16 16. AVER
Aver (verb)
To assert or affirm with confidence.
Chapter 16
(Arin.P.O.V)
Scratching behind my ear at the dry skin, I watch as the girl whispers into Ana's ear. Telling her of the plan. I'm against bringing Ana, she'll only slow us down. If I could make Mako tell me the way out, I would even leave without her; after all, my life is on the line. What's more important that than?
Ana puts on her jacket and runs towards the window beside me. She smiles at me, her lips smudged with blood from the meal earlier. Mako taps at her back and nods winking childishly at Ana.
"See ya!" Ana sticks her tongue out at me and pulls herself out the window. She jumps down with no hesitation landing below the trees, leaving no visuals to us. Mako claps her mitts together smirking under the moonlight.
"Let's go get her shall we?" She teases heading for the door. I pull up my mask and follow her out of the room. This is my best option... my only option at survival.
.
We head out of the pit smoothly. Mako sticking close saying it's too dark to walk alone. I wish with my best will that we don't encounter any fshek. My fighting skills are nonexistent... I could say Ana is better, that's how bad I am. Thanks to the leader, limiting me from getting any stronger in case I try to run away from this dot.
We arrive to the ocean edge, right where I met this girl with the two symmetrical beauty spots on her face; one under each eye.
"I told Ana we would meet here... where is she?" She hisses at me. I tap at my temple, feeling the need to leave right now. This is my only chance of living.
"Let's go. She might be lost. Let's leave." I urge. Mako spins glaring at me, hand on her hip.
"We can't leave her here. Isn't she after you? in line?" She reprimands eyebrows rising. How does she know the preem is after me? Is that why she said she's older than me... because she understands the system...
I glance around, anyone can show up... what if they know we're trying to leave? I'm going to be taken back... I'm going to get eaten.
"Please... let's just leave," I beg her looking down at my feet. Should I make her tell me the way out? I'm sure I'm at least stronger than a human, a few slaps might do the trick.
"Just calm down, we'll make it out together." She reassures me. I take a deep breath nodding; she looks like she knows what she's doing...
I glance up my heart skipping a beat; holding my breath, not daring to make the slightest sound. The little hope I salvaged from Mako draining in seconds.
"Arin... how could you boy." The figurehead comes from the bushes, clutching Ana by the nape. My knees feel weak. I'm dead... I'm so dead.
"She got Ana! that's the leader right!?" Mako exclaims as if it's the latest juicy news, leaning from side to side to get a better view. Frustration begins to grind at my nerves,
"I'm not gonna make it..." I utter, the life draining out of my voice.
"Oh stop it. We'll get Ana and leave, okay." She says licking her lips and tightening her mitts into fists. Ah... I see... this is how it is out there. They don't give a shlock if some ghoul will die... that's why they prison us here... while they live a carefree life.
"You say that... cause you're not the one dying in five days..." I tell her cheaply as the waves crash faintly behind us. What's the point of fighting anyway... The figurehead is strong, no chance against her. Mako intensely stares at me, not sure what I mean; her eyes dark under the cold white moonlight unwavering.
A surge of heat pulses through my veins; anger rushing through me. How can she be so calm, how dare she not feel the fear inside me... it's not fair... I want to be her... I wish I was as clueless as her.
"Listen to me." She orders voice growing serious as she squats down into the dark black sand.
"I know it's dark... but you have to find something in the water." She runs on as I peek down at her.
"You'll have to jump into the ocean, straight towards the entrance of the city. I'm going to attack her, take Ana from her, and follow you in." She rumbles, putting her falling hair back up.
"That's the plan? Jump... into the ocean... told you, the snakes..." I begin but she cuts me off.
"Just jump, look for a bridge, or something. It's probably hiding under the water surface!" She hisses. She places her hands beneath her, ready to charge at the figurehead.
"Look for a bridge?! what bridge? is this the plan?... I knew it... I'm going to shlocking die." I complain at her baseless plan.
"Don't worry about the eels. They're probably a bit further in the water, not at the shore." She reassures me. I swallow looking back at the little crushing waves of the black ocean. I look around panic flooding inside me. I heard stories of many mode-flicks attempting to swim across... their body stiffening with the snake shocks and the water compressing their lungs slowly.
