The Runaways

Chapter 34: Cathlina

I hear the yelling and screaming before I know who fell through the hole.  At first, I think it’s Jedda, but the voice is too deep to be hers.  All I know is the owner of the voice is a boy.

          I whip out my knife from the compartment in my boot and advance.  I hear a groan from the boy.

          I can’t see him because the lighting is dim and the light from above isn’t strong down here.

          My legs become shaky.  Maybe this boy works for Jedda.  He might be here to kill me.

          I can faintly see his outline.  He looks to be my age.

          Without hesitation, I put my knife to his throat.  Through clenched teeth I say, “I don’t know who you are, but you don’t belong here.  Leave, or I kill you now.”

          He gasps for air.  “No.  Don’t.  Please.”

          “Why shouldn’t I?  You’re an intruder.  You don’t belong here.  Leave. Now!” I yell at him.

          “Stop.  No.  Just tell me where I am,” he pleads. I can hear a sob in his voice.

          I hesitate before I say, “Why should I tell you?  Are you working for Jedda?”

          He sighs before he says, “No.  She tried to kill me.  I’m running away from her.  And my girlfriend, and my mom, and a lot of other things.”

          I stop.  I slowly pull the knife away.  “You ran away?”

          I can see his outline nod.  “Yes.  Did you?”

          I decide to put my knife away.  Maybe he needs my help.  Without all of the guards watching for newcomers, who knows who’ll fall through that hole.

          “Yes.  I did.”  I straighten myself and flex my bad shoulder.  “You should come inside.  So we can talk.”  I back up so he can stand.

          “Ugh, could you help me?  That was a hard fall,” he asks.

          I reach my hand out and he takes it.  I flinch because his hand is ice-cold.  I manage to pull him up, trying my hardest to not strain my shoulder.  I rub it, trying to ease the pain.

          “Thanks,” he says as he lets go of my hand, wiping his on his pants-leg.

          “Just follow me.  You’ll need to get a few supplies if you’re gonna stay here.  You can never be sure of an attack.  Probably by Jedda, but my you never know if we’ll obtain a new enemy,” I explain as I make my way to the double doors leading to the dorms.

          “I really hate Jedda,” the boy mumbles.

          “We all do.  She killed our leader, Mr. Leight, also her father.  She will stop at nothing to kill me and everyone else here.  But she mainly wants my power.”

          I hear him stop walking.  I turn to face him.  I still can’t see his face, but I can tell he is probably only an inch or two taller than me.

          That’s a first.  I’m taller than practically everyone here.  Well, now I won’t be lonely.

          “You have a power?  I have a power.  She was trying to drain me of it.”

          Well that doesn’t make any sense.  I’m the only one with my curse.  My adoptive parents told me before Siana and I ran away.  It was one of the reasons my real parents never paid me any attention to me.

          “You have a power too?  What can it do?” I ask, now curious.

          “I can run really fast.  Like over a hundred miles per hour.”

          So my curse is still one of a kind.

          “Oh.  I can just turn invisible,” I say.

          He breathes in sharply.  “Invisibility… I know who you are!”  In the light of the nearby torch, I see a smile spread across his face.

          This is bad.  Really bad.  Nobody should know who I am.  I ran away.  Everyone has forgotten I ran away.

          “You do?” I say with a quiver in my voice.

          “Yeah.  You’re Cathlina Hampton!  Don sent me here, if you know him.”

          Don?  “No, I don’t know him.  And did Jedda put you up to this?  How do you know my name?  Who are you?” I ask quietly.  I’m about to get my knife out again.

          “Like I’ve said, Jedda is trying to kill me.  Don is a guy who helped me get out of her prison-like building she takes people to.  I’m…”

          I stop him, putting my hand up.  “Wait.  You were taken to a building?  Where?”

          I’m not exactly sure.  But it’s somewhere in the farmlands of Illinois.  A family of farmers got me back here.  Anyway, I’m Kasen Bruttella.  I was told to ask you for help with my power,” he explains.

          He needs my help.  I don’t mean to sound selfish,  but I don’t need him to keep me from doing my duty.  I can’t help him.

          I’m tempted to tell him to leave, but I say, “Okay.  But I need you to meet someone first.”

          I open the doors and immediately run into Trenton and Caleb, who look terrified of something.