Chapter Four

Chapter Four

“What are you doing here?” a voice behind me shouts.

I jump a little and immediately turn around to see who was talking to me. And of course… It’s Larry.

“I, uh, well, Maryn led me here and I thought it was fine to go here,” I rambled off, deciding not to reveal my “escape plan.”

He starts grumbling something about having a strict talk with her, then says out loud, “Okay… Well, I’m here to show you your room.”

“Great…” I mumble under my breath, “Just when I was about to get out…”

Thankfully, he doesn’t hear me and gestures for me to follow him, so I unwillingly walk toward him, my steps feeling hollow. I take one last look at the window, my only escape, and try to remind myself I can come back later.

We turn to the right at the corner. Doors seem to pass us quickly as I stare down at my feet. It feels like a big defeat at the end of a battle. But it’s not, I tell myself, You found a way out. You and Leon can escape.

We stop at a door, gray, like all the others, and Larry finally speaks again, “This is your room you will stay in while you are living here.”

Not for long, I think to myself as I turn the door handle and open the door. And wow, what an amazing surprise. Another gray room.

“You guys really don’t know what colors are around here,” I comment absentmindedly.

I hear Larry sigh behind me as I examine more of my room. Just a bed, a wardrobe in the corner, and a simple desk by the door. No windows. I’m starting to suspect this is where they keep prisoners… If there are any others.

“Now I know what you’re thinking,” Larry starts and I roll my eyes, he obviously doesn’t, “This is abysmal. And it is! But you can decorate, we just didn’t know who would occupy this room.”

“And how do you suggest I decorate?” I ask skeptically, “I can’t exactly make furniture or colors appear.”

He shrugs, “Well, you might. Depending on what your powers will be… But that’s besides the point, you can just ask us and we can try to find it. If not… I guess you don’t get it!”

He laughs at these last words like he made the best joke in the world. I hold in a sigh, he’s got to leave me alone at some point, doesn’t he? He notices I don’t laugh along and clears his throat.

“I suspect you’ll be wanting to get some sleep since it’s getting pretty late at night,” he states.

“It’s night?” I ask incredulously.

“Yeah?” he says curiously, then makes a realization, “Oh, I guess you wouldn’t know since you don’t have a watch yet.”

I stand impatiently as he rummages through his pockets, like an old man looking for his keys, and with an “Aha!” he hands me a silver and light blue watch.

“This should help you keep track of time more,” he says, smiling.

“Um, thanks?” I reply as I put the watch on, a satisfying metal click sounding off as it self-adjusts to my wrist.

I look down at my shiny, new watch and read the time: 21:43. Suddenly, fatigue overcomes me. I have been walking around all day… and I’m so tired… Perhaps one night in this place won’t hurt. Besides, I’ll probably have to steal some food in the morning for when we leave.

That’s definitely the reason I’m collapsing gratefully into the bed and hugging the pillow close to me. Not because I’m trying to test out my new, comfy bed, but just to sleep for the night. Yep…

I’m such a bad liar to myself.

“I’m going to leave you be for the night,” I vaguely hear Larry say, “See you at breakfast tomorrow.”

Hopefully not, I think to myself as I cozy up in my bed. Hopefully, I will never see your face again.

~ • • • ~

I’m sitting in a lobby somewhere, looking around anxiously for my mother. She’s got to be here. She promised. Finally, she appears at the doorway.

“Mom!” I exclaim with joy, rushing over to her, “I thought you’d never make it!”

She hugs me warmly, whispering, “Shh, I’m here now.”

Tears spring out of my eyes as I look up at her.

“So, where’s Leon?” she asks, still smiling.

My smile cracks in half, “He’s not here, Mum. He’s asleep in his room.”

Her behavior turns slightly annoyed, “But wasn’t he supposed to be with you? Weren’t you taking care of him?”

I look away, “Well, I was looking for an escape and we split up�"”

“You mean you left him alone?!” she exclaims incredulously.

“I-it wasn’t�" I didn’t mean to…” I protest.

“You didn’t mean to what, Rosemary? Leave him alone in a new, strange place with rebels who are meaning to kill you?” she practically shouts.

“Mom, please�"” 

“No. You don’t deserve to be with me if you leave your own brother alone to die,” she states calmly, turning to leave.

