“The Hawaiian is now freedom,” Titus tries to read again and lets out a big yawn.
“The Hawaiian Islands were renamed the Freedom Islands,” I correct. “And in the new world, there have been three generations of Renon rulers.” This is the part where Titus always starts to doze off, but I continue telling the story anyway.
“Our ancestors that were infected by the rock’s atomic energy, but survived, sometimes passed down the gifts to their children. The original King and Queen, King Renon’s grandparents, were both gifted and they tried to keep the world at peace between those with powers and those without.” Titus’s head falls heavy against my shoulder. He’s surely asleep now, but I keep reading because this is the part I struggle to understand the most. The part where people are given a second chance at society and somehow they messed up again.
“However, when their kids were not born with the gift they became enraged and jealous of those with gifts. From then on anyone with a gift was hunted down and imprisoned to follow the King’s command.” I was six when King Renon was crowned at the age of 13 so I don’t remember much about life under his parents, but the tyranny didn’t stop short with them. King Renon is only 22 now, and in many people’s opinion he’s too young to have all this power. His mother and father reportedly passed in their sleep after both were very ill and a child was made King of the most powerful nation in the world.
“Garth is the capital of our country, Dather, which is located on a small island that used to be called Oahu. Over the past decades, the islands have had many civil war breakouts trying to find who is the most superior.” I turn the page, knowing the next image is the worst in the book. I’m always glad Titus doesn’t usually make it this far in the story. “We call these the Alignmass battles.” Painted across the page is the result of war; death. “Every year each island will send their best group of soldiers to fight to the death to determine which island should rule. Dather has been on top since the beginning of this new world. As a result, everyone follows us, under the rule of King Renon.”
The sound of a large metal door slamming shut startles me and I shove the book under the mattress. At my movement, Titus wakes and looks around panicked. He grabs my hand and begins squeezing it three times then a pause and then three more times. Parting Day is beginning.
“It’s okay Titus,” I say softly in his ear. I know I can’t guarantee him that. I know these guards are coming to take some of us to be executed. Together, Titus and I listen to the heavy footsteps as they get closer and closer to our cell. When they appear in front of us tears are already streaming down my face. I have to save us, it can’t be one of us. When I look up at the guard I see his stone face turn away from our cell and into granny’s. They open the barred doors to her cell and I watch as two men drag her from the mattress. Titus keeps squeezing my hand harder and harder. He can’t find the words he wants to say so he starts screaming.
“Titus you need to be quiet,” I beg him. The three guards glance into our cell one last time before they leave, taking granny with them. Titus continues to scream and cry and squeeze my hand until he’s driven himself into exhaustion. I just hold him and whisper over and over again, “It’s okay Titus. She’s going to be okay. She’s going to be free.”
***
I am going to be free.
Chapter 3
When I awake I rocket up into a sitting position. I look around, confused. I’m in the middle of the woods and it is probably about mid-morning. In front of me is the guard who brought me here, he sits with his back to me and is wearing a thin white t-shirt. He has a strong build to his body. His dirty blonde hair is slightly shorter than the common shoulder length.
There is a sword on his belt, two water bottles, his navy jacket, and a ragged backpack lying next to him. In the dirt by my hip is the sword I got from the castle. My hand moves to my head where there is a piece of wet cloth. Tied around my right forearm is the rest of the stained red fabric. Quietly, I grab my sword with both hands and point it at the guard.
“What do you want with me?” I ask, causing the guard to turn around. My blood runs cold as I see his face for the first time. There’s something familiar about him, and my mind races to remember where I know him.
“Whoa,” he says when his eyes catch the blade in my hands. “I’m trying to help you.”
“Drop your sword,” I say, my mind still wondering as to who he is. I watch him slowly unclip his sword and it falls to the ground by his feet.
“Adaline,” he begins, “It’s me. It’s Alexander.” My mind connects his name to the memories it had been searching for.
“Alexander?” my shaking voice questions. Before I was thrown in prison I used to be close friends with Alexander. He’s my age, and he was my only neighbor out in the valleys that surround our town.
His physical appearance is close to what I remember, except now he’s not a ten-year-old boy. He’s tall, tan with green eyes. His dirty blonde hair just long enough to cover the scar over his left eye that he got one day when we were out on an adventure, as we had called it. Climbing trees, running through the creeks in the forest, and exploring the different antique shops in town.
“I didn’t know you were a guard at the castle,” I say, still not believing it’s really him. Slowly I lower the sword back to the ground, but I keep my left hand on the grip.
“My father was assigned after you were taken and I followed five years later when I was fifteen.” He clears his throat, “Passed the test on the first try. Probably because I could find my way around the castle blindfolded. I basically grew up there.”
“Guess we still have something in common,” I say even though it’s a poor joke. “So, why’d you do it?”
“Do what?” his eyes narrow in confusion.
“Save me. It’s your job to kill any escaping prisoners. What do you want with me?” I ask again, returning to my original question.
“You think I would kill you?” Alexander asks, shocked.
