Fliers

by Laura Mae

  Sunday finally came, which meant bath time, and Sydona was on pins and needles waiting until she could wash herself. It had been well over a week since she had any soap on her body or hair, and she was surprised anyone wanted to be around her. An announcement came roaring across the park letting everyone know that it was bathing day, and everyone would be called by groups of tents to go down by the stream after breakfast. They were also to clean their clothes at the same time, and of course, there could be no talking or funny business and the area would be heavily guarded. As if this was news.

  Once breakfast ended, she went back to her own tent, and they called the same amount of tents that they called for the flying tests. The crowd of fliers began to grow, and Sydona looked for Giovonna and Silas by stealthily weaving in and out of people. They all went down to the stream together, and the crowd turned into a single file line. The guards were carrying giant plastic bins full of soap bars that they handed out to each person. As they grabbed their soap, they shuffled down to the edge of the water where people began undressing and stepping in with shoes still on.

  Normally, so much exposed skin would make her extremely nervous, but she felt so covered in filth, she didn’t feel completely naked. Following everyone’s lead, she peeled her clothes off: pants, then shirt, then undergarments. As she looked around, she noticed everyone kept to themselves and avoided looking at anyone else as they stepped into the water, dipped the soap and scrubbed like hell. She tried to focus on washing herself and scrubbed her skin like never before, turning parts of her red. It was nothing like her shower or bath at home. The water was freezing, things brushed against her legs a couple times, and of course, she was with dozens of other naked people. She felt so degraded, like she was only seen as a body, a dirty body that was only good for flying. The fact they made them clean themselves, she thought, was only to benefit the guards and doctors because everyone smelled pretty rank.

  As the announcer said, the stream was heavily guarded with twice as much security as normal. She could faintly hear guards laughing and talking. The way some guards looked at them made her feel inhuman.

  She dunked her hair in the water and tried to lather the soap up enough to wash her long hair. Giovonna waded through the water and helped Sydona wash her hair. This made Sydona blush at the thought of Giovonna, the girl she thought of like a daughter, seeing her like this. She then grabbed her clothes, dunked them in the water, and watched as the veterans did it. They cleaned their clothes with the same soap bar, which was extremely difficult to do. Everything was all so strange, like one of her dreams, and she hoped that she would be waking up soon with Raoul at her side.

  About half an hour and almost an entire soap bar later, they shooed everyone out of the stream one by one. The guards threw thin white towels into the crowd while people jumped to grab them and dry off quickly. The air made her even colder, forcing her to cover herself with her shivering hands. A towel then came raining down right on top of her, and she grabbed it before someone else rubbed their body parts on it. For only a minute, she had it, and then Silas whipped it out of her hands, making her punch him in the arm. Looking over to the guards throwing towels, she saw a huge mesh metal bin full of towels, maybe even enough for everyone to get one. Another one was thrown her way, and she dried her damp, long hair as best she could before wrapping it around her body. Even though the stream wasn’t the cleanest, the warm sun on her skin was the best she had felt in days.

