Shatter the Darkness by Ingrid Seymour

Author:Ingrid Seymour
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: PenDreams
Published: 2019-08-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

After giving Kristen a third of my blood and a sack full of tissue samples, James takes me back to the main area and introduces me to a few people. They greet me courteously, but cautiously. I know the reasons they must distrust strangers and, in that sense, I find that being here isn’t much different than being at Elliot’s. Over there, everyone suspects you might be a Symbiot. Here, plain humans have no way of telling who is an Eklyptor and who isn’t, so they must be wary of everyone.

People around us begin to look more alert. They stand, stretch and leave their cots.

James checks his watch. “Are you hungry? We don’t have much to offer, but you’re welcome to whatever they’re serving for dinner.”

“No, I’m fine, thank you.” I lower my head, feeling horrible. At Elliot’s, food has never been an issue beyond the inconvenient scarcity of a few items. In fact, I’ve eaten very well, better than I used to before The Takeover. My diet is well-balanced, with plenty of vegetables and fruits—none of the instant noodles or TV dinners that I used to “cook” when there was nothing else to eat around the house.

James puts a hand on my shoulder. “Your sacrifice needs not include going hungry. It goes way beyond something that small. Remember that.”

I try to shape my face into a blank mask. I hate being read so easily. Besides, sacrifices can’t be measured. Who is to put a price on what a person gives up?

Everyone forms a single file along the left wall, then disappears through a narrow door on the side of the warehouse.

“We connected this building with the one next door,” James says. “We serve two meals a day. Breakfast and dinner. Not optimal, but no one’s starving. For now. Your tips on supplies have been extremely helpful. Thanks to you we have intercepted several food trucks headed for Eklyptor bases. Those provisions have made a huge difference.”

I knew they needed the food. James had told me so, but I never imagined—

“Marci?”

A girl approaches me from the side, her steps tentative.

I don’t recognize her at first glance but, after a couple of seconds, her name takes shape in my lips: “Hannah.”

She gives me a huge smile and, as if unable to help herself, walks up to where I am and wraps me in a tight hug. I stand stiff as a rod and awkwardly pat her back.

Hannah pulls away after a moment, avoiding eye contact, the same way I do. “It’s good to see you,” she says. “I never thanked you for—”

“Hey, don’t mention it,” I rush out the words, wishing to put an end to the awkwardness.

“Hannah has turned out to be a great nurse,” James says. “She helps patch people up with some sort of magic that makes them heal pretty quickly.”

Her cheeks redden, and her blue eyes light up with the compliment. James gives me a quick wink that makes me realize the Symbiot secret is still safe here, otherwise Hannah would know about our accelerated healing powers.

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