Healers blood

Chapter 1 Jayce

That day was dark and wet, every cloud in the sky is swarming the sun like a pact of hungry wolves closing in on a helpless deer, the rain poured down on the car, as my parents drove my sister and I to the outskirts of the capital. My mother and father look at each other with sadness in their eyes. As I listened to the steady noise of the car driving through the rain puddles on the smooth road, and the sound of the windshield wipers moving back and forth making a low squeaking noise. Any other day these noises would make me go to sleep, but not today, My head buzzes with questions, where are we going, what's it like outside the capitol, why are there so many security here, why are my parents sad? My mom looks back at me, her gold eyes filled with tears. Everytime I look at her eyes I feel comfort, but today the tears in her eyes bring an uneasiness to me. I look at my mom and tilt my head, as if asking why she is so sad.
 When we come up to the doors two people wait by, both of them have wide shoulders and big square heads, I’m reminded of the pictures of the big statues from a book that my mom found in an old book store, run by a very nice old lady, the old lady gave me a piece of candy for free, and I took it gladly. Sadly though statues are no longer there, I was told they just left, only leaving a little piece of rubble to be remembered by. 
My mom brushes the tears off her eyes, probably not wanting the statue men to no she was crying. She takes out a card from a small bag that I know is her purse, it is leather and has flowers on it, sunflowers.  My mom loves flowers that is why she named my sister Zinnia. Mom would tell me the reason she likes flowers is because they are the one thing that the world doesn’t wish perfect and they are okay with that, she says flowers hold a different meaning then just to decorate your house and your yard, they are also here to give hope and peace.  
 The security lets use go through this large gated doorway. They watch use suspiciously as we drive slowly along a white dotted line, we are getting closer to a big glass building, and that's when I realized we weren't going to the sealands. 
 We get out of the car, my mom takes my hand, my dad carries my little sister, Zinnia. We get to the hospital and my mom opens one of the doors with her Identification Card, when we get into the hospital my parents look both ways every time before crossing to go to a room. They are careful to not have their feet echo across the white tiled floor. The hallways are so empty with white walls and silver doors, there isn’t even a picture on one wall.The lights are off in the hallway, the dark swims around  my eyes and I get scared. Finally we reach, a room and my mom turns on a light. My dad puts my sister on a table and I sit next to her. the table is cold mostly because it’s metal and the air conditioning was blasting in this room. " Beth we need to hurry" My dad says looking out the window at security coming up to us. 
My mom spins around and finds a clean needle, she puts the tip of the needle in a bottle, and a clear liquid goes into a plastic part of the needle, I’m reminded of water being poured into a cup, the only difference was this was almost like a thicker water, I can see tears falling from her eyes again, I want to hug her, but something tells me I should stay out of the way. " Zinnia I love you so much sweetheart" my mom says,her voice is so shaky that you can barely understand her. She  then gives Zinnia a kiss on the cheek, she pokes Zinnia with the needle and Zinnia starts to cry the crying was gut wrenching and I hate it . 
My dad holds the door as people start to run up to the door hitting the door with their shoulders, you could see the door moving and loud bangs coming from the other side. My mom works fast now finding another needle. "Jayce my love I will always love you, never forget that you understand" she pulls me in for a hug and kisses me on the forehead, before I move my head she puts the needle in my arm it stings. My mom covers my face with my dad's hoodie, and wrapps Zinnia up. She makes sure our faces are out of sight, my dad holds the door that was now trying to be opened on the other side. 
 " Bethany you need to go now". My dad said I look at him and  he looks back at me. I am scared, how are we all going to get out of this, but then I realize we aren’t all going to my uncles together. " I love you Jayce I believe you will do great things." he said his voice was shaking and I don't know why. 
  "  I'm not leaving without you" my mom said holding Zinnia in her arms and holding my hand. I never realized how young my parents are I just think they are my parents, and they were never anything before that.
