by Al K. Line
"Yes! It works." Arcene could make out the room, barely. It was like looking through smoke-filled air, but it was better than nothing.
She could make out the pile of bones and the fresher body on top in the far corner — she'd edged away from that as soon as the room went dark, before she lost her bearings, and the only other thing in the room was a pile of straw which she supposed was a bed, or a litter area like she was some kind of animal.
"Better not pee on that, just in case I have to spend another night here. Not that we will Leel, oh no." Feeling the pressure, Arcene trailed one hand against the wall and moved to the nearest corner of the twenty-foot-square room. She picked her sword up off the floor, keeping it with her in case any heads appeared that she would definitely chop off if possible, and squatted gratefully. "Aah, that's better."
Feeling much relieved, Arcene thought about what she could do, and where she was. She assumed it must just be one of the top floor rooms, and that Drem had replaced the ceiling with an access hatch so he could use it as a cell, that or it had been a design feature when the building was constructed, which was a possibility. The people that built everything had some brilliant technology although it paled in comparison to the Rooms she'd had so much fun in, just like the one yesterday. How could her friend have changed so much so fast? Beamer was just a little boy, wasn't he? Maybe he'd been forced to do this to her? Could it be that he was doing it for her own good? Playing along as he knew what the consequences would be otherwise?
No, that wouldn't explain his behavior. If he knew what his father would do then he could have gone home on his own, left Arcene before they got to his house.
"Ugh, what!?" Arcene jumped, her sword halfway out of its scabbard before she realized it had been her own belly rumbling that had startled her. Leel's responded in kind from beside her — she'd totally forgotten about her for a minute. She looked down at her friend and noticed she was standing in the trail of urine as it trickled along the tiled floor toward the wall. Leel squatted and added to the wetness, as desperate for relief as Arcene had been.
Better not tell her she's standing in our wee. But hang on...
Arcene watched as the urine ran to the junction of the floor and the wall a few feet from the corner. Rather than pooling, it seemed to just keep on going, flowing under the wall. She crouched down but it was difficult to make out any detail and she really didn't want to stand in her own pee either, so it was rather hard to get a proper idea what was happening from the odd angle. Maybe it was a false wall? Could she get away?
Rapping on the wall resulted in nothing but sore knuckles. The wall was solid and seemed the same as the rest of her cell: bare concrete render, dull, gray and uniform. Arcene decided that her life was more important than a little urine on her boots so stepped close to the wall, crouched and knocked once more, beginning right at the join between floor and wall, working her way up then sideways in each direction. Nothing, it was solid. The wall may have been an addition to the existing structure but it was definitely a proper wall. It wasn't going to be an easy escape then.
Knowing she needed to at least try, Arcene made her way around the entire room, checking the walls, listening for irregularities as she tapped and tapped, her knuckles getting grazed and increasingly sore. She was trapped.
There was one way out, and one way only: up.
All she could do was wait, and plan, but what kind of plan was there? She was at a real disadvantage in her prison and it was hard to imagine any way to get out when she couldn't reach the ceiling, let alone open it even if she were able.
Leel whimpered again, so Arcene made her way over to the straw, her companion staying close. They sat down on the musty bedding and Arcene allowed Leel to rest her head on her lap. What was she going to do? Drem had said he would get rid of Leel, but there was no way she would let that happen. And what of her? It was bad enough to think she could stay imprisoned forever, but what about Lucien? Her son needed her, she needed him.
Arcene plotted her escape.
She'd been in worse situations hadn't she? And she always found a way out, a way to get revenge on the twisted people that felt it was their right to do whatever they wanted with others. Well, Drem would pay, he'd pay dearly, she just had to decide what fate awaited Beamer. What could you do to a nine-year-old that thought it was normal to lock people up and use them as slaves? But was it his fault? After all, he was a nice boy and they'd had fun, hadn't they?
"I'm in a black pit, so he's not that nice."
Arcene allowed her pupils to constrict to their normal size.
The room went black. Like her thoughts.
Being a Pig
Arcene snuffled in the mud, delighted when she found a worm and ate it greedily. She nudged her brother out of the way when he tried to steal her prize. He moved off with a grunt and she resumed her search for food. The wet earth felt lovely on her snout, nice and cool, and she realized that her back was very hot in contrast. That could do with some mud too, it would make her feel nice and fresh and would block the sun from her pink skin.
She grunted loudly then flipped onto her side and rolled around in the wettest patch of the compound, squealing with delight as her body cooled. Once refreshed, she stood and waggled her tail. Feeling better, she looked around through eyes that made everything in her immediate vicinity somewhat blurry — pig's eyes were rather short-sighted, which was a shame as she wanted to see what was going on and it wasn't easy.
Focusing on the body chemistry of the pig she was occupying was difficult, the immature nature of the creature meant it was next to impossible to concentrate — there was too much spillover from its scattered thoughts and she knew that the longer she stayed the worse it would get. It had only been fifteen minutes and already she was enjoying eating worms and rolling in the mud. Gross!
