Paintshark (29 page)

“Felcey, you’re putting me on the spot, why are you doing this?”

“It’s a simple question, Kimberley.”

“You’re my friend, Felcey.”

He could tell by the genuine warmth in her voice that she really believed it and wasn’t just leading him on for the sake of some peace and quiet on the ward; she held his hand and slowly squeezed.

“But you wouldn’t want to go out with me.”

Felcey’s tone changed. “Who would want to go out me, eh? Good old Felcey, everybody’s favourite nerd, do you want to know how I got these ‘Milky’ powers? Shall I tell you?…I followed you to the rave, I followed you and Cassandra to that stupid rave with your little clay, milk bust I made and I either drunk some infected water or got sprayed with some infected water, but it doesn’t matter because now I can do this.“

He lifted his hand from beneath the covers and a fine spray of milk jetted out from his fingertips.

“SO BECAUSE I FOLLOWED A GIRL TO A CLUB WHO DOESN’T EVEN KNOW I EXIST, I GET MILK, THEN AND GET KIDDNAPPED AND GET THESE.”

He flung back the covers and Kimberley retched as she saw Felcey’s stomach shift and turn as the Beetles moved around inside, as she raised her head, there was no movement or sound from her as she stared at Felcey’s parasites.

“These beetles have been inside me for a year now; they’ve been a part of my life for so long that I don’t remember how I was before them, but it’s not them…I’m not afraid of them anymore, they don’t scare me, it’s just that…”

She squeezed again down on his hand and Felcey regained his composure. “It’s just that I’m scared of dying a coward.”

The girl pulled a quizzical frown, giving him a chance to continue. “I didn’t want to watch you die, that’s why I ran away in the arena, I didn’t want to see anything happen to you, watching someone you love with somebody else is sad, but watching them die…I didn’t know what I would do, because I’m a coward.”

“You were scared, Felcey, that’s all.”

“Because it’s TRUE.” Felcey started to shake with his words. “I’m no good to anyone. I only wanted to be with you, that’s all, but why would you want to date a coward?”

“Don’t say that; don’t put yourself down.”

“It’s true isn’t it? Aren’t I?”

A wave of pain tore in to Felcey, making him lurch forward clutching his stomach screaming in agony.

“They’re coming, the beetles are coming, I can feel them under my skin, and I haven’t much time.”

The young girl wiped a tear from her eye that had surprised herself but not Felcey, with both hands she held on to Felcey’s arm and pressed hard, her eyes never leaving his, Felcey returned the compliment with his eyes and looked deep in to the girl’s own and then a new pain arrived searing deep into his arm he threw his head back in intense agony, the girl with eyes widening in fear let go of his arm and realised what had happened; her hands were glowing with a yellow hue and she looked down aghast at what she had done. Felcey’s arm had been burnt from where she had hold of it, her handprints set deep into his flesh and then his arm began to bubble and hiss and then unfold as both Felcey and the girl looked on in disbelief as a burnt beetle struggled to crawl through the now open wound in Felcey’s arm.

Through sheer agony Felcey watched as the beetle wriggled free and then fell to the floor, it was dead by the time it struck the smooth polished surface, grimacing, Felcey turned his eyes away from the insect and to the girl, his wound slowly beginning to cauterize.

“How did you do that?”

The girl shook her head, her face still shocked at what she had just done. “What did you do…do it again please? Burn the beetles out from me?”

“I CAN’T.”

“YOU JUST DID, GET THEM OUT OF ME, GET THEM OFF OF ME.”

The girl implored him to stop. “Please, you don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I know exactly what I’m saying, you’re the only one who can help me, and I’m begging you, please.”

The girl’s tone turned dark, her svelte frame angled at a confrontational stance at the bedside her fore finger pointing accusingly at Felcey.

“Can you remember any of your dreams during stasis?” Before Felcey could answer she carried on swiftly. “I know stasis crams one year in what seems only one night, but I dreamed. I had such terrible dreams, dreams that I didn’t ever what to have again in my lifetime, but upon my awake from the deep sleep, they wouldn’t go away, because they weren’t dreams, they were flashbacks from my past, flashbacks at what had happened to me prior to being brought to Gommerstall.”

