Post 18
Without thinking, Cherine threw herself over Bobby and the next bullet hit her in the back and ripped its way through her. With a savage yowl Bobby pulled away, affronted by her touching him. When she collapsed and he saw the blood he screamed. He climbed over her and another bullet exploded his head.
Cherine’s healer, with Ntchizi helping, had instantly begun healing her, preserving her life. As she heard another shot and felt Bobby fall off her, she spun to catch him. She held his body in her arms, her eyes unable to comprehend the sight of his exploded head and then she screamed as she held him to her, urgently calling to her healer to save him. She screamed without end, hardly aware of herself anymore as grief too potent for her tore at her sanity. Robert arrived and teleporting her with Bobby locked in her arms she was injected with drugs to force her into a deep sleep.
There was not a man, woman or child that had not benefited from having their own healer and not one of them did not rejoice at the regular reports of land returning to life. To the vast majority, Cherine was their heroine and the news shocked them.
Arthur explained his reasons, the fears Cherine had of hospitals since being taken to one as a prisoner, and with Robert at her side they moved her back to his home. She was not expected to wake up that night, but they worried when she remain asleep the next day also.
Robert stayed by her side, but by the early hours of the next night he fell asleep, leaning over the bed with his head on his arms. Cherine woke up, saw the man by her bed and something warned her that he represented danger. As silently as she could she climbed out of bed and still in her bedclothes and barefoot she teleported.
She waited for dawn sitting outside the house and then, calling ‘Bobby’ she searched for him. She entered the house, took a look at his empty room and walked outside again. She spent the day walking to all the areas she’d been for walks with Bobby and then lay down by a rock and fell asleep.
Ntchizi forced herself to keep quiet as she monitored Cherine’s thoughts. She feared she could drive Cherine irrevocably into insanity so she waited for Cherine to sleep. As she sank into sleep, Ntchizi used her abilities to ensure Cherine would not wake up and took over her body. She teleported back to the mansion. Robert and Arthur were waiting for her.
“Speak very quietly, she sleeps. You saw her?” Ntchizi whispered.
“We’ve been watching the cameras. Will she recover?”
“She needs time. When she sleeps I will bring her here for food and drink. We must be careful she does not awaken as she could block me out of her mind also.”
Robert tenderly washed her, dressed her in survival clothing and boots, Ntchizi fed her body and then she returned Cherine to the exact spot she’d fallen asleep. As the sun rose Cherine came to her feet, realised where she was and in a panic she ran back to the house shouting for Bobby.
Healers took Robert and Arthur to court, demanding a court order permitting them to heal her. Public opinion was split, for a week had gone by without Cherine coming to her senses and they felt ‘somebody’ should do something to help her. Arthur and his attorney argued that Cherine has the most powerful healer of anyone in the land and it must be given the time it needs to heal her. The judge gave her five days and then warned that he will issue an order if she has not recovered by then.
The two men who’d shot Cherine and Bobby were found and arrested. They gave names of others who’d supported their action and all were arrested. Their announced reason, to protect the people from Bobby and his kind, only angered everyone.
What there was of Cherine was aware of time passing. She came to the conclusion that Bobby must have moved in search of his kind and she feared they might kill him, so she walked for days away from the desert and into the hills. She never noticed the changes of clothing as Arthur bought a number of sets that looked exactly the same. She did not notice she did not require food and if she fell asleep thirsty, she always awoke without immediate need for water. As she moved north into the hills, the land rose and it grew cooler.
Robert refused to listen and followed her at a distance. He asked for a rifle and stayed within range in case she is attacked. Cherine did not travel far each day, but the exercise strengthened Robert and his face grew tanned and tight from his constant worry.
The public was told that Cherine is walking away from their land, but Robert refused to give any information as to direction, so the judge refrained from exacerbating the situation with an order. Robert's camera was still sending pictures back by satellite and everyone kept a watch on her.
As Cherine rose over the brow she saw a valley stretching out before her. To the one side were the remains of a city and signs of the old highways stretching to the edges of the valley could still be seen. Casually, none of it meaning anything to her, she walked into the valley, aiming for the ruins. She was certain that they would have attracted Bobby and she determined that the ruins could pose many perils for a child like him.