She had to focus, concentrate hard, that was the only way to keep her mind sharp and not merge with the strange presence that was the pig. Arcene didn't take total control of the creature, that would be mean, she just allowed her own thoughts to slightly dominate its actions so she could take stock of the area and see what her kidnappers were doing. It was kind of a letdown.
They were close to the pig enclosure, working on a vegetable plot. Drem was tying tomato plants to tall canes, the ripening fruits like tiny beacons of hope through myopic eyesight that was extremely frustrating. Beamer handed over pieces of string, seeming happy to be home, acting normal, showing no concern for her or Leel.
Arcene/piglet made her way to the other side of the enclosure, nipped at her brother as he tried to get her to play, and stared through the fence at the spot where her and Leel were housed. The only sign they were there was the line around the floor that marked it as the ceiling for her. Now, where had Drem been standing? He'd done something and the trap door opened instantly didn't it? There wasn't time to move out of the way, so what did he do?
Arcene squinted to where he'd stood, next to a makeshift slatted bench, where pots stood in rows and a large pile of compost waited to be used.
There it was, some kind of simple button on a panel, definitely homemade and by the looks of it there were other automated systems too. Various cables trailed from the black panel, some leading into the floor, others to a small storage shed that was probably where the deep-cycle batteries were housed, something Beamer had been very proud of. He'd told her about the solar panels and how great it was to have electricity and that sometimes, if he'd been extra good, he was even allowed to watch a movie in the evening.
Everything was tidy, well-organized with bands keeping the cables bundled neatly. It looked like at least part of the setup was for an automated watering system, judging by a wire that led to a large tap where a hose split before weaving its way in-between the raised beds full of glorious looking vegetables.
Ugh, what was that?
Arcene turned the piglet's head only to find that Drem had picked her up and was staring into her eyes. It was as if he could see her in there, se
e a tiny Arcene wedged in the creature's brain, looking at him, fluttering dark eyelashes and snorting loudly.
It was her imagination, she knew, but it was eerie and felt weird being picked up, feeling Drem's hands on her muddy skin, seeing the open pores on his blunt nose. She could smell him too, which was a surprise as there was one thing that was certain: pigs were very pongy.
"Still a little too small," muttered Drem, before he placed her back down on the ground with care and moved off to try to capture the other female. Arcene watched as the piglet ran away from him squealing — he wouldn't have as easy a job of it as he'd had with her. At least she wasn't going to be eaten though.
Having seen what she needed to, Arcene withdrew with care from the mind of the piglet, thanking her with a mental handshake, pleased to note that the juvenile creature seemed more than happy to have her come visit for a little while.
Arcene retreated to darkness.
It was hours later before the roof snapped back; warmth and light flooded down onto Arcene. She shielded her eyes against the terrible glare, pupils contracting to stop it burning her retinas. After a few minutes her eyes adjusted and she looked up — there was nobody there.
Woof, woof.
"Quiet Leel. We don't want to make them angry, not at the moment." Arcene thought back to Drem's terrible comment to his son the day before, when he'd said that Leel would have to go. Hopefully it wasn't going to be now — if he wanted, Drem could shoot Leel from up above without having to worry about being attacked by either of them.
What could she do to get away right now if she had to? The pig was no use, she'd never get to that console in such a tiny body, and it was clumsy too, not exactly ideal for pushing buttons out of reach anyway.
"Aha. I think I have an idea Leel. Let's see what happens first though, no point risking it if there's no need." Leel whimpered and rubbed her head on Arcene's arm. She wasn't coping well with being locked up, her usual exuberance had vanished as if she'd never even known what it was to be happy and carefree. Arcene knew they would have to get out soon — even if Drem didn't kill her then the cell would drain her of what made her such a lovely dog: her spirit.
"Hey, watch it!" Arcene rubbed her head where the packet had hit her, before dodging as another one came straight at her. "Oi!"
Beamer peered over the edge then said, "Sorry, didn't mean to hit you Arcene. Are you okay? How are you Leel? Did you sleep all right?"
"Eh? What? Did we sleep all right? Are you mad? There are rotting bodies down here and it was dark and... Oh, what's the point? Let us out of here right now Beamer, if you don't then I swear to you I will kill your dad and maybe you too. This is crazy."
"I can't Arcene, I'm sorry but you're mine now. Father said I can keep you, so that's what I'm going to do."
"I'm not a pet," shouted Arcene, stomping her foot.
Woof.
"I know. You're my friend, you said so. Now we can stay friends forever." Beamer looked over at the flesh decomposing in the corner, his face turning serious. "As long as you are good, that is. You mustn't make Father cross. See ya." Beamer could be heard skipping off, then there was talk between him and Drem that she couldn't make out, but at least the roof was open and she could see the sky and...
"Damn!"
There was a clunk. The outside world vanished.
Arcene heard a rustling.
"Leel, you absolutely better not be eating all the sandwiches. I'm hungry too."
Woof. Woof, woof!
"Fine, but you should wait for me you know? Where are your manners?"
Arcene squatted down and felt around for the food, fingers finally closing on a squishy packet. She put it in her lap then prized the stolen food out of Leel's mouth, unwrapped it and gave it back to her.
