Gone
With New Character Celesta
Dubofsky's Print
April 14, 2012
Authored by: Danielle
Chapter One
Jack almost missed her. The young girl was covered head to toe in sand, making her blend into the ground. She was curled up into a little ball. Her head in her hands. Jack noticed her shoulders shaking. Sam was only a few steps behind him and had noticed her too. They both cautiously approached her. There was no telling what she could do.
Sam reached her first and bent down to touch her. Fast enough to make both Sam and him jump, the girl scrambled backward. She started crying harder than Jack thought possible. She started mumbling inaudibly. As Jack moved closer he could decipher what she was saying.
"Don't touch me, don't touch me, don't touch me, don't touch me." She whispered, fiercely. Like a mantra, over and over again. Sam wisely chose to back up and raised his hands as a sign of surrender.
"What's your name?" Sam asked quietly. He asked it as if he were talking to a three year old child, not a… Jack took a closer look. On a closer inspection he saw that the girl had short, black hair. She was deathly pale and was anorexic skinny. When she lifted her head to look at Sam, Jack saw that she had steel, grey eyes. They looked too old to be on her and too young at the same time. Like she had seen too much in her short life, but needed someone older to make sure she would be alright. She looked about eleven years old. Only two years younger than him.
"C-C-Cel-Celesta," she answered, than flinched as if she would be punished for talking. Sam went to move closer but she backed away again. Sam shared a look with him. It said, 'What should I ask next?'. Jack mouthed back to ask about where she came from. Sam nodded and turned back to Celesta, who had her head in her hands again and had not noticed their silent conversation.
"Celesta, are you from Coates?" Sam asked gently. At the word Coates Celesta started crying again.
"I didn't mean it, don't send me back there. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she sobbed. Sam and Jack shared a surprised look. What had happened to her to make her freak at the word Coates? Celesta was now shaking slightly.
"What are you sorry about?" Jack asked. Both Sam and he were both surprised. Jack was usually too timid to ask things, especially when someone else was willing to do it for him. What surprised them more was when Celesta answered.
"She touched me. I was so mad, I couldn't stop it. Daddy was scared. I had never seen daddy scared before. He was scared of me. I wish he would have punished me instead, even if it had hurt." Celesta answered. Sam and Jack's faces both darkened. From the way she had spoken they could both guess that her father had abused her.
"Can you tell me what happened since the adults disappeared?" Sam asked. Celesta glanced over at Jack. She seemed to think that he would protect her. He gave a small nod and turned back to Sam. She seemed more confident now that she told us what had happened, though we didn't understand it all.
"I kept my head down. Caine- Caine was… he was rounding up people like me, Freaks. Diana skipped over me and I didn't get cemented. When the adults disappeared and Caine came down to Perdido Beach, I followed. No one noticed except Caine. He was nice though. He treated me like a little sister. Everyone started noticing me after that. Diana and Drake didn't like me much. Diana thought I had a crush on Caine. When I told her I didn't she didn't hate me anymore but she didn't care. Drake thought I was trying to steal his spot as second in command. He would say nasty things when Caine couldn't hear and smacked me when Caine wasn't around. I didn't say anything, Drake wouldn't like that.
"I was so scared when Caine's birthday came along. What would happen to me if Caine disappeared? After he was defeated he left. I was so scared. Drake hit me more often and Diana didn't care. Then Penny developed powers. She can make you see things. Anything she wants. She showed me terrible things. They made me scream and cry. I begged her to stop, for Caine or anyone to come save me, but they never did.
"Then one day Diana said Caine came back. I was so happy. He would save. I would never have to see those things again and Drake and Penny would leave. When Caine came back though, he was different. He wouldn't wake up. He would scream in his sleep and say things about the Darkness and Nemesis. Diana tended to him but he still didn't wake up. Drake figured that he never would and didn't have to worry about him anymore. He gave me back to Penny. The things were worse. She found the things I feared the most and what I loved. One day though she didn't come. I thought that it was my only chance and I ran. No one saw me and I made it out here. Coyotes came and they almost ate me. I stopped them though. You can't tell anyone about my powers. You can't, they'd cement me." Celesta explained.
Jack watched her intently. She looked so broken. His heart broke when she told them about how she thought Caine would save her. Sam looked shocked. He couldn't picture anyone thinking that Caine would come save them. Celesta seemed to really believe that.
"Don't worry, Celesta, we won't tell anyone," Sam promised. He sent Jack a look that clearly said he should agree too.
"Yeah, we won't tell a soul," Jack agreed, feeling very awkward. He was still a computer geek, even with his new found strength. He loved the look that Celesta sent them though. She looked so happy, so alive.
"Let's take back to town," Sam encouraged. Together Sam and Jack lifted Celesta to her feet. Jack knew that Sam would want to talk to him when they got back to town. He had no idea what they should do with Celesta. From what she had said, she was very powerful. Probably more powerful than Pete.
