The trembling stops, the swirls dissipate, and I’m left in awe of where, or rather when, we are. Following them out, I stand next to the women. There’s a spark of recognition in Ami and Agatha’s faces too. Towers rise far above our heads. Eve screams out in terror.
“Get down! They’re going to fall!” She yells.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2
ESCALATION
The scenery is familiar but significantly different than before. Things are run down, decrepit and falling apart since last we were here. A part of me wants to laugh at Eve’s response, but her fears may be real.
Chas, the city which thrived once before, appears to be dead now. The buildings are husks, windows are broken out, and chunks of material are scattered below along the street. No day walkers are in the park or streets as before. The railways across the skyline are destroyed, no longer connecting the buildings. The trees in the park and the ones in a border between us and the skyscrapers are fewer, and dead or dying. The dark, overcast sky, looms as if to just make everything appear more desolate.
How long has it been? A city like this would have had to see terrible times to become this.
“What is this?!” Eve yells. “Those things are too tall to be stable!”
“Even in their disrepair, they still look pretty sturdy,” I lie.
“You may not be noticed after all, Rain. I don’t see anyone.” Ami glances at me when I step up next to her.
“Me either, but it is daytime. It might be livelier after dark, if anyone still lives here that is.”
“I guess we’ll find out.” Agatha tries to smile, but it’s more a dismayed half-smile.
“You’ve been here, in this time?” Eve asks.
“No. We’ve been in this city, but it’s not the same. It used to be cleaner, nicer. As it is now, it’s possible it’s been a hundred years since then,” I mention.
“Save us!” a collective voice calls out to me, echoing through the air and into my ears.
“Did you hear that?” I ask, my eyes darting left and right for the origin.
“Hear what?” Ami scowls, concerned.
It doesn’t persist, so I drop it. “Nothing. Never mind.”
Our horse has come to stop on the side of the house. He isn’t doing anything but standing there.
“Where’s the other horse?” I ask.
“I…I don’t know,” Ami replies. “Mother?”
“Maybe the time was so slow out there that it was being pulled back and never made it,” Agatha suggests.
A moment of silence passes, either for the horse or just shock that it could have been any one of us stuck out there, and never making it back. The thought of dying alone scares me.
“I think you should still stay here while we scout.” Ami slips her hand in mine to give it a little squeeze. “You might need more time to recover.”
“I don’t think letting you go off without me would be a good idea – especially because of the trouble we had before.” I stubbornly refuse the request to stay put. “I can’t protect you if I’m not with you.”
“It’s fine. I’ll go with her.” Eve winks and smiles maliciously. “You could barely beat me before, so you might get into trouble in your weakened state.”
Grumbling and discontent, I have to bend to their will for the time being. As we all head back inside, the women begin preparing. I head upstairs, and in my room I see my brown cloak and heirloom sword hanging from a hook on the wall. They’re tempting me. Lying down on my bed, arms rested under my head, I fully intend to feign staying put. My cunning mind has other plans once they’re gone.
If I put my cloak on and flip the hood up, I could easily conceal myself in order to stalk them, hiding amongst the shadows. Stalking should be easy enough. If I get into trouble, I’ll have the sword.
Ami appears in my doorway in a soft and simple dress, holding a woven basket. I smile innocently at her, but she frowns.
“I already know what you’re thinking. So, I’m going to tell Mother to stay to make sure you don’t sneak out.”
“What? No!” I sit straight up in bed. “You need me!”
“No, I don’t.” She smiles playfully. “I’ll have Eve. Despite our differences, she’s not going to let anything happen to me because she knows she’d have to answer to you.”
I cross my arms and turn my head away like I were a child not getting his way. Ami sits next to me, placing her hand on my leg. I avoid her eye contact for a few moments, but I can only play coy for so long with her. Finally when I look, my mind concedes and I’m forced to admit defeat.
“Okay. I’ll stay here, but only this time.”
“Deal,” she hugs me.
