Chapter 5

“Are you having fun yet kid?” one of the thugs hit Seth again.

“May, go run,” Seth tackled the smaller guy and knocked him down, but lost his balance.

“All mine,” the second thug grinned at me, “I'll make you see what a monster you are.”

“Who is the monster?” I followed the rules my brother taught me. You step forward and use your left hand to slam up into your opponent's chin, I memorized. I hit him there and then punched him in the chest. When he fell back, I went over and used the thug's own body weight against him ripping him off of Seth. I wrapped my legs around his neck and twisted a little until he let go of Seth.

 

“What is wrong with you?” the guy said.

“You and your friend go home and stay there or I'll call in backup,” I flipped him over then got up to my feet, “Go now.” He got up and helped his friend as they hurried away.

“That was amazing,” Seth got up, “Did your brother teach you that?”

“The legs around the neck I figured out when my brother and I used to wrestle when I was four,” I shrugged, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah it's just a bruise,” he rubbed the blood off his cheek.

“No it's not that spike ring was no accident,” I touched his cheek and saw that one of the spikes had broken off in the wound, “You know you weren't prepared to protect me, they could have really hurt you.”

“I was trying to be honourable, but I wasn't very good at it,” he winced when I pulled the spike out.

“You should put some disinfectant on it, who knows where that ring has been?” I saw a cut in his lip, “I am sorry I should have gotten involved sooner.”

 

“Well now we know who the muscle is,” he teased.

“I guess so,” I sighed, “I have disinfectant and bandages at my house, you know.”

“Thanks, but my father is a doctor he'll clean it up and tell me that chivalry is dead,” he commented.

“Well he would be wrong,” I started out towards the trees, “Come on there is a fruit tree in that circle of forest and I want a fresh peach.”

“You got it,” he caught up with me easily, “Aren't you worried about your brother seeing you here?”

“He's always exhausted after these events, he won't wake up until around four in the morning,” I explained, “It was weird being surrounded by people who worshipped my parents.”

“I hear they were incredible at their positions,” Seth said, “I hope you don't think you're disappointing them, Maya because you've been brave and you showed cunning against those guy earlier.”

“I don't want to be what my family is though, even when I was little I loved books, paper, history,” I felt at ease around Seth, “I could never imagine a world where there were kill or be killed situations or magic pills that turn off your emotions.”

 

“Have you had any more encounters?” he inquired.

“An old woman threatened if I didn't look after her grandson,” I shuddered at the memory, “Have you figured out what all those numbers mean yet?”

“I am still working on it,” he remarked, “It sucks having a super power I don't understand.”

“At least yours doesn't keep you up at night,” I rubbed my eyes, “My brother insists that I don't need pills to help me sleep, but I will go crazy otherwise.”

“You aren't going to go crazy, Maya just don't let those ghosts bully you into doing something destructive,” he warned me, “People will try to convince you that you aren't a person and that there is something wrong with you, but they just don't understand.”

“I wish I could make them understand,” I reached the tree, “I know I look calm, but I am angry inside and endlessly frustrated with doctors, my brother, life itself.”

“You think you're the only one,” he grabbed a peach, “I hated going home for years, I tried to run away hundreds of times, but my mother needed me.”

 

“What about your dad? The doctor,” I asked.

“He is the one who started making me take those adaptors,” he shrugged, “I don't trust him, in fact I convinced Eva to stay in the bunker tonight so he would leave her alone.”

“I'm sorry,” I took his hand automatically, “Life has sucked around here for over ten years, but you gave me some hope so let me tell you that you've turned out just fine despite your father's influence.”

“You won't be so accepting if you knew who my father was,” he frowned, “He is a brute at home, my step brothers and sisters obey his every whim too.”

“My father was a warden, I loved him, but he had sayings about how strength and cunning were the only things that would protect us and help us survive,” I leaned against the tree, “I wish so much that things were simple, that I could understand life and all of this manipulation.”

“Well I don't have a solution, but we should change the subject before someone punches the innocent tree,” Seth sighed then I grabbed a peach and followed him out of the grove.

 

“Where are we going?” I inquired.

“We are going to the Winter's Pond,” he informed me, “How good are you at skipping rocks?”

“I'm alright at it,” I answered.

“Good,” he stopped at the edge of the pond, “Whoever skips the rock five times, gets a round of applause.”

“What a prize,” I picked up a good throwing rock.

“I'll go first,” he threw it and skipped it three times, “Close, but no cigar.”

“Well smoking is bad for you anyways,” I calculated the shot and threw it. It skipped five times and I grinned when Seth started clapping.

