by C J Singh
“Good,” Brian said before he continued on. “I’m using all my senses to track the creatures. It takes a lot of concentration and it’s exhausting. We’ll rest in a bit, then I’ll start your training.”
We all followed to our resting place in silence. I had to pinch my fingers to keep from teasing Eden, but something about how Brian spoke made me realize he wasn’t joking. I didn’t think it was smart to test his authority, so I resumed my quiet walk, trailing behind everyone.
***
“I won’t do it. I’m sorry. I can’t fight a girl by choice. Call me a gentleman, I guess, but I won’t fight Eden.”
“You’re going to have to get over it. She’s more capable than you think,” Brian responded.
Looking over at Eden, I saw her standing with her arms crossed. A grateful look on her face at Brian’s vote of confidence.
“All right then.” Brian walked toward us. “If you won’t fight her, then fight me.”
I laughed. “Like that’s a fair fight. You have much more training than I do, and you are...” I motioned to his muscular body. “Well, look at you!”
He smirked. “How about if I’m blindfolded? Would that be a fair fight?”
I thought about it a moment, tossing my head side to side. “I guess, yeah. That may be fair.”
“Great. Let’s begin.” Brian pulled some fabric from his pocket and tightened it around his eyes.
Eden and Tristan moved out of our space, standing on opposite sides of us. I watched Brian position himself in the middle of a small clearing between a group of trees. I quietly stalked around him, careful not to step on any twigs, but the dry leaves made it hard not to make any noise. If I was able to surprise him from behind, I may have a chance. Stopping at his back, I sucked in a breath and charged. He swiftly twisted and put his arm out.
Smack!
I fell back onto the ground in surprise, rubbing my nose. “Crud...”
“No sitting around! Again!” Brian yelled.
Standing up, I wiped the blood that dripped from my nose. “All right then.” I circled him again. This time I would try from the front since he expected me from behind. I rounded him the third time, then moved in quickly toward his front, swinging my arm out at his head. Brian crouched, moved his leg out, and swiped it under my feet. Flying up, I landed hard on my back. I wheezed, lying on the cold ground, my lungs begging for air. It felt like forever before my lungs filled again. I coughed. “This is crap! You can see through the blindfold.”
“Really? You not man enough to lose with dignity?” Brian raised his blindfold on his forehead and crossed his arms. “I didn’t cheat. I was using all my senses. You need to start harnessing yours, so you can fight me...” He smirked. “Well, have a better chance at it at least.”
I laughed. “Right... Right. Harness my senses.”
Eden stepped forward. “How do you plan to teach him? He can’t even take you on blindfolded. It took me days before I started to understand.”
Tristan stepped forward. “Yeah and even blindfolded she could dance around you.”
Tristan’s jab stung a little, but part of me knew that she probably could. I had a feeling that she was much more talented than we had seen. “Yeah, so”—I turned to Brian— “how do you plan to teach me?”
Brian pulled two more pieces of cloth from his pocket, dangling them in front of him with a smirk. “With these.”
“Sorry?” I looked at him. “I’m not being blindfolded.”
“Yes, you are. You and Eden both will be. Right now, I need you both to focus. Listen and feel your surroundings. It won’t only help you in fighting, but also to really understand your capabilities and use them to your advantage. We will continue our trek, but both of you will wear these. It will force you to focus on your other senses.”
“How do you expect us to follow you? We will slow everyone down. This isn’t the time for all this,” Eden said.
“Well, then, I expect you to really focus, so you don’t slow us down.”
My eyes met Eden’s, and after a moment of defiance, she shrugged. “Fine.”
“If she’s in, I’m in.”
Brian smiled. “Good. Get your eyes covered, and let’s get going.” He tossed the blindfolds at us.
Chapter 32
Eden
I stubbed my toe for the millionth time and cursed as I shook out my foot. “When is this supposed to start working? My body is getting sore from banging into everything.” It was one thing fighting in one area blindfolded, but having to walk through the woods was much more difficult. Brian had to call Tristan forward because he kept trying to help me. Secretly, I wish he was guiding me. My toes do as well.
Jace chuckled behind me, and when I started to turn toward him, a firm grip grabbed my arm. “You have to try, Eden,” Brian said.
“I am trying!” I yelled, yanking my arm away.
“No, you’re not. You’re so focused on not having your sight that it’s taking all your energy. You need to use that energy and focus on your other senses. Use your hearing and scent. Focus on those, and you’ll realize that you don’t need your eyes.” Brian’s feet shuffled away.
“Really? That’s your pep talk?” Frustration brewed within me, and I rolled my shoulders to shake it off. Standing still, I tried to listen to the sounds around me. The leaves sounded like chimes in the wind, and the songs of birds calling each other rang from all directions. My body released its tension at the calmness of the nature around me, and I let my head fall back. I smiled at the sun’s warmth on my face.
Jace cleared his throat behind me. “Anytime you want to start walking would be good. We don’t want to be left behind.” The tension in my shoulders returned, and I let out an exaggerated sigh, starting after Brian.
I have heard you stumbling yourself, so shut up.
As you wish. I could feel humor flow from him as his voice radiated into my mind.
