Chapter 18

I lay there looking up at the ceiling, my mind going a hundred miles an hour in all this silence. The moment I hear Zllera humming as she comes out of that elevator thing, I jump up. Never in all my days have I been so glad to see someone. She skips into the bedroom as I get to my feet.

"Were you napping?"

"No, just lying here. Is there a music player or something in these rooms? I am not used to all this silence."

"Of course. Here, let me show you."

Shepicks up an iPad looking object and hits a button. Instantly an odd sound starts coming out of the walls. It's not like any music I have ever heard before, but it's at least noise.

"There are all sorts of different things to listen to on here. All you must do is flip through the many languages till you find one you like."

"Zllera, sweetheart, you do realize I can't read any of that, right?"

"You can't read?"

"Well, I can read English, but all those scribbles mean nothing to me."

"That's horrible." I can see her young mind working. "I will teach you. Everyone should know how to read and if the little ones can do it, so can you. I can't imagine simply not knowing what the symbols and words meant just by glancing at them. We will get started right away, come. There are supplies in the study chamber that we will need to begin."

"Zllera, are we taking the vacuum elevator?"

"Yes, it's easier and faster, I will show you what all the buttons mean before we head down. Are you wearing the same garments from the last rising? And what's on your face, did you become injured?"

Ibite my lip for a minute, trying not to laugh at all her questions. "Yes, this is all the clothes I have, and when I was out with your father, the sand scratched my face up."

"That's not a scratch, what I'm seeing looks like a swirl."

Iturn away from her and walk to the bathroom, looking for a mirror. "Is there a mirror in here?"

"I don't know what a mirror is, but if you want to look at your face, touch this, it's a viewer."

Ijump back when the whole wall becomes a mirror in front of me. Pulling the rag off my face, I lean forward, moving my cheek one way, then the other. Sure enough, there is a faint swirling pattern right where the cut is… was. Hesitantly, I reach up, expecting it to hurt only to realize my face has healed.

"I believe I need to speak to your father."

"I am sure we will find him on the way to where we hold our classes. That mark looks similar to ours when we are younglings. I bet it will darken quite a bit more in time. That one is unique, though. I know of no others that twirl around the way this one is. All of our markings are mostly straight; how absolutely fascinating. We should ask one of the scholars if this has a certain meaning."

Notknowing how to feel about this sudden mark on my face, I follow her out of the room deep in thought, only to stop when we come to that cylinder thing again.

"Tessa, hop in. I promise we won't go anywhere until you're ready."

"Zllera, how do you know you're not going to land on someone's head?"

"The entrance would be closed, silly."

"What entrance?"

"This whole area would be closed off if in use. The entrance can only be seen if no one is in it. Look here, this symbol means up and this one down. Because this one only goes to Father's dwelling, it only has the two markings. Some of the other ones have more, depending on where they go. I will show you those while we're out. Come here, you hit the button. That way you're more prepared for the movement."

"I could hit half a dozen buttons honey, and never be prepared for what this world is throwing at me, but here goes nothing." Instantly, we are on the next floor. The second it stops, I stumble out. Trying my best to catch my breath while Zllera laughs at me.

"I swear it's like being on a Viking ship at an amusement park. It takes my breath every time." The sound of little feet running my way has me turning, and I barely catch Wynd as she launches herself in my arms. Her baby giggles lighten my heart as she tugs on my hair.

"Hi pretty girl, what are you doing out here by yourself?"

Shepoints at me and then at Zllera. "Come find you … play?"

"You want us to come play with you?" I winch as she pulls on my hair before shaking her head yes.

"Zllera?"

"I have no plans besides spending the rest of the rising with you, but I thought you wanted to talk to Father?"

"He is busy, and this will wait, especially when playing is more important. What do you wanna play, Wynd?" She starts wiggling, and I put her down only for her to grab my hand.

"Show you."

Zlleralaughs as I am pulled quickly behind Wynd's short, little legs. Wynd rambles on, but I have no idea what she is saying. We come around a bend in the tunnel that opens up to a huge room. Wynd lets go of my hand and rushes over to one of the trunks along the wall. The room is not as brightly lit as some of the others I've been in, and the shadows seem to cling to all the corners.

Wyndruns back with what looks like a boomerang. She throws it and it bounces off the wall, landing in a circle on the floor. Zllera walks over, picking it up off the floor while Wynd dances around squealing.

"Good job Wynd, that was a very impressive throw. Let's see if I can do it as well." Zllera throws the toy, and it bounces higher but doesn't land in one of the circles. "Oh, you are still winning, Wynd. Run and get it. Let's see if Tessa can do better."

Iwatch as Wynd's little legs run across the room. "What is this place?"

"It's the playroom, we spend most of our youngest years right here playing, or that's what we are made to believe. Actually, everything she is doing is building motor skills, but we don't know that at her age."

"Why does this room seem darker?"

"It looks like one of the lava crystals has gone out in that corner, and that's really odd. They always keep this room bright because of all the younglings coming in and out. The unevenness of the floor in here is easy to trip on."

Quickly, I notice I can't hear Wynd any longer. Without a second thought, I start forward, thinking the little girl is still playing, but has simply changed games. "Wynd, are you playing hide and seek? I'm going to find you."

Actinglike I am looking in the toy chest, I hear her giggle in one of the shadows. Her bright orange eyes stare out, watching me as I get closer. Zllera is right behind me, both of us acting like we have looked everywhere for her. Just as I start to pounce on Wynd, a true scream leaves her lips as she is grabbed from behind. With no thought for myself. I start fighting the unseen monster that has grabbed the baby only for all three of us to be captured in a net.

