by J. C. Hart
Sullivan left Rickard leaning on the bench, then moved into the kitchen. He seemed so much like himself that Madea wasn't sure whether it was an act, or the truth.
"Is it just you? Or did he send others to bring us in?" Madea asked when he returned with the water.
"There are others," Sullivan admitted. He rubbed his chin, grimacing. "I'm sorry. I had no idea about the creatures, that being Touched wasn’t... It’s not madness. All those people… I was going to Hollow you. Our baby."
"How could you have known? No one knows the full extent of what being Touched really means. Father made sure not to spread his information around. But I'll tell you the same thing I told him. Things have to change. There will be no more Hollowings, and the Sun-Touched will live free, outside the domes. Do you understand?" She left the rest unsaid, for now. The fact that he'd been involved in making people crazy, forcing their Hollowings, made her sick to her stomach. But right now she needed to focus on getting out of there. Who knew how long it might be before Sullivan flicked back to working against them?
"Of course." Sullivan nodded, then licked his lips. "Those creatures...they are...amazing."
"More than amazing," Madea said. "You could see them for yourself, if you wanted to."
"No. No, not yet. No." He shook his head quickly, took a step back as though she could somehow make him Touched by mere contact.
"Maybe one day." Madea turned to Rickard. "Are you okay? We need to get out of here."
"Yeah." His voice was still hoarse, but he looked slightly more alert than when she'd come in. "Is Sarai okay?"
"She's fine," Madea assured him. "Tell us," she said, turning back to Sullivan. "Which is a safe way to leave?"
"There's a transport in the shed, waiting to take you in. You could get in that. They'll be expecting it to leave here, but they won't expect you to be driving."
"Thank you." Madea reached out to grasp Sullivan's hand, but he drew back from her. "We appreciate it."
"It's the least I can do," Sullivan said, giving her a nod. He waited a moment before asking, "Could you knock me out and tie me up? I know what you are doing is right, but it's me who'll have to deal with the fallout."
"My pleasure," Rickard said, stepping forward.
"Wait!" Madea grabbed his arm. "Where are the keys?"
Sullivan pulled them from his pocket and threw them towards her. "Good luck."
She nodded, pressing her lips together as she waited for Rickard to move. He drew his arm back and punched Sullivan square in the jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. Sullivan groaned and uttered his thanks as Rickard pulled him to his feet and moved him into the chair, binding him as quickly as he could.
"Let's go," Rickard said when he was done. Madea grabbed his hand and led him towards the garage, her heart pounding. Once they were inside the vehicle, she headed for the nearest exit from the domes.
"What's the plan?" Rickard asked.
"We get outside the domes, and we run. They aren't expecting that, and I don't think they'll be willing to head out now, not without some preparation." She watched the slow spread of light on the horizon. "It's not a high risk time, but still..."
"I guess it's the best we can hope for."
"You might get exposed," Madea said. She swallowed, feeling guilty that he might become Touched because of her. She wanted people to have a choice, and yet her actions were taking that from him, like it had been taken from her.
Rickard chuckled. "It's better than the alternative."
"Can I tell you something? And don't get angry, please. After everything that's happened today, I don't think I can handle that." She licked her lips as she waited for a response, glancing across at him before flicking her eyes back to the road.
"I'll try..."
"Tahra exposed Jaxon—"
"She did what?" He leaned forward, his forehead twitching with outrage.
"She took him out of the domes. I don't know why, honestly. I was asleep, and she offered to look after him..."
"She had no right—"
"I know. Rickard, I know. I'm sorry. But it's done now, and maybe this is something the two of you can have in common."
"I guess." Rickard shrugged, deflating a little. "I'm so tired, Maddy. I don't know how you're coping with all of this."
"Who said I was coping?" She raised an eyebrow. "We just need to get back to the tunnels, and lay low for a bit. Figure out what comes next."
"I guess."
There was no pursuit that they could see; no sirens, no other transports tailing them, nothing. Perhaps her father still didn't realize that Madea was behind the wheel. Whatever was going on, Madea wasn't going to question it. She deserved a bit of good luck, surely.
She pulled up at the exit closest to where she believed the oasis with the tunnel entrance was and they jumped out of the vehicle, taking one last look around. A few people were up and about now, though none of them gave them a second glance.
"Final chance to opt out," Madea said.
"Let's go." Rickard nodded and pushed ahead of her, through the door and out of the domes.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Rickard asked for the third time. He stopped walking and wiped the sweat from his head. "We can't keep going like this."
"I don't know." Madea sighed. She was so sure it was this way, but then how would she really know? She'd never come at it from the domes, never thought she would have the need. She squinted into the distance to see if she could spot any familiar landmarks. What she could see was a stand of trees, shadows long and dark across the dusty plain. "Come on, let's head for the shade. We can rest for a few minutes."
"Whatever," Rickard huffed, following behind her. He stumbled after only a few steps and Madea rushed back to him, swinging an arm over her shoulder and walking alongside him.
"I know this isn't ideal," she offered.
"You keep saying that."
"Well, I mean it." She tried to swallow her frustration with the situation, with him. "We really would have made a terrible couple."
