Jerone and the Girl from the Sky

Chapter Six

Jerone

Blood pools on the tile floor like wine on a wedding dress, even my own blood wants to escape this hell. I lost track a long time ago. There was a clock in the room, at first, but after I blacked out for the second time they took it out to, so it wouldn't drive me insane. Doesn't matter, the blood slowly, running down my arm was sure to do it.

I'm not sure if the jailer left to hours ago or two minutes; the laws that govern time don't apply in this pocket dimension. I never should have let that Portaler stay. If I had left her to die none of this would have happened. Ori and Moda would be at home, safe, I would be home with them. I'd spend my days collecting banta, maybe one day I'd hire a servant and buy Moda a bigger house with the extra money. With Daba gone I could marry Torin and we'd grow old together, a family of two.

The water was cold but refreshing. I tried to lick it off my face, but all my sandpaper tongue got was blood.

"Where are the rebels," The jailer seems to think I'm the heir to an illegal banta exporting gang.

"I don't know," it hurt to talk with a broken jaw but it'd hurt more if I didn't.

"Still not giving in. They must have taught you well, Hurculum," He also thinks my Daba's name is Hurculum. The jailer said Hurculum is Caltun's, my Daba's, brother and Mada had an affair with him. But that's not possible, Daba doesn't have a brother, and Mada would never betray my Daba. I think all these years bringing people to the edge of insanity pushed the guy over, "Not talking Hurculum? Maybe your half-sister will,"

"Leave her alone. She doesn't know anything,"

"Now I'd like to believe you, I would, but I don't," He said and left. I strained against the cuffs but the metal stung against the raw skin.

I must have blacked out again. I woke up with an ear-piercing ringing in my ear. The door to the room opened and a bunch of people came in; they weren't like the jailer, they were covered in dirt and grime. A guy picked a short lady up and she picked the lock on my handcuffs. I fell towards the floor but two men catch me and hold me up.

We exit the room, the two men carry me to a lift. The ringing isn't in my ear, It's an alarm they must have triggered. The lift jerks to a stop and I hit my head on something.

"Wake up!" Someone slapped my face. I rub my eyes and look around.

"Daba?" I'm in my room, Daba stands over me barking orders between his crooked teeth. "Daba, what's going on?"

"It's time to collect, boy, and you're oversleeping." Daba rips the blanket off of me. "You slept through first meal."

"I'm sorry Daba, it won't happen again." I slide out of bed and proceed to get dressed. This feels familiar and wrong. It's like I've read this story before, but I can't remember the ending. I kiss Moda on the cheek then hug Ori and Tony goodbye. Daba is already at the edge of the forest when I catch up to him, he never waits for me.

We walked deep into the forest to collecting banta. It was about time to head back but Daba wanted to keep going; that's when it happened. Daba's head jerked to where the nose came from, I stepped back and look at what I'd done. The stick wasn't that small, we could probably get a fair price for it even though it was in half, but Daba didn't see it that way. I don't remember what happened that day in the woods, But I came home covered in bruises and cuts all over my body. Daba said I fell down a hill. Moda didn't say anything. I watched where I stepped after that day.

"Jerone," A soft voice said.

"Tony?" I reach to touch the face but it disappears.

"Who's Tony?" I look to my other said and my vision clears.

"No one," I tell Cyrus who isn't wearing her gravity vest. "Where are we?"

"Moda said it's the OutLaws base,"

"Your Moda is here?" Cyrus tilted her head at this question.

"My Moda?" She was puzzled for a moment, "Wait, Moda means birther?"

"Does birther mean the one whose womb you came out of?"

"Yes,"

"Yes," I forgot about language differences, "Sorry, I thought spoke planetary Orthian, not one of the hybrids,"

"Oh," Cyrus bit her lips and looked down, "I'm sorry for getting you into this mess,"

"You should be," She looked taken back, "You did get me and my family registered on the list of known outlaws, and put a prize on the two most important people in my life's heads. You basically ruined my life,"

"Yeah, sorry," she left.