Finding Fire -Book 1 of the Finding the Element Series

Chapter Seven

I smelled it before I opened my eyes, the distinct smell of bacon and eggs. Cracking open my eyes, I saw Brew's hunched figure sitting in a chair with his feet propped up on one of the beds.

"And she's alive," he said when he saw me. "Tobiah told me ‘bout them ogres trying to taste you."

He stood up and hobbled over to me. I sat up. It was much easier to sit up that morning than it was the past night. My head was still fuzzy and my eyes were still heavy but I was able.

"Drink," he put a cup to my lips. It smelled like perfume, smelled like a scent Burberry would create.

"What is it?" I pushed it away.

"It's medicine" he said putting it again to my lips. It smelt like that bloody acid water Levi told me would be cleansing. Yeah, cleansing as in making your skin melt off.

"Medicine that will help me or burn my insides?" I questioned, putting my hand in between my lips and the cup. That was the last thing I wanted.

"I think you could do a pretty good job of that on your own girly, now stop your incessant yapping and drink." This time he was forceful and made the liquid go down my throat even as I choked and gurgled on the bubbling water in my mouth.

Of course it had to be that water.

Reluctantly, I swallowed the devil water and gagged in the end.

"Oh it aint going to kill you."

"No, but it may sear my insides," I purse my lips.

Rolling his eyes, he stood up and walked over to the dresser. "You begin training for your new position, now."

I stretched like a cat and met him at the dresser, removing a bundle of grayed garments from his arms. "You wear that. That way we don't have to clean the blood from the dress." He tugged at my skirt and laughed as my eyes grew wider.

"You think you can be all pretty for training? Nobody here to impress...unless I thought wrong of leaving you with my boy."

"Your boy?" I mumbled.

"Tobiah."

"He's...your boy?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yup, my boy since his mama sent him here because she didn't want him. Sent the younger one too, Rile."

"I met him," I nodded. "So his mother just didn't want him...how could a mother not want her own children?"

He shrugged and raised a finger. "His mother was a crazy, that’s why. And don't you be going and telling my boy I told you ‘bout his tragic little life now."

"I won't." I bit the inside of my cheek and turned away. My mother left because she thought I was mental...not because she just didn't want me.

The reality that this new life was more twisted then the real world was gnawing a hole into me. Drilling in me like ants drill into the ground. All the dignity and privacy I had accumulated over the years of putting a sweatshirt or an extra-long sweater over my translucent night gown at the institute was lost in only a couple days here.

I was surprised at how common it was for people to just stare at you when you asked for them to turn around. They looked at you like you had horns ejecting from your heads.

What, do people just walk around here naked or something? Actually...I'd rather not know.

Stripping off the blue dress so I stood in my undergarments was just enough for me to become shaky when handling the other garb. "Told you, I aint in for the attractive girlies so you can stop being a sissy."