who? Garrett, with Lok’s help, found me wandering down the beach. They told me about the cinnamon and what it does. Lok even programmed the maps on my bracelet. I feel like I can trust them, at least, but who knows if they also have some motive I don’t know about.

  My mind races with this information to the point where I feel like it’ll explode. I cradle my head between my knees and cover my ears with my hands. I’m willing myself back to the Outer Limits. Trying to push my body through space and time. My eyes catch a green glow from my bracelet. I raise my head and hit it on something hard. Looking up, I’m no longer in Addie’s room, but under my workbench in the grove.

  I’ve looped again? This can’t be possible. I have to be imagining this.

  Cold air whips around me, causing my skin to breakout into bumps. I notice a small bolt lying a few inches away, so I reach for it, grabbing it in my hands. The metal is hard and rough. I close my eyes and think of Addie’s room, the softness of the carpet and the warmth of the surroundings. When I open my eyes, I’m sitting under the window like before. I uncurl my hand, the bolt still cradled in my palm.

  What the hell did they do to me? How can I loop outside battles? Garrett was right, they did more to me than just mutilate my hands. But why?

  I throw the bolt under the bed, stand up, and brush small pieces of debris from my pants before exiting back out into the common room. I stop in the bathroom quickly, washing my face and hands. I look at myself hard in the mirror, trying to fathom my new ability and its possible purpose.

  “Max, you in there?” Addie calls to me, knocking on the bathroom door.

  “Yes. I’ll be out in a minute.” I dry myself, adjust my hair into a ponytail using two bands I locate under the sink, and step into the hallway.

  “It’s time to go,” Frey says, turning off the monitor.

  Addie wraps her arm around mine and escorts me outside, with Frey following. The air is slightly chilled, but not enough to make me cold. We have to walk to the Arcade since Addie can’t afford to call a carriage. It works out well for Frey since he didn’t want anyone to know we were now at Addie’s to begin with.

  The walk is long and tiring. We reach the outskirts of the main city, then head south for a couple of blocks. We stop, blocked by people milling about the street. As I look more carefully, I notice they’re actually in a line waiting to enter a three-story high structure. Music is pumping out of wide openings on each floor where windows should be. The doors along the street and neighboring alley are being pushed open to allow the crowd inside. Bright lights flash, illuminating the night in neon green, pink, and yellow. There isn’t any external signage for the Arcade, it’s all inside.

  Each wall is plastered with either a screen playing a music video or an ad in annoying, audacious colors. The first level is covered in game modules. They line the walls and create aisles throughout the main floor. Where there are openings, scantily clad women stand giving out thin tubes of liquid. Their cotton candy-style hair sweeps down their bare backs. What little clothes they do have on remind me of the outfits we have to wear when going to the selection floor. Young men and women are almost jumping over each other to get at the tubes, which sit cradled in carriers around the women’s necks.

  Frey points towards a staircase over in the far wall. Addie nudges people out of our way as we head towards it. The second floor isn’t as crowded. Couches fill in the center of the room, surrounding a bar. Dartboards, pool tables, and beanbag games take up most of the space. Frey has us grab a spot near one of the openings, then disappears into the growing crowd. Addie points to the people below in the street, many already drunk and stumbling about. She laughs at their expense, as do I, which is out of character for me.

  Frey returns a few minutes later, his arms laden down with drinks. He sits next to me, pulls my legs onto his lap, and hands me a tumbler filled with a pink liquid. Addie gives us a long look, winks, and takes her glass. The drink is refreshing, light, and fruity. I finish it in a matter of moments. Frey hands me his and leaves to get more. Addie’s name is called from across the room, and she sets her drink down on the floor and waves.

  “I’ll be right back,” she says, standing, then crosses the room, disappearing into a wave of new people.

  The music emanating from the top floor grows louder. I stare out into the night, watching the crowds in the street, dancing to the rhythm of the music.

  “Anyone sitting here?” Troy asks, catching me off guard.

  He hands me a drink, the same one Frey went to get for me. I set my new empty glass down and take the one from Troy’s hand. My eyes frantically scan the faces of all the patrons, trying to find Frey, but I can’t see him.

  Troy sits where Addie was and leers at me. His hand is cupped around a small shot glass filled with a creamy green liquid.

  “Frey said you wanted that,” Troy says, gestur
ing to the tumbler in my hand.

