by Beth Hoyer
which he grabbed her arms in a tight grip.
He spoke “Brianna, what’s going on? Where are the others?”
Eric stared at Brianna who stared back at him meeting his eyes spoke “While you were in our quarters, the others including our children left the ship to live in the city.”
Eric exclaimed “What?!”
Brianna, he stared with shock on his face, spoke “It’s alright, Eric, the children will be taken care of as they live their lives out there in the city.”
Eric spoke while feeling anger returning to him “But Brianna I told Ionela that the children will be fine as they live here. Why do they need to leave when they have everything they want here?”
Brianna he continued to stare at spoke “Not everything they want is here.”
He frowned as he released his hold on Brianna’s arms who continued talking “What they wanted was to live among the other races in the city and not live here being isolated from the world. They wanted to join the world to learn everything they wanted to learn. They weren’t getting it from living here.”
He growled out as anger arrived “Hence them leaving the ship to live in the city.”
He narrowed his eyes as he stared at Brianna who spoke “I oath to you, Eric, that I will stay with you and that includes as long as you want to stay here even as long as I live. That’s a promise I aim to keep till death comes to me.”
He spoke “Death won’t come to you, Brianna.”
Brianna spoke “Yes it will for I’m not ageless as you are judging by your hair still not showing white like mine is now.”
He growled as he felt his stomach rumbling in hunger and heard Brianna speak again “Come love, to the cafeteria. You and I need to eat something for we need it to live.”
He stared at Brianna who took one of his gloved hands and pulled him down the hallway through the double doors of the cafeteria which she led him to the dishwashing machine and started taking out a tray and dishes which she handed to him. He followed Brianna while holding the tray loaded with dishes for both her and him to the food processing units next to it. He sighed as she loaded the dishes with food and drink then he followed her to a table where they both sat down and began eating and drinking from the dishes on the tray. Once done Eric went to the dishwashing machine and placed the dishes away inside it. Then he went to pace watched by Brianna sitting in a chair as anger arrived.
He growled out loud knowing Brianna could hear him “I’m disappointed in the others for getting the idea of leaving the ship. Why couldn’t they stay? Harrumph, they had to leave to join the world, Argh.”
He heard the cafeteria doors open and looked with annoyance to see the familiar Highlander dubbed Tikcanni leader guard of the nation Oceana an ocean length away from the sea boat’s docking at the city of Atlanta in the nation of Americania walking in escorted by four guards all Highlanders guard dubbed Kaddar.
He folded his arms and gave Tikcanni a glare who spoke “Eric, time for your punishment, so come along, you and Brianna.”
Eric responded by roaring some loud nonsense sound recalling himself poisoning Tikcanni’s twin brother by claw swiping and given punishment of whipping to keep himself and his people alive as payment for the death. He felt hands on his arm which he cut off to look at Brianna with a worry look on her face. He growled as she rubbed his arm and he turned his attention towards Tikcanni who left the room followed by his guards. Growling loudly he unfolded his arms and left the room with Brianna’s hands on his arm to follow Tikcanni and escorts to the whipping room. Once inside he gave Brianna his shirt then walked to the fence holding out his hands watching the Kaddar a Highlander wrap his wrists with the chains. Eric leaned against the fence eyes on Brianna as he heard a humming sound and felt the chains become tighter raising his arms above his head. He kept his eyes on Brianna as he grimaced while feeling the whip hitting his bare back hard repeatedly with the pain rising after each hit. He roared some angry sound as the pain got intense along with the whipping hitting his back. Eric felt the whipping stop and he sagged in relief against the fence and felt the chains peel off his arms which he lowered. He walked around the fence to meet Brianna handing his shirt which he painfully put on as he glared at Tikcanni watching him surrounded by his four Kaddar guards.
Tikcanni spoke “Your people stopped by Oceana’s Ambassadorial Headquarters to inform me that they had left the ship and were going to live in the city. I gave them directions on where to go. I assure you their doing fine.”