I focused hard on the sounds my feet made as I walked, the birds in the trees, and the breeze on the leaves all around us. After some time, I began noticing the sounds of the others’ feet. Jace behind me and the other two up front. One set much louder than the others, not caring how many leaves and sticks he stomped on. I assumed that was Tristan since he would be the one that didn’t realize how loud he was. If I could tell he was coming from this distance, it was no wonder he never killed anything when hunting.
“Let’s stop here to rest,” Brian said. “You two can take off the blindfolds.”
I pulled off the cloth, squinting my eyes at the bright sun. Sitting down, I leaned on a large tree and let my throbbing legs stretch out in front of me.
“How are you doing?” Tristan sat down next to me.
Giving him a small smile, I said, “I’m OK. But I have learned one thing.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“You’re the loudest walker I have ever heard.”
Everyone chuckled... except Tristan.
“Yeah? How do you know it was me?”
“I assumed it was since we all are more sensitive to how loud we are. Jeepers, it was a joke.” I tried to lighten the mood.
Jace tossed a twig toward Tristan. “Lighten up, dude. She didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”
Tristan’s face softened a little. “Yeah, yeah. I know.” He gave a forced chuckle. “So, I’m really that loud? Probably why I never get anything when I hunt.”
I laughed. “That’s exactly what I was thinking!” We all sat in awkward silence for a moment before Tristan stood.
“Well, I need to go... well, you know, I need to go.” He walked off for privacy.
I kicked at some small rocks and twigs, avoiding conversation, when Brian came over, crouching down in front of Jace and me. “So, you seem to have noticed a change in your hearing, Eden?”
I nodded, picking at a tw
ig.
“Good. It takes practice, but it will come. How about you, Jace?”
Jace sat forward. “I don’t know. Maybe? I guess I had a hard time focusing on anything except not seeing.”
Brian was agreeing with Jace when something near caught my attention. It wasn’t a sound or a smell, but a feeling. Something wasn’t right.
I jumped to my feet.
“Eden! Blazes!” Jace said, obviously startled at my quick movement.
“Something’s wrong,” I replied, staring after Tristan.
“What do you mean? What’s wrong?” Brian asked, slowly standing. His eyes moved in the direction I stared at.
Staying focused on the woods in front of me, I slowly worked my way toward Tristan. “I don’t know, but something isn’t right.”
A scourge. I could sense its urgency and agitation. Similar to what I felt the first time in the woods when I met them with the deer corpse. I searched the area for it, hearing its breathing, short and ragged. Loud thumping footsteps rustled through the leaves, sticks, and rocks. Tristan. He might as well yell out that he was there.
I crept in the direction Tristan was, but Brian grabbed my elbow.
I feel it too. Careful, go slowly.
Nodding, I moved again; Jace and Brian flanked me. We flicked our eyes around the woods, but none of us spotted the scourge. Tristan moved through the woods back toward us, oblivious to the danger that he was in.
I steadied my breath, trying to calm my racing heart, when movement caught my eye. The scourge. He was about the same height and build as Tristan but had dark, shaggy hair and ripped clothing. He spotted Tristan and froze.
No, no, no, no.
It crouched down in front of a bush, ready to attack Tristan when he walked by. I took off toward them.
“Tristan! Run!”
He looked at me with wide eyes but followed my gaze to the scourge coming at him. He managed to put his hands up just as the scourge tackled him. His grunt echoed through the trees. The scourge was on top of him, snarling and clawing. Tristan fended him off as best as he could, his arms straining to keep it away from his face, but the scourge’s claws met their mark a few times.
When I reached him, I yanked the scourge off, tossing him behind me toward Jace and Brian. Tristan, startled and bleeding, could do nothing but lie there. Brian held the scourge while Jace knocked it unconscious with a large rock.
“You OK? Let me see.” I pulled at his shirt to inspect his wounds, but he pushed my hands away, his cheeks blushed. He was embarrassed. Really? Last time I didn’t do anything, he got mad, and now that I was trying to help, he got embarrassed.
“I’m fine.” He sighed. “Eden, look at me.” I looked at him, and he smiled at me. “I’m fine. It’s just a scratch.”
I nodded and reluctantly turned to the others who had laid the scourge on the ground. “What are we going to do with him?”
“We’re going to use him. He’ll lead us to the others,” Brian said.
“What if he fights us? Doesn’t want to lead us?” Tristan asked, holding his scratched side.
“He won’t realize he’s doing it. We’ll leave him here and watch. When he wakes, we’ll follow him.”
I nodded. “I guess that could work.” Glancing at Tristan’s bloody hand, I said, “It’s almost nightfall; he may not wake until morning.”
Brian nodded. “Let’s set up camp. I can help with your wounds, Tristan.”
We found a small patch of heavy trees and bushes for cover, setting up our blankets where we could still see the creature, but be out of immediate sight.
“I’ll take first watch,” Jace said.
“Good. Eden, get some rest. Someone will wake you when it’s your watch,” Brian said, digging in his bag for supplies. Tristan rested with his back against a tree waiting for Brian’s help.
