| Phase 31 � Damn right I did. He was still beating me and I knew that if I backed off he�d kill me, so from that point it was a matter of survival. It was either him or me and I wasn�t going down without a fight. I wrapped the chain around his ankle so he couldn�t get out of my reach and then went for his face.� Billy waited for me to continue and when I didn�t, asked, � So what did you do to him?� � It�s gory.� � So?� � I wrestled the pipe from him and tossed it aside, then gouged out his eyes and shoved them down his throat. I pounded his head against the wall until his skull cracked open and his brain leaked onto the floor and then I twisted his head around until his neck broke. I grabbed the keys and freed myself, then ran. I went on for an entire week without food or water. And then on that last night, Bart found me. From then on . . . everything got better.� I shrugged. � So no, I didn�t sell myself and I didn�t let anyone beat me into submission for that purpose. I don�t have many physical scars; they�re mostly emotional. I hate it; it makes my relations with other people, men in particular, rather short and unsteady.� � You seem fine here.� � Because this is my home now. The crew is like a huge family. But yes, initially I was scared of them all and wouldn�t let them near me. But the longer they showed little interest in me other than a greeting, the more I came to realize that this ship, if nowhere else, was completely different than what I was used to. It was as if I were on another planet.� There was a soft snort behind me. � You�ve known me for ten years and you couldn�t tell me that, but you�ll tell gunslinger there in a heartbeat.� I turned to Bart. � Because you wouldn�t understand.� � Could you elaborate on that? What wouldn�t I understand?� � The indecision. I needed the money really bad, but I was too young to get a job. I was offered an easy source of high income for some nameless person to have a night of fun. It seemed worth it at the time, though I never accepted. I�m glad I didn�t now, but there�s always that little part of me that says I could�ve been rich and living in a big house if I�d wanted.� � Money doesn�t always ensure happiness,� he said. I shook my head. � I said that I would be rich and living in a big house, not happy. I never said I would be happy. In fact, I�d probably be miserable.� Billy was still on my joining the Yggdrasil. � What about Bart?� � What about him?� � Did he scare you?� � Hey!� Bart snapped. I snickered. � Oh, he tried to boss me around like I was his personal servant in the beginning. When I didn�t do what he wanted and he tried to intimidate me into doing it, I beat him up in a few seconds, thus solving the problem. I had to put him in the sickbay about twenty times before he got the message.� Billy laughed and Bart scowled. � Okay, so I was a moron then! So what?!� � What in the world do you mean, �then�?� I questioned. � Don�t you mean �still am�?� Billy was nearly howling and Bart�s face kept getting redder. I pointed at him. � Your face is all red. Maybe you should go to the sickbay and have that looked at.� Bart snarled and lunged at me, but I just stepped out of the way. He stumbled a few steps, but remained on his feet. Spinning, he charged me again and closed his hands around my neck. Billy quit laughing and he, Citan, and Elly tried to pull Bart off me with no success. Bart was too angry to be moved. � Stand back,� I told them breathlessly. � I�ll be all right.� Dubious, they stepped away. I closed my eyes and focused. Very slowly, the grip on my neck loosened. I opened my eyes and looked at Bart, who was staring at his arms in surprise. I shoved his arms back until they could go no farther and then gave a small shove, causing two loud pops to sound from his shoulders. He yelped, then whimpered at the ensuing pain as I held his arms there. I lifted him into the air and curled him into a tight ball, tucking his head hard against his chest until he eventually passed out. Only then did I uncurl him and hold him up off the floor with my own body. � What did you do to him?� Elly asked, eyes wide. � I taught him not to attack me anymore.� I left and went right down to Bart�s room. I laid him on the covers and knelt beside the bed. My heart stung and I knew it was because of what I�d done. � I�m sorry, Bart. But I couldn�t do anything else to make you calm down.� I took my headset off and put it on the pillow, then took his and placed it on the nightstand. I climbed into the bed and laid so my head was near my headset and tucked Bart�s head against my chest. ~� Lyn?� She looked up. � Yes?� He entered and sat on the edge of her bed. She closed her book and set it on the table beside her bed. � Roni, what�s wrong?� He stared at the floor for a long moment. � I have to go back to Bledavik.� � Why? We were just there last week. Did you forget something?� He shook his head. � . . . Mother has been ill . . . for some time. A bad cough that springs up every month or so . . . Ever since Father died . . .� Lyn dreaded what she knew he would say. � . . . I just got word . . . She died last night . . .� Lyn felt tears sting her eyes as she reached out for Roni and drew his head against her. � I�m so sorry, Roni,� she whispered. � I�m so sorry.� He put his arms around her waist and wept into her shirt, seeking the comfort he knew she would give. She used one hand to pet his head and the other to stroke his back. In the end, she laid down with him and turned the light out, bathing the room in darkness. Lyn held Roni all night, even after he had cried himself into an exhausted sleep. She fell asleep soon after he did, and woke in the morning still holding him close to comfort him. � I�m right here, Roni. I will never be far from you, I swear it.�~ *>*<* //� What do we have here?