Chapter 13: Ciri

“I am so hungry,” Andy said as we walked on with her walking slightly behind us.

“We need to find more food,” I said ripping my pants up to higher up on my thighs.

“How did we end up in the hot zone?” Jasper said wiping off his brow.

“I blame the wind attacks,” Andy announced.

“I have to agree with her,” I said pushing my bangs out of my face, “We need more water too.”

 

“I think I see a cactus,” Andromeda said pointing at the clouds; “Even the clouds aren’t giving up any water; they’re saving it up to torture us.”

“I cannot walk much farther; walking is ridiculous,” I said with a sigh.

“Why cannot we just teleport?” Andy said sitting down on the ground.

“I don’t think I can walk anymore,” Jasper said sitting down next to her.

“Now hold on you guys; we have to keep moving,” I said pulling Andy up to her feet, but she flopped back down.

“The sun is so hot,” they both said flopping back onto their backs.

“Well we are going to burn to death if we stay still,” I warned.

“That sounds like a merciful death,” Jasper said covering his face.

 

“Come on, Ciri; you’ve been out in it the most,” Andy reminded me.

“We’ll find shelter soon, but we have to keep going,” I urged them.

“I don’t know if I can stand up,” Andy said shaking her head.

“Come on guys, I think we must be close to a checkpoint or something,” I insisted.

“Unfortunately, your enthusiasm isn’t contagious,” Jasper said pushing his hair back.

 

“Come on, we need to find food and water,” I said hurrying forward and tried to keep going.

“Ciri, come back and sit down before you fall down,” Jasper called.

“Get off your butts and hurry up,” I said heading in the direction I wanted to go.

“Give it up; we are tired, crazy,” Andy said and I kept going. I was walking and then the world started to get fuzzy and I thought another storm was coming then I saw Umber running ahead of me.

“Come on,” she said and then I saw her come back to me.

“Ciri,” I heard Jasper say as I started to sway, “Come on, you cannot keep going”.

“I will be fine,” I whispered and then everything went black.

 

I opened my eyes slowly to see a cement ceiling above me and I tried to sit upright, but it hurt a lot. “She’s up,” Andy said and I saw her sitting in a chair nearby.

“Ciri,” Jasper said rushing over to me and sat down next to me, “Are you okay? Do you feel sick? Do you need anything?”

“I am fine; just aching a little,” I said feeling my head ringing.

“Good because we don’t have any medicine,” Andy explained.

“I figured as much,” I said then looked around, “Where are we?”

“It looks like an abandoned station,” she told me.

 

“How long was I out? I didn’t see this before,” I asked confused.

“After you blacked out, we went for another hour,” Jasper said.

“I hate the Sun,” I said sitting upright, “It is too bright and it burns.”

“Hear, hear,” Andy agreed.

“I am going downstairs there’s an old well nearby if you need water and there’s dehydrated food in the basement that is where I am going,” he said then got up and left me with Andy.

“He seems a little too relieved,” I said standing up slowly.

“He was flipping out when you passed. He picked you up and made me walk on my own two feet the whole way here,” she said as I sat down in the cold chair across from her.

 

“He’s my partner in crime. I’d help him if he passed out and maybe even you,” I said relaxing in the cooled off chair.

“He really likes you, you know,” she said spinning around in the chair; “You two have a strange way around each other.”

“At least we aren’t just plain strange like you,” I laughed.

“You guys are in your own way; you two don’t realize how you act around each other,” she said.

 

“Alright, how do we act around each other, smarty pants?” I asked calmly.

“He acts like he thinks a lot of you and I know you think more of him than you say,” she smirked.

“As if dream on, drama queen,” I said spinning myself around.

“You wait and see,” she said pushing me with her foot.

“Hey,” I said pushing her off across the room.

“Whoa that was scary,” she said when the chair stopped finally; “I don’t think this ground is level.”

“It does feel tilted,” I said pushing away from the controls and went flying across the room, “Look out.” Andy got out of the way just in time not to get hit and I stopped myself before I hit the wall. “Okay this floor is slippery and very uneven,” I said with a sigh of relief.

“You are a real genius, aren’t you,” she laughed pushing me this time. We actually had fun for the first time pushing each other around the room. Finally both of us were losing our voices so I headed out to the well to get some water. I got over to the well and sent the metal bucket down into the water and then started to bring it back up. It was still really hot outside and I hurried back in after taking the bucket off the hook. I headed back inside and ran into Jasper on the way back to the control room.

 

“Sorry,” I said when some of the water spilled on him.

