Arcadia : The Hidden Child

Chapter 5

The light throbbing in my head woke me up.  I didn't open my eyes at first, the memories from the ledge and the man with the blue eyes came flooding back to me.  I listened for a moment and heard two men having a heated discussion.  I couldn't understand what they were saying because they were speaking, what I assumed was Arcadian, but there was something familiar about the voice of the second man... but I couldn't place it.  A third voice entered the conversation and then everyone stopped talking.  I had this overwhelming feeling they were looking at me and I was having to fight the urge to open my eyes and find out.
I slowly opened my eyes and looked around.  I was alone in an opaque glass box, laying on a white bed with a white sheet covering me, though it wasn't the traditional cotton sheets we had on earth.  It was very thin, almost paper thin, but had the warmth of the sun.  I sat up and threw my legs over the side of the bed.
"I wouldn't do that." A voice said.
I turned around and there was a man standing there, tall with olive skin and frizzy black hair and bright green eyes.  He was standing in the corner of the room.
"Who are you?" I asked instinctively grabbing the blanket around me.
"I am not going to hurt you," he said taking a few tentative steps, watching me, waiting for any reaction.  When I didn't make a move, he moved his arms behind his back and continued walking, slightly more confident.  "How are you feeling?"
"You speak English?"
"Yes, some." He continued to look at me, "How are you feeling?" He repeated again.
"Fine."
"No side effects?"
"From what? What did you do to me?"
"I did not do anything to you.  You touched the base of a Wacumba tree.  It is very toxic to your kind, in fact I surprised you are still alive.  Most humans would have died by now."
"A Wacumba tree?" 
"Yes.  You ran into a Wacumba tree patch.  They have a soft glow to them and produce a sticky sap that covers the base of the tree, protecting it from other animals.  You are lucky we found you when we did, you would have been dead, if not for us."
"You should have let me die there."
He smirked.  "You don't mean that."
"I do! I saw what you did to those people.  You were beating them and sorting them into different groups, for what?!" I looked around the room, the haze lifting.  "Where are my friends?"
"They are fine."
"Then let me see them."
"Not yet."
"Not yet?"  I said, my face getting hot.  I stood up, it must have been too quickly because my head started pounding and the room started spinning.
"Please get back in bed," the man said.  There was a soft sternness to his voice.
"No," I said using one hand to grab my head, the pain was now searing.  "What have you done to me?" I said through clenched teeth.
"Please get back in bed.  You are not well."  He said, still standing.
"I want to see my friends." I looked around the room trying to find the door, but all I saw were opaque white walls.  "Now."  I fell under the weight of my body and crumpled to the floor.  The man disappeared and seconds later I felt hands on me, lifting me.  I tried opening my eyes, but the pain was too much.  I was being carried and placed back on the bed.
"You need to stay in bed."  His voice was softer now, less stern.
I felt something warm cover my body and then seconds later the warmth crept through my body and the pain began to ease.  I heard the person walking away and was barely able to open my eyes.  I saw a light blue glow form as the man got closer to the wall.  He opened a door way.  Seconds later everything went black. 

o o o o o o

"I want to see her."  A voice said loudly.  They sounded like they were struggling.
Another voice responded softly, "No.  Not yet."
"Get off me."
Then there was silence and I could feel myself start to drift off again.
"Araleigh." The voice said quietly, with a hint of urgency.  "Araleigh." He said again shaking me gently.
I shook my head and slowly opened my eyes.
"There's my girl."  Ty said smiling.
"We have to go.  Can you stand?"
I was having a hard time focusing on him. 
"Can you stand?" He repeated with more urgency.
I stared at him for a minute.  What was going on?  I felt heavily sedated, I tried to lift my legs and couldn't move them. "No."  I managed to get out. 
Colored lights started flashing outside of my glass room. 
"We have to get out of here now.  It isn't safe for us."
What was happening?  He seemed so panicked.  He looked behind him and saw the lights.
"Go." I said barely able to speak.
"No, I'm not leaving you here."
"Go."  I could feel everything going black again, but not before I saw two men come into the room and grab Ty away kicking and screaming. 
"Get your hands off me." 
"We..."
Complete darkness.  I felt comfortable here.  Safe.  Where was here?  Why couldn't I move?  Panic started to creep through me and then quickly dissipated.
There was a soft song being played.  It was beautiful, something I had never heard before.  I slowly opened my eyes and looked around.  I fully expected to see the sterile opaque glass room, but I didn't.  I was lying in a bed, a small bed in a small room, who knows how much time had past.  I was covered with something as thin as a sheet of paper.  Red paper.  But it held so much warmth. 
