Blotted Out - Chapter 4.1

My breathing was becoming much harder by the second, and my arm felt like it was on fire. The hooded person held up the knife closer to my cheek, almost puncturing the skin.

"Come on now, I don't want to puncture that pretty little face of yours." By the sound of it, the person was male, but I couldn't figure out what age. He was a little taller than me, and was obviously strong. As fast as I could, I slammed my hand down on the red button. "Why you-" the boy was cut off as Martin's face appeared over the hole's entrance.

"Stop!" He yelled. "Stop! Dealeantur! Dealeantur! She's with me!" After a moment's hesitation, the boy dropped his weapon, and let go of my throat. I immediately fell to the ground, and cradled my injured arm. In one swift move, he took off the hood and reached out his hand. Reluctantly, I took it. He helped me up, and then turned back to Martin. He was now out, and reaching down for Johnny to get out. The boy got on his hands and knees, and reached into the hole. Together, him and Martin drug Johnny out, and set him down carefully on the smooth dirt floor.

I reached out for Johnny as he ran to me, still dazed. Hadn't I been hugging him with two good arms just a moment before? The boy shook Martin's hand. "I'm terribly sorry, sir. We weren't notified of anyone coming up through the burrow hole."

Martin's face crinkled up into disgust. "Notification, wha-. When did you guys start guarding the safety rooms?"

The boy looked slightly annoyed, as if he's told this story once or twice. "Protocol. Once the Silver Lea-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know the story." Martin looked just as annoyed, if not more. "Can you take us to," he looked over at me. "Can you take us there now?"

"I have to call up another guard, and then we can head out tomorrow. It's getting dark out." The boy looked around at us, his eyes resting on my arm. He sighed loudly to himself, and rolled his eyes. "Follow me," with that, he picked up my fallen backpack and walked off in the direction of a small house.

"Dark my foot," Martin muttered. I hugged Johnny tighter; this wasn't the fun-loving Martin I knew. He looked back at me and Johnny, and his gaze softened. "Come on then, we might as well follow the boy." He fell back into step with me and Johnny, and examined my arm. "Are you okay?"

I nodded weakly. Honestly, my arm felt terrible, but there were more important things than that. Like who this boy was, and what in the world was a crappy burrow hole. Seeming to read my mind, Martin sighed.

"I will explain, as will the boy, everything tomorrow." When the three of us reached the cottage, the boy was just unlocking the door. Inside, it smelled of freshly burnt wood, and picture frames littered the bookshelves. The place was unusually tidy, considering the circumstances. The boy led us to a set of bunk-beds.

"This should be enough room for the three of you." Once again, his eyes found their way to my arm, and he winced. Before he could talk again, Martin spoke up.

"This will do, young man, but if I may ask - where's the bathroom?" He whispered that last part and Johnny giggled softly. The boy cleared his throat, and pointed over his shoulder.

"First door on the left." After Martin had left, he looked at me again. "Does it hurt?" I shook my head shamefully, but he must've been able to tell I was lying. "Come here," I followed him to a small room with a table, a stove, and a refrigerator. It must of been the kitchen. I sat down and held onto Johnny's hand. He had remained quiet for most of the time, and he was probably scared half to death by everything.

The boy came back with an aspirin, some cream, and some bandages. He instructed me to lay my arm on the table, and I did. He pulled up a chair, and started to rub the cream where my arm had slammed into the rock wall. At first I shrank away at his touch, but then relaxed as he smoothed the rest of it on, a little bit more gently. When he started wrapping my arm with the bandage, he cleared his throat.

"Sorry about that," he muttered. "I thought you were an intruder. If I would've known you were coming - none of this would've happened." His voice sounded too sure and professional like. I cleared my own throat, trying not to sound rude.

"It's alright. I have two of them." So much for not being rude.

"And about the knife - "

"Don't worry about it." Of course, everything else was telling me to kill him now, or at least threaten to, but I guess that wouldn't win me much shelter; it might even get all of us kicked out for the night.

He had finished wrapping up my arm, and he clasped the metal bits so it stayed. The boy got up, and filled a glass with water. He set it down on the table and pushed the asprin over to me. "I'm Ben."

"Magdeline."

Johnny immediately spoke up. "I'm Johnathon, but people call me Johnny for short." For the first time, Ben smiled.

"Well Johnny, I think you'll be some good company while we travel." Before I could ask him where he was taking us, Martin strolled back in.