Flower Readings

by Lilliana Rose

  Triena ignored him and entered. Inside a girl lay on the floor, wrapped in a soiled woollen blanket.

  Triena walked forward.

  “Fuck the Queens,” said Braklen as he stood in the doorway, obviously torn between dragging out Triena and keeping a look-out for guards.

  Triena reached out with the Energy to the girl, giving her love and warmth. She looked like a dying ember in the Energy Field. She blew some of her energy onto her to try and ignite life back into her, but the girl’s light didn’t hold. It’s like she’s been drained. Triena’s stomach contracted. They’re using humans in their experiments to determine how the Energy works.

  I have to find out more. Triena took a risk and melded her energy with the girl so she could look through the patterns to see if could learn anything.

  Triena saw the twelve crowns straight away, but the message wasn’t straight forward. The feminine crowns were on men. Men who wore the robes of the Queens. This doesn’t make sense. It was like everything had been mixed up. She went deeper into the Energy Field of the girl, risking losing her way back. I need to know now. Who is behind this?

  The image changed. The crowns stayed, and the men became women, a few of the faces were familiar and Triena guessed these were the current twelve Queens in power.

  A storm began to build in the girl’s energy as she attempted to leave a message. Triena felt the drain of having melded with someone else’s energy. She tried once more, to read the pattern. It’s complicated. The storm calmed. Then she understood. Neither Queens or Priests should be in power. Someone else needs to mix up and right the balance and install peace.

  The girl’s energy faded with one last violent tug on Triena’s mind and she held back, refusing to return to the physical plane just yet. She didn’t need to be told this wasn’t what the Queens should be doing. There was a deeper pattern, a hot vibration of energy that let Triena know the energy disapproved of this work of the Queens. No wonder the Queens kept this quiet. They knew they were breaking the Energy rules. But, why would the Energy allow this? Maybe it couldn’t stop then?

  A flash of lightning forked in the Energy Field, causing Triena’s energy to charge and become unstable. She struggled to keep her balance. It was difficult to hold onto her energy and keep connected with the girl.

  Another flash zigzagged, as the sky cracked in many different places at once. She turned to hold the girl’s energy tighter. In front of her she saw the feminine and masculine joined together. Balanced. This was what the Queens had forgotten to do. Just like the Priests had. A balance of both worlds.

  Another jerk in her energy tried to force her back into her body, but she managed to stay in the Energy Field. The girl’s energy slipped even further and Triena struggled to keep entwined with it. There was still more she wanted to find out. She wasn’t going to stop now. Not yet. Just a little bit longer. A fire ignited in her energy, as she attempted to stay in the astral plane.

  The pull intensified. She felt the energy of the girl slipping from her. No. It was too late. Triena landed back in her body with a thud. She opened her eyes expecting to see Braklen touching her body, ready to give him a mouthful. But, he still waited at the door.

  “Ready?” His forehead wrinkled and he kept looking from side to side as if someone was already coming.

  Who called me back then? A friend? She tried to feel into the energy, but it was blocked again.

  Triena looked back at the girl. She’d stopped breathing. How can the Queens sanctify this, and rule with the righteousness, they only pretend to have? Triena pulled the blanket up over the girl’s head and stood up.

  “How long was I gone?” Triena walked towards the door. Her muscles ached as if she’d been sitting in the one position for hours.

  “Not long. I was just about to get you.”

  She left the room. The door slid shut and locked automatically. She summoned her strength and continued walking down the corridor, trying not to tune into the horrors that occurred here.

  She put her mind to finding Marory and the Rabbit. This time she decided to tune into the rabbit. She picked up a ripple in the energy. “Down this way.” She quickened her pace, Braklen followed behind.

  The corridor darkened. “I don’t think this is right.”

  Triena ignored him. She wasn’t certain either, but she’d picked up enough of an energy fingerprint that reminded her of the rabbit. She went around a slight bend in the corridor and she stopped suddenly. There was only a dark wall up ahead.

  “Told you this was the wrong way.” Braklen turned back. “Come on.”

  She stepped forward. The rabbit formed in her third eye.

  About bloody time.

  She smiled at the vibration of his telepathic energy. “They’re here.”

  ‘You’re tired and making mistakes. I shouldn’t have let you go into the room with the girl.” He put his hand on the small of her back. His energy flooded into hers rejuvenating her. But, she wasn’t about to agree with him.

  She moved up to the black wall, and saw in the dim light it was a series of vertical bars, thick iron bars that couldn’t be bent with energy, no matter how high your level of skill was.

  She found the door and opened it with the Priest’s card. A bundle huddled in the corner. She stepped hesitantly further into the cell.

  Marory?

  The stale smelling blankets moved and Marory’s head peered out.

  “Thank the Queens, it’s you.” Marory sat up.

  The rabbit sat in her lap twitching its pink nose. You took your sweet time. I was getting hungry.

  “Are you all right?” Braklen came into the room. “If they’ve hurt you, I’ll …”

  “Settle down dear. I’m fine.”

  What happened? Triena asked the rabbit.

  Men with guns and darkness. Did you bring food?

