Fragments - Book One of the Missing

Chapter 8 - Taniel

His body ached; his mind begged for some kind of pain killer. Was he going to be able to get to up and out in this state? Trying to pinpoint what parts of his body were injured actually proved futile. It was easier to determine what didn't hurt. Nothing. Every second that passed, another limb hurt more than the last. Jones got him good.

If he opened his eyes, he was convinced the pain would be more real. He wasn't ready for that to be the case. He laid there for a few seconds longer, praying, wishing, hoping he had not really be back to the Underground. Fat chance.

As soon as he heard the boat horn blaring in the background, he knew the charade was over. Everything that happened yesterday was not just some horrible nightmare. The horn sounded again, triggering a distant memory. It could hardly be louder and more obnoxious if he had imagined it.

Where would he have to be to hear that sound? He opened his eyes suddenly, overcome with anger. Real classy, Jones. Jones left him on the banks of the East Emolo River, with the mostly abandoned Sola City staring back at him. Worse than Fenesmere, parts of Sola City were actually crumbling. It was practically a ruin. Before the Missing, before the Officials and before gangs ran rampant, Sola City was mostly industrial. It was the center for factories, for big businesses and for shipping and trade.

Since Sola City attracted commuters, it was alive and bustling during the day, but dark and dangerous at night. There were some small time thieves that stood up the businessmen and women coming home from work. There was late night gambling and drinking. But once people started Missing, the commuters were more hesitant to commute. Businesses tried to keep up and move to Fenesmere, but there weren't enough people to keep every business standing. The few residents left in a hurry, hoping to avoid the impending danger Sola City promised.

And just being across the river from Sola City was not a good sign. It placed him squarely in High Rock — one of the first neighborhoods to be abandoned in Fenesmere, and subsequently claimed by the Underground. It really couldn't be much worse. He needed to get out of there.

He pushed up on his elbows, grunting from the pain pulsing through his body and stumbled to the riverside. First priority was to wash the stiff, dried blood off his face and body so he would not be stopped by an Official for a crime he had not committed. Walking out of this neighborhood would be incriminating enough.

The cold water felt spectacular. He splashed the water on his face again, and held his hands there for a second, reveling in the freshness. His breathing had returned to a somewhat normal pace, but he was still nostalgic for counting the tiles. The past fews days had been an absolute nightmare.

His mind ran through the events of those two days, and suddenly it occurred to him. It was his first day of work with Edie.

He checked his reflection in the water... what a wreck. He ran his fingers over the bump on his forehead, wincing at the answering throb. The black and blues on his eyes and jaw were already apparent in his reflection, He couldn't imagine what they would look like in person.

Crusted blood was splattered on the collar of his button-up. Useless. He pulled it off and soaked the shirt in the river, hoping desperately to get some of the stains out. He couldn't really afford new clothes. Searching the knapsack to find something suitable, he found a green v-neck his father used to wear. He had been afraid his father's clothes would be too hard to wear, but the shirt felt oddly comforting.

There was nothing he could do about the bruises on his face, but hopefully Edie wouldn't notice. Despite the rough start, he focused on the positives. He survived another night, said no to the Underground and had prospects for the semblance of a life. Okay, just one prospect and he was on the verge of losing it.