The Cadet's Origin

Chapter Five - New Life

Kenna woke up with a cold sweat. She could feel her heart racing. Kenna was glad that she had stopped waking up screaming, but this wasn't much better. Kenna pushed her hair out of her face. Kenna got out of bed and put on her running clothes and shoes. She pulled her hair back. Kenna snuck down the stairs and out the front down. She didn't know if Miss Mary would want her to be doing this, but running to the point of exhaustion was the only thing that could get her to go back to sleep.

The cold air of the night or early morning was refreshing. Kenna just started to run. She had worked out a rough route that she would run in the past two weeks she had been here. She took off towards the western border of the estate. Kenna was running as fast as she could. The first few days her lungs and legs had burned beyond all belief, but she had somewhat gotten use to the intensity of the runs. Kenna didn't know if this was the best way to start running, but it was better than the alternative.

Kenna ran along the border of the estate. She ran just out of sight of the house. Kenna pushed herself to the limit. She ignored the stitch in her side and burning in her legs and kept running. She just kept running and running. Kenna just turned off her mind and let her body take over.

Kenna only ran back to the house when she felt like she was on the brink of collapse. She threw up in the trees before the open lawn. Kenna limped back to the house. She wiped the sweat off her brow and did her best to try and catch her breath. She went to the well in the backyard and pulled up some water. She grabbed the ladle in the bucket and poured some over her head before drinking some. After Kenna felt hydrated, she snuck back in through the front door and up the stairs. Kenna went back into her room and passed out on the floor. She curled up with a blanket that she had reserved for her post run. She went to sleep almost instantly.

"Time to get up, Miss Dressler," Miss Mary was shaking her awake.

"I don't want to," Kenna said as she pulled the blanket over her head. "And I want you to call me Kenna."

"I've been employed by your family for all my life," Miss Mary said as she coaxed the blanket off of Kenna's face. "You've been named Mistress of the house in your uncle's stead, and I will follow the traditions I was brought up on. Now, it's time for your morning bath."

Kenna didn't argue with Miss Mary anymore. She simply got up and headed downstairs for her bath. Kenna washed herself quickly before getting dressed. She pulled at the collar of her dress. She hated the new clothes that her uncle insisted she wore. He said that she should wear something appropriate for a girl of her standing. She walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the table.

"Stop scratching at your collar," Miss Mary said as she turned with a bowl in her hand.

"It's poking my neck," Kenna said as Miss Mary placed the bowl in front of her. "Why can't I wear the clothes that I wore back at home."

"You know that your uncle wants you to look presentable," Miss Mary said as she began to wash the dishes.

"There's no one here besides you and the other three that cycle in every few days," Kenna huffed as she took a bite of her breakfast.

"Stop pouting," Miss Mary told her. "It's not a good look on you."

"Yes, Miss Mary," Kenna said as she finished her breakfast.

Kenna brought her dishes to the wash bin. She attempted to wash them, but Miss Mary shooed her off. Kenna ran off upstairs. She grabbed her notebook, her father's notebook, and a pencil. She ran back downstairs and sat on the porch. She began to replicate the drawings in her father's book. She did her best to reverse engineer the drawings. Her father wasn't the best at taking detailed notes in her drawings. Kenna could see the systems in her mind. She started off with the simplest designs first. It wasn't like she could even do anything with the drawings besides make very rough prototypes. There was no way she would be able to get the materials she would need even with the generous allowance that her uncle had given her.

After a few hours, Kenna heard a cart pull up. She saw her uncle riding in to the estate. Kenna saw a steely look on her uncle's face. Something about it made Kenna worry. She went inside and went up to her room. She locked the door before she turned to the chest that had been brought from her old home. Kenna opened the top part of the chest. Kenna grabbed on to one of the dividers. It lifted up to reveal a thin hidden compartment that was seated behind the pullout drawers. Kenna put her father's and her notebook in the compartment. She put some of the loose papers in the secret compartment as well. Kenna put the cover back on and shut the lid of the chest. She unlocked the door and went downstairs.

Miss Mary was preparing and serving tea to her uncle when Kenna walked into the kitchen.

"It is good to see you safely returned home, Uncle Karl," Kenna said as she stood at the chair facing her uncle.

"Kenna," her uncle nodded her head. "Are you enjoying the estate now that you've had time to settle in?"

"It's different than what I'm use to, but I'm adjusting," Kenna said.

"That is good," her uncle nodded. He glanced at Miss Mary. "Are her words truthful or is she just trying to maintain appearances?"

"She's adapting quite well," Miss Mary said as she poured a cup of tea for herself. "I don't think she's quite gotten use to the idea of being Mistress of the house yet."

"The most responsibility I've ever been handed is helping my father in his workshop," Kenna looked down at her feet.

"You'll get use to it, just as I did," her uncle said. He put down his cup of tea. "Speaking of my brother's workshop, he handed you his bag. What was in there?"

"A few notebooks and loose pieces of paper," Kenna said. She shifted her weight on her feet. She didn't like the sound of her uncle's voice.

"I'm going to take them back to the Garrison," her uncle said casually.

"What?" Kenna asked as she drew her brows together.

"You're father was working on important things to the military and to humanity," her uncle said. "We need the top minds of the military working on trying to make his designs a reality."

"Those notebooks belong to me," Kenna said. "He gave them to me for a reason. I'm the only person who understood how his mind and plans work."

"I wasn't asking you, Kenna," her uncle said. "I'm telling you. Go get them."

"No," Kenna argued. "They don't belong to you."

"You're right, they belong to humanity," her uncle said as he stood up. "Go get them."

"No," Kenna said as she leaned on the table.

"Stop being a brat," her uncle said. "Go get the damn notebooks."

"NO!" Kenna yelled at him.

"Fine," her uncle said as he walked out of the kitchen. "I'll get them myself."

"No!" Kenna screeched.

She ran after her uncle. He moved at an alarming rate. Kenna cursed herself. She had left her father's bag on the chair in the corner of her room. She burst into her room to her uncle taking the books out of the bag. She punched his back, but he didn't stop. He stood straight up and held the books out of her reach.

"ENOUGH!" her uncle pushed her off of him. Kenna fell into her bed.

He swiftly walked out of the room. Kenna picked herself up and ran after him. She basically sprinted down the stairs, but it was too late. He was already out the front door. Kenna ran out the door after him to see him getting onto the cart.

"STOP!" Kenna yelled at her uncle. "THOSE BELONG TO ME!"

"He's not going to stop, Kenna," Miss Mary said as she grabbed onto Kenna.

"Let me go," Kenna struggled to get out of Miss Mary's arms. She was struggling to get to her uncle. "I need those! Those are my father's!"

"I'm so sorry, dear," Miss Mary whispered in her ear. "I'm so, so sorry."

All Kenna could do was watch and scream as her uncle took a few more pieces of her heart and soul away.