*A NOTE FROM THE WRITER*
Find Violet Hyde will be divided into three parts and this is the last chapter for Part Two! Pretty cool, huh? If you have been reading along and haven't had a chance to vote on each chapter, please go do so. I'll wait....
Love,
Laura Slate
**
Violet felt a presence close to her, but she couldn't see her hand in front of her face, she tried to use her abilities to locate Purple the Ship Master. She felt none of the usual tingling from her ability to find people, and carefully took steps away from the door. Smelling a strange mixture of metal and flowers, she extended her arms to concentrate on finding another being nearby, Violet listened for an inner voice. The only sound was her own breath.
A light switched on. Violet braced herself. She found two Ship Masters sitting in front of her with a solitary light above them. They sat staring with glowing diamond shaped eyes, their hoods pushed back from their angular faces. In front of them was a table and an empty chair.
"We mean you no harm." They said before she could speak.
"But you felt the need to strip me of my abilities...oh, and creepily just sit there in the dark watching me freak out." Violet threw her hands in the air. Then tried to read their thoughts, unsuccessfully.
"We didn't want you to be startled and hurt us, Violet. We wanted to see how you would react. You see, we need to have a talk with you and we have something to show you." The one named Red wrung his knobby gray hands.
"Okay,but I wasn't planning on hurting you...and how did you remove my abilities?" Violet crossed her arms as she sat down, "Purp told me I could rest in here, but now I have a feeling it isn't going to happen."
Silence filled the room.
"May we tell you a secret?" The Ship Master called Blue asked.
"Yeah,I guess so..." she shrugged. Violet was uneasy without her gifts.
"You are extremely dangerous." Red said.
"No,"she almost laughed, "I'm most certainly not." Violet had never hurt anyone, she couldn't bring herself to kill spiders when she lived at the Farm.
"The fact that you believe you're not dangerous makes you all the more dangerous." Blue explained with a wink.
"Your training has shown you have the ability to move matter, but there are many skills you are hiding..." Red waited for her to respond and Violet stayed defiantly silent.
"Ah, you don't have to say anything. I already know the truth. You can locate beings through their energy. You can also read others thoughts and feelings...quite accurately. Oh, and you can transfer memories or thought to others." Blue said.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Violet stared at her feet.
"Violet,I would rather you remain noiseless than lie to me. You keep yourself a mystery to those close to you, but you cannot hide from me."Red raised his small chin.
"I'm sorry. I just...it was...I don't know, I liked knowing what people really meant when they talked to me." Violet was ashamed.
Blue sighed and took one of Violet's hands. "I can see how that ability would be useful and comforting. Do you understand how...rude it is to invade people's minds without cause? We can't have you running around this ship violating our citizens like that. Will you make me a promise, will you only use that ability when you are in danger?" Blue searched her eyes, his own sparkling black.
"I can do that, I promise. How did you know about...my secret abilities?" Violet asked.
"My answer would confuse more than aid, but I will tell you in due time."Red admitted.
The Ship Masters stood in unison, as if some alarm had gone off. Red allowed Blue to go before him towards the door. Just before they reached the front of the room, the door flew open.
Purple the Ship Master walked in carrying a fighting Zia in his long arms."I found her lingering around the entrance and thought I should include her." He said.
Zia's face was red and her hair was disheveled, "Put me down! Right now!"
"Stop struggling, Z," Violet begged, "Purp, let her down. Come on guys..."
"As you wish, Violet." Purple gently placed Zia on her feet, then straightened his robes and cloak.
"What were you doing?" Blue asked Zia kindly.
Zia took a breath and tried to calm herself. "I saw this one,"she jerked a thumb at Purp with narrowed eyes, "take Vi in here and I wanted to know what was going on. So, I ran over and he grabbed me and wouldn't let me in the room. All I wanted to know is if you were safe." She looked to Violet for help.
"I am, I promise, they were just telling me not to use-"
"That's enough, Violet." Red cut her off.
"But-"
Blue shook his head at Violet and she fell silent.
