Group Z

Chapter 4

The first thing I become aware of is muffled voices. Then comes feeling, I'm lying on a soft surface that feels... Spongy underneath me. After a minute I manage to open my eyes. The first thing I note is the light. I must have been out several hours at least, the sun is shining strongly on the surface I am on, covering my face, arms and legs, as if it's past noon. Looking around I see that I'm in what appears to be a living room with several comfy looking armchairs.

The room has a large fireplace stretching along one wall with flames crackling merrily inside it. The carpet is brown and looks soft to stand on filling me with an urge to sink my feet into it and has designs on it in the shape of golden leaves. The sofa I've been laid on is made of a rich brown leather with white cushions and a blanket that is a patchwork of colours has been laid over me.

Sitting up the blanket falls off me to the floor. Thick white bandages wrap around my arm and leg where I'd cut myself. My hair is clean and brushed smooth with all the leaves and twigs gone from it. My face is also clean, the cut on my temple has scabbed over again in the time I have been asleep, and all the blood has been washed off my body. Idly I wonder who cleaned it off me. The only thing about me that is the same is my clothes. I still have on my black shorts and black tank top, that I wore specifically so that mud off them wouldn't get into the cuts I made.

Swinging my legs around I stand up and although my legs tremble a little, I manage to keep my balance and am confident that, if need be, I could fight. I walk to the closed living room door and try to open it to no avail. Clearly they've locked me in. Smart I suppose. A click tells me a key has been turned and the door swings open. Behind the door is Malcolm and who must be

When they see me standing on the other side of the door she comes over and says in a smooth voice that is instantly calming. 'You really shouldn't be up; your cuts were very deep dear.'

I let her gently steer me back to the couch exaggerating my limp and she plumps up the pillows before lowering me back down in a sitting position, tucking the blanket back around me.

'Thank you.' I say trying to sound timid and meek. Adopting the tone I use to placate the Master.

'It's no problem.' She assures me. 'Malcolm, my husband, wanted to talk to you when you'd woken up. Do you feel up for that?'

I nod my head. 'I'm sorry to have disturbed you. How long was I asleep for?'

'Quite a few hours, but I'm partly to blame, you needed to sleep and heal so I gave you some medicine that helped with that. And don't worry about disturbing us, we're always willing to help those in need.' She responds and pats my knee as she gets up to fetch Malcolm from where he is still standing in the hallway just outside the door.

While she is gone, I briefly close my eyes running over my cover story in my head, when I hear light footsteps and open my eyes to see a . I jump a little mostly for his benefit since I'd already sensed him standing before me, and he lets out a squeak of surprise and backs up a little. He seems to be about four years old and stands staring at me with his head tilted sideways and his thumb in his mouth.

I smile at him and ask. 'What's your name?'

He contemplates me for a while and takes his thumb out of his mouth to say in a high pitched, child's voice. 'Benjamin.' Before tucking his thumb firmly back into his mouth.

Through the now open door I hear the footsteps of Malcolm and his wife returning and take a deep breath as they walk over the carpet towards me. With interest I note that Damon saunters in behind them with his hands in his pockets and stands in the doorway looking at me. Perfect, the important players are here, now I just need to get them to buy my story.

As Malcolm pulls one of the ornate chairs next to the couch, Benjamin, still staring at me asks innocently. 'What happened to your face?'

Malcolm's wife goes over to Benjamin and softly scolds him. 'Benny that's a rude thing to say and I told you to stay upstairs baby.'

With this she gently takes his hand and leads him out the door. Malcolm waits until she is back and when she settles at the end of the couch clears his throat and speaks.

'So.' Malcolm begins. 'Your name is... Zeye?'

'Zi.' I correct. 'Spelt Z-I.'

I'd chosen the name because it is similar enough to my number that responding to it should be easy enough to get used to.

'Interesting name.' He says nodding his head. 'I'm Malcolm, my wife over there is Sofia and you've already met Benny.' He smiles as he says his youngest sons name. 'Lurking over there by the door is Damon. We also have a daughter about your age called Sapphire, but she is out doing something for a little while.'

Of course, I know all this already, but I nod my head as if this is the first time, I'm hearing this. At this point his face becomes stern. 'Now the important questions. We don't know you and need to know if we can trust you.'

I nod my head. Showtime.

'First question.' He fires off. 'What Sector are you from?'

'Five.' I answer instantly, knowing my damaged clothes and appearance speak for themselves and with the lack of records for citizens of Sector 5 there is no real way to verify my story.

'I see.' He answers. 'What are you doing all the way out here and how did you get here?'

This question I'd been expecting and had a prepared answer for. 'One of the Revealers in my Sector has a particular dislike for me. He has punished me many times for nothing. Five days ago, he threatened to kill me and through pure luck I managed to overpower him, he slipped, hit his head and died. I knew I'd be killed for it, so I ran away.'

Malcolm looks me over lingering on the scar on my cheek. His gaze softens. 'He gave you that?' he says softly gesturing towards my face with a jerk of his chin.

I look down and say in a soft voice. 'Yes.'

Looking up through my eyelashes I see Malcolm and Sofia exchange glances.

'You sound regular enough but there's something about your eyes Zi. They don't have a trace of fear in them.' Malcolm says after a moment of this. 'We've seen people from Sector 5 before and they more often than not look... Defeated, broken. Not you. Why?'

This gives me pause. I hadn't prepared for this question, I'd assumed my mask was impenetrable, perfect. I can tell that this question was specifically to throw me off, that my answer makes or breaks this hunt. With everybody's gaze fixed directly on me I have nowhere to hide and my heart begins to pound, every beat telling me to fight these people who clearly know what is happening. I fight with the adrenaline surging through me, the battle invisible as I struggle to hide any traces of it from my face. It's been too long already, I have no more time to think of an answer.

I give a tight smile and offer a kernel of truth. 'I refuse to be beaten by what has happened to me. Every event is a reason to push forward, a way to get stronger. Truthfully I have little fear because what can be worse than what has already happened?'

The truthfulness of what I say shocks me, it was something I hadn't even known about myself until it had come pouring out. I don't know where the words came from but the intensity of the stares melts away and I know I've satisfied the family with my answer.

Malcolm stands up and placing a hand on the blanket on top of my knee says. 'You can stay here until we find alternate arrangements. We're more than happy to have you. You seem relatively trustworthy and I'm sure Benny will be happy to have a new play pal around. Damon will show you to your room. You'll be sharing with Sapphire for the time being but I'm sure that will be ok?'

I nod saying. 'Thank you so much.'

He dismisses this with a wave of his hand and walks out of the room, turning just before he does and adding with an almost cold look. 'Needless to say, although you have the beginning of trust, I will still be keeping an eye on you and the second I smell something suspicious you will be gone understand?'

I nod, again wordlessly and he leaves.

Damon stares at me for a second longer before smiling and walking out the door and beckons me. Before he goes, I manage a small smile in return taking this as a cue to follow him.

Excellent. They bought it. Now, the real work begins.