The Wounded

The men spoke in their native tongue, so we couldn’t understand them. Their tone was light and every now and then, they laughed.

When my feet hit pavement, the sacks were removed. I shielded my eyes from the white blindness and sca

One of the men that we could understand addressed us. “You have two day before All Kind come.”

We nodded and turned swiftly towards our shelter. Our pace picked up until we were ru

She grabbed the sleeve of my shirt and pulled me backwards. Breathless, she stammered, “Wait. I can’t keep up.” I put my arm around her soft middle and dragged her forward.

*****

We grabbed our gear and threw it into the cars. The hidden keys were retrieved, and we jumped in. We needed to move fast.

Pelo grabbed my arm as I stepped into the driver’s seat. His fingers pressed desperately into my skin. “I’m so glad you’re all right,” he said, “but that was foolish, Rosa. Dangerous. Next time, let someone else take the fall.”

I shrugged him off. “Sadly, I don’t think you were Sukh’s type, Dad.” I laughed, kind of high on the fact we’d gotten away.

“You called me Dad,” Pelo said smugly, his eyebrows rising, his chest puffing up.

“Slip of the tongue, Pelo,” I snapped as I pulled the door closed so he would have to let go of me.

“I’ll take it!” he shouted as he ran to another car.

I pulled at the door but someone had their fingers around the edge, pulling it back open.

Rash’s dark head popped up. “My turn to drive, Soar,” he said.

“No!” I said shortly, my body vibrating with excitement.

Joseph slid into the back seat, groaning in pain and pinching the bridge of his nose. “Uh, I don’t think beautiful blond man wants me to be his nurse,” Rash said, waggling his dark brows.

Joseph snorted. “No, beautiful blond man certainly doesn’t!”

I shrugged and climbed in the back with Joseph.

Matthew hopped in next to us, slamming the door with a clap, and Rash tore away, the wheels squealing and spitting up dirt and gravel. We headed for the highway, speeding as fast as the car would allow. When we found it, we drove a few kilometers and took a sharp right angle turn, driving directly into the wilderness, searching for the river that would bring us right up to the Superiors’ compound.

*****

I could tell every bump hurt him. He winced and held his side like his organs might fall out whenever the car jolted. Matthew turned to face him in the squashed compartment and felt Joseph’s nose.

Joseph leaned forward, and a gush of fresh blood drenched his bare chest.

“It’s broken, Matt,” he said as he leaned back, squeezing the bridge of his nose gently, and staring at the grey ceiling.

Rash’s eyes widened in the mirror. “Ew! Gross, man.” He returned his eyes to the front and swerved to avoid a log.

“Keep your eyes on where you’re driving,” I barked, slapping the back of his head.

He gripped his hands on the steering wheel tightly, as we bounced around in the backseat. “All right, all right,” Rash said, gritting his teeth.

“I’ll have to set it,” Matthew said, reaching up to Joseph’s face. Joseph jerked away at his touch but then he held still, his hand finding mine and clamping. “Ready? One… two…” I heard it snap. Joseph groaned but looked relieved after.

Joseph turned his bruised head to Matthew. “You know that trick doesn’t work on doctors, Matt.”

They laughed.

I leaned my head against the window. I was so tired, so ready to go home, but this was only the start of what we had to face. My eyes blinked slowly in exhaustion, the blur of green and brown tumbling together like the colors were ru

*****

We lurched over an embankment, everyone jumping in their seats at Rash’s jerky driving style. The nose of the car hit the riverbank and straightened. We turned and followed it, the tires sinking into the soft earth.

The shale grey riverbank stretched into the distance like a tapering line. The tires ran over the flat, sharp rocks, making a clattering, brittle sound.

Joseph slept next to me. Matthew’s eyes searched the heavy wooded area across the river. Soon we would run out of bank to drive on, and we would have to abandon the cars.

His finger traced the condensation on the window in a line that matched the bank on the opposite side of the river.

“Look… there,” he said to me, his finger pressing on the trail he had etched in droplets of water.

I craned over Joseph’s lap and stared out the window. Movement in the trees across the river caught my eye. A flash of black against the green, and then a leap of white fur. The dwindling light caught its honey eyes, and I shivered. We were being shadowed by a pack, or at least one black wolf and one white, weaving seamlessly between the tree trunks.

Matthew patted my hand. “Don’t worry. We’re safe in here.”

I watched their graceful bounds and could almost hear the scratch and rush of branches as they glided past them. They were beautiful. It was a reminder we were back in the wild parts. We were the vulnerable ones, yet again. I thought back to my first journey into this world, their world.

Where are we going? The words echoed in my mind, the cool snap of a memory digging its way out of me. Apella’s mask-like face hiding behind Alexei. Clara beaming like a child on signing day.

Alexei stood like a mirage in front of me, wavering in and out. Into the wilderness, he’d said.

*****

We drove until the bank became so narrow the cars would have become bogged if we didn’t stop.

Tiny shrubs, poking out of the silver rocks like stubble on a man’s face, grazed the bottom of the car as we eased to a standstill. It was dusk, a grey, cool night promised. The vibration of engines shut off one by one until mechanical sounds died, and natural ones took over. The headlights skimmed the water and illuminated watchful eyes.

We were about a day and a half’s hard walk to the compound now. We lit a small fire and settled down to eat and enjoy what little time we had left.

The orange coals glowed but gave off little heat. We huddled together, shoulder to shoulder. When we were done with our di

“To Ansel,” he said, holding up his charm.

We repeated his words as we joined him and held our charms to the sky, the Spiders and Rash looked on, not sure what to do.

One of the men slapped Joseph on the back and congratulated him on his fighting skills. Then they all started talking at once in small, rounded-off groups. Pelo came to sit next to me.

“Fascinating culture,” he a

Gus shook his head gruffly. “We’ve never come by this route before.”

“Hmm…” Pelos tapped his chin lightly. “Wonder what it is, why it is, that they developed into such a barbaric society compared to the Survivors?”

I matched his gaze. For once, I was just as curious as he was. “More’s the point, how many other mini-worlds, mini-societies are out there?” I said, staring out across the bank, the stars reflecting dully over the navy water. There were so many. They were so far apart.

“Yes! Yes! Precisely what I was thinking.” His tone was clipped with excitement.

I gave him a rare smile. Joseph gave me a very unsubtle knock with his elbow. I rolled my eyes and put my own elbows on my knees, talking with Pelo and the others. The conversation got more ridiculous as we grew more tired. Rash suggested a society that was all women, just waiting for someone like him to discover them and rule as their king. I kicked his shin, but there was possibility in his words. More people, more ideas. I stared up at the stars, their random placement so beautiful. Who knew what clusters lay in the pieces of sky we couldn’t see.