I slowly sat up and continued to look around.  There was a window to my left, small and square.  I would have to stand on the bed to look out of it.  Could I do that?  Could I stand?  Images of Ty coming into my room, panicked, came rushing back to me.  Where was he now?  Another image of him being dragged out by two men with blonde hair.
I pulled the cover off and sat up.  I was waiting for my head to start pounding, but it didn't.  I slowly turned and put my feet on the floor and tried to stand.  I felt like a newborn deer learning to stand for the first time. My legs began to shake so I sat back down.
A light appeared on the wall, opening to a door.  "You don't do anything small do you?"  Said the man walking in, sounding impressed.  It was the same man from before, with the bright green eyes and frizzy hair, but this time it looked to be pulled back.
"Who are you?"
"I am Franzesevoy, but you can call me Franz."
There was a gentleness to him that made me want to trust him.  I looked around the room, this didn't seem like the place we ran from when we first got here.  This place was much brighter and clean and less dark and dirty... and there was Franz...
"Franz," I said letting the name roll off my tongue.
"That's me." He said smiling.  He walked over to me and picked up my wrist and held it for a second and then gently placed his hand on my forehead.  "How do you feel?"
"I feel ok.  Confused, though. Where am I?"
"You are safe and it's ok to be confused."  He stepped away.  "But nothing hurts?  No headaches, no room spinning? Nausea?"
"No, nothing. I feel fine." I was safe.  I let the words play over in my head a couple times. 
"Perfect!" He said clapping his hands together.  He walked over to the wall and placed his  hand on it and a drawer slowly slid out.  "Here are some clothes for you.  Get dressed and we will go get something to eat.  There are some people who want to see you," he said raising his brows.  "I will be waiting for you out in the hall."
I stared after him and hesitantly said, "Ok."  What was going on?  The memories of what had happened flooded back in.  Ty and Cash and the man with the blue eyes.
There was a knock on the door.  "Silly me.  I forgot you can't really walk yet.  Here I will help you."
"I can walk."
"No. I don't think you can.  You are strong minded and that can cause you many problems."  He looked at me, flashed a smile and then grabbed a change of clothes out of the drawer and handed them to me.  "Do you need help?"
"No." I said quickly.
He laughed.  "I was merely asking as a courtesy.  Your body is nothing new to me."
"Excuse me?" I recoiled.
He smiled.  "I only mean, I have been the one tending to you over the last couple of weeks, so your bareness is nothing I have not already seen."
"My bareness?"
"Yes.  What would you call it?"
I was not shy of my body, but that did not change the fact I felt uncomfortable he had seen me naked.  Let it go.  There was nothing I could do about it now.  "Did you just say weeks?"
"Yes.  Two weeks, four days to be exact."
"Almost three weeks?"
"Yes.  I believe that is correct.  Your friends have been asking about you."
"Have you let them see me?"
"Yes, in moderation.  We had to sedate your friend Ty for a period or two.  He injured one of our guards when he tried break you out."
I didn't know if I should apologize or not.   I just looked at him as I sat on the edge of the bed and started to pull my shirt over my head.  Franz turned immediately.  "I thought you said you had already seen me in my bareness." I said mocking his term.
He chuckled.  "Yes.  But that was when you were unaware and for your benefit.  Watching you now would only be for mine."
"Ok. I am done now." 
He turned back around.  "Most excellent."  He stepped outside and came back in with a chair.  He pushed it over to me so I could climb on it.  "This will help you until you rebuild your strength.  Being on bedrest for so long in conjunction with being on our planet has caused slight atrophy in your muscles," he added quickly, "nothing for you to be concerned about though.  You will be back to normal in no time at all."
I climbed on. It looked like a solid disc on a ball, but it was much more comfortable.
"Where are my friends?" I wanted to believe everything was ok, and I was having a hard time not believing him.  Why did I find it so easy to trust him? 
"They are waiting for you in the dining hall."
He moved to stand in front of me.  "This is very simple to use, though it takes some time getting used to.  Wherever you want to go you lean that way.  When you come to a turn, I would recommend you stopping, twisting your body and then proceed forward.  Most are unable to do both at the same time.  Only a real professional Numjuk racer like me can handle the turns."
"Numjuk?"
