X-Marks: Stealing Shadows

Debug

"Is it going to hurt?" Evee asked and walked closer to Buggy on the stairs.

"I'm not sure," Buggy said continued up the steps, "But I know you'll be in the best of hands."

"How did we get bugs?" Mat asked, "Like ants?"

"No, not like that," Buggy said, "They are things the Allies can use to find you and take you back to the center."

"Isn't that good?" Ocean said and leaned forward.

"I know you might miss the center, but trust me. It's better you stay here."

Buggy stepped onto the top of the stairs and down an abandoned hall. Each of its fractured doors faced a balcony far above the camp. I peered over the railing where the chaos of the travelers was below.

The corners of the room were crowded with tents and filled with the young and old unable stand. Towards the center, men and women dressed in tatters shouted in every direction as they passed each other. It seemed screaming was the only way to speak here.

Buggy pushed a door open with his shoulder.

"This way," he said, and extended his hand inside.

The clanging of tools was on the other side. The snug room was crowded with piles wires and gadgets.

A black-haired man with a beard stood behind a table littered with gears and tools. His grease stained sleeves were rolled above his elbows, and his fingers held a pair of wires. The man squinted through a round pair of glasses on the tip of his nose.

"So it's true then?" the black-haired man said.

A group of older boys also stood behind the table. They had been watching the black-haired man until they noticed Buggy standing at the door.

"Buggy's alive?" one of the boys said in disbelief.

"I knew it!" cheered the youngest of the boys.

Buggy walked to the youngest and gave him a squeeze on the back of the neck.

"At least one person in this camp believes in me," Buggy said.

The black-haired man kept at his work and said, "What is it this time."

"I have instructions from the elders," Buggy said and swayed on the tips of his toes.

The black-haired man finally looked away from his work. A grimace was ironed into his brow.

"Jonathan, where'd those children come from?" the man said, less amused than before.

Buggy leaned closer, "The elders need us to take them in," he said.

The black-haired man dropped the wires on the table and put his shaking hand up to his brow.

"And what does this have to do with me?" the man said and circled his fingers on his forehead.

"The elders want you to debug them."

The room went still. We waited for the man to speak but he looked down at the table instead. His mouth twitched as if he were about to burst from within.

"It has to be done," Buggy said and walked closer, "Uncle Alger. Don't be so -"

"They're children! Not god-damn machines!" the man shouted and slammed his fist onto the table, "You've really done it this time."

Alger looked down at the broken wires in his hand. I could feel my mark burn from beneath my scarf as I waited for him to shout again.

Alger stepped from around the table.

"You boys leave until I fetch for you. Tell no one, not even your parents about this, you hear?"

The boys gathered their belongings and rushed out the door.

"And you," Alger said and pointed at Buggy, "You're staying and helping clean up this mess."

Buggy took on a serious, more grown-up tone.

"I already wanted to," he said.

Alger wiped his greasy hands with a rag.

"You wouldn't be saying that. Not if you knew anything at all, boy."

Alger let the greasy rag down and walked towards me. The heat beneath my scarf swelled the closer he came. Alger put his calloused hand up to my face. I winced at his cold touch.

"Let good fortune be with these little ones tonight," Alger said and turned to Buggy, "You could never let the world be Buggy. Someday it will do the same to you."

"It already has," Buggy muttered.

"There's no time for your teenage brooding. It's started! This one already has a fever."

"What's started?" Buggy asked.

Alger stood in front of a door draped with a curtain.

"They're weaning off the Ally food," Alger said and lifted the curtain's cloth.

Behind the curtain was an open room more suited for resting. A drop of sweat slithered down from the back of my ear onto my tender neck. Alger's mention of fever was making me warmer.

"Am I sick?" Matt said at last showing some concern.

His eyes were hallowed and circled with pink.

"Is this because of the bugs?" Evee wined and held her head.

I was so focused on Alger and Buggy I did not notice the others were so damp and sickly too. Ocean appeared the worse, her body rested against a chair. Her wheezing chest could barely rise.

Buggy's panicked fingers were at his temple. Something was very wrong. Something he had not thought about until now.

"Buggy, what's happening?" I said as white sparks flashed around me.

Alger came from behind the curtain with a pitcher that overflowed with water.

"Get those children on some mats, before the shakes come," Alger said.

Buggy woke from his panic and ran towards Ocean. Her eyes were no longer open. He lifted her limp body and carried her through the curtain.

The white sparks filled the room and danced to the rapid pulse under my chest. A set of blue eyes looked down at me as the darkness set in.