"You keep saying that, too." Rickard smiled. "I'm sorry. I am. Whatever Sullivan injected me with has given me a splitting headache and I wish I could sleep for a year."
"You think you're tired? I've been up all night, and I'm growing a small human in my body. Until you try that, don't even think about complaining."
"Okay, okay. You win." He removed his arm from her shoulder as they came into the shade and slumped down against the nearest tree. "Don't these creatures of yours have anything they could do to help? Which reminds me, I want to know what you did to Sullivan. He looked equal parts horrified and amazed."
"I don't really know how to explain it."
"Well, try. It's not like we're lacking time."
Madea took a deep breath and sank to the ground beside him, stretching herself out on the grass. "As soon as he grabbed me, it was like pressure began building in the room. I was drawing in the creatures; they were responding to my stress. But not just mine, the baby's too. She's connected to them."
"She?" Rickard raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. She." Madea smiled. "I can feel her, I can sense her inside me and when Sullivan was ranting, she was getting more and more distressed. It was like she knew he was her father, and she didn't like us arguing."
"But she's only a few months old. How can that be?"
"She's been changed," Madea said. She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to find the right words to explain it. "These creatures have a psychic ability. They can sense things, and they soak up memories, thoughts, feelings. They must have been drawn to us by the emotion in the room and they pushed all of those things onto Sullivan, showed him everything that he needed to know to get him to stop hurting us."
"No wonder he looked scared." Rickard was quiet for a moment. "Do you think you can draw them to us now? Get them to help?"
"Worth a shot. Keep an eye out for anyone, okay?"
Rickard nodded in response, and Madea closed her eyes, trying to pus
h out all the unimportant thoughts and focus on her body and the situation. It was strange, to be purposefully seeking out the connection with her child, but there she was, nestled safely inside. She could feel her baby now, but it felt wrong to keep thinking of her as a baby, she was so much more now. Madea filtered through names, and then the perfect one popped into her head, almost as if the child had chosen it herself.
"Anya," she whispered, smiling, as she knew it meant goodness. The child stirred, sending a wave of love and warmth that spread through Madea, calming her mind. She could picture the child this baby would become, could see her long blonde hair and her cherubic face, the cheeky grin that would play on her lips, the round arms that would reach around Madea's neck to squeeze her tight. The girl pulled away and pointed. Madea turned her head in that direction and opened her eyes, following the guidance. In the distance she could see something that hadn't been obvious before: a chain link fence. She frowned, unsure what it meant, but compelled to go and find out.
"Well?" Rickard asked, seeing that she had stirred. "What did these creatures of yours tell you?"
"I don't know. But I can see something over there, and I think we should go and check it out."
"Whatever." Rickard sighed. "Let's hope it leads to food and water. I'm famished."
She rolled her eyes at him and got up, leading the way.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
It took them a good twenty minutes to get close enough to see what lay beyond the fence. People gathered around rows of bushes, their movements stiff but purposeful as they tended to the lush crops laid out. They seemed to be completely unaware of the presence of others, they were so focused on their tasks.
"The Hollowed," Rickard whispered. "I've never seen one before. Creepy."
Madea scanned the workers, trying to figure out why her child had sent them this way. Then she saw a familiar head of hair, a familiar face amongst the crowd. She elbowed Rickard, sure that he could hear the pounding her heart. "It's Janae." Her mouth went dry and she licked her lips, trying to prevent the crack she could feel forming.
"Where?" Rickard asked.
She didn't reply, but raised her hand and pointed the woman out.
"She looks..." Rickard sighed, his shoulders slumping.
"We have to get her." Madea spotted a gate further down the fence line, waving Rickard back when he moved to follow. "Wait here."
She ignored his protest, focusing on the crowd. There didn't seem to be anyone in charge, so theoretically, no one should notice her. They might not even realize that a worker was missing until the day came to an end. It sickened her, now that she could see it in the flesh. These Hollowed had once been people, with lives and families, and now they were mindless drones, sent to labour in the fields.
Madea reached out with her mind, calling on the ether creatures in case she had need of them. It was strange how quickly that connection had happened, and now they flowed towards her like a flock of birds to the bearer of crumbs. An idea was forming, and hope sparked when she recalled what had happened with Sullivan.
She reached the gate and opened it. "Janae," she called softly, flicking her eyes over the field to see if her entrance had garnered any attention. "Janae," she said again, her voice louder now, more sure. No one was here. No one was coming—who would risk being Touched to keep a tight watch on the Hollowed?
The girl ignored her, as though she didn't even know her own name. Madea summoned up all she knew—the memories, the images, the stories that Jaxon had told her—and pushed those thoughts out towards the creatures. One of them flicked its tendrils towards Madea, piercing her deep in the chest and sending a new wave of memories through her.
This was the creature then, or at least one of them, that Janae had come into contact with. Somehow, it had absorbed her memories, and if Madea could find a way, maybe they could be returned to Janae.
She stalked closer, keeping as low to the grains as she could, hoping that their tall blades would keep anyone from noticing her. When she was near enough she reached out and grasped Janae's arm. The girl startled, eyes flashing wide as she tried to back away.