  She and everyone else were laying their clothes in the grass next to them, relying on the sun to dry them. Silas and Giovonna sat side by side on the field, and she eventually lay down. The guards let everyone lay out instead of trying to herd them back to the tents. She guessed they had some empathy. Sydona folded her arms under her head with her hair stretched out to air dry and closed her eyes. It was so quiet; it felt like everyone had fallen asleep aside from the guards talking amongst themselves in the distance. Birds sang in the May sun, chatting about their days and what they were going to eat for dinner. ‘Even the birds get to talk here ’, thought Sydona. Not even five minutes later, she drifted off to sleep and dreamed.

  ~~~~~~~

  Seven year old Sydona jumped out of her blue and pink covers and ran downstairs, through the kitchen, the back porch, and all the way to the biggest tree in their backyard. Peering inside the center hole in the tree, she saw a big crowd of fairies gathered around one female fairy with a rounded tummy. She lay on top of a block of carved wood with flowers blanketing it. Sydona grinned as she rested her chin on her folded hands over the wooden hole.

  “Is it happening already?” her mother's voice asked softly behind her.

  Sydona nodded her head excitedly. “I hope it’s a boy!”

  The pregnant fairy took notice of Sydona and smiled through her labor pains.

  “Why do you want it to be a boy?” Evelyn squatted down next to her, and they took turns witnessing the miracle.

  “Because I already have a name picked out!” Sydona said.

  Evelyn laughed. “Sweetie, I think Cherish would like to name her own baby.” She caressed Sydona’s short blonde hair.

  Just then, everyone gathered even closer to Cherish. Several minutes later, the midwife with white and indigo wings swaddled a tiny baby in a soft blue cloth that looked as if it was made from a scrap of Sydona’s baby blanket. It wasn’t any bigger than her thumbnail.

  Sydona could barely sit still in her anticipation. “Well?”

  Cherish was handed the baby and answered, “He’s a boy.”

  “I knew it!” Sydona hugged her mom.

  The crowd parted in order to give Sydona a good look at him.

  “He’s so small…” she whispered in awe.

  “And he’s yours once you turn eight,” Evelyn said.

  “I can’t wait!” She focused on the tiny fairy baby with a full head of brown hair and tiny red wings that popped over the blue blanket. “We’re going to have the bestest adventures ever, Raoul!”

  ~~~~~~~

  A gentle shake of her shoulder interrupted her dream, forcing a tear to roll down her face, and she rolled over towards Silas. He mouthed ‘You okay?’ while helping her up, and Sydona closed her eyes with no response.

  The group of fliers were all being commanded to get up, return to their tents, and grab their clothes that were just dry enough to wear. Silas, Sydona, and Giovonna walked together until they got to their tents, embraced quickly, and parted ways. With her clothes folded over one arm and shoes in the other hand, she reached her tent. Still sporting her towel, she threw her clothes down at the end of her bed and curled up into herself. Maverick soon entered wearing his towel, which barely covered the important parts. He started to remove it and then noticed Sydona facing him, staring at nothing. He made a circle with his finger, hinting at her to face the other way, and she did so without hesitation.

  She lay motionless in the cot and experienced a feeling like nothing she had ever felt: complete emptiness. It was as if she didn’t know who she was or what to do without Raoul by her side. She even depended on his birth because she knew she was promised him by his mother before he was even born. Her parents told her that Cherish was expecting and had always loved Sydona, so she agreed that her first born would be Sydona’s fairy for life. This was traditional in their culture, but it was unusual for an unborn fairy to be promised to a flier. He was special to her since his first moments in life, and now he just disappeared... because of her. How could he be so reckless? As hard as it was for her to imagine what they could be doing to him, or had already done, it was all she could think about, and it enraged her more every day.

  “It’s gotta be tonight,” Sydona clenched her jaw and whispered to herself. Her eyes burned green. She sat up, calculating in her head as fast as the adrenaline rushed through her veins on how to get to the cabin and kill Dr. Malik. She felt as sporadic as a grasshopper, unable to sit still even if she tried. She paced the tent back and forth with clenched fists and jaw, mumbling thing
s to herself while holding up her towel. She slammed one hand into another and then quickly caught the towel before it fell down. Maverick watched her nervously on his side; then, a guard suddenly came through the tent. Sydona turned to him and, without thinking, she lunged at him and wrapped her hands around his thick, bearded neck, taking him down to the ground.

  The guard’s eyes bulged, and he struggled to call out to anyone. Sydona knocked the gun out of reach and grabbed it. She then pulled the large guard inside the tent, out of sight.

  “What are you doing?!” Maverick stood up in shock.

  She held the gun to the guard’s chest and looked into his wide, frightened eyes.

  “Not so tough without a gun are you,” she said in a monotone voice with her eyes glowing fiercely green.