“Thirsty much,” he said looking at the bucket.

“Yeah well I didn’t exactly have a cup at the time,” I said hoisting it up.

“I found these,” he produced two metal mugs.

 

“Why didn’t you ever tell me you were a magician?” I said taking a glass, “Now come on, I can hear Andy fake crying she can smell the water is near.”

“What does water smell like?” he asked as we started walking.

“I honestly don’t know,” I said sniffing it, “this stuff smells like dirt a little.”

“A very pleasant dirt though, I cannot wait to drink from that bucket,” he said looking at it.

“I guess Elites don’t drink a lot of stale water,” I sighed.

“I like the kind with bubbles in it,” he said cheerfully.

“Bubbled water,” I said thoughtfully, “I guess that sounds interesting.”

“Laugh it up, but you’d enjoy it if you tried it,” he said rolling his eyes.

“I do not even like that carbonated drink stuff that is freely available,” I said sourly.

“That is called soda apparently it is a thing that is been around a long time,” he said then stopped where he was standing.

 

“Are you okay?” I asked concerned.

“Just glad you are finally awake; Andy and I were getting on each other’s nerves a little,” he explained.

“I heard you were a massive worry wart and she wasn’t worried at all,” I said absentmindedly.

“Well you are the cook out of the group, so we needed you,” he tried to explain.

“Of course when the cook passes out, everyone should worry,” I laughed.

“I guess I am just trying to say I am glad you are alright,” he said looking me in the eye.

“Do not worry, Elite; I am not going anywhere,” I smiled.

 

“Good because I can’t cook,” he said and I laughed.

“Heard and understood,” I said and he got quiet and pensive like so many times before as we walked back to the control room.

“Water and a mug of my own; is it Christmas already?” Andy said running over.

“Happy holidays,” I said filling up one of the mugs, “Share.”

“Not sharing,” she said then started to chug it down.

 

“Remember to breathe,” I told her.

“So what does this thing do?” Jasper asked checking out the controls around the room.

“I don’t know if I want to know,” I said sitting down in the chair again; “Man, that walk was exhausting.”

“I am still tired from when we were walking last time,” Andy said drinking more water, “I’ve taken several naps.”

“I took a big long one,” I laughed then I heard some sort of sound coming out of the controls, “What is that?”

“It sounds like music,” Andy said standing up and the music started playing louder.

“This seems to be a music station or something,” Jasper said sitting down in the remaining chair.

 

“Like the old radio stations on the cars,” I said listening to the words, “One of my masters had a portable one in the basement.”

“You think you know me, but watch now and you’ll see; now you’ll believe,” the female singer sang and the music picked up and soon Andy was dancing around.

“Come on, this is fun,” Andy said trying to get me to stand up.

“I will dance,” Elite guy said and started dancing with her, “Join in, Ciri.”

 

“Actually, I think I am going to go exploring,” I said getting up and they started dancing around while I went downstairs. I went down to the basement and looked around the room for something that would take the edge of my stress over my situation with Jasper and my exhaustion. I was looking through boxes when I ran into a door handle. “Ouch,” I said then opened the door and found a bottle of red inside.

“Hey, where have you been?” Jasper said as I walked back in.

“Anyone in for something stronger than water,” I said showing them the wine in my hand.

“Ciri, you never told us you were an alcoholic,” Andy teased.

“Just a little something to take the edge off,” I poured myself a glass, “Andy, you can only have two glasses at the most, but Jasper I am not your babysitter so drink as much as you want”.

“I don’t need any,” he shook his head.

 

“Let me try it,” Andromeda drank the rest of the water in her glass and handed her mug.

“Very well bossy,” I poured her one then made a glass for myself. Jasper sat down on one of the chairs while I raised my mug. “To hopes and dreams of survival becoming real,” I announced.

“To fears put to rest,” Jasper sighed, “And to the time of change”.

“To drinking until I cannot spell my full name,” Andy announced then drank some of hers.

“So what do you think?” I inquired.

“It is very strong; it is okay if you will not like it, Andy,” Jazz assured her.

“Well, I suddenly like grapes a whole lot more,” she giggled.

“Agreed,” I took a sip, “Let’s turn the music up, no one is around so let’s have ourselves a little party”.

“That is an excellent idea,” Andromeda laughed.

 

“I will get the music,” I hopped up and went to the controls and started playing with them.

“Are you sure you can handle a few glasses of this?” Jazz asked curiously.

“I am not a light weight; I can handle it,” I assured him.

“Alright then,” he looked amused and I knew he did not believe me.