  You’ve only been here a few hours. You can’t be hungry.

  “Stop using the energy to talk. It will make it easier for them to find you,” said Marory.

  “Who took you?” asked Braklen.

  “Who do you think? I trusted that Priest. He’d been a sympathiser for the Queen’s since the war. Never once did I suspect he was looking after his own interested.”

  “We got to get out of here,” said Triena. “We can talk later.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “What?”

  “I’m staying right here.”

  I’m not. I’m ready to go.

  “In this cell?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re insane and not thinking right.” Triena reached for Marory’s hand.

  “Leave me alone. I’m not going.” Marory pushed Triena’s hand away. “I have a right to choose”.

  “Let’s go, Marory,” said Braklen.

  Take me.

  “There’s people down here I can help,” said Marory.

  “We aren’t leaving you here. It’s not safe,” said Braklen.

  “He only took me because of the rabbit. Leave me. It will buy you some time.”

  “They will kill you,” said Braklen.

  “Maybe not. I can move quickly for an old girl.”

  “Do you know they are experimenting on those who are gifted with the energy?” asked Triena.

  “Yes, I could tell as soon as I got here.” Marory’s body shivered. “It’s not right what the Queens are doing.”

  “They will pay.” Triena clenched her fists.

  “You can stand up for what’s right. Take them down,” said Marory.

  “Me?” Triena wasn’t about to declare war on the Queens. “What could I do?”

  “A lot.”

  “I don’t see why it’s my problem.”

  “You don’t really have a choice, dear. No one has managed to use the energy of the flowers to communicate with the universal Energy in the Energy Field. Your skill dictates you have a duty to help out and in doing so you will step up to your destiny.”

  “I
still have choices.”

  “Maybe. But, it’s what your heart beats. Your soul has already chosen this path. You’re just ignoring it at the moment.”

  “You’re both ignoring the fact this discussion can happen much later,” said Braklen. “We’re going. Marory, you’re coming with us.”

  “No. You try and I’ll scream.”

  “But, they will experiment on you,” said Triena.

  “No. I’ll escape and be long gone.”

  Braklen stepped forward to pick up Marory and take her. She held up her palm to him. “No.”

  He stopped.

  “How will you gather information if your skill is weak? You’re lying.” Triena didn’t want to stay in the cell any longer. She was beginning to think the walls were coming in closer and if she stayed much longer they would come down on her.

  “Take him.” Marory held out the rabbit.

  Yes, take me. Don’t leave me here.

  “It will look too odd if he is gone and you’re not.” Triena let the rabbit dangle in Marory’s hands. His feet scrambled trying to find something solid for purchase instead of air.

  “If they do get me, I’ll convince them I can take the Priest’s place,” said Marory. “It will work. I’ll better serve you by staying here. There’s more options for me.”

  I’m going to fall. Help.

  “I’ll say he got through the bars,” said Marory.

  “Won’t work. He’s too fat.”

  I’m not fat.

  “They won’t know that. Here, take him. Besides, the Priest is dead. No one around here will think about the rabbit, other than someone took him for a meal.”

  Triena sighed and took the rabbit.

  I’m not fat.

  The rabbit nestled against Triena’s chest. “You be careful, Marory.”

  “I’ve been around. I can look after myself.”

  “I hope so.” Triena leaned forward and kissed the older woman’s cheek. “I want to see you again sometime.”

  “Only if you’re wearing a crown.”

  “What?”

  A noise down the corridor caused them freeze. The silence that followed made their skin prickle.

  “Time to go.” Braklen pushed Triena ahead out of the cell. “I don’t want to do this.”

  “I know, but there’s no choice. I’ll distract them long enough for you two to get away.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Look after her. You two are meant to be together.”

  Braklen shut the door. “Maybe.”

  Chapter 17

  There are men coming towards us. The rabbit burrowed its face under Triena’s arm. We’ve got to hide.

  The only way out was back down the corridor. Triena looked up. The vents were too small, not even big enough for the rabbit to squeeze through.

  Braklen edged himself along the wall. Triena copied his movements. The concrete was cold against her back.

  We’ve got to go into one of the cells.

  Her blood ran cold at the idea. The rabbit was right. She hated it when he was right.

  Across the corridor.

  She moved quickly to the door opposite them.

  “Hey,” whispered Braklen.

  Fuck, keep him quiet.

  She turned and held her finger to her lips.

  Braklen moved next to her. “We could take them on.”

  She shook her head. She opened the door and went in. Braklen stood in the corridor. She grabbed his jacket and pulled him inside and shut the door.

  “We work well together. We could’ve overpowered them.”

  “Yeah, right. I’m tired and holding a rabbit. You’re exhausted. You’ve been knocked out so many times, I’ve lost count. We need to be smart if we want to get out of here.”

  “If they look in here, we’re trapped.” He tried to grab the security card from her.

  “They won’t look in here.” She hoped. “Shhh. Listen. As soon as they pass, we go.”

  Triena found it difficult standing in the cell. The rabbit’s fur pricked with the residual vibrations of the last occupant, amplifying energy she preferred not to feel.

