Journey

Lorelei

I was resting up in the room when an out of breath nurse burst into the room. Elijah got up, thinking it was time for his meds but the nurse didn't have meds.

"Is Commander Jameson in the room?" She asks.

I sit up.

"Yes." I tell the nurse.

"Follow me." I get up and follow the nurse out of the room.

"You got a call on the com." She whispers to me.

"Are you sure I'll be on time for my fight?" I ask.

"I'm sorry Lorelei but this check up is necessary."

I sigh but continue walking with her.

There are cameras all around us and you never know when they can hear you. I enter the room with the com.

"Hello?"

The voice on the line is Alivia's.

"Oh congratulations on the baby." I tell her.

"Oh thanks." Alivia tells me.

I know the voice she's using. Something is definitely wrong with her.

"You needed to talk to me?" I remind her.

"Oh right. There is something wrong here. I feel like America is lying to us about something big."

My stomach drops to my feet. Alivia is talking about the people on Ursus Minor keeping Indiana as well. I've never had to lie to her before but if I told the truth Alivia might have a mental breakdown.

"What do you want me to do."

I regret it as soon as I say it. Now she'll know I'm lying. Ack what am I going to do.

"Well have you heard anything on your side of the war?"

"Nope."

Oh that makes it so much worse. I am so stupid. I am internally kicking myself.

"Umm. Okay?"

"Okay. Wonderful catching up with you. Bye now." I say in an over enthusiastic voice.

Shoot. I suck at lying. I sigh and walk out of the room.

"Hey what's the time?" I ask a doctor passing me.

"1030" He responds not looking up from his clipboard.

Crap! I have thirty minutes to get dressed and ready and warm up for my fight.

I race down the hallways apologizing to the people I run into. I burst into the room again and grab my clothes and leave for the arena. I finally stop to catch my breath when I get dressed.

I start stretching out my muscles.

"Lorelei do you need some water?" Kourtni asks.

I look up. Kourtni is offering a water bottle.

"Thanks Kourtni." I say taking the water bottle.

I start chugging it because I have nothing else to do. Elijah bursts into the room.

"There you are." He said relieved.

"Where else would I be?" I ask.

"I was just worried. That's just me." He smiles.

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting they opened the doors and I entered the arena. I have never been on this side of the fighting. I have always been the observer and not the fighter. The pit in my stomach gets larger and demands to be felt.

It doesn't help that the sea of blue and white glow blinds me.

"Let the fighting commence." The Highest Order yells.

I am still in a daze that I hardly recognized the start of the fight. My opponent took advantage of this and lunged for me knocking me onto the ground. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see Elijah lunging for me. He puts his hands up against the glass. My opponent punches and it gets my jaw. He punches again and I dodge his fist. I knee his stomach and he recoils in pain. I get to my feet. He runs at me again. I sweep my metal leg under him and he falls. He scrambles to his feet. He grabs me and hits me.

"Don't you know you're not supposed to hit girls?" I ask.

I hit his ribs with my metal elbow. He groans. I take this opportunity pin him to the floor. He struggles against my grip.

"Yield!" I yell at him.

"Not today." He tells me as he flips me.

"Ugh, Why'd you have to do that?" I ask him.

I kick him and he leans heavily on one knee. I lunge at him.

"Yield!" I yell.

He gurgles a little.

"What was that?" I ask.

"Never."

I press his throat harder.

"I said, Yield!" I shout.

I press my metal knee against his chest until I am on top of him.

"Yield. Don't die because you were too vain to lose to a girl." I tell him.

He yields and I breathe again. I didn't have to kill anyone.

"I pronounce the Commander winner." The Highest Order declares.

The room erupts into cheers. Elijah applauds me. I smile at him.

When I finally get into the shower I assess my wounds. Several bruises. The warm water makes the aching pain that I had all over my body go away and I just stand there for a moment. I comb my fingers through my dark hair. I get out of the shower when my feet get pruny. I have a purpley bruise forming on my lower jaw. It looks very noticeable against my white skin. I get dressed and try to hide the bruises.

"You don't need to hide them you know." a voice says from behind me.

It is someone I don't recognize.

"Why not?"

"They are your battle scars. And today you just won your first one. One of many I presume." The lady tells me.

"No this isn't a battle. It's hardly even a fight. No this is a dictator getting bored." I tell her.

"I like you. What's your name?" She asks.

"My name is Lorelei. What's yours?"

"I see you Commander. My name is Lex."

"Please, just Lorelei is fine."

"Got it Lorelei."

"Actually I remember you Lex. You won your first fight when I was in the hospital." I tell her.

"Oh that's another thing. Why were you in the hospital?" Lex asks.

"Me and Elijah beat each other up pretty bad. Then the nurses decided to put me in a drug coma."

Lex looked at me with wide eyes.