"Yes.  I don't know what you would call it in your language.  But we here at the Hub have come up with Numjuk racing.  We have another race in a couple of nights.  You should come and check it out.  Your friend Ty tried racing a couple of nights ago and almost brought this place down."  He said laughing and then added, "not in a good way.  He thought he could take a corner fast and smashed into a wall," he held his hands up before I could say anything, "Don't worry though, he is fine."
"I'm sorry.  But what exactly is going on?  Where are we?"
"Yes.  I apologize.  You were brought here by Tristan.  You ran through the Wacumba trees and touched the sap.  It is very dangerous and you would have died had it not been for Tristan."
"Why would he bring me here?  He attacked us."
"No," he held up his finger, "Misconception.  You were being attacked, yes.  Tristan was watching over you and saw you and your friends were in trouble.  He tried to get you all to safety, but you all scattered like mice.  Isn't that what you all say?" He didn't wait for an answer.  "You managed to get in a few good hits and ran off.   Which no one has ever been able to do.  Because of you, he now gets a lot of joking from others here.  He is head of defense and got beat up by a human."  He laughed.  "I am sorry.  Where was I?  Oh yes.  He saved your life, brought you here and we are taking care of you."
"Why?  Why would you take care of us?  We are nothing to you."
"You are something, though nobody knows what yet.  The queen herself has instructed us to look after you."
"The queen?  I don't understand."
"Me either.  But I just do what I am told, so let's get you to your dinner and your friends.  They must be wondering where you are."
My stomach grumbled.  I was feeling hungry, I hadn't noticed until he said something.
"Do you need me to help you?  I can push if you would like."
"No.  I got it."  I leaned forward and the Nunjuk jerked forward and then stopped.  I tried again with the same results.
"You have to be gentle with it.  Ease into it."
I nodded and gently eased forward.  It didn't jerk this time, rather it slowly started to pick up speed.
"Slow down!" Franz called out.
I leaned back and it came to a stop.
Franz swiped his hand on the wall and two circle discs came out.  He threw them on the ground and jumped on them.  They looked similar to what I used on earth only thinner and they didn't have a light.
"You worried me."  Franz said catching up to me.
"Can you pull anything out of the wall?"
"What do you mean?"
"This place looks like all walls, but then you touch it and a door appears or a drawer with clothes appears, or you swipe your hand and discs come out."  I swiped by hand against the wall and nothing happened.
"You are very funny Araleigh.  There is nothing there."
"How can you tell?"
"I see."
"You see what?"
"I don't understand your question."
"I don't see anything.  I don't see doors, drawers, or discs."
"It is because you aren't looking."
"Now I don't know what that means."
"You will.  Just give it some time."
"I don't think that is something we have."
"Sure it is."
"No we have to get back home... to earth." Did we?  I felt myself doubting the words as I was saying them, what was there for me?  This feeling of momentary sadness flashed through me at the thought I didn't feel like I belonged there anymore.  If I went back I would surely be hunted and probably killed in the most brutal way possible.  Could I stay here? Was that even an option, I didn't really belong here either.
"Yes I know, but you have some time."  He looked around.  "Now let's go again, but this time slower.  I don't think your friends would forgive me if I brought you in all battered and bruised."
I started forward again, this time, much slower.
"So," I wasn't huge on silence between people.  "You call this the Hub?" I asked recalling from an earlier conversation.
"Yes, it has a more official name but I don't like those as much.  This is one of many Hubs on Arcadia.  We work for and support the Queen, keeping people safe and protecting them against attacks by the Nevi, who are actively trying to destroy parts of the city.  These hubs are set up as a meeting place for our teams so that we can be where we're needed.  We supply clothes, food, shelter to those who need it, as well as, protection and military assistance to the Queen."
"Why do the Nevi want to destroy this place?"
"Because of you," he said bluntly.
I stopped and looked at him.  "Excuse me?  What do I have to do with any of this?"
"You were the one all those years ago who came here and she let you live.  The queen let you live.  The Nevi's viewed it as a sign of weakness and tried to overthrow the Queen.  They felt that any outside visitor was a danger to our civilization."
I couldn't speak.  I was the reason this planet was fighting with itself?
"Come.  Let's continue.  I didn't mean to upset you."
"No it's ok."
"I wanted to tell you before you found out another way.  Some blame you, I do not.  It wasn't your fault."
"Thank you."  I looked at Franz and his warm smile helped.  I felt like I had known him for years.
"Up here on the right.  Don't forget to-"
I hit the wall.
"I told you that you need to stop and then twist."
"I know.  But I thought I could do it."
"Everyone thinks that.  Only few can do it."  He smiled, obviously priding himself as one of a few.
