Blight

“What is up with all these people popping up out of nowhere?”

“I have no idea,” I stated, staring perplexedly at the figure in the doorway. The figure stood just below the top of the door, slouching slightly.

“Guys, for real. We need you!” A familiar panicked voice called out.

“Kenton?” I questioned.

“Yeah, it’s me. We can rejoice later. Let’s go,” he said, running down the street.

Micah and I ran after him in frenzy, stumbling over our own feet. The grumbling sounds from my brother and mother came from behind us as we swung out the door. Bolting down the road, the three of us headed toward the strangely lit square in the middle of town. The Commons glowed in a menacing orange light. My eyes grew wide as we came to the center. It was still late, but there was no way to tell what the time was. A chill ran down my spine as I looked at the sight before me.

Our garden shot up in hot, red flames. The grass and flowers curled under the flame as the cover collapsed in on itself. Flames licked up the sides of the structure; the wood burned to a crisp black. A horrified gasp escaped from my lips as I lost balance. Micah grabbed me, steadying me back to my feet. His jaw was tight, eyes blazing with anger. People were standing around the burning garden half-awake and afraid. It was utter chaos. We were helpless.

“Kenton, what happened?” Micah chocked out, swallowing hard.

“I have no idea,” he replied, standing to our left. Kenton was a tall, average guy. He had skin of a golden bronze. His eyes were deep brown, always captivating, and curious. He wore a white shirt and worn jeans. His face contorted with confusion and sadness. He patted Micah’s shoulder lightly. “I know this place meant a lot to you guys.”

“Yeah,” I murmured, staring at the scorching garden. My throat was dry and scratchy. “Can you do something, Micah?” I looked at him, pleading.

“I’m not sure,” he said, clearly shaken. He let go of my shoulders and faced the fire.

He raised his quivering hands and swirled them in complex patterns. Eventually, his body began to move along with his hands. Twisting and bending, his body became a living picture, filled with anger and beauty. The fire silhouetted his body. It roared and flared angrily in the sky. Blazing a bright blue and deep red, it shot out in all directions. It enveloped the garden with rage once more before it died on itself, disappearing to a small flicker, almost like a candle. Micah lowered his arms and stepped on the small flame. I took a small step toward him, arm extended. He held a hand up to me.
“Micah,” I began.

“I’m fine.” He turned and headed back down the road to his house. I stared after him.

“What’s going on with tough guy over there?” Kenton said, jabbing a finger in Micah’s direction. I shook my head.

“Personal. I need to check up on him,” I said quickly, jogging down the road. “Thanks for getting us.” I turned my attention back to Micah and began to sprint after him.

Finally catching up to Micah, I paused, resting my hands on my knees, gasping for breath. I looked up; my eyes met his charcoal ones. I could feel my cheeks grow hot as warm saltwater pooled down them. Micah’s eyes mirrored mine, but no tears came from him. He wrapped his shaky arms around me. We stayed like that for a long time. My breath finally deepened as I relaxed. The faded cries from the square had died down now.

I straightened up from Micah’s grasp, looking at him. His shirt was sodden with my tears. His head hung low. I wiped my nose and squared my shoulders. We both had lost something very important to us. That garden was where we first met. It was our town’s pride and joy. Who would set it ablaze like that? Why would they do it? I looked back down the road to the now black town. All was quiet, except for the sound of old tennis shoes running toward us. Kenton.
“Hey, Kent,” I managed, smiling weakly.

“Hey guys. Thanks, Micah,” he said, patting his shoulder.

“This is a mess.”

“Yeah. It’s insane that we don’t have any Quialas here. But, who could have set it on fire?” He looked at Micah. “You’re the only Belaonar here.”

“He was with me the whole night, right?”

Micah nodded. The sounds of people running came toward us.

“Shit,” Micah cursed.

Five dark figures stood before us. One held an oil lantern, which glowed dimly but revealed them all as Watchers. Their faces were wet with sweat and their eyes were fearful. I shifted my gaze to their hands. They were loaded with gun, knives, chains, and nets. They never carried these unless they had to catch a murderer. I looked back to their faces. They were all staring at Micah. I took a step in front of him. Kenton stood to his full height. He stood just taller than they did.