Somehow, I find myself hanging partially upside down, an arm wrapped tightly around Wynd as she clings to me. Zllera is screaming her father's name, fighting against the net. Clicking noises surround us as we are being pulled behind something I can't make out clearly. Within feet of the room, we were just in, the darkness seems to have swallowed us whole.

Wynd'stears seem to be coating my throat as I fight to keep us all together and the net flips us round and around. My legs and arms hit the ground roughly through the holes as they drag us along. Zllera ends up on top of me several times before I finally am able to grab hold of her.

"Zllera stop!" She is so wrapped up in her own terror that I have to scream at her to get her attention. Sobbing, she collapses, curling into me as tight as she can get.

"Tessa, I'm so scared. I don't want to die."

Asmuch as I want to tell them both it's going to be ok, ZoD will come for us, I know the odds of that are not in our favor. At one point, I shut my eyes. SinceI can't see a single thing in the extreme darkness surrounding us. It seems as if we are being dragged forever, my skin is raw where the net keeps rolling along the ground.

Wyndand Zllera's tears are tearing my heart out. I have never felt more helpless than at this moment. Even waking up on an alien planet hadn't felt like this. Abruptly, the area around us becomes noisy, and I open my eyes, seeing a pale light ahead.

Weno more than enter into that area when we are tossed like a bag of garbage into what looks like a holding area. The net splits somehow, throwing us out. I hit my elbow so hard, I scream out in pain but refuse to let go of Wynd.

Scramblingto my feet, I push Zllera behind me. I almost wish we were still in the dark, as I had no way of imagining the creatures that are standing before me. DearGod, they are walking worms. In my wildest dreams or nightmares, I couldn't have thought up the creatures before me. My skin crawls as their multiple eyes trace every inch of my flesh. Legs seem to appear and move around their huge bodies randomly, and their skin has the look of a slug mixed with an earthworm as it pulses up and down.

Themoment they walk away I collapse to my knees. Unknowingly, I am rocking Wynd back and forth, patting her back. She mumbles quiet words I can't seem to understand as Zllera leans against me, sobbing.

Takingmy free hand, I push her hair away from her face, forcing her to look at me. "Zllera, sweetheart, I know you are terrified and scared right now, but I need you. What are these damn things? Do you have any idea where we're at?"

Ican tell she is trying to be strong, but hell, she is just a kid. Rocking all of us, I pull her close as we curl up together on the cold ground. I will give her a few more minutes to fall apart in the meantime I take a deep breath and look around. The gate in front of us has scratch marks on it, and the floor has dark puddles that have soaked into the ground. I don't even want to think about what has left those.

Zlleramoves and, without thinking about it, I start to pull her close only to scream out as I move my arm. The pain is so intense that I am practically panting. I am hurt worse than I originally thought. I must have broken my elbow when we all landed.

"Zllera honey, will you look at my arm for me? I can't move it. Please, I'm depending on you to be strong for me. We only have each other down here, and you are your father's daughter."

Themention of her father has her looking up at me. Her usually bright orange eyes are dimmed with all the emotions she is feeling right now. Wynd finally lets go of my neck and I let her slide down into my lap while I take my good arm and wipe Zllera's tears away.

Shetakes a deep breath and scoots on her butt around my side, where I hear her gasp. "Tessa, the bone is sticking out, and you are bleeding badly."

"Look around, Zllera, I don't think anyone else is in here but us right now, so it should be safe. Do you see anything you can wrap around it?"

Inotice her knees and legs are also skinned up badly; stumbling, it takes her a second to get to her feet. The pain in my arm has become so intense. My mouth begins to water as I try my best not to throw up. Zllera comes running back with what looks like a shirt in her hand.

"There is a pile of clothes in a corner back there. I grabbed the first thing I saw. I've watched Elexa do this a few times, but this is really going to hurt."

Witha nod, I turn away to avoid seeing what she is doing. She lifts my arm gently away from my body where I have been holding it close. WhenZllera starts wrapping the material as tight as she can around it. I have to bite my lip to keep from screaming especially when she gets to my elbow.

"Tessa, I am going to have to straighten your arm out. The bone needs to be pushed back in place." She is crying as hard as I am, and I know she is doing her best, but I still am unable to stop the scream that leaves my lips when she jerks my arms straight.

Blackspots dart between my eyes and I can feel myself losing consciousness. Fighting against the pain, I try to concentrate on the little hands patting my cheeks lovingly. Wynd's dirty, tear-stained face becomes my sole focus as Zllera wraps the rest of my arm tightly.

Ican hear Zllera talking to me, but it's like I am in a tunnel and her words seem to be far away. Luckily, the pain starts to lessen, and Zllera tucks herself into my side. Neither of us say anything as I try to breathe through all the sensations going through my system right now. I have to hold it together; these two kids are counting on me and even though I am hurt. I am not going to make this easy on these damn worms.

"Zllera, I need you to tell me anything you can about these creatures."

"I don't know much. Father has been fighting them my whole life. Random people end up missing from time to time, but they never talk about it in front of us younglings. Father keeps us heavily guarded. I knew there were monsters lurking around, but I didn't truly understand it until now."

"It's alright sweetheart, we will figure this out. One thing we both know is your father will come after us. We just have to hold on until he does. You don't leave my side, do you understand? We pee together, eat, sleep, everything, ok?"

Shenods yes, and I lean against her. LittleWynd hasn't moved off my lap. It's like she knows this is the safest place for her to be. Her little fingers work the bottom of my hair in little swirls. At the moment, I am happy she is the only one of us that isn't falling apart. Lord, what I wouldn't do to see ZoD break through that gate about now, but realistically, I know things don't happen like that and that we very well may have to save ourselves.