Pulling away just a little provides us a different moment of closeness. She rests her forehead against mine and I remember her lips. The look in her eyes tells me she’s thinking about it too. We smile and draw close, but not fast enough. I catch sight of Eve passing by and the moment passes.
With no warning, she reaches in, pounds a closed fist on my door, and startles Ami. She stomps hard and the sound echoes off of the walls. She grimaces. “Hey! We’re supposed to be leaving, and you’re in bed with him?” she yells.
“We’re not in bed, we’re on it,” Ami corrects her.
“Oh, I’ll remember that the next time I’m in here,” she hits right back.
Before I can do anything to resolve the immediate danger of conflict Eve yanks Ami’s free hand, and hauls her out. Before she gets beyond my doorframe, Ami looks back at me with a conniving grin.
She’s enjoying this. Not just what we might have, but tormenting Eve.
I can’t help but wonder; is Eve acting this way simply for the attention she used to receive from her clan? Is she actually attracted to me, or just playing a game of dominance as before?
Does Ami worry about her? I’ve tried to stop Eve, but with every rebuke she seems to only strengthen her resolve to win.
Thinking only gets me so far. Boredom sets in after only a few minutes of sitting in my room. The door below opens and shuts. I don my brown cloak, hood flipped up over my head, and strap my sword to my waist. I watch them out my window, giving them a little head start.
There’s time for a quick snack. It should be easy to find them in the commercial district.
There’s nothing in the fridge, so I head into the storeroom, and flip the light switch. At the back of the room on a top shelf I discover sealed packages of smoked fish. Ripping one open, the heavy scent fills my nostrils and my mouth waters in anticipation.
While devouring large chunks at a time, a noise near the stairs startles me. I look over to see Agatha standing there. Caught red-handed eating something I’m not sure if I should have been and dressed to leave, I grin sheepishly with a mouth full of fish.
“Help! A bum has broken into the house and is eating our food! Rain, come quick!” she jokes while yelling up the stairs at no one.
I chuckle and she comes over to take a piece of fish from the plastic bag. Eating it, she stands there with me in awkward silence and I hold the bag out to her for more. As she reaches for it I place it in her hand and speed walk past her up the stairs. Before I make it to the back door she’s already at the top of the stairs and clearing her throat.
I turn around and put my hands on my hips. “You look familiar. Are you following me?” I point at her and squint my eyes.
She’s onto me.
“Me? Never.” She waves her hand playfully.
The fishy aftertaste in my mouth requires washing out and I do so with a glass of water. Guzzling it down, I place the glass on the counter and let out a sigh of satisfaction. Agatha stands there watching me.
“You’re creeping me out, Agatha. Don’t make me call Evalyn,” I grin.
“Evalyn’s preoccupied and you aren’t getting rid of me.” She crosses her arms and gives me her motherly look.
“What makes you think I was trying to do such a thing?” I reach for the
doorknob and lean a bit on my feet.
She puts her finger up and points at me in a warning. Her face is saying ‘don’t you dare’ and I can’t help but tempt her to find out what she’ll do if I actually step outside. The doorknob twists with my wrist, and there is an audible click when the latch is free of its strike plate. Agatha takes a step forward. I open the door.
Did my parents mind me this closely? I suppose not as they were likely king and queen of Asta before me. They probably had to attend to duties and act properly. Did I have a nanny then?
“Don’t.” She waggles her finger.
“Don’t what? Do this?” I fling the door open, jump outside and slam it shut.
With both hands gripping the doorknob, holding it from being opened, I play a game of ‘who is stronger’ with her. She tries to overpower my grip by twisting back and forth and pulling, but fails. I laugh at her disapproving scowl.
Agatha becomes serious, speaking through the window in the door. “You can’t go. Not yet. You need to rest, and we don’t know if the darkness is stable within you. If you have an outburst again it might hurt someone!”
I know she’s right. Glancing over my shoulder I can see the patch of dead grass where the darkness protruded from my body like an explosion. That alone convinces me to release the knob.
