Interference (ON HOLD)

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Ajay scooped her up into his arms and ran towards the door at the top of the stairs, trying to carry her away from the pain. It did little good, since it travelled with her. Followed her, getting stronger the more distance he tried to put between her and the Masters. She felt herself moving further and further from her body. Davey clung to his neck as tightly as she could in a vain attempt to keep herself on this planet. To avoid the inevitable.

“You tried, Ajay.” She whispered, “You really did. I’m sorry we couldn’t make this work. But at least we saved Carly.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” He swore, increasing his speed.

“You can’t stop this. No one can. I can feel it. I’m a Traveler. My destiny is with the Commune. “

“No, it is not! You were never meant for this. You hold on. Hold on as tightly as you can. Don’t let them take you.” Ajay reached the plain wooden door at the top of the stairs and pushed it with his shoulder. The door held. He fumbled with the handle as Davey felt herself pulling further away from her body. She tried to cling to herself as she watched Ajay fight with the door, wondering if her last memory was going to be this man failing to save her the same way she had failed to save Carly. In a society that bred failure, she would be just one more victim.

With a guttural grunt, Ajay slammed the door with his foot. The wood broke free from the frame, splintering as the lock broke free. He rushed through the opening, Davey still cradled tightly against his arms. The second his foot touched the floor, the pull disappeared. Davey ricocheted back into her body. The shock pushed disoriented her. But she felt it. Knew for sure. This was her body now. Hers.

“Damhnait! Damhnait! Are you in there? Is it still you?” Ajay fell to his knees, lowering her to the wooden floor, “Davey?” He pressed a hand against the side of her face.

“I’m here.” She gasped, exhausted from the shock of returning to her body. Her heart was pumping so fast and so loud, she wasn’t sure he could even hear her. “What happened? How come I’m not back at the Commune?”

“We cloaked you. And just in time.” He sighed, breathing heavy with relief. He threw himself back against the floor, breathing heavily. As with so many things recently, Davey had no idea what he was talking about. Raising herself up on her elbows, she glanced around the darkened room. The windows were high in the ceiling, grungy and crusted with dirt from time and neglect. The light that filtered in barely lifted the darkness from the air. Along the walls were dim glowing orbs of light. Their glow provided little more light that the windows. The room was so dark it was hard to tell what else was in there. Davey squinted, trying to make out shapes. Along the walls, she could see a few piles of boxes, but little else. She looked for markings of some kind, but saw nothing that looked out of place. She didn’t understand how this room was any different from the stairs, or even the street outside the building.

She flopped back onto the floor, and concentrated on the air rushing in and out of her lungs, still too fast for comfort. She forced her breathing to slow down. To return to its normal speed. And as her heartbeat began to return to normal, she heard it, a sound like a low mumbling. She pushed herself up again and looked around. As her eyes accustomed to the dark, she noticed movement along the walls. Ajay helped her feet as she twisted to find the source of the sound. It was almost like chanting. Coming from every corner of the room. She looked closer and realized that the lights along the walls weren’t lights at all. Instead, they were people with fluffy orbs of hair much like Sinder’s, that seemed to give off its own light.

“Who…? What? What are they?” Her voice was little more than an awed whisper. The low thrum of voices circled the room, louder now that she was concentrating on it.