I twisted and then continued forward into a large open room.  The ceiling was a glass dome shape that opened to the night sky with tables in the middle and different food options along the outside edge of the room.  There were trees in the room that were almost as tall as the ceiling and there were people climbing the trees and sitting on the branches eating.
"Oh my!" I just saw a person jump from one tree to another.
"Yes that is Zane.  He thinks he is a Wooly Wooly."
Aside from Zane, who seemed to be off in his own world, everyone stopped eating and talking and looked at me.  Great. I couldn't tell if they were thinking, 'oh look the reason for our despair' or 'oh look the cause of all our troubles'.
"They aren't looking at you, they are looking at me?" He said, as if he was reading my mind.
"What?" I was a little shocked.
"You are wondering why they are all looking at you and I am telling you they aren't looking at you, they are looking at me," he added, "Waiting?"
"Waiting for"-
Before I could finish, he held his hands up and then pointed to the right side of the room.  They all screamed out in excitement, while the opposite side hung their heads in disappointment.  
Franz continued walking forward so I followed.  "What was that?"
"There was a bet on if you would hit the wall."
"A bet?"
"Yes." 
I rolled my eyes and hung my head.  I looked up a moment later and saw Ty racing towards me.  "Ty!"  I opened my arms. 
"Oh Araleigh! I'm glad you are ok, I was so worried about you."
"I'm fine." I gently pushed him away.
"See I told you she would be ok and you didn't believe me."  Franz said lightly punching Ty in the arm.  "I still don't understand this sign of affection.  Punching someone you like."
"You like me?" Ty said joking.
"For now." Franz smiled.  "I will leave you two to talk."
He picked up the discs and threw them up in the air.  I watched as they zoomed out of the room. 
"So what's going on?  You seem to be a completely different person than what I vaguely remember." Ty screaming we had to leave, replayed over in my mind.
"Yea," he smiled sheepishly.  "I may have overreacted to some news."
I looked at him quizzically.  "What news and where is Cash?"
He stared at me without speaking.
"What happened?  Is he still alive?  Did something happen to him?"
"Yea, something like that."  He said almost bitterly.
"Something like that, like what?  Please explain.  Now."
"He is-."
"Right here." Cash said jumping on the table.  "You are looking good Araleigh."
Ty rolled his eyes and sat back down and started talking to someone.
"You as well Cash.  You seem different."
"That is because I am."
"What the hell is going on?  I get knocked out for a week or two and everything changes,  Ty is pissed about something and you act like you run this place."
Ty snorted.
Cash ignored him. 
"Why don't you tell her what's going on Cash?  Tell her how you have been lying to all of us."
"Lying?"
"Do you mind if we move over here?" Cash asked me, pointing to the hall I had just come in from.
"No she's not going anywhere with you."  Ty stood up.
I held up my hand.  "Excuse me.  I can make my own decisions."  The male testosterone and vagueness was getting on my last nerve.  "I will go out in the hall with him and you can watch me from here." I shook my head in irritation.
"But." Ty said. 
"Enough," I threw up my hand to stop Ty, "I am hungry and I am confused and now I am pissed.  I may be in this chair for right now, but that doesn't mean I can't take care of myself or make my own decisions.  So Ty, if you want to make yourself useful, you can go get me something to eat, I am starving."  In my rant, I forgot to even ask if they have food here for us, I softened my tone.  "They do have food here for us?"
"Of course." Cash said.
Ty looked at both of us and then nodded.
Cash tried to push me.  "I can do it myself." I snapped.  I didn't want Cash to think I was only irritated at Ty, there was enough irritation to go around.
"Fine."  Cash said throwing his hands up in the air and moving to stand beside me.
"So what happened between you and Ty while I was recovering?"
We got to the hall and turned left, walking over to a glass window that was shaped like a dome protruding out of the side of the building. 
Cash climbed in and sat down and looked at me.  "Is this ok? Can your pitbull still see us?"
"Seriously dude, what happened?"
"I went to tell him the truth, but he found out by accident, before I could tell him."
"Tell him what?"
"Well." He cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  "I am finding this more difficult than I thought I would."  He looked out of the window and then rubbed his hands over his head.  "Ok, so ten or so years ago, you fell into a portal which brought you here."
"I know."
"Just give me a minute, I am working up to it."
I managed to push down my annoyance and continue to listen.
