Through Glass (14 page)

Daring it to try.

The onyx eyes of the monster seemed to flash in the darkness before the screech in my head elevated in volume. The sound rippled through me as it continued to grow until my eyes were watering, the pain too much for my tiny body to handle. It felt the same as it had that very first day when I had huddled in the darkness. The pain stretched over me the same, my head swelling as my body weakened. I screamed alongside the sound that filled me, fighting the weapon that threatened to subdue me. My voice raised as my body began to shake, my head screaming in pain as I felt the rivers of blood begin to flow from my nose. The swelling pain growing from behind my eyes.

It was the same as that first day except this time he wouldn’t leave me incapacitated, he would end me. I couldn’t let that happen. My body began to shake as I fought the pain, fought the weakness that covered me. My teeth clenched and I raised my head to the monster, my eyes digging into it.

“No,” I hissed through my clenched teeth, my voice deep and menacing as I threatened him, even though my body was trying to give in to the pain and pressure that filled me.

Not yet, I would die fighting if that’s how this ended.

The creature cocked its head at me as I fought it. The confusion was clear through its emotionless face. I grabbed one of the many water bottles that littered the bottom of the tub I sat in. I plucked them out from amongst the clothes, my weak arm throwing it at the thing that moved toward me only to bounce off his wide torso.

One after another I threw them, my voice screaming in panic as I uselessly tried to get the thing away from me at the same time as I tried to fight the pressure that pulsed against my head.

I grabbed another water bottle, the pressure in my head popping small white lights in my eyes. I screamed against it, I fought it. The white lights changed to blackness as my vision left. I threw the bottle without seeing, my aim going wide as tears streamed down my cheeks and my heart thumped uselessly in defeat. The water bottle hit against the wall near the doorframe, the plastic bottle slamming into the light switch.

The light turned on.

A new pain shot through my head as the light hit it, the brightness scorching my eyes. The burning in my eyeballs added to the pain I already felt; the sensations vibrating through my skull. I covered my face in an attempt to stop the smoldering burn, to stop the light from hitting my sensitive eyes, leaving me with only a dull, red glow as the light fought its way through my hands and eyelids. The monster screamed as the light hit it, its pain echoing through the small room.

Light.

I kept my face covered as the screams of the creature faded, leaving only a faint buzzing that I hadn’t heard in years. I listened to the buzzing while hoping the monster had gone and yet scared he would use this time to attack.

I had known from the beginning that they were afraid of the light. Now, I needed to know why. I tried to see through the red light of my hands, see if I could tell, to find out what had happened, but I saw nothing. The burn in my eyes lessening as my eyes adjusted, as the light flickered to nothing and I was left, alone, in the darkness.

It had been two years. Two, long years without power; how was there light? The creatures had banned it. I had tried to create it without success. Yet now, in the bathroom, moments before my death, a light had flickered on.

I lowered my arm curiously, my eyes continuing to sting from the light. I blinked furiously, waiting for my eyes to adjust, and then gasped when the empty bathroom came into focus. The dirty room was dimly illuminated by the light above my head which clearly revealed the wide circle of white ash covering the floor.

My heart sped up in my chest as I stared at it. The joints in my body tensing at the circle of white. I couldn’t look away from it. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to. From the very beginning, I had known that light would do something to them. It had been obvious; they had taken away the sky as well as destroyed anything that could create fire. However, I hadn’t expected this.

I hadn’t anticipated it to destroy them as simply as a flash of their talons destroyed us. I wanted to relax. I wanted to rejoice in the close call I had just experienced; the disposal of the thing that had tried to kill me. I knew better, though; they would be back. My only hope was that they may not know yet of this one’s death. That maybe I would have some time.

Or at least a weapon to keep them at bay.

I raised my eyes to the still glowing light above my head without understanding how it had gone on or why. I pulled myself out of the tub, the pain in my head and body fighting against the movement. My joints still ached from the Ulama’s attack on my body, my head throbbed as my nose still bled. As much as I wanted to race toward the light, I couldn’t. Everything in me was too sore and slow. I reached toward walls and toilets, my hands clinging to the slick surfaces as I shuffled toward the light switch that I had all but forgotten was there; my feet carefully making their way around the wide circle of ash.

I flicked the switch slowly— up down, up down—but nothing happened. No light came on, no buzzing of electricity. There had to be something I was missing.

I pulled myself onto the toilet and then onto the sink, carefully lifting myself to standing as my hands trailed along the slimy wall like a ladder.

The light above me was completely dark now, the large, box shape looking strangely bright against the dark wall, almost as if it was still glowing somehow. Glow-in-the-dark. How could I have forgotten something so simple? The concept had been long forgotten to me and felt new; as though I was learning it for the first time. The thought scared me. The possibilities of what else I had forgotten were unwanted.

I ran my fingers along the groove of the light, digging my long fingernails into the metal bracket that attached it to the ceiling before giving it one sharp pull. The box shifted, pulling down an inch before stopping. I readjusted my grip, clinging to the box as I pulled. The wires that held it into place snapped as I sent it to the ground.