Leel may have been depressed, but she wasn't so sad that she wouldn't eat. Arcene suspected that it would take an awful lot for Leel to lose her appetite, but then, she was the same, wasn't she? That's why they were such good friends.
They sat and munched on their sandwiches. They weren't very nice but it was better than nothing. The bread was doughy and the filling, a weird peppery leaf with eggs, was rather sparse. Still, it beat the alternative: nothing at all.
All too soon the food was gone.
Leel whimpered; Arcene's belly rumbled.
"It's Just a Girl...
...you know? Think of girls as more like the piglets that we have. Sure, at first they don't like being in their pen after having all that freedom, but too much freedom can be a bad thing Beamer," lectured Drem. "Out there, in the wilds, scavenging for food, scared and trying to avoid danger, that's no way to live. I understand now that we need to learn how to live like that for a while, just in case, but you need security and safety too. Girls are like those pigs: they may not understand at first that being kept safe and fed every day is the best thing for them, but just like the pigs they come to accept and welcome it over time. Do you understand?"
"Yes Father, I understand. It's just, well, she saved me, Leel too. So I feel bad."
Drem stared at his son, trying to adjust to the new approach to parenting he had promised to try if Beamer ever found his way home, but it wasn't easy — he'd lived a certain way for so long, kidding himself it was the right way, that it was hard to flip a mental switch and become a different man. "I know she saved you, but you have to think about what's best for her, you too. She's Awoken, right?" Beamer nodded. "And you are a nine-year-old boy, right?" Another nod. "And there are almost no people left now. The city is empty, it's just us, maybe a few others but I haven't seen anyone for a long time. So if you are to have a family and help our beautiful country be full of the laughter of children, then you need a wife. Now you have a girl that can be your wife when you're ready."
"But I don't want one. I want a friend, someone to play with," protested Beamer.
"Yes, yes. That's fine, at the moment, but in a few years, trust me, things will change."
"But isn't it mean?"
"No, it's for her own good. It was the same with the other girls we had here, you remember? Yes, of course you do. They died, didn't they? Abandoned by their families, or their parents got The Lethargy, and then they got it too, didn't they? That's the problem Beamer, we needed a girl that was Awoken, so she will stay with us, I mean you. Now we have one. We don't want her out there on her own, she could die, get attacked, taken by someone else, and that would be a terrible waste. So, in a few days we will let her out, and she can help us build our new life away from the city. We will grow vegetables and fruit in the actual ground, and we will swim in lakes, hunt, keep animals, and we shall be a family. That sounds nice, doesn't it?"
"It does, it really does," said Beamer, lost in dreams of a perfect future. "Can we do that Father? Can we? That would be so nice. It's lovely out there, in the country. Dangerous too..." Beamer's words trailed off, his excitement marred by the memories of his own captivity.
Drem could tell that whatever had happened to him had made him think about the girls they had found and kept to help with the constant workload. Drem still felt sad for the lives lost to The Lethargy, but at least they'd kept them safe until he had to put them out of their misery once they were too far gone. All apart from the last one — a few months before Beamer disappeared she'd been entirely out of control, and Drem got rid of her even though it pained him.
Life was precious, no doubt, but his and Beamer's lives were more precious than anyone else's. He did what he had to do.
Now they had another chance, better than he'd ever dreamed possible, and the timing was perfect. If they were to make a new life for themselves, relocate so Drem could rectify the mistakes he'd made with Beamer so far, then the help would be invaluable.
A family, there was a real possibility of that now. Drem smiled at the thought of children running around, sitting on his lap, screaming and playing games. What joy to be a grandfather, how wonderful would that be?
"What are you smiling at Father?"
&n
bsp; "Oh, just thinking about the future, son. I think things will turn out all right. Now, I think maybe you need to tell me what went on at this castle you talked about, don't you?"
Beamer hung his head, face full of fear and a little shame as far as Drem could tell. It was understandable, he was a child and there was guilt there for not only running away but also getting captured. At least he'd escaped, that was clever of him, and Drem reminded himself to tread gently. This was not an adult he was talking to, it was a child.
"Are you going to tell me? You know you have to talk about it, right? Come here." Drem patted the step, the second of a large flight that led up to one of their absolute favorite places in the whole world: the city library. There were still endless rows of books inside and father and son both marveled at the treasures contained in the pages, gasping at pictures and stories of times long ago although it was hard to imagine the old world had ever really existed.
Beamer sat on the step and began to cry.
"Hush, it's okay. I'm your father, I'm here to protect you. I may not have been going about it the right way but that's behind us now. Tell me, tell me everything."
Beamer dried his eyes and stared into the face of Drem Scarpino. For the first time in his life he didn't feel scared when he did so. He felt loved, protected, like everything would be all right after all.
"Okay Father, I'll tell you."
"Wake up!"
"Eh? Wassat?" Arcene sat up from her uncomfortable bed, stale, foul-smelling straw sticking to her clothes, poking into her where it had worked its way under her vest. Something felt weird on her head so she put a hand up to find that the straw was stuck there too. She pulled it out angrily and muttered, "Stupid straw," before she realized that it was bright inside her cell.
