Her mouth had dried out to a point that she considered getting up to get some water, but the kitchen seemed miles away. Sleep was wearing off, and reality began to drift back into the corners of her mind, sending a wrenching feeling into her guts. She blinked lazily, slowly becoming aware of her surroundings. She had no idea what time it was, she hadn’t meant to fall asleep. She looked around the room, nothing seemed out of place.
A knock was at the door, but she wasn’t sure if it had been real or not. She opted for not and kept staring at the ceiling as she counted the beats of her heart.
The knock came again, this time a little louder. “Hello? Sara, it’s Sky.”
Well that certainly couldn’t be real. “Go away.” She tried to yell, but she wasn’t sure if any of the words actually made it out of her throat.
“Please, Sara, I would like to talk to you.” He sounded real.
Sara let out a long groan as she pushed herself off the floor and stumbled her way over to the dry, cracked door.
“I just wanted to let you know,” He paused and she could hear as he leaned against the frame of the door, “I’m really sorry about today.”
She opened the door just a bit and squinted through the small opening into the dark and dirty hallway. Even in the dim light of the flickering overhead florescent, she could see the pale outline of Sky, standing in stark contrast to the chipped paint and stained walls. “What?” Had he honestly come all the way out here to tell her that? Now she knew he was crazy.
Sky looked around uncomfortably, “Can I come in? Or, would you like to go for a walk?”
“Why the realm would I do either of those things? Why are you even here?” She snapped. The back of her head was getting tight and she knew a headache wasn’t far behind.
“Because,” He shifted back and fourth, “Con ordered me to find you and talk to you.”
“So, it’s Con’s fault you’re bothering me?” She let her sneer leak into her words. She lost a bit of her balance and the door came open more than she would have liked. How could she have been so careless? To fall asleep like that.
“Are you okay?” His hand reached towards her but she was able to slam the door shut before he got too close.
She heard him sigh and could almost feel his defeat. “I’m sorry for bugging you. I’ll see you at school, okay?”
Sara felt a little bad. He wasn’t such an awful guy. But, what nerve did he have coming to her home after school hours just to tell her he was sorry for something he couldn’t remember.
“Wait.” She said and opened the door, but he wasn’t in the hallway. A little flare of panic went through her. Most people underestimated the danger of the streets at night. He might have made it in okay, but there was no doubt the trash knew he was here now - fresh blood from the outside. “Sky,” She yelled and stumbled into the hall. He couldn’t have gotten too far, not with how slow he generally walked. She quickened her pace when she didn’t see him as she turned the corner. “Sky,” She yelled again and burst through the stairwell doors. A few of the resident scroungers shifted in their makeshift nests of garbage.
“Hey.” A soft voice sounded behind her. She startled and nearly fell over as she turned. Sky caught a hold of her arm to steady her.
“Where did you go?” She pushed him back.
“I got turned around and went the wrong way.” He shrugged with a lazy smile, “I’ve got a terrible sense of direction.”
She rubbed her arm, where he had grabbed her, “Geeze, you trying to rip my arm off?”
“Sorry.” His face flushed in the most pathetic way as he stepped into the stairwell fully and let the door swing shut behind him.
“Never mind.” She shook her head at him. “I just came out here to tell you that you’re an idiot and I don’t want your blood on my hands, so let me walk you to the transport.”
He nodded and gestured for her to lead the way, “I’ll take your protection, since seriously, I don’t even know how I found this place.”
As they exited the building, the cold night air felt like the slap to the face that she needed. “Honestly, it was a bit underhanded of Con to tell you to come out here.” Sara hadn’t really meant to say it out loud.
“We need to learn how to adapt in any environment.” Sky looked up through the smog, probably trying to see the stars. “And he wanted me to prove to you that I wasn’t a coward. Team building, you know.”
She let out a cynical scoff, “That sounds like him. But I don’t think you’re a coward. I think you’re weak.” She looked over at Sky who was already looking back at her, “You don’t have any self confidence and you hide behind this tough guy attitude that’s about as transparent as glass.”
