One Bright Spot

Chapter 7

A Confrontation With The "Queen":

I black out again, but the doctors say that goes with the temerature spike and concussion.

When I come to again, Kota informs me that I've only been out for a few hours. I feel groggy and brain dead, but otherwise fine.

"Please? I don't want to stay here anymore", I whine to Kota. "I feel fine! Let me go back to my apartment."

He shakes his head,"No. You have to stay here."

"Why? There's no need."

"Because, I said so. End of story. You need to get better, not worse."

"I am better. My temperature has gone back to normal and my head doesn't hurt a bit. What does hurt is my ears from all of the beeping these machines are doing. Please, Kota", I beg,"Let me go back to my apartment, where its quiet."

He shakes his head again,"No."

"Why not?" Now I am getting angry.

"Because it will mean that I have no excuse to sit here and make sure you're not going to take a turn for the worse. I'll have to go back to teaching and spend my day with a bunch of..."

"Kota."

"Well, I will! Do you know how nice its been not being under my mother's thumb?"

"Glad I could help you break free by almost dying", I say sarcastically.

I try to argue with him some more, but he doesn't budge.

That night, as Kota sleeps with his head on my bed, yet again, I struggle to find slumberland. My mind is filled with all of the information he has told me. My eyes are filled with tears. I'm never going to see my mother or other loved ones again.

I start to panic. This is where I'm going to die. Tears roll down my cheeks. I can't stop them; they just keep coming. I allow myself some self-pity.

Then, I realize that I am starting to think like Kota. He gave up and now, so am I. I dry my tears away and take a deep breath. "God, help me", I pray.

I will not be subjected to this woman.

I refuse.

A while later, I see a shadow at my door. It opens and a woman steps in. I can't quite tell who it is. 

"So", the woman steps in,"You're the one my son is so insistent upon protecting. At least he's loyal to one of us." I say nothing, but sit and watch her move to the foot of my bed. "I suppose he's told you most everything by now. Except for the why that he himself does not know. Would you like to know?" Again, I say nothing.

She walks to the side of the bed Kota is not on. "Hm", she muses,"You're probably the only female who has ever cared about him. No wonder he's taken such a shining to you.

"I never wanted him, but it was a stupid moment of weakness with his father. Before I knew it, Gordon and I were expecting him. My parents wouldn't let me get rid of him, so I had no choice but to give birth to him.

"Gordon and I built this place. After we divorced, I got this building and full custody of someone I didn't want. Gordon went on to partner with a rivalry inventor, who is also the leader of a large, foreign army. They're after a world that I want."

"But you can't take it by yourself", my voice seems to echo in the quiet room. Kota stirs, but doesn't wake. I lower it a bit, to a soft tone,"You need an army."

"You're a smart girl. I'm glad you decided to come to this camp. I could use someone like you on my side."

"What's in it for me? For any of us? We go to war for you, fight and win the world for you, and what? Just humor me."

"If you survive, you would be entitled to living in that world, with me as your queen." She proposes this as if it were equal to the receiving of our own individual crowns.

I laugh.

But in the dim light, I can see that she's serious. Everything about Sherry Golden is serious; her blonde hair is pinned up in a no-nonsense manner, there is not a single crease or wrinkle in her clothes, and her posture is both relaxed and stiff.

"No. I only want to go home at the end of the month. You have no right to hold us here. This is technically kidnapping, you know", I say calmly.

"Kidnapping? I am insulted..."

"Good", I cut in.

"My dear, it is not kidnapping. I have all of the forms for each person here. Each form has the parents' signatures. So, you see, I have permission..."

"To teach us self-defense. Not to hide us away in a building that is currently uderground."

"So he has told you everything. Stupid boy. Doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. I should've disposed of him long ago..."

I am no longer attatched to any of the machines. I fly out of that bed and ram her up against the wall. She never saw it coming. "The only thing wrong with Kota is his parentage. He deserves better, loving people, not the dirt he received", I spat. "What if your parents had decided to 'get rid' of you? None of this would exist, not the building, not the camp, not even the serum you tried to kill me with. There's a reason Kota is alive and its not to live locked away by you." I'm almost nose to nose with her. 

"What's going on here?" Kota's tired voice asks from behind me. "Chris?"

"Nothing", I say sweetly. "Your mom was just leaving." In a low, seething voice, I tell 'Queen Sherry',"I don't know what kind of sick world you live in, but go claim it yourself. Get out. You won't be getting any help from me." I open the door and shove her out. I shut it and lock it behind her.

Kota:

Christal walks back over to the hospital bed. She climbs in and curls up.

I heard her defending me to my mother. A ball of fire she is. "What did my mother want?"

"To see how I was doing", she replies.

"Ha-ha."

"She wanted to tell me why she's doing all of this. Kota, she's building an army out of us."

It becomes a little hard to breathe.

Sherry:

I return to my office after my visit with that girl. Sitting down at my desk, I pick up the phone,"I need you to handle a situation", I tell my head security guard.

"Yes Ma'am."

"That girl, Christal Shafer, is a threat to my plans. Get rid of her."

"Yes Ma'am."

I hang up the phone and lean back in my seat.

My breath escapes my lungs in a sigh of relief.

Soon, everything will be on course, and no one will be able to stop me.