Eric roared growling loudly hearing Tikcanni’s words as the rages arrived. He felt his mind scanned followed by the rages leaving him along with the headache. He bore his eyes angrily at Tikcanni who turned and left the room followed by his guards. He looked down at Brianna as he felt himself relaxing from the angry feeling running throughout him.
Brianna spoke “Eric, it’s alright. The others will take care of Ricky and Cassie as well as taking care of their children. Don’t worry they’ll be fine.”
He responded to Brianna’s words was to snarl some nonsense sound as she went to his side gripping his left arm. He didn’t protest as she pulled him out of the whipping room into the all white hallway walking a maze of hallways and stairwells till they reached one of the outer decks facing the land deck where the gang plank sat.
Brianna, he heard continued speaking “Eric, we can leave to join the others if you want.”
Eric stared at her and at the land deck as fear arrived billowing through out him. He shivered shaking from the fearful feeling.
He turned his attention towards her and spoke “I don’t think I can leave the ship. I’m afraid.”
He shook from the fearful feeling running through out him as his hands shook.
He heard Brianna speak “It’s alright, there’s nothing to be afraid out there but our family.”
Eric felt her hands grip his arms as she pulled him towards the gang plank. He again felt the fearful feeling and shivered violently shaking visibly as he got closer to the gang plank. With a roaring cry he yanked himself out of Brianna’s grip turning around and took off running towards the stairwell which he ran down the stairs running a maze of hallways and stairwells till he reached his quarters and ran inside slamming the door. He fell on his knees as tears came to his eyes while rocking his form back and forth crying out in wails. Eric lay on the rugged floor curling in a ball still crying while feeling the fearful feeling running through out him. He shook violently as he cried wailing noises with his arms wrapped around his head. He continued to cry as he felt a hand touch his arm pulling it from his head as he blinked his tear stained eyes to see Brianna kneeling next to him with worry on her face. He pulled himself up and clung to her form in a tight grip as he continued to wail his cries while feeling her hands on him. He cried and cried till he was gasping and felt tears stopped flowing from his eyes as he felt the feeling of fear leave him. He sighed and pulled himself from Brianna’s grip as he let go of holding her to stare at her in the eyes.
Her brown eyes he saw were filled with worry as she spoke “Eric, Merra tells me that you’re fearful reaction to leaving shows that you and the ship are somehow connected together.”
He frowned at her words and referring to Merra a giant sentient mind walking plant that lived in the ocean rising to the surface at each sunrise and going underwater after each sunset.
He spoke “I don’t need to leave the ship. Everything I want is here. Why do I need to go out in the world when everything I want is provided here?”
Eric heard Brianna sigh loudly as he continued speaking with anger in his voice “The others can live wherever they want and who cares about them.”
He paused as he felt anger running throughout him and he added “I don’t care if they come begging for me to leave and join them for I’m not leaving period.”
He got up as Brianna got up and began pacing with his arms folded as he growled out “I’m not leaving not ever.”
Eric felt tiredness arriv
e overtaking his anger and he unfolded his arms to stare at Brianna looking at him.
He spoke “I’m tired, Brianna. I want to get some sleep.”
He sighed as he took off his shoes leaving his clothes on as Brianna pulled back the blankets and he got in the bed as she pulled the blankets to settle on his chest. Eric sighed loudly as he closed his eyes falling asleep. He heard the lamp click off followed by sensing darkness and heard the door to the room open and close as he let sleep over come him.
Eric woke up to hear the beeping of the alarm and found himself spoon fashioning Brianna who reached over to turn on the lamp and turned off the alarm. He got up from the bed as she got up. He went to his shoes as she picked up her clothes and saw her went inside the bathroom gently closing the door behind her. Eric sat on the bed putting on his sneakers. He sat staring at the wall with a frown on his face as he heard the bathroom door open from behind him followed by Brianna walking into his line of sight. He sighed as she took his hand and pulled him from the room to the hallway to the cafeteria. Once again he held the tray as Brianna loaded up dishes and silverware from the dishwashing machine then he followed her to the food processing units where she loaded the dishes with food. Eric followed Brianna to a table where he sat down next to her putting the tray on the table. He and Brianna ate
