The Mutatio Disease

Sector Nine

- - - - Sector Nine - - - -
- - - - Part One - - - -
Pleasure Doing Business with You

    Half an hour later, I found myself on one of the guard perches beside the camp wall. It was as tall as the wall, and I was on my back as I stared up at the stars. The cool autumn air brushed my cheeks, and I lifted my hands to peel off the mask. My skin cooled under the new breeze, and I sighed with relief.

    I felt grubby with filth. To me, I hadn't showered in a two days. To the actual world, I hadn't showered in six days. I had to be disgusting. I stayed there, gazing up at the stars. Growing up in the city, I hadn't gotten to truly see them until I went to the cabin. The majority of the nights I could, I'd go outside and star-gaze for a while before going to bed. The view was plain beautiful.

    The view was no less stunning that night. The sky was clear, the night cool, and I was tired. I couldn't remember the last time I went to sleep voluntarily. Had it been at Lyra's? Maybe at the cabin. It felt so long ago...

    "...there she is."

    "Wait, what's in her hand? Why is she up there?"

    "I think that's her mask! This is better than we could have hoped for!"

    "Slow down!"

    "Got the phone?"

   "Yeah, yeah. Shh!"

   A creak under me had me shifting sleepily. Had I actually fallen asleep out here? Wasn't I on the guard station, near the wall? Judging by the wood at my back and the cool night breeze against my cheeks, I was. I held still as I tried to figure out what was going on.

    "I think she's asleep," a voice whispered, scarily close to my ear. My back stiffened and my mind raced. Someone was sneaking up on me. Why? The light weight of my mask in my hand felt like a ton. I was painfully aware of how exposed my face was.

    "Get the picture! We gotta get out of here before she wakes up!" A voice hissed from below the station. I felt the ladder creak and heard a foot hit a rung.

    "I'm nearly there. Shut it, or we won't ever get this. Then our leverage is gone!"

    That was all I needed to hear. They were planning on taking a photo of my face and using it for leverage for something. I stretched my senses out, grasping for any plan. Sitting up would expose my face easily. I had to do something else to stop him.

    The man climbing up to me was holding a phone. And a phone had metal in it.

   Concentrating, my finger twitched involuntarily as the phone moved. The man yelped as it pushed against his chest, trying to shove him off of the ladder. "What the hell?" He cried, and I used the distraction to swiftly pull my hood over my eyes and sit up. Rolling over to look down at the man, I scowled.

    He was clinging to the ladder while the phone continued to push and shove against his chest. While he yelled and struggled, I hastily pressed the mask back over my face and cleared my throat. The man and his two cronies at the ground froze. I eyed them.

    "Can I help you?" My voice was dry.

    The man grasped his suddenly still phone and swallowed thickly. "Not really."

    The other two at the ground muttered, "No. Nope. Nothing."

    "Are you sure?" I reached down and plucked the phone from the man's hold. Sure enough, the camera was turned on and I scowled down at the three. "Because it looks, at least to me, that you were trying to take a photo of my bare face."