Not complaining, I lay on my blanket under a large tree, trying to avoid as many twigs and rocks as possible, and quickly fell asleep.
Chapter 33
Jace
I yawned, rubbing my eyes. It was almost time for me to wake Brian. Growing up, I had read adventure books in which people say they will take watch, and it always sounded exciting, but this was definitely not. The fight to stay awake was a battle I never liked to lose.
Light footsteps had me turning back to where the others slept. Eden. Her apricot hair glowed in the moonlight, giving it a golden shade. She stretched and sat on the small stump next to me.
“It’s not your turn. Brian’s next. Why don’t you sleep?” I eyed her as she watched the dark woods calmly.
“Can’t.”
Turning back to the woods, I looked out again to see nothing but the dark shapes of trees.
“What’s the city like?” Eden asked.
“Umm...” Not sure what to tell her since I was never the most willing of citizens. “Strict.”
“Strict?”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “Zane, the president. He’s an ass.”
“You know him?” She looked over at me.
I nodded. “Unfortunately.”
“Wow. Does everyone know him?”
I laughed at her naiveté. “No. If you’re smart, then you try not to know him. He is a slimy man.”
“Then, how do you?”
I pulled in a breath of cool, damp night air. How did this conversation turn to be about me? Wringing my hands, I looked back to make sure it was just us and saw Brian and Tristan still asleep on their blankets. I looked back at her. “My father.”
She blinked. “Your father.” I nodded slowly, watching her eyebrows rise. “And your father is...”
“Nobody.” I looked forward again, clenching my jaw, but I felt the heaviness of her gaze on my face. Crap. I needed to learn to keep my mouth shut.
“Obviously, he’s not a nobody if he knows the president enough to where you met him.”
“Look, Eden”—I pinched the bridge of my nose—“my family life, it sucked. I really don’t want to talk about it.”
“All right.” She looked forward again. “But just tell me who your father is?”
“Aghh,” I hissed, then glanced back nervous I had woken the others. They both continued to sleep. “David. His name is David and he’s”—she watches me expectedly—“he’s the head of research in the city.”
“Head of research?” Her whisper was so loud I swear the scourge stirred from where it lay.
“Shhhh! Keep it down. I don’t like to advertise my lineage if I don’t have to.”
“Jace, you understand what this means, right?”
I opened my mouth to speak but closed it when I realized I had no idea what was going through her head. “Ah, no?”
She scooted her body to face me, leaned forward, and put her hand gently on my forearm. “It means we can go to the city together and tell them how to cure this whole thing, and all will be well with the world.”
“You’re joking, right?”
She shook her head.
“Eden.” I rested my hand on top of hers, ignoring the warm sparks that moved through my fingers. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but that is the most outrageous thing I have heard anyone say.”
“Why? I mean, no one leaves the city because of the virus, and we aren’t allowed in because of it, so why not tell them we have a solution?”
I let go of her hand and rubbed my face. Her heart was in the right place, but she didn’t understand. Zane didn’t work that way. “Because you don’t know them. They are ruthless. They don’t care who they hurt to get what they want.”
“But what they want is a cure. We have that. We can fix it all.” Her face was so beautiful and full of hope. I fisted my hand to keep from touching her cheek.
“I’m sorry, Eden. It just doesn’t work that way.”
“But Jace—”<
br />
“No, Eden.” I stood. “Just drop it, all right? It’s not an option.” I closed my eyes at seeing her face drop in the moonlight. “I’m waking Brian. Get some rest, will you?” I walked away with a twinge of fear that she may not let this go so easily.
***
Brian woke us shortly after I finally slept. The scourge had woken and stumbled away. Brian rushed us to get our things packed and get on the move. Next time I wouldn’t volunteer to do watch first.
Stumbling through the dark woods, I grumbled at Brian’s constant calls to harness our senses. I was too tired to harness anything. My stomach was still knotted from my talk with Eden. Telling her about my past plucked at the memories of the life I left behind and how much has changed since the night my friends and I were banished. Eden doesn’t understand. Oh gosh. I can’t imagine Eden being there. She is too innocent and will get herself killed.
My nose filled with the smell of sweaty body odor pulling me from my thoughts. Brian held out a hand, motioning us to stop.
They are here.
I crouched between Tristan and Brian, peering through the bushes. The knot in my stomach tightened at the sight of all the scourges. So many. Where did they all come from? Glancing at Eden, I saw her move next to Tristan. Maybe her idea of trying to work with the city wasn’t such a bad idea.
Chapter 34
Eden
We sat low behind a group of bushes hidden within three tall Norway trees and watched the small group of creatures go about their day. They were dirty with greyish skin and one gold eye. They moved in a hunched-like posture with jerky movements as they caught the scents and sounds of other animals.
“This is crazy,” I whispered. “There has to be a hundred of them. What do we do with a hundred scourges?”
“Can we kill them?” Tristan asked and all eyes slowly turned to him, brows furrowed. “What? It’s a serious question. They’re dangerous.”
“Exactly. We can’t just go in there and kill a hundred scourges; there are only four of us. Well three really since you’re useless,” Jace responded.
Tristan straightened himself, moving to take on Jace’s jab.