“I’m not weak.”
“Yes, you are. I used to think you were just a punk, but now I see that you’re just a scared little boy.” She glanced over, but didn’t dare to actually look at him again.
“Whatever.” He shrugged and kicked at the dirt. “Think what you want.”
She began to walk down the overgrown and crumbling sidewalk. Sky kept pace at her side, thankfully silent.
“Maybe that was a little mean of me to say.” She said, her unruly conscious had gotten the better of her once again. “But, I’m not sorry. You need to wake up. You have a lot of potential, but no drive.”
His eyes stayed on the uneven path ahead of him and he said nothing. She couldn’t read him, he didn’t look mad, maybe he had stopped listening. “Look, I get it. We’ve both had pretty crappy lives. But you know what’s different about me? I don’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not, I know exactly who I am and what I need to do. But you…you don’t know who you are.”
He stopped and straightened. “I know who I am.”
She halted as well and turned to face him. His eye’s almost glowed in the dim light. Such an odd color, so clear and bright. “You’re a really bad liar.”
“I know who I am.” Sky’s jaw clenched. “I’m just not proud of it.” He looked her straight in the eyes, the fear of judgment fully visible in his, “I’ve hurt people, I lie, I cheat if I think I can get away with it. I don’t always want to, but that’s just how it turns out.”
“So, what, you just accept that?”
“No,” He said quickly, “I just don’t know how to change it.” There was a darkness hovering around him as he stared intently at the ground.
She rolled her eyes and tried to turn away, “Then you really are pathetic.”
In the distance there was a crash and a scream, Sky’s head snapped towards the noise as Sara ignored it.
“Sky, you just don’t get it-” Sara tried to catch Sky’s eye, “Are you listening?”
“Did you hear that? Do you think someone back there needs our help?”
“No one in this place needs an outsiders help. That’s just a ruse to lure in the stupid out of towners.” She said with a bit of annoyance. “Now, shut up and listen, I’m trying to help you, idiot.”
“Sorry.” Sky flipped the hood of his shirt up. He certainly wore odd clothing when not at school. She had seen things like it before - it was a style from Haigon.
“What was I saying?”
“That I don’t get it.”
“Right. Because you don’t. You just make bad choices and try to take shortcuts because you’re lazy, but that doesn’t make you bad.” There was another crash, this time closer. “Listen, we got to keep moving. Pick up the pace.”
“Why do you live here, if it’s so dangerous?” Sky was looking around at the run-down buildings.
“Why do you live where you live? It’s not really up to us, is it?” Sara felt the heat of resentment boil up in her. “I was supposed to get out of this dump. I was supposed to be on Arche by now.”
“What about your family? Wouldn’t you miss them?”
“I would if they were still around. All I got now is a doped up, worthless uncle.” She grunted and left it at that. That’s all he needed to know. “Now shut up about it, it�
�s not your business.”
“Sorry.” He said with some actual sincerity. Sky shoved his hands into his pockets, but she could tell by the way he slowed his pace and turned his head, he was on alert.
“Why did you really come here?” She asked.
“I told you. Con told me to.” He shrugged, but his eyes gave him away. She knew fear when she saw it.
“And I told you, you’re a horrible liar.”
“I know. I needed to talk to you and then I chickened out.” He smiled at first, but in a flash it was gone as he looked over his shoulder, and then quickly to his left. “Did you hear that?”
“What’s wrong with you?” She didn’t like how skittish he had become.
Sky’s breathing was getting quicker with every passing moment and the muscles in his neck grew taught. “We have to leave.” He whispered, “He’s already here.”
A quick flash of acid was released in the pit of her stomach. The way he said those words sent a chill down to her core. “Who?”
“I was hoping I was wrong.” Sky shook his head, his eyes scanned the darkness around them, “Sara, I’ve got a lot to tell you, but I don’t think this is the place. He’s after us.”