Celesta didn't say anything as they walked. She seemed as if in a trance, like she couldn't believe what had happened. Considering what she had been through, though, he wasn't surprised. She probably half believed this was one of Penny's visions. Jack had been surprised at that. Sure it was no secret that Penny had a crush on Caine but she had never seemed so… evil. To torture an eleven year old girl and enjoy it, that was more than evil. That was cruel and psychotic and other nasty things.
Sam seemed to be thinking the same thing, given the grim expression on his face. Was it really only half an hour ago Sam had been laughing, looking for fields with him. It seemed like a lifetime away. So much had changed. They knew what was going on at Coates. Drake was in charge. Caine was in some sort of coma induced by the Darkness. Jack couldn't imagine how Sam felt. Sure Caine had tried to kill Sam, but they were brothers, twins. They shared the same blood.
All too soon they reached town. People left and right were moving the debris out of the way. Jack saw Mary and the Littles in the new nursery, since Drake had destroyed the first. Edilio was digging graves for the dead in the plaza. Jack counted thirteen, and he wasn't even done.
Celesta was looking around wary, as if she expected someone to pull out a gun and shoot her. People were starting to notice her too. Everyone was wondering who the new addition was and why she looked like she was half dead. Jack saw Astrid and the other council watching. Sam pretended not to notice and walked right pass them. Jack was worried for a minute that they would stop them, but that didn't happen. Sam led Celesta and Jack to a house. It seemed vacant and no one seemed to be around this area of town.
"Come on," Sam urged. They followed him in. He led them to the living room and turned to Celesta. "This is my old house; you're allowed to stay here until other arrangements can be made." Sam explained. Celesta looked shocked. Jack was too. He never thought about what Sam was like before the FAYZ. Jack always imagined him being the same way he was now, confident, strong, a leader. It was hard to imagine him anyway else. He had single-handedly defeated Caine and the Poof.
"Why don't you look through the house?" Sam suggested. Jack knew that was just a reason for Sam and him to be alone so they could talk. Jack had no idea what he would say. Would he say they should give her back to Drake and Penny? Or would he say that they should keep her around? What if he suggested they kill her? No, Sam would never say that.
Celesta looked nervous for a moment before nodding yes. She flashed a quick glance to both of them and walked up the stairs. Sam waited a moment, probably waiting to see if she'd come running down.
After a moment Sam turned to face Jack. His face was grim, but Jack didn't know what that meant. What could Sam possibly be thinking? What would Jack do if he disagreed? That one was easy. He'd do what he always did. He would do whatever Sam wanted. Jack never stood up for himself and did not plan on changing that now. He felt a little ashamed at that thought, but it did not make that untrue. Jack was a coward and would always be one. He would never change that. Jack prepared himself for whatever Sam would say. Nothing prepared him for what came out of Sam's mouth though.
Sam's day had started out alright. Jack and he were looking for fields for food. He instantly noticed the young girl. The way she reacted surprised him. He noticed though how she was calmer with Jack around. Her story angered him. No little girl should go through that torture. He hated how she thought about Caine too. It was easier to hate him when he was totally evil. What she said though, made Caine sound human, vulnerable even. Sam couldn't think that way.
He didn't know what they would do with her. She sounded more powerful than Pete. That made her very dangerous, but it also made her a target. Not everyone liked the Freaks and there had been some fights. If word got out about how powerful Celesta was they would kill her.
Sam decided that her powers would stay secret like she wanted. Only Sam and Jack would know. They would tell the council that she was a normal girl from Coates who had defied Drake and was sent away. The safest place for her was his house. They would need space to figure out how powerful she actually was.
That's why he sent her to look through the house while Jack and he talked. Jack looked nervous. Sam couldn't blame him. They were still all just kids. Jack was one of the most innocent ones he had ever met. He was timid and scared to speak up for himself.
"I want you to watch over her. If Drake comes back for her I want you to protect her." Jack looked beyond shocked, he was astonished. He looked like Sam told him the Sun revolved around the Earth.
"What! I can't do that!" Jack protested. Sam sympathized with him. Someone needed to watch over Celesta, though, and if Sam did everyone would know something was up. Celesta seemed to trust Jack too. Sam didn't know why but she did.
"You're the only one who knows about Celesta's powers. If I watched over her everyone would know something was up. If you watch her everyone will just think you're helping her adjust." Sam explained. Jack looked thoughtful for a minute before frowning again.
"You can't really believe that I could fight Drake, could you?" He asked. Sam gave a small sigh and explained.
"We will be trying to find out Celesta's powers so that if a fight does happen she will help. By the way she explained it sounds like she is more powerful than any of us. That makes her a target. If Drake does show up she will help you fight." Sam reasoned. Jack still did not seem happy but nodded his head in agreement. Sam let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Now all he had to do was make up a story for the council to believe.
"We need to agree on a story. One that people will believe. We'll say that we did find her in the desert. That part is true. We'll say that she's not a Freak and that she stole food so Drake kicked her out. We'll also tell them about what happened to Caine." Sam said. Jack seemed to