Kingdom Gone

THE GOVERNOR

I lost track of how many days went by.

It's just round the clock torture, keeping me alive with the IVs, pumping me with adrenaline when my heart stops. Constant agony.

But I heard it. The whistle. I just hope he heard it too.

Today the same two guys who've been keeping me company return, with their caddy of "interrogation" weapons.

"What's on the menu today, fellas?" I say, creepily chipper despite feeling dead inside.

The shorter of the two takes out his clipboard, then looks at his partner. "Loosen him up before we begin."

The other soldier grins, punching me right in the jaw. I shrug it off. "Oh come on, your grandma could hit harder than that!" He scowls, clocking me again, making me spit blood. "Alright that's enough." The soldier looks satisfied with himself before I turn to the guy with the clipboard. "Hey shortie, I think you should tap in. Your little boyfriend here doesn't know how to throw punch." The guy beside me growls, about to tear into me when his radio squawks. He sighs, taking it off his belt and holds it up to his ear. After a quick listen he looks to his partner, then gestures towards the door. The other guy looks confused, then exits. The taller one punches me in the stomach one more time, then leaves.

* * *

Lightning flashes outside.

Nijah, Sam, Derek and I sprint across the dark room once again. But this time when the gun appears, and Derek jumps in front of me, I don't see his face.

At first I see Sister Melani's face, the only nun at the orphanage who didn't partake in the beatings, who'd sneak us extra food and bail us out of trouble. Then I saw Circe. Her almost white colored hair, her piercing blue eyes.

Then the gun fires.

"Wake up, Jason."

I open my eyes, and see that the General is standing before me once again. "Oh, General DuckBill, how nice of you to stop by."

I see her right eye twitch, and rejoice inside, finally finding one thing that will break her stupid emotionless facade. And that's making fun of her name.

She composes herself. "You have a visitor."

A visitor?

The General walks back through the door, and in comes the Governor Evans himself. The door closes, and suddenly we're alone.

The tension in the room is palpable. He looks much older in person than he does on TV, his intelligent eyes and greying beard belonging on a painting. Which I'm sure there are many already. His light brown suit matches his hair, which looks to be thinning slightly along the hairline. When he speaks, his voice carries authority. "You've been quite the pain in my side these past few weeks." He looks around the small room. "I had to pull every favor I had just to get on this compound after I found you all."

Weeks?

"So what happens now?" I whisper, my throat dry from dehydration and fear.

"General Sybill agreed to release Circe back to me. As for you and your friends, well, she wouldn't say. But I am sure she is going to kill you all once she gets what she wants."

The sense of defeat gnaws on me, but my anger burns bright. "Why do you want Circe so bad, huh?" I spit. "To abuse her some more? Because you clearly never loved her."

"What are you talking about?" He asks, genuinely seeming to want to know.

"The bruises. She told us all about them, don't play stupid."