“Mom, no! Please, Mom!” I cry out, trying to reach for her arm but grabbing nothing.

“No…” I whisper, sinking to the floor.

~ • • • ~

I wake up with a jolt, sweat dripping down my forehead and tears still streaming down my face. I touch the tears, my fingers sticking to my cheek. I try to slow down my heart rate. It was just a dream. Leon is safe.

I check my watch: 07:00, it’s morning. I try to calm down, but Mom’s words ring in my head. I left Leon alone. My blood chills as the words sink into me. I need to find where he is, and we need to get out of here today.

I lift up my covers and fling myself over to the floor. Thankfully, I didn’t think about taking off my shoes last night. I rush over to the door and push it open, being careful to make as little noise as possible.

Hopefully Leon is awake, too. Otherwise, I’ll have to search every room, and by the way that went yesterday, it’d take days just to find him. I retrace my steps to the cafeteria, jumping at any sound. I open the door and sigh in relief, Leon’s sitting at one of the tables.

I try to walk calmly over to him, “Hey, Leon. You okay?”

He looks at me curiously, “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“We need to talk,” I say, hoping he understands the look in my eyes.

“Okay,” he says casually.

“Over here, though,” I add when he doesn’t move.

I lead him to a dark corner in the room. Hopefully, no one will come in. 

“So…?” Leon leads.

I look around one last time, then whisper, “I found a way we can escape.”

He looks at me with shock plastered on his face, “What?”

“There’s a window, a few hallways away from here, that we can break and escape from,” I explain, “We just need to grab some food and an extra coat or two. Then we can leave.”

“But�"”

“And don’t worry, we’ll go when no one’s watching. I’ll create some sort of an excuse, going exploring or something like that. It’ll take them at least a few hours to notice…” I continue on.

“Rose?” he says timidly.

“Yeah?”

He pauses a while and takes a deep breath, “I don’t want to leave.”

My blood turns cold, “What?”

“I don’t want to leave,” he repeats.

Quickly, against my will, my brows furrow angrily, “These people killed Mom! Maybe even Dad! Why would you want to stay?!”

“You don’t know that!” he says defensively, “There was never any proof that they were killed by them! You just make up facts and expect me to believe them!”

“That’s not what I�"” I start.

“Please, just listen for once,” he begs me, his eyes shining up to me, innocence beaming from them.

I go to rebut, but I sigh. He’s not gonna quit on this idea. He’s a fighter, just like me.

I lean against the wall, shaking my head, “Fine, what is it you know about them that’s so great?”

He pauses a little bit, not anticipating my reaction. He bites his lip, trying to collect his thoughts. He opens his mouth, but says nothing.

I’m about to make another comment when he begins, “What they’re saying… just makes sense. Think about it: Why would, suddenly, every country turn against us?”

“Because they know we’re superior,” I say matter-of-factly.

“No,” he says, “It’s because it’s a lie.”

I roll my eyes, “Please, why would we start the war?”

“I don’t know!” he says, clearly exasperated, “All I know is that there is no way that all the other countries just suddenly turned evil. Maybe we are the evil ones…”

I sigh, “Even if you were right, we still don’t know who these guys are. We need to escape�"”

“Well, I won’t!” Leon shouts, then quiets down a little, “You can’t just control my life and expect me to be okay with it. You always tell me that there’s no other choice, but look around us! We have a place to stay! People who think we’re important. You can’t tell me that going back to what we were doing was better. And besides, where would we go? Back home? You know the soldiers will be at us the second we get in there.”

“Leon�"” I start, my voice breaking.

“No,” he says decisively, “You’re making your choice. Let me make mine.”

With that he just… walks away. I just stand there, my mouth threatening to hang open. Is that really what he thinks? That I’m… controlling him? But I’m not. I’m just protecting him. I think of everything we’ve travelled through. Have I really been bossing him around? I didn’t mean to… He’s just so little and I need to help him, keep him safe. Mom told me to keep him safe.

I try to stumble toward the nearest table. I put my head down, shaking my head vigorously. I need to get it together. I need a plan. I need…

I don’t know what I need.

I can’t just leave Leon here. But am I really going to stay with these people? Leon’s words echo in my head: What if we are evil? It had come across my mind before, but I didn’t really think… No. I refuse to think about it. President Crpytis is keeping us safe.

