Chapter 5: Chapter V: Little shacks and adoptive families

Chapter V: Little shacks and adoptive families

Metal dug into his wrists, the weight of his weakened body making the shackles bite deeper. A mixture of blood and sweat ran down his face and dripped, forming a puddle between his feet. The guards were quiet now, as it seemed they got tired of poking and bruising him at last.

Kai stared at the puddle, listening to the rats, and the noises coming from the ceiling of this dark dungeon they threw him in.

There was something happening on the surface.

It didn’t matter. He was done for.

It was a blessing in disguise, as he wouldn’t have to kill anyone else.

The door to the dungeon creaked as it opened, he couldn’t see it, only the light spilling in.

Footsteps coming down the stairs.

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Fanfare took over the city. Olivia had never seen the streets so colorful and utterly intoxicated. Ragged flags decorated the makeshift homes; festive necklaces made of plastic and other rubbish everywhere she looked.

They pinned a medal on her clothes and of the men who helped her, the ones who survived, and patted their shoulders.

She glanced to the left as the official moved to congratulate the next crewman in line.

An empty spot. Paris, who she thought would be ecstatic about adding another medal to his collection, was nowhere to be seen. Maybe the booze fever caught him as well.

There was talk on the streets that General Constantino and his army had not vanished into thin air as it seemed.

Olivia paid no attention to them, as the rogue general wasn’t here to defend the city when they needed him most, so his dirty business was not her concern.

There were various stands ahead. Food and drink, not exactly in abundance or even good, but something at least. She deserved something after everything that happened.

With some effort, she managed to smile slightly and approached them.

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The scent of his burnt flesh filled the dungeon. Kai’s teeth clenched on their own as the man pressed a glowing hot iron against his chest. There was a different kind of hatred behind those eyes, something beyond repair.

The iron hissed as he pulled it, taking a patch of skin with it.

He was about to burn him again when Kai spoke up.

“I know you.”

The man stopped. The bruises Kai gave him were black and purple now, but still unmistakably his.

“You monsters shouldn’t talk,” he said. “I’m going to cut off your tongue now, that’ll do it.”

He dropped the iron on puddle between Kai’s chained ankles and turned, grabbing a dagger from the table behind. The blade glinted in front of his face.

“Now say ahhh for me, freak.”

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He took Kai’s jaw with his free hand.

“I could bite your fingers off, but I won’t. Do as you please.”

The man yanked his hand back at once.

His features twisted.

“You sack of shit. How dare you?”

He sunk the cold tip of the dagger between Kai’s ribs, then dragged the blade upwards in an agonizingly slow motion, drawing a red belt on his torso.

“Merciful monster! Don’t make me laugh! Where were this mercy when you killed my father?!”

The chains clicked and groaned as Kai wriggled in pain.

For a second he wanted to say I didn’t. But he killed so many, so who’s to say this boy’s father wasn’t among them? His victims were faceless.

Thus, no coherent words came out of his mouth, as the walls of dungeon echoed back his guttural howls.

The dagger came free once it reached his shoulder, blood running like warm rivers along his body.

His sight flickered.

His tormentor tapped Kai’s face.

“No dying yet!”

Why?

“Finish... this.”

“Death is easy. Witnessing your family get butchered in front you, that’s the part that sucks. And you, abomination, are unlucky today.”

“My... family?”

A twisted grin grew on the man’s face.

“The old rogue is not so useless as I thought. While you were throwing the bulk of your army against our walls, General Constantino was doing as he pleased behind your frontlines.”

A shiver went down his spine. Kai lifted his head.

“I heard he captured so many mutants, little ones too, enough to fill an ark to hell.”

Kai’s eyes shot wide. He pulled himself forwards, yanking at the chains.

The man stepped back and laughed.

“So long, freak! Don’t worry—once the prisoners arrive, I’ll drag you to see the parade AND the execution.”

He turned and walked towards the stairs, leaving some sort of bribe with the one of the guards on his way out.

How could they?

Mira...

Kai closed his eyes.

Wait for me.

The dungeon door groaned again.

“Guard!” He said.

Footsteps, getting closer. They felt comfortable around him. The merciful monster that didn’t bite.

“I thought Paris took off your tongue. What a half-arsed job!”

Too close.

Kai opened his eyes.

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Marcus had a patched-up football under his arm. Other kids waited behind, shouting for him to come back and resume their match.

“Why are you not in school?”

“Where have you been, Oli? The city just got attacked—there was no school today.”

I wonder where I was...

Though, she clearly was not here enough. Otherwise, she would’ve known there was no school today.

Olivia scratched her head.

“You can’t go to class, but you’re fine to play football with your friends?”

Marcus shrugged.

“Today was very stressful. We need to blow off some steam.”

Olivia shook her head.

“Unbelievable.”

Marcus’ eyes drifted away, looking serious and pensive suddenly. He did that sometimes. It scared her a little.

“What happened?” she asked.

He didn’t answer.

She frowned.

“Marcus, tell me what’s wrong. I need to know.”

He rubbed his nose, stealing glances at her.

“There was a mutant...”

“A mutant? Did he hurt you?”

“No. He was wounded and bleeding. And he... begged me for water.”

Olivia blinked, unsure what to say.

He continued.

“I went to fetch some for him. But when I got back, they had killed him.”

Fear shot through her. Olivia grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

“You did what?! He could have killed you!”

“He was wounded!”

“It doesn’t matter. They hate our guts, Marcus!”

“Great! Then we are all the same, aren’t we?!”

Olivia’s eyes widened.

The other kids stared in silence at them, as they stared at each other.

She let go of his shoulders, lowering her voice.

“Never say that. They killed your father.”

He lowered his head, avoiding her eyes.

“Can I... go back to play?”

Olivia sighed, then nodded.

He ran back to his friends.

The match resumed with a kick of the ball. It was getting dark and cold.

Their house, nothing but a big shack, was a couple blocks away.

Olivia hugged her arms for warmth.

“Get home before the last light is out,” she said.

“Aye!” he shouted back, running after the ball.

She chuckled and went on her way.

There was still some blood and rubble being cleared off the streets. It seemed the battle was even worse than she imagined, some mutants even making inside the city.

All the same...

Olivia shook her head in disbelief.

Then she remembered the one that took her flares, that led the army, the demon with mercy in his eyes. He could have finished her.

But maybe he thought she wasn’t worth it.

Her shack came into view, couple windows, slightly bigger than the neighbors. It wasn’t much. None of them had much.

But they had each other. Little shacks and adoptive families.

Olivia reached inside her pocket as she walked towards it, searching for the keys.

We’re not the same, Marcus. We have something worth fighting for.

The keys clicked as she unlocked the door.

Olivia was about to go in, but she stopped as something warm and sharp touched her neck.

She swallowed, glancing down.

Some sort of fireplace poker, with marks of recent use. A scent of burnt meat reached her nose.

A deep voice from behind as somebody pressed closer against her.

“You’re coming with me, scout.”