Kholvaria (The Color of Water and Sky Book 2)

by Andrew Gates

  “Thanks,” was all she said back.

  Dan leaned in for a kiss. Their lips met for a few long seconds.

  Suddenly, for reasons she did not know, Iris felt worried. Her heartbeat picked up. She felt her hand go to her belly. This will all end in failure, just like everything else.

  Iris pulled back from Dan and shuffled away.

  “What is it?” Dan asked, a little louder than he should have.

  “I… I…” Iris hardly knew how to answer that question. “The dream came back to me. I thought about Trace again,” she eventually explained.

  “Oh Iris, you don’t have to worry about that,” Dan said, reassuringly. He leaned in to embrace her. Iris naturally accepted his arms, but did not hold it for long.

  “I don’t know what’s going on with me. I don’t know why a dream is getting to me like this,” she said, pulling away from him.

  “Well… it’s probably because you’ve got more to lose now than ever before,” Dan answered.

  Iris was surprised to hear this prompt response. She was curious to hear more.

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  Dan shuffled closer to her.

  “You are part of a family now. You, me, Grey, Selena, Ryan, everyone… we’re all a family. Hell, Ophelia looks up to you as a mom. And now you’re so close to having an actual child of your own,” Dan explained. “Suddenly this man from a dream comes along and tells you that you could lose it all. That notion may not have scared you before, but now that you have so much on the line, it does.”

  Iris was impressed. Dan was talking as if he were a therapist saying all the right things.

  “Do you feel scared too?” she asked.

  Dan nodded his head.

  “Of course I do. But I can’t let that side of me show, not with so many people counting on me,” he explained.

  Iris sighed. She remembered back to an old John Milton quote that always seemed to help her in dark times. Where no hope is left, is left no fear. The thought made her smile. I still have fear, so that means I still have hope.

  “You know,” Iris said, changing her tone. “That line you used earlier was pretty cheesy.”

  Dan chuckled.

  “You like it?”

  “I did,” Iris replied. “I don’t get to see your Dan typical behavior much anymore.”

  More words from her dream came back to her. When you finally fell in love, the man you fell in love with became someone new.

  Iris disagreed. If that were true, no sign of it showed tonight. Dan is the same man deep down. He is just busy all the time now, Iris told herself, trying to justify the change in his personality. He can still joke around like he used to.

  For some reason, Dan suddenly turned and looked up to the sky. Then he promptly stood up and stared. Iris immediately forgot all about her dreams.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Ssh!” Dan exclaimed, ironically loudly.

  Iris turned as well. To her shock, a boxy mantis ship flew over their heads. It resembled the same design as the one they encountered during the first zombie attack. The ship must have been too quiet for her to hear.

  “We need to wake the others,” Iris suggested to Dan.

  He stood frozen for a few moments but then nodded, as if processing what he was seeing.

  “Yeah,” he eventually whispered back. “I think you’re right.”

  The ship activated its lights. Soon the whole area was illuminated as if it were daytime.

  There was no denying it now. The mantises had them in their sights.

  “Wake up!” Iris shouted. “Wake up! It’s the mantises!”

  Dan shouted too, trying to get everyone ready.

  In an instant, the entire group popped up from their slumber. Everyone was already prepared. Even the young girls were ready to go, though they screamed and shouted right away. Selena and Sixtine struggled to stand, but Greyson and Tobias quickly jumped in to help them up.

  “Fuck!” Jallah shouted as he looked to the sky.

  “Did you trigger another trap?” Ryan asked as he pulled out his gun.

  “No. We didn’t touch a thing. They must have found us the old-fashioned way, maybe a scouting run or something like that!” Dan replied.

  “Who cares? Let’s get the hell out of here!” Ophelia shouted.

  Iris could not blame her for the expletive.

  A hatch opened up on the bottom of the ship. The interior lit up like a sun. Iris could see the silhouette of three mantises in the light. Her heart raced as they each jumped out one by one.

