The Belly of the Beast

Ch. 22, What Lies Beyond

"Wesson!" I lunged sideways. The guard shoved me back with one hand, but it seemed more for my protection, as he still held the borrowing whip raised against the crowd. Wesson stared at me in horror, one of his eyes swollen shut. He opened his mouth to say something, but the line dragged me forward. I pulled back, trying to see him through the crowd, but this time Skull smashed into me from behind.

"Move it, girl." Strong hands shoved me forward.

"Name's not girl," I shot back. Where had Wesson gone? I had to tell him... what? That I was sorry? That it was all my fault? That Yaneli was dead because of me? I forced myself to stop looking for him, and keep walking.

"Then what's your name?" Skull said, his voice too loud in my ear.

The word slipped out before I could stop it, mixed with rage and grief and hopelessness alike. "Z." But why not claim the name—I was a Z now more than ever.

Skull leaned closer. "Well Z, the Puckers always partner up the fighters for their Letter Trial. I'm hoping we're together. I'd like to spend some quality time together." He dropped his voice to a suggestive whisper, "Alone."

"Pray we aren't," I threw back. "I killed everyone in my last trial."

He gave a booming laugh, seeming immune to the crowd's hatred, his breath finally away from my ear.

Was he telling the truth?

He was a Pucker: he might just be trying to unnerve his competition. Partner or not, I wouldn't have a problem stabbing him if he tried to touch me. I had nothing left to lose but my life, and I wondered what even that was worth now.

Find Xyla. That was all that was left. She was all the worth and purpose I had now. The cold of the necklace pressed into my neck and I suddenly realized maybe I had a bartering chip too. I'd promised to return the necklace to Androcles. Androcles was an A, which meant he was powerful enough to find Xyla. Or, really, to do anything. Maybe he would be so grateful he would help me find Xyla and save her. As we marched through the screaming crowd, I focused on that wild, impossible plan. If I could survive all The Letter Trials and make it to the Top— then I could trade the necklace for Xyla's life.

And if Xyla is dead? I pushed the thought away. Fight. Win. Find Androcles. Trade the necklace for Xyla's life. Impossible promises, impossible goals, but that was already life as a Z.

Finally we passed through the crowd. Before us loomed an enormous steel staircase. At the top of the staircase, one I'd only ever dared to touch the first step of, stood the steel doors that formed the barrier between the Tuvs and the Puckers. To a Belly rat like me, they might as well have been the doors to heaven or hell—an opening to some mythical place that didn't truly exist.

The line marched to the bottom of the staircase. My foot seemed to hit the first step in slow motion, waiting for something terrible to happen. Instead, my feet kept moving, and our group began to climb.

Halfway up I shifted as far as I could from the line, glancing back, desperate for one last glimpse of home.

What I saw instead made my breath catch, like something large and jagged was lodged within my chest.

A line of guards gathered at the bottom of the staircase, creating a barrier and holding back the crowd that battered and buffected against them, like their hatred was a physical force that wanted us dead. A part of me understood their hatred. Even if we were doomed, even if we'd lost our letters and soon our lives, we were about to cross a threshold they never would.

I turned back to the looming steel doorway. All our lives, Xyla and I had dreamed about leaving the Belly, about a rabbithole that would take us to a different land. My whole life I'd dreamed of what lay beyond the Belly of the Beast, but somehow I hadn't truly believed it was real—like some fairytale that existed only within the pages of a book.

Everything about this was wrong—and yet every step forward brought me closer to the sky, to death, to her. A deep, low groan sounded as the massive steel door swung open and we mounted the final steps.

Skull leaned closer. "You ain't seen nothing yet."

Beyond the doors I could make out another steep staircase like the one we'd just climbed. It was lit by a soft blue glow. If I took one more step, I would leave behind everything I'd ever known.

"Move it up," the Kaptain called out, and cracked his whip.

I stepped into the next section. 

(So let me know, what do you think lies beyond? Excited to share next weeks chapter with you, so don't forget to come back!

Hope you are enjoying the story! Thanks so much for coming back each week and reading. I wanted to let you all know that my debut published novel, THE LAST SHE, is out now in paperback (and it came out last year in hardcover).

Book 2 in The Last She series will  be coming out February 14th, and is open for preorders.

Well I think that's it for the week. I love the playlist above! I found it when I was looking for some writing music inspiration ;)

Best, H.J.)