"Excuse me? Why won't you gray-faced weirdos allow her to tell me what's happening? I'm sick of this!" Zia said.
Red,Blue, and Purple looked back and forth at each other.
"Right now we need you both to see something. Please sit, Violet. Zia, you can stand by her." Blue said.
Once the girls were quiet and still Red pressed a button under the table and a large screen powered up beside the Ship Masters. The frozen image of a skinny woman with aqua painted lips sitting at a frosted glass desk appeared in the darkness.
"I'll neglect the pleasantries, you already know who I am. . This is a communication to the Confero and the beings on it who have Violet Hyde. I want her back." The woman's gaze was intense.
Violet felt a pang in her heart, like she missed this woman. She looked familiar to Violet, but she couldn't recall where she knew her from.
"You have taken someone irreplaceable and essential to my colony's success. I implore you to rethink your plan. If the girl is not returned to Moon Colony we will come for her. I've recovered your signal and I know where you are. " The woman raised her eyebrows and drummed pointy black fingernails on her desk, then stood and motioned to someone off screen. A young girl with sandy hair and green eyes stepped into view.
"Frida!"Violet jumped from her chair.
Zia strode over to the screen for a closer look, "Who is that woman?" she asked. She felt she already knew, but wanted to hear it from the Ship Masters first.
"This is a recording, girls. Calm yourself, they can't hear you." The Ship Master named Red took Violet's hand from across the table.
The woman gently laid her hand on Frida's shoulders and gave her a smile."Hi, Violet, if you're even allowed to watch this...,"Frida said as she picked at her fingers, "I live with Madame President Lucille and Kennith. You don't know them, but they're nice I guess. I wanted to ask you to please come back. If you don't,she will just come after you herself. Tell Zia hello," her voice cracked ",and I miss you both." She wiped her eyes with her arm and walked off the screen with Lucille.
Madame Lucille heels clicked as she stepped back into view. "Frida has been a joy to have around, we picked her up the day Violet was taken and thought she would be useful. She is entirely safe and is a wealth of information. I will give you two weeks to send someone back with Violet...and she had better be unscathed. If you fail to comply with my request there will be consequences." She gave a nod and snapped her skinny fingers. The screen went black.
"Who was that and why the hell does she have Frida?" Violet said as she took Zia's hand.
"Madame President Lucille captured her the night we obtained you, Violet. As for who she is...Lucille is the person in power at the Moon Colony. She is known for her ruthlessness and appetite for power. The only person close to her is her assistant Kennith. If we can get to him we may be able to change her mind." Blue sat with his hands folded in front of him.
"So when do we go there?" Violet asked the Ship Masters. Zia's face went white as she squeezed Violet's hand. Violet could tell she was close to tears.
"You are not going." Red pointed a knobby finger at Violet.
"Then why did you even show us? You know we will go in a heartbeat, forget Vitruvius, let us go." Violet hoped the Ship Masters would see her desperation. She wished she could tell what they were thinking.
"We were afraid you would say that. We have an alternate plan." Red looked at Blue for reassurance, then nodded for him to speak.
Blue cleared his throat, "We want to send Mr. Hubert. He knows Madame President Lucille better than anyone on this ship and if there is a chance of changing her mind he can do it. We want to send him as soon as possible. We will supply a ship for him to travel on as well as a small crew to run it. He will be safe and hopefully successful."
Violet put her hands on the back of her chair and took a deep breath. Her shoes were killing her feet and she still felt strange with her abilities blocked. She wondered how Frida was doing and if she truly was being treated well.
"We will try our best to make the rescue as smooth as possible."Blue smiled reassuringly at Violet.
"But how do you know Mr. Hubert will agree to help?" Zia asked. She knew Mr. Hubert did not trust the Ship Masters and seriously doubted he would comply. Although, he had surprised them before.
"He...he has no choice." Red said.
"That may be the only way it will work." Violet stood thinking for a minute. She couldn't understand why she couldn't go and didn't know if Mr. Hubert would follow through.
