Transparent Color's

“Maggie!” I feel myself being shaken. When I open my eyes, I see Jo-Shana’s face.

I use the last of my strength and immediately sit up, and say in a shock high-pitch tone, “How did you get in here?”

He puts his hand over my mouth, “Shh. Through an old secret passageway, that was built many years ago to help people escape. The rebels are waiting for us, I’m going to get you out of this City. Follow me.” He starts to move and motions for me to come along.

I do not move and say back to him, “Toby, I can’t leave without Toby!”

“Yes, we will come back for Toby, but you need to get out of here now!” he grabs underneath my arms and drags me to a hole in the wall.

I look back at my mother’s pin, but know this time I cannot take it with me. He has me enter the hole first; when I do I have to squeeze myself between the stone wall of the building and the brick wall surrounding the City. The dust from the disintegrating walls is heavy, which makes it hard to breath. I bring my jacket to my face to help keep the dust out of my nostrils. When Jo-Shana squeezes beside me I see him kick a metal ball buried half way in the ground. When he does this, a screen appears, I’m assuming it’s to cover the hole in the wall.

He motions his head for me to move down the tiny path in the wall. So I slowly shuffle sideways down to the end, where a wall ends and there is an opening to an ally.

I cough and say, “Now where?”

He replies back, “Do you see that black brick?” I nod yes and he tells me to push it.

I move my arm up to the brick and push it in. When I do the bricks twitch in front of me and disappear. I stick my head out of the hole and see darkness of night. I then see tiny flashes of light and Jo-Shana says those are the signals from the rebels. He steps out first then helps me down.

“Maggie let’s go, keep close behind me.” He says then starts to run.

This reminds me of my last escape, and I hesitate. I was wrong to take that long and crucial journey before, what if I’m wrong again. I stand here next to the hole contemplating what I should do. Should I go back in and let things happen as I know it will? Or should I take a chance and let the unknown happen? Then a profound thought comes into my mind and I realize that the long crucial journey that I once took has yet to come.

I then run.

The moment I enter the forest behind Jo-Shana, I feel someone grab me and pull me to a tree. I let out a startled yell and a hand goes over my mouth and an unknown arm around my waist. With my back against this person, I can’t see who it is. So I look around in front of me and see Jo-Shana behind one tree, and a few other figures behind other trees. Jo-Shana has his finger to his lips. Then I hear a voice in my ear.

“Keep quiet and don’t move.” the voice of the statue, I now know it is Maliki. A feeling of relief goes throughout my whole body.

As soon as he whispers those words I hear a slight buzzing sound coming from the direction of the wall. His hand leaves my mouth, and gently pulls me down to the ground of the tree. Our bodies are now attached to the tree.

The buzzing is getting closer and closer, my heart pounds faster. Maliki keeps his arm around my waist and draws me in closer, I am now attached to him. His loose arm is holding a metal looking stick; he grips it tightly. He brings his mouth to my ear.

“When you see it, don’t move until I say to. Alright?” I give him a nod yes, and he kisses the side of my head.

BuzzzZZZ! The sound is next to the tree now. I keep my head still, but look up as far as I can with my eyes. I cannot see it, it must be above me. I look to Jo-Shana’s tree and see a small spinning ball with a blue light in the middle. It hovers over him, now I know we are being hovered over as well.

The machine over Jo-Shana starts to light up more and the bottom begins to open to were all you see is the blue light inside. A little beam shoots out and in a quick motion I see Jo-Shana, as well as the other figure, jump up and strike the metal stick into the machine. The metal stick must be a shocking rod, because the machine sparks and falls to the ground. I am so consumed by what is happening to the other machines that I don’t even realize Maliki is shocking the one hovering over us; until it lands right next to me.

Maliki grabs my arm pulling me up. He then takes my hand and says, “Let’s go, more will come.” We go running through the forest.

I stumble and fall to the ground. Maliki helps me up, “I can’t run very well in these shoes”; so I take my shoes off and hold them in my loose hand. As we run, the ground is full of sharp twigs and rocks, and my feet are getting severely beat up. I stumble again, when I stand to my feet I hear the buzzing noise but in greater multitudes. Maliki quickly puts me over his shoulders and runs.

