Phantom Universe

by Laura Kreitzer

CHAPTER 9: 2210

  16 years old

  Summer’s not quite sure what’s going on except she’s physically exhausted, mentally scared, and ravenously hungry and thirsty. The world pulses around her in time with her untamed heartbeat. Everything about her feels heavy, like she’s drank liquid steel and now can’t lift her arms, legs, torso, or, well, anything—except her eyes lids. And that’s sketchy at best. She hears voices all around her and attempts to move her head so she can see who it is. There is only one voice she recognizes: Jaden’s. Everyone else is speaking in accents she’s never heard. She only hears clips here and there, and none of it makes sense.

  She feels a warm, gentle hand stroke her face and wishes her eyes would just cooperate.

  “You’re— hand me— long has— eat something—” It’s a male’s voice just above her, and again, she just wishes her eyes would open. He’s got such a strange, yet intriguing accent.

  The tender hand caresses her chapped lips and tentatively draws her mouth open. Even if she had the strength to fight him, she knows she wouldn’t. If he’s here to make her a slave again, she doesn’t want to be punished for fighting. She doubts this is the case since he is touching her so carefully.

  Cool water is poured into her mouth, and she instinctively gulps the refreshing water with vigor. She can feel it go all the way down her esophagus and swirl around her stomach. An arm wraps around her shoulders, and she’s pulled into a sitting position. She’s so desperate to keep the water flowing she reaches for the source of it. Her fingers clasp around a strangely shaped container, and then she chugs the water. It takes all of her strength just to hold it that her body begins to fall backward. Hell, she didn’t even notice she was sitting up on her own.

  She’s caught by several hands and is lowered to the sand. “Slow down there,” the same male voice says with a chuckle and lowers the container from her mouth.

  Summer takes in several deep breaths and is finally able to open her eyes. She realizes she’s dead, because before her is an angel. There’s no mistaking it. There’s a halo of light around his golden blonde hair, and his rich, green eyes stare at her with an intensity she’s never seen before—not even in Landon’s fathomlessly deep eyes. His nose has a tiny bump on it that she immediately finds so endearing she wants to kiss it. She’s never kissed anyone before—except her mum. He smiles at her, and she melts at the small dimples at the corners of his mouth. His teeth are white and straight, she notes, but regardless of his handsome features, she can’t seem to shy too far away from his hypnotic green eyes.

  “Hi,” he says softly, like she’s as delicate as a flower petal.

  She tries to smile back, but she’s positive it doesn’t look right.

  “Your friend found us just in time.” He glances away before meeting her eyes again. She can’t help but stare deeply into those eyes, noticing all the different shades of green that melt together to form them. “Do you think you can stand?”

  She shakes her head, embarrassed by her weakness.

  “Ay, that’s understandable.” His eyes leave hers before they come back again. “Are you hungry?” He seems so uncertain, like he’s never been in this situation before.

  “Stupid question, eh?” a female says. “The girl’s obviously malnourished.”

  He shakes his head before smiling at her again. “Sorry—what would you like to eat?”

  Tearing her eyes away from his, she searches for Jaden to help her. Jaden immediately comes into her view, hovering a few feet above her.

  “Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you—she doesn’t talk,” Jaden explains.

  There are several exclamations from people around her. The angel keeps gazing at her as his arm wraps around her shoulders to help her up.

  “Really?” the angel asks as he seeks the truth with his attentive eyes.

  Summer nods quickly, only making the world warp around her. He quickly helps her back down onto the sand.

  “Well that’s okay,” he assures hastily, as if wanting her to be as comfortable as possible. “Besides, Cameron speaks enough for the entire female population of the Federation,” he says jokingly.

  “Bite me, Meter Head,” Cameron quips, still out of view.

  “I’m Gage, by the way,” he says to Summer and smiles wider. “Not Meter Head.” He glares lightheartedly at the girl behind her. “What’s your name?” He glances back.

  “Summer,” answers Jaden quickly.

  “Well, Summer.” The sound of her name on his tongue makes butterflies flutter manically in her stomach. She finally understands the saying “gives me butterflies” that she is always reading in books.