"Maybe it's a trap...she will know you aren't letting Violet go back there." Zia wondered out loud.
"We have thought of that, Zia." Red said.
"Violet,"Purple took Violets arm, "I'm going to take you to your room. Zia needs to talk to the Ship Masters alone." He led her towards the door, " She is just as safe as you are."
"I'll see you soon." Zia assured Violet.
"Okay,sorry about all of this. Remember that I love you." Violet bit her lip.
Zia rushed over and wrapped her arms around Violet's waist, "Remember that I love you, no matter how it seems sometimes."
They looked into each others eyes for a minute, both close to tears. Zia leaned in and kissed Violet, lingering for a minute, afraid to let her go.
"Violet,we need to go, you will she her soon." Purple said as Violet readied herself to leave. Finally they exited arm in arm.
As soon as the door closed Zia said, "I know what you want me to do. So go ahead, ask."
Red looked at Blue then sighed. "We want you to go with Mr. Hubert to Moon Colony."
"I knew it..." Zia flopped down in the chair and put her head in her hands.
Blue said, "You don't have to, but if you agree it would save us all. You can keep Archie Hubert in line and speak on behalf of Violet. Also, you know Frida the best, if there is a way to sneak her out of the city you will figure it out. We can't risk losing Violet."
"Yeah,I know, I know...I know," Zia shook her head slowly, her eyes full of tears. Zia thought of her years with Violet, days spent reading and talking, learning and loving. She thought of Violet unable to speak for herself, unable to save Frida herself.
"If I were to agree, when would I leave?" Zia said.
"Now."The Ship Masters said in unison.
Blue pressed a button under the table. They covered their heads with their hoods as a gas began to fill the room. Zia slumped in her chair as drowsiness filled every limb of her body. Zia hoped Violet would understand the sacrifice she was making to keep her safe. As she struggled to keep consciousness a door opened in the back of the room.
"Up for a trip, Zia?" Archie Hubert said, wearing a space suit.
"You knew all this...planned it...and lied to me. We trusted you..."Zia said through clenched teeth.
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Violet laid in her bed, reading. She thought of how long it had been since she left her room. Her long hair was an oily mess of purple tangles and knots, her sleep shirt was stained by spilled tea and covered in biscuit crumbs. She had barely touched breakfast.
She was developing great control of matter. From her bed Violet used her abilities to put her books away, clean up all the tea cups and dead flowers, then find something to wear. She picked a baggy black dress and purple boots, silver tights and a silver headband. She went to the sink and scrubbed her face, nails, and teeth. She rubbed a handover her metallic freckles, noticing their smoothness, they were almost cold to the touch.
She strolled without aim through the endless hallways and elevator shoots. She ended her wandering in the Grand Hall and walked to her usual spot in the room, an entire wall of black lined hexagonal windows. Violet stood gazing into the expanse of space before her when Purple walked in.
"Hello,Violet." He stood behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Purp."She said, not looking at him.
"I have something I would like to ask you." He said.
Violet sighed and said, "What is it?."
"Would you like to leave the Confero and go straight to Vitruvius on your own smaller ship? It will take weeks off of your trip there."Purple stood in silence while she thought about it.
"When would we leave?" Violet turned from the window to face him.
"Now if you wish." Purp looked into Violet's emerald eyes.
Sure,she could move matter and use telepathy and her senses were powerful,mentally and physically, but she didn't have Zia. Zia left so Violet wouldn't be in danger. Zia left to save a child they both loved. But, Zia still left and wasn't going to come back. Zia said she would always be by Violet's side and lied and didn't have the nerve to say goodbye.
Now there was nothing left on the Confero for Violet. "We can go now, I can't stand to be here a minute longer."
*END OF PART ONE*
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*High Five* We did it! Here we are at the halfway mark and you've made it this far. Thank you SO MUCH for reading and I hope you've had a great time. :)
I usually ask you questions at this point, but this time I want you to write whatever you want in the comments. Your thoughts on the story so for, your favorite characters, your theories, and general musings are all welcome here!