The buzzing is getting louder. I hear the other man yelling “This way!” and a bunch of feet hitting the ground. One particular foot I hear behind us. I raise my head up and see a man. He seems to be struggling and breathing heavily. The slower he ran the further he got from us.

I try to yell, “Maliki the man behind us…” then I see a swarm of machine balls.

We exit the forest on to a grassy field. Blue spinning balls come closer and I yell for Maliki to put me down so we can run faster. He does and we go up a large soft hill. When we reach the top, I notice all the men, including Jo-Shana have stopped.

I gasp for breath, “Why are we stopping? They are right there.” I look at the balls and they are hovering over the man struggling to run.

“They can’t come up this hill. We are in the safe zone.” says one man.

They all stare with sad faces at the straggler and I can’t help but think why they are not helping him. I grab Maliki’s arm, “We need to go help him!” I start to move down the hill when Maliki grabs me.

“No, Maggie! It’s too late for him.” As soon as he says those words I see lasers shooting out of the machine balls and the man disintegrates. A puff of ash disperses onto the ground.

I turn from the gruesome sight and sink my face into Maliki’s chest. He wraps his arms around me and puts his head on top of mine. He then lifts it off and I can feel one of his hands going under my chin. He lifts my head up to where I can see his face. I look into his green eyes and tears start to flow down. The sun is rising behind him as he wipes my tears with his thumbs. He kisses the top of my head and I feel peace. He then gently takes my hand and leads me down the hill.

At the bottom of the hill is a camp site; consisting of about fifty tents surrounding one huge tent. I hold tight to Maliki’s hand as we walk past staring faces. When we approach the large tent I see Jo-Shana and the other men next to the opening, then a man comes out, he is timeworn, but still seems strong. He gives Jo-Shana a welcoming hug and congratulates the other men. He then turns to Maliki and me.

He reaches out his hand and says, “Hello my dear, you must be Magolin? I am Aivon Wallibee, but you can just call me Aivon.” He gives a little chuckle and then says in a joking way, “I don’t particularly like wallabies.” he gives me a smile.

A bit confused by his comment, I accept his hand and say, “It’s nice to meet you Aivon.” I look deep into his eyes to search for anything peculiar.

He laughs then puts his hand on my shoulder, “There’s no darkness here my girl, you don’t have to worry.” He moves his hand and motions for me and Maliki to come into the tent.

I walk in first and see a huge thick tree made into a table; and wood carved out chairs around it. Scrolls and papers are stocked on a wooden book shelf, in the corner of the tent. This must be a meeting/planning room, I figure. But planning what? Maybe a rescue mission for Toby, a grin crosses my face.

“Maximum my boy, can you bring us some mint water from the food tent?” Aivon asks a young boy, the boy jumps up from one of the chairs, nods his head and quickly moves out of the tent.

“That was my grandson, he’s about twelve. Good lad he is.” He pulls out one of the chairs for me to sit. I do so, and then he and Maliki take a seat. The rest of the men come in and fill up the remaining chairs.

Jo-Shana sits next to Maliki, who is sitting next to me. Aivon goes on to say, “First of all I want to give respect to our fallen Conrad. Please bow your heads for silence.”

Everyone bows their heads, so I follow and do the same. As the silence is present, my mind goes on to the man who was vaporized and watching his ashes sprinkle to the ground. My eyes start to water up and I can’t help but think what if he has a family or a love one or even children; and how they must be feeling right now. Then my mind goes selfishly to being happy it wasn’t me the machine balls were hovering over. I shake the thought away and give a quiet whisper of a “Thank you” to the man who helped save me from the Grand City.

The silence is broken and Aivon goes on to say, “Now down to business.” He looks at me and stops for a minute with some compassion in his expression. I wipe the tears in my eyes away and lift my head up to sign I am now ready for what he has to say.

He begins again, “So the recovery of Ms. Collins was successful. Now the rescue plan for Toby and the exile of the Majestic needs to be put into action.” I listen eagerly as he talks.

“From what we have found out, thanks to Jo-Shana and Maliki, we cannot let the Darkness take over the City, once it does it will be more difficult to save. Vichor you have the weapons necessary?” he looks at one of the men I have seen on the hill, the man is sitting across the table three seats down.

Vichor responds intensively, “Yes! Me and Oscar have everything arranged” he looks at the man sitting next to him, then goes on to say, “Well I was thinking it may be better if we had some of those Flying Hawks Maliki has told us about….or at least one, so we can figure out how they work and engineer one of our own.”

