Sebestian Knight
When the art gallery is far behind us, Edward reaches for the art piece that he's still clutching to his chest and inspects the threads that crease the outer ridges.
"Seriously? That's your first priority?" The words sound natural in my head but when they emerge, it's harsh and spiteful. Edward winces, blinking at the scenery that has been sprayed along the canvas as if he's holding back tears.
"What do you want me to do?" His voice wobbles softly. Stifling a sigh, I continue to drive. It feels so strange, driving endlessly into the night with no clear goal in mind but a million thoughts occupying the space in my head. I don't exactly know where the other members of team eta have disappeared to and I'm not even certain that the Resistance have fallen off our trail.
"Pick up the speed, darn it." Edward mutters angrily, wiping at the dark rings under his eyes. A flare of annoyance glows in my chest and my grip on the wheel tightens dramatically as I try to shove the anger away.
I'm angry and there's no point in being upset with Edward, too.
"Try reaching them on the comms again." I suggest, my words a frazzled sigh.
Dumping the picture on his lap, Edward plucks the ear comm from his ear and taps against the button carved along the side. A faint buzz replies but there is no sign of Ellie's laughter or Kirk's side chuckle. The lack of Martha's snide remarks has never felt scary before.
"M-maybe they're busy with other Salvation stuff." Edward tries unhelpfully.
For the next few minutes as Edward lapse back into his pattern of prodding the painting and examining it, thumbing the strings attached to the side cautiously, I stare out into the track ahead and drive in silence.
We have long left the developed part of Atlanta that the Solars own and the area around us is rural- a few plants that struggle to stay alive, clinging to the ground desperately stretching their roots deep along for a drink and trees that are bare, strung with fairy lights that glow tiredly.
The rain that started as a slow drizzle earlier beings to smash against the windshield, the noise each droplet create stringing into a defeaning sound that thunders outside, accompanying the growl of thunder that rumbles overhead. A flash of lightning slashes across the sky, ripping the seam of black into two and I wonder if the Solar System thought it would be a gift to reflect my mood through the sky.
It's only when the car begins to slow do I know that we're in danger.
"No. Please don't." I mumble under my breath, digging my shoe against the pedal with all my might. The stubborn piece of plastic squeaked angrily under my weight as the car groans into a stop and a burst of smoke starts to drift from the front, seeping through the hood of the car.
I curse furiously, banging my elbow against the side door before shoving it open.
"Luke? What's wrong?" Edward calls from his seat. I don't answer him. Instead, I stalk to the front of the car and tug the lid of the hood upwards. Sliding up, the hood reveals machinery that has been clogged up and tanks damaged tanks with dark, murky solar energy.
"The energy has been contaminated! Someone knew that we were going to be here and picked out our car." I yell as another bolt of lightning zip along the sky, the yellow flash painting the ground below a golden yellow.
"What?" Edward slides out if his seat and materialises by my side. He peeks at the ruined machinery and chews on his lip, as if trying to bite back a declaration of our doom.
The smoke billows from the chambers that swash with the filthy solar energy- now liquified into a disgusting solution that only fuels my anxiety. Peeling my eyes away from the vehicle, I take a quick survey of the land around us. No cars for miles and only barren land. As I squint to my right, I notice a ray of light that manages to fight its way through the torrent of rain that collapses from the sky.
There's a lighthouse nearby.
"We need to find a place to stay for the night. If the Resistance contaminated the energy for the car, it's most likely that they placed a tracker, too. They'll be searching for us and we need to head elsewhere before they see us." The rain begins to coat my cheeks, creating a thin layer of moisture that isn't enough to cool the heat that begins to pervade my cheeks.
"You see a place for us to stay?"
"Yeah. We got to walk a bit, though. Are there any resources stashed in the backseat or the boot?" At my question, Edward dashed to the back and grabs two raincoats- scrunched up in his hand as he fumbles with the painting in his other arm. I peel one set of raincoat from his hand and slide it over my body. The plastic used to make it is cheap and flimsy but it has to make do.
Edward is still struggling to slip his coat on, bouncing the painting between his arms. Annoyed, I snatch the coat from his hands and pull it over his body, fingers quickly sliding to inch the zipper upwards. As my fingers hover along where the zipper stops, I can feel the heat from where the collar of his suit curves transfer to my skin. Almost unable to pull my gaze away, I pretend that I'm struggling with the mechanics of the zip.
He's crazy warm. It's scary.
I might explode from the lingering touch.
I pry my fingers away, feeling stupid for wanting to stay in the warmth that he radiates.
"We got to keep going. Keep that painting dry until we get there- I'll lead. C'mon."
The two of us walk in silence. We travel towards where the light seems to be shining from. I start to lose track of time and when I find myself glancing upwards to consult the moon, I remember that it's no longer reliable.
Atlanta is falling apart. Everything is falling apart.
I don't know how long we have been walking for but when we finally reach the lighthouse, the rain is still steadily beating down against our backs, pouring off the our coats. The lighthouse that we find is tall and a emits a tiny sprout of light at the top that wavers wearily. The door is locked but wuth the skills that I have picked up from younger- picking open locked doors to escape the wrath of my father, I manage to pry this one open easily enough.
Edward and I slip inside, both grateful for the warmth that wraps around us like a blanket. I slam the door shut as Edward fumbles along the walls, feeling for the light switch. I find them first and slap against the buttons, allowing a stream of yellow rays to ignite the room.
The lighthouse is empty and consists of machinery that have been put to sleep.
"You should get some rest." I wriggle out of the raincoat, allowing tiny beads of water to sprinkle across the floor. Edward glances up at me with a protest ready to spring from his lips. As soon as he catches the hard stare on my face though, he falls silent and starts to curve into a ball against the wall with his coat still on.
I start to explore the each level of the lighthouse, searching for anything that would prove useful for our journey. I had left my bag in the Circinus' underground bunker so I was back to square one- empty handed and all by myself. Except for Edward, of course.
When the mini adventure concluded with futile results, I wandered back to the first floor where Edward was already fast asleep. His eyes were lidded shut in a gentle manner and his face was eased into a mild potrait. Gently, I prod at the painting tucked between his arms and pull it out of his clutches.
The rain had caused the second layer to spoil and I peeled it off, running my fingers along the material. It was smooth along the sides but where my thumb sifted through the middle, I could feel grooves and rough bumps. An etching.
Quickly darting back to where I had seen stationery, I snatched up a pencil and started to run the graphite tip along the white layer. The grey shading revealed words that had been hardened along the sheet of white and as I raised the layer before a set of lights, I started to read out the words visible softly.
It wasn't a prophecy.
It was a curse.
Word Count: 1482 Words
A/N: I really hope you like the book so far! (:
Every read, vote, comment and share is appreciated!