KETTY'S SUBDIVISION Wattys2017

Chapter 7-Part VI

"We leave before first light, no questions, is that understood?" Ketty felt a natural tendency being direct, yet she wasn't harsh or demanding. She didn't want to die any time soon and she could see they were scared. Scenarios ran through her mind, and answers, as if Deity, was talking to her.

"You! Who are you?" Ketty called out the one person she didn't recognize.

"Belletine, my name is Belletine."

"Very well, welcome to our group. You saw the Gort are vulnerable in the throat, but next time, try using your rifles and hitting them in the feet. They have no armor there."

When she had them settled, she put the bots around the perimeter and tried to get some sleep. The bots could defend the camp, but they were still vulnerable from the air. When she thought about it, it seemed odd the Gort were on foot, while she had heard some form of craft flying around earlier. There were other things on her mind, now that she tried to rest. She had inherited a fiefdom, a band of peasants she was now in control of and responsible for. She could die at any moment, and the fact she had never known the love of a man was unsettling. It felt good to be admired, even if from a distance, but the possibility a boy might never kiss her, the thought of never knowing intimacy strangled her heart.

Rayleen crawled up and snuggled next to her.

"What happened?" asked Ketty. A few crickets disturbed the night, imprinting a song on the stars that were fading as morning approached. Ketty felt the weight of the Subdivision, like the fate of mankind hung in the balance of her actions.

"He raped me. I tried to tell him no, but he assumed I wanted to have sex." Ketty pulled Rayleen's head against her chest and stroked her hair.

"You are strong, get some sleep and tomorrow will be better."

"I don't understand." Rayleen wept. "I just wanted him to pay attention to me, but he took advantage and now it's all ruined."

"No, everything is going to be fine. You made a mistake, and that's ok. You learned a valuable lesson, right?"

Rayleen sobbed for a long time. "I suppose you're right."

"Do not be ashamed. There is no shame in learning a valuable lesson. Your worth waiting for, right?"

"Yes."

"And your worth fighting for?"

"Yes. Yes I am." More strongly now.

"Get some sleep, we have a lot of work to do tomorrow." Ketty held her, stroking her hair for comfort. "Rayleen, remember it's not your fault."

"Yes, my warrior princess," Rayleen murmured through emotional exhaustion that was finally catching up with her.

"How did you get Egor to disobey you?"

"It was easy. I told him we had a psychic connection, and you had found Kato."
"But that wouldn't be enough."

"I lied and said you were lovers, kind of like him and Miss-cordoy. I told him if we didn't go find you, he would be left guarding this barn forever."

"Goodnight my love." Ketty remained thoughtful as the stars continued to slowly turn and the wind whispered through the trees, causing her to strain for the sound of the rustling wings. For that's the image she had in her mind. Some type of fast bird, but not of this world.

She stroked Rayleen's hair, as random thoughts drifted in and out of her head. "It's going to be ok, I'll protect you." The things in life that were beautiful had now turned into a desire to fight. It was almost a longing to exact some sort of revenge and she felt the anger simmering under the surface. There were other things which hadn't been talked about. People's parents and families were dead. These were the only survivors but Ketty didn't have time to deal with these things. She knew she had it in her, the ability to kill if necessary and not have a second thought. How had her circumstances taken such a toll and changed her in the blink of an eye? Rayleen whimpered, her body shaking from the trauma of the day. "I have a passion for war and the will to survive. Something is terribly wrong and we have to figure out what it is."

"If you say so." Rayleen's body finally relaxed, the tension of muscles and nerve fibers under stress giving way to rest. Ketty stroked her hair and realized she might be humanity's only hope.

"Tomorrow we go on the offensive. We can't sit idle while our species dies at the hands of an unseen enemy."

"That's nice," Rayleen mumbled as she drifted off. But Ketty found no solace in rest. A deep seated passion rose up inside of her which she could not explain. She knew her own plight had been endured by other teenagers and she was determined to face this head on. It was a complex weave of power that was stirring inside her, yet she didn't fully understand it.

From around fifteen years of age, the human endeavor to master their environment is insatiable. Often seen as reckless and stupid, there is an essence to brain development that embraces risk taking and an apparent disregard for the consequences of a young person's actions. But it is essential to the core of who they are and helps solidify their identity. This one thing will remain unchanged for eternity, teenagers must identify themselves with the world and subdue it! At any cost. Finally sleep came and she saw John-mark there, waiting with outstretched arms. "I'll meet you at Outpost Iridani 876." But no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't quite reach him.

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