He kisses me and I want to fight him off but I don’t. I stay in the kiss and when he gets his arms
around me, I do the same. I don’t know what I’m doing or why. I don’t know why it feels good. Our
pain swims away into the forest and the sun erupts into our hungry hearts. I wait for the guilt to begin but there are only his lips now.
My senses suddenly target a rustling among the trees. Finn. I turn my eyes and see his face
stunned in the moonlight, watching us.
What have I done?
I push Damian away as I watch Finn disappear into darkness.
“I’m sorry,” Damian says. “That was stupid. I’m not myself.”
“It’s okay,” I say as I set off running into the dark to catch up with Finn.
*
I FIND EVERYONE right where I left them but now they are not concentrated on Daphne. All
eyes are on me. Finn’s included. I wonder if he has told them about what he’s just witnessed. I go red all the way to my ears.
But it’s not that. What I see in their eyes when I step closer is a flicker of hope, a flash of
wonder.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“We’ve been talking about you and the sensory device,” Theo says. “It somehow synchronized
with your brainwaves and nerve receptors and it responded to your touch. I have no explanation as to
why it happened, but we all agree that you give us a fighting chance.”
Theo hugs me and asks if he can hold the device. I hand it over to him and he pushes a red
button, then a yellow one. He closes his eyes and shakes the device but nothing happens.
“Just as I thought,” he says. “It’s only you that it likes.”
“Who knows what else you will be able to do with it,” Tilly says. I can tell she’s excited about
the possibilities.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to fly, Tilly,” I say trying to steal a glance at Finn.
I don’t see anything out of the ordinary on his face and demeanor, but I feel like I have to explain
myself. I want to tell him that what he saw wasn’t real. It wasn’t planned. It was a momentary lapse of judgment brought on by the shock and pain and heaviness of the day.
I want to tell him that my only focus is the Saviors.
But why do I need to redeem myself in his eyes? Finn and I are friends. We are free to make our
own decisions.
Rabbit, Scout, Tilly and Biscuit hug me all at the same time. Doc and Zoe make the sign of
victory. Nya bows ever so slightly to me.
Damian walks back to us and shakes Finn’s hand, as the energy in the company changes from
dark to light. It hits me that this new chapter we are entering comes with a great deal more
responsibility for me.
I will fight and I will persevere. I will put aside arrogance and self-pity. I will inspire those
still in chains and will protect the Saviors with my last breath. I will cherish every beat of their
hearts.
And I will become a flood of light in the darkness.
20
The landscape changes slowly as we move north to the mountains. The land becomes dryer, the
trees shorter. The march is slow as we are injured and we have to pause frequently to cover up our
tracks and make sure we’re not being followed.
Theo says he doesn’t think the aliens will try to follow us, not while I am in possession of the
sensory device and they have no understanding of what I can do with it. They will need to gather
forces and devise a plan.
We will have to live like nomads for a while until we find a new place to settle down, a place
far away from the plantations.
At the break of dawn we buried Daphne in the woods. We set off through the underground tunnel
with heavy hearts. Now that we walk out in the sunshine again, with the heat burning our wounds and
scorching our pride, I visualize Daphne’s face one last time, her beautiful eyes, her proud gait and her intensity when she used the powers of her mind. I am coming to terms with what has happened to her
and with what lays ahead for me.
I will never forget her or my promise. I will find a way to avenge her death and the deaths of so
many before her. We will find the strength to believe in each other again, and from now on I will not
let doubt and fear dictate my actions.
It was no accident we all found our way to the Saviors. We were all meant to be here, even I
have discovered my role. I am needed as much as anybody else, but most importantly we are not
alone.
It’s not just Finn and me anymore. Tilly, Rabbit, Theo, Zoe, Biscuit, Nya, Doc, Scout and
Damian have become my family. Daphne will be remembered in my heart along with my sisters and
brother and my poor, fractured mother.
Rabbit and Scout who have been leading the way signal for us to halt.
“There’s someone out there,” Rabbit says.
“About two hundred clicks ahead hiding in the woods,” Scout adds.
“Someone? What do you mean? Is it alien or Sliman?” Damian asks.
“Human,” Rabbit says. “It’s human.”
Tilly steps in and squints trying to improve her focus. “If it’s human, it’s a small one. A child.”
We move closer until we distinguish the small silhouette that lingers uncertainly in the distance.
“Rabbit, go get it or go kill it,” Damian says.
Rabbit dashes off leaving a cloud of dust flying up behind him. Our breathing slows down as we
watch the scene. Rabbit covers the distance within seconds and grabs the child from behind. We can
see the child’s limbs kicking wildly in a desperate attempt to break free.
As Rabbit walks back towards us holding the child in his arms, I feel a strange twinge in my
heart. I know it’s impossible yet I recognize her right away. I’ve often thought of her, dreamed of one day seeing her, even chose a name for her.
She’s very small and looks hungry. Her hair is very short. Her eyes study each and every one of
us. She’s confused, but not scared. She stretches her neck to show she has no fear of us.
