She never let their whispered words bother her and didn’t answer their many questions, though Nell knew why she was so good. Many of the Scars held spirits who were suffering things that she’d already gone through. It was easy to relate and heal when you truly understood what they were going through. Nell loved being a Healer. It gave her a purpose and allowed her to see that she wasn’t the only person who’d a tough life.
The drumming of the clock continued. She hurried to her bed and snatched up her bag. As she walked to the door, Nell realized she’d been running through these questions for no reason. She was always going to leave. With that thought, she ducked her head out the door.
The hallway seemed even darker once she left the safety of her room. She squinted down the corridor but saw nothing. Worse than that, she felt nothing. The place was completely deserted. It was so strange for the Hovel to feel this empty. Even at midnight, there were usually a few people coming and going.
She could hear the faint sounds of a place inhabited, quiet footsteps, whispered words, and the heavy breathings of sleep. More familiar than those were the creaking and groaning noises made by the large, old factory. Though they may have felt haunting to some people, they didn’t frighten her at all. She had always been comforted by them. After all, it was the sound of home. Realizing she didn’t know when she would hear the hushed sighing of her only home again, she listened closer. The white noise calmed her nerves.
It had to be midnight by now. She strained her ears, trying to hear. All of the racket seemed to be growing more and more quiet. She thought as all sound faded away. There was nothing to hear now, nothing but thick silence. Nell raised a hand to her ear and slapped at it. Nothing. Was she deaf? She opened her mouth to whisper something, anything to reassure herself that there was nothing wrong.
“Hello,” she said, but didn’t hear it.
Nell could feel the word leave her lips, but it never reached her ears. She stumbled back to the door frightened, not hearing footsteps or the loud ‘bang’ that she must have made when colliding into her door, grasping for the handle.
A hand wrapped around her arm just as her fingers touched the cool metal of the knob. Nell’s scream was automatic and powerful. She felt a little dizzy by the time all of the air was out of her lungs, but even that she couldn’t hear. Nell whipped herself around to face the assailant and wasn’t all that surprised to see the angelic face of Armaan looking at her… although he looked surprised, his face was full of concern.
“What’s wrong?” he mouthed.
She felt like slapping him for looking so concerned and deafening her at the same time. Nell knew it had to be something he was doing, so she pulled her arm out of his grasp and began a pretty spectacular verbal assault. After a few seconds, he smiled and put a hand to his ear, indicating he couldn’t hear a word she was saying.
She realized he couldn’t hear either. They stood in the empty hall awkwardly before he fetched a notepad from his pocket. He scribbled on it so quickly she doubted she’d be able to read the chicken scratch, but when he handed it to her, it was perfectly legible.
Hey, Nell! Sorry I didn’t give you a heads up. We had a lot of ears listening to us at the time. I put a silent spell around us so no one could hear us leave. I know it feels a little weird like pudding in your ears or something. Just trust me. It’s easier to make a daring escape when you don’t have to worry about noise.
Nell was surprised at how much she could hear his voice in the note. She turned her eyes away from the paper and looked up at him. He was giving her two thumbs up and what was supposed to be a reassuring smile, but she thought it just looked super cheesy. She shrugged her shoulders and grabbed a pen out of her pocket. It felt like she took much more time writing her note than he did his, though it was much shorter.
So, where are we going?
After a few scribbles he handed her back the pad and looked around cautiously.
We have a few more to pick up, and then we’re out. We need to leave right now if you want to come, and I really hope that you do. I don’t think it’s safe for you here, Nell. Everyone knows how close you are to Amanda. It’s your choice, but make it. Others are waiting.
Others were waiting. Who?
This was no time for questions or indecision. She handed him back the pad and nodded her head. Much to her delight, a smile stretched across his face. She grinned too, not understanding why this fact gave her such joy. She followed closely behind him until they reached the first fork. He held up a hand, and she stopped behind him. Armaan looked to his right and moved back quickly.
He turned to face her and mouthed one word. “Guards.” She sucked in a breath and was surprised at how frightened she was by them. He shook his head and then looked again. Armaan turned to her and quickly spun her in his arms to the other side of the hallway. For a moment it felt like they were dancing, but the hammering of her heart reminded her they were in danger. She turned around as he continued down the hallway, but no one was giving chase.
Armaan stealthily guided them through passages that the Guard seemed to have abandoned. He paused in some areas glancing at his watch, sometimes stopping for five or ten minutes. Nell wasn’t sure what he was waiting for, but she knew he had guided them through areas the Guard should have been watching. Within an hour and a half, well over a dozen people had joined the two of them. She’d been a little embarrassed that none of the other Healers were screaming in fear at the loss of their hearing.
Maybe he’d given them a heads up. It was still eerie to be traveling with this many people and not hear a sound… even though she knew no sound meant safety. She glanced at the faces in the group around her. There were young and old, male and female.
They must just want out of here, maybe not because they were individually targeted, maybe just because their home was turning into a prison. She was pulled out of her thoughts as she collided with the person in front of her. The group had stopped without her noticing. Luckily, the person she banged into just gave her a reassuring smile. They were gathered around Armaan, who was scribbling on his notepad while looking at his watch. He held up the note for all to see, and after some wiggling Nell could read the words.
Okay, we have everyone who’s is coming with us. Our next stop is out of here. We don’t have much time left, so please try to hurry. Remember, there’s nothing to fear. We’ll be safe soon. Stay together.
He took one last look at his watch and opened his mouth.
Nell was sure if she were able to hear the words coming from him they would have contained four letters. He turned around and drove quickly down the hallway. Armaan didn’t move so fast that they couldn’t keep up, though she was certain he could have. His body lurched forward with incredible athleticism. He even had doors pried open before the group could pause.
It was at a door that he finally halted. She stared up at its towering height. Its twisted metal had strange patterns hammered into it. They looked so familiar to her. After a moment, she realized they were nothing more than an intricately scrawled mathematical symbol, the sign for infinity. She met eyes with Armaan who had a hand on the latch. As the door opened a fraction, her mind was assaulted with questions about his trustworthiness and that mark.
She brought up her memory of the Ancients and studied their odd skin. Scattered across them like duplicate birthmarks was the strange infinity sign. She backed up a step as the doors flew open. The room behind them was huge. Squinting upward, she could barely make out the domed ceiling.
It was six stories above her head. From the cavern-like walls hung fine drapery from around the world, giving the room a rich texture. Encompassing the room in a half circle stood six gigantic wooden chairs. The chair’s legs were thick roots, and growing out of them were the most intricately carved scenes that she had ever seen; plants and animals, Healers and spirits. All were depicted in perfect beauty.
Being in awe of the room’s grandeur, it took her a moment for her terrified mind to process the fact that the chairs stood empty.
The Ancients weren’t there. He hadn’t led her and the others to them. She let out the breath she’d been holding before she noticed the room’s sole occupant. He was an older man, but it was hard for her to guess his age as it was with most Healers. He was tall, and the width of his shoulders suggested he was also quite muscular. She overlooked his halfhearted smile, her eyes locking on his freshly pressed grey coat. It was a member of the Guard. She found Armaan’s face in the crowd, and it was smiling, smiling! He wasn’t surprised to see him; he looked happy. He must have known that the guard member would be there. Armaan moved forward quickly but paused when no one was following. He turned around slowly to face the crowd.
“What are you all waiting for? Come on, let’s get going.”