  The guard was frozen and defenseless on his back. He looked young, too, maybe only twenty years old, and it was just a job for him. He had never done anything to her personally, but she couldn’t risk anything. As she stood over him, her feet on either side of his body and gun steady as a boulder, she tried thinking of what she should do with him. It had to be quick because Maverick’s yelling had probably already alerted other guards.

  “What are you gonna do to me?” he trembled. The corners of Sydona’s lips curved upwards, and she answered.

  “Depends. What did you to do to that fairy?”

  “Fairy? There’s a fairy here?” he asked.

  “Don’t--play dumb with me.” She edged the gun closer to his chin.

  “Oh yes, that fairy. Well I may have heard that someone got one, but I haven’t seen it. It’s in Dr. Malik’s office; no one’s allowed in there.” He sweat and gulped audibly.

  Sydona glanced over at Maverick with a bigger smile on her face. “Dr. Malik’s office, huh?” Maverick did not reciprocate her emotion but sat still in fear as he gazed into her piercing green eyes.

  “Take me.” Sydona hit his chin with the end of the rifle as he scrambled to stand up.

  “Syd,” Maverick whispered. Sydona looked back at him with annoyance. “Your clothes.”

  Sydona was oblivious to fact that she was still completely naked, and she rolled her eyes.

  “Here.” She handed Maverick the rifle and forced the guard to the back of the tent while she dressed. As she kept one eye on them, they both stood staring at her, truly afraid of what she was going to do next. Once she slipped on her last shoe, she snatched the gun from Maverick’s hand and grabbed the surprisingly compliant guard. As she got ready to leave the tent with her hostage, she looked back to Maverick whose eyes had turned brown. She motioned her head to come with, and he slowly shook his head. Sydona signed “Joelle” with her free hand and held a steady look on her face, hoping that was all he needed to come around.

  “My baby…” Maverick stood with his chin up and eyes no longer brown with fear. He joined her, grabbed the night stick out of the guard’s holster, and nodded at her. They headed out of the tent on either side of the guard. Sydona angled the pistol at his head and took a hold of his arm. Maverick did the same with his other arm.

  She whispered in the guard’s ear, “Straight to the Doctor’s office.”

  The guard stayed silent and slowly walked through the tents while Sydona peered between each one they passed, hoping to avoid as much security as possible. The announcement suddenly came on to gather the next group of fliers for bathing time, and people started to exit their tents. Sydona’s heart fluttered even faster, but almost in an excited way, because they too would have to see her with a guard as a hostage.

  As they made their way to the enormous cabin, fliers and guards alike gaped at the sight, and guards pointed their guns at her and Maverick. She also noticed guards running into the cabin with purpose; she hoped it was to bring out Dr. Malik.

  “Tell them put their guns down, or I will shoot you,” Sydona whispered in his ear again.

  The guard stuttered. “Cool it everyone, she’s not messing around.”

  A huge crowd of fliers in blue scrubs and guards surrounded the area. Guards began to gather in the front of the stairs as well, waiting for someone to come out of the grand doors to the cabin.

  “Dr. Malik!” Sydona bellowed over everyone and into the cabin.

  The area fell silent, and not even the guards tried anything. Sydona could hear her heartbeat out of her chest as she looked over the crowd and had an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. This was it. This was how it happened. History was about to be made. Everyone was going to revolt and fight for their freedom. As she glanced over the crowd again, she saw her mother and father with looks of complete shock and disappointment. What were they doing there? They weren’t called out with the announcement; they should be back in their tents. Or had she drawn so much attention that everyone came out?

  “What the bloody hell is going on here?” Dr. Malik strutted out of the cabin with his hands up in the air.

  “Where is he?” Sydona demanded.

  “Where is who, Miss Wilder?” Dr. Malik asked nonchalantly.

  “ You know who,” Sydona yelled.

  Dr. Malik chuckled and put his hands in his pockets. “Why are you doing this? You’re fighting a losing battle, you know…”

  Sydona tightened the grip on the gun and put a dent from the barrel on the guard’s temple.