“Let her go, Rabbit,” I say drily.
Rabbit looks to Damian for approval. Damian nods that it’s okay. Rabbit releases the girl and
she stays right where she stands. I walk to her cautiously.
She considers me without any hesitation or doubt. Her tiny body straightens up in an attempt to
appear taller. She lifts her hand to pat her hair down and then she wipes her hand on her brown
uniform. On it, sewn with red and black thread, I can see the insignia for Plantation-15.
I place my hands on her shoulders for a moment, then change my mind and put them on her red
cheeks closing her face inside them. My chest fills with tenderness and affection.
“Pip,” I say. “Welcome to the Saviors.”
THE DARK LEGION
1
I can feel Pip’s heartbeat pounding in her small ribcage. I hold her close. We must keep still.
The cranberry bushes have only just blossomed. A stroke of luck. Their thick branches will conceal
us.
Pip pinches my hand and points toward the fir trees a few feet away.
“Not yet,” I whisper. “We’ll be safe here if we keep quiet.” When I kiss the top of her head, she
pinches me harder than before.
I follow her gaze to see what she sees. A long shadow crawling slowly across the top of the
honeysuckle near the fir trees. We must not move or speak. I hold my hand over Pip’s mouth. We get
lower in the bushes. I search for tiny openings to see through, trying to l
ocate the beast that hunts us.
We hear a loud thud behind us. Pip’s eyes panic. Something has landed close by and is moving
towards us. We hear the crackling of dry twigs getting closer and closer. Pip breaks free and stands.
Ice explodes in my veins. “Run,” I yell. “Run!”
We dart out of the bushes, blindly heaving ourselves forward trying not to run into the trees as
we flee. Pip is small but fast. She holds her own in our race to safety. We pick up cuts and scratches as we dash madly hoping to make it to the training ring. There’s a hut there where the Saviors keep
weapons. A dozen more strides and we’ll make it.
The long shadow catches us covering up the small part of sky that is visible through the
branches. The world gets darker. The beast must be reaching for us now. My fragile body braces for
its sharp fingers when, suddenly, the thing the shadow belongs to lands hard on the ground ahead of
us, cutting off our path to the hut.
The huge black figure looms over us for a split second, then charges. Pip lets out a cry. I move
forward to put my body between her and the assailant.
“That’s enough,” I shout but it’s too late. The massive body collides into us. We fall to the
ground in a heap of twisted arms and legs.
“Shy Boy,” I yell, “you’ll squeeze us to death!”
Shy Boy retreats and taps the top of his head to show that he’s sorry but a moment later he falls
to the ground rubbing his tummy and laughing.
Pip follows suit soon afterwards and I laugh at them both. The tiny twelve-year-old girl and the
gigantic, ferocious-looking black chimpanzee.
Pip and I met Shy Boy during one of our walks in the woods weeks ago. We spotted him from a
distance while he was trying to relieve the itch on his back by rubbing it against a trunk. Pip didn’t know what to make of this until I explained to her that there were chimpanzees roaming free in the
forests.
Pip moved closer to take a good look at Shy Boy. When he saw her, he ran and hid behind the
tree. Pip got even closer and extended her arm to him.
“Hey you,” I said. “It’s okay, you don’t have to be scared. We’re nice. We come in peace and
friendship.”
Shy Boy stuck his neck out and stared at us. Then he quickly pulled his head back behind the
tree.
“I see, you’re just a shy boy,” I said.
I reached inside my pocket and took out a handful of walnuts. That made Shy Boy increasingly
restless until in the end he had no option but to come out of his hiding. He took the walnuts off the
palm of my hand slowly and with great respect. Pip and I walked away to give him some privacy.
The next time we came upon him, Shy Boy only took a few seconds to accept an apple from Pip.
By the third time, he practically jumped on us. He has been our shadow ever since. He seems to like
his name. He responds right away when we call him. His friendship makes Pip happy and I’m all for
that.
Pip has barely uttered a word since we found her two months ago. Doc says she is not impaired
mentally or physically. She will say simple things happily, mostly terms of politeness like please and thank you, but never a full sentence. She will not answer questions or ask them. She’s cheerful, sweet and polite, but little else. All other things are too much for her.
The horrors of the world are lost to her. She wants no part of them. Who can blame her? We
have to be patient, Doc says. She is blocked somehow. We can only hope for the best.
Shy Boy sniffs around our pockets smelling the pumpkin seeds that are hidden there. We empty
the contents and he gulps them down.
“Wow, you’re fast,” I say. “You’re so hungry, aren’t you?” I talk to him as if he were a baby, as
if he needed to be protected. He rubs his nose against my arm and kisses it.
Finn comes to us with a grin on his face. “I knew I’d find you here,” he says and hands a piece
of bread to Shy Boy. “You can’t feed this guy fast enough,” he says as Shy Boy licks his fingers.
