Silence

Chapter 11 - Seeing Ghosts

The flames are high, billowing into the stars and smoke. I start to go back through the door to wake Sal, but I remember: Sal left in the middle of the night.

My hearts start to race, fear surging through me. They couldn't have found us, there is no way.

I start running, tripping through the sand. I gotta help him!

The fire is getting stronger by the second, and I'm getting more nervous. Who could be responsible for this?

I don't want to think about that.

My main priority right now is getting Sal out of there. I owe him.

I run faster, fear dissipating all pains and aches I had. The fire was getting higher, brighter. Hopefully Sal got out. Maybe it was just an accident? But who could be there, waiting?

There is no time to worry. The heat is intense compared to the cold night air. I walk around, staying out of the building for now. Where can he be?

There is no sign of life. Just the desert and flames. I push closers to the flames, hoping to spot someone, something, through the inferno.

But there is nothing.

I step back, drained of adrenaline and hope. He's gone.

I drop to the ground, wincing as my ankle slips in the sand. At this point, I doubt it will ever heal fully. I haven't eaten in over a week, and it's barely gotten any rest. But it doesn't matter now.

I'm not sure I'll be able to survive on my own. I don't know the geography of this planet, and I don't know how to find food or water.

Sal...

It's my fault. I should've fought back when he went out instead of me. I should've went with him. I should've done something.

I've nearly given up and started heading back to the hut when someone purrs from behind me:

"Link."

I turn slowly, wary, expecting to see nothing. He should be dead.

But he's there, flushed in the orange glow of the fire still burning behind me.

Doctor Cayson.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," he chuckles, stepping more into the light. Behind him, the shadows part to reveal Kyri, holding Sal with a weapon against his head. Sal's eyes plead with me, warning me.

"You're supposed to be dead," I croak, moving my attention back to Cayson. "I watched you die. I watched the life fade from your eyes." My voice turns to a growl as the anger I had felt at our last interaction returns.

"Ah, yes, you see," he waves his hand. "you're still young, and you know nothing."

"You killed them!" I yell, flamen swirling up around my arms. "You should've stayed dead!" I lunge at him, encasing us in blue flames for a moment, taking him by surprise. Kyri drags Sal back, looking confused. Cayson pushes me off, having the advantage even with the momentary shock. He pins me to the ground, breathing hard.

Now that he's closer, I can see how bad he looks. His neck is bandaged, and his face is dirty and swollen. He's wheezing, and it looks like it hurts to breath. A part of me is pleased. Even though he survived, he's still in pain.

"You aren't very good at this," he groans. I keep struggling, trying hard just to keep my flamen lit. I don't have the energy to do this.

"I was the last time we did this," I spit, trying to make him let his guard down, even just for a second. He scowls, shoving my face into the sand. I cough, kicking out at him.

"Stop fighting!" he shouts. I keep going, but I'm tiring. I can't keep this up for long.

"Sir," Kyri interrupts. "What should I do with the traitor?" Cayson frowns, baring his teeth.

"Whatever you want," he growls, grabbing my hands. I twist, trying to get away from him. I need to save Sal!

With the last bit of energy I have, I push Cayson off of me, wiggling out of his grasp.

Sal and Kyri are grappling for the weapon, which was pointed at Sal. I butt in, grabbing the weapon, pulling it away from them. Cayson grabs my shoulders, hauling me away. The weapon falls to the ground, and both Kyri and Sal lunge for it.

"You can't get away this time," Cayson hisses, shoving me back onto the ground. I try to wriggle away, but I'm worn out. Doctor Cayson is overpowering me, and I can't move. A sick smile spreads across his face.

"Link!" Sal shouts right before a loud bang cuts through the air. Doctor Cayson's smile turns into a look of shock. His grip loosens, and he falls on top of me. I cry out, throwing his body off of me. Blood is bubbling between his lips and staining the ground under his head.

I look over at Sal. He's holding the weapon, still locked in a shooting stance. He looks scared. He glances to his side, where Kyri is laying, unconscious.

I hear Sal choke, and a thud as the weapon hits the ground. He's looking at his hands with disbelief.

"I killed him..." he murmurs.

"We need to get going," I intergect, sneaking a glance at Cayson. He's lying in a pool of his own, black blood. I turn away, hauling Sal away from the scene. The fire is starting to burn out, so we're losing the light we have.

"We can't just leave them here," he stammers, resisting me with ease.

"Yes, we can. We need to go!" I give him one last nudge and collapse, out of breath. Sal looks down at me. With his scared, round eyes, he looks like a child.

"We need to tell someone or somethin-"

"Sal!" My voice cracks. I'm on the verge of tears. "I can't do this anymore! We need to go."

Sal meets my eyes and slowly starts nods. I sigh in relief. He picks me up, cradling me with his arms, and starts limping, slowly, away from everything.

"What did you do to Kyri?" I ask quietly. He doesn't say anything, just clenches his jaw.

We carry on in silence, walking into the dark, not knowing when we'll be able to stop.

☆

Alone.

That's all the child felt for years after his parents were taken. He didn't realise it though.

He missed his parents, but he was so young when they were taken. The only interaction with other of his kind besides his parents were those who invaded his world. All he knew was the island, since he was not allowed to leave it.

This had been drilled into his head; it was the only thing his parents were strict on. And he had no idea what else there was on his planet, the only information coming from books his father had brought when they first came to Senapri. They were filled with tales of foreign languages and planets from different galaxies.

One that really interested the child was a planet called Earth. The ruling species on it, called humans, were very similar to what he knew the nadic to be. Both were bipedal, smart, and they had similar organ structures. But that's about where the similarities stopped.

That was fascinating to him. How could two things be so similar yet so different?

He studied them: their language, mathematics, and biology. He did this for years, not knowing why. It's what kept him there. He had somewhere to go.

Sometimes a book is all you need to survive.

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Happy 4th of July!!