Ink Chain

-Freya-Lynn Ellisc- (Chapter 3)

(Warning: Mentions of blood, severed limbs, and death. Read with DISCRETION)

     I sat in the empty classroom. All there was were 17 counted desks, a projector screen, a shut-off AI in the corner, and me and Nova. She sat in the back corner, staring out the window on the roof. I sat in the front, far away from her. I didn't want to talk to her, she was furious with the outcome of the fight.

     "So, what'd you do to piss off those guys?" I heard her voice echo through the white room. I turned my head slightly, to side-eye her. But that didn't do much. She asked again, this time louder. "Hello? What'd you do? Top one of them on a test?" She chuckled to herself.

     "If you gotta know," I pulled my hair up into a ponytail, letting my bangs fall onto my face. "They were talking shit about you quietly. I thought that was immature and coward-like. They didn't like it." I pulled out my transmitter and dialed Mother Liel.

     "Hey Mother, I'm gonna be a little late today. I uh... got caught up with something at school. Call me back when you get the chance. And make sure Jillia does her homework, I don't know how long I'll be. See ya." I closed the transmitter and put my head on the desk.

     "No 'I love you' or 'Miss you'? Damn, that's pretty shallow." Before I knew it, Nova was standing over me, leaning against a desk to my right. I looked up at her and scoffed. 'Damn it, stop getting so close to me.' I thought.

     "Hey, do me a favor," I stared her dead in the eyes. She shifted, a little shocked I believe. "Back. Off." Just then, the tall gingered guy walked into the room. He held a paper in his hand which he stuck onto the projector screen. Nova walked closer to look, reading the note aloud.

"Angelique Waraen has been pardoned from her detention on November 18th, 2440. If you have any questions please contact Barak Waraen. Thank you."

     "The hell is this, dude?" Nova plucked it off the wall, waving it in his face. "Why'd your sister get pardoned? Who the fuck is Barak?" She dropped the note. I bent over to pick it up. While on my knees, we all heard screaming from the overhead windows. We all looked at each other, then the window.

"Get out of here!" 

"It's Ramshorn!"

"It's a bomb!" 

"Where's Ms. Basal?!"

     "Ms. Basal? Do they mean you?" I tried to stand up, but the earth shook below me. The windows shattered from the outside, glass flying around the room. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

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     "What the hell is happening?!" Barak balanced himself on the wall. Nova was bent over on one knee, holding her hands over her head. I looked to the ceiling, a beam was about to fall on top of them both.

     "Nova-!" I used the desks to give myself the stamina to cross the room. I grabbed Nova and Baraks' arms. I used a desk in between us and pushed away, allowing free space for the beam to collapse. "We've gotta get out of here!"

     We managed to push the door open, letting the falling world around us reveal itself. Debris had fallen from every which way. Books from shelves had fallen and ripped. Food from the cafeteria had shaken itself across the walls. 

     Barak changed into an impala and started hopping across the rocks. He disappeared out the doors, I don't know where he went. Nova grabbed my shoulder and dragged me with her.

     Screams echoed from each direction. I watched a nearby building get consumed in flames, the structure too weak to hold and it crumbled to the ground. Kids crying, adults yelling, the whole city was going to hell in a matter of seconds.

     "What the hell are you doing?!" Even though the physical touch wasn't very appreciated, I followed her. Her grip loosened from my shoulder and she reached down and grabbed my wrist instead. "Where are we going?!"

     "I'm keeping you alive! We're going to my house, my dad has a bunker built into the basement! Just stay close and don't question me!" We hopped from debris pile to debris pile. 

We were halfway up Knob Hill when I realized; What about Mother Liel?

     Once we reached her house at the front of the hilltop, I broke loose from her grip. I started climbing over more piles, Nova screaming for me to stop.

     "Do you want to fucking die?!" She called from the front of her house. I looked back, she was obviously conflicted on where to go. Whether to follow me or just go inside to the bunker. "Fucking dammit!" She turned away from the house and bolted towards me. She started jumping over rocks until she finally caught up to me. "If I die, I blame you!"

     The very top of Knob Hill was so high, you could barely hear the screaming city from below. I climbed over a smaller pile of rubble and saw my home still intact. The front door had been knocked off its hinges, large rocks halfway through the doorway.

     "Mother! Jillia!" Where are they? The little kids? "Kelin! Lelan! Where are you?!" I pushed rocks off of piles, rocks out of the way of doors, trying to find Mother and the little orphanage kids. I couldn't find them. "WHERE ARE YOU?!" I nearly broke down in the middle of the shattered living room.

     "Hey, do you have a basement or something? Maybe they went there!" Nova chimed in from the front doorway, throwing herself over the rocks at the door. "C'mon girl, where is it?" She walked into the kitchen and started looking around. 

     "Under the coffee table," I ran into the study across the hall. The coffee table had been pushed to the opposite side of the room. The basement door dented and splintered. "Oh my god, you're a genius!" I gave Nova a quick pat on the back and ran forward.

     Nova came up behind me and pulled on the hook of the hatch. She pulled up, revealing tattered stairs. "Mother! Kids, I'm here!" I bolted down the stairway. At the base, I saw a crazed woman from her back. Long silver hair laid tangled on her back. "Mother Liel...?"

     The woman spun around on her heels, I heard a low creaking above her.

"Freya-Lynn!" The creaking grew louder.

"Mother, we have to get out of here!" The creaking was impossible to ignore.

"No, the kids! We have to get them!" She grabbed my hand and dragged me forward. Near an opening in the wall. I heard small cries from inside. The kids were inside.

     I heard wood split in half and break. A large boulder fell from the ceiling. I closed my eyes. The tugging on my hand wasn't there anymore. The hand I held was lighter in an instant.

     Nova screamed for me to let go and keep my eyes closed. I started to open my eyes. Someone came up from behind me and covered my eyes.

     "Believe me, Freya..." Nova. She slapped my hand and I let go. Something fell to the floor. "Keep them closed. We have to go." I turned to follow her but heard sniffles from behind me. I spun around... "Freya, NO!" I pushed her hand off, seeing the horrifying scene in front of me.

     Blood splattered everywhere. A severed arm poking out from under the chunk of rock. On the floor, what I had dropped, was Mother Liel's severed hand...