Serene Of The Sea

38. Elected

My eyes are closed as my feet dangle in mid air. My right hand is gripping something solid enough to keep me from plummeting. There's no sound. No sign of the pursuit against me.
My grip is strong, but I know it's time to face reality.
I let my eyes open slowly.
I'm dangling at a stomach churning height. Below, spinning leisurely is one of the spiked traps. If I hadn't caught the pole, I would be siren sushi right now. This fact makes my grip tighten.
A face pokes over the edge of the platform above, it's shaved head from 94, "Damn! She actually got it!"

A bell rings throughout the jungle. All eyes fall on me.
In my left hand, the shell glows true, a beacon of temporary treaty.
For a moment the silence lengthens. Until someone starts cheering. I recognise Blake's euphoric voice rallying others around him. Then many voices join the celebration.
This was odd to me, when just moments ago many of them would have happily hurt me.

I feel my fingers slowly start to weaken, realising I was going to need some help. My grip starting to slip, I searched for some aid. Seeing my team too far away and too occupied in celebration, I searched for anyone who might help me.
It was becoming a close call now. I tried swinging my legs up, but a couple of attempts taught me I was only wasting my energy. My focus turned to keeping my grip.

Suddenly my wrist was caught my a firm hand. I looked up to see pixie cut, who yanked me back to the platform with the help of shaved head. When my feet were firmly planted, I found myself under the watchful gaze of the full team 94.

"Thanks," I said, careful to be far enough to make an escape should things go south.
Pixie pulled down her bandana, revealing an angelic heart shaped face, "Don't look so worried. Fights over. Sorry for coming for you, but I just couldn't resist testing out the siren who single handedly took out the rebellion."
"I didn't do it single handedly. I had help," I corrected her.
Pixie smiled a little, "But you started alone."
"I suppose I did," I agreed, wondering where she was going with this.

"Serena!" Blake yells, clamouring up onto the platform, "you won it for us! I can't believe you won it for us!" He bypasses 94, who make their gracious retreat, and hugs me with vigour, "You are something else!"
The rest of my team follow behind him. Even Idris has a smile on his face.
Elena is bobbing up and down like one of those hula girls you stick on a car dashboard.
I look at the shell closely for the first time. It reminds me of the transformation. But it appears to have no other qualities.
"What am I supposed to do with it?" I ask, hoping to be done with the jungle for a long while.

"You went for it without knowing?" Blake looks astonished.
Elena's hand slowly raised to her mouth, looking guilty, "We forgot to tell her....." she says to Blake as he too gets a guilty look on his face.
"Forgot to tell me what?" I exclaim, holding the shell away from me suddenly, like it might give me a disease.
Idris tuts at them, "Someone should have told her. You just promoted yourself to become a leader. They make the jungle active when they need a new leader to be instated. Which means you just made us active members of the army."

My heart drops, "what?" I gasp, dropping the shell onto the glass platform, "I don't want it. Quick, give it to someone else!"

"Too late for that," Aella interrupts my outburst, landing on the platform. She's smiling like a proud mother, "I knew it would be you."
Aella picks up the shell and twirls it on her slender finger, "I've already been planning our first attacks. So glad I get to put them into effect early. Congratulations 72. Four hours until sunrise! I suggest you get what little sleep is left. We're moving in the morning," she turns in her smug way and waggles her fingers at me, "Cya later. Leader of 72."

Frustration took over, and I stood there boiling inside from head to toe. My silence emanated off of me, feeling like I was stuck in a bubble of uncertainty.
"You ok?" I hear Elena say as she goes to touch my shoulder.
Without a word I'm running. My feet leave the platform descending at what should be a frightening speed. Especially so close to the traps. But my feet stay true to the course and smack down the poles, keeping my descent at a constant pace.
No one follows me. Even though many look on with curiosity from their perches. Once my feet hit gravel, I'm out of there like a tornado. Passing by those who were meandering back to their domes. Once more they look on my outburst without a word, eyes averted in their suppressed state.

I honestly don't know where I'm running to. There's nowhere to go.
I stop somewhere in one of the many endless blocks.
"Arghhhhhh!" I growl, sounding more animal than human.
It helped a little to vocalise my frustration. But it couldn't rid me of this insistent ache that gripped my chest, unrelenting.

I was afraid. So god damned afraid. Why did I keep walking into these disasters. Is this my fate? Am I destined to run in circles, forever being played like a puppet?
I thought I had more time.
More time to what?
Was I expecting Kai to come and save me? Was I expecting Tag to keep his promise?
This time I really was on my own.
I knew I didn't want them to risk themselves on my behalf. I had worked so hard to free them. It was a little easier knowing I was the only one suffering.

It occurred to me now that I had always had help. I haven't ever actually achieved anything on my own. Maybe I wouldn't find a way out this time?

I often thought about Kai. Where was he right now? Was he thinking of me? Was he resigning to my fate and learning to move on? Maybe they had already started to return to their lives as they were before I came and ruined everything?

I missed him. I missed his words holding me together when I felt like I would fall apart. I missed his comfort when I was in the edge. But here I was, standing in the fire again. Only this time, I'm completely alone, and still standing.

My fists continuously clench and unclench as I pace without rest. How could I be expected to sleep?
I was now a leader to the very cause I had fought so hard to stand against. What did it mean to be a leader? Was I going to be the face of the murder? How long left did I have until I was unredeemable?

I pace and pace.
Forward, back, forward, back.
My heart ticked like a clock, counting down the seconds.
I was strong in body, so why did I feel so weak?

I was walking again, blindly. My only path was to get away from all other life.
Where would I be tomorrow?
It was better that Kai and the others not know that I was being taken away. Better they think I was safe in some training camp.

After tomorrow I might not be worthy of a family again.
I found myself on the 72 training crater. My trident remains on my back. I pulled it out and slammed the tines into the earth.
My mind was full, but it seemed to leak my power. Not enough room for the two of them to occupy the space. Normally, if I were in the above, voices would be pouring in.
But here, I was left oozing power. It dripped from me in frightening tendrils. Right now I rivalled even Psy. Was this the source of his power? Anger?

My mind expanded as my power searched the cave, passing all the minds it found there. I wasn't surprised to find outright suppression. All in here we're tanners after all. Most felt hard done by, but the fear of finding themselves alone was enough to keep them in line.

Not even the weavers could block me. Though their powers prodded mine weakly. I sensed worry from my team mates.
Mostly awe echoed from 94. They weren't so different from us after all, they had just been here a lot longer. Pixie cut was actually a good person from what I could feel in her emotions.
Shaved head was somewhat more aggressive. But their want of freedom was the same.

I felt Psy curbing my powers. I realised then he was keeping it from reaching the wrong people. He was protecting me from getting into more trouble.
It occurred to me that I might be doing something dangerous by probing so many minds at once.
I let my power pull back to me. For some reason it was harder to do so than it had ever been before. Too much power, not enough person to stuff it inside.

It wound up wrapping around me like an aura. So this was Psy's power. I understood him so much more now. I wondered how this might affect me, having my power so readily available as an external force.

I meandered back towards my dome, knowing sleep would remain elusive, but having more of an insight into my team, knowing they needed me to lead them now.
I had made my bed by coming here, so I would become the best I could be in this place, and protect my new found family.