Black and Blue

Black and Blue - Chapter 1 (Memories)

Chapter 1 - Memories

I remember running through the dandelion fields with my mother when I was a little girl. The wind swayed the weeds, making the field seem like an ocean of yellow.

"Mommy, why do the walls trap us in?" I asked her one day.

Mother was twirling with her arms out to her sides; her face pointed up the sky. She stopped spinning when she heard my voice and walked over to me.

"Well," she said as she plopped down to her knees in front of me so that she was level with my height. "The wall keeps us separated from the super ones." The wind blew her dark curls in front of her face and she swept them back with her hand.

"The super ones?" I questioned. "Daddy calls them mutants."

My mother chuckled and leaned in closer to me. "Sweetie, that's because your father fears anything that's different."

"Is he scared of us?" My voice raised an octave. "We're different. We're the only ones with gray eyes in the entire city. Is he going to make us go outside the wall?" I reached for my mother's hands; scared that my father was going to kick us out.

My mother's voice turned serious as her eyes gleamed with a new anger. "We are not different Jolie. You and I are special."

___

Groggily I opened my eyes to a scenery of green. Green shrubs, green grass, green trees. I could smell the pine in the air. Was I outside the wall?

I tried to stand up from the sitting position I was in but I couldn't move. Looking down I saw a thick rope that bound me to the tree behind me. My numb hands were tied behind my back and my ankles were bound together so tightly I thought they might be bleeding. The white dress I had been wearing at the festival was now smudged in places with dirt. Then I heard the voices.

"I don't understand why he wants her alive," a husky voice said. "She's a threat to all of us."

I searched the forest with my eyes trying to find the source. They fell upon a group of people all huddled around a fire.

"She wouldn't be a threat if he has her on his side," a female said. She was lying down with her hands behind her head looking up into the tree branches above her. She rolled onto her side to face the group and her red hair swung in front of her face. "He's probably pacing in circles waiting for us to return with her."

"But if she refuses then we're doomed," the husky voice spoke again. The man looked just as rough as his voice. When standing he probably towered over the rest of the group. His hair was bristly and brown and was slicked back away from his face. He reached up and scratched at his whiskers.

"Oh don't be so dramatic Maddox," a new voice chimed in. My eyes followed the voice to a familiar face. It was the boy that took me from the festival. The corners of his lips twitched up into a smile. "Look at her. Does she really look that terrifying?"

All the heads of the group turned to look straight at me, tied up to the tree. I could feel my face go red and my stomach tightened in fear.

Then blackness overtook me again. This time it wasn't from a syringe.

___

I remembered being out with Harper. His warm hand was wrapped in mine as we walked down the quiet streets. A man was outside sweeping his front porch. I guess he heard us walking because he looked down at us.

Our eyes connected and I swear I saw a shiver shoot through him. He set down his broom and went inside his house in a hurry.

I started to walk a little faster as my hand tightened around Harper's.

"Hey," Harper said. "What's wrong?" He stopped walking and pulled me to him.

"Did you see the way that man acted when he saw me?" I asked, trying to hold tears back. People had acted like that towards me for too long. "It was like he was scared of me or something?"

"Why would he be scared of you?" I could hear the smile in Harper's voice. "You're too cute to be scary."

"Harper," I sighed. "Be serious." All of the humor washed away from his face. "It's all of the older people. It's like they know something about me that I don't."

___

I opened my eyes again. It was dark outside now. I looked up at the tree branches and could see glimpse of moonlight trying to peek through. Hesitantly, I glanced over where the group of people had been earlier. They were still there; most of them lying down sleeping. I counted five sleeping.

Two were sitting up whispering to each other. One of them was Maddox and the other was an older woman with graying hair.

Then at the edge of the group, sitting alone, I saw him; the boy. Now I realized he wasn't a boy; he was older than I was. His features were dark and angled. I looked into his gray eyes. He was watching me. When we locked eyes he stood up, grabbed a bottle, and walked over to me with Maddox and the woman watching him.

"Watch it Zane," Maddox warned.

Zane waved his hand above his head, letting Maddox know he could handle it.

I looked down at his feet when he reached me, scared to look into his eyes again.

"Thirsty?" He asked as he dropped the water bottle beside me. I watched his feet turn to walk back to the fire.

"I can't drink it," I whispered helplessly. My tongue felt like sandpaper in my mouth.

"What did you say?" He asked turning back around.

I tried to make my voice louder, but it cracked as I spoke. "I said I can't drink it." I coughed. "My hands."

Without saying anything Zane walked over and knelt down beside me. He took the water bottle, unscrewed the top, and motioned for me to tilt my head back. I opened my mouth and felt him press the bottle to my lips. The cool water exploded in my mouth and I gulped down the bottle. I tilted my head back down and watched as water drizzled out of his fingertips and back into the bottle. I heard him chuckle when he noticed the amazement on my face.

"Cool huh?" Zane said as he stood up. He turned and walked back to the group.

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