“Well we haven’t seen each other in almost seven years,” I say, shrugging my shoulders, even though I know it’s an impossible thought. Alexander and I always felt like we had a connection from the very first moment I met him. I actually can’t even remember not knowing him, he was just always there. I think our parents already had our wedding planned out if I’m being honest.
“Well maybe we haven’t seen each other, but there wasn’t a day that went by I didn’t think about you. I mean, you’ve always been seconds away from me, how could I ever just forget you? There wasn’t any way I was going to lose my second in command again,” Alexander responds, using the titles we had given ourselves when we were little. He was the leader and I was his second. I let him humor himself with the idea of being in command when we both knew I was the real leader.
“Adaline,” he says gentler when he sees my face is still processing. “I was on duty outside of the maze last night. I heard a crash and found you unconscious.”
“So you picked me up and ran off with me?” I question him.
I watch him grab his bag and out of instinct, I tighten my grip on the sword. He notices and says, “I’m just pulling out a note that explains this.” He turns and digs through his bag, but I don’t loosen my tight grasp. As he had said he pulls out a thin piece of parchment. “Two years ago I woke up in my room and my father was gone, along with some other guards that were close with my father. For some reason, King Renon told Paylon to end the search for them. ‘They were getting too old to work. They wouldn’t make it far.’ Paylon had said. My father left this under his pillow.” He hands it to me and I scan over the words
Dear Alexander,
I never wanted to leave you, but I’m afraid I have to go. When the time is right we will meet again. I know that you are confused and scared. There is so much you don’t know, but I don’t have much time. I want you to know that I have the gift and I am a Future Holder. Soon you will meet Adaline face to face, and it is your job to save her. The two of you m
ust flee the castle and hide in the woods. You will know when the time is right.
I love you, Alexander.
George Thompson
“Your dad has the gift?” I ask and Alexander nods his head. His father and my mother were both Future Holders, and I feel as though we have both been guided to this moment based on our parents’ visions. “You’ve just been waiting to save me for two years?” I ask him in a lighter tone and he laughs, taking the note back from me.
“So that’s why I picked you up and ran off with you,” Alexander concludes.
“So how long have I been out?” I ask. I look down at the ground and run my fingers through the soft mud, feeling the warmth of the earth that I have missed so much. My eyes scan up through the canopy of large palm trees hanging over us and I take note of the moving sun. My muted grey prison uniform feels so out of place in this forest of deep and vibrant colors.
“Just over ten hours or so.” He coughs to clear his throat before he continues, “I’m sorry about your family,” he says and drops his eyes.
“Were you at Parting Day?” I ask softly, even though I know the answer is yes. Everyone was at Parting Day. “Was it quick?” my small voice whispers.
Alexander nods his head and I see his eyes fill with sadness. “She never looked afraid.”
“She was always so strong,” I say. “How’d they do it?” I ask, knowing that each Parting Day brings different ways for them to kill off the prisoners.
Alexander is quiet for a moment and I can tell the words he’s about to say aren’t easy. “They had hangings yesterday.” Knowing my mother died by suffocation makes my shortness of breath heavy in my chest.
“I’m sorry about Titus too,” Alexander offers and my eyes meet his.
“How’d you know about that?” I ask, and the pain I felt when I held my little brother’s dying hand washes over me.
“You were calling out to him when you were unconscious,” Alexander explains and my eyes threaten to fill with tears.
“We were just so close,” I say softly. “I’m fine though, really.” I wipe my flooded eyes dry and try to close the feelings out again.
Alexander understands it’s something I don’t want to talk about so he changes the subject back to our issue at hand. “We need to get moving again, soon. They’ll be coming to look for us.”
“Who will be? What exactly are we doing?” I ask.
“Paylon and a search team. King Renon won’t let an escaped prisoner go, and now a fleeing guard. We don’t really have much choice but to keep running,” he admits. I know he’s right and just as I’m about to agree I hear horses not too far in the distance. Alexander’s head snaps in the direction of the sounds and knows we need to hide. He helps me move behind a cluster of trees and we sit and watch.
The sound of hooves pounding into the earth’s surface grows louder and I catch a glimpse of three elegant white horses coming our way. The horses stop a couple of paces ahead of us. I recognize the leather saddles outlined in gold fabric. Their reins are a golden color as well. They are horses from our city out to find us. The three guards dismount and step into view. I’m not surprised to see the faces of Paylon, and his 2 best marksmen, Codian and Chadian.
They are two sixteen-year-old trouble making twin brothers that have such great excellence in shooting they could hit a gold coin with a bow and arrow from a hundred feet away. The guards who worked in the prison always talked about how they were jealous of them.
Codian and Chadian both have on their regular navy blue jackets and pants with red and gold ties. Since they are identical twins most of their features are the same; transparent blue eyes, blonde hair, and the fact that both their bodies have a strong muscular build to them. Paylon, however, is not in a regular navy blue uniform. Since he is the captain of the entire nation’s guards he is dressed in a tight long-sleeved purple shirt that has a gold-colored stripe running down both sides of the shirt and gold cuffs on the end of the sleeves. He has beige pants with solid gold metal protectors for his legs. He wears a long white cape that has a tall stiff collar that is also purple with hints of gold. He has odd golden eyes and short brown hair.
