Violet Path (7 page)
As we continued deeper into the forest, I couldn’t feel my leg anymore. I shut my eyes again—weak and dizzy, the world around me was spinning.
“We’re almost there,” David whispered into my ear. “Bear with me, please.” I didn’t trust him anymore, but I was so tired and in a lot of pain. I allowed him to blindly lead me through the forest until I couldn’t feel the sun on my eyelids.
I woke up in a white hut. David was sitting across the room, and a stinging, putrid odor invaded my nostrils.
“It’s been fifteen days since your operation to take that bullet out of your leg. No one knew if you were going to make it. You lost over two pints of blood. Andrew wants to see you as soon as possible. If you hadn’t survived, I would have been in more trouble than you can imagine. Come on!” David said. He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of bed.
I screamed. It was as if someone had torn my leg apart. I collapsed to the floor. I was wearing a long shirt that came to my knees, so I grabbed a pair of pants that were on the table next to me, slipped them on, and limped to catch up to David who was already outside.
The cool wind brushed the back of my neck. And that was when I realized that my hair was short! I frantically ran my fingers through what was left of my hair; it had been cut above my ears.
I scanned the area around me. White huts were set up everywhere. Men ranging from the ages of twenty to seventy were dressed in rags. Some were picking up wood, while others were making guns, cooking, and setting the table. Everyone suddenly stopped what they were doing and stared at me. And that was when I noticed that there were no girls, not one.
I caught up to David and whispered, “Where are we? Who are these people? What happened to my hair? Where is my hover-board?”
“Don’t worry about your board or your hair. I went back to get your hover-board the night of your surgery. Andrew will answer the other questions,” David replied emotionless.
“Fifteen days?” I asked timidly.
“Yes.”
My birthday had passed months ago at H.S.H.S., and I was now sixteen and a half. I had spent it outside of Tamizeh, far from Matthew.
We arrived at a rocky hill. We climbed wooden stairs that were carved into white stone, and at the top stood a small cabin. David knocked on the wooden door.
“Come in,” said a peaceful voice.
David opened the door, and we walked in.
A young man, about two or three years older than I, was lying on a bed. His arms were propped up, supporting his neck, and his eyes were closed. He had curly, black hair and looked to be tall, thin, and built. He was dressed in brown, raggedy clothes. A thin layer of dirt covered him, as if he had been in a physical fight. His left hand was wrapped in a piece of black cloth.
He got up and walked over to me. I looked into his deep, emerald eyes. He looked oddly familiar, with a reassuring face.
“I’m Andrew. I see you’re doing well!” He shook my hand, then continued, “I think it’s safe to assume that you have met David. What’s your name?”
“Alexia. Where am I?” I actually felt comfortable around him, unlike David. But I was still hesitant; the last time I’d trusted a complete stranger I had gotten shot.
“This is our small village. We call it ‘The Shadows.’ We’re a rather modest military base trying to fit into the mess of the war. We’ve been waiting to meet you for a long time.”
“Why?” All of a sudden I felt a huge storm fall upon me.
“The Long War. We do no—”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not interested. I hate this war. So please excuse me, but I’m leaving.” I was disappointed. I had been naïve to believe that I would find peace if I left Tamizeh. But there was a world war going on, and there was no escaping it. I had left H.S.H.S. to get away from the bloodshed, not just join a different camp.
“Wait. We do not wish to fight either. We are trying to end the War without destroying the world around us. We’ve been trying to avoid the War for the last seventy years, since the Battle of Seven. Instead, we have come up with a plan to take away Matthew’s power. I’ll explain the rest another time. Meanwhile, we will teach you everything we know, so that you will be able to fight at our level. In addition to the usual training, you’ll have lessons with me, so that we can focus on what you need to learn. Most of the soldiers here started training together, so the majority are at the same level and probably don’t have the same skill set as you do. Come on, David and I will show you around.” Andrew smiled.
I froze. I didn’t want to fight.
