Coma White (Book 2 of the Razor Blade Trilogy)

II

Brian stared at the picture that had been broadcast all across Parsh. “Is There Any Question to the Danger They Pose?” was the headline. “Breaking news, the VP of security was just killed by an unprovoked circus act. His partner at the time says that they saw her on the street; in trying to help the poor youth, she attacked for no reason. She knocked his partner across the alley and killed the VP with a pipe. Children and adults are advised to watch out for these horrible people. Don’t let them fool you into thinking you can help them; these monsters are beyond help.”

“I told you they were dangerous.” Brian’s father groaned. “I have to go into work and straighten this all out; I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

Brian didn’t hear his fathers’ words, he was too transfixed on the figure on the screen; she was the same girl from the night before.

Kia sat on a box in her and Jimbo’s underground house. Her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. She had seen the flash that took her picture; she had messed everything up now. The whole town knew who she was. She had taken off her dress, and washed the blood out; it was now hanging to dry. She wore a large parka that someone had thrown away one summer. Jimbo sat on his couch that doubled as his bed; he too was contemplating the events that had occurred.

“We just have to be more careful…I have to be more careful.” Jimbo gave Kia a look that said that they BOTH needed to be more careful. “We won’t be caught again; we can’t let that happen!”

Kia curled up on her cot that night. Snow fell quietly outside the window. She reflected on the attack; she hadn’t meant to kill him. It had been an accident. She never wanted to hurt anyone, just hold them up long enough for Jimbo to escape. If she had been caught…oh well; Jimbo would be safe.

She shuttered what they would do to Jimbo. If he was caught, they would cut him apart and try to make him look normal. There was nothing wrong with Jimbo now, still, he wasn’t perfect. None of them were; not the outcasts, not the civilians. Kia looked to her sleeping companion. “I will protect you.” She whispered. Sure Jimbo was big, but he didn’t have the instincts to fight back like Kia; he needed her as much as she needed him.

“Goodnight, Brian.” His mother shut off his light and left him in darkness. Brian waited for his parents’ footsteps to stop in the room above him. When they did, Brian leapt from his bed; he ran to the window. Snow was falling quietly. He unlatched the window and shimmied down the drainpipe, not making a sound. This was his nightly ritual; make sure his parents thought he was asleep; then roam the streets for a few hours. His snow boots crunched lightly across the bit of snow that had fallen.

‘Kia…Kia! Wake up!’ a little voice spoke to her in her sleep. ‘Kia! Get up, get dressed, go outside!’ Kia got up and put on her dress, it was dry but cold; still she stepped outside. She padded away from the safe haven. ‘Just a bit farther…now stop.’ She was at a corner, she was used to the witch telepathically telling her what to do, but it had never been this late.

Kia watched the corner, there was nothing; no, there was someone. “Little Brian Werner.”

Brian stopped when he heard his name, “Who’s there?”

A figure stepped out of the shadows. “I’m Kia.”

Brian jumped back, “You’re the girl from the window and TV; you killed the VP.” Brian’s instincts should’ve told him to run, but they had been dulled by drugs.

“No, well yes, but I didn’t mean to!” she didn’t advance on him.

“My dad say people like you are dangerous.” Brian wined.

“You’re how old? Seventeen, and you’re still believing everything ‘daddy’ tells you?” Kia snapped. “Now if you’re done being judge mental; what are you doing here?”

Brian opened and closed his mouth twice. “Being out here clears my mind.” Kia took a step forward; and he a step back.

“I already told you, I never meant to hurt anyone; but when someone comes at you with a gun, you do what you have to.” She sighed. “If you don’t believe me, fine; go.”

Brian didn’t move. “You’re so…different from all the other girls.”

“Different from who? Than Breena? Of course I am.”

“How did you know about…”

“Anyone who doesn’t must not have ears.” Kia rolled her eyes.

Breena was Brian’s soon to be wife. It had been arranged when they were only five. Breena was the police chiefs’ daughter; her brown hair was always clipped short, above her shoulders. She was shorter than Brian, but still tall. Usually, she and Brian didn’t talk; but it wasn’t that they didn’t like to talk, they had been told that ‘children should be seen and not heard.’

“Not a bad girl; but she’s too drugged for anything.” Kia sniffed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Brian snapped.

“I mean, she takes the drugs, she doesn’t feel anymore, Brian.”

“But she’s so amazing!” Brian protested.

“You’ve been drugged to say that, Brian.” Kia insisted. “You’ve only spoken to her twice.”

Brian studied his feet; he knew she was right. “Well, I can’t do anything about it; so why does it matter?”

“Yes, you can, Brian. Meet me here tomorrow night, I’ll show you what it matters.” Kia turned lightly and disappeared from Brian’s view.