  “Tell me where my goddamn fairy is, or I will blow his head off!” Sydona threatened.

  He walked down the stairs, looking more closely at the hostage and narrowing his eyes through his glasses. “Wait. Do I know you?”

  “Name’s Doug,” the guard said.

  “Why don’t I know you, Doug? I’ve never seen you before.” He inched closer, making Sydona more nervous.

  “I’m new, sir,” he squeaked.

  “Ooh, you’re new… that would explain it.” He smiled and turned his attention to Sydona. “You can kill him then. I’ll find someone else.”

  Sydona paused and looked at Doug who she swore wet his pants with the look on his face. She tried to think of what to do next. She found it difficult to kill an innocent guard, especially one who wasn’t worth anything to the Doctor. People were disposable to him. But Dr. Malik was right in front of her, walking away. He was the one who needed to die, not Doug. She removed the gun from Doug’s head and aimed at Dr. John Malik’s back.

  And pulled the trigger.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The most gut wrenching sound flooded her ears. The gun was empty, and her stomach suddenly felt like an anchor. Dr. Malik turned back around at the sound of the empty gun. He looked down at the pistol that Sydona still wielded and then back up at her. She tried to assassinate the leader of the group and failed. All guns and eyes were pointed directly at her, and she found it difficult to swallow. She lowered her gun while still keeping her eyes on the doctor. Surprisingly, he turned his attention to her hostage

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Oh, Doug... ” He shook his head with disappointment. “Rookie mistake, son. Did you miss training? You know, where you learn to load your guns? The only thing standing between us and them? But... in this scenario, it did save my life. Otherwise, she would have blown my head off!” Dr. Malik burst out laughing, making Doug chuckle nervously.

  Sydona stood on the side, watching the interaction between the two men. Why was Dr. Malik unconcerned about what she just tried to do? She thought that maybe he knew the gun was unloaded, which would explain why he turned his back on her. By the way he looked at Doug, she knew that he was in some deep trouble. While the heat was not on her, she took the opportunity to glance around the crowd. Giovonna and Silas stood in the front row, watching the show like everyone else.

  Silas signed ‘Raoul’ to Sydona as low as he could. Sydona slyly signed back ‘Doctor’s office’. He nodded and grabbed Giovonna’s hand, and they both sank back into the massive crowd toward the outside of the cabin.

  Sydona slowly started listening to the conversation again between the doctor and Doug. “...and I’ll make sure this mistake never hap
pens again.”

  Dr. Malik grabbed a nearby guard’s gun and aimed it at Doug’s temple. Doug pleaded with him, tears streaming down his young face.

  Suddenly a gunshot went off but not from Dr. Malik. His expression was just as shocked as Sydona’s. Doug fell to the side and onto the ground with a thud, and everyone paused. A sound of distant cries echoed in the otherwise silent park. They soon got louder and louder, faster and faster. Looking around to see where the shot came from, she stared off into the distance, past the stream. Dozens of fliers flew their way, bearing bows and shouting out war cries. It was the Sparrows, and they came just in time. Her breathing intensified at the sight, and adrenaline pumped through her even more.

  The crowd went absolutely crazy as the fliers from above began to dive bomb guards and used their own guns against them. Her first reaction was to find her parents, but they disappeared into the crowd, much like Dr. Malik. Unsure of where they could be, her true feelings told her to find Raoul first. She knew where he was, and she needed to rescue him from whatever he was enduring.

  Soon, humans from the Sparrows joined the fliers in battle, running from far off fields and wielding weapons of every sort. As Sydona edged to the side of the cabin, she stopped to look for Willow, thinking she would be right in the front lines. A woman with blazing red hair and camouflage face paint came running through the stream beside her fellow rebels. Willow noticed Sydona immediately and flashed a great big smile. She took out a couple guards running at Sydona before joining her and embracing her with a crushing hug.