“Any sign of them?” Paylon asks, his voice echoing throughout the forest.
“Not any that I can see,” Chadian and Codian respond, almost in unison. They both take their hands and run it through their blonde hair in confusion.
“Codian, I want you to report a message to King Renon to send the Lost Souls. They should be able to help scent the path they took,” Paylon commands.
“I’m on it. I’ll be back before nightfall tomorrow,” Codian says, obeying everything his leader instructs.
All three get on their horses. Codian starts heading back toward the castle, and Chadian and Paylon continue forward. Once the pounding hooves of the horses have silenced I speak first, “Lost Souls? Who are the Lost Souls?” I turn to Alexander and see the shock and scared look on his face.
“They’re enslaved people with gifts,” Alexander says softly. I knew that anyone with the gift was required to go in and work for the King, but no one really talks about what happens after that. The way Alexander says that they are enslaved makes me think they don’t get much choice in the matter.
“The ones Paylon is calling for will be the Hounds,” he continues, still staring forward at where Paylon was just at, and I can see he’s trying to make a new plan for us. “The Lost Souls are tortured humans that have the gift with any enhanced sense. Hounds are people that have an enhanced sense of smell that the King has enslaved for tracking. They do exactly what they are told to do and accomplish it in their best ability. They’ve never lost a search, although their sense of smell can travel a good five miles, their eyesight is average. If we move now we could get out of their reach.”
“But I thought you said they’ve never lost a search?” I respond, trying to bring some common sense into play. “Why would we run if they’d just find us anyway? It’d be better to save our energy for fighting them, right?”
Alexander looks at me and lets a sly smirk fall across his face, “They haven’t lost a search, but that doesn’t mean they can’t.”
“So if we are going to move we need to do it now. What’s the full plan?” I ask, ready to give Alexander control.
“Well, for one, we know Paylon is heading deeper into the forest so that’s where the Hounds will be going,” Alexander says, trying to explain his idea. He should know best since he’s been working with the patrol for over nearly two years. “That means we should turn right and head deeper toward that part of the woods,” he starts rambling as if trying to convince himself.
Alexander sees the confusion on my face and pushes, “Adaline trust me I know what I’m doing. We need to get started now because we will be walking all day to get enough distance between us.”
I reluctantly obey since I don’t have any better ideas. He folds his jacket, shoves it into his bag, and slings it over his shoulder. Then, he hands me one of the water bottles and says, “Besides, it will be a way for us to catch up.” He helps me up and we start heading in the opposite direction of Paylon and Chadian.
“Start from the beginning,” Alexander says, cueing me to update him on where I’ve been the last seven years.
“The beginning would probably be the night I was taken,” I say and let out a heavy breath. I never stop thinking of that night. I glance at Alexander out of the corner of my eye. In my gut I know I can trust him and he really is here to help me, but I don’t really know him. I haven’t seen him in years, am I supposed to just act like that time apart never happened?
“You don’t have to tell me,” Alexander starts to object, seeing my hesitation to talk with him.
“It was November 12th, 5012,” I interrupt him. “I was nine years old.” I know he is practically a stranger to me now, but I do want to walk through that night out loud again. My mother never wanted to talk about it. I start to explain the night to Alexander and as I do I feel myself relive it
all over again.
My heavy eyelids fall open and I gaze over the worn wooden walls of my bedroom. A wet and moldy smell fills the heavy air. My eyes are straining to make out much else in the room. It must be 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning. I prop myself up on my elbow and can make out a very dim glowing light creeping under my door. My mother must be up with Titus again.
I swing my feet over the edge of the bed and carefully place them on the icy floor. I walk over to the door and the wooden floor creaks beneath my feet. I pull open my door and the dim yellow light from the fireplace pours in. I look out into the kitchen, and once my eyes adjust to the dim light I see my mother is sitting in one of the kitchen chairs rocking my younger brother Titus in her arms.
“Adaline you should be asleep,” my mother says, not looking up from Titus. This has become routine for us. Almost every night for the past few weeks I’ll wake up and come out to find my mother with Titus.
I don’t respond to her. Instead, I just walk over and sit in the chair across from her. I lay my head on the table and trace its wooden swirls with my finger while flattening out the wrinkles in my thin nightgown with my other hand.
“Is father home yet?” I ask her in a soft voice.
“Adaline, it’s been three months. Your father isn’t coming home,” my mother says with no emotion in her voice. She tucks her beautiful long brown hair behind her ear and turns to face me.
“Sometimes I think that’s what you do in the middle of the night. You just sit up and wait for him,” I pause and a wall of silence settles between us. I add, “I wait up for him too.”
“Well you shouldn’t,” she says shortly. “Trust me, Adaline, I’m not waiting for him.” I look into her empty blue eyes, and I can see the lies swimming in them. My mother stands and walks into her room to lay Titus back in the nest of blankets on her bed. She comes back out and pulls me into a tight hug.
The Markings Page 3