  The group instantly scattered. Iris wasted no time picking a random direction and running away. She heard Ryan release a round of gunshots behind her, but dared not turn around to watch.

  One of the mantises let out a loud roar, which echoed through the forest. The sound was practically crippling. It sounded like the beast was right behind her.

  She pushed through some bushes and dashed along, not daring to look back. Loud stomps followed her as she ran while the boxy ship loomed over her head, shining its bright light upon her like a spotlight tracking a prisoner in the old surface era films.

  “Iris!” she heard someone shout. She quickly realized it was Ophelia. Damn, where is Ophelia? “Iris!” the voice shouted again. Iris spotted her this time. She was running parallel to her on the right.

  “Ophelia! Come to me!” she yelled.

  The girl weaved through some trees and hopped a bush to join Iris as they ran away from their pursuers.

  “They’re back!” Ophelia shouted as she joined along.

  “I know! Keep running!”

  Good, Ophelia is here and she is safe. That thought brought her a bit of reassurance, though their odds of survival did not seem good.

  Iris could no longer hear the sound of Ryan’s gunshots. She did not know whether this was because of her damaged hearing, the distance or if he had simply run out of bullets. But the sound of stomping remained as loud as ever.

  A mantis is directly behind us, she realized. Despite her better judgment, Iris peered over her shoulder as she ran. Sure enough, a creature in thick armor ran behind them with a powerful pace. Bushes flattened as it ran over them like they were nothing.

  Iris turned forward again. She could feel herself sweating. Her breath was running thin.

  A ball of fire suddenly erupted from the side of the ship above their heads, causing the vessel to lose power. It careened downwards and smashed into a dense circle of trees, smashing them entirely and lighting some of their branches on fire.

  “What did that?” Ophelia shouted, hardly able to get the words out.

  “Just run!” Iris replied, not wanting to waste any valuable time.

  The stomping stopped behind her. Apparently the crashing ship provided a good distraction for their pursuers. She wondered how long that would last.

  Iris and Ophelia kept running until they were far out of the mantis’s sight and then continued running. It was almost impossible to see now that the ship’s light no longer illuminated the way, but they managed to make it through the foliage nonetheless.

  After what seemed like minutes of running, Iris could not take it any longer. Her lungs felt like they were about to burst out of her body. She stopped and leaned against a tall rock structure. Ophelia stopped next to her and pressed her hand against Iris’s back.

  “We… safe?” Iris asked between deep breaths. It was hard for her to say anything right now.

  “Looks like,” Ophelia said. “But we should keep our voices down.”

  Iris nodded. She did not even realize she was speaking loudly.

  “Good… idea,” she replied, whispering this time.

  Now that she could stop and rest, Iris took in the world around her. The first thing she noticed was how dark it was. Underneath these trees, she could hardly see the stars anymore. The darkness made everything feel closed in, as if she were trapped in some sort of cage. A heavy scent entered her nostrils. She could smel
l something strong and natural; perhaps it was the dampness of the woods or the decomposing leaves beneath her feet. She exhaled powerfully as a path of steam emerged from her mouth. The cold nighttime air felt good against her sweating body.

  Ophelia quickly turned her head as if she heard something. Iris looked in the same direction, though she could not make out anything but shadows in the dark.

  Then she heard it too. It sounded like human steps.

  “Hello?” she heard a male voice ask.

  “Daddy? Who is it?” Iris recognized this voice as Misha’s.

  Before she knew it, four shadowy bodies entered her sight. She could not make them out so well, but Iris could tell by the way they held themselves, this was Greyson, Selena, Kaitlyn and Misha. The whole family stayed together.

  Selena had her arms strung around Greyson’s shoulders and hobbled along with him. The two girls stayed closely by their father’s side. Selena started coughing. She quickly let go of Greyson and held her hands before her face, trying to dampen the noise.

  “Careful, Selena,” Greyson said, comfortingly.

  “It’s Iris and Ophelia!” noted Kaitlyn, the first to realize they were there.