 

“Bravo, I knew there was a reason I liked you,” he said, “You are a freak of nature, Maya Garnet.”

“Very funny,” I turned around, “But you need to try again because with a pathetic shot like that you were letting me win.”

“A challenge from the dove,” he joked then picked up another rock, “It's down to Adams, he shots and he...” He threw the rock and it bounced off the water six times.

“Well done,” I hugged him without thinking.

 

“I am gifted,” he smiled down at me, “But you know I need my personal space.”

“I forgot,” I stepped back, “I have a question for you.”

“I am a virgin,” he nodded and I broke out laughing, “Oh that wasn't the question, well now I am embarrassed.”

“You don't have a filter,” I shook my head, “You are going to be one funny doctor.”

“Oh I am not a doctor,” he replied, “I like to build things, not dissect things and play with people's minds.”

“What do you like to build?” I sat down on one of the larger rocks.

“I am in the process of constructing my own motorcycle in the garage,” he informed me, “I know I don't seem very manly, but I don't want to do what everyone else is doing, I guess you're going to be a nurse probably.”

“I will never be that,” I told him, “I want to really help people and I want to tell the truth with the written word.”

“A journalist,” he suggested and I nodded.

“Something like that,” I smiled, “The newspapers are run by the government these days, though.”

 

“Maybe I'll ask Jeremiah if we could start a newsletter,” he sat down next to me.

“Very funny,” I nudged him then thought about those little red pills, “I am never going to military school, I won't take those red pills I want to feel everything I am feeling now.”

“How are you feeling now?” he questioned.

“Happy,” I replied, “It was a good idea to come out tonight, at that party I felt too out of place to relax at all or laugh.”

“Plus some soldiers aren't particularly amusing,” he reminded me.

“Tell me about it, I found that one guy's flirting funnier than the joke he told,” I commented, “He was good looking, but seems too aware of that fact.”

 

“Modesty is dead,” he agreed, “All of man's good virtues are dying out.”

“You joke, but you're right,” I sighed, “It's getting late.”

“We should get home before this storm picks up, you're shivering already,” he said and I noticed that I was cold and I realized it had been snowing during our conversation.

“Yeah, I should get home and you too,” I got up, “Those clouds don't look good so get to the bunker with your family.”

“Yes, ma'am,” he saluted then touched his wounded cheek, “I should get this cleaned up, do you need an escort home though? What about those thugs?”

“I'll be fine,” I assured him, “Get home.”

“I'll message you later,” he waved then hurried off. When I got home, I heard my brother snoring in the living room. I was taking off my scarf when someone knocked on the door. I opened it to find the guy from the party standing there with three other young soldiers, one of which was a girl.

 

“What do you need?” I inquired.

“There is going to be high winds and a cold front within the next hour, we are to escort you to the nearest bunker,” the girl said, “I assume you already have what you need packed.”

“Yes,” I said, “But why do we need an escort?”

“The bunkers are going to be under military supervision for awhile and the Garnets are a top priority,” Darren told me, “May I help you with your bag?”

 

“No, thank you,” I headed upstairs. I got to my room and Darren slid past me into my messy room. “I said I could handle it,” I snapped.

“I insist,” he answered then looked around, “Not very organized.”

“You're not very welcome in my room,” I pulled my bag out from under the bed.

“You know I was curious about something,” he picked up one of my underwear off the chair.

“Hands off,” I grabbed them and threw them in the laundry bin, “Get to the point.”

 

“Did you leave the party so early because I make you nervous,” he asked looking at me with those dark blue eyes. They were intense and hard not to look at.

“I left the party because I was tired and so was my brother,” I handed him the bag, “Now do your job, toy soldier.”

“You could show a little respect,” he followed me out of the room.

“I asked around and in fact you're still a student, you aren't an officer yet so until you get promoted I do not have to be polite,” I headed down the hall.

“You know teasing me isn't advisable,” he caught my arm.

“Believe me I am not your type,” I heard my brother calling me, “Coming, Cass.” When I got downstairs, Cass was talking to the girl then he spotted me.

 

“There you are,” he said, “Come on we have to get to the bunker, you're already cold and why are you wearing your coat and boots?”

“I peeked outside and saw it was snowing earlier,” I answered and Darren looked at me funny.

“Alright,” my brother said then turned to Darren, “Oh good, trainee can you carry my bag as well so I can keep a close eye on my sister.”

“Mr. Garnet,” Darren began.

“Junior Officer Garnet,” I looked at Darren, “You should show some respect.”

 

“Come on, Maya let's get moving,” Cass put on his boots and his coat then we headed out the door, “This stay should be about a week so the day we get out you have an appointment.”