The Reduction

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Zara

Zara repositioned her foot in the sheets to find a cooler spot to rest them. She could hear herself breathing against the pillow that her head rested on. It was dark in the motel room. The lights weren't on inside but porch lights outside were. Zara didn't know what time it was but she didn't care. It had been several days since Danker was supposed to come back with a truckload of gas and food and she was scared out of her mind. Her brain ached with grief and sorrow for her lost loved ones and she found herself wishing that everything could just stop. Becoming flustered and restless, she decided to get some fresh air outside.

Normally Danker would throw a huge fit about Zara going outside and exposing herself, but he wasn't there at the moment and Zara soon lost all fear towards that subject. She found herself practically wishing for the government to find her and Reduce her to keep her from feeling so empty and worthless. She pushed the sheet back silently and got up from bed to go find a cigarette from her bag. She has never smoked before but held onto a pack because it used to be her father's. She never knew how she got them, but she never went anywhere without them in her pack.

Zara can't remember her parents. According to John, they left her as a child under his care. He was their neighbor and old friend. One day they showed up at his doorstep asking him to babysit her and they never came back. John soon realized that Zara was special and made it his duty to take care of and protect her. He had told her it was because they left for the army, but she never believed him. However, Zara had been extra grateful to John ever since. The thought of John and her parents made her stomach sink to her feet. She shook her head to brush off the idea and looked around the dark room for a possible lighter.

Her eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, scanned the room for Danker's belongings. Surely he must have a lighter somewhere. After lifting and moving some things around, Zara realized that he'd taken everything with him on the gas run. The traumatic thought of him leaving her on purpose arose in her brain but she instantly shrugged it off when she noticed that James' bag was sitting by the bathroom door. Could James have a lighter? She was sure he did, he always used to smoke at school and sometimes in the community. She made her way slowly to his pack, trying to make the smallest footsteps. Before grabbing the bag she checked his bed where he lay sound asleep. He was so peaceful while he slept. Zara watched for a moment as his slow, heavy breaths caused the sheets on his stomach to rise and fall so slightly. She then adjusted her focus back to the bag as she took it into the bathroom.

After closing the door to make just a small tap, Zara turned on the light and rested the bag on the sink. 'What secrets do you hold within, James?' Zara thought as she unzipped the biggest pocket of the bag. The first thing she noticed once it was totally unzipped was a rolled-up black jacket. She removed it and stroked it, as was soft cotton and smelt like sweat and James. Setting it aside she peered into the pack finding a first aid kit along with a sketchpad. She set the kit onto the ground softly and examined the sketchbook. It was the one he was doodling on the other day. She quickly flicked through the pages to see many small sketches of animals and designs. Losing interest fast, she set the sketchbook on top of the kit and continued searching.

Towards the bottom of the pack was a mini cosmetic bag filled completely to the point where it looked like the zipper would snap. Zara contemplated opening it but decided against it as it would be too much of a hassle to close. Under everything lay a 99mm semiautomatic pistol with a box of bullets next to it. Zara decided not to touch it for obvious reasons. Danker had gotten rid of most of James' guns when they first got to the motel. She guessed that he missed one. Putting everything back strategically the same way it was before, Zara decided to look for the lighter in the other pockets of the pack. The front pocket had two clips holding it shut and she slowly unbuckled each to make the smallest noise. In the front pocket was a clear pencil case filled with pens, pencils, and erasers. There were also three hunting knives sheathed in the front pocket. One with a wooden handle, one in a full maroon sheathe, and one black switchblade. There also were a few wrapped condoms that Zara refrained from touching. Smirking to herself, she placed everything back in the front pocket and searched the side ones.

On the left side, there was a flashlight, wallet, pepper spray, and another small cosmetic bag. Zara opened the bag to find what seemed to be a tattoo kit. It had needles, alcohol pads, black ink, razor blades, sterile gloves, bandaids, a small bottle of aloe, a wooden stick, and what seemed to be some sort of blue grip or wrap. Moving to the other side of the backpack, Zara found two packs of cigarettes and a lighter with a crumbled-up piece of paper and a crushed Nature Valley Bar. Feeling accomplished she grabbed the blue BIC lighter and flicked it to see if it worked. After a couple of tries, a flame arose and Zara smiled to herself. Before zipping the pocket back up she looked back at the crumpled piece of paper. Her curiosity got the best of her and she unrivaled it to reveal a message.

"on this page, I write my last message; read it well... Don't test me. You are no longer my son... I need you to do your birth job one last time. Do you want a battle? I'll give you war. Where you go, I go. James, what are you afraid of?"

Furrow browed, Zara, read the note several times to decipher it. Was this from his parents? What was his birth job? What did they mean by war? Why were they threatening James? With many questions, Zara decided to crumple the paper back up, quickly zip the pack and grab the lighter. Turning off the light before opening the door the world seemed much darker as she stepped back into the room. She slowly bent down to set the bag back and quietly made her way on her tippy toes towards the back door. It was right near James' bed so she unlocked it extra quietly. She tried to push it open with one hand but failed. Pushing her shoulder against the door and pulling the door handle down with more force caused the door to swing open with a loud thump. Instantly freezing and checking James' bed for a sign of him waking up, Zara searched his sleeping figure to move. He didn't. Letting out a small exhale Zara pushed the rest of the door open enough for her to squeeze through letting in as little light from the porch lamp as possible. As the door should with a thud the room instantly filled back up with darkness.