Paintshark Part 23

Nayan looked over with tired and weary eyes, which were slowly losing their spark.

"A week today, so grab who you can and pack what you need, those vines have destroyed the bridge and are edging ever closer to us so this will be the longest week in your lives. We don't want to fight them but we will if they stand in the way for our escape and whoever or whatever lies in wait for us beyond these walls..." He turned to Elias with his sparkle back in his eyes. "We will take them on and we will win...this prison break has begun."

Faris was back with his banter and pointed to a large teacher called Houghton who sat with a doughnut in his hand.

"What are we going to do about food? Will we have enough with after Houghton has finished stuffing his face?"

Houghton wheezed his reply. "That's not fair, Faris, You take that back right now."

Faris scratched behind his ear and sighed. "I'm sorry, man, it just came out, haven't you ever had something just slip out your mouth?" He pulled a face as Houghton stuffed the rest of the doughnut in his mouth. "I guess not," Faris said.

With their confidence renewed the men gave a cheer and went to see out the week that would define them as the exodus slowly took shape.

Felcey tossed and turned in his bed, the pain that cruised through his body usually kept him up most nights, but there was something else on his mind this time.

Kimberley was awake. Kimberley, the girl he'd left to die in Big Man's arena, he hadn't seen her since she had come out of stasis and he wanted to keep it that way. Felcey thought Kimberley wouldn't be on his ward and she wouldn't be able to hear him sobbing with the pain of the beetles in his body, the sobs quickly turned to screams.

The ward was big, bigger than Felcey thought it was and another patient had heard his cries, it was a young girl who had problems sleeping herself, dealing with her own demons, she had gained superpowers which seemed an eternity ago, in that time she had defeated the Leviathan Squid, the horrific Chimera and also bought down the gigantic stadium of Big man, she had trouble remembering some things but those images stuck deep in her mind and also how Felcey, her friend, had left her to die in the arena.

Her eyes poked up from beneath her covers; feeling strange and exhausted, she hastily pulled the covers up over her head but still the screaming continued.

Kimberley had heard enough and eased herself out of bed and walked over, her long nightgown was too big for her and her toes could barely be seen but the cold hospital floor made them curl.

She pulled up a chair from a nearby bed and as she sat down began to nudge Felcey, he turned and saw the girl's face, it was as if he'd seen a ghost and recoiled in shock, he turned his head to the other side of the bed.

"KIMBERLEY, I thought you were..."

"Dead?"

"No, I mean, I knew about, the stadium and what you did but I thoughta"

His voice trailed off as his head sunk back into the pillows, the girl nudged him and spoke in a voice he had not heard from her before, it growled with anger speaking through gritted teeth.

"You left me for dead, Felcey, you left me to die in that h.e.l.l hole...HAVE YOU ANY IDEA WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH?"

"I know and I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have left you."

"SO WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME? YOU WERE MY FRIEND."

Felcey twisted round to face her but avoided eye contact. "I left because..."

Kimberley leapt on his bed straddling him, her left hand begun to pulse and she held the light to his face. "ANSWER ME!"

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU."

Kimberley's glow started to fade as did her anger. "What did you say?"

Felcey sighed. "I said I love you, I always have."

Kimberley opened her mouth to reply and did after a little cough. "I didn't know"

Felcey shifted his body over to his side. "Why would you? You're the popular girl, the prom queen...everybody knows your name, everybody wants to be you... where as me? People look at me like something they've trodden in."

"Don't say that," Kimberley said, mesmerised by his face.

"It's TRUE, I'm a n.o.body, a nerd, have you any idea what it's like to go to bed and wake up with somebody you really care for on your mind, knowing that their not on yours? Checking your phone and n.o.body has texted you, but knowing that the first person they've texted...the first person they've talked to isn't you? Knowing that they're talking and laughing with somebody else? They're on your mind throughout the day...but they don't even know you exist. Have you any idea what that feels like? Making plans, going on holiday? It kills knowing that, I see you around school with Denton and I think, why can't I be him? Why can't I be the one to make her happy?"

Kimberley wiped a tear. "But Denton's dead."

"I DON'T CARE IF HE'S DEAD, if it's not him it would be with somebody else, anybody but me."

"Why do you say that? Why are you saying that?"

Felcey zoomed in on her. "So would you? Would you go out with me?

"Felcey, you're putting me on the spot, why are you doing this?"

"It's a simple question, Kimberley."

"You're my friend, Felcey."

He could tell by the genuine warmth in her voice that she really believed it and wasn't just leading him on for the sake of some peace and quiet on the ward; she held his hand and slowly squeezed.

