Chapter 58

THE NOBODIES

ELENA

I had barely reached the exit when a hand tugged me sharply and pulled me into a warm embrace "so, you...go... Me, alone" I didn't have to look at the face to know whom the voice belonged to. I just patted his back and after a while, I withdrew.

"Me, go outside. You move on"

"No, me and you... Runaway"

I chuckled lightly but here at Dome-city, there was no such thing as a runaway.

"And die?" I raised a brow.

"And be together" he added.

I shook my head and took a step away from him he was just being immature. "You go, you die" he pointed out but it wasn't like I had a choice or something. I heaved a sigh and took his hand.

"Me go, you live. Watch after others." I let go of his hand and headed on.

***

I stared at the huge electric fence that served as a barricade, locking us out from the outside world. I have seen nothing else in my life than trees, dirt, mine, field, blood, and people who tortured me but this time around, I stared at a different horizon that led "elsewhere".

That's what we called outside the fence for nobody knew what was really out there.

What could be out there? I thought. People like us? The questions kept burning in the pit of my belly. Are we going out there to die?

That could also be the case but I chose to count on the red-lady's voice. She said we were chosen and we would be filled in on what to do. Maybe we were going out to work even harder.

I glanced at our commander. He had a stern look on his face. He was tall, dark and every ounce of him was totally masculine. He had a strong body build, huger than that of Twenty. He was the devil himself. The man that created terror in our hearts and thought us how to feel no passion. He was grumpy and in his hands, death rested.

I looked at him closely hoping it was going to be the last time I would see him. I was deeply lost in thoughts hoping lightning would strike him on the spot to cover up for all the years of torture I had received from him that I didn't realize my glance had turned into a stare and that he had caught me staring.

He moved towards me, a deep frown etched in his eyes and I jerked back to reality.

Fear clouded my heart as I watch him take bold steps towards me, grabbed me by the collar, and pulled me to the open then used his legs to rake me off the ground.

I lost my stamina and I fell to the floor on my knees and my hands in the dirt.

I looked downward away from him. I had broken the sixth rule. "Never stare your master in the face' but I defied. This was bad for me.

Seeing this, the district commander came over with the red lady. "Jun ga ga?" He asked which meant "what happened?" In domite language.

"Binu saga tor" the commander responded. I didn't know what that meant but the district commander grabbed me by the hair and tugged it sharply so I could look into his face. But I closed my eyes so as not to get into much deeper trouble.

"You are not out yet and you are already defying us" he croaked, his husky breath touching my skin.

"Should we punish it?" The commander asked the red lady but she raised her hand.

"We don't have time. Chain it. No food, no water till you get there"

Wait... I thought. How long was there?

"What if it dies?" The commander asked

"Give her what the pigs would eat," she said flatly and almost immediately, a truck arrived. Twenty and twenty-one were asked to sit at the front while I was thrown into a dark cage. On my neck were heavy chains and on my legs were shackled. I should have been more careful but I guess this was how destiny played its game.

I wasn't given warmth and the cold wind tore my lips apart. I touched the necklace on my neck and muttered a silent curse. The other twelve Dome-guards were asked to come with us while our commander sat at the front with the navigator.

***

Well, Elsewhere was far but I never thought it would be so far.

This was our third night on the road and I have eaten nothing. I was totally weak and my stomach was burning. The lights in my eyes were beginning to fade and I began to see eternal darkness looming ahead when, Clang! Clang! Clang! Something struck my metal confinement but I didn't know what it was. I was too weak to open my eyes.

"Food!" A striking voice stung its way down my eardrums and I opened my eyes weakly in a slow flutter and on the bare floor was something seeming like vomit.

It was food but who cared? I rushed to it not minding the stench, shoving as my mouth could contain down my throat. The burn in my chest worsened and my eyes began to close again and in an involuntary motion, what I had shoved down my throat began to move back the way it came. The food was nauseating and I began to puke everything out. I held my neck lile it would explode and my head began to burn. I looked up and I saw a smirk on the guard's face, making fun of me and laughs filled my head.

"Help..." I choked but there was no way I was getting it "help me..." I felt I would vomit my intestine as I held on to the gates but all I received was a heavy jab on the head from his baton making me fall back into the cage and warm blood dripping down my face from my hairline. "Help..." My voice drained and I began to see contrasting colors. "Pl..." I blacked out.

***

"Hey! Hey wake up!" Whisper filled my head. Am I dead or alive.

"Twenty two!" The whisper was sharp and I opened my lid to see a face staring down at me "here, food. We saved some"

I blinked and then slowly, it registered that I was very much alive and Twenty-one was stretching a piece of bread at me. Like the hungry creature that I was, I pounced on it, tearing it into my mouth savoring and the juiciness.

"Here" he stretched a bottle of water and I took it from him, gulping it down, almost choking.

"It's okay, eat slowly" he smiled at me warmly but all that didn't register. I ate hungrily like my life depended on it and depended on it by the way.

"Want more?" He stretched another piece to me and I took it. Tears rose to my eyes and I was grateful. It was in the still of the night and the guards were out of sight to do their night watch.

I reeked of something gross but he stayed anyway.

He reached out to hold my hand "be strong" he whispered and a soft smile parted his lips "Twenty says hello too. He is on the lookout"

"Thanks to you" my voice broke and I began to eat again. He patted my shoulder and went back to where they were asked to sit. "Thanks to you" I cried to myself and ate slowly.

Time passed and it was only a matter of days when Clang! Clang! Clang! "We are here!" A coarse voice sounded; I didn't have to be a genie to know whom it belonged to. The cage was opened and I was pulled out roughly.

The sun was up and the bright light stung my eyes. I blinked trying to recover my sight but I wasn't given that much time. Still in chains, I was pushed towards an open space.

Through the dim light of my eyes, trying to contain the bright rays of the sun that stung them deeply, I surveyed elsewhere...

It was huge and flooded.

Flooded with people both workers and guards. Then, the contrast between shade and lights began to harmonize. Everywhere froze like someone pulled the plug; all eyes were on me like I was some sort of strange creature brought from the moon.

I looked around unlike Dome, Elsewhere was like a big workshop. The land spread out, it had buildings and the people there were in uniforms.

I was still mulling when three huge men, seeming like our commander arrived to meet us.

"Why is this one in chains?" A husky voice queried.

"It is a rebel" commander replied.

"Rebel?" He came over, held my hair and tugged at it so I could look into his face but I looked away. It was the rule. "It is young." The man pointed out "and weak" he raised a frown at our commander "was it fed?"

"Pig food" the commander responded flatly. The man nodded and let go of my hair. He turned to the guard beside him and muttered something.

"It survived. That's a good thing." The man walked past me "take it and mark it. It would be good for the slaughter house" then he turned to twenty and twenty one "these ones would be good for the games"