Fragments

Chapter 2

After waiting in the sterile white room for what seems like hours, a new doctor enters.

"Well, Mr. Castor, you're free to go."

"Wait, what? The other doctor said you were coming to tell me something about the mark on my back."

"Oh, that. Don't worry about it. It's a simple change in skin pigmentation in that one spot. It happens to a lot of people when they get older. And I see that you've been working with the plants recently. You're most likely having a reaction to something you've been working with."

"Are you sure? The other doctor seemed pretty concerned about it."

"Positive."

But the worried and slightly frightened look in his eyes told me something much different.

That night once my mom had gone to bed, I pulled up my shirt and looked at the mark again.

Is it...more defined?

What at first looked like an amorphous brown blob on my ghostly white skin now seems to have formed into something. I pull my shirt down quickly.

The doctor said you were fine. You're fine, Merak, relax. It's normal. It's just a reaction from the plants like the doctor said. Oh no, the plants! After the health checkup, I was so concerned about the mark that I forgot to water and feed my plants for the night! They'll definitely be dead by tomorrow if they aren't dead already! I wonder if the greenhouse is open at this time....

I pull on some dark clothes, gently open the window, and drop to the ground. The buses don't run this late so I have to walk there. I start to run, praying that if I go fast enough, the night watch won't catch me out of my section past curfew. I make it less than 5 minutes before I have to slow to a walk.

Wow I really need to get into better shape.

Still, walking fast I make it to the greenhouse in about 20 minutes. It's deserted, just as I hoped. I peer in the window and see my plants. It's not hard to spot them; they are the only ones that are practically bent in half because they are so wilted.

I try the door, but it's locked.

Damn, maybe the window.

It only takes me two tries to pull the screen out. I almost drop it in the end, but thankfully I catch it right before it hits the ground. I hop into the window and immediately knock over a plant. The pot shatters with a huge crash. I freeze. Silence. I think about cleaning up the broken pieces, but then they will have my fingerprints. I'll get in huge trouble and then I'll definitely be put to work with the Redheads. I'll just have to be more careful. I practically tip-toe over to the watering jug, making sure it's not too full so I don't spill any. One ruined plant is enough.

I make it over to my plants without a problem. They look even worse up close. Their leaves which were originally green with small blue dots are now yellowed and papery.

"What are you doing?" I hear remarkably loudly. I look around frantically for the voice. "Dude, you're adrenaline levels are about to break the freaking scale. Take a few deep breaths, if you don't slow your heart soon you'll have worse problems."

"Who's there?" I'm still looking for the voice, but there's no one here.

The voice suddenly gets deep and threatening. "I am the great and mighty Afra. Bow to me, citizen." I'm contemplating actually complying when the voice breaks into high-pitched giggles. "I've always wanted to do that," she pauses to giggle more. "I really am Afra though, but I'm not an omnipotent ruler. At least, not yet. I'm not in the greenhouse either so quit looking around like an idiot. I'm in your head."