� asked a large, ugly man. � Who are you, little girl? Where are you supposed to be?� I stiffened at his disgusting thoughts. � Who I am and where I�m supposed to be doesn�t concern you.� � Why are you dressed like an Element? Surely you aren�t one.� � As if it�s any of your business, I am Wind.� His eyes glinted cruelly. � Why don�t you come with me? I want to show you something. Do you like guns?� I looked him square in the eye. � I despise them.� He frowned, then shoved me back into the wall and pinned me there. � Now don�t scream or I�ll break your neck.� He moved closer . . . � Vanderkaum!� a familiar voice barked. � Don�t you dare!� The man straightened and looked at the one who�d spoken. � Jesiah. What are you doing around here?� � What do you care?� Jesiah placed himself between us. � Now back off and quit hassling my team. And if you don�t want me to have you kicked out for harassment of a superior officer, you better scram right now while you still have two legs to walk on.� With a low growl and a warning look my way, Vanderkaum left. Jesiah turned and picked me up. � Are you okay?� � Yes.� � Then I suppose you normally shake that bad?� I realized that I was trembling horribly and tried to make myself stop, but it didn�t work. I put my arms around his neck and rested my head against his and began to sniffle quietly. � Hold the waterworks, squirt. You don�t want everyone else to see you like this, do you?� He had a point. The very last thing I needed was for everyone to think I was a weakling. So I took a deep breath and held my head up, looking around as if I was all right. Once we were in the room and the door had shut behind us, I began to cry quietly. Sigurd appeared from the kitchen, I think (he moved so fast I couldn�t tell). He reached for me (the first time I fell asleep in his lap apparently assigned any care and comfort I might need to him; luckily, he doesn�t appear to mind much, if at all) and Jesiah gently dislodged my arms and reattached me to Sigurd. � What happened?� � Vanderkaum tried to lure her off. I saw the whole thing. She wouldn�t go with him and he pushed her into the wall. I think she hit her head.� Sigurd felt through my hair. � Yeah, you have a little bump,� he cooed to me. � But you�ll be all right.� He lifted the dishtowel he had and brushed softly under my eyes, then hugged me and went into the bedroom. He sat on his bed, leaning back against the wall and stroking the side of my head. Hyuga, who had been lying on his own bed reading, lifted his head and watched me cry for a minute. He looked to Sigurd. � What happened?� � Jesiah said Vanderkaum tried to lead her off and when she wouldn�t go with him he pushed her into the wall.� His gaze shifted to me. � Are you all right?� I nodded. � Just hit my head.� The door opened and Jesiah and Kahr entered. � . . . I�m not saying you did anything wrong, Jesiah,� Kahr explained to him calmly. � That�s just what I was told.� � Well it�s a lie. Kris can attest to that.� Kahr turned to me and lifted me away from Sigurd. He held me against him and tucked some loose hair behind my ear. � Tell me what happened. Don�t leave anything out.� By now I was back to sniffles, so speaking was much easier. � I was coming back to the room and a man stopped me. He asked me my name and where I was supposed to be, but I didn�t tell him. He asked if I was an Element and I told him I was. He wanted me to go with him so he could show me a big gun. I told him I didn�t like guns and he shoved me into the wall. He told me that if I screamed he�d break my neck. Then Jesiah stepped in and chased him off.� � I see.� Kahr wiped at the new tears that had sprung up. � I�ll look into it, all right?� I nodded and Kahr passed me back to Sigurd. � And Kris, until this is resolved, I�d rather you not go anywhere by yourself.� � . . . Okay,� I agreed reluctantly. Great. Now I was going to be a burden on my team. Kahr left and Jesiah returned to the main room. Hyuga began to read again and Sigurd cradled me for a few minutes until it was obvious that I�d calmed down finally. � Want to help me with dinner?� � We�re eating here?� � I thought it would be a nice change.� � Sure, I�ll help.� Sigurd carried me out to the kitchen and held me up to the sink so I could wash my hands. He retrieved some things from the refrigerator and set them on the counter, then got a knife out and gave it to me. � I want you to cut up the tomatoes, carrots, and green peppers the way I showed you last time, all right?� � Okay. Wait, what about the onion?� � We don�t have any.� � Hyu won�t be happy.� � Well if he wants it that badly he can go get it himself.� I shrugged. � I was just pointing it out.� � Yes, but Hyu puts anything vegetable-like in his salad that he can get his hands on. If we had green beans, he�d put those in.� � Green beans? Ew . . .� � Have I ever told you that he eats a lot of vegetables cold as well?� � Ew!� I squealed, laughing. Sigurd retrieved a head of lettuce and began to wash it off in the sink, pulling off the outer leaves. Then he put the rest of the lettuce in a container for the time being and brought three bowls over to me and started putting the pieces I�d already cut up in them. I helped. � Now what do I do?� � Now you get the dressing and make sure they�re all shaken well.� I went to the refrigerator and retrieved all four bottles (we each like a different kind) then set them on the floor and went through the process of shaking each bottle as vigorously as I could. Sigurd turned to me. � Oh, be careful. Jesiah�s has a---� At that moment, the lid popped off the bottle and sprayed a third of its contents onto me. � ---loose lid,� Sigurd sighed, trying to hide his smile and keep from laughing at my plight. He knelt and wiped it away from my eyes. � Well, let�s get you cleaned up.�// <--Phase 30 Phase 32--> |