"Calm down Arin. Trust me, those eels won't survive these waves at the shore, they're deep in where the water is settle. Go for it. Look for a bridge of some sort." She orders; the crunching sound of water rattles my bones as I stare at her. With that she nods; her eyes narrow. She jumps up zipping towards the figurehead. She lashes her hand before her, sand flying into the air. The figurehead let's go of Ana, her mitts clasping on her damaged eyes. I swallow and look away, I race towards the water, my head racing faster than my body, and my stomach flipping over with the dizziness.
.
(Mako.P.O.V)
I grab hold of Ana and pull her towards the water; stomping heavily at the sand.
"Wait!" The women leader hollers in agony. We don't. Hurrying after Arin, I slap my legs into the water, but I'm stopped in place. I jerk screaming at the pain in my joints at her firm grip, her nails digging at my skin.
"Please! take me with you!" She begs, an odd smile on her face. Isn't she the leader? isn't she the one making everyone eat... each other. If I take her out to the city... she'll most likely kill people; she doesn't look like a victim to me.
"Let go!" I shout, Ana shaking beside me. Her grip tightens more, her eyebrows forwarding as she brings her mask down. I pull at my arm grunting as waves tickle my legs. I let go of Ana, slapping my hand on my seized arm, and pull at it. Her strong grip doesn't budge, she lounges her head at me and I scream, filling the peaceful night with horrid shrieks. I look down at my arm; my eyes blurry with the tears, pain stinging as I watch a piece of my arm missing along with my ripped sleeve.
The women munches wiping at her wet lips, smudging her cheeks dark red... but moments into my wails of pain she freezes in her place, dropping my bitten arm free. I fall to my knees, grunting at the agonizing pain.
"Ahhhhhh!" The woman screams louder than I did. Spitting what she took into her mouth, wiping like crazy with her sleeve at her tongue as little steam hover around her lips. Steam... how is steam coming out of her... Common sense won't win anymore; the outside world holds even more unknowns than this situation so far.
"It burns!" She shouts wiping at her face. Ana comes to my side and pulls at me,
"Mako!" She prods helping me up. I squeeze my eyes shut and push my legs beneath me. Ana takes my side, pulling me further into the ocean, further from their leader. The water reaches my waist and I cry as my wound stings as the sea salt does it's job.
"Where's Arin?" Ana calls; voice shaky on the verge of cracking. He's nowhere to be seen...
.
(Arin.P.O.V)
I swoosh my head out of the cold water, gripping tightly at the wooden pole trying to stabilize my hovering legs in the waveless water. I cry out laughing, water filling my mask and I gulp it down.
"Arin!" I hear Ana's voice call out from behind. I glance over, struggling to get a visual. They're both struggling in the water as little waves play with them, pushing them back and forth. I pull myself on top of the pole and stand straight, wiggling from side to the other before I hold my balance. I shake my head laughing out. There was a bridge all this time... and we missed it only cause it was further into the ocean... How did Mako even know of this?
I glance back and they're still a little behind. This is the first pole leading to others down the ocean... probably till the city gates... but I'm exposed... the ghoul detector would defiantly find me like this...
"Help us!" Ana calls, now riding on Mako's back who's already submerged into water, reaching to her chin. I need to get down to help them since I'm taller and can stand properly in there... My eye spots a blue beam in the water... the electric snakes... they don't seem to swim at the shore where Mako and the preem still are... but it can get me right where I am if I go down the water. I glance over at the girls, Ana stretching her arm for help.
Now I'm alive, and can make it out of this pit... what if I get down and the snake gets me... I can just go to the city... along this bridge. I look back at them, meeting Mako's narrowed sharp eyes; strands of her bangs stabbing at them but she still holds the stare. I swallow pushing my hair back.
.
(Mako.P.O.V)
I watch as Arin's eyes dart between us and the city ahead. I also watch as the electric eels circulate; flapping at the water, close to us. There are no waves here... they'll soon come after us.
"Hold your breath." I tell Ana as I do the same, heaving in air and shutting my lips tight. I sink into the water and walk forward, pushing against the heavy water. Soon giving up and pushing my legs up, Ana swings down of my back and I pull her arm, swimming forward just as I did countless times in our swimming pool.
I don't mind the eels, they can't kill us even if they hit us. One-shot won't do much damage... hopefully. I stop in my tracks under the water... Ana hovering beside me, calmer than I would have imagined.