"Wait! You know me, or at least I know you." Madea examined Janae for any sign of recognition. The girl had frozen, but her nostrils flared wide with each breath and her skin quivered beneath Madea's hand.
Anya moved inside her and Madea dropped all her barriers, reaching out mentally for the ether creature who had touched Janae. Its tendrils flared again, growing thick and solid as they connected Madea to Janae. A surge moved through her body and she felt the dirt and rock bite into her skin as she dropped to her knees. Janae was there beside her, not breathing as all the memories and feelings flashed between them.
When it was over, Madea dropped the other girl's hand, planting both of hers in the dirt as she tried to regain her composure. Tears coursed down her face, dampening the ground between her fingers.
"Madea?" Janae's voice was barely a whisper, husky and raw from disuse.
"Hi." Madea exhaled the word, looking up. A smile pulled at her lips, though she felt exhausted in both body and mind. "Are you okay?"
"I'm—" Janae frowned. "I'm okay. The last thing I remember is the Hollowing. You stayed with me." The furrows in her brow deepened, as though she were trying to force her memories to make sense. A flash of despair crossed her face. "Jaxon!"
"He's safe. I found him, like you wanted me to." Madea brushed the dirt off her hands, leaving brown streaks on her pants. She stood and held out a hand to Janae. "We should go, before someone sees us."
"Go where?" Janae looked timid, and Madea realized that the other girl knew nothing of her. Madea had seen her memories, felt her emotions, been witness to huge chunks of Janae's life—but she knew nothing of Madea in return.
"I'll take you to Jaxon." Madea's hand still hung between them.
Janae grasped it and allowed herself to be pulled along. Neither of them spoke as they made their way back to Rickard, though Madea's mind raced at the possibilities that could stem from what had just happened.
Somehow, between the baby, the creatures and herself, they had restored Janae's memories. Would they be able to do this to all the Hollowed? And would these memories remain intact, or would they deteriorate?
There was so much unknown, but a thread of hope thrummed in her chest, growing stronger with each step. If she could help restore the Hollowed, then her crimes weren't as great as she had feared. She could make up for the damage she'd unwittingly done.
"Janae?" Rickard stood upright, causing the girl to stop in her tracks.
"Rickard..." Her voice was wistful and guarded at the same time. She eyed him warily. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm going to see Jaxon. I...I'm his father, and I want to be part of his life."
"He's my son," Janae said firmly.
"And mine," Rickard replied.
"Look, we can sort this out later," Madea said, moving between the two of them. They didn't have time for this. "First we need to find our way back."
Rickard shrugged. "Can those creatures of yours point us in the right direction?"
"I have no idea." Madea turned to Janae. "Can you see them?"
"I can." She nodded, her lips set in a grim line. She flinched as one moved toward her. "I don't know what they want from me, but—"
"They can't hurt you." Madea placed a hand on the other girl’s shoulder, hoping it would reassure her. Janae shrugged out from under it. "They are attracted to us, but they can't hurt us. If anything, the fact that you have your memories back tells us that they can help us."
"So get them to help now." Rickard exhaled loudly.
Madea wanted to kick him. Sure, he was probably tired, thirsty, and hungry—but so was she. And she was pregnant! He was so annoying when he was out of sorts.
Madea refrained from commenting, and sank to the ground, closing her eyes and calling out once again. When she opened them, the creatures were around her, but not reaching for her like she had expected.
"What are you waiting for?" she asked, her voice a whisper. She ignored the quizzical look that crossed Rickard's face, focusing instead on the creature nearest to her. She stretched her hand towards it, like she would to any unfamiliar animal she might meet and it slowly approached, its tendrils thin and wispy as they flicked towards her, but didn't breach her skin.
"I need your help," Madea said, keeping her voice soft and calm. "We need to get back to the tunnels, and I don't know which way to go. Can you show me?" She knew they didn't speak a language, but their ability to soak up the thoughts, emotions and memories of the humans on the planet meant they must have some understanding.
They communicated with Anya, so perhaps they could communicate with her.
The creatures tentatively stroked a tendril up the skin of her arm before sliding it up and into her cheek. It should have felt creepy, but the touch was gentle. A shimmer of energy flashed through Madea's body, as though the creature was trying to lend her some of its strength, and with it came snapshots of Garrett and Tahra, heading towards the hatch.
The creature withdrew from her body and hovered before her. "Thank you," she said with a nod, focusing solely on the being. She couldn't liken it to anything else she had ever encountered, but hopefully in time the strangeness of it would pass. It would have to. This was her life now.
"Well?" Rickard asked when Madea had been silent for a few minutes.
She drew in a deep breath. "I can find the way."
"Let's get moving then, before someone realizes that we're here." He stood, then reached for her, pulling her upright. "Lead on, wise one." He winked.
A smile crossed her lips. "Are you ready, Janae?" Madea asked. The woman was frozen, arms crossed, fingers pressing hard into her skin.
"I could hear it, when it touched you. Could you hear it? Like it was speaking to you," the other girl whispered. She was looking at the creatures, who still hovered in the air around them.