Aivon leans to the table and looks past me to Maliki.

Maliki clears his voice then speaks up, “The air flyers are all controlled by the Majestic and some of his appointed men. He, himself is the only one able to activate you to a machine. So I don’t see how we can get one, unless we somehow force the Majestic to do what we please. But by then we would have already won, so it would be pointless.”

“Ah, well we can do without an air weapon…”

I suddenly remember the trip to the factories and how the Majestic activated Toby to one of those flying birds. “Toby was activated!” I cut in.

Maliki looks at me and says, “Are you sure?”

“Yes, he was shown how to work it as well.” I say in a somewhat hopeful voice. I look at Jo-Shana for support.

Jo-Shana breaks in, “Yes I was there when it happened.”

Vichor then speaks excitedly, “Well there you are, our way to a Flying Hawk!”

“Hold on let’s not get too excited. The escape plan is already timed accordingly, now to add this…it may not work. And can possibly destroy the whole operation. If possible we can go back for it another time.” Maliki’s face is intense now and leaning forward to the table.

Vichor raises his voice and says immediately, “But Maliki, it will be much easier to take the Majestic and his men down if we had a flying vehicle. Why go back if we already have the boy there!”

Maliki’s voice gets loud as well, “Don’t be a fool! It’s too dangerous; too many lives can be taken. We are already going to have guards on our tail getting Toby out. Stopping at the factory will only be a death trap!”

Vichor stands up angrily with his fist on the table and his eyes on Maliki, “Just because you know the layouts of the City and have been trained there does not mean you know everything!”

I look over at Maliki and his eyes are dead shot on Vichor, he then slowly stands up as well. I turn to Aivon; he looks at me then stands up and holds his arms out, “Stop this child’s play! You two may be dismissed to your individual tents. Go cool off and when I allow you to return this better cease to exist. Do I make myself clear?”

They both nod their heads yes. Vichor walks out of the tent first, then Maliki goes, but before leaving, he looks back at me, then Aivon.

“Ms. Collins has not eaten or slept well for days, Sir.” Then he leaves out of sight.

I sit back in the chair; I can still feel the tension in the air. I look at Jo-Shana and he looks just as confused as I am.

“Jo-Shana, so Maliki has always been a rebel? I’m a bit confused.”

He looks at me, “No…well Trevor was so I guess yes. But I don’t think he really knew about the dark magic and all that. None of us did until they had left on their mission. The Majestic came into power and created that hidden city, most of the people here were once put there. Aivon led the first of our people out of the city and started this camp here. As for Maliki, he recognized me, and I him, at the ball. We used to know each other as kids, you see. Anyway, the Majestic was suspicious of Maliki and sent him to the hidden city that night of the ball. Which was perfect for us, because …well you saw the escape route. I messaged out to Aivon, and Vichor and a few others, come to rescue him.” He takes a sip of water, and then goes on, “Aivon became instantly fawned of Maliki and admired his skill and training. He made him head of the rescue for you and Toby.” He gives me a smile. Then someone else gets his attention.

Chatter is around the table and I now hear Aivon talking to me.

“My goodness girl you are quite pale and have looks of a great lack of sleep. Why did you not say something earlier?” his voice is full of concern.

I give a little smile to ease him, and say, “Yes I am hungry and tired, but it’s not unbearable, Sir. I would rather focus on Toby.”

His face is more content now but goes on to say, “Yes we will focus on the plan to rescue Toby, but first you must go eat and catch up on some sleep. You cannot be of any help if you are not healthy and strong.” I agree with him and he tells his young son to show me to an empty tent and gorge me with some food.

When I enter the empty tent all that is in there is a cot, small round table, a small wardrobe, and a trunk. I go and sit on the cot. A young woman then enters with a basket of food. She sets the basket on the table and turns to give me a smile.

“Hello, I’m Magolin.” I say exhaustedly with a smile. I haven’t notice how tired I am until it was brought to my attention.

“I’m Ora. I must go, but I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of each other Ms. Collins.”

“Maggie…you can call me Maggie.” I say back.

She gives a big childish smile, “Well Maggie eat up and have a good sleep.” She nods, so I nod back and she leaves.

Could she possibly be my new Anna?