I glance around squinting; only spotting a few tails waving in the water. Just for a second, the electric eel light helps me spot the pole in the dark water... I swim up, taking in a loud breath, and so does Ana who's pushing down at me to stay above the water. Panic strikes as I watch the eels surround us in the calm water; their black silky skin shimmering under the moon.
"Give me your mitt!" I jerk at Arin's demand; reaching down at us. I quickly push Ana forward and she stretches her arm and he pulls at her, heaving her out of the water. I swim further swearing that something just touched my foot.
I try to move forward towards Arin but I watch as an eel lurks ahead, showing off its electric currents.... can ells show their electricity? I never heard of ones able to do so at the surface of the ocean...
I'll get shot once and move on, it can't feel any worse than my bitten arm. I take a deep breath and swim down. I head straight for the pole I spot as an electric current light the dark water. I pull myself up, grabbing hold of the wet wood stand. Taking a deep breath, I watch as Ana squeals happily on the pole to my right, one step after Arin, now him at the last pole near to the dot shore and me ahead of them both.
"Those snakes are bias... if I was the one in the water, I would have been shot!" Arin cries out jokingly. I jolt as a buzz goes through my body; ending in a few seconds. I let out a breath at the stinging pain... an eel just electrified me... I pull myself up quickly before another one hits, pain aching all over my body. Standing straight, shaking from the jolt. I narrow my eyes back at Arin...
"Next time shut up!" I prick louder than intended. I look ahead at the city gates far from us, almost nonsexist, lights rotating at the shore of the other end. I swallow down as I place my foot forward trying to correctly step in the right spot.
"Let's go." I tell them as I step into the next one, stretching my hand to Ana; to help her stay on top of the poles. She does the same back at Arin, helping him step up to the next.
As we head forward, nearing the lights I begin to bend my knees a little; telling them to do the same. We can't let those beams of light detect us.
My legs begin to shake at my weight. Squatting so low and transition from pole to another is not doing my legs any justice, this is the only time I wish I was naturally shorter.
We quickly jump down into the water risking getting electrified as we watch the light beams do their circle in the rim we're at. We come up after a while and I check behind me, making sure they're both okay. This won't do... after a while, we won't be able to hide from the lights... the water is getting shorter and we're getting more exposed... I glance around as an eel circulates around.
"We have to make a run for it." I break the silence. Arin's eyes wide as he leans right to look at me; mouth gaped open above his soggy mask.
"Let's wait for the next round of the light, soon after, we run ahead. It's not so far." I pose my idea. Now I can clearly see the barely lighted gates.
"Run? we can barely step right... you want us to run on these, what if we step in the wrong place? it's too hard!" He disagrees shaking his head at the idea.
"Hard? you're escaping a prison... you want a car to come pick you up instead?" I prod in annoyance.
"Do you have anything better?" I ask, glancing down at Ana but she shakes her head.
"Let's make a run for it, if the lights come before we make it to the shore, jump into the water." I say brushing at my wet face. Arin's eyes widen at the word jump.
"An electric shot sounds better than the ghoul detector don't you think?" I shrug.
We brace ourselves as the lights come, we get down, out of it's reach. As soon as it leaves, we make a run for it, we're used to the space between each pole. It'll be hard to miss now. After making a few right steps I smile at our skill proudly. Looking ahead, we're almost out of the eels' reach...
"Ahh!" I tumble forward missing a step, the pole I was supposed to step on meets my face and I plummet splashing into the water. I push my head out struggling as pain bombs at my head. We need to hurry... I watch as Arin rushes forward, pushing at Ana to go. They run ahead, leaving me behind in the water.
I quickly grab at the pole and heave myself up, watching the light detectors coming my way. I ignore it... it's a ghoul detector so I'll be fine anyway. Jumping to the next step, a loud boom explodes through the air; freezing me in place, loud sirens follow as the light stops circulating... halting on me, lighting me and the water surrounding me. I watch in fear at Arin and Ana up ahead as they hesitate but then continue running. The lights flash from white to red.
"Ghoul detected." A loud robotic voice fills the area; so thunderous I can hear it through my whole body. I glance behind me, making sure a ghoul is standing behind me as an explanation to the detector... nothing. No one... the light shining on me and only me.