 I realize now that they were something more before us something that was powerful. They were rebels. " Beth you need to leave" my dad said, his young brown eyes looking at my mom with fear and pity. If there was a fear that was unexplainable that was the fear in my dad’s eyes at that moment. It is almost like looking into a deer’s eyes when they spot a car. He was frozen, but he knew he had to move, he knows he has to do something or else his family will die. He is holding the door close with his whole body, but he knows he can’t hold the door forever. Someone pushes the door with so much effort that it moves me dad a little, but he pushes the door closed again. Now that the lock is broken nothing, but a closed door and my dad holding the door shut, is keeping them from getting in
  My mom said only two words but they met a lot even for my ten year old mind."Make me," My mom hides my sister and I in a small closet, the closet was dark, but this time I’m not scared, I have to be brave like my parents are,   she takes out a gun, and my dad looks at her they almost communicate without speaking, he lets the door open and three security come. I hear a bang on the closet wall and the sound of someone falling, my sister starts to cry and a security opens the door and looks at the two of us. Grabbing me by the neck he throws me out of the closet, and I hit my head on the table. I hear my mom scream my name, but all care about is Zinnia, please don’t hurt her. After my mom screams my name I hear a gunshot and my dad says my mom’s name then everything goes dark. 
When I wake up every thing is different, the room is darker and the smell is different, it smells like food and people. Looking around I see kids in beds all fast asleep. The rain falls on the window and I listen as cars drive by. The dark surrounds my wide eyes. I couldn't sleep now. A  branch hits the window."What's your name" a girl's voice said, wide blue eyes look back at me, I jump in fear. She talks fast "My name's Sylvie I'm five," my ten year old mind couldn't comprehend anything she was saying,all I knew was my name, I couldn't remember my parents, or anything. My head hurts 
 " I'm Jayce" I said looking at the girls blue eyes her red hair stood out from the darkness and it was filled with static from the air. 
 " How old are you?" she asked looking at me, holding a stuffed animal in her hand. 
  " I think I'm eight" I said, and the truth is I don't even know how old I am. The back of my head hurts and I don't know why. All I remember is waking up in this place. 
 " Cool, you don't know where you are do you" she said frowning and walking around the room. " Your at my house " she said excitement filled her voice. " Your sister's  here to what's her name" Sister? I have a sister ? I thought to myself who's my, Zinnia! I think to myself wanting to go and see her remembering who she was now. 
  " Her names Zinnia" I said looking at Sylvie the sun started to shine through a window it was almost blinding. Sylvie looks at me her head tilts to the side and she squints her eyes, thinking. 
  " Like a flower" she said a moment of clarity went through her mind. "That's such a beautiful name,I love it. I love flowers" 
    “Kids breakfast.” I heard a woman say her voice was kind, and welcoming to the morning air and to a new place like this I almost wish I was back in the capitol, snuggling by my mother,  whoever she is, or playing a game with my father, who ever he is. I walk out of the room and see my sister sitting in a high chair, looking around at the house that we will be living in for the rest of our lives. I run to my sister, giving her a hug she was the only thing familiar in this house. Her little pieces of blonde hair put into a little bow. “ Hi sweetie are you ready for school”.  The lady said, she had a chiseled face and brown hair like mine but eyes deep blue like an ocean. I knew I could trust her I shake my head, I hated school, it was always boring, and I'm always bullied for my size. I'm shorter than most kids at my school.
     “ ah give the boy a day off of school let him get to know everyone.” A man said his voice was happy.  I know why all the other kids, in that small room had red hair. His face was more full,but he was still slim, he was smiling back at me, and gave me a wink. His eyes are green they almost look like tree leaves, but as I can see through a small window they didn't have many trees here. I sit next to him and he passes me a bowl of stew, and I take a sip it taste good. I let the warmth of the broth run down my throat, this was the first meal that I will ever remember eating. I can't remember anything about my life before this. "So buddy, what do you want to do." He said, I could tell he was trying to get me to think of anything other than what I was thinking of. I know them, the guy looked sad, almost like he lost someone. When I look closer he has the same face as someone that I knew. My dad, my dad he's related to my dad he's my uncle. " Oh man I completely forgot, my name's Jayce" My uncle says looking at me with a smile, he takes another sip of stew still looking at me. 