“Alexia,” Andrew said in a soothing voice. “Trust me. We are against Matthew and his war.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat. His green eyes were pleading, and for whatever reason, I trusted him. I assumed he was the leader of the village, so I followed him. I had never heard of renegades living in the surrounding forest, so I figured this small group could have a chance of taking Matthew down. Maybe it was foolish to have trusted David so easily, but I knew how Matthew worked, so I could offer some knowledge and advantage if I ever decided I could trust them enough with the information. I didn’t want to give away the weaknesses of Tamizeh, though. I didn’t want any blood on my hands. I needed to trust whoever would lead the attack against Matthew, and so far Andrew was my only candidate.
“So I just say ‘yes’ and join your resistance?” I asked.
“Basically. We usually run some background checks for security reasons, and you’d have to take a couple of tests, but because we picked you up, we already have a fairly good idea of where you stand.”
“And where’s that exactly?”
“Here. You can fight, and we need good soldiers. Come on, let’s show you around.”
He held his arm out, leading me to the door. As strange as it was, I felt like I finally belonged somewhere. I slowly staggered toward the exit.
“You’re still limping,” Andrew said.“Forget the injury, and walk as if you had never been hurt.”
“I can’t.” I didn’t want to complain, but I was afraid of the pain. It hadn’t been hurting, but that didn’t mean that it couldn’t.
“Yes, you can. You’re just afraid.” Andrew walked up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. “Extend your leg,” he whispered into my ear. “Slowly . . . you’re fine.” His warm hands infiltrated my nerves, causing me to feel limp and ignore the fear of pain.
I put my foot down, touching the cold floor with my toes. Blood didn’t drip down my knee, and electric shocks didn’t spring up my leg. It felt normal. I slowly put my weight on it and took a few steps. Andrew’s hands slid off my shoulders as I walked away, but I could still feel his warm breath dancing around my neck.
David was leaning against the wall in the corner. He had a dismal visage, apparently not approving what was going on.
I walked to the door, opened it, and stepped out.
“Oh, by the way, you’re the only girl here. We do not allow women this close to Matthew or war. Matthew could attack us at any given moment, and we’re only a small military camp with few soldiers. The women, children, and elders live in Maria, a village on the other side of the lake, where they are safer. You will stay here. Act as much like a boy as possible. No one but us three needs to know who you really are . . . Alexia from Tamizeh.”
I was shocked that he had known my name and where I was from. I knew they were aware of a lot more concerning my community than I had expected. I realized that people outside of Tamizeh would want me dead, but I couldn’t figure out why Andrew wanted to protect me. It meant that I was some sort of asset to them, but they hadn’t pushed me into doing anything I didn’t want to do, so I was willing to see how the cards would play out.
The sky was bright blue, and the grass lightly waved in the breeze. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, David motioned for me to stay behind as Andrew entered another hut. A couple of minutes later, he came back out and handed me rags and boots.
“I’m sorry, but you have to fit in. Our uniforms and armor are of much better quality. You can change there . . .” Andrew pointed to a small cabin across from where we were standing. I crossed alone after thanking Andrew.
The cabin was dark inside. A little light from the sun’s rays emanated from holes in the thick material. The tattered clothing smelled horrible. I ignored the stench and put on the shirt, followed by the pants, and then the sweater. I slipped on the boots, gathered all of my previous belongings, and walked out.
David laughed at the sight of me, making me feel extremely self-conscious, but Andrew didn’t react—he was like stone. I felt like Andrew was my protector or an older brother that I never had. He was the only voice in a long time who spoke softly and wasn’t trying to force ideas down my throat. He kept his distance, respecting me, but at the same time stayed nearby as if looking out for me. It seemed like forever since I had walked beside someone and not felt threatened in any way. I actually felt as if we could relax and speak our minds. I no longer cared about David’s betrayal; Andrew was welcoming.
Andrew showed me where everyone cleaned their clothes, where he would train me, where the showers were, where everyone ate, and finally where I would stay.
The cabin that I was supposed to think of as home was in ruins. Like the other cabins, it was made out of some metallic material to reflect the environment, creating its own camouflage. My cabin had a thick layer of bronze rust growing on the sides like an immortal weed. The entrance was a shiny cloth, like a flap, only it was full of holes. It appeared to be lace, while the building itself was more of an improvised shack than military camp hut.
Although it was repulsive, I kept quiet. Anything was better than having to stay with Matthew.
