I feel I should go over and say something to Clark—goodbye, probably—but I don’t. My feet remain planted and I realize that I don’t want to say goodbye. I’d rather leave it on the last note, as if we could pick up again, whenever we like.
With the sky still a deep bluish-black and the pink warmth of the sun mere minutes away, I find refuge in the familiar stroll from yesterday. Crossing everyone, I leave the gate, keeping to the jungle’s edge, following it. A protective coat of solitude forms, separating me from the others but still, I watch.
At Clarence’s command, everyone lines themselves up eagerly. Sampson motions for Pratt’s friend to step closer and offering Pratt a final squeeze, she complies. After taking in the sight of the Castle one final time, she turns, obeying Sampson. Grasping hands, the pair shoot into the sky so quickly I think I’ve missed it. Clarence motions an eager Clark closer and the two grab hands as well. I take a breath, watching the elation on Clark’s face until they spring up, disappearing from sight.
He’s gone.
I pace for a few hours, from one end of the Castle to the other, watching the departures leave one by one. Always the same excited face, the instant flight up and then the five minute lapse until Sampson or Clarence returns alone.
I was only going to watch the first few but there’s something addictive about it. About the unmasked jubilance as each person steps up and offers their hand. As if seeing the elation on each leaving face will make it bearable when the time comes to watch him go.
The sun’s hanging on the opposite side of the sky and they’re finishing with the P’s. Clarence and Sampson just took a break about twenty minutes ago so they’ll move right along without interruption. Nearly onto the R’s, my eyes find Reid immediately, over by the Water Pole, standing with Tucker. I’ve kept him in my view since this morning when he emerged just minutes after me. He knows where I am as well, having snuck a few glances my way when he hoped I’d be watching the departures.
Sampson addresses the humble crowd as he does with every letter, pronouncing it loud enough so everyone can hear. “And now for the R’s, please.”
My heart races, my eyes flying to Reid again.
This is it.
But he remains where he is, standing next to Tucker, his arms folded over his chest and watching the others step forward. The R’s line themselves up and for a quick second, my thoughts turn to Raj. A rush of guilt pours over me knowing that if I could’ve helped her—could’ve saved her—she’d be here too, waiting to go home. But Raj’s parents will never see her again. They’ll never know what actually happened to her.
One by one, each of the R’s are taken back, the line growing shorter and shorter. My heart thumps rapidly—the worse pain ever—as only a handful remain. Maybe Reid is saving himself for last, paying the final compliment to let others go before him. Clutching his Callix in my hand like a lifesaver, I hold my breath and watch as the last person flies into the sky with Clarence.
Sampson glances around the absent line for a moment. “And now for the S’s, please.”
As I let out a sigh of relief, Reid’s eyes flicker to me, but only for a second. Just long enough to see me. He looks away and turns to leave with Tucker, the two lost in conversation as they head back to the Castle.
Can you do that? Can you give me some time?
If he’s choosing this life, how much time does he need? Something in my gut tells me I’ll know when he comes to me. Even with Reid gone, I remain here, pacing and watching the departures as I have all day, watching how they shoot up into the air and never return again. They’re going back to what they know, to what they live for. And I don’t have to return anywhere for that.
After they get through with everyone and Clarence and Sampson have returned to the Castle, I retire to the Bathing Bubble for far too long. But with the base practically empty and just about everyone gone, there’s no one to complain. Climbing into bed and having not spoken a word to anyone all day, I fall into a deep sleep of books and trees and the sound of wind chimes…
It’s morning again and I’m one of a handful still waking up here. Everyone else is gone, back to their lives without a single memory of this place. They have no idea what’s happened to them or how lucky they are to be standing where they are. I wish they still knew though, still had their memories of this place, so we’d all be linked together forever—the survivors of Harrizel. But even if I wanted to say one last thing to Clark—get in one final good jab—I couldn’t. He wouldn’t remember me. To him, I’m just some face in his dreams, some question he’ll never be able to quite answer, or understand.
