The Planet Keeper

Chapter 11

 After going through all the colors, shades, tones and gradients of colors of clothes, I decided on an all black, floor length, Gothic Victorian skirt with a maroon sash-like ribbon delicately draped over the waist of the skirt, an all black, corset top that perfectly covered my chest as its elegant lace trims complemented my skin tone perfectly. The all black jacket I chose ended where my rib cage ends and covered me from my shoulders to my elbows, ending with an upward fold of the sleeve. The all black lace floral patterned necklace sat around my neck, creating the letter V from the skin that was still exposed and stopping just before the lace with a small oval black jewel dangling from it and small black balls dancing on the outside edges. I chose earrings of black roses changing in size that rested on my shoulders, five-inch soft matte, black, closed toed shoes, and a black lace veil for both my injection and drift outfits. I put on my outfit and was escorted back to my cell.

"You've got two hours," the guard said, slamming the door shut and sealing the locks.

I looked around my cell, trying to think of everything but my boyfriend and family, but there was no avoiding it; everything I could possibly think about somehow led to Jake or my family. I just wished I could say goodbye, one last time.. Just one more time. I tried to conceal my tears, but my throat kept letting out awkward cries of pain.

As I sat inside of my cell, I slowly started to realize that this was actually happening. Standing up and moving the short distance from my cot to my porthole, I started to think about my family and how much I missed them. A feeling of longing overcame me, leaving me hopeless and moderately depressed.

Looking through my porthole into the dark abyss of scattered light orbs and flying rocks called space, a wave of depression and anxiety came over me and I felt my eyes beginning to fill with tears. Just as there was a loud bang in the hall, a stray tear fell down my cheek.

Turning around quickly to see what it was, more tears found their place down my cheeks and off my chin. It was the guards! Fear spread throughout my body like a wildfire. But I wasn't ready to die...

The tears began to fall faster and heavier down my face, my chest rose and fell rapidly, and I found myself gasping for air. I began to shake violently while letting out soft yet harsh noises of complete and utter fear. I began to think back to how this situation was even possible.

It all started that one summer day...

I backed up against the wall, sinking to the floor and pulling my knees to my chest I began to rock gently back and forth as my crying got more violent and began to stab at my chest, the pain unbearable, making me cry even harder and gasp while I began clawing at my throat and chest for air.

The door swung open and in marched the guard. He roughly pulled me to my feet by my right arm and shoved me out the door, throwing me into a circle of guards waiting outside my cell. They formed a tight square around me and one of them on each side of me grabbed my arms, pulling me forward with them as we walked to my death.

Strapped down on a table, I lay, waiting and counting down each and every second to my death. Above me the ceiling retracted open, revealing a hidden room through a glass window. Standing in the room were at least six people, three guards and three regular people, watching and waiting for my end. They must be the family of the guard I shot. Or some lunatics who enjoyed watching people die. Either way it was weird and unsettling, leaving me uncomfortable and anxious.

I couldn't see, but a door in the room I was in opened and shut, and the soft clunk of shoes on the marble floor echoed through the room and got louder as someone neared me. I closed my eyes. Silence filled my ears, the echos no longer bouncing around my head, just pure, dead silence. Fear overcame my body. I began to violently shake, my breathing sped up, and my heart beat a hundred miles an hour. A cold, latex-gloved hand suddenly touched my arm. I jolted like a lifeless body being defibrillated back to life.

The leather straps that once held me down released their grip. Confused, I opened my eyes and looked around. The windowed ceiling above me was splattered and blotched with blood and the person attached to the hand that touched me was standing above me, looking down on me. He reached up and slowly removed the mask that covered his face.

JAKE!

I jumped up off the table and pulled him into my arms as tight as I could, tears soaking my face and his shoulder.