 " Uncle Jayce" I say remembering everything that we did together, tying a fishing net, riding a bike, playing catch, he was the one that would  watch me when my parents would go to work. I give him a hug and he laughs at me, I laugh too, but behind his wide grin you could tell he was still sad though, and I could still only remember my uncle, not my dad, and I can't remember anything about my mother, all I have is tiny pictures of gold eyes, that go through my head. I wish I could remember but I can't, it's  almost like my life has been taken from me, but I'm still alive. " So what do you want to do." 
  " Can we go fishing" I ask and he smiles. I smile because I know that's a yes. He roughs up my hair and gets. Up I put on my shoes and he ties them for me, showing me how, I try to tie the other shoe, but I can't so he ties it for me.
I follow my uncle outside, we walk into a shed that was filled with fishing lures, rods, nets, and string. " I made this one for you I imagine you'll grow into it when you get older," he said giving me a fishing rod that was twice my size I put it over my shoulder and walk out. Now my uncle is almost running after me, he puts me behind his back when a person in a slate colored bodysuit walks by. The security nods his head at my uncle and my uncle nods back, he must know him.
  " Mr. Maclin" he said, he had blonde hair that was shaved to a military crew cut, his slate suit made his hazel blue eyes stand out. " And who's this" the man said smiling down at me from behind my uncle his smile stretches from ear to ear.
 "This is my nephew, Jayce" my uncle says putting a hand on my shoulder, the man looks sad but chooses to ignore it. " You look just like your father. Your mom, and dad were the greatest friends I had." He said and I realize he's probably the same age as my parents, his eyes are filled with a young spirit.
 " Yeah, and I was the older brother that watched you three" my uncle said laughing, and the man laughs to. " Oh, I keep doing this Jayce this is Dean, he lives right over there" My uncle said pointing to a house that was right across the street, it was the same slate color but it had a rusty tin roof. Now that I think about it everyone here has wears that color and all the houses are the same the only difference is some are smaller than others, when I look back at our house it seems small in comparison to everyone else's. 
  " Oh here, Jayce your going to need this, I would really hate if you got kicked out." Dean says, he handed me one of the uniform  shirts it was the perfect fit, curving around my small shoulders and ends at my hips. " Your off duty today Jayce"? Dean asked, raising an eyebrow as if he just, realized or, he couldn't ask until now.
  " Yes I have to show this guy around the slinns here." my uncle said, and Dean smiles and looks down at me.
 " So why did your parents name you Dean" I say looking up at him he was tall, even for an eight year old looking up at him. He just smiles at me laughing.
 " Your father asked the same question. They liked the name." Dean simply says, shrugging his shoulders. " I have to go, you know patrolling the city and sh" He stops before saying what he was going to say, and says " stuff" Looking at me. My uncle laughs at him. 
 " See you around." My uncle says waving to him, with a smile on his face. As he walks away we walk to the ocean, my uncle looks around looking for other securities. " This seems like a good spot" he says looking around. I put my fishing rod on the ground. It was a small hole behind some trees and bushes. My uncle casts my fishing line in the water and handing me the fishing rod, when he cast his line in the water and we sit on the ground and wait. Not much time goes by before I catch a fish I try with all my strength to reel the fish in but I can't my uncle takes the rod from me and starts to reel the fish in it takes him only a few seconds to reel the fish in. The fish was big for me, but for my uncle it fit in his one hand " Do you want to hold it" he said kneeling down and holding the fish out for me to hold.I shake my head and he laughs "Okay" he said throwing the fish back in the water. I watch as it swims to the bottom of the reef I didn't catch any fish for the rest of the day I just talked to my uncle. None of us caught anything after that we waited there till the sun starts to set on the beach. We walked home later that day I set the fish that were in a bucket free into the water my uncle looks around nervous,maybe we stayed out a little longer than need be. When we walk in Sylvie was playing with Zinna and  another baby they looked like they were the same age, my sister and cousin that is. 
           My aunt was reading a book in an old broken chair that looked like it was left out in all types of weather. “It's time I make dinner”  my aunt said closing the book and walking to the kitchen, I hear a knife cutting vegetables and them being thrown in a pot 
    “ Can I help you” I said standing next to her my head barely reaching the top counter she smiles and moves over to the small table putting a stick of celery on the table taking my hands in hers she helps me cut these memories I want to remember, but I hope that it's not a dream. I really don't want this to be a dream. The capital is awful. 