She leaned in with intensity to Felcey, her eyes wide open and it was her turn to shiver with emotion.

“I’ve seen what I can do with this power, and I WILL not use it again for anyone, do you understand me? NEVER again.”

She returned to her seat, eyes never leaving Felcey’s, her thoughts were at the arena, barely remembering Nayan she was the reason why he had ended up in Gommerstall.

“It’s my fault that Nayan’s in this prison with me and I will never forgive myself for it.”

Felcey looked to the ceiling and grinded his teeth, it was the second time he had seen the girl lose her temper and had to try another tactic in order for her to come round to his way of thinking.

“I’m sorry for what happened in the arena and I know you’re too scared to use your power this way, but you’ve got a chance to help someone now and use it for good.”

The girl raised one eyebrow. “Good for you, you mean…no matter what you say I’m not going to burn you and I’m not going to kill you, ok? I know you blame me for you ending up here, but we all have to be responsible for every decision, you made a conscious choice to follow me to that rave, I never asked you to come, but we both have special gifts and we’re now in this prison…we just have to deal with it.”

Felcey knew he wasn’t going to win this round and was so resigned to losing that he turned his back on her and lifted the covers over his head and spoke beneath the covers.

“You’ll know what to do to me when the time is right…I’m not scared anymore, I’ll never be scared again.”

The girl sighed and wasted no time in leaving the stubborn Felcey and returning to bed, she was half way across the room when the main doors to the ward opened and Nayan walked in.

“Hello little one, how are you feeling?”

The girl waited in the middle of the room for him to walk over before giving the big man a hug, as she spoke so her head rested on his shoulder.

“I’m fine, the nightmares are less frequent now and I can finally get some sleep.” She let go and looked up at him, opening her mouth and closing it again quickly.

“Are you sure you’re ok, you should be resting, is there something on your mind?”

Deciding not to tell Nayan about Felcey’s request she hastily changed the subject. “It’s the middle of the morning; I should be up and about anyway.”

Nayan began to lead her to her bed.

“Not yet, you’re still too tired from your stasis recovery.”

The girl ignored him.

“So what’s this about us all going on a great escape from the vines?” Felcey moaned.

Nayan threw a cursory look over to Felcey, knowing the boy had a tendency to exaggerate the simplest of details.

“When we know when and where, then I’ll let you know.”

She flicked her tongue out at him. “You’re so rubbish.” The big man smiled.

“Anyway, young lady, I have a surprise for you, I should have shown you sooner but it didn’t click, even he mentioned your school, you both go the same–” He paused for a beat. “You
went
to the same school.”

The blond-haired girl cocked her head to one side and did her favourite trick of raising a singular eyebrow when she was confused.”

Nayan beckoned to someone standing just out side the door and that person, a man, entered, and upon seeing him the girl’s heart just for the briefest moment…leapt.

“Kimberley…is that you?”

The girl continued to stare past the man until he called out her name again and this time she couldn’t contain her surprise. “SIR!” she cried and ran to him, jumping into his arms; the arms held her tight as she gazed into the eyes of her teacher, Elias Glaucas, her smile couldn’t grow any wider.

The eyes weren’t as bright as they were when he’d taught her and all the other students with great enthusiasm at school and the delayed effects of the stasis aging process began to seep through with the onset of grey hairs at the side of his head, but there was no mistake that
this
was her teacher and for some strange reason he was here at Gommerstall prison and she knew in her heart of hearts that everything was going to be alright…and he would get her out of there.

“OMI GOD! OMI GOD! OMI GOD!” She didn’t pause for breath. “What are you doing here, sir? Is this another dream?”

The former teacher put her down and grew more encouraged by escape as he witnessed Kimberley’s buoyancy, jumping up and down on the spot clapping her hands like a child seeing a new toy unfold before its eyes, Nayan watched contentedly from the door whilst Felcey rose from the covers to watch the reunion but grew bored quickly and disappeared beneath the sheets.

Elias just about managed to get a word in to reveal his tale.

“I am a prisoner of Big Man, as are you, according to Nayan.”