And controlling us, like I was controlling Leon…

“Shut up!” I whisper to my inner consciousness, “Just let me think for once!”

“Think about what?” a voice behind me asks.

I close my eyes, refusing to look up. I really don’t need another talk right now. I need somewhere to think things through�"

“I… brought the book I talked about yesterday,” the voice whispers carefully.

I open my eyes and slowly turn around. To my relief, it’s Maryn. At least she’s somewhat sane…

“Thanks,” I mutter, trying to collect myself.

“It’s no trouble,” she says with a little smile, putting the book on the table, “Are… you okay?”

What should I tell her? The truth? But she’s with the enemy… or the good side or whatever anyone is. I really need to find out things, and quick.

“I’m fine,” I say as calmly as I can.

Best not to say anything to her. And besides, I still don’t know anything about her. Maybe I should’ve asked her more questions when she volunteered…

“So, uh,” I begin, “I know I didn’t ask much yesterday but… where are you guys from?”

There’s no way they’re from here. And if they’re from one of the other countries… maybe I can find out a little bit more about the facts and not guesses.

“We’re from America,” she says, “as for where in America, we lived in Maine. That is… until my mum died…”

She says the last part uncomfortably. I think of what to say; I’m really not good at comforting people.

“How… long ago was it?” I say, treading lightly.

She shifts her stance, “A year ago…”

We stay silent for a while, and I think of leaving when she finally adds, “Cryptis soldiers were the ones to kill her.”

I instantly freeze as if I were suddenly stuck in ice. I always forget that we actually kill people. This is a war, though, I remind myself, we don’t just hug it out.

“... I’m… sorry if this is intruding…” Maryn whispers, “but… do you really think we’re evil?”

I open my mouth to say something, “I�"”

Suddenly, the doors fling open and someone stands in there, walking toward us.

“It’s time to start ability training!” Larry exclaims cheerfully.

“Training? For what?” Leon asks from the other side of the room.

“To fight in the war of course,” he says matter-of-factly.

My mouth opens as if my jaw had been unhinged. I knew it. They’re going to make us fight our own country�" Betray everyone I know… And for what? Just because we’re their prisoners now?

“I will not,” I say fiercely.

Larry looks at me, confused, “What do you mean you will not? Haven’t you been hearing what we’ve been telling you?”

“Yeah, I have,” I say, rolling my eyes, “But it’s not like I believe the crap you throw at me.”

“You don’t?!” I hear Maryn exclaim, “But… why?”

I throw up my hands in exasperation and shout out, “I HAVE NO IDEA! OKAY?! Everyone’s throwing all these facts at me and expecting me to just know what to do all the time! I don’t have time to think about anything or my opinions or what I want to do�"”

“Ms. Hicks�"” Larry begins, looking at me like I’m a ticking time bomb.

“What?!” I shout, flipping around to him, “What do you want from me?!”

“If you will just give us a chance�"” Larry starts.

“Dad, wait,” Maryn interrupts, “Can’t we just give her a little bit of time?”

Larry frowns toward Maryn, “And what do you expect me to do about the training?”

“Maybe you can compromise,” she says quickly as Larry looks angrier and angrier, “Perhaps you can give Rose a bit more time after she trains? Just so she can… think I guess.”

I open my mouth to object, then I slowly close it. Larry would never settle for anything less than that. This is probably my only chance to get time to just sit down and think about everything.

Larry sighs, then looks at me, “Doesn’t seem like I have an option.”

Both look at me for my answer, and after a little pause, I respond, “Yeah… I guess I can do that.”

I look over to Leon, trying to see what he thinks of all this. He looks slightly pale… Is he changing his mind about the rebels? But… am I? It’s mostly just the same opinion… So why do I feel so comfortable around Maryn?

“I can lead you to your trainer if you want,” Maryn says, smiling softly at me, her bright green eyes shining.

“Yeah, sure,” I say absentmindedly.

~ • • • ~

“This is Ms. Wood,” Maryn explains as she opens a door.

“Oh, please, Maryn,” she says with a slight blush, “You know I don’t like people calling me that,” she turns toward me, “You can call me Amelia.”

Amelia looks like she’s in her early 20’s, her blonde, straight hair resting calmly on her shoulders. Her hazel eyes have a slight shine in them as she looks at me. She is, to put it simply, beautiful.