“Micah Henson,” the Watcher holding the oil lamp addressed him. “You are to be taken to the Commons for questioning in regards to the fire. If proven guilty, this will be your second offense.”

“Second?” I gaped at him. Micah didn’t look at me. Instead, he moved around me and walked back to the square, surrounded on every side by the Watchers, weapons aimed at him in case of an attack.

Kenton and I stood in awestruck silence.

“Lana?” A tired voice called to me. I turned around. Charlie. His hair knotted in front of his eyes. He stood under our dim house light.

“Coming,” I called, looking back at Kenton. “Want to come inside?”

“Sure.”

We walked inside the now lit living room and sat in a circle on the floor. Charlie was rubbing his tired eyes. He must have just woken up. I half-heartedly smiled at him and patted his knee. His curious eyes looked into mine.

“Why did you leave?”

“There was a fire, Char.” He cocked his head.

“Where at? Is everyone okay?”

“Yeah, everyone’s fine... Sort of.” I bit my lip before continuing. “It was the garden that was on fire. We put it out, but it’s gone.”

He started at me in disbelief.

“It’s true, little man,” Kenton said, looking at the wall.

“Who did it?”

“We don’t know.”

Charlie sighed and put his head in his hands. “Where’s Micah?”

My throat closed up. How can I tell him that he’s been arrested? Micah. He’s never done anything wrong, well at least I thought he hadn’t. Micah is like Charlie’s brother, almost a father figure. We all knew there was no way he could have done it. So why is it so hard to tell him?

“Watchers took him.” Kenton broke the silence.

“Oh.”

“We can’t do anything until they’re done questioning him. Or, at least, read his mind. That’s going to suck.”

I shuddered. The thought of having a Nedral go through your mind is unbearable. Some like to be easy, just reading simple memories, even the more recent ones. There is no pain, only an irritating feeling. Others dig deep into the crevices of your mind. The pain of them going through every thread of memory you have ever had is unimaginable. It’s like your head is smoldering. Every little strand of DNA, every little nerve, thread, is on fire. And you can’t do anything. All you can do is stare into the eyes of your attacker and scream in agony.
“When will he come back?”

I shook my head.

“We don’t know,” Kenton sighed. Charlie pursed his lips.

“Well, he was here with us all night, right? So there’s nothing they can call him out on!”

“It’s not that simple,” I explained. “The Alliance always wants someone to blame. It’s like they need it. If they cannot produce a verdict, then people will perceive them as weak. It’s almost like common knowledge.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “They feed on the Unity, their followers. Without supporters, they’re nothing.”

“Uh, yeah,” Kenton said, slightly shocked. “How the hell did you...”

“Like I said, common knowledge.” I tapped my temple. “It’s all up here.”

“You’re like, I don’t even know.”

“It’s just natural darling, when it comes to things like this at least, sitting and thinking. When it’s in combat, I’m hopeless.” I looked around the room. “Mama still sleeping?”

“Yeah, she’s out like a light.”

“Okay, good.”

“So why do you think they said it would be his second offense?” Kenton looked at me incredulously.

“I don’t really know.” I looked at him. I honestly didn’t. Micah and I have been best friends ever since we met. There’s no way he could have gotten into trouble like that without my knowing of it. Then again, he’s not always open with me about his past, before we met. But, he was so young. Nothing could have really happened during those first few years of his life, right? Regardless, when I see him next, we are definitely having a talk.

A noise came from behind us. We all looked in its direction. It was my mother.
“Good morning, guys,” she greeted, rubbing her cheek with her hand. “Who is that?”

“Kenton.” He addressed himself, giving her a nod.

“Well, hello.”

“What time do you think it is, Mama?” Charlie asked.

“About five, maybe six?”

“They should be coming soon,” I said, looking at Kenton.

“Yeah.” He nodded and stood up. “We should start going then.”

I got to my feet and looked at my mother.

“You be good dear, all right?” She put her hand to my cheek.

“I’ll be fine, Mama.” I looked at Charlie. “Now, Char, be good and don’t do anything stupid, okay?”

“Yeah,” he said. I threw out my arms and held him close. I nuzzled my face into his hair.

“I love you, bro.”

“You too.”

