Tuck Me In by Teshelle Combs

Author:Teshelle Combs [Combs, Teshelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-12-22T18:30:00+00:00

Episode 35: Someone Would Hug Me

“Bellanueva Anamaria Morales De Leon. 7,379.42 days old. Born Here, not There?”

My knee bounced uncontrollably when I was nervous. That, I expected. But what I did not expect was to be sitting in a plastic chair in the Here Center, just outside the testing rooms. The bookwatcher clickety-clacked on her computation device.

“Bellanueva De Leon?” she called again.

That was me. I knew that was me. Just like I knew I was not supposed to be where I was, doing what I was doing. I reached my hands up and touched my face, feeling for blistered skin and bruises. I probably would have screamed right then and Here if I were all healed, if there were no trace of what had happened when my hands were bound to a wall and a Grade pummeled me until I couldn't stand it anymore.

But it was all there. The evidence. The gash above my upper lip and the dirt settled into the creases around my nose. All accounted for.

Where is Marrow?

My intent was to jump out of my chair, but the pain in my ribs only allowed me to creep to a stand. I hobbled over to the bookwatcher’s desk, and the increase in inhalation made me cough. I hacked and hacked, aware that my lungs were seared and filled with smoke, but so confused that I couldn’t pull it together.

Smoke, smoke. There was so much smoke. Where is Marrow?

“Are you De Leon?” the woman asked. “You’re late.”

Isn’t she going to comment on how terrible I look? Ask me if I want a medic? If I need to see a Grade? I gasp-hacked. That was it. Genius.

“I need to see a Grade,” I wheezed. “It’s an emergency.”

“You’ll miss your test if you don’t hurry,” the bookwatcher said.

I shook my head. “What test? I’m not supposed to be taking a test. I need to find Marrow. I need to find him. I have to find him. Do you understand? We were in the glass cage with the Grands. They were staring and staring, with their beaks and their balloon heads. And he was naked and scared. He burnt his hand, and they burnt my face. I burnt the clothes; everything was burning. I need to find him, he needs me.”

The bookwatcher adjusted her glasses, nearly lancing a ginormous mole off her nose. “Listen, honey. People get nervous all the time. These tests, they’re hard. It’s a lot of pressure for a Grit. It is. But if you take a few deep breaths, I bet you’ll calm right down and get in there before you run out of time. Because, honey”—she leaned closer and whispered—“ you are running out of time. ”

My eyes filled with tears. “A…test? I can’t take a test right now.” My inhale shook my body, and I pointed behind me, as if she could see what had happened in the past. “My sister…she made me leave home. I lost her. She’s gone. My dad’s dead. Hafiz is dead. And we killed Mervil.

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