The holes in the so-called door allowed sunlight to gently illuminate the dark blue–carpeted floor. I did my best not to show how surprised I was at the state of everything. There was a thin mattress on a wooden bedframe, making the place look ancient. A beat-up trunk for my belongings sat at the foot of my bed, and a dim light floated from the ceiling. It was a small, glowing globe that flew above our heads, like a solid halo, letting off a soft, electric-blue radiance. It reminded me of the one that lit up the dark cells at H.S.H.S., so I tried to ignore it.
“I know it’s not great, but it’s all we have right now,” Andrew broke the silence with an embarrassed, but calm voice. I felt terrible for wanting and expecting more.
“It’s fine, thank you,” I responded with the most reassuring smile I could fake.
“This has everything you’ll need,” Andrew said as he handed me a navy blue bag. “David stays two cabins down to the right of yours, and you know where I stay if you ever need anything.”
I took the bag and thanked him, then Andrew and David walked out. The bag had a first aid kit, a sewing kit, and toiletries such as shampoo, soap, a toothbrush, toothpaste, two towels, and a note. I unfolded the paper and read the fine, elegant handwriting.“Your first class is at three o’clock tomorrow morning.” That was all that the note said. I couldn’t believe that I had a class at three in the morning. Why in the world did I have to be up that early?
I placed the bag and my clothes in the trunk and walked outside to see The Shadows, my new home. I inhaled deeply, feeling the cool air fill my lungs, as if to boost my confidence.
There was a crowd of traffic, a rush of people struggling to get back to their cabins. Some people gave me a weird look. I avoided eye contact at all costs. I spotted David and ran up to him.
“Where’s my board?” I asked, worried about my anti-gravity ring.
“In my cabin,” David said.
I nodded. “Why did you shoot me?” Curiosity drove me to voice it. I had already gone over the different reasons why he had pulled the trigger, but I desperately wanted an explanation, especially because he had the option of shooting Matthew instead.
He didn’t answer.
I started to repeat myself, but he interrupted me with a strong but annoying, “Because . . .” like an eight-year-old child. “I’ll give your board back if you don’t ask that question again.”
On that note, he walked into his cabin, then quickly came back out and handed me my board. I thanked him, took my anti-gravity ring off it, and placed it on my finger.
“Just don’t ask me why I shot you,” David repeated and returned to his cabin.
I didn’t follow him, but I was going to figure out why he had shot me one way or another.
After I put my hover-board in my cabin, a loud bell rang, calling for dinner. I was starving, and a real meal sounded like a dream. I followed the warm scent of food to the long tables gathered toward the outskirts of the camp in front of Andrew’s cabin. Soldiers were being served by a huge bonfire that shone in the dimming dusk. The burnt ashes and the roasted meat made my mouth water. I walked as quickly as I could, afraid that by the time that I would reach the eating area, there would be nothing left.
Suddenly my heart leapt as someone grabbed my wrist. I turned around, ready to hit my aggressor, but it was only Andrew.
“I’m supposed to introduce you to the crowd, but they can’t really know who you are. They would beat you to death if they knew you had anything to do with Matthew. Most of these soldiers had relatives who died during the Battle of Seven, so try to avoid hinting you’re from Matthew’s community. I talked to David, and here’s what we came up with: Your name is Alex, you’re an orphan, and you came from Lia. David found you in the woods when you were hunting.”
The mention of me being an orphan caught my attention. At least that was the truth.“I don’t know how to hunt,” I said, embarrassed. I knew how to shoot any kind of gun thanks to Matthew, and I had shot dummies, but never an animal, let alone a living being.
“You’ll learn,” Andrew reassured me with a warm smile.
I agreed to the story, although I was afraid I would give the wrong information by accident. As I went to join the soldiers, Andrew tightened his grip on my wrist. He was protectively holding me, but then he glanced down and let go. Something about him was different. He acted as if he knew me very well and treated me with care, something for which I had yearned for a very long time. In just a few hours, he had revealed more kindness toward me than anyone I had ever known. Andrew made Lyli seem like nothing but an acquaintance. I remembered Lyli’s parents holding hands when Matthew had taken me away and how much I had wanted to feel that warmth and protection, and here was someone who offered it freely.