“I have paracetamol.”
“I need something stronger. I get wicked migraines and they won’t cut it. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have extra supplies, just in case the base is empty or understocked.”
She sighed. “Yeah, I suppose you have a point. Enzo?”
He glanced back over his shoulder.
“Can we hit a drug store before we go any further?”
He looked around. “Is there one around here?”
“We could check,” I said.
“We need to find shelter for the night, we don’t have much free time,” he said.
“Twenty minutes,” I said. “If we can’t find one, we’ll keep moving.”
Enzo relented and we took a detour back toward town. We covered six blocks and were about to give up when Rat spotted one.
The windows and door were intact which meant if we wanted to get inside, we would have to break in.
“It will make too much noise,” Enzo said.
I looked through the dirty window. Could I really risk it? “Let’s try around back. There might be another way in.”
Enzo scowled. “Five minutes, then we go.”
The guys remained on the street, while Lydia and I tried the back door. There was a fire exit, but it was locked.
“Damn it.”
“Try this,” Lydia said, pulling a crowbar from her pack and handing it to me.
“You come prepared,” I said.
“It’s a brand-new world, I have to.”
I took the crowbar, wedged the end of it in the door and pushed. The door gave with a little effort.
We went inside, our wet shoes squeaking on the floor. There wasn’t much light, so Lydia switched on her flashlight. The store was quiet, untouched.
In the back, we found what we were looking for. Lydia started dumping bottles into her bag. I made a show of looking for migraine medication, while pocketing some antibiotics.
“This is great,” Lydia said. I saw her lift a bottle of Adderall and toss it in too. When were any of us going to need that?
I left her to it and checked out the rest of the store. There was a cooler for soda near the back. I opened it and grabbed a few cans. It was warm, but I needed the sugar fix. Popping open the can, I downed it.
Grabbing some for the others, I went back for Lydia. She had her back to me, and she was swallowing something from one of the pill bottles.
“Ready to go?” I asked.
She jumped, turning to face me while slipping the bottle into the pocket of her jacket.
“Yeah.”
She saw me looking.
“Painkillers. Maybe your migraine is catching,” she said.
I wanted to ask her about it, but since I had my own reasons for coming here that I wasn’t sharing with her, I said nothing.
We re-joined the others. While we walked, I popped a couple of antibiotics. At least it was one less thing to worry about.
***
While my clothes dried by the fire, I sat with a blanket around my shoulders, exhausted after a long day. Everyone else was asleep, it was my turn to keep watch, but I could barely keep my eyes open.
As I sat in the quiet, I could hear the pixie chattering. It was most active at night.
I closed my eyes for a moment, listening to him. He was definitely talking but the words didn’t sound like any language I’d ever heard before.
Let me out of here.
My eyes snapped open. That was English. I took the box from beside Rat, moving away from them. I opened the box and peeked inside.
“Can you speak English?” I whispered.
The pixie went on a rant in his native tongue, but nothing I could understand. I must have imagined it. Or was I starting to understand them?
My wings came out of nowhere and my burning ability, was there more to come? Would I start talking Fae-ish or whatever it was?
“Say something,” I whispered to the pixie.
“What are you doing?”
I nearly dropped the box, I jumped so badly. Alwyn peered at me in the semi-darkness.
“You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“You’re supposed to be on watch, which means you should be aware of everything going on around you.”
“Yes, thank you. I know what the definition is.”
“Why are you talking to the pixie?”
I quickly closed the lid. “I wasn’t. He was talking, I was just checking to see if something was wrong.”
“Why do you care?”
“I don’t. But Rat does.”
“Well, try to be more observant, in case we’re eaten.”
Rolling my eyes, I returned the box to Rat and resumed my post.
The next thing I knew, I was being shaken awake by Enzo.
“I’m up,” I said, lurching up.
“Rat’s gone.”
***
Rat
Before Doomsday
I crouched behind some trash cans as the girl approached. She glanced behind her, looking nervous. Wearing a jean jacket, her blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, she was pretty.
Leaping out from behind the trash cans, I yelled, “Boo!”
The girl jumped, a hand going to her chest. “Seriously, Rat, don’t do that!”
I laughed. “I got you!”
“Yeah, you did, buddy. Are you ready to do this?” Lacy asked.
Nodding, I followed her out of the alley and across to the store on the corner.
“Now you remember the plan?”
“Yes, you distract the man behind the counter and I get us some snacks.”
“Good. Grab the good stuff, then get out. And don’t get caught.”
We entered the store and the man behind the counter immediately looked our way. He was old with grey hair, wearing a blue apron over a shirt.
He watched us as we crossed the store. Lacy headed toward him and I hung back, trying to decide which snacks to get. They all looked good. I knew it wasn’t right to steal, but Lacy said that the man who owned this place was mean. He used to yell at her when she came in and chase her off.
I could hear her arguing with him. He was angry, calling her lots of names.
Now! I thought. I lifted snacks and started shoving them into my pockets. When they were full, I turned toward the door.
“Stop! Thief!”
He saw me.