Sitting up, I stretch and look around.
It’s my last day here. Sampson said we’d stay until everyone was taken back and I’m pretty sure they finished last night. Strange. As much as I’m ready to leave, part of me wants to stay right here on Harrizel forever. For Raj and Hinson and all the others, all those who came, never to leave again.
I get to my feet, dress and head toward the open lot downstairs. A larger group than I expect awaits me by the iron-gate. Sampson, Clarence, Reid, Tucker, Jace, Pratt, Booker, Werzo and someone else, some new female face stand in a disorganized line, watching as Clarence makes his way toward me. He’s in the same green sweater and khaki pants that he wore the first time we met, when I’d just woken up.
“Ready to go?”
“Are the others?” I ask.
“Just waiting on you, darling, but we’ll have to travel a little heavier,” he motions to the others, all equipped with rifles. He looks back to me. “Turns out your AK is pretty powerful.”
“And your whips as well,” I present the bandage running from my elbow to wrist.
“Vermix defenses,” he shakes his head. “That’s why we’ll need to be prepared.”
“Is there still a threat? We’ll need to be armed at all times?”
“Well, we can do it the smart way or...”
He’s right. There’s no way to tell if Reuzkimpart left a few Vermix scattered throughout the jungle, waiting to ambush or attack again. There’s also the possibility of the few that got trapped in the underground labyrinth finding their way out. Sampson said it was a definite possibility and it’s exactly why he didn’t want me running off into Harrizel’s jungle alone. And it’s not like we can leave right now—we don’t know where we’re going.
Unlike earlier, Blovid’s location is currently moving. When the Arizals left after the battle, Blovid was in a safe place but we couldn’t go with them at the time because we still needed to return everyone home. But now that we’re ready, his safety’s been compromised and he’s on the move again. There’s no way of telling exactly where he is but once he’s safely settled, he’ll send word and we’ll go. Until then, it’s through the jungle on foot, hiding in her layered canopy. We can’t stay at the Castle because if the Vermix return, that’s exactly where they’d go. That or Ellae.
“Then onward,” I gesture forward, moving past Clarence to join the others. Reid’s stare burns through me, but I ignore it as best I can. A large lump rolls down his throat with each step I take but I force myself to focus on the rest of the group instead, on the other five percents that will join us in our quest. My stomach twists.
Able’s not here.
I already knew he wouldn’t be—his body not being accounted for—but it’s still another jolt to know I’ll have to do this without him. He is, after all, my bestie. The familiar pain ignites at the thought of never seeing him again, never having him make light of a situation or hear him describe Reid with a childlike worship. But where is he? That’s the part that’s killing me, the not knowing. He’s not here—so what does that mean? He’s probably in the same place that Walker is. And Vix, most likely.
But Tucker is here, along with Jace, Booker, Werzo, Pratt and a new girl. She’s a petite thing with a black bob and bangs and does an especially good job at keeping her eyes averted.
“You don’t have to be scared of her,” Werzo walks over
, throwing his arm around her shoulders. “She won’t turn you to stone.”
“Hey, hands off the Arrival,” Tucker motions Werzo back. “No time for that.”
“What?” he drops his arm, resuming his previous position. “I was just being friendly,” Werzo readjusts his rifle, looking to Booker for assistance. But the massive force just shakes his head.
“It’s not going to be that kind of trip,” Reid says after a moment. “Not your definition of friendly, anyway,” he moves past, putting himself at Sampson’s right.
“I’m Fallon,” I step closer to the meek girl.
“Mae.” It comes out a whisper.
Sampson hands me an AK-47, the same as everyone else. We all turn in unison, taking in one final glimpse of the Castle, of its towering, dark walls and the deadly nothing surrounding it. Again we turn, this time looking to Sampson who gestures past the gate and out toward the jungle.