"Anyways what you may not have known then, was the Queen's decision to send you back, sparked a lot of controversy.  Arcadians were scared for their safety, if another planet knew of our existence it could cause problems.  A group of rebels were created, called Nevi's, whose sole mission was to kill you and then overthrow the Queen, but they had to act quickly, they couldn't risk you telling others."
"Ok.  I know about all of this now.  What does this have to do with what happened between you and Ty?"
"I was sent to protect you."
I couldn't help but laugh.  "You were sent to protect me?"
"Yes." He wasn't laughing. 
"You were sent to protect me," I said again, taking it in.  "You were sent.  From here?"
"Yes."
"You are from Arcadia.  You are Arcadian?  You have been pretending to be my friend for all of these years?  How did I not see this?  How did our government no, my government...,  how did the Authority not see this?  How did they not know?  How many more of you are there on our planet?  What the hell?"
I rubbed my head. 
"You... you have been lying to me all along.  Were you the boy I followed?"
"No."  He looked back outside.  "I didn't want to lie to you, not when."
"When what?"
"When we actually started to become friends."
"Sorry I thought we were friends all along."
"At first you were just a mission.  'Protect Araleigh.'  To be honest, I didn't even want it and I was pissed they stuck me with the job and on Earth of all places."
"I appreciate your honesty." I snapped, feeling a little hurt.
"That was at first," he spoke softly, looking down at his hands.  "Then I got to know you and I started to like you."  He looked back at me.  "You don't know how bad I wanted to tell you the truth."
"Then why didn't you?"
"I don't know.  I was scared."
"Scared of what?  I trusted you with everything.  You were my best friend."
"I was scared you wouldn't want me to be around if you knew the truth.  Scared that others would find out and my cover would be blown."
"How did the Authority have no idea?  Are there more of you there?  Was I ever in danger?"
"I was very good at deceiving people, which is why I was given the job, as punishment."
"Punishment?" I said astonished.
"I have seen a few Nevi over the last couple of years get close enough to hurt you, probably kill you," he paused, "And then things started to fall into place when we were taken in by the Authority and Damian saw us.  I knew who he was immediately and when he saw me with you, he figured out who you were as well.  I knew I had to get you out of there and quick."
"And that is why you were acting so strange and why he decided not to kill us?"
"Right then anyways, who knows what he had planned with his late night meeting we were being summoned to."
I knew it, there was something he wasn't telling me and now it was all starting to come together.  I sat quietly taking everything in.  "A few years ago, when you began insisting I should know how to fight, how to protect myself, was that because of something I didn't know about?"
"Yes."
"Why?"  It was no use finishing the question, I had already asked it once before and he answered, even though I didn't know if I was really buying the whole he was scared bit.
"Why what?"
"Nothing.  It doesn't matter."
"Do you hate me?"
"Hate you?" The words took me back a little, "No, I don't hate you." I started to turn to go back into the dining hall. "I'm just very disappointed in you.  Disappointed you didn't have more faith in our friendship and hurt you didn't tell me the truth.  I don't hate you, but I am not happy with you right now.   I need some space."  He had been my best friend for years and it was so hard to turn those feelings off and honestly I didn't want to.  I could understand why he didn't tell me at first, but he knew what had happened to me and my mixed emotions about this place, he could have helped me process.
"I understand.  I will give you all the space you need." 
Fortunately he didn't move as I made my way back to the dining hall.  I saw Ty sitting at the table where I left him talking to his new friend.
"Are you ok?" Ty asked, genuinely concerned.  He seemed to have stopped spitting venom, for now. 
I watched as Cash walked back into the dining hall and made his way up the stairs to the left of the room. 
"I am fine."
"I can't believe he-"
I held up my hand.  "Not now.  I don't want to talk or think about anything right now.  I just want to enjoy this food and meet your new friend." I held my hand out to introduce myself.
"I am Araleigh."
He smiled a dashing smile, "I know who you are... you are the girl everyone has been abuzz about for years." He grabbed my hand and lowered his head slightly, "I am Micah and the pleasure is all mine."
A charmer.
I took a piece of food and hesitantly brought it to my mouth.  My eyes almost rolled into the back of my head, "That is delicious," I smiled.
"It's great isn't it?" Micah smiled.
I smiled back and noticed that Ty was looking at both of us, his face was a little wary.
I looked back down at my plate and continued eating.  We sat there in each other's company not really saying much of anything, glances being shot here and there, and it was nice.  Every once in a while, Ty would pick some food off my plate as him and Micah talked about some of the people I didn't know about yet.  It was nice, it felt normal and that is something that I very much needed right now.