Chapter Two:

The darkness surrounded me. Where am I, I questioned myself. My feet scraped against the powdery, soft dirt of the ground. I squinted into the shadows.

“Hello?” I called. My voice echoed throughout the pit. I pressed my hands against the walls, feeling a prickly sensation poking the palms of my hands. “Claus? Little girl?”

A light flashed pink in front of me while muffled voices drifted toward my ears from the darkness. “Hello?” I tried to ask again, but my voice was glued shut. Softness wrapped around my head. My foot twitched, trying to push myself further into the pit.

“She’s waking up!” A voice boomed crashed into my skull, with so much force that it knocked me off of my feet. I hit the ground with a thud. I tended my butt. Hands gripped at my sides, helping me move forward into the light.

I smiled at them. “Thank you, hands,” I said drowsily. The pink light grew brighter. My hands dug into the soil, climbing towards the opening. Almost there, I thought. Just one more foot to go. My arms shook with fatigue, but the hands slid underneath me, wrapping their arms around my thighs and helping me up.

The light flickered again. “Oceania, my baby, come here.” A warm familiar voice called. The scent of cinnamon aroused my nose.

Mom, I tried to respond. I slowly opened my eyes, blinking back the golden-white glow of a light bulb. The bright walls weren’t any help. A comforting face filled my vision, gripping my shoulders.

“Mom,” I said. Her brown eyes brightened with tears, wiping one away when one of them spilled over her dark eyelashes. She wrapped her arms around me. I smiled into her neck, welcoming the warmth of her body.

“Mom, where am I?” I questioned her. My raspy voice drifted into the open air and I swallowed. She pulled away from me and retreated to a brown chair beside my bed. I dig my palms into the fabric, trying to savor the sensation. My mother grasped my hand. The silky texture of her hand relaxed me. She squeezed.

“You’re in the Clinicus. You fainted at the funeral for that man.”

I eyed the room for the first time. My blue-painted toenails were peeking out from under the thin, pale sheets. Shivering, I pulled up the blanket around my shoulders. I’ve been to the Clinicus so many times because of the corporation. It’s only been a few months since I’ve been here.

The door to my room opened and a Medicus walked in. “How are you feeling, Oceania? Are you ready to go back to your village?” He walked over to the bed, checking the recorder attached to my bed.

I smiled up at him. “Yes sir, I am quite ready.”

He nodded, drawing his gaze down to the board in his hands. “You just need your daily supply of Ayxl, but I’m sure your mother would like to get it.” His lips tugged upward. “And then you’re admitted.”

“Thank you,” my mother and I both said, graciously.

The Medicus looked back toward me and shook my hand. “It’s been a pleasure restoring you,” he said, wrinkles forming around his eyes. He made his way out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

“May I please have my Axyl?” I asked. Axyl was a shape-shifter drug, helping us with our health and strength. It is not for humans. There have only been a few cases of where they have taken it, and the results are always disastrous.

My mother took out a small, black case, opening it. She stood up. Inside, I saw the powdery, sugar-like texture of the Axyl in a vial. She put it down on the polished wooden table next to my bed.

“Wait here, I’m going to go get the water for you,” she smiled.

I gazed into her concerned, warm eyes. “I’m not going anywhere, obviously,” I winked. Her lips tilted up showing her squared teeth. I smiled back. She walked out the door, leaving it ajar.

I loved my mother throughout the good and the bad. She was always there to catch me if I fell, both figuratively and literally.

I gazed at the Axyl longingly, wanting to be out of this bed. On average, the drug starts working almost instantly.

I picked up the tube, studying it. The white grains sparkled in the light. I uncapped the deep purple lid and sniffed it in. The delicious smell overpowered my senses.

The door of the room was thrown open and my eyes snapped open. I saw an auburn-haired head in my peripheral vision, making its way closer. I turned my head. The caring, emerald eyes sparkled when Claus saw what I was holding. He snatched the vial from my grip, screwing the cap back on.

“You don’t need to get any more addicted to this stuff than you already are,” He stated, amusement flickering inside his eyes.

“Claus,” I gasped, my heart filling with want. He chuckled, leaning his face down to mine. His eyes surveyed me.

“Good to know you’re feeling better. If you weren’t, I wouldn’t know what I would do,” he said sternly. Wrapping his arms around my body, he pulled me toward his, squeezing. I breathed in the scent of his manly scent.

The door squeaked open again and my mother strolled in carrying a crystal glass of water. “Hello there, Claus,” she smiled. Claus returned it, walking to her.

He held his arms out. “Nicole,” he said warmly and captured her in a hug. Once he was done, she came over to me and handed me the glass.

“Thank you, Mom,” I said graciously. I set the cup down on the table. I picked up the vial and sprinkled its content into the water, watching the grains float to the bottom like snowflakes. My mother gave me a spoon. I twirled it in the clear water. After I was done, I brought the cup to my lips, eager to taste the sweetness. It filled my mouth and warmed my throat as I swallowed. I drunk until the last drop entered my mouth. I wiped my lips as I brought the glass down to the counter, my body already feeling tremendously better. I smiled.

My feet hit the ice cold floor as I tried to get up sending even more shivers up, consuming me.

“Socks, please?”

My mother walked around the bed, bending down to grab something. When she straightened, I saw a pair of polished, black dress shoes with socks shoved inside them hanging from her tanned fingers. She walked over to me and put them beside my body. I grabbed them. Stuffing my feet inside, I saw a painting across the room. There were all sorts of colors; green, orange, yellow, pink, and purple. The lush verdant hills rolled off into the sunset as the sun shone bright. There are so few paintings of the world anymore, that I’ve basically seen all of them. When shape-shifters like me started coming out with our secret, the paintings had diminished already to almost the so few that we have today. The previous rulers of that time were afraid about the future people finding out how horrible the economy really was with its evils.

The sunlight drifting through the window on the other side of the room warmed my shivering body. I tied the black shoelaces. Claus bent down and held out his hand offering to help me up. I smiled up at him and accepted. My mother guided me through the door, her hand on the small of my back.

When we reached my village, the inky darkness of the night surrounded us, wrapping us like a quilt. Our footsteps pounded and kicked at the dirt street as we climbed the hill that our house rested on.

It loomed over us as we walked closer. The mud-covered houses were holding themselves together.

“Is Father home yet?” I gulped. My mother turned her head toward mine, studying me.

“No. He had to work late. Are you okay, Oceania? You’re looking a bit pale,” she stated.

I turned my head, hiding my flushing face. “No, Mom. Everything’s fine.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the doubt sparkling in her eyes. I continued shuffling my feet. I saw a movement to my left, a hand coming, clasping, and squeezing mine. I looked up to Claus, smiling and squeezing back. He was the only one that knew the secret that I had been hiding from everyone. I looked back down.

The white tiles of the sidewalk started to travel up as we lost the distance between us and our house. A golden glow shone through the windows. The gate creaked shut as we entered our front yard. A few purple flowers dotted the front of the house, splashing it with colors in front of our plain house.

The front door creaked open and a black shadow slammed into my body with so much force it almost knocked me off of my feet.

“Oceania!” Ecal exclaimed in her high feminine voice. Her arms wrapped around me and started to squeeze hard. I couldn’t breathe.

“Ecal!” My voice strained. She loosened her grip immediately and lowered her brown eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Oceania. I’m just so happy you’re back.” She beamed.

I grinned and let her pull me through the white front door, Claus and my mother trolling behind us.