"But you wouldn't want to go out with me."

Felcey's tone changed. "Who would want to go out me, eh? Good old Felcey, everybody's favourite nerd, do you want to know how I got these *Milky' powers? Shall I tell you?...I followed you to the rave, I followed you and Ca.s.sandra to that stupid rave with your little clay, milk bust I made and I either drunk some infected water or got sprayed with some infected water, but it doesn't matter because now I can do this."

He lifted his hand from beneath the covers and a fine spray of milk jetted out from his fingertips.

"SO BECAUSE I FOLLOWED A GIRL TO A CLUB WHO DOESN'T EVEN KNOW I EXIST, I GET MILK, THEN AND GET KIDDNAPPED AND GET THESE."

He flung back the covers and Kimberley retched as she saw Felcey's stomach shift and turn as the Beetles moved around inside, as she raised her head, there was no movement or sound from her as she stared at Felcey's parasites.

"These beetles have been inside me for a year now; they've been a part of my life for so long that I don't remember how I was before them, but it's not them...I'm not afraid of them anymore, they don't scare me, it's just that..."

She squeezed again down on his hand and Felcey regained his composure. "It's just that I'm scared of dying a coward."

The girl pulled a quizzical frown, giving him a chance to continue. "I didn't want to watch you die, that's why I ran away in the arena, I didn't want to see anything happen to you, watching someone you love with somebody else is sad, but watching them die...I didn't know what I would do, because I'm a coward."

"You were scared, Felcey, that's all."

"Because it's TRUE." Felcey started to shake with his words. "I'm no good to anyone. I only wanted to be with you, that's all, but why would you want to date a coward?"

"Don't say that; don't put yourself down."

"It's true isn't it? Aren't I?"

A wave of pain tore in to Felcey, making him lurch forward clutching his stomach screaming in agony.

"They're coming, the beetles are coming, I can feel them under my skin, and I haven't much time."

The young girl wiped a tear from her eye that had surprised herself but not Felcey, with both hands she held on to Felcey's arm and pressed hard, her eyes never leaving his, Felcey returned the compliment with his eyes and looked deep in to the girl's own and then a new pain arrived searing deep into his arm he threw his head back in intense agony, the girl with eyes widening in fear let go of his arm and realised what had happened; her hands were glowing with a yellow hue and she looked down aghast at what she had done. Felcey's arm had been burnt from where she had hold of it, her handprints set deep into his flesh and then his arm began to bubble and hiss and then unfold as both Felcey and the girl looked on in disbelief as a burnt beetle struggled to crawl through the now open wound in Felcey's arm.

Through sheer agony Felcey watched as the beetle wriggled free and then fell to the floor, it was dead by the time it struck the smooth polished surface, grimacing, Felcey turned his eyes away from the insect and to the girl, his wound slowly beginning to cauterize.

"How did you do that?"

The girl shook her head, her face still shocked at what she had just done. "What did you do...do it again please? Burn the beetles out from me?"

"I CAN'T."

"YOU JUST DID, GET THEM OUT OF ME, GET THEM OFF OF ME."

The girl implored him to stop. "Please, you don't know what you're saying."

"I know exactly what I'm saying, you're the only one who can help me, and I'm begging you, please."

The girl's tone turned dark, her svelte frame angled at a confrontational stance at the bedside her fore finger pointing accusingly at Felcey.

"Can you remember any of your dreams during stasis?" Before Felcey could answer she carried on swiftly. "I know stasis crams one year in what seems only one night, but I dreamed. I had such terrible dreams, dreams that I didn't ever what to have again in my lifetime, but upon my awake from the deep sleep, they wouldn't go away, because they weren't dreams, they were flashbacks from my past, flashbacks at what had happened to me prior to being brought to Gommerstall."

She leaned in with intensity to Felcey, her eyes wide open and it was her turn to shiver with emotion.

"I've seen what I can do with this power, and I WILL not use it again for anyone, do you understand me? NEVER again."

She returned to her seat, eyes never leaving Felcey's, her thoughts were at the arena, barely remembering Nayan she was the reason why he had ended up in Gommerstall.

"It's my fault that Nayan's in this prison with me and I will never forgive myself for it."

Felcey looked to the ceiling and grinded his teeth, it was the second time he had seen the girl lose her temper and had to try another tactic in order for her to come round to his way of thinking.

"I'm sorry for what happened in the arena and I know you're too scared to use your power this way, but you've got a chance to help someone now and use it for good."

