Falling Skies
Sparks
The first couple of days had been hell. Poison had been on patrol for the most part, leaving her with the others. It had been Jet's turn but he had voluntarily taken on his shifts to give Sky the 'bonding time' she needed with them. She was grateful for it since she didn't want to become too dependent on him, at least not more than she already was. The guys had kept her so busy, she even forgot about her missing necklace.
Training with Kobra was the toughest. Not only was it physically challenging, he also showed no mercy and hardly talked unless she did something wrong. He wasn't necessarily nasty to her but it was still obvious that he didn't exactly like her but only enjoyed torturing her. As a peace offering, she had even suggested sleeping on the floor in the front of the diner so he could have his bed back but he had just mumbled something about how 'Poison would never allow that' and 'at least one of them is gone during the night anyway'. She still felt bad, even though technically she was sleeping in Poison's bed, she couldn't make herself at home in a room that wasn't hers. Not that it mattered so much, she was exhausted and only went there to sleep anyway.
Ghoul talked a lot. It was hard to understand what he meant sometimes, especially with all the technical stuff she had no idea about. He was smart but his nervous habits often got in the way of it. Sky wasn't sure why he even wanted to teach her since she wasn't allowed to touch anything, ever and neither were the other guys, except Poison, obviously. Overall, he was nice to her, even joking around sometimes even though it still felt a little bit forced. But she was very grateful that he even bothered to try.
Thanks to Jet she found out she had a natural talent for setting traps and snares to catch rabbits or squirrels. She had never even seen any animals in the desert before, BLI had poisoned most of the wildlife in order to starve out the remaining rebels that were hiding here, a very few survived, only to be hunted into extinction. But after asking Jet about it, he had shown her a map and just how far out they really were. He explained her how they had sectioned off the area into a grid and were patrolling different sectors, trying to catch broadcasts, signals, find supplies and explore what was out there in the uncharted territory. It was fascinating just how resourceful and creative they had become in their quest and she could see what Poison meant whenever he talked about their 'purpose'.
*
'So...when are we gonna start our training sessions?' Sky asked him after the first week. Poison was back at the diner and Jet had taken over on patrol.
'Tonight. You're coming with me on patrol.' he answered, throwing the empty backpack at her.
'But I thought it was Jet's turn?' she seemed confused until Poison gave her a cheeky smile.
'We're gonna be patrolling him while he's patrolling. And the challenge is not to get caught.' he replied, still smiling. He couldn't help feeling slightly proud of his elaborate plan. 'Apparently a new shipment of BLI products is coming through and Jet is gonna be on the lookout. See if there's anything worth taking that we can take. It's not too dangerous but still an important mission.'
He sensed her doubt immediately. She thought it was too soon.
'Everyone's pretty impressed with you. Especially Kobra. Apparently you're a fast learner.' he tried to reassure her and her eyes widened in surprise. 'Also, you brought home two rabbits this week. That's more than what we had in the last three months combined.' it was a big deal. Any sort of 'real food' was rare around these parts and had been for a long time.
Now it was her smiling, pride radiating from her. He knew exactly how she felt and it made him happy.
'Well, I hope I can keep it up and it's not just beginner's luck.' she said, starting to pack her bag.
30 minutes later they were on their way. Jet had left hours ago and now it was their mission to stalk him, observe him, while trying to stay undiscovered. They had no trouble tracking him for the first part of their journey, as he had been using the hidden paths they always used and which he had already been showing Sky on their survival training excursions. After they climbed the hill where Poison had found her in the cavern just a week ago, they passed a canyon on the other side before heading down south to a small creek. By the time Poison finally decided to stop, it had already gotten dark. He lead her to a rock-tree formation that was just big enough to sit on and climbed it until he had found a branch that would be big enough for the both of them.
*
She was fascinated by the way he had climbed the tree, not making a sound, his movements agile, almost cat-like. He held out a hand to her and she grabbed it, being pulled up in the tree by him, she found herself sitting on a thick branch only a second later, facing Poison in the faint light of the flashlight.
'Here...' he whispered, parting the smaller branches surrounding them. They could pretty much overlook the creek from up here and she saw what he was pointing at.
Jet.
'How did- oh I bet that's where he always comes. I bet this is his lookout.' she rolled her eyes at him.
'I didn't say that I didn't know where he was going or where he'd be. That's not the point. You know I'd find people anywhere. It's not really a challenge.' he teased and she chuckled. 'It's about staying undetected. Hidden. Having him believe he's completely alone out here while we're watching him, just a few feet away.'
Poison jumped off the tree, again, without making any sound. She followed him, feeling like a klutz. They retreated a couple of yards and made camp for the night. Since they had found a well-hidden place, he decided it was safe to start a small fire which made the cool desert night considerably more comfortable.