Reality slaps me in the face. As she opens the door, my own despair breaks the feelings I had been fighting to hold in. An overwhelming urge to sob crashes through my fragile barrier. While I realize though I may have saved the women and this time from the darkness, it may well be at the cost of my own existence.
I fall to my knees on the steps. Agatha steps forward, hugging me to her bosom as my strength is sapped away. My farce of acting strong has gotten me into trouble and I’m unsure of how to cope. For a few moments, between fits of sobs, she helps me up and brings me back inside. I sit at the table, cross my arms on the hard wood and put my face down into it to subject myself to darkness. Placing her hand on my head, she stays with me, silently comforting me.
She’s right. I am a danger to people. I’m a danger to the house, but I can’t leave. I’ll constantly have to be on guard with all of them. I don’t want to hurt them. Is the idea I had of having a relationship with Ami forever be tainted by my decision to save them?
Consumed by my own despair brings the despairs of some lost souls within me to light. They cry out for help, they cry about oppression and poverty. They wail about injustices committed against them but I choose to ignore them for now. Regret fills me and I wish I hadn’t listened to the darkness.
With nothing better to do I sit still until my back starts to ache and I become restless. When I look up Agatha is still with me, despite knowing I could be dangerous.
“Why did you save me?” My voice is meek.
“We couldn’t just let you die, dear.”
“I was a stranger. Perhaps I’d been someone bad.”
“We took a risk. And you’ve looked after us at every opportunity – I’d say it paid off.”
“I feel defeated,” I sigh heavily. “I feel useless. I haven’t been able to do what I said I would for you.”
“That’s okay. As long as you know in your heart you aren’t either of those. We’re here for you, and I know when the time is right you’ll come through.”
A weak smile crosses my lips and she smiles back. I stand and stretch before heading to the sink. I stick my head under the faucet for a gulp and then splash myself. Agatha joins me at the sink, but I don’t feel hounded. Rather, it feels like she’s still the guardian who saved my life and she’s just looking out for me.
She’s been here with her daughter so long, in her motherly role, it only makes sense she’d be this way with everyone. Maybe not so much with Eve, but she’s still the head of this household.
If I could remember my own mother, would I feel closer to Agatha, or her?
Outside, the sun has set beyond the horizon of Chas’s towers and the sky begins to darken. While I watch in the direction Ami and Eve ventured off into, I wonder how long they will be out there. They’re nowhere in sight, and it’s becoming harder to see things clearly at ground level. Some streetlights, and sporadic lights in windows, have begun to come on – the city isn’t as dead as we thought it might be.
My attention is called to a particular street to the left. Instead of seeing a brunette and red head heading home, long blond hair flails in the wind as a girl runs through the park, hurtling toward us. Her distance to the house decreases rapidly. She seems to have a sense of urgency, and I open the door anticipating something terrible.
Why is she running so fast? Are Ami and Eve okay?
Behind her, at the entrance to the park, the two figures I was expecting run toward the house as well. I’m puzzled.
Are they chasing her?
Stepping down into the grass, I quirk my eyebrows and cross my arms. The blonde is nearing the boundary while Ami and Eve try desperately to overtake her. Though she’s likely only five feet tall, her legs carry her with power and speed, even in overalls. She’s built athletically.
She shows no sign of slowing, aiming directly for me. I plant my feet and drop my arms defensively. She’s familiar in many ways. A wide smile; her small nose; that long blonde hair; her skin is fair and pale and her face is filled with a childlike youth. Before I can say anything, Emma preempts me.
“RAIN!”
Despite trying to brace myself, she tackles me at the waist and my arms flail upward. As I collapse to the ground the hilt of my sword shifts behind me. Our combined weight falling on top of it jams the hilt right into my lower back. I yell in pain. She cries and calls my name again.
“Rain! I thought I’d never see you again!” She bear hugs me.
“Emma!” I writhe in pain, gasping for air. “I need you to get off of me. Argh, my back!”