Panicking, I ran for the door. As I pushed it open, some of the snacks hit the floor. There was no time to go back for them. I raced up the street, to the spot Lacy told me to go to.
I waited for her to meet me, but ages went by and she still didn’t come. I sat on one of the benches and opened some candy to eat.
It was starting to get dark. Where was she?
Two policemen came around the corner. They saw me. “Hey, kid? We need to talk to you.”
Lacy told me to never trust the cops. No matter how nice they seemed. I ran.
They chased me across town, yelling at me to stop, but I was too fast for them. I needed to find a place to hide.
I crossed the park, remembering a place I could hide. There was a sewer grate on the far side, small, but I could get inside.
I needed to move fast. Dumping the candy on the ground, I reached the grate. I quickly ducked down, removed the wire grill and crawled inside. Replacing the grill, I retreated into the dark.
A few minutes later, the cops ran by.
They didn’t see me. I smiled in the darkness. I really was like a rat.
Chapter 16
“We can’t leave him out there,” I said. We had searched the entire building, which left one place he could be. Outside.
“Of course not,” Enzo said. “He left his box behind, he can’t have gone far.”
“Why go out at all? He knows how dangerous it is out there,” Lydia said, running her hands through her hair.
“He could have been tricked. Some Fae can mimic people,” Alwyn said.
“Whatever the reason, we need to go out and look and
we need to go quietly. Lydia you should stay here.”
“What? No, I want to help.”
“You’re our medic, if he is hurt, we can’t risk you getting lost out there too,” Enzo said.
She groaned, then nodded.
“I’m not going out there,” Alwyn said.
Enzo scowled at him. “I need someone to go with me.”
“I’ll go,” I said.
Enzo shook his head. “No, I’ll go alone.”
“Enzo, I’m going,” I said, leaving no room for argument. I wasn’t leaving Rat alone out there, he was just a kid.
“Fine, let’s go. But remember, no noise.”
Lydia flung herself forward into Enzo’s arms. He looked startled, but awkwardly returned the hug. “Be careful,” she said.
I didn’t get the same sentiment directed at me, but I wasn’t expecting it either. One thing was sure from her little display, Enzo did not feel the same way about her as she did about him.
We headed for the exit. When we reached it, Enzo held out one of the pokers to me. I froze, I couldn’t hold it, it might burn me and then he would know the truth.
“Take it,” he said.
“I…”
“We don’t have time to mess around. If you can’t do this…”
Bracing myself, I took the poker from him. The second it touched my skin, I could feel it burn. Not badly, but I definitely felt it, like I was holding my hand over an open flame.
I forced a smile. “Let’s do this.”
We left the building and split off. I went right and Enzo went left. The second he was out of sight, I dropped the poker. My hand was bright red and painful. Wrapping the sleeve of my hoodie around my hand, I picked it back up. Rat needed me.
As I moved, the only sounds I could hear were my pounding heart and heavy breathing. If anything happened to Rat, I’d never forgive myself.
Please, please let him be okay.
Then I heard new noises, Whimpering and what sounded like high pitched giggling. I moved closer to find a creature which I could only think was some kind of troll, laughing as it poked long fingers that ended in sharp talons, into a hole beneath a tree. Every time it did, I heard someone cry out in pain.
“Rat,” I whispered.
That thing had trapped him and now it was toying with him. Anger coursed through me, I rushed at the troll, brandishing the poker. I swung it at the creature’s head, catching it off guard. It stopped laughing and backed away, rubbing its head.
“Oi! No need for that,” it said. I was shocked to hear it speak English. It glared at me with beady brown eyes, drool dripping from its mouth.
“Get away from him,” I snarled.
“Nova, help me,” Rat pleaded. He was curled up in the dirt.
“It’s okay, Rat. You’re safe now.”
The troll giggled. “Safe? I don’t think so. That’s my dinner and I won’t be denied it.”
I stood between Rat and this slobbering creature. “I'll kill you.”
The smile faded off its face as it sniffed the air. “What are you? You smell...different. Your scent is what drew me here.”
Oh crap, it knows what I am.
“Just shut up,” I snapped.
“Ooh, I like a bit of fight. Makes you taste better. How about I eat you for my dinner and the child for dessert?”
It lumbered toward me. I thrust the poker out aiming for its face. It was impaled in the right eye and as the iron touched its flesh, it started to smoke. It fell to the ground, rolling around and hollering in pain. As horrible as that was, I couldn’t let it get back up. Taking the poker, I drove it into its chest, killing it.
Shaking, I hurried to the hole to check on Rat. He crawled out, covered in dirt, but at least he was alive. I hugged him tightly.
“It’s okay, Rat. You’re okay,” I whispered.
“He was going to eat me,” he sobbed.
“Ssh, you’re okay.” I helped him up and led him back to the building. Enzo came jogging toward us.
“What happened?” he asked.
“It was a troll or a goblin or something. I killed it.”
“Good. Let’s get inside.”
Chapter 17
Rat clung to me as I led him back into the building. I could feel his little body trembling. Lydia rushed over when she saw us come in.