  Greyson glanced up. He saw them too.

  “Oh, thank the Lord Beyond Both Seas,” he said with an exhale of relief.

  “Good to see you, Greyson. It’s… it’s a relief.” She sighed. “Unfortunately, we’re still missing half the group,” Iris continued. “The mantises are still out there. And… and I don’t think they will be leaving anytime soon now that their exit has been destroyed.”

  “What do you mean?” Greyson asked, seemingly unaware.

  “The dropship they came in, it crashed,” she explained.

  “Is that what caused the fire?” he wondered.

  “What made it crash?” Kaitlyn asked before Iris could even answer her father’s question.

  Iris shrugged, though she doubted anyone would be able to see it.

  “I don’t know. Something might have hit it. Whatever happened, it caused a rather large explosion.”

  “If mantises still here… we should move,” Selena said, struggling to get the words out through her coughs.

  “She’s right,” Ophelia agreed. “They’re still out there and we’re making a lot of noise.”

  Iris held her arm out and leaned against the rock surface behind her again. It was cold, but sturdy.

  “Good point,” Iris said.

  She slid her hand along the surface until suddenly it curved inward. Iris lost her balance and fell straight into the rock. To her surprise, instead of landing against a vertical surface, she kept on falling until she landed flat on the hard ground.

  “Iris, are you okay?” Greyson asked, darting forward.

  “Yeah,” she replied, confused. She looked around and suddenly realized what happened. “It’s another cave!” she said excitingly.

  “A cave?” Ophelia asked.

  “Like the one we found when we first arrived on the surface,” Iris elaborated. “It feels like the same type of rock and everything.”

  “How deep does it go?” Greyson wondered.

  Iris found the strength to stand up with her sore muscles. She held her arms out before her and started walking deeper into the cave. She expected to only take a few steps, but it seemed like the cave just went on and on. After what must have been 10 or 15 steps, Iris turned back around.

  “Hello?” Her voice echoed.

  Greyson shouted something back, but he was too far away for her to make out the words.

  This cave must be very deep, Iris realized, though she could not see it for herself. If she thought it was dark before, it was nothing compared to the sheer blackness inside the cave.

  “Come inside!” she hollered. “It’s perfect to hide from the mantises!”

  Iris could make out the echoing footsteps of the others. It was not long before they reached her and stood by her side. Selena let out another cough and toppled onto the hard surface below her feet.

  Someone tried to help her back up, though Iris could hardly tell who. She assumed it was Greyson.

  “No, let me stay here,” Selena said. “No need to stand now.”

  “Are we staying in the cave for the rest of the night?” Greyson asked. Iris assumed he was asking her.

  “I think we should. It’s a good hiding place,” Iris replied.

  “We’re also backing ourselves into a wall. If they do find us, we have no escape from here,” Greyson explained.

  Iris had not considered that point.

  “They’re faster than us,” Ophelia added. “If it comes down to a chase, we won’t win anyway.”

  “Right, but it’s our agility that gives us an advantage,” Greyson argued.

  “I say we stay,” Selena said. She was still on the ground.

  “Me too!” added Kaitlyn.

  “Yeah!” said Misha.

  Iris could hear Greyson sigh.

  “If that’s what you all want,” he said.

  Though she did not say it, Iris also wanted to stay. She felt too tired to move another muscle.

  Following Selena’s lead, the weary teacher fell onto the hard ground and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes. The world looked the same whether they were opened or closed. Someone came and sat beside her. At first, Iris thought it was Greyson, but after listening to the distinct sound of her breathing, Iris could tell it was Ophelia.

  Everyone was quiet for a moment, save for the gasping cries of the youngest girls. But then Ophelia broke the silence with a whisper.

  “Are we just going to leave the others out there?” she asked.

  No response. Iris did not know what to say. She was far too tired to go looking for the others and even if she did have the energy, she would not know how.

  “The six of us are safe from the mantises right now. Going back out there could risk all of that,” Greyson replied in a whispered tone.