  “We don’t have the most delicious food with us, but we do have some. We have noodles with lacery sauce. How does that sound?”

  She nods, having no idea what “lacery sauce” is. He carefully lets her go, making sure she won’t fall backwards again. She manages not to plummet backwards, to her delight.

  “Actually,” Jaden says swiftly, “I’ve hunted up some good food, if you want something not dried up.”

  There are a few cries of horror from whoever is behind her, and then someone gasps out, “You killed . . . an animal . . . out here?”

  “Several, in fact,” Jaden admits. “How do you think I’ve stayed alive for the past several days? It isn’t like steaks are growing on the trees out here. A girl’s gotta eat!”

  “What did you catch?” Gage asks with morbid curiosity.

  “Today? A rabbit.”

  “Rabbit it is!” he exclaims with delight.

  “You can’t be serious?” a girl barks with so much vehemence, Summer’s sure her skin is going to melt.

  How many people are here? she wonders and begins to turn to look, but the world spirals in unnatural angles, and she gives up.

  “It’s already dead, Paige. No need to waste it,” Gage replies dryly, as if he argues with her a lot.

  “It’s against the law! If Kevin hears about this we’ll be several feet deep in splashers,” Paige disagrees heatedly.

  “Okay,” he replies slowly, “you eat the dried up food, and we’ll feast on rabbit.” The way his face lights up makes it seem like he’s never had rabbit before. Well, neither has Summer.

  “I think I will,” Paige says with a huff. “I’d rather do that than break bread with the Outlanders.” Her voice drips with disgust.

  “We don’t even know if they are Outlanders,” argues a male voice behind Summer who’s started a mental inventory of how many people are crowded around her.

  Gage, Cameron, Paige, and now another male.

  “Just look at them,” Paige snaps. “Their clothes are—I don’t even think you can call those clothes! And they’re obviously unaware of our laws. You can’t just go kill an animal whenever you want!”

  “What’s an Outlander?” Jaden wonders before she tacks on, “And that law is stupid, by the way!” Paige gasps and Gage chuckles, gratifying in Jaden’s nonchalance at the laws. Summer has a feeling he doesn’t agree with the law.

  “It’s not important,” answers Gage. “Now where did you two come from?” He looks at Summer when he asks, as if he’s trying to read the answer in her eyes.

  “You wouldn’t believe it if I told you!” Jaden exclaims.

  “Let me guess,” Paige snaps, “you’re from the past?”

  Someone chuckles behind Summer—she wishes they’d come around so she could see them. Not that she’d pay attention with Gage still crouched down in front of her with his absorbing green eyes. . . .

  “What?” Jaden’s face scrunches up, and her eyebrows come together. “No. That’s a little too out there.” She snorts. “Summer and I were slaves, and the ship we were on crashed about a week ago.”

  Has it been that long? Summer thinks absentmindedly.

  Jaden continues, “And we both drifted to shore a few days after that. Summer got sick, and I couldn’t wake her; that’s when I began to search for someone to help us.”

  She
notices that Jaden’s left out the part about the light exploding out of her, which she’s grateful for because she has no idea what it was. Probably just a hallucination.

  “Slaves? Really?” Gage asks Summer, aghast. She nods solemnly.

  “That sounds like a load of splash,” Paige cuts in, disbelieving.

  “You think I burned myself for fun?” Jaden asks and shoves her arms forward, wrists together.

  Paige finally walks into view, her face hidden behind a curtain of honeyed brown hair. Her frame is thin, though thick with muscles. It’s the first time she’s noticed their clothing. They’re wearing matching black and green uniforms with several electronic thingies on their belts. Summer doesn’t recognize any of it. They have on black boots that wrap tightly around their calves—but no laces. There are several multi-colored buttons on the jackets over their black undershirts.

  Paige snatches Jaden’s wrists and stares at them carefully. “Looks like you got into a bad accident, eh? You could’ve got these scars anywhere.” She practically throws Jaden’s arm back at her. “Next time be more creative with your story.”

  Paige twists around and glares down at Summer with her light brown eyes that match her hair perfectly. Her face is hard and angry.

