Chapter 14 Children of the Moon

Chapter 14

Children of the Moon

 Numbness settled deep into Kress’ heart as the image of Luna’s barren landscape bore into her mind. She stumbled back into Maria’s waiting arms, as her legs became rubbery and limp.

  “I know,” she said, easing Kress back toward her bed. “I guess it’s a lot to take in, especially for one so removed from reality.”

  Kress barely heard a word the Tech Nurse was saying. Her mind was a jumble of images and words that it simply could not process.

 “Maybe a mild sedative is in order,” Maria off handedly muttered as she helped Kress back into bed. “Maybe not, your body is still so new,” Maria continued, musing to herself knowing that Kress did even know what a sedative was. “Maybe a little emotional stimulation would be better, really need to get you integrated. The Company’s not known for its patience, odd since they are all scientists, you’d think they are used to waiting.” She was musing aloud again.  “Would you like to see Penny now?”

  “Penny? Yes, yes please. She needs me.”

   Maria snickered, “I’d say that’s a mutual condition. Now you lay still. They are watching you. Don’t do anything foolish. If you do the consequences will be, unpleasant.”   

  “Yes ma’am.” Kress said as rolled over in her bed and turned away.

  “That’s a good girl.” With that, she left Kress alone in the soft amber light of her sparsely furnished room.

  Moments later a squeak turned her head toward the door and Kress saw a pretty black haired teenaged girl sitting in a strange-wheeled chair.

 “This is Kress, Penny.” Maria said bending down over Penny’s left shoulder. Penny shook her head, unwilling or unable to speak.

  “She looks very different I know. But it is really your friend from Chimera, can you say Hi?”

  Penny slumped blinking her eyes as if she were trying to wipe away scales. “No,” she lightly whispered, but Kress heard it anyway.

 “Penny, it is me, Kress. You are so pretty. You’re pink just like Kia.”

 “So,” Penny drew in a deep breath, “so are you Kress.”

 “I know my glow is gone and I’ve lost my wings. I don’t want to lose you too, couldn’t bare that.”

  “Stand up Penny,” Maria gently demanded, “if you don’t they might just take you away, very far away, so far you’ll never see Kress ever again. You don’t want that do you?”      

  “Is that really you Kress? You’re big now big as me!”

  “Yes I know Penny. They changed us,” Kress struggled to think of the right words. Her mind was clearing as she slowly realized how dire their situation was. “They, they fixed us Penny.” Kress just told her first lie, many more would follow.

  “Did they,” Penny asked searching Kress’ new face for answers to questions, she was terrified to ask aloud.        

  “Yes Penny, we were sick,” Kress forced each word out by sheer necessity, “but they were so kind. They healed us. They made us just like them.” Kress narrowed her eyes at Penny silently pleading as she sat up pushed her legs from under her sheet, stepped down to the cold white ceramic floor and reached toward her friend.   

  Penny quivered in her wheel chair, knowing what she had to do. Forcing her body up until she was standing upright face to face with Kress, they took a few shorts steps toward one another then embraced weeping in each other’s arms while Maria studied their emotional reunion with cold clinical detachment...  

  Seeking death, hoping another bolt of lightning would streak down and burn her body to a lifeless cinder, Kia didn’t brave the storm; she defied it. Anger clenched her tiny fists as soared straight up into its very bowels. Rain drops hard as stones; wind lashing invisible ribbons of leather attacked her, but not one bolt of lightning struck.

  She leaned back beating her wings against the sky, “Do it, strike me kill me, burn me out of the sky!” The wind took her screams and flung them into silence.

  The black cloud quilt suddenly split. A spear of golden light shone down. Her wings sparkled in the sun light. The storm would not kill today. Her pain would not end. Her quest for eternal relief cut short. She spat against the sky. The wind slung it back in her face.   

   Feeling the perfect fool, she wiped her face as a light mist of rain washed it clean and saw she was directly over the Narrows.

  Suddenly the dreamy image of the crystal chamber blossomed in her mind. She dived toward Older’s Bed seeking some solace however scant and short lived.