Robert was frustrated. The valley did not offer much concealment so he could not stay within range and he was worried about her entering the ruins on her own. He concentrated on a hill top he could easily see and teleported to it. From there he went to the next one and then to a river bed in the valley. It did lead to the ruins so he kept to it, half walking and half running, calling on his healer to keep him going.
The river bed was cracked and littered with smashed concrete and then, as he ran, ruins stood above the embankment or tumbled down the sides. Under a sheet of metal he saw a baby and then realised it was a doll, faded and rotted by heat and cold. Somehow the sight of the doll spurred the sense of urgency in him and he lost all caution as he sped to anticipate Cherine’s arrival. He ran directly into an ambush.
Surprised by his speed and total disregard for his safety, the usual weapon pointed at a chest did not seem effective. They dived at him, one to grab his weapon, another to trip his feet and another two to hold him down once he fell. Without realising what was happening Robert crashed into the sharp shards of concrete and then found himself held by arms and by the weight of his attackers.
C-E-O searched his scratched arm for slivers of glass or signs of poison before paying attention to their prisoner. “What kind of man are you? Have the hills monsters that chase you, so that you fear not what lies ahead?”
“You can talk! I’m sorry, that was rude of me. Can you tell them to let me go, I have no wish to escape.”
“You plan to stay for the evil to be faced by us?”
“There is no evil. My wife, she…her son died and now she does not know it and searches for little Bobby. She is coming to the city, I need to be here to care for her.”
“She was seen and will be brought to us. Put your arms behind your back.” They tied his wrists and without consideration for his inability to climb, they pulled at him until they stood between the remains of buildings of all sizes and shapes.
“My name is Robert. I must warn you about my wife. You must not tell her that Bobby is dead or else she’ll lose control of her powers and kill all of us. Just tell her that you have not seen Bobby.”
Hostility flared. “She is a mutant? You also?”
“As we all are; how else do you think we’ve survived. None of the old ones lived.” The men guarding him erupted with rage, their fists smashing into him. To save himself Robert managed a look at the street they were in and teleported.
“Stop it!” They stared at him with shock robbing them of their rage. “What does it matter who is a mutant or isn’t! We are all human beings and there is space for all of us to be what we are. All I care about is that my wife is safe, take me to her and we can talk if you want, or else we can leave. There is no need for violence.” He did not realise just how alien he sounded to them.
Forced to cunning by his powers, they agreed to take him to his wife.
They entered a square that was not filled with debris, where wooden benches placed in rows were filled by a motley group of ragged men, women and children. The men who’d captured Robert split, C-E-O going to the table before the crowd. He sat facing them as Robert was led to the side. Suddenly the tips of five blades pierced his skin, drawing blood but not entering deep enough to harm him.
One of the men whispered to him, “Try it again and we shall see if you are faster than the thrust of blades already within you.”
Another group of men approached on the other side of the benches and Cherine walked among them, questioning them as if they were of no threat to her.
C-E-O cleared his throat. “Members of the board, we are gathered today to deal with mutants who’ve invaded our city. Are there any other items to be entered on the agenda?”
“C-E-O, the female, she has healed Crossbun. Perhaps this is one mutie we should keep?”
C-E-O nodded at the person sitting next to him. “Place that on the agenda, we should test the proposal before deciding.” He spoke out to the crowd. “The male to my right tried to enter our city secretly by using the canal to hide his presence, unlike the female who walked in openly. His guilt is undisputed. Do the directors vote that he be fired?” All raised their right arms. “So be it noted, the vote was unanimous. Corgate, as Director of Security, have your men prepare for the firing.”
All the men at one of the benches rose and entering one of the buildings they returned with a long metal stake and firewood. Robert saw them enter the tip of the metal stake into a concrete lined hole. They pressed it in until it was firm and then they laid wood around it in an organised fashion, with twigs at the bottom. The blades were pressed to his one side so that he was forced to walk towards the pole.
“Allow me to talk to her.”
“Permission not granted, only directors are allowed to speak. Silence him.”
As a gag was raised, Robert shouted, “Ntchizi, take her to Bobby’s home!”
Cherine staggered a step and as her body collapsed, it disappeared.
If you only joined us now, welcome.
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Thank you,
Arthur