Kenton cleared his throat and I released Charlie. After kissing teary-eyed Mama on the cheek, I walked back out onto the dirt road. We walked in complete silence. The sun was just peeking out. The sky lit up a beautiful rose-pink and golden yellow. There was a loud ringing, like a giant bell, low and heavy. It’s ringing vibrated the ground beneath us. After it’s fifth and final ring, we knew it was time to be at the square. We rushed down the road and melted into the small crown of seventeen-year-olds.

Strange vehicles were all around the square. They are big, rectangular, and a deep gray. On one the sides, they had the symbol of the Unity, a diamond with a circle around it. On the other, the vehicle had a symbol of one of our powers. The scorched remains of the garden were still untouched. Small groups of soon-to-be trainees stood haphazardly amongst the rubble and cars. Watchers and Guards were in the area too.

A woman climbed on top of a wooden crate and blew a whistle she had around her neck. Her chestnut brown hair curled around her face, showing the roundness of her cheeks. Her eyes sparkled in the dim morning light. She smiled at the us and began:

“Welcome! Today, we are to take all seventeen-year-olds to the Training Center of the Unity! There, you will learn the usage of your powers and will be assigned a career. I know most of you know how Ranking works, but I digress.

After your training is complete, you will be put to numerous tests, whether that be survival in the woods, battling someone of a different power, or even using your power to heal. When testing is absolute, we will then place you in the region we think you fit best. You may be placed back to Region 4, or promoted to Region 3 or 2. There is no guarantee you will be promoted, but we do wish you the best of luck!” She looked around the square with an incredulous smile. “Now, the trucks are here to take you to the training center. All we ask is that you get on the vehicle with your symbol on it. That will help us keep track of what your power is and which area of the training center we are to take you. We know you know which power you are, it’s in your family history. But, if your parents were of two separate powers, please board the truck with the symbol of your mother’s. Thank you, and we will see you at the center!” She hopped off the crate and hurried into her own vehicle.

Kenton and I looked at each other and hugged one another.

“See you there,” he whispered.

“Yeah,” I said, looking over his shoulder. “Do you know where Micah is?”

He searched the crowd. “I don’t see him.”

I sighed and turned away from him, heading towards the truck with the symbol of the Poisoners – three leaves in a triangular formation. A Guard in a dark uniform lifted me up into the back of the truck. The black cover over the bed of the vehicle made the inside unbearably hot. The only source of light was from the openings of the doors.

I found a spot in the far corner and sat down, cross-legged. Inside the truck with me were two girls I had seen in the square from time to time, and a boy, whom I have never seen before. The girls sat opposite me, talking quietly amongst one another. Their blonde and brown hair made a curtain over their faces. The boy sat nearest the doors, looking out at the sky. The Watcher who helped us into the truck shut the doors and we were surrounded by darkness. The girls squealed. I shut my eyes and listened to the hum of the engine roar to life.

Within moments, the truck moved, bouncing us along. I inhaled briefly and succumbed to sleep.



A hand grabbed my arm and shook me. I groaned and flicked my eyes open. It was still black as night.

I grasped the hand on my arm.

“What?” I grumbled.

“The truck stopped, I think we’re here.” It was the voice of the boy.

I thanked him and blindly tried to straighten myself. The doors flew open and we were ushered out of the vehicle. A bright light blinded me shortly as I hopped down onto the sandy ground. As I waited for my eyes to focus, I could hear roars of truck engines, hundreds of footsteps, and yelling. A lot of yelling.

A Guard grabbed me and pulled me toward the yelling. I blinked and could finally see.

We were in front of a massive building, at least three stories high. It stretched out all around us. Tall iron gates blocked us from the outside. The ivory building gleamed. Gold accented the windows and doors. There were about sixty Guards and Watchers roaming through the crowds of about one hundred kids, shouting out orders at them and trying to quiet them down. It was easy to tell who were from the upper Regions.

I maneuvered through the crowds and searched for a familiar face. Luckily, I saw Kenton just to my right. I pushed myself through a group of girls who were definitely dressed from Region 2. I smiled as I held onto Kenton’s arm, afraid I might lose him. He was looking at the crowds. I followed his gaze to a different woman who leaned over a balcony, just a story above us.

An eerily familiar voice boomed from the woman into a microphone.

“Welcome to the Training Center of the Unity,” Indra cooed.