put it in your mouth, like this, and bite down on it. When you suck, the water will come out.” I pushed the pack closer to him. “Small sips. Conserve it. Swish the water in your mouth before you swallow. It’ll help with the dry mouth.” I don’t know why I did it. I guess it was that I’d been thirsty many times over, and no one deserves that achy feeling. Whether or not he planned on harming me, maybe he wouldn’t if I helped.
He followed my directions, and I watched him drink. It drove me crazy not to know if I should be afraid of him, and I wished there was some beacon attached to everyone that warned of danger.
I’d been running for who knew how long. The Militia was combing the woods for me, but I still managed to escape. I didn’t know how I’d done it. I was just a kid, after all. A fifteen year old shouldn’t have been able to escape what felt like an entire army.
I didn’t even have the right shoes on. Thin flats. All the girls at school were wearing them, but now, I cursed ever trying to keep up with fashion trends. It wasn’t like anything ever looked good on me anyways. My jeans were equally lacking warmth, and I had no way to pull back my hair. It fell in my face in waves of brown-red.
I’d finally found a way to make myself stop running. The decision went back and forth in my head until logic won out. Every part, in and out of my body, burned by the time I realized if they found me, they found me, and at least it’d all be over. Even if they didn’t find me, I’d still probably die. Either way, I was in trouble. So I let the tears come. They needed to escape because they were breaking my heart in half, speeding it up even faster than light. I crumpled in on the tears, and they crumpled in on me.
“You okay?” It was the first time I ever heard Xavi’s voice. It was tender and harsh at the same time. Eventually, I’d learn that Xavi was full of contradictions in everything he did.
“Oh. I’m fantastic. Just. Fantastic. Do I look okay?” It was a response neither of us expected. I guess I was just glad he wasn’t a soldier, and sarcasm replaced relief.
“You look just peachy. Everyone needs a good cry every now and then. I hear it’s good for your skin.” He laughed. Even his laugh held sadness— a sadness that may have even trumped mine. He neared me like a trapped animal, slow and cautious. “You look cold.” He shrugged off his jacket. Under it, he wore one of those thermal vests— the puffy kind stuffed with synth-e-down. It looked worn and dirty— the way the jacket smelled as he draped it over me, but I was instantaneously warmer and the smell no longer mattered. “I’m Xavi.” The way he said it sounded like laughter. The HA sound collapsed into the V sound. It rose and fell in my ears, and I wondered what his name would feel like in my mouth when I had to say it out loud for the first time. It was such a strange name.
“Nikomedes.”
“Ah. From 18?” He asked like he didn’t know. Of course I was from the 18 th Colony. I thought about being sarcastic again, but instead I nodded. “Interesting,” he said in a way that told me the story wasn’t interesting at all. “You’re a long way from the 18 th , huh? I can help you find your way back if you like?” Everything he said was like a question, like he realized he could do nothing but put himself in danger if he tried to help.
“I can’t go back. They’re all dead,” I whispered. Saying it out loud made it real. It took everything out of the realm of bad dreams and vivid imaginations.
“Oh?”
Chapter Four
I fished out the tee-shirt I’d worn in the river and became thankful it was still damp. I hated to waste any water, and I needed to clean the cut on my cheek. I wiped off the drying dirt and blood, knowing that, if I didn’t, infection would not have been a fun game to play later. It wasn’t deep and didn’t even hurt, but even the shallowest of
He followed my directions, and I watched him drink. It drove me crazy not to know if I should be afraid of him, and I wished there was some beacon attached to everyone that warned of danger.
I’d been running for who knew how long. The Militia was combing the woods for me, but I still managed to escape. I didn’t know how I’d done it. I was just a kid, after all. A fifteen year old shouldn’t have been able to escape what felt like an entire army.
I didn’t even have the right shoes on. Thin flats. All the girls at school were wearing them, but now, I cursed ever trying to keep up with fashion trends. It wasn’t like anything ever looked good on me anyways. My jeans were equally lacking warmth, and I had no way to pull back my hair. It fell in my face in waves of brown-red.
I’d finally found a way to make myself stop running. The decision went back and forth in my head until logic won out. Every part, in and out of my body, burned by the time I realized if they found me, they found me, and at least it’d all be over. Even if they didn’t find me, I’d still probably die. Either way, I was in trouble. So I let the tears come. They needed to escape because they were breaking my heart in half, speeding it up even faster than light. I crumpled in on the tears, and they crumpled in on me.
“You okay?” It was the first time I ever heard Xavi’s voice. It was tender and harsh at the same time. Eventually, I’d learn that Xavi was full of contradictions in everything he did.
“Oh. I’m fantastic. Just. Fantastic. Do I look okay?” It was a response neither of us expected. I guess I was just glad he wasn’t a soldier, and sarcasm replaced relief.
“You look just peachy. Everyone needs a good cry every now and then. I hear it’s good for your skin.” He laughed. Even his laugh held sadness— a sadness that may have even trumped mine. He neared me like a trapped animal, slow and cautious. “You look cold.” He shrugged off his jacket. Under it, he wore one of those thermal vests— the puffy kind stuffed with synth-e-down. It looked worn and dirty— the way the jacket smelled as he draped it over me, but I was instantaneously warmer and the smell no longer mattered. “I’m Xavi.” The way he said it sounded like laughter. The HA sound collapsed into the V sound. It rose and fell in my ears, and I wondered what his name would feel like in my mouth when I had to say it out loud for the first time. It was such a strange name.
“Nikomedes.”
“Ah. From 18?” He asked like he didn’t know. Of course I was from the 18 th Colony. I thought about being sarcastic again, but instead I nodded. “Interesting,” he said in a way that told me the story wasn’t interesting at all. “You’re a long way from the 18 th , huh? I can help you find your way back if you like?” Everything he said was like a question, like he realized he could do nothing but put himself in danger if he tried to help.
“I can’t go back. They’re all dead,” I whispered. Saying it out loud made it real. It took everything out of the realm of bad dreams and vivid imaginations.
“Oh?”
Chapter Four
I fished out the tee-shirt I’d worn in the river and became thankful it was still damp. I hated to waste any water, and I needed to clean the cut on my cheek. I wiped off the drying dirt and blood, knowing that, if I didn’t, infection would not have been a fun game to play later. It wasn’t deep and didn’t even hurt, but even the shallowest of
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