Dead Lines

38: Lullaby for a Soldier

Unedited.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

What is that? Is someone—humming?

I twirled and slashed the monster across the chest. It howled, voicing its pain and outrage.

That is humming! What are they humming?

As it swiveled in my direction, the bisected shell clicked, hummed, whatever you wanted to call the noise. The fact it howled had me confused. It looked like a bug, even had feelers or antennae sticking out of its mouth. But it howled. How—

I know what they're humming! Roberta Flack!

It took a swipe at me and I jumped back, letting my left leg slide forward so I could bend back to see the sky. A twig-like leg fanned across my vision. It tried to correct its missed blow by striking down but I swiveled, stood upright, and slashed with my sword. Its leg severed and the bug became unbalanced. I used the opportunity to finish it by skewering it through the slit in its shell.

And the first time, ever I kissed your mouth/I felt the earth move in my hands

I pulled my sword out and tried to breathe. My lungs worked double time, not used to this much physical exertion. This didn't compare to my training sessions or golfing. This was intense and straining. It wore on the body and the mind.

I managed to make it three-fourths of the way across the field but ran into a pack of those bugs. The one I killed was the last of them, there were seven in total, and I finally got a chance to look around. Chris fought his own opponent a few feet away, he hadn't let us be separated much further, and looked none the worse for wear.

Why are they still humming? Who is that?

For a moment, I let myself wonder where Cecil and Andrzej were. I hadn't seen them, though I spotted several other Elite from my town as I crossed the field. I hoped they weren't in too much trouble. Would I know if they were? I could check, it was well within my power, but looking into the future right now would cause more harm than good. The last time I'd tried, I came back to myself with some unidentifiable creature trying to choke me to death.

It was me, I'm humming! Stop humming!

The blue/gold streaks lingered, lighting the path I needed to take in order to exit this battleground but my loyalty to my fellow Elite made me look around for someone to help. The Elite were well trained, both Assarion and hermai, so there weren't many in need. But these were monsters no one had faced in centuries.

"Natalie!" Chris called, grabbing my attention. "Go!"

I nodded and with the few feet still separating us, we progressed to our designated path. I stepped over bodies I did my best not to look closely at. But every once in a while it would be an Elite body and a tide of guilt, anger, and shame would wash through me. I didn't know why they'd entered the field but I imagined it had something to do with the boom I heard earlier. Maybe they couldn't see us after Chris and I crossed the barrier, maybe Caelus showed us in peril.

I didn't know.

I could only speculate, let a little part of my brain that wasn't focused on fighting wander to the matter. If Chris knew the reason, he wasn't sharing. He was too into the battle to share or talk except for the occasional "let's go" motivational shout.

We didn't get far this time.

The world around us stilled for a few seconds and then—

Boom.