“Sorry!” She leaps up, allowing me to roll off the sword’s pommel.
I lie there for a moment before returning to my feet. I’m given no time to regain my composure before she clasps her arms around my waist and digs her chin into my sternum, grinning from ear to ear. Planting my feet, I do my best to not fall over.
With a glimmer in her eyes she looks up at me with the same innocence she had when we saw her last. “You’ve changed! What happened to your eyes?! Does it hurt?! I bet you didn’t recognize me, huh!”
Rambunctious and full of energy, her mouth spews words faster than I can comprehend them. Not given a chance to answer, she nestles the side of her head against me and I gently hug her. And then Ami and Eve catch up. The looks on their faces could kill; I throw my arms out to the side in an attempt to defend myself, but it’s no use. Fury burns hot in Ami’s eyes, and contempt in Eve’s.
“She tackled me!” I exclaim.
With grumbling and protests, it takes both Ami and Eve to pry Emma’s arms free, detaching her. No sooner having separated us, Emma wrenches free of their grasp and clings to my arm like the little girl I remember. She sticks her tongue out at Ami and Eve.
“You little whelp.” Eve tries to grab her overall straps but Emma ducks behind me. “Get off of him before I swing you from that hair of yours!”
“Who are you?” Emma taunts. “I don’t know you and I don’t have to listen to you!”
“Eve, calm down. Emma’s fine.” I hold my hand up to stop Eve from reaching around my back.
“She’s fine, is she?” Ami crosses her arms and glares at me. In response I sheepishly smile, recalling Emma’s crush on me.
“You know what I meant.” I wink.
Seeing Emma on my arm, and my wink at Ami, frustrates Eve further. She huffs heavily and swiftly grabs my other arm so Ami can’t, clenching it to the point I fear it will break. Like children Eve and Emma glare at each other. Ami’s eyes are on me, burning my soul with her stare as if it’s my fault because I’m unable to reconcile the situation.
Ami pushes past us in a flurry, slamming the kitchen door. Agatha opens it again and her eyes
are wide, likely rattled by having the door slammed. Emma looks over to finally take notice of Agatha.
“Aggy!” She releases her strong grip from me, and runs to give Agatha a hug. I hear Agatha let out a wheeze as Emma nearly crushes her ribs. “It’s been so long for me, but it’s like you guys haven’t aged! How?! Where did you go? Why did you leave me behind?!”
“All in good time dear.” Agatha smiles. “I’ll cook us a meal and you can stay for dinner.”
“You mean breakfast.” Emma giggles. “And no you won’t! I’ll cook for you!”
I shake my arm from Eve’s grasp and she protests. Like a stray dog, she follows me up the steps into the kitchen. Before I can escape Eve to find Ami, Emma reattaches herself onto my left side. A sigh escapes my lips.
It’s useless to fight right now.
“Rain, you’re going to have to tell me everything. Like who she is!” Emma points at Eve.
Eve raises her fist to strike Emma, but I intervene and glare at Eve.
“Enough. You two need to calm down and make nice. Eve, take a breath. Emma, please refrain from antagonizing Eve.” I sternly speak to them.
“Okay,” they speak in unison unintentionally and glare at each other again.
Emma releases her grasp on me and moves as if she were in her own home, surveying the contents of the cupboards, pantry and refrigerator. She looks back at us still speaking with fervor.
“Where is all your food? This can’t be it! How could you survive on this?”
“We have a store room downstairs,” Agatha replies.
“You have a downstairs?!” She spins around and notices the door in the corner and proceeds to disappear through it. Agatha follows her. Her excitement and enthusiasm makes me laugh.
She has just as much energy now as she did when she was younger. What is she now? Sixteen? Seventeen?
Taking this opportunity, I try to slip away, but Eve heads me off at the white swinging door. When I attempt to bypass her and go upstairs she blocks my path. Glaring, I try to show her I’m not amused but she’s serious too. A scowl and frown show her disapproval of Emma.
R.E.solve (Rain Experience Book 2) Page 8
