Liberation: Oscar's Story

Chapter 29: Pt. 1

"Rogues?" Ananya was jolted back to reality when the scream tore through the surprise that rendered her immobile. "What?"

"Shit." Mayor Dafowick ripped himself from Ananya and stumbled backward. "Not now!"

"Not now?" Ananya shouted over the stampede of screams. "What's happening?"

Mayor Dafowick didn't answer her. He gathered his bearings and rushed across the concrete square, pushing and shoving through groups of panicked people. A howl broke through the pandemonium and a roar followed. Ananya noticed that his certain howl was different from the ones she'd hurt during her time in Oscar's pack. It was ragged and hoarse like the holder of the voice hadn't slept or eaten in days.

Oh darn. Ananya huddled in the shadowed corner that the steps and wall of City Hall made. Her body pressed against the concrete and she tried to cover her face while searching for the source of the mayhem. People tripped past her, rushing for shelter. Shouts and cries arose and as the dark veils of clouds drifted over the moon, Ananya found it more difficult to see anything. She squinted through the rush, not searching for anything in particular.

"Ah!" A woman fell at Ananya's feet. Her fingers dug into the dirt and she tried to lift her legs, but to no avail. She groaned and released a cry when a group of men trampled over her torso. With trembling limbs, she craned her head to look at Ananya and croaked, "Help."

Darn it. Darn it. Darn it. Ananya's heart ached because she couldn't bear to see the woman in pain, but she wasn't sure what she could do to help. She couldn't get on her knees, and even if she could she didn't have enough upper body strength to lift the woman and carry her to safety.

"Please..." the woman begged. "Please, help me." She raised her arm.

I have to try. Determination set in Ananya's eyes and she grabbed the woman's hand. The woman tried to arch her back to lift herself but fell on the ground again. Ananya's knees buckled and had she not been holding the railing above her she would have fallen on top of the woman.

"Easy," she said shakily. "Don't pull me. I'll fall on top of you." Hastily, she looked around the clouds of dust, the mess of food on the ground, and the throes of people running about. She still had no idea where the danger was coming from, but she knew that she had to get to safety, wherever that was.

The stage. Her subconscious told her. Get to the stage.

"The stage," Ananya repeated. "We have to go to the stage. We can take refuge behind the curtain." She dragged the woman so that the top half of her body was upright, and using all of her might she began to walk in front of the steps toward the stage, which was occupied by groups of children climbing the side ramp to get behind the curtain.

I hope Oscar's okay, Ananya thought. Heat built up under her clothes and she found it difficult to breathe, like her sweaty clothes were clinging to her lungs and squeezing them. She gasped and groaned, tugging the injured woman along. Shoot, I shouldn't have left him. What's a rogue, though? Is this an attack? What in the world is going on?

"Ananya!" January Bayor's voice came from behind her. Ananya didn't stop walking, because she knew that if she did, her knees would collapse and she'd fall, and she didn't want to risk rupturing her spine. "Ananya!"

"Ananya, wait!" Karsten followed her. He grabbed Ananya by the shoulder and she fell backward, colliding with his chest. "Hey, easy." He held her up, his hands under her sweat-drenched armpits, and brought her to her shaking feet.

"Shit, this is a disaster," January Bayor growled. She took the injured woman from the ground and lifted her. "Ananya, let go." She ripped the woman's wrist from Ananya's grasp, noticing the deep red lines in her skin from where she was held.