We move through it, eventually passing Ellae and coming upon the Banyan trees of the former mutated lot. As we arrive, the others take it in with shock, surprised to see the charcoaled remains.
“Oh my God,” Pratt whispers.
“To destroy the evidence,” I explain.
“Not that it’s really destroyed…” Jace mumbles behind me. “More like… really well done.”
“We should say something,” Pratt says, stopping us from moving further. “Or make a burial.”
We should. For all those who lost their lives out here, people who’ll never make it back home. Like Hinson and Raj. They deserve a goodbye, even if it’s just from us.
I look at Sampson who’s already retrieving something from the inside pocket of his full-length brown robe. It’s a small blue sphere no larger than a marble and has tiny golden flecks sparkling inside. Bringing the sphere to his lips, Sampson breathes on it and the blue marble takes off, flying upwards autonomously. At first it just sails straight but then, after a moment, the blue sphere stops, bursting open as a sparkling powder coats the blackened trees like a gentle mist of rain.
And then it happens.
The blooming.
Lavender, ruby, sapphire and emerald flowers spring around the blackened trunks. After a moment, the former lot of mutations is now the first day of spring—the perfect resting place for Raj and Hinson. I place my hand on Sampson’s and squeeze. He must know what this means to me, to have them left like this. We all wait a moment longer before Tucker moves us on, past the Banyan trees of flowers.
We spend the first night camped somewhere deep in the thicket of trees, Clarence staying up to keep watch. Huddled together, we lay on the compacted dirt between the bulky roots, our rifles at our sides. Reid puts himself between Tucker and Jace, on the opposite side of Clarence. Pratt and I lay next to one another, across from the boys, and we snuggle to keep warm. Mae’s on her opposite side but keeps mostly to herself, curled up and quiet.
We spend the nights like this, without babeebs, in near darkness save the starlight above. The days are silent, mostly out of request from Sampson and Clarence, who continually stress the need to listen and watch. No one talks except to dictate break times and directions, a possible ‘imminent’ danger always lingering in the background. It’s not like I have much to say anyway, except maybe to Pratt, but she’s lost in her own world, just like the rest of us.
Mae, the new girl, is the same way, but keeps at the tail end of our herd as we move through the terrain. I can’t imagine what it must be like for her. At least the rest of us know each other, trust one another. She arrived just in time for the Vermix invasion and without friends, is suddenly forced into this new life.
Every day I think it’s going to be the one where something changes—where Sampson and Clarence finally tell us it’s time to leave or maybe, the day Reid finally talks to me.
He’s been keeping himself preoccupied with sticking to Tucker’s side. He only really acknowledges me when we do a count to make sure no one’s missing and the few times I catch his eye when he thinks I’m asleep. Other than that, it’s nothing. Silence and avoidance. Day in and day out. But I keep his Callix close.
It’s about the tenth or eleventh day and we’re trudging through the trees like usual when a small Dofinike—about six or seven feet tall—lands in front of us, having dropped from the sky like the others. He has a circle with alternating dots on his upper right pectoral and a grave expression. I don’t recognize him but he must be an Arizal because Sampson and Clarence fly to him without reservation, the trio exchanging words with hushed urgency.
The stranger glances at us before jetting back up a moment later, Sampson and Clarence carrying on privately a few seconds longer. Finally, Sampson turns to us, taking a deep breath. “We have to go now.”
“Where?” I ask.
“Mybyncia,” Clarence says. “Blovid’s been located.”
“Word was leaked on his location,” Sampson paces, his eyes scanning the jungle’s ground, trying to piece together everything just explained. “The Vermix have invaded the Southern Shores and Pryncbia’s Foreign Headquarters,” he stops and looks at us, “it’s the royal city—the location of the palace. They knew Blovid would be there. They ambushed, attacked and left Mybyncia vulnerable,” he takes a breath. “The Vermix have enacted war.”
“Is Blovid safe?” I ask.
Sampson nods. “He’s fled.”