“Rat! Are you okay? Why did you go outside?” she asked.
He buried his head in my side, whimpering.
“He’s got some cuts, but I don’t think it’s anything serious,” I said.
Lydia glared at me. “I’ll be the judge of that.” She took Rat’s hand and practically dragged him away to check him over.
Enzo was right. No matter what was going on in the world, humans always found a way to fight amongst themselves. At least Rat was okay, that was the main thing.
He seemed to cheer up after Lydia gave him some food, but I was worried about him. Two near misses in a few days. Why did he go outside?
He sat by the fire, wrapped in a blanket. I sat on the floor beside him. He had a few band aids on his face and neck.
“Hey, pal. Feeling better?”
He nodded, shovelling a mouth full of rice into his mouth.
“Why did you go out there? You know how dangerous it is.”
He set his spoon down and bowed his head. “I heard Lacy.”
“Who?”
“Lacy. She was my big sister. Not my real sister, but she looked out for me, before.”
“What happened to her?”
He shrugged. “She went out one morning and didn’t come back.”
“I’m sorry, Rat. Alwyn said that the Fae can mimic people.”
“I know, but I really thought it was her.”
“What was Lacy like?”
“She was funny and clever and she always brought me the best food.”
I laughed. “She sounds cool.”
“You remind me of her,” Rat said.
“I do?”
“Hm-mm. Will you be my new big sister?” he asked.
“Sure, I will,” I said, giving him a hug.
I sat with him as he slept. That creature knew that I wasn’t a human. How long before I was outed? The Fae were able to roam freely, to do whatever they wanted.
Maybe I should join them.
That was a ridiculous idea. As much as I didn’t want to believe that every Fae was evil, so far, they had all proven me wrong. The only reason I was different was because I was part human. I certainly had no desire to eat anyone. Not even Lydia.
Sooner or later, they will find out the truth and they’ll hate me. Even Rat.
He wanted a big sister, but I was no use to anyone. It would be safer for them if I just left. I could sneak away.
Enzo sat down beside me. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Rat’s okay. He’s tough.”
“Well, he has to be, doesn’t he?”
“We’ve just got to look after each other.”
“To what end? Is this all there is? All there’ll ever be?”
He smiled at me, reaching out to tuck a stray curl behind my ear. “Keep the faith. We’ll get to the base soon, then we can all relax a little.”
I forced a smile. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll keep watch, I don’t think I could sleep.”
When the others fell asleep, I quietly grabbed my pack and headed for the door. They were all better off without me. At least I wouldn’t lead more trolls to their door.
The sky was starting to lighten, it would be dawn soon. I paused in the doorway, waiting for it to get brighter before I set off.
A hand grabbed the back of my hoodie. I looked down to find Rat staring up at me with his huge blue eyes. “Where are you going?” he whispered.
“I’m sorry, Rat. I think I should leave.”
“What? No! You can’t go.”
I kneeled down. “Rat, I don’t belong with you guys. You’ve been attacked several times since I arrived,
I don’t want to put you in any danger.”
“We get attacked all the time. You said that you would be my new sister. You can’t leave me,” he said. He started to cry, gripping my shirt to prevent me from going.
How could I explain this to him?
“Please, Rat…”
“Lacy left and you’re going to leave too. Everyone leaves.”
I couldn’t stand listening to him cry. “Okay, Rat. It’s okay, I’ll stay.”
I hugged him tightly. “I won’t leave you. I promise.”
Chapter 18
“We’re here,” Enzo said, just past noon the following day.
It took me a moment to realize what he meant. Then I saw it up ahead. The base. It was surrounded by a ten-foot chain link fence. There was no sign of any soldiers, but it hadn’t been overrun by Fae either.
As we got closer, I could hear a high-pitched whine coming from somewhere nearby.
“Urgh, what is that noise?” I said. It was grating.
“What noise?” Alwyn asked, searching the skies above us.
“You can’t hear that whine?”
The others all paused to listen, but none of them could hear it.
“Maybe I’m getting tinnitus,” I muttered.
We reached the fence, but if we were expecting a fanfare, we didn’t get it.
“Hello?” Lydia called. “Is anyone in there?”
We were met with silence. The gate was heavily fortified, there was no way of getting it open, even with a crowbar and we couldn’t climb it either.
If I had my wings, I could fly over it. And be shot on sight. No, there had to be another way in.
We spread out along the fence, searching for some way in, or at least a sign or something to let us know what was going on. There was nothing.
When we returned to the gate, Enzo slammed his hands into it. “Come on!” he screamed.
“Calm down, Enzo,” Lydia said.
“We came all this way for nothing!” He turned away, looking like he was ready to explode. We all felt it, any hope we had was gone. Now where would we go?
I rubbed at my ears, the noise was louder now that we were close to the base. It must be coming from inside. Was it an alarm of some kind? Noise would only attract the Fae, but there were none around. Although given what it was doing to me, they would probably avoid it. Wait, was that the point of it? Was it driving the Fae away from here?
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