The girl raised one eyebrow. "Good for you, you mean...no matter what you say I'm not going to burn you and I'm not going to kill you, ok? I know you blame me for you ending up here, but we all have to be responsible for every decision, you made a conscious choice to follow me to that rave, I never asked you to come, but we both have special gifts and we're now in this prison...we just have to deal with it."

Felcey knew he wasn't going to win this round and was so resigned to losing that he turned his back on her and lifted the covers over his head and spoke beneath the covers.

"You'll know what to do to me when the time is right...I'm not scared anymore, I'll never be scared again."

The girl sighed and wasted no time in leaving the stubborn Felcey and returning to bed, she was half way across the room when the main doors to the ward opened and Nayan walked in.

"h.e.l.lo little one, how are you feeling?"

The girl waited in the middle of the room for him to walk over before giving the big man a hug, as she spoke so her head rested on his shoulder.

"I'm fine, the nightmares are less frequent now and I can finally get some sleep." She let go and looked up at him, opening her mouth and closing it again quickly.

"Are you sure you're ok, you should be resting, is there something on your mind?"

Deciding not to tell Nayan about Felcey's request she hastily changed the subject. "It's the middle of the morning; I should be up and about anyway."

Nayan began to lead her to her bed.

"Not yet, you're still too tired from your stasis recovery."

The girl ignored him.

"So what's this about us all going on a great escape from the vines?" Felcey moaned.

Nayan threw a cursory look over to Felcey, knowing the boy had a tendency to exaggerate the simplest of details.

"When we know when and where, then I'll let you know."

She flicked her tongue out at him. "You're so rubbish." The big man smiled.

"Anyway, young lady, I have a surprise for you, I should have shown you sooner but it didn't click, even he mentioned your school, you both go the samea" He paused for a beat. "You went to the same school."

The blond-haired girl c.o.c.ked her head to one side and did her favourite trick of raising a singular eyebrow when she was confused."

Nayan beckoned to someone standing just out side the door and that person, a man, entered, and upon seeing him the girl's heart just for the briefest moment...leapt.

"Kimberley...is that you?"

The girl continued to stare past the man until he called out her name again and this time she couldn't contain her surprise. "SIR!" she cried and ran to him, jumping into his arms; the arms held her tight as she gazed into the eyes of her teacher, Elias Glaucas, her smile couldn't grow any wider.

The eyes weren't as bright as they were when he'd taught her and all the other students with great enthusiasm at school and the delayed effects of the stasis aging process began to seep through with the onset of grey hairs at the side of his head, but there was no mistake that this was her teacher and for some strange reason he was here at Gommerstall prison and she knew in her heart of hearts that everything was going to be alright...and he would get her out of there.

"OMI G.o.d! OMI G.o.d! OMI G.o.d!" She didn't pause for breath. "What are you doing here, sir? Is this another dream?"

The former teacher put her down and grew more encouraged by escape as he witnessed Kimberley's buoyancy, jumping up and down on the spot clapping her hands like a child seeing a new toy unfold before its eyes, Nayan watched contentedly from the door whilst Felcey rose from the covers to watch the reunion but grew bored quickly and disappeared beneath the sheets.

Elias just about managed to get a word in to reveal his tale.

"I am a prisoner of Big Man, as are you, according to Nayan."

"YES! YES!" she blurted out and described what she could remember from her stay and using her hands to describe what she went through and how she was coping at being one of the few females in a mostly male populated prison, she had to learn to grow tough in here and she wasn't....yet.

Nayan interrupted and started to explain their escape plan to Kimberley, Elias could see that as Nayan spoke Kimberley hung on every word he said, her head nodded vigorously as she listened to the words that left his mouth, maybe not fully understanding or agreeing with him but Nayan was the father figure in her life now ever since she was locked up in Gommerstall, it was he who took care of her and it was he who saved her life back in Olympia and she would do anything he said. Nayan called over to the only other patient in the ward.

"Felcey, you still there?"

The covers spoke but no face could be seen.

"Dude, it's the morning." He threw back the covers and showed his beetle-infested stomach, at which Nayan tried well to hide his discomfort, it didn't work as Felcey picked up on it. "Getting worse aren't they?"

Nayan brushed that comment aside. "Do you think you'll make it till the end of the week? There's some medical equipment on the supply ship, and some surgery utensils maybe."

"Maybe nothing, Nayan, when these babies want out then they'll get out and there's nothing I can do to stop them, I'm coming with you guys because I don't want to end up as plant food but as it is, I'm a dead man walking and I haven't much time."