Moon of Darkness ~ Eclipse series book 1

20.

"OH MY NORTON-" I say aloud.

How on earth- how is it possible?

Coral said that the bomb was tiny. . .how's it possible that- that this happened?

How's it possible that his skin is now as though a butcher had carved it right off?

My strength buckles at the sight of it and I fall to the ground with a resounding thump, winded. I realise that tears are pinching my eyes, and quickly brush them off. If Anton is in this state. . .who knows what Amisha and Seamus look like?

Darryl, Darryl, I send him, I've found Anton. And he doesn't look too good.

I feel his Pariah-presence float over. What d'you mean, not too good? He should be fine- WHAT IN NORTON'S NAME HAPPENED TO ASCEPTIC?

My throat constricts as I say, Anton. . .he's Asceptic? As in the Asceptic that I'm supposed to rescue?

The very one, oh my Norton-

Then. . .does that mean that. . .'Angora' and 'Silage' are. . .Amisha and Seamus?

What're their last names? he asks, still sounding like he's got asthma.

I swallow. Grey and Jonroe.

I can feel the colour drain from his Pariah-face—if there's any colour to even drain. They are, then, he tele-whispers shakily. Angora Gauze and Silage Juror.

How-how can you be sure?

I'll tell you later. The more important thing is for you to help them.

You- you do realise that I have zero experience in treating injuries like Anton's right?

Yeah I do. And that's why I'll be helping you.

I realise something. Because of what I look like when I talk to Kristen over the Telecoustic, according to Desna, I have a gut feeling that the cameras would probably think that something's wrong. What do I look like I'm doing right now?

Like you're. . .staring into the distance.

Oh no. This is bad. How d'you think this'll go with the Puritans? We're probably being taped right now, and maybe even filmed. Desna tells me that Clutchem catches me being 'zoned out' when I'm talking to Kristen, which is why we've limited the use of the Telecoustic to when no one's around.

Oh. . .I haven't thought about that.

Right then, I try to say shortly, you give me all the instructions now, or else you give them to me as I go along but I won't answer you.

I think I'll go with option two, he says after a moment's consideration.

Fine then. I'm going to find Amisha and Seamus, if you haven't found them already.

I have. They're higher up.

Okay. Shutting down now.

Carefully, I shakily grab onto the tree trunk again. An evil wind blows, amplifying the smell of congealing blood. . .I want to vomit. I force it back down. For Anton's sake. For Amisha's. For Seamus's. For my own.

Hey Eclipse, you know what? tele-interrupts Darryl. I'm going to go haunt this Coral and ask her what happened.

Okay, I risk answering, glad for the foliage.

The bark doesn't talk to me this time, thank goodness. But what it does do is bite into the trembling hands as my legs slowly liquify every time I haul myself onto a higher branch. Don't let the smell get to you, I repeat over and over in my head. Don't let it break you. Don't let it make you lose your grip and fall 15 metres and knock yourself unconscious or kill yourself and leave them to die-

Stop it, another part of my brain insists.

As I reach for the next branch, on which I can see the blood-stained hem of Amisha's dress hanging off the edge, I'm shaking so hard that the entire tree has to be vibrating. Doubt's began to infuse my mind. How do I get them down from here, at this height? Who even put them up here? How am I going to heal all of them?

My body's marinating in sweat. The air is marinating on the smell of blood. The tree is marinating in the heat. Amisha's marinating in blood itself. Everything's marinating, in some way or another.

Uhhhh Eclipse? Darryl asks tentatively. I've found Coral, and. . .yeah you might want to look up.

What- I glance upwards, and sure enough, I see a lock of dusty-blonde hair hanging down, coupled with the sound of gentle snoring. 

Choking on the smell of blood, I gradually make my way up to her. Okay, I admit it, I climbed higher just to get away from what would have been Amisha (I think). I tug on Coral's hair and she gives a grunt as she wakes up. "Mm-mm-mm? Five more minutes. . .oh it's you."

"Yeah. . .did you put them up here?"

"Uh, I did. What's wrong?"

"Why though? And yes, something's wrong, I'm trying to get them down but CAN'T, how did you even get them up here??"

"Oh!" She hesitates for a second. "I, um. . .just. . .got them up here," she finishes lamely.

"Right. . ." I say, unconvinced. "If you got them up here without puking, can you help me get them back down?"

"Sure. . .I guess?"

I clench my teeth as I grab onto one of Amisha's shoes as Coral takes the other, without so much of a flinch in her face.

(Hey my wattpad readers! I'm considering updating every week on Saturday, because of *ahem ahem* device restrictions...oh and Soph -> out!)