'So how did you even find me? That night you saved me from the dracs...' she had wanted to ask him that question ever since she had woken up in his room the first time but figured now was the right time.
He looked up from the fire.
'I don't know.' he simply answered and she could tell he really didn't.
'But-...what do you mean, you don't know?'
'I was driving and something weird happened and then all of a sudden I was driving somewhere else and then somehow I ended up at that shack.' he was clearly avoiding something and she wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to know what it was. She waited for him to elaborate.
'You know how we patrol the sectors, looking for signals or broadcasts? Anything that could help us track other rebels or catch messages containing vital information we might need?' he asked and she nodded, Ghoul had explained some of it. 'Well the radio started acting all crazy. I can't explain it. There was this sound and then it felt like...it felt like I had no control over the car anymore. Like there was a magnet pulling me in a certain direction, like I had been switched to autopilot. Next thing I knew I was at the shack, I heard you scream and I saw the dracs and I knew what I had to do.'
*
His voice had turned into a mere whisper by the time he had finished talking. Sky seemed just as confused as he was, none of it made any sense.
'Believe me, I looked at the car, I checked the radio, everything. I've been trying my best to remember. That whole past week I was out on patrol...I was actually looking for the place. Seeing if I could find it again but nothing. It's like whatever force lead me there just doesn't exist anymore.'
It all sounded ridiculous, especially now that he was saying it out loud, to her. In the past five years of his life, establishing the group of Killjoys, gaining control over their operation and dedicating his time and energy to finding answers in order to build their expertise, he had never come across something that had left him this clueless. And he hated the feeling of not being able to explain it. It made him feel powerless, especially since he was positive it was of great importance.
Sky stared at him, shivering slightly.
'You need my blanket?' he asked but she shook her head. Instead she got up and walked over, sitting down next to him.
'Maybe if we go together? Maybe we'll find it then?' she suggested.
He looked at her, noticing how close she was. Her bruises had healed completely, only freckles covering her cheeks now. There was even the hint of a spark back in her eyes which he had never seen before. Beauty didn't matter out here but she was truly beautiful.
'Maybe.' he answered and now it was him who shivered.
Immediately Sky moved even closer until their sides touched. She sighed, resting her chin on her knees and continued to look into the fire. In the distance, a coyote howled at the crescent moon, a sound that was oddly calming. Without really thinking about it, he put his arm around her, feeling as though it had always belonged there.
Training with Kobra was the toughest. Not only was it physically challenging, he also showed no mercy and hardly talked unless she did something wrong. He wasn't necessarily nasty to her but it was still obvious that he didn't exactly like her but only enjoyed torturing her. As a peace offering, she had even suggested sleeping on the floor in the front of the diner so he could have his bed back but he had just mumbled something about how 'Poison would never allow that' and 'at least one of them is gone during the night anyway'. She still felt bad, even though technically she was sleeping in Poison's bed, she couldn't make herself at home in a room that wasn't hers. Not that it mattered so much, she was exhausted and only went there to sleep anyway.
Ghoul talked a lot. It was hard to understand what he meant sometimes, especially with all the technical stuff she had no idea about. He was smart but his nervous habits often got in the way of it. Sky wasn't sure why he even wanted to teach her since she wasn't allowed to touch anything, ever and neither were the other guys, except Poison, obviously. Overall, he was nice to her, even joking around sometimes even though it still felt a little bit forced. But she was very grateful that he even bothered to try.
Thanks to Jet she found out she had a natural talent for setting traps and snares to catch rabbits or squirrels. She had never even seen any animals in the desert before, BLI had poisoned most of the wildlife in order to starve out the remaining rebels that were hiding here, a very few survived, only to be hunted into extinction. But after asking Jet about it, he had shown her a map and just how far out they really were. He explained her how they had sectioned off the area into a grid and were patrolling different sectors, trying to catch broadcasts, signals, find supplies and explore what was out there in the uncharted territory. It was fascinating just how resourceful and creative they had become in their quest and she could see what Poison meant whenever he talked about their 'purpose'.
*
'So...when are we gonna start our training sessions?' Sky asked him after the first week. Poison was back at the diner and Jet had taken over on patrol.
'Tonight. You're coming with me on patrol.' he answered, throwing the empty backpack at her.
'But I thought it was Jet's turn?' she seemed confused until Poison gave her a cheeky smile.
'We're gonna be patrolling him while he's patrolling. And the challenge is not to get caught.' he replied, still smiling. He couldn't help feeling slightly proud of his elaborate plan. 'Apparently a new shipment of BLI products is coming through and Jet is gonna be on the lookout. See if there's anything worth taking that we can take. It's not too dangerous but still an important mission.'
