S.H.A.D.E. [{ Completed }]✔ (#Wattys2018)

Unearthing

14.

The drive lasts an hour or so into the center of Los Angeles. By now, it is nightfall, and the city is still lively and lit brightly, a hearth in the center of desert land.

I am in awe of the people, the amount, the diversity.

"You'll need to pick up basic language skills. There are countless languages spoken here."

"Ugh."

"It may be useful. And don't be so distracted by the lights, it's the dark that we will be dealing with. "

"Copper, you need to get out or something. You sound like a bad mobster movie. "

"This isn't a joke, Ebony."

His tone makes me take him seriously.

"This place is amazing, Ebony," Indigo gushes, a huge smile on his face. "The opportunities, the marketing, the industry, the tech. This is the place to be. Of course, that's why the enemy resides here. Easy to blend in."

"Uh huh."

"And you'll be right at the center, watching and waiting."

And this is true, I learn, as we drive into the heart of the city. It's a sociocultural hub of a place, and it's busy, teeming with the energy of the people milling about, laughing, eating, walking.

We pull up, eventually, to an apartment building that looks a little worse for wear. It's a rundown place, the building looking like it could use a good face lift and the pavement is cracked.

"Here? This is my new home?" I ask, anything but pleased.

"It's got character," Indigo grins.

I'm starting to hate his grins. They're like bandaids for fatal wounds.

I've got nothing with me except a few dark sweatpants and t-shirts that Scarlet gathered for me and my new battle axe, blade sheathed carefully.

Oddly enough, I find myself caring about it more than my clothes. Possibly because it is the only thing I am sure of that is mine. Even my mind is no longer my own.

I march up to the entrance with Indigo, and he is kind enough to carry my small bag of things. The inside is just as forlorn as the outside, and the yellow wallpaper that is adorned on the walls looks horrendously outdated, even without the peeling. The inside smells like a mixture of stale food and dust. I grimace, pinching my face up at the place.

"Ah, ya get used to it after a while," a crackling voice says from beside me. It's an older man stooped over a cane. His eyes are puffy and bagged from either illness or tiredness or a combination of the two, and his leathery skin is sallow. His smile is broken by a wet cough he catches in a browning handkerchief.

A smile twitches onto my lips, so forced I think my face might break. "I'm sure it does. Hello, I am Ebony."

"Arnold Riker, dear. I'm the landlord here at Glenford Estates." He straightens up a little. "I've served S.H.A.D.E for quite some time, and I must say that I appreciate your bravery and sacrifice."

A tingle runs over me. I'm going to die.

"Stop that."

The feeling of anxiety is quelled instantly. It irritates me how he can just dismiss my concerns like that.

"Thank you," I say to Arnold, but the words sound wooden.

Indigo clears his throat, sensing my mood, and says, "Arnold, will you help me show Ebony to her new unit? She should be all set up, I'm sure?"

"Oh yes," the old man says. "Boys were by early this morning, brought everything in, all new. Don't you worry, miss."

I bite the inside of my cheek as we begin to climb the first flight of steps. My heart goes out to Arnold, who limps and wheezes all the way up. Place should really have an elevator...

Finally, after two flights, we reach my floor, and Arnold hobbles up to my door. Unit 15. "Here you are, miss. You'll find everything in order."

I nod, clutching my axe to my chest. I feel unstable, being dumped in a place I'm not familiar with. But then again, I suppose I will never be familiar anywhere ever again.

Arnold unlocks the door, opening it wide, and I look in at my new home. It isn't as bad as I expected. Everything is moderate, the colors dull gray's and browns. The carpet is stained here and there, but all in all, it is okay, I guess.

"Wow, so much natural light!" Indigo beams, striding in, but I hear the strain in his voice.

"It's nice," I say. Because what else can I say?

Indigo seems relieved he won't have to deal with a meltdown from me. He claps his hands together. "Well, then I suppose we'll let you settle in, have a look around. I'll report that you were safely delivered."

Delivered. An object, an instrument.

"Yes, I'd like to settle in," I say, but I want to scream my anger at them. Get away from me, get the hell away.

"Ebony, you need to learn to adjust. There is no sense in resisting what is happening."

"Shut up, Copper. Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

"Bye now, Ebony. If you need anything, you can contact us through Copper. You really are blessed to have him as your Sync." Indigo says this while walking back out into the hall, eager to leave.

I run up and slam the door in his and Arnold's face, bolting the lock. A sob erupts out of my throat, and I lose my strength to stand. I am helpless, I am no one.

"No, you are Ebony. You are important."

"My death! My death is important! So what will you have me do first? Tell me how I die!" I shout this out loud, I don't give a care in the world how insane I sound to my neighbors.

"Listen, you hysterical little girl. I intend to keep you alive. You will live, you understand? Now stop this. Stop focusing on things you cannot have and start getting stronger. I can help you, but only if you let me."

"You've threatened my life before. Why should I trust you?"

"My name. My reputation. I am the best --you heard them. Keeping you alive keeps me at the top."

I rake my fingers through my hair, I squeeze my eyes shut. I don't know if I ever hated someone so much. But I want Copper dead.

"I'm merely a scapegoat. Hate me all you want. It won't help you. The moment you start listening to me, you will start helping yourself."

He leaves it at that, and I sit on the floor, a tear sliding down my cheek. I wipe at it furiously, so damn angry.

I don't want to obey Copper. I don't want to be S.H.A.D.E.'s disposable killing machine.

... But if I am, if I can keep myself alive, then perhaps I could go home afterward. Talk to this Gold guy, get a pardon. That meant working with Copper... killing people.

I picture the little girl in my head, her shiny yellow rain boots glaring in the sun as she runs, laughing. I don't know why, I don't know if it really was a memory or not, but the feeling I get when I think of her makes me believe that I could kill a man to see her again.

The dream of her has unearthed something within me.

So, gathering my composure, I pick myself up off the floor, grab my axe, and head to the fridge. I haven't eaten a thing all day, but I am anything but hungry. Still, I dig around through the fully stocked fridge until I find some grapes and mechanically pop a few in my mouth.

Then I walk down the hall, locate the bedroom, and slide into the strange bed. I want an early start tomorrow. I want to train more before I embark on whatever task I will be given.

I have one single thought before slipping off into a deep sleep:

I will live.