“Thuggers don’t target Pitty’s,” She could see at least three figures slinking in the shadows, “They could probably smell your weakness.” She stepped as close as she dared to Sky and whispered in a nearly inaudible voice, “These guys will strip of us everything we got and rip us apart if we let them - they’re tough, but stupid. We can take them.”
Sky shook his head. “We should run.”
“Running will just draw more,” She hoped he understood that these guys weren’t playing. This wasn’t going to be a school yard scuffle; this was going to be the real thing. “They won’t fight fair. If they have a shiv, don’t even let them scratch you, got it? They’re generally laced or rusted.” It was early for the thuggers to be out, but it wasn’t unheard of. Word traveled fast through the underground, and fresh meat in town must have been too good to pass up.
Sky’s wide eyes were frozen on an empty part of the sidewalk, his breathing wasn’t just fast, it was ragged. “Sara,” He whispered, “do you see anything strange over there right now?” His voice was edging on panic.
She saw nothing that would classify as ‘strange’. “No.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him up the sidewalk. “Walk, don’t run.” She didn’t take him for such a baby. “There is a law man out at the transport stop, okay. If you don’t want to fight, then we can try to make it there.”
She couldn’t even see the thuggers anymore, which wasn’t a good sign.
“I have a bad feeling, Sara…” Sky stopped in his tracks. “Run!” He shouted and shoved her hard in the back.
Sara stumbled a few steps and wheeled around to see a grubby looking man falling to the ground – and judging by the red welt growing across his face, Sky must have landed the first hit. She reached out to grab Sky’s arm again, but she was pushed back, this time by the three thuggers that suddenly surrounded him. Two of the three were thrown back immediately and the third met a solid fist in the ribs followed by a sweeping kick that knocked his legs out from under him.
“I said run!” Sky screamed as all three of their attackers rose up like they were pulled by invisible strings.
Sara instinctively stepped back. Run? She shook her head, trying to clear it. No, she didn’t run. Sara lunged forward, the large female thugger in her sights, but before she could connect Sky wrapped an arm around her waist and drove her back so fast she felt her feet leave the ground.
“We can’t win, we have to run.” His eyes were wild with fear.
“What are you talking about? We can totally beat these guys.” She shifted her weight to stop their forward momentum.
“I can’t explain it right now, these guys aren’t normal, I know it.”
A dirt covered hand clamped around his face and pulled him away from her before she could respond. The three of them were on top of him in an instant, but flew off just as fast.
She stood still. Those creeps weren’t a threat. Sky was tearing through them like paper, but he kept looking behind him like he was expecting more.
Sara stepped back, an odd feeling seized her. It was like she wasn’t even there. The thuggers would attack, get knocked down, and get back up again. There was no reaction from them - their faces were blank and lifeless. At one point the female flew back far enough that she landed at Sara’s feet. The woman didn’t even give Sara a glance. All three of them – their only focus was Sky.
Sara’s breath caught in her throat as the shortest of them drove a small blade into Sky’s side. “Stop!” She screamed.
Sky kicked the man back and pulled out the knife. “Please, Sara.” Sky paid no attention to the scum at his feet, his attention kept being pulled behind him, towards a darkened alley. “Run away.”
“Shut up!” She kicked at the gritty, soot covered bums that were trying to clamor back to their feet. She pulled Sky over them and began to run. “Follow me,” She bellowed over the wind rushing past her ears.
Sky didn’t lose a step, which she found amazing considering he had just had a rusty shiv stuck in his side. He kept looking over his shoulder, but when she looked back, there was nothing there.
“What is it, Sky? What’s back there?”
He didn’t answer her - he just ran faster.
She could hear crashes and bangs behind them, but she didn’t dare to look. “It’s not much farther.” She yelled. If they could get to the transport stop, the officer there could help them, even thuggers feared the government authority.