  Braklen sighed in defeat. “We better hurry up and get to Inite to get that chip deactivated.”

  “Shhh.” She glared at him.

  Idiot.

  “Sorry.”

  You both are by the way.

  What?

  Idiots. Two idiots in a pod. Meant for each other.

  A wave of electrified energy moved from her feet up her body. She held her breath and tried to block it from reaching her mind. The energy of the occupant wanted to communicate with her. She didn’t want to answer. The buzz pounded on her energy wall around her mind. The echoes wanted her to know what happened.

  She struggled to block it out and concentrate on listening for the passing of the guards. Another wave came up from her feet, followed by another, and then another.

  Her wall collapsed.

  You need to know. The pattern in the Energy told her. Because you are the one to change this. You can’t change it if you don’t know.

  No.

  An image formed in her third eye. A man sat bound to a chair in the room. He was naked. Scared. Fear radiated out from him. One of the Priests stood next to him. But, it wasn’t the Priest he feared. The energy drew her closer.

  The Priest stood in a deep trance. His energy melded with the man’s. Green snake energy entwined around his body, squeezing in regular pulses. His energy leaked out his orifices like white clouds and the Priest breathed it in. The man had skill, and the Priest was stealing it. He knew what he was doing, bleeding out his skill.

  The man’s head slumped forward and the Priest slowly unwound his energy. He spat into a vial and passed it to his associate. “Now all you need to do is it purify his energy. Do you think you can do that without messing it up?”

  The image faded and Triena gasped for breath. Now you can enforce the change. Don’t let the Priests take over and stop the Queens.

  The energy faded away. The wave went in reverse from her head down to her toes and back into the floor where it resided between the molecules of concrete waiting for other people to tell its story to.

  I want Braklen to carry me. The rabbit complained as he was squashed into her body when she doubled over. She tried to straighten, but wobbled.

  Braklen caught her and helped her stand. His blue eyes filled with concern. “What happened?”

  “Memories from the room.” She tried to center herself.

  “Come on, they should’ve gone.” He went to open the door.

  “Wait.” She staggered as she stepped forward.

  He moved to catch her, stopping her from falling.

  Give me to Braklen.

  “Let me check first.”

  “You sure? You need your strength to walk.”

  She nodded. “Let’s not take a risk and walk out when they are right by the door.”

  She held the rabbit tighter to her chest and took a deep breath. You could help, you know.

  I told you not to leave me behind. Nice mess we’re in now.

  Triena looked into the Energy to see if she could detect the guards on the other side of the wall. She went only a small way into the Energy Field, as if she was testing the temperature of bath water with her elbow. It was far enough for her to get a glimpse that the men were further down the corridor. Now, was the chance to go.

  And once again you are ignoring me. Braklen wouldn’t drop me.

  “It’s clear. They aren’t too far away.”

  “Right, let’s move quickly.”

  “Do you know where to go?”

  “Out of here, to the right. Beyond that, just as long as we get out of here.”

  “And then off this planet.”

  “First things first. Ready?”

  She took a deep breath and nodded again. She felt tired from the encounter of the last occupant, and what she really wanted to do was to lie down and rest. Later
.

  She opened the door. Braklen slipped out holding his hand up to her. She waited. He looked down the dimly lit corridor and then motioned for her to come out.

  Rest in peace. She sent some loving energy into the room as she stepped out and followed him once more down a dark narrow path.

  At the end of the corridor there was an elevator and a door to the right. He tried to open the door. It was locked. He rattled on the handle in frustration.

  “Shhh, here.” She tried her card but it didn’t open the door. “It’s an old one that needs a key.” Her body tensed as she looked at the elevator.

  “Guess we use the elevator then.” Braklen pressed the button. A metal clunk came from inside the elevator shaft as gears and pulleys moved. He braced himself, his legs wide and he leaned forward, ready to fight.

  She held her breath. Her heart raced as she waited. Tension emanated from Braklen. The grimy doors opened. No one was inside. She let out her breath as he straightened up. Gray shiny walls reflected back their distorted images.

  “Stairs would be safer.” Braklen stepped inside. “You never really know what you’re going to face when the doors open.” He took a deep breath. “I’ve faced enough of the unknown today to satisfy me for the rest of my life. This is quicker.”

  Triena walked in and looked at the panel of buttons. “Ground then?”

  “Yes, and let’s hope this lift doesn’t open up to a room full of people.”

  She pressed the button for the ground. There wasn’t any movement.

  How long have you been living in the outback? Try the card, idiot.

  Triena flashed the card over the buttons and the elevator lurched upwards.

  She felt her stomach drop from the quick change in height. The lift travelled towards the ground floor and familiar sickness rose in her mouth.

  Braklen took out the particle guns and handed one to Triena. “I probably shouldn’t be doing this.”

  Triena took the gun in one hand and moved the rabbit, so he rested on one arm.

  You most certainly shouldn’t. Give it back to him.

  She felt the rabbit shiver in her arms. “I’ll be careful.”

  “Don’t make me regret this.” Braklen held the gun up to the door, ready for it to open. “Don’t point it at me, no matter what happens. Got it?”