He sensed her doubt immediately. She thought it was too soon.
'Everyone's pretty impressed with you. Especially Kobra. Apparently you're a fast learner.' he tried to reassure her and her eyes widened in surprise. 'Also, you brought home two rabbits this week. That's more than what we had in the last three months combined.' it was a big deal. Any sort of 'real food' was rare around these parts and had been for a long time.
Now it was her smiling, pride radiating from her. He knew exactly how she felt and it made him happy.
'Well, I hope I can keep it up and it's not just beginner's luck.' she said, starting to pack her bag.
30 minutes later they were on their way. Jet had left hours ago and now it was their mission to stalk him, observe him, while trying to stay undiscovered. They had no trouble tracking him for the first part of their journey, as he had been using the hidden paths they always used and which he had already been showing Sky on their survival training excursions. After they climbed the hill where Poison had found her in the cavern just a week ago, they passed a canyon on the other side before heading down south to a small creek. By the time Poison finally decided to stop, it had already gotten dark. He lead her to a rock-tree formation that was just big enough to sit on and climbed it until he had found a branch that would be big enough for the both of them.
*
She was fascinated by the way he had climbed the tree, not making a sound, his movements agile, almost cat-like. He held out a hand to her and she grabbed it, being pulled up in the tree by him, she found herself sitting on a thick branch only a second later, facing Poison in the faint light of the flashlight.
'Here...' he whispered, parting the smaller branches surrounding them. They could pretty much overlook the creek from up here and she saw what he was pointing at.
Jet.
'How did- oh I bet that's where he always comes. I bet this is his lookout.' she rolled her eyes at him.
'I didn't say that I didn't know where he was going or where he'd be. That's not the point. You know I'd find people anywhere. It's not really a challenge.' he teased and she chuckled. 'It's about staying undetected. Hidden. Having him believe he's completely alone out here while we're watching him, just a few feet away.'
Poison jumped off the tree, again, without making any sound. She followed him, feeling like a klutz. They retreated a couple of yards and made camp for the night. Since they had found a well-hidden place, he decided it was safe to start a small fire which made the cool desert night considerably more comfortable.
'So how did you even find me? That night you saved me from the dracs...' she had wanted to ask him that question ever since she had woken up in his room the first time but figured now was the right time.
He looked up from the fire.
'I don't know.' he simply answered and she could tell he really didn't.
'But-...what do you mean, you don't know?'
'I was driving and something weird happened and then all of a sudden I was driving somewhere else and then somehow I ended up at that shack.' he was clearly avoiding something and she wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to know what it was. She waited for him to elaborate.
'You know how we patrol the sectors, looking for signals or broadcasts? Anything that could help us track other rebels or catch messages containing vital information we might need?' he asked and she nodded, Ghoul had explained some of it. 'Well the radio started acting all crazy. I can't explain it. There was this sound and then it felt like...it felt like I had no control over the car anymore. Like there was a magnet pulling me in a certain direction, like I had been switched to autopilot. Next thing I knew I was at the shack, I heard you scream and I saw the dracs and I knew what I had to do.'
*
His voice had turned into a mere whisper by the time he had finished talking. Sky seemed just as confused as he was, none of it made any sense.
'Believe me, I looked at the car, I checked the radio, everything. I've been trying my best to remember. That whole past week I was out on patrol...I was actually looking for the place. Seeing if I could find it again but nothing. It's like whatever force lead me there just doesn't exist anymore.'
It all sounded ridiculous, especially now that he was saying it out loud, to her. In the past five years of his life, establishing the group of Killjoys, gaining control over their operation and dedicating his time and energy to finding answers in order to build their expertise, he had never come across something that had left him this clueless. And he hated the feeling of not being able to explain it. It made him feel powerless, especially since he was positive it was of great importance.
Sky stared at him, shivering slightly.
'You need my blanket?' he asked but she shook her head. Instead she got up and walked over, sitting down next to him.
'Maybe if we go together? Maybe we'll find it then?' she suggested.
He looked at her, noticing how close she was. Her bruises had healed completely, only freckles covering her cheeks now. There was even the hint of a spark back in her eyes which he had never seen before. Beauty didn't matter out here but she was truly beautiful.
'Maybe.' he answered and now it was him who shivered.
Immediately Sky moved even closer until their sides touched. She sighed, resting her chin on her knees and continued to look into the fire. In the distance, a coyote howled at the crescent moon, a sound that was oddly calming. Without really thinking about it, he put his arm around her, feeling as though it had always belonged there.
@carmen_mcr
Aww thank you - I'm glad you enjoyed it so much.
Maybe I will write a sequel. I want to!
9/29/13