“YES! YES!” she blurted out and described what she could remember from her stay and

using her hands to describe what she went through and how she was coping at being one of the few females in a mostly male populated prison, she had to learn to grow tough in here and she wasn’t….yet.

Nayan interrupted and started to explain their escape plan to Kimberley, Elias could see that as Nayan spoke Kimberley hung on every word he said, her head nodded vigorously as she listened to the words that left his mouth, maybe not fully understanding or agreeing with him but Nayan was the father figure in her life now ever since she was locked up in Gommerstall, it was he who took care of her and it was he who saved her life back in Olympia and she would do anything he said. Nayan called over to the only other patient in the ward.

“Felcey, you still there?”

The covers spoke but no face could be seen.

“Dude, it’s the morning.” He threw back the covers and showed his beetle-infested stomach, at which Nayan tried well to hide his discomfort, it didn’t work as Felcey picked up on it. “Getting worse aren’t they?”

Nayan brushed that comment aside. “Do you think you’ll make it till the end of the week? There’s some medical equipment on the supply ship, and some surgery utensils maybe.”

“Maybe nothing, Nayan, when these babies want out then they’ll get out and there’s nothing I can do to stop them, I’m coming with you guys because I don’t want to end up as plant food but as it is, I’m a dead man walking and I haven’t much time.”

Nayan shook his head. “And there is nothing anybody can do for you?” Felcey shot a glance at Kimberley which made her stomach churn so much that she put her hand on it and closed her eyes to dodge Felcey’s glare.

“Apparently not,” he said downheartedly.

Elias had grown to know and like Felcey quite well since their shared quarters beneath Big Man’s prison and he went over and put a supportive hand on to his semi-visible shoulders in bed.

“Whatever it takes we’ll be there for you, my friend.”

Felcey patted Elias’s hand. “Thanks man, that means a lot to me.”

“Hey, what are friends for?” Felcey stared hard over to Kimberly, the little hairs on the back her neck stood to attention. He gave a weak smile to Elias and then back to the shivering girl. “Exactly,” he said.

In Olympia, the scruffy dog made its way through the reception of the plush foyer. Employers and visitors alike in the magnificent grand tower didn’t bat an eyelid at the brown dog wandering around the bottom floors of the building. Construction work was being undertaken to extend the top floors of the already enormous tower, and it was busier then usual.

Around the dog were a few faces it recognised walking through the foyer and its tail wagged as they came closer and patted its head and stroked its unkempt wet fur. Security knew it shouldn’t be here but it hadn’t doing any harm and for the last year or so when it had popped in everyday, had a nose around and then left everybody to go about their daily business.

Its fur was still wet as it came in from the rain and both the dog and the lady stroking it both turned to look at the rain battering against the foyer windows. It shook itself again and yawned noisily, the lady patted its head again.

“You’re a clever boy, aren’t you? Coming in here to keep away from the rain, there’s a good boy.” Ruffling the dog’s fur again the lady stood up straight and went on with her business. The dog watched her leave and then wandered around the reception area again. It didn’t bark downstairs anymore, it knew that to be a bad thing, barking drew attention from the security guards and got it thrown out, so just be quiet and mingle with the humans and sometimes get a food treat until it was time to leave.

Watching how machines and people work was how the dog spent most of its morning, it watched to learn more and had developed a certain routine. Of the two guards on the front desk, the friendlier, older one used to go outside for a cigarette break at certain times of the day, leaving the young one at the reception. Its soft padded paws trotted right beneath the reception desk as the young guard leaned back in his chair with a cup of tea in his hand.

The dog ran to the elevators and quietly waited for one to drop to the ground floor; as the light flashed and the machine beeped, the doors opened to let out more people. The dog waited patiently to the side and even got some more strokes to the head from the dog lovers amongst them as they exited.

A few more people got in, as did the dog, which raised some smiles from the new passengers. A tall black man in a long coat and shiny shoes looked down at the dog. “Top floor?” he asked. The dog barked once, it would allow itself just one bark, as it was in the elevator now and safe. The rest of the people either smiled or chuckled at its antics as the dog had just enough time to see the guard outside the building remove his cigarette from his mouth and stub it on the ground as the elevator doors closed.