Water's Edge

Chapter 8

      My eyes slowly adjust to my surroundings as I look around. I am in a damp, dark cell with a pile of straw for a bed and a bucket for a toilet. Great.
     A figure is sitting on the other side of the room. He turns toward me. The moment he sees me, he runs to me and pulls me in for a hug. I start to cry.
"Don't cry," my brother says softly, "I should be the one crying."
     I look up at him, "Why?"
     "You're heart stopped," he says in a hushed voice. His face is pale. I am confused but then I remember. David hitting me with his gun and an immense pain. Then black.
"Well I'm fine now," I say, trying to reassure him. I can tell he is unconvinced. I really am fine though aside from my killer headache. I sit up and lean against my brother. "How long have we been here?" I ask.
     "Only about a day," he replies. "I'm sorry, Darya."
     "What do you have to be sorry about? I'm the one who couldn't fight back." It's true. My powers-or whatever they are-got me nowhere.
     "About that," my brother starts to say, like he is reading my mind, "What was that with your hands and the water? Do you have powers or what?" I can't really answer that question I guess but I don't known.
     "I don't know. I guess," I tell him, repeating my thoughts. I am confused when my brother breaks out in a broad grin. "What are you smiling for," I snap at him, " We are stuck in a cell and being held captive by the Barrens!"
I see Arroyo flinch so I soften my features. If he had powers I would be mystified too.
     "Do you think you can create water instead of moving it?" Arroyo asks me.
     "I would have to try to find out." I lift me hands parallel to the ground and try and concentrate. I feel a surge through me before it distinguishes. "I think I can. I can feel it, but I think I need practice with it first."
"Well we don't have much time. Can you control water right now if you tried?"
"Wait. Why don't we have much time?" I ask. Something isn't right.
     "Well," he pauses, "I am scheduled to be executed at five tonight." I feel my face pale. Executed?! I can't let that happen.
     "What time is it now?" I ask as I am praying in my head. Let it be early in the morning.
     "It's uh...... about three thirty."
"That isn't enough time!" I scream. I start to pace the ten by ten foot cell. After about five minutes, I hear footsteps coming down the hall. I look through the iron bars and see David. I throw my worst glare in his direction and share a glance with Arroyo.
      "I'm sorry. Actually, no I'm not. Well I guess I should tell you the news. Arroyo, you're coming with me to be executed ." He pauses then looks at me, "Darya, you will be experimented on tomorrow. Good, everything lines up."
     "What?!" I shout as two faceless guards grab my brother and drag him out of the cell. I throw myself against the bars. "Arroyo!"
     "Darya," my brother shouts back to me as the guards and David drag him away. "you will get out of here! You will go on without me!" I bang my fists against the iron and I start to cry. My brother is gone along with my parents.
I start to pace the room as I try and clear my mind. Despair will not help me now. I take deep breaths and try to calm down.
     Drip. I stop my pacing and look around for the source of the noise. In the corner of the room, I notice water falling from the ceiling.
I sit down in the opposite corner furthest from the door to the cell. I focus on collecting the water that drips from the wall and is on the floor, into a sphere. It takes me a couple of tries, but I manage to collect the water and bring it toward me. Awesome! Momentarily, I forget about my brother but the moment doesn't last. I continue to practice while thinking about Arroyo, until I hear footsteps. I drop the water and try to back away from the cell door.
     "Well Darya, that was more amusing than expected," David says, appearing on the other side of the bars. "Watching your brother take his final breath before I shot him was, well, the most fun I've had in awhile." Bile rises in my throat as I watch David smile and put a finger gun to his head. I take the bait and charge at him. I try to reach him through the bars as I yell at him.
       "You're dead! I will kill you when I get out of here you psycho!"
If it affects David, he doesn't show it. He just keeps giving me a psychotic smile. To wipe the smile of his face, I pick up the water with my powers and I throw it at him. He gets soaked.
     "If you want to play like that, we will have lots of fun tomorrow." He walks away and I am left with my own thoughts and misery.