  “Do you know where he went?” I ask loudly, trying to be heard over the noise.

  “He’s still in line getting himself another drink.”

  Somehow I feel that’s a lie.

  Troy nudges my arm, eyeing the drink. I take a small sip, waiting to taste something unpleasant, but it’s the same concoction I had. I still decide to nurse this one and not chug it like the other two in case there is something wrong with it. I’ve only taken a couple of sips when I start to feel light headed. I know I need to get away from Troy, so I ask him where the bathrooms are. He points to an alcove behind the stairs leading up to the third floor. I excuse myself, taking my drink with me, but I set it down on the first table I pass.

  I glance behind me and Troy is no longer in his seat. I almost have to elbow my way through the mass of people to get to the alcove. The air in the Arcade is quickly becoming hot and stuffy, which is making me dizzy. I make it to the bathroom and lock myself in. I splash cold water on my face and neck. Someone starts pounding on the door, yelling to be let in. I open it and step past the forming line of women. Standing in the opening of the alcove, I scan the room, but can’t see Addie or Frey.

  I move up to the third level. The floor is lit by brightly-colored squares that change color in rhythm with the music. Lights hang from the ceiling in a variety of styles. Some look like cylinders, while others look like teardrops. The dancefloor is covered in revelers. I keep to the walls, sliding my way around the room. I stop when I’m half-way as the crowd is just too thick. I’m about to head back, when a hand presses against my back, stopping my motion.

  “Where’s Frey?” Brink says, his voice thick with anger. His mouth is right against my ear. His hot breath heating up my already warm body. He pushes me against the wall. His hand starts to slide up the back of my shirt. I try to shove him off, but his legs are pinned against mine. He leans his body as far into me as he can. “You know, it really doesn’t matter since you’re mine anyway. You can fuck him till I kill him in The Litarian Battles, then you won’t have any options but to uphold your parents promise.”

  I go rigid. My heart stops.

  “What did you say?” I ask, turning my head so I can see him out of the corner of my eye.

  “You heard me,” he whispers into my ear, pressing himself harder into my back. “When this realignment is over, you’re mine. Heart, body, and soul.” Brink begins to nuzzle my neck, but I’m too stunned to resist. “You’re my reward for bringing an end to Leader Fallon.” His hands wander my body, pushing and pulling at my clothing. Then he stops and is gone.

  I turn around, but he’s vanished into the crowd. I race towards the stairs, almost knocking down a couple of people. I don’t stop until I’m in the alley. The cool air feels refreshing as I try to calm myself down. I lean my head against the brick of the building, letting the cold, rough surface burrow into my forehead. My cheeks are wet with tears that I didn’t know existed.

  This can’t be real? It isn’t true. Would my parents really make such an offer? Why? Do they hate Leader Fallon so much that they’d sell their own daughter to make sure her rule ended?

  I feel sick to my stomach and clutch my midsection as I bend down, trying not to throw up. My head pounds with the fast pace of my heart. I shake as sobs come up instead of bile.

  “Max?” My name echoes through the loudness.

  I pull myself together as quickly as I can. Wiping my cheeks dry with my hands. “I’m in the alley,” I call out.

  Addie and Frey lean out the opening on the second floor where we’d been sitting, concerned looks on both of their faces.

  “I needed some air,” I say to them, then signal I’ll be right up.

  I take several deep breaths before heading back inside. Frey has another drink ready for me when I get to the seats. I take it before sitting down. I don’t see Troy or Brink among the patrons, so I relax, but only a little.

  As the night wears on, I try my hand at a game of darts against Addie, but she’s more skilled than I am and hits close to the bullseye every time. I’m happy if my dart makes it onto the board and not stick in the wall behind it. We eventually make our way down to the first floor. Frey has me play some of the game modules. I find them quite fun, almost addicting. He practically has to drag me away from them when it’s time to leave.

  The walk home is much faster. Addie’s parents are in the kitchen when we return. They make us some snacks, then head out for the night. A short time later, Addie and I go to bed. I change in the bathroom, brush my teeth, and Addie is sound asleep when I enter. I drop my dirty clothes onto my bag and hesitate crawling under the covers with her. Just as I had suspected, a pair of green beams exit from the dragon statues and penetrate her temples. Her relaxed body goes rigid and I can tell she’s in the midst of a nightmare. I back out of the room and go towards the room Frey is in. When I open the door, Frey is snoring slightly. I close the door and cross the threshold, but stop when I see the dragon statues on the end tables. Their green beams emerging, striking Frey in the temples. He tries to fight them, but eventually succumbs.