Sky stumbled and went down, taking her partially with him. His pale face was shining with sweat. “Stop.” He whispered. “It’s too late.”
“Get up!” She grasped at him, trying to pull him to his feet. “Fine.” She stepped away from him, ready to face their attackers head on by herself.
“Don’t hurt them anymore.” Sky got up slowly, his eyes tracking something she couldn’t see. “They’re just a diversion, they’re being controlled.”
“Controlled by what?” She shook off the chill running up her arms, “They were trying to kill you Sky.”
“They won’t kill me. He’s just playing with us right now.”
“Who is? Is this a test? Is this a set up by Con? Or Roland?” She really wouldn’t put it past either of them. “This isn’t funny!”
“He’s after you Sara, but he won’t hurt you, he needs you.” His head tilted to the side, like he was reading something that wasn’t quite straight. “You can’t see him, can you? Because you can’t see illusion…” He continued to stare into the shadows of the street, his voice had turned into a whisper.
“What do you see?” There was something in the air, a heavy energy she couldn’t quite explain…and she was afraid. It was Sky’s fault. The way he stood there with his arms dangling loosely and a far off look on his face. One side of his yellow sweatshirt was already soaked in blood, but he hadn’t even acknowledged that he had been stabbed. “You’re creeping me out.”
“Sara,” He started, his attention unwavering from the shadows, “how do you beat something that isn’t real?”
She looked over her shoulder, it really wasn’t that far, just one more block and they would be home free.
“I won’t let you!” Sky shouted to the air around them.
She grabbed for his hand again, but stopped before she reached it. The boy standing there wasn’t the same cowering mess she had seen just a moment ago. No, this boy she was afraid to touch. She could almost feel the rage radiating from him and the fierce determination of his stare made her back up a step. “Skyden.” But she knew he wasn’t anywhere she could reach.
There was no way she would find the castor of the illusion, but from what she knew of it, all Sky would have to do to stop it was close his eyes.
Without another thought, she leapt on Sky and covered his eyes with her hands. “Push me off and I’ll s
nap your neck!” She gripped his head as tight as she dared. “Now run, and don’t open your eyes, I’ll guide you.” She pulled him forward, away from the shadows. One block. That’s all they needed to run, just one block.
Chapter Eighteen
Al had said his goodbye to Lee just before the gate, not wanting to chance any stragglers in the courtyard seeing a stranger so close to the compound. Lee had still been hesitant to let him go, telling him he sensed some discord and hostility within the estate walls.
“That’s just sort of the normal.” He had told him. It wasn’t an exaggeration, but the simple truth. Although working under the same flag for the same goal, the men and woman that made up the Taul, were from every spectrum of morals and beliefs. Some were ex-military, like his father; some were retired assassins like the second in command, Sonya. Most had come from various militia’s and freedom fighter groups that had been disbanded or destroyed. It amazed Al that they were able to function together at all, but when it came down to it, no matter what their differences or conflicts with one another, when it came to fighting under his father to carry out the will of their leader, Octavian, they fought as one.
He paused just outside the gate, the chill of the night air was bordering on uncomfortable as it swept lightly across the empty street. He waited till the faint footsteps of Lee faded into silence before holding his hand up to the black iron of the gate, and hesitated opening it. It was actually becoming somewhat of a ritual lately: Every time he came home he found himself hesitating just outside the door.
A wash of sadness threatened at the edges of his mind and he knew exactly what it was. He wondered if he really could find her…but no, that wasn’t really plausible. His mother. She would never be found unless she wanted him to find her, plain and simple. He pulled on the cold metal and let the night hear the bellow of its protest as he wrenched it open.
Al strode inside, and was taken back by the unusual amount of people lingering in the courtyard. Generally, there would be one or two keeping watch, but tonight there seemed to be four times as many. To let them see his concern would be to show them weakness, so he lifted his chin, readjusted his bag on his shoulder, and proceeded with a back as straight as Lee’s.
Creatures of Snow Page 16
