Category : Stories

Sub Category : Science Fiction

Venetia and I sat huddled together, eyeing Evan suspiciously across from us on the other side of the bonfire we’d created. He promised he meant no harm, but what was I supposed to think? Venetia was too young to know who he was, but I’d told her enough: he was a bad man who we couldn’t, under any circumstance, trust. I was waiting for Venetia to fall back asleep, that was when I planned to go off on Evan. Until then, I settled for glaring icily.
When Venetia’s eyelids finally fluttered close of their own volition, I led Evan far enough away from the fire so that, on the likely chance Venetia had just pretended to fall asleep in order to overhear us, she wouldn’t be able to. When that was done, I pounced.
"What are you doing here and how are you alive? I’m only going to ask nicely once.” I hissed at him, grinding my teeth together and resisting the urge to grab his head and shake it.
"That was nicely?”  He snorted, like somehow my intimidation had been hilarious.
“Don’t get smart with me, Evan.” My voice softened. “You died with Nena, protecting Venetia and me. That’s what I always believed, for 8 whole years. Then you show up out of the blue, what am I supposed to think?” I’d self consciously begun whispering, as if my consciousness felt it was being overheard.
“I know how it looks, Darla.” I winced at the sound of someone saying my name out loud. It’d been a long time.
“We always said trusting anyone outside of us was too dangerous. How am I supposed to trust a dead person?” My earlier anger was gone, now I desperately wanted to believe Evan was the same loyal and true person I’d known.
“You shouldn’t.” He said quietly.
The look on his face then was one of remorse, guilt. Looking at his sad eyes and quivering chin, I knew beyond all doubt that I couldn’t trust Evan. The only way Evan could be alive was if he betrayed us, betrayed Nena, and I wanted to know what he’d done.
“Cut the charade. I want to know what you did to save yourself, and I want to know right now. Otherwise, I’ll wake Venetia up right now and tell her who you are.” His eyes widened, I’d guessed right. He didn’t want Venetia to know.
“Promise you won’t tell her anything, promise me you’ll let her keep on thinking she never had a brother.” He pleaded with me, and suddenly Evan looked just like the little boy I’d known so long ago.
“I promise.” I answered instantly. I didn’t want Venetia to know who her brother really was, either.
Evan was gone the next morning when I woke, just as I’d requested of him. I’d slept for the first time in weeks, but I woke feeling far from well rested. Last night I’d heard from the somebody I used to know, and he’d said what I’d dreaded, but also somewhat expected. Evan was a liar, a betrayer, and for all I know, he could be going to tell Them where Venetia was right now. If I was lucky, If I was right in my theory that Evan still loved his sister, then They wouldn’t come today. Maybe not even tomorrow. If we were lucky, Evan would give us time.
In many ways, Evan was the reason Nena died. I remember that day so clearly, but I saw it differently now that I’d heard the finished story. When They had come after the four of us, Nena told me to take Venetia and run and hide, and I was too young to argue. They had been after us, specifically Venetia, for as long as we had known Evan and Venetia, but that day was the first time They caught up. There was a reason why I didn’t have any siblings, Nena didn’t have any, no one had any, and it was because each set of parents was allowed to make one child to send into this twisted game. Somehow, Venetia had been born, she had slipped through the cracks as an imperfection, and They couldn’t have that.
Evan was supposed to have stopped Them or died honorably besides Nena, but instead he became the worst thing a man can be: a coward. In exchange for his life, he promised to help Them track down his own sister, the abomination. Somehow, Venetia and I had still managed to evade him for eight whole years. Evan deserved to have a sister that hated him, but lucky for him, Venetia did not deserve a brother to hate.
In an hour or so, Venetia and I will be back on the run, I from seventeen and Venetia from stupid rules and institutions. I don’t know where we will go, but then again, I never do. The gray marshmallows are out again today, another storm is coming, perhaps. A single drop of water falls from the sky and lands on my cheek. For no reason to be seen, I suddenly know where Venetia and I have to go.
“Venetia come on!” I yell as the rain picks up and we throw the few things we carry onto our backs.
“Where are we going now?” I smile, because I’m glad she asked.
“Venetia, we’re going to burn the wall through the ground and straight into hell. You in?” She nods solemnly.
We head south, as I have the strangest feeling it is the right way, even though I have no idea. I think of Evan and Them and my parents, especially my parents. I hope they would be proud of me for what I want to do, what I need to do. And, if they wouldn’t be proud of me, I hope they are dead, just like the wall will be soon.