  What’s the purpose of these? Is this a way for the Patrician to control their citizens? But wait, the nightmare they gave me was against Leader Fallon, so is it Dracken-related? That can’t be right. Frey has their dragon symbol, but I don’t remember seeing these statues in his room.

  He twitches every couple of minutes, his face grimacing at whatever images are being projected into his mind. I search the room trying to look for something that I can use to stop the beams. I locate two handheld mirrors in one of the dresser drawers, but I need something to secure them into place. I remove the bands from my hair and stretch them around the statues and the mirrors. When I have the first one secured, Frey’s body starts to relax a little. As soon as I place the other one, Frey’s eyes flash open. Sweat is pouring from his face and arms. He looks at me, frightened at first, but then smiles.

  “What happened?” he asks, rubbing his temples.

  I show him the statues. He leans on his elbows, examining the dragons. His hand then automatically goes to the tattoo on the back of his right shoulder. He seems puzzled and a little frightened.

  “Where’s Addie?” he asks.

  “She’s sleeping, but –”

  “She’s like I was, isn’t she?”

  I nod.

  He throws off the covers and runs out of the room with me following close behind. We look through her drawers and closet, trying to find something to block the beams, but we come up empty. Frey grabs her legs and starts to pull her away. She screams, possibly from pain, but we don’t know for sure. She kicks at him, flaying her body around. He lets go and she slides back onto her pillows. Her eyes never open. I sit next to her on the bed and try waking her. I shake her gently, then a little rougher, but she won’t wake up. Addie is back in the midst of a nightmare. She starts to cry and no matter what we do, she won’t stop.

  “Let’s leave her,” Frey says.

  We go back to the spare room, take the pillows and blankets off the bed, and lie down on the floor. Frey pulls me in tight against him, kisses my forehead, and falls asleep. All I do is stare at the closed door of the room and wonder what the hell is going on.

  Thirteen

  Neither one of us says anything to Addie about the beams. Before she wakes up, Frey removes the mirrors and gives the bands back to me. I slip into Addie’s room and pretend I just got up from her bed as she awakes. She appears groggy, but otherwise fine. A storm moved in overnight, so we’re stuck in the house for our last day. None of us are in the mood to watch anything on the monitor, so we just basically sit around doing nothing. The silence is killing me, so I decide to ask a question that’s been bugging me for a while.

  “How do you time loop?” I ask them.

  “Rem didn’t tell you?” Frey asks.

  “Nope. She wants Max to figure it out on her own,” Addie responds.

  “She only told me to think of a
point in time I want to be, but that really doesn’t help,” I add.

  “You kind of have to predict what your opponent is going to do next, then either project yourself into that spot or away from it. If you guess correctly, you’ll have no issues and will be ahead. If you guess wrong, anything can happen,” Frey says.

  “What does that mean?” I ask.

  “Think of it this way,” he says. “Say you’re up against a Nius. They love to hide their explosives everywhere, so if you can predict where that person is going to place them throughout the battle, you can lay a trap for them. You can wait in one of the locations and let time catch up. The Nius won’t know you’re there until it’s too late.”

  “I think I get it,” I say. “Is it possible to go back in time?”

  “You asked me that before,” he says.

  “What do you mean?” Addie asks.

  “Well, if you loop forward and set a trap, can you loop back to your original point in time? So your opponent hasn’t realized you’ve looped, I mean.”

  Addie and Frey look at each other, puzzled.

  “You’d have to be precise in your looping back,” Addie says. “Otherwise who knows what could happen. I wouldn’t recommend it.”

  We spend the next couple of hours talking about The Litarian Battles and who we think will make it to the event. I don’t know half the names Frey and Addie mention, so I just listen and learn what I can in case I meet any of them on the floor. We’re about to make lunch when our wristbands display an emergency message.

  “Players, carriages will arrive for you in the next two hours to bring you back to Thrace Tower,” a woman’s voice chimes. “We apologize for the inconvenience, but all players must return today.”

  Frey nudges my arm, we go and grab our bags, then step out into the rain, heading back to his house since that’s where the Keepers think we are. Addie gave us an umbrella before we left, so we have some protection from the elements. Frey holds it above our heads and takes my hand in his other hand.