“Where do you think he’s gone?” Clarence moves for his old friend, lowering his voice to close off the conversation between them.
“One of the other moons, most likely. He knows Hozfin and Thias are not looking to join in our conflicts.”
“So… to Mybyncia first?” Clarence leans in closer, barely muttering, “I know Qippert said to attend to her royal highness, but finding Blovid’s pretty high on the to-do list too.”
“If the Vermix have struck Pryncbia’s Foreign Headquarters, they’re in need of aid. Besides, Queen Ravan might have some insight as to Blovid’s whereabouts.”
“Wouldn’t Qippert know?”
“Possibly. Guess we’ll have to ask him when we arrive,” Sampson grins, turning to invite the rest of us into the conversation. “Alright, we’re headed to Mybyncia, to the royal city of Pryncbia. We’ll arrive on their Northern Shore but this is the only time we’ll be on land. Mybyncia is our water neighbor.”
“What does that mean?” Pratt asks.
“It is a world completely submerged beneath the ocean, which covers the planet by ninety seven percent.”
“How will we breathe?”
“The Foreign Headquarters caters to the necessities of visitors,” Clarence explains. “We’ll be underwater but enclosed. We’ll be perfectly safe.”
“How’re we getting there?” I ask.
“Same as before, when I took you here. Though, I’m not as young as I use to be, so I won’t be able to bring around the whole group,” Clarence looks to Sampson. “Care to split them?”
“You take the ladies and….” he looks around the guys, “how about the King of Hearts? I know he’d have no aversion to that.”
“Jace?” Clarence laughs, “mind holding hands with Pratt and Fallon over here? Rifles at your back please and hold tight. For those of you where it’s been a while, just relax and keep calm. This shouldn’t last more than a few seconds. ”
“So we’re finally saying goodbye to Harrizel?” Jace surveys the surrounding jungle, enclosing our circle. “Never thought I’d see it.”
“Assumed I’d be here forever,” Tucker mutters in agreement, his focus on the treetop canopy above.
“Yes—it’s finally time to leave,” Sampson softly says, grouping the Rogues. “We most likely won’t be returning for a bit. Unless dire circumstances demand our return, I don’t foresee a visit to Harrizel in the near future. Alright,” he focuses on Clarence, “to the North Shore. We’ll see you there.”
Reid looks to me. I only have a second to burn before his circle takes off, blasting high into the treetop and racing through its watery canopy.
Dew rains around us as Clarence takes my hand in one of his, and Mae’s in the other. “Ready?”
“So we won’t be back for a while?” Pratt glances around. “Or ever?”
“Not for a long time. We’re onto a new chapter now, a new beginning.”
I’m holding my breath. I knew the time would come when we’d have to leave but I didn’t expect it to feel like this. I’ve wanted to leave Harrizel since I first arrived and now that the time has come, my chest hurts.
What am I saying goodbye to? And what will I find next?
“Alright,” Clarence glances to Mae, Jace, me and back to Pratt. “Ready?”
We all nod.
A gush of wind propels us and we’re up, the jungle disappearing completely.
BONUS MATERIAL
Reid POV’S
First Sighting
Something rustles ahead.
“What was that?” Pratt whispers.
“Get down,” I put myself in front of her, peeking past the tree. But there’s nothing. It’s just quiet. Still. Maybe it was the wind. Maybe we imagined it. But then the rustling starts again. “Stay here.”
“Reid…” Sampson starts but I’m already jetting past the first wall, keeping my back to Ellae’s ivy covered stone.
Of course Pratt’s behind me in an instant. She never can stay put. If it’s a Vermix out for a midnight stroll, I’ll take care of it. Sampson taught me that much. I may not understand where my original trainings came from, but at least I’ve got the knowledge he gave me. If it’s just one Dofinike it shouldn’t be an issue. Two or three and we might have a problem. I wish Pratt would get back. It makes me uneasy having her so close to something that could be dangerous.
Escape from Harrizel Page 44
