The Pearl

Stage 31: So Close

We have all awakened, begrudgingly, a few hours before, with Jett fussing over Manda and Manda getting angry and saying that she doesn't need a babysitter. To say the least, everyone was tired, moody, and terribly needing a shower.

"We're almost there," Zach says for the millionth time. I honestly don't know who he's trying to reassure, us or himself.

"So I've heard," Mura says sarcastically. She's the only one of us who took a bath, since all she had to do was gather water from the fauna around her. She claims that she also found a patch of roses, and put the petals in her whirlwind of water as a sort of perfume.

Is that proper grammar, whirlwind of water?

Anyway, she came back soaking wet, feeling cold and sick. The rest of us decided that we were better off with our blanket of grime than being cold, so we hadn't taken a bath. I've never felt so bitter in my life. While Mura is fresh as a daisy and smells of rose water, we feel like actual trash.

"Shh," Zach mutters to us softly. He points toward a wall of vines by our left, and mimes climbing. I hold back a groan. There's no way I'd be able to climb in this condition. But Jett simply grabs Manda, carrying her affectionately in his arms, as he uses his powers to glide gracefully over the wall. "Stupid idiot," Zach mumbles, "could've been seen."

I roll my eyes. Could've been seen, I'd rather be seen than do physical work. I fly up, but instead of getting my full, standing body on top of the wall, I grab its edge and use my powers to lift my legs over the wall. I'd much rather be on Zach's good side today; the journey had hit him the hardest. Mentally, anyway. I fall carefully to the ground, but screw up with one of my motions and go tumbling into the dirt. I see Zach climb out of a tunnel right beside me, Mura following. I had completely forgot that he had the powers of the elements.

He glares at Jett and I before walking up ahead. "Iimura, you've probably recognized this place," he says. She nods silently. This small building is the shape of a box, all white with an abundance of modern windows. I look behind it, and see the Pearl itself, a couple of miles from here.

"This was my favorite class," she says reminiscently. Then to the rest of us, she says, "We work at the infirmary as training for water types such as myself. I liked how it was way out here, away from all the others, peaceful and beautiful. Then again, it's probably because the Creator hadn't wanted any of his little pawns or himself to get contaminated." She droops her head. "I hadn't been able to study long enough to do any major improvements on any of the patients though. I should've worked harder; we wouldn't be in this mess right now if I had." Then softly, so no one else could've heard, she says, "I wouldn't be a mess."

Of course she had the power to heal. I remember the Creator announcing something like that during his welcome speech. All of a sudden, something hits me. What if her group hurt her because she couldn't heal? If they knew, they obviously wouldn't even try. I feel anger course through me. They are sick, despicable people, bullying someone just because they couldn't defend themselves. She has scars, and some wounds still haven't healed.

They left Mura behind because of her weakness.

"We go in, and I can get one of them to heal your precious cargo," Zach says.

"She is a person, not cargo," Jett says with an annoyed look on his face.

"She is also right here, and says for you all to stop being whiny little boys."

Zach and Mura work together to get into the building while the three of us stand around, trying not to feel useless. I do feel something else though, although I can't quite place what it is. It's just...Zach and Mura are taking so long on getting us in. I'm sure I could've helped, but we know I'd only be in the way. At least Manda and Zach have each other to take care of while waiting, but I am assigned to lookout.

Lookout. In a deserted place like this. It's probably lunch time right now; that explains the emptiness.

But not the quiet. Huh, that's strange.

"We got it," Mura whispers, "C'mon."

We hop inside the window, and find that we're in a supply closet. Zach puts a finger to his lips, telling us to shut up and not fuck anything up.

We grab bandages, syringes, chemical mixtures with labels I don't know how to pronounce, a guidebook, stitching equipment, knives, gloves – absolutely anything and everything in that room. I feel a tap on my shoulder and I spin around in surprise, nearly dropping my items. Zach's face is so close to mine that I feel his warm breath on my face. It kind of stinks, to be honest.

So I instead focus on his eyes, and their beautiful crystalline shimmer and electric blue pigment. Those were eyes people could fall in love with.

His eyebrows furrow, and he shakes me a little bit, breaking me out of my daze. "I said, help me with these boxes. I found food for the patients." I follow his arm to his finger, and his finger to a sad pile of boxes.

"The patients need those," I whisper softly to him, although every muscle in my body is aching to grab every box and jump out that window. But, I can't be responsible for lives because of mistakes I make. "We leave them."

Zach sighs, and grabs one box. But he doesn't take the whole lot, and that makes me smile despite everything going on. He motions for us to leave, hopping out of the window like someone out of a movie, and we all follow behind him.

I'm about to step out – I have my food set firmly on the window sill, and supplies in my arms – and my legs are ready to lift me out of this place. Until suddenly, I hear a footstep behind me. Another, another, another...

I panic, dropping all that I'd been holding, and grab the window sill with both hands. I lift my other foot beside my other, so that I look like some sort of frog, and I see my friends, already heading away from the infirmary, from me. I jump off, my heart in my throat and my breath nowhere at all. I feel the back of my collar being grabbed, and in midair, I fall back into the dark room headfirst. I hit my back, and I try to scream, but I can't. I'm just breathing harder, and harder, my sweaty hands flailing for something to grab on, something to help me out.

And finally, in all my panic, I do something smart. I let the edge of the window scrape my ankle, drawing blood, and pulling off my loose shoe. Hopefully they can figure out where I am. The last thing I see is a baby face, one that I know I've seen before, and one I had never dreamed of seeing again. Not after what I'd done to her sister.

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@WaitingForEternity i couldn't end it oops xD

hallelujah, i've updated