      “ You need to cut easy” she said, looking at my hands, probably making sure that I don't get cut she let's go of my hands but she stays close to me smiling eventually she walks away to keep cooking and I stay cutting the celery. “ You done over there sweets” my aunt said looking over to me I knew when she asked that I knew she was done.
        “ No” I said ready to get hit over the head for not finishing something but I didn't. In the capitol not finishing a task is punishable by being hit my parents never hit me, I don't think, but I remember being hit a few times by someone a teacher maybe. 
   “ That's okay you got a lot done” she said cutting up the remaining celery that I didn't and throwing it into a pot. I can smell the food and the sound of it boiling in the pot I don't remember seeing my mother cook. I don't even remember talking to my mother but I know she must have loved me because she brought me here.  “ Dinners done.” I sat down as fast as I could and my mom sets all the bowls down. The sun begins to go down, I look out the window at the ocean and sunset the water sparkles, it almost looks like moving glass slowly rolling across the sand of the shore the sound is calming, it makes me tired. I listen as trees blow around all the sounds mix together everyone eats their dinner in silents enjoying the sound of the ocean, and my uncle sits by the window enjoying the cool ocean breeze as it blows through the open window. My aunt closes her eyes for a second and takes in everything around her.   
    “May” then Zinnia breaks the silence her gold eyes wide with joy as she says " May" continuously , she got a cooler version of the  stew and so did the other little girl, that was the same age, she looked at me a bright smile on her face showing two small front teeth and gums her eyes are a light green like Uncle Jayce and she has little red wisps of hair that are almost as red as a strawberry just a little lighter. She takes my finger her skin is so soft, it almost feels like silk not yet tanned by the sun's raise. 
 My Aunt lets out a slight chuckle and picks her up  “ Her name's Chloe” getting her out of the high chair she  hands her to me even if I was small she felt smaller, she squirmed in my arms and I was trying to hold her but I had to get some help my Uncle took her and I was grateful. Her tiny body looks even small up against my uncle's chest Chloe laughs as my uncle bounces her on his knee.   
  “Jayce, Chloe, Chloe, Jayce,” my Uncle said taking her hand and moving it back and forth from me to her I couldn't help but laugh she was so cute so was Zinnia, and I was happy Zinnia could have someone her age to play with.
     “ J-j-jayie,” Chloe said and my Aunt and Uncle both looked at her with smiles on their faces 
    “ What did you say sweety,” my Aunt said and Sylvie put down her spoon to listen I stare at Chloe and look at her in aw. 
    “ Jayie,” she said again but this time it sounded more like my name “Jayie” she started clapping her hands at me and my Uncle hands her back to me 
      “ Looks like you got a friend there,” My uncle said crossing his arms and laying back in the chair. Sylvie goes back to her seat and starts eating her stew again and my aunt takes Chloe away from me so I can eat 
      “ Was that her first word?” I asked taking another sip of stew looking at Zinnia and Chloe.
    “ Yes,” Sylvie said playing with Chloe's hand 
   “ I think we should go to bed if we're caught out any later we can be punished,” My Uncle said standing up putting his plate on the counter and closing the curtains I stand up and put my bowl on the counter to help close another curtain and walking to bed. 
     “I call top bunk,” Sylvie said running past me but I run faster, because I'm smaller. I make it to the latter before she could and get up to the bunk.  “That's not fair,” She said slamming her hand down on the bed 
    “ Good night Sylvie I love you” My Aunt said kissing her forehead and Sylvie lays down pulling the blanks over her and rolling over to the wall and fell asleep my Aunt said goodnight to me next “ good night Jayce I love you” she kisses me on the forehead and I feel the warmth on my head again. My Uncle walks in next saying goodnight to all of us. I soon dozed off to sleep looking up at a hole in the ceiling to see the stars. This was the first time I had a good sleep, knowing that I'm loved. That night I dreamt I was back in the capital, but a part of the rebellion and my sister was there I was an adult, it was a good dream, but I would have liked to dream of riding a bike, or swimming in the ocean, but this was good to.