I looked at it from where I was perched on the sink, my head turning to the side like a curious kitten. Four batteries lined the back of the light. Back-up power. It was an emergency light.

And the light had chased the Ulama away.

This light would change everything. I had a weapon. A real weapon, not a piece of wood. It would keep them away and if they got too close, it would kill them.

Excitement coursed through me, making my skin tingle as the adrenaline settled in place. I could get to Cohen. I could get out of this prison. We could get out of here.

I climbed carefully down from the sink, my long fingers wrapping around the large square box as I searched for a switch that could turn it on. I found it, nestled against the wide rim. The rippled toggle switch was hard under my fingers. I flicked it back and forth, over and over in an attempt to get the light to turn back on, but nothing happened.

I pushed the batteries back in place, but still nothing. I clenched my teeth as I tried again, unwilling to accept that after two years the batteries could be dead after one use or that the light could be broken. It would have to be the batteries. I didn’t want to think of it being anything else. A broken light only meant I was a sitting duck, waiting for them to take me.

I would have to find batteries, Cohen could help me. Between the two of us we would have to find something, and then we would be free from them. We would be together. I sighed heavily before I ran from the bathroom, hugging the light to my chest.

I could get us out.

I repeated it to myself over and over. My hope growing dangerous as I ran into my room. I gently placed the light on my bed, my fingers running over the surface like it was the skin of a newborn; precious and breakable.

I could get us out.

I smiled at the light like a fool before throwing an old t-shirt on over my underwear. My feet took me to the window before I was even fully dressed.

I didn’t hesitate, I threw the curtain open, situating myself in front of the window. Part of me didn’t expect him to be there and the dread of having to wait terrified me. We needed to find batteries and get out of here as quickly as we could. There he was, his eyes wide in panic, his face red and bloodshot.

Everything inside of me seized at the look on his face. My nerves clinched in fear that he had been attacked at the same time that I was under attack. I jumped at the sensation, my nerves ready to fight before I remembered. He had heard the whole thing. He had heard my screams, heard the call of the Ulama. He thought I was dead.

He looked at me and his jaw dropped, his whole body coming to press right up against the glass in his desperate attempt to get closer to me.

I gaped at the action, pressing my hand against the glass. My whole body shook in anticipation over what I was about to tell him; the adrenaline and fear from the attack only barely starting to wear off.

“Are you all right?” he signed, his fingers moving furiously fast as he fumbled over the letters, his eyes widening as he continued to stare at me.

My heart beat painfully at the look in his eyes. My head was spinning around, expecting to see one of the monsters standing behind me, even though I had already checked. I looked around, still trying to make sense of his continued panic when I saw the strips of blood that were beginning to seep through the dirty fabric of my shirt. In everything, I had forgotten that I had been hurt.

My arms and chest were covered with the shallow gashes from their razors, and from the stinging I felt, I am sure my face was as well. Looking at it this way, it was a miracle that I had survived the attack at all.

I waved at Cohen, grateful when the movement of my hand caught his attention.

“Cohen,” I signed. “I’m okay. I’m alive. It’s okay.”

He merely looked at me and I could see the doubt in his eyes, the guilt and worry that he had been absorbing as he had been forced to listen helplessly to what he had assumed was my death. His heavy emotions mixed in the black heat of his eyes, combining in a look that took my breath away.

“I’m okay,” I signed again, needing him to calm. I wanted him to look at me, to know I was okay. I didn’t like seeing him so scared when I knew that I was okay. I kissed my fingers and placed them against the glass, needing him to know I was all right. I was grateful when his body started to relax. His hand coming to mirror mine against the window.

“I killed an Ulama,” I signed the moment his shoulders had loosened. His eyes went wide as he began to understand what I had signed to him.

“In the bathroom,” I signed, having to start over a few times, my excitement causing my hands to jump over the signs a bit. “They attacked me. The light came on. It turned to ash.”

I kept it simple, knowing he was already freaking out over my having been attacked.

“The light killed them?” he asked, his eyes widening in shock and confusion as his mind was finally able to move off what had happened.

“We can get out?” he asked. I bobbed my head enthusiastically at him in answer. “I can be with you?”

“Yes,” I mouthed, both of our smiles widening at that one simple word.

After all this time, we didn’t have to be alone anymore. No more glass. No more air to separate us. No more monsters haunting us. We could get out and we could fight them. We could move beyond it. Perhaps, even find the sun.

“The first thing I am going to do,” he signed, the wide smile on his face making him look more like he used to, like my fun loving best friend, the guy I had fallen in love with, “is kiss you.”

I had searched the house for hours. I went through every room, upturning piles of trash that I had discounted so many times before and tearing apart rooms further in my mad attempt to find anything. I had pulled out cabinets, looked through broken bits of couches and ransacked closets in search of D batteries, wiring and anything else that might help me to get the light running. I pulled this house apart as quietly as I could, searching everywhere. Well, almost everywhere. I wouldn’t go into the other bedrooms. I knew I wouldn’t find anything in there anyway, not after the first day.