  “But what about them?” Ophelia’s voice was a little too loud now.

  “They’ll be fine,” Selena added. “Dan and Jallah and Margery are smart. They know how to survive. And the Navy are smart too.” The sick woman took a deep breath. “Staying here will be good for us. Believe me, Ophelia.”

  “I don’t suppose any of you will be able to sleep,” Greyson said, changing the subject. Iris shook her head, though she knew nobody could see it. “But I think we should at least try to rest. I can stay up on guard while the rest of you try to sleep.”

  “But daddy, I’m scared. I can’t sleep!” Kaitlyn cried.

  “Me too!” added Misha.

  Iris could hear the tears in their voices. She could only imagine how frightened they must have been.

  “We’re safe now, girls. The monsters are gone.”

  “But what if they come back?” asked Misha.

  “That’s why I’m staying up. I’ll watch out for them,” Greyson replied, reassuringly.

  The girls did not seem fazed. They continued crying.

  “Ssh,” Selena said. “We must be quiet now, girls. If you stay quiet and calm, we will be fine.”

  “Your mother is right. Everything will be okay,” Greyson agreed.

  It was strange hearing the others speak without even seeing their silhouette. It was like faceless voices conversing in her mind. The whole experience was a strange sensation, especially after Iris had spent the last month relying so heavily on sight and so little on sound.

  Though the rocky surface was hard and cold, Iris wiggled around until she found a comfortable position. She froze in place, hoping to keep this spot. She could feel her muscles aching. She could feel her lungs expanding and contracting.

  I need rest. I need rest. I need…

  Darkness. Silence.

  Everything seemed to have stopped. She could no longer feel the cold rocks below her. It was as if she was floating in the sky and gravity no longer existed. Not even a thought passed through Iris’s head. It was as if her mind were in anoth
er world altogether.

  Iris found herself in empty space, far beyond the atmosphere, past the planets, the moons, even the light of the stars. Nothing remained but an endless void spanning for eternity in sheer blackness.

  “Hello?” she said aloud.

  The noise echoed.

  “Hello?” she said again.

  The sound of dripping water entered her mind. She turned to face the noise. Wind brushed against her body.

  Iris opened her eyes.

  Daylight entered the cave.

  Wow, I slept! Iris thought in amazement. She had not expected to get any sleep at all.

  The weary teacher sat upright. Ophelia slept next to her on the dark rock. Greyson, Selena, Kaitlyn and Misha lied on top of each other about a meter away from her, closer to the cave entrance. All four of them were asleep. It seemed even Greyson could not stay up on watch.

  Iris stood up and stretched her arms and legs. She could not believe how sore she felt. Bending any muscle was a challenge. I must look like the Frankenstein monster, she thought, remembering the old surface tale of the mad doctor and his lumbering creation.

  Now that the light of day gave her a bit more to see, Iris inspected the cave more thoroughly. To her surprise, it went much deeper. Iris could not even see the end of it.

  Ophelia stirred. She let out a long exhale and then lifted her head. The girl looked around, confused. It seemed she did not expect to sleep either.

  Iris waved to the girl, hoping not to make any noise while the others slept. Ophelia nodded back to her and pushed herself up. She wiped some dirt from her jumpsuit and slowly started walking towards the light at the end of the cave.

  By the way Ophelia walked, Iris could tell she too was sore. Her legs seemed stiff. Her back seemed heavy. Her arms swung freely by her side. But suddenly the girl stopped in place. She turned her head, staring at Iris.

  “Do you hear that?” she whispered.

  Iris shook her head. Of course not.

  “It sounds like voices,” the girl continued.

  Voices?

  Iris faced the cave exit and tried to focus on the noise. No matter how hard she tried, she could not hear any voices.

  Ophelia slowly started moving again. Iris decided to follow her. Walking hurt, but they reached the end of the cave soon enough. Once outside, they entered a lush world of green trees, chirping birds and bright light.