The Seeker

Chapter 4

It's about three hours later and we are still headed east in search of this city. By now the Entities are looking everywhere for us, and it is quite likely that they already have our families taken into their custody. Our families may be being tortured as we walk away from them and everything we've ever known. First to go will be my five year old brother Blaze. He won't be able to stand their cruelty for more than a week. My stomach churns at the thought that I left my brother in the hands of the gruesome Entities. How could I? I took care of him when mom and dad had to work at the sewing factory each day, and now I just leave him to die! My knees buckle and black dots swarm in front of my eyes.

"Nica, Nica are you ok?" Seep asks as he is bent over me. "Nica can you hear me?"

I try to tell him that I'm fine, but only a faint moan passes my lips. I can barely see him as my eyes are so heavy they only allow me to open them slightly, and with what little I have to see through, sunlight streams into my eyes.

I feel my head being lifted ever so slightly, and then Seep lifts his canteen to my lips and pours water down my throat. I cough as I am unable to swallow the water, but this heavy coughing shakes my whole body and in a few moments I am back to normal.

"Well what are we waiting for? Lets get a move on," I say after a few minutes.

"We've gone far enough for today. Lets rest up."

"But we still have half the day left," I protest.

"We're staying here. Nica, you just fainted! If anything ever happened to you I could never forgive myself, so just for today lets take a break."

I'd like to protest, but how can you when a guy cares for you so much that he is willing to risk being captured just to give me the break I need.

"You're thinking about him aren't you?"

"Who?"

"You know who, Blaze."

"How can't I? I left him in their hands."

At this Seep reaches over and holds my hand. We've never held hands before, but it is comforting. "You did what was right, Nica."

"How can you say that? Do you feel that way about your two year old sister?"

"Nica, they were made to not feel a thing. No pain. No feelings. No love. They're practically robots!"

"And how are we different?"

"I don't know how it happened, but somewhere along the way we learned to feel. They haven't learned that yet, so the torture will only hurt you, not them. Trust me?"

I nod my head. I have to trust him, he's all I got now.