Infinity

Chapter Ten

The dress was beautiful on me, as our Luminary thought it would be.

It's neckline was ruffled, going down to about 2 inches above the middle of my chest. The sleeves looked as though someone had brought a razor to them, cutting them at about half-inch intervals until they reached my elbow. The cuts stopped at my shoulders. The bottom was stopped about a quarter foot above my knee in the front, but in the back went down the touch the ground behind me.

Because I was alone, I did a small spin in front of the small mirror in my room, giggling and part of me wondering what's wrong with me. The other part, the giggling, spinning, dizzy part of me, doesn't care. My eyes turn a bright green.

"You look beautiful," comes a voice, and I immediately stop spinning. But, I loose my balance, and fall to the floor, worried that I might tear the dress.

Andrew comes over to me and offers me his hand. I take it, reluctantly, and stand up. "Why are you always in my room?" I question, the bright green going out of my eyes.

"It's time," Andrew responds, a sweet smile on his lips. Despite everything, I'm suddenly terrified. I start to breath heavily, terror coming over me, even though I'm already in the beautiful dress. Even though I know that there is no way to get away from today. From the ceremony.

"Hey," he says, as I start to shake more violently. "Hey, Infinity, calm down. It's okay." He moves a piece of my black hair out of my eyes and walks me over to my bed. "Hey, you're going to be fine. Nothing is going to happen." He kisses me on my forehead, and I pull back.

"No, Andrew," I say. "Please...please don't do that." I don't know why, but I don't want him to touch me anymore, and even though it's the last think I want, I say, "Let go of me."

He sighs and lets me go. I hadn't realized he had sat on my bed. "You know, Infinity, you can't keep doing this--pushing me back, I mean."

I put my head in my hands. I hate this, I think. Can't he just leave me alone? He rubs my back, covered by the beautiful dress. Despite not wanting him to touch me, I lean into him, letting him comfort me, even though I don't want him to.

After about 2 minutes of this, Andrew says, "It's time to go."

I nod and stand up, straightening the dress of fire.

***

I do not wear shoes. Neither does Andrew. His pants are a dark black, to match his shirt as we walk together to the river right outside the wall. Andrew's mother and father were there, staring at us up in the front. The Elders--all 8 of them--are there, standing motionless in front of the water. I take a deep breath, and Andrew says, "You'll be okay. Trust me." I don't respond, just nod.

We walk up to the Elders and, wasting no time, they begin the ceremony I have dreaded since yesterday.

It all goes by in a blur, and only when they tie our hands together ask if we will give our lives and love to each other do I respond by saying, "I will." We plunge our hands into the water, and an Elder cuts the rope under the water, but, as tradition, Andrew and I do not release each other's hands. I find myself smiling at him, realizing that, now, no matter what, I'm saved to Andrew. And, I realize, for a moment, I'm happy.

But then, that moment ends.

Later that night, when Andrew and I were walking back to his house, someone called my name. The voice was high and clear, like a razor. "So, you're saved now, huh? Pretty special, aren't you, princess?"

I turn, my breath going out of me as I see Londyn standing there, a chain gripped in her hand. My eyes turn black almost instantly as I see that, attached to the chains, is Aaliyah. She has bruises all around her face, one black eye and by the way she's holding her left arm it seems to be injured. "What are you doing here, Londyn?" I ask, realizing this is the first time I've said her name.

"You know her?" Andrew asks, completely lost looking.

"Yes," I says shortly.

"Is this him, then?" Londyn asks conversationally. She struts over to him and looks him up and down. Then, dismisses him. "Is this who you are getting the information from? Ha! I knew you would never actually do it."

"I was going to," I whisper. "Please don't hurt Aaliyah." I have my head down, facing toward my somehow stony faced little sister. This isn't what she would have wanted me to do--but I have to. To make sure she's okay.

She shakes her head, silently, and, speaking for the first time, says, "It's to late, Infinity. Just give it up."

"Give what up?" Andrew says. "Infinity--is that your sister? I thought she was dead!"

Tears come into my eyes. "I did too."

"I might as well be," Aaliyah says. It's visible that she's having trouble breathing. Struggling to take in breath or let it out. I turn on Londyn, slamming her up against a nearby tree trunk. She laughs as I put my hands to her throat, as if I'm not able to crush her windpipe.

"What are you going to do, Infinity? Kill me?" She taunts.

"What did you do to her!?" I scream in her face. She just laughs, and I'm suddenly struck by how non-threatening I must be, even though my eyes are black and I'm angrier than I've even been. I'm still in a ceremony dress.

"I didn't do anything to her, Infinity. Check the date!" She says with a laugh that says I've won!

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" I scream. I pull her forward about an inch and push her against the tree again, hard. Her head smacks against the wood, making a sickening thud that I would pity had is come from anyone else. But, instead of showing any signs of pain at all--she's laughing!

"The dates!" she laughs, like an excited child. "The dates! You forgot to check the date!"

And it's then, with a sinking feeling, that I realize what she means by the dates. "Andrew," I say. No response. I don't look back, but say, more forcefully, trying to hide the obvious quiver in my voice, "Andrew. Check her wrists."

"Infinity..." he says in that voice that people use when they are trying to explain something to little kids. "Infinity, I--"

"Check her wrists!" I cry. Tears have slipped from my eyes onto my cheeks. "Please," I say, trying to blink away the tears, but not succeeding.

I know it's useless. I know she's dead. I know it's not because she expired, but because someone did this. "Get out," I growl at Londyn. "Get out now! Never come back! If you ever come back I'll kill you!" I scream at Londyn. I push her to the ground, making Londyn hit her face in the dirt.

Infinity, not being able to control her anger, kicks her angrily in the side, hearing an audible crack from one of her ribs. "Go!" She kicks again, as Londyn tries to get up. The kick connected with Londyn's wrist, and she fell to the ground again.

I kick again, telling her to get up, but I throw a kick with each word. The last one connects with Londyn's nose and blackish blood begins to gush. Tears are streaming down my face as I throw kick after kick.

After about the 15th kick, I fall to the ground, sobbing. A second later, there is a pair of strong arms around me, holding me. I turn into Andrew, sobbing into his shoulder as Londyn craws weakly away. And Aaliyah--Aaliyah lies dead a few feet away.

The last of my family is dead.