“I’m Rose Hicks,” I say almost automatically.

“Well, I’m going to leave you two to train,” Maryn says, “I’ll see you later, Rose.”

After Maryn closes the door, Amelia breathes out a breath she must have been holding.

“Never knew if that old grumple-pants was going to barge in at any second,” she mutters under her breath, then turns back to me, “Okay, mate, let’s start testing your powers.”

The word ‘mate’ repeats in my head as I try to remember where I last heard it. Suddenly, a memory clicks into my head from when I was a kid, learning cultures in the world.

“Wait, are you… from Australia?” I say, amazed.

She looks momentarily surprised, then replies, “Why yes, I am. You really are an observant one.”

“And you… have powers as well?” I say with a frown.

“Yes, I do,” she says, “I can talk to animals and speak any language.”

“Really?” I ask, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

She nods, “What about you? What are your powers?”

“Mine?” I say, furrowing my brows, “I… don’t know.”

She looks surprised at this, “Oh… I just thought…” she trails off then begins again, “I guess we’ll start checking which power you have.”

I cross my arms comfortably, “And how will we do that?”

She shrugs, “I guess we just wing it!”

I frown, “Have you never done this before?”

She laughs, “No, of course not! I’m only 21 and I never met another magical soul until I was 17!”

Odd… I think to myself as I cross my legs and twirl my hair. Are magical people really that rare? Or just in Australia…?  

“But since I’m supposed to be training you right now, I guess we’ll get started!” she says cheerfully, “I’m going to try certain things on you and see if you react to it, okay?”

“Okay…” I say uncertainly, hopefully the testing won’t be too severe.

“I know this might sound a little strange, but I need you to focus on where the energy in your body is,” she says.

“What do you mean?”

“Some people describe it differently, but I think of it as a kind of tingling sensation. Usually it can be in the head, hands, feet, legs… you could go on and on and on,” she explains further.

“Huh,” I say, “I… don’t really feel anything.”

She frowns, “It might be because you’re stressed about something. Is anything bothering you right now?”

YES! I want to shout to her, but instead I say, “No… I’m fine.”

I try to shove all thoughts out of my head. Become a shell, then nothing can hurt you. Wise words from a previous instructor… I take a deep breath, gathering the thoughts. Slowly, I let them out with my breath. If I’m going to put on an act to think things through, I’m going to put on the best act I can. Maybe if I focus enough, I can trick her to think I actually found the energy…

I scrunch my eyebrows together, “It… feels like it’s all around in my body.”

A good, simple lie. Amelia nods slightly at me, staring off into space.

“It could be that you can morph through objects,” she says thoughtfully, “Could you try passing through this desk?”

This is ridiculous, I think to myself as I look at the desk. It’s not humanly possible to do that, the science alone disproves it. I sigh internally, I’ve got to play the part. I stand up and touch the metal desk, pressing down as hard as I can.

“No, not like that,” she says gently, “Don’t force it, glide your finger into it.”

I resist rolling my eyes, but do what she says. As slow as I can, I bring my finger to the desk again. Nothing.

“Well, guess you’re not a morpher!” she says with a laugh, “How about you try coming by this light?”

~ • • • ~

I sigh in frustration, I can’t help it. We’ve been at this training for hours and nothing’s come from it. I can tell from Amelia’s body language that she isn’t enjoying this either.

“Why don’t we call it here?” she says, rubbing her eyes, “We can continue this tomorrow.”

I almost bolt out of my seat. Finally, I can find a space to think. Somewhere quiet, where no one will find me. I speed walk down the halls, my arms crossed protectively over my chest. I stop suddenly, an idea coming to me. If I get to that outdoor area and go across the river… Perhaps no one will bother me. Maybe I can even disappear for a while…

I sigh, how am I going to find it, though? I streak my hands through my hair, slowly rubbing my face. I’m going to have to ask someone, and my best bet is Amelia. Aggravatingly, I turn my feet back toward the room.

You just have to turn to others for help, don’t you? my inner conscious chides. Why can’t I ever think for myself? I have to be convinced by others all the time. Do I ever come up with ideas by myself? No… and how could I? I don’t have time to anymore. I stand in front of the door. You literally just left, I think to myself miserably, and already you’re back in the cage. I turn the handle slowly, dreading the feeling of the metal in my hand again.