  “Fine! If you don’t believe me, then explain the whip scars on our backs!” Jaden shouts, pissed off now.

  There’s silence as Summer nods forlornly.

  “May I?” Gage asks so softly his voice is almost a whisper.

  Summer doesn’t move, only gazes into his eyes as her breath picks up speed. He’s the one who ends up nodding, as if he can read her soul. He stands and circles around her before his warm fingers hook under her shirt—or rags, really. He lifts it just a little bit at first, pauses, and his breath grows rapid along with hers. He yanks the cloth up a little higher, and his fingers run along her scars. She flinches, and he quickly retreats.

  “Sorry. I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he whispers in her ear.

  She shakes her head, tears now trailing down her face as the memories of the whip biting into her skin assault her. She trembles and can’t stop. Again, she’s embarrassed by how weak she’s being in front of all these people. It’s all too much, and it was bound to leak from her one way or the other.

  He lifts her shirt again, and his fingers tenderly trail over her scars. She can feel his hot breath on her neck. “How many times?” His voice chokes with emotion.

  She shrugs as Jaden says quietly, “Until she quit screaming. And then until she quit crying . . . and then when she stopped talking altogether they finally stopped.”

  The silence that follows her statement is so deafening and thick you can slice it into pieces and make a meal of it. Until Paige breaks it. “Hah. That’s the biggest sob story I’ve ever heard—and the biggest load of splash, too! I bet I can make her talk.”

  Paige comes into Summer’s sight again and drops down in front of her. Gage lets go of her shirt so her back is covered again.

  “Don’t,” he commands, all emotion gone from his voice.

  “Please! You can’t tell me you believe this splash?” She stares at him with hate over Summer’s shoulder.

  “These scars aren’t fake, Paige. Just because it sounds unbelievable doesn’t mean it isn’t true.” At her back she can feel the tension radiating from Gage.

  “I’ll prove it,” she bellows and slaps Summer hard across her face. It stings fiercely, and Summer covers her cheek with her palm. Summer’s had worse done to her before, and there isn’t anything that Paige can do that’ll make her talk.

  There are several gasps as Paige raises her hand to do it again. Summer looks into her honey eyes, refusing to flinch. Paige’s hand’s about to make contact again when Gage seizes her wrist. “That’s enough, Brooks. If you want me to pull the rank card on you I will. Do you want to be Paige around here, or Brooks? Cause I can make your life a living hell, eh?”

  Daggers fly from Paige’s glare. “I’ve been in the League longer than you, Appleton. Don’t you start throwing last names around like you’re something special. You’re nothing but splash beneath my shoe!”

  “I don’t care how old you are, I am still your commanding officer, and you’ll do as I tell you. You are not to lay a single finger on Summer. Got it, Brooks?” Gage’s angelic voice darkens and roars with authority.

  “Yes, Lieutenant Appleton,” she replies reluctantly and a little sarcastically.

  He releases Paige’s arm, and she backs away, glaring the whole time.

  “Gage, they could still be Outlanders,” a male says unwillingly.

  Gage lands on his knees in front of Summer again, sweetly checking her cheek for any permanent damage. “Are you okay?” His breath tickles her cheek.

  She nods, though she doesn’t want him to stop touching her cheek. Her face flushes at the thought, and she’s glad the burning slap mark conceals it.

  “Gage,” the male’s voice says again in warning.

  “I heard you, Bruce.” He sighs. “What year is it?” he asks Summer, again using his hypnotic green eyes to stare into her soul, seeking the answer.

  “Did you lose your calendar?” Jaden asks, confused.

  “Just—tell me what year it is.”

  “It’s 2010. Duh.”

  “No it’s not sweetie,” Cameron says and steps into Summer’s view. Her face is much softer than Paige’s, and her dark eyes are kinder, too.

  “Cameron—” Gage begins, but is cut off.

  “They have a right to know,” Cameron says softly.

  “They don’t have rights at all,” snaps Paige.

  “Will someone tell me what’s going on?” Jaden folds her arms.

  Cameron places a tentative hand on Jaden’s stiff arms. “Honey, it’s 2210.”