“I was just dreaming about Brink attacking me again.”
He looks to be contemplating my answer, then he kisses my cheek and leaves. I head into the bathroom, strip down, and take a long hot shower. My nerves are frayed. What did I see? Who put that in my mind and why? I make it a point to not sleep on the bed again. Once I’m dry and dressed, I head into the kitchen. A tall thin woman with sandy colored hair is leaning over the sink, rinsing out a bowl.
“You must be Max,” she says, only glancing at me briefly.
“Yes,” I say, hesitating whether or not I want to enter further into the room.
“Are you hungry? Frey made breakfast before he left.”
“He’s not here?”
“He had an errand to run, but he should be back soon.”
I take a plate sitting on the counter across from her and place some eggs, bacon, and toast onto it. Nan pours me a glass of orange juice as I sit on the stool. I try to eat quickly so I’m not around Nan any longer than I have to be. She finishes the dishes, puts them away, and sits on the stool next to me.
“Frey told me you’re from the Outer Limits,” she says with a tone of disdain. “How did you wind up in The Litarian Battles?”
I swallow the food I have in my mouth and drink some juice before responding, giving me time to come up with a reasonable answer. “I’m not sure. According to Head Master Edom, the Keepers wanted us to participate. I don’t know how they drew the names.”
Her eyes bore into me. I get the feeling she’s trying to read my mind, or at least my mannerisms. “You lived in the orphanage?”
Is that a question or a statement? I can’t tell.
“Yes. Since I was three.”
She seems to mull the answer over, thinking it through before speaking. “I’ve often wondered what it’d be like living in the Outer Limits. Leader Fallon usually sends Tarsus rule-breakers or miscreants to live there. I wonder how such a nice girl like yourself got placed there.”
“What are you implying?” I ask, my temper rising. I keep my eyes focused on my plate, which is almost empty. I don’t want to see what kind of expression Nan has on her face.
“Your parents, Max. Do you remember them?”
“My parents are dead,” I snap.
“Oh? How did they die?”
“In an industrial accident at a smelting plant in the Outer Limits.” I place my fork down, and am in the process of getting up when Nan places her hand on my arm preventing me.
“You might want to rethink that, Max. At least, do a little research at the Archive. I’m sure Frey can get you in.”
She gets up, takes my plate, and washes it. I’m half-way through the common room when I change direction and run outside to the beach. The sand is cold and damp, but I don’t care. I head south, walking along the shoreline, trying to distance myself from everything.
So, I am from Tarsus. What did my parents do to cause our expulsion? Where did we live in this massive society? Will I ever remember anything from my youth? Is three years old an appropriate age to begin having memories? Why is Nan giving me clues to my past? Avery was adamant that I don’t remember, so why is Nan pointing me where to go?
I keep walking as my name washes over me. The voice is muffled against the crashing waves, but as it gets closer, I start to recognize it. Garrett steps in front of me, stopping my forward momentum and surprising me by his sudden appearance here out by the shore.
“Hey, Max, you all right?” he asks.
“No, I’m not. All I want to do is go back to the Outer Limits and forget about this whole thing. I don’t want to be in The Litarian Battles. Why were we sent here?” I begin to cry. I’m not sure why I suddenly feel so emotional, but I can’t stop.
Garrett pulls me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me. “Tell me what happened.”
I spill it all. Brink, the nightmares, Frey’s parents, and even my ability to handle another players’ weapon. I’m not sure why I tell him, it just seems like the right thing to do. Everything comes out until I feel hollow inside.
“Come with me,” he says, taking my hand and directing me up a partially buried wooden staircase.
We climb up a small sand dune, cross over a few yards, until we reach a road. We go several blocks before Garrett turns left. The house we’re approaching is identical to Frey’s, but Lok is standing in the doorway, holding it open for us. The interior of the home is almost the same as Frey’s, with a slightly different pattern on the rice paper covering the walls. Garrett has me sit on one of the couches while Lok bolts the door.
“How did you know where I was?” I ask Garrett, Lok joining us on the couch.
“Your wristband,” Lok answers. “There’s a tracker in it. We just needed to find your frequency. It’s another way the Keepers can monitor us, especially if we’re out of the tower.”
“Lok’s father is the head of communications for Tarsus. He’s got a room down the hall filled with equipment,” Garrett says.
I don’t know if that comforts me, or heightens my concern. Especially in regards to privacy. There seems to be heavier monitoring of Tarsus citizens than those in the Outer Limits, which seems odd.
“Does Frey know you’re here?” Lok asks.
I shake my head. “He isn’t home. I don’t know where he is.”
Lok looks at Garrett, gets up, and then disappears down the hall.
Garrett makes sure that Lok is out of earshot before speaking. “Don’t let Lok or anyone else know that you can pick up the other players’ weapons. They’ll make you