When I enter, Amelia looks up at me, surprised, “Back already?”

I can feel my cheeks redden as I look down at the ground, “I… was just wondering if you perhaps knew where the outdoor area is?”

She nods, “Yeah, I do. It’s 5 hallways down and to the right.”

She gestures with her hands in the directions I should go. How long does it take to memorize this place? I wonder to myself. The complex is huge, and even my fast memory couldn’t memorize it that quickly.

“Thanks,” I say, turning to leave through the door.

“Wait…” I hear her say suspiciously as chills run down my spine, “Aren’t you… not allowed outside?”

Frick… I forgot about that. How can I convince her? She probably knows everything about what’s going on, I can’t just lie�"

She shrugs and then laughs lightly, “Well, I’m not one to tell you what to do. Just don’t get yourself killed, okay?”

I stare at her with surprise filling me. Does she really not care that much? She’s just going to let me go?

“I won’t,” I say automatically, unable to control my tongue.

I push open the door, following the directions Amelia gave me. All these people here… They seem so kind and generous. But then there’s Larry, and the guards, and their motives. How can good people come from such bad things? It doesn’t make any sense…

I look around the walls that surround me as I keep walking. They do seem familiar, perhaps I’m getting close to outside. Almost there, just hold on… Just a bit longer… Hold on just a bit longer… So close, so close… 3. 4. 5 hallways passed. A sudden right turn. And there’s the door to freedom. I push it open with a slight grunt, the bright sun glaring into my sensitive eyes. I step onto the concrete patio, sudden thuds marking every thought. The Rebels. Thud. Vex. Thud. Maryn. Thud. Leon. All swirling back to me as I breathe the fresh air in. Then suddenly, there’s no more concrete. Only the trees and the river ahead of me.

I hesitate a little as memories come back to me. Darkness, Leon… dying… An almost fear builds up in me as I look at the tiny river. But taking a deep breath, I step closer. I stare at the water, right in front of me now. It may be shallow, but it’s still too wide for me to go across. I sigh, staying on this side will have to work. I kneel down carefully, pressing my hands on top of the fresh grass. It feels almost as soft and calming as the water did. So full of life and meaning.

I take a deep breath in, allowing my thoughts to come back to me one by one. Let’s begin with the facts, I command myself sternly. One… Mom is dead, and according to Larry, she was killed by the government. But why would either of them kill her? It doesn’t make any sense… It’s not like she did anything wrong. She went to her job every day when she was called in, she saved so many lives, and she was, quite honestly, a big supporter of the war. But was it for the right reason? Was she saving lives that didn’t need to be saved?

I look down at myself in the water. I guess the real question is… do I look evil? Because if my whole world is evil, surely I would be the same. I squint at myself, looking at every detail. How many people have been killed in this war? By my dad… and in the future, by me?

I shake my head, how could dad be evil? He was… my dad. He was always so kind when he was at home and would tell these great stories about battles he had. I close my eyes shut, trying to imagine any situations that might be clues. But everything looks the same and just so normal. How could it be different? How could our world be hoping for anything but for the greater good?

Suddenly, I hear a door open from behind me. I let a sob escape me as I bury my head into my lap. Why can’t I ever be let alone? Why does everyone have to come to me for answers to questions I don’t know the answers to?! Why can’t they just leave me ALONE?!

I try to take deep breaths, try to calm down. But tears still escape me. How can I lead Leon correctly if I can’t even tell the difference between right and wrong? How are people so sure? Is there no way to end this questioning?! Is the world really just evil and good? Aren’t there people in between? People like me who don’t know what they’re doing?

I hear footsteps coming near me, a few voices talking to one another. I shake and shudder while the tears keep coming. I don’t want to be talked to right now. I want to think; WHY CAN’T ANYONE LET ME THINK?

I hear a voice speak to me, apparently concerned, “Hey, Ro�"”

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” I scream from my lungs.

A sudden silence fills the air. At first, I think it’s from surprise. I keep my eyes shut, waiting for the questions. But no one says anything. I warily open my eyes, and almost immediately my mouth goes slack. A bubble of water is swirling around me.

Author's Note

FINALLY FINISHED THIS CHAPTER!! Chapter Five will begin soon ;)