“He’s huge, he needs a lot of food,” I come to Shy Boy’s defense.
“Yeah. Just don’t let Damian know how much. He’ll go—”
“Red!” I finish the sentence for Finn. “He won’t know and if he does, so be it. How can anyone
look into Shy Boy’s eyes and not fall in love with him?”
“In love with a chimpanzee. Yep, it sounds like you,” Finn teases.
“Careful, you sound jealous.”
He pays no attention to me. He turns to Pip. “Hey, Pip, do you think you might try and talk a little
today?”
She shakes her head.
“Whenever you are ready,” Finn concludes. “We’re not going anywhere.”
Despite her small size, Pip is very strong and can endure any kind of hardship. She is twelve
and incredibly smart, even Zoe has a hard time competing with her when it comes to math equations
and problems.
Shy Boy sits heavily on the ground and Pip climbs on his lap. I lie down next to them and let my
head rest on a bed of pine needles. Finn lies beside me. He points at a small patch of blue within the branches above.
“Someday, Tick,” he says, “we will be able to fly.”
“You mean like birds?”
“No! I mean on planes and air ships.”
“Ah. You think Theo will find a way to make it happen.”
“It’s his life’s passion right now. Find plane, repair plane, fly plane.”
If we had a plane, it would make all the difference in the world. The aliens do not use flying
vehicles on Earth. Only the occasional alien craft appears on rare occasions and they seem to be
transports. A few working planes with weapons would definitely shift the balance of forces.
“Dreams are good,” I say.
Finn takes my hand. “It’s good to be able to dream,” he says and then suddenly tickles me.
“Finn, stop it! You know I can’t take tickling. My reflexes will take charge and I’ll hurt you,” I
say laughing miserably. Shy Boy starts tickling Pip. She jumps out of his lap and gets between Finn
and me. Finn attacks her immediately knocking all three of us back onto the ground.
“Alright, that’s enough,” Rabbit’s voice cuts in but Pip quickly grabs his leg and, before he
knows it, Rabbit finds himself on the ground with us.
“Guys, seriously, you have to get back. Doc is looking for you, Freya. You said to get you right
away if he asked for you.”
Shy Boy leaps away at this and Pip laughs. Shy Boy is afraid of Doc’s name ever since Doc
tried to take a blood sample from him.
We walk back to our camp nestled within a green oasis on the side of the mountain we are
currently calling home. This won’t be forever but we will enjoy it while it lasts. The temperatures are cooler and the crystal clear spring water is delicious.
The camp is small compared to our previous dwelling. There are seven tents and all of them are
shared except that of Damian and that of Doc who needs a lot of room for his medical experiments
and also to see his patients. I share mine with Pip. Finn stays with Rabbit. Tilly and Scout share the third one. Zoe stays with Nya, which leaves Biscuit with Theo.
We’ve placed our tents in a semi-circle in front of the big cave that we use for almost
everything. Meetings, cooking, eating and hanging out. There’s also an area to store Theo’s devices,
what he has left of them anyway. The only power source he has available is the one I can produce
with my sensory receptor device and I’m not doing a very consistent job with it.
Nya hangs outside the cave with Tilly. They both nod at us.
“Doc’s inside,” Tilly says trying to hide her excitement.
Nya stares at Pip for a moment before she pats me on the shoulder.
We step inside the cave. All twelve are here. With Pip we are still twelve, but Daphne’s
absence is always felt.
Damian comes to me deeply concerned. “The energy levels are very low today, we can barely
get the cooling system to run,” he says. “Will you be able to use the receptor later?”
I nod but I realize that’s not what concerns him. I walk over to where Doc sits. “You wanted to
see me?”
“I do, yes,” Doc says as his eyes get bigger and brighter. “I was able to perform a partial DNA
profiling with the kits that Rabbit found in Lost Town which I think provides sufficient information,
albeit incomplete.”
My heart soars and my knees feel weak at Doc’s words. “And?”
“You were right,” Doc says. “Pip is your biological sister. There’s no question about it, you
share a number of markers that are unique.”
I have known that since the very first time I set my eyes on Pip. She looks so much like our
mother but there’s also something else about her, something that I can’t quite put my finger on, that is extremely familiar.
Damian insisted that we needed concrete proof and he has been suspicious since day one. His
suspicions became all the more worrisome when Pip punched the words they let me go on my
touchpad after he asked her how she had managed to escape.
We have been through this a million times. He keeps telling me not to get invested in Pip until
we know what’s going on, but now that there’s proof she’s my sister, maybe he will lighten up a bit.
Pip hugs me and I feel her love expanding inside her little body. Nothing could tear us apart
now. I look at Finn and he gives me a smile. There are three of us here from our village now. Finn
will protect Pip with his life. The way he has always done for me.
“We should celebrate this,” Tilly suggests.
“Yes, maybe we can bake cookies and a pie,” Biscuit says.
Tilly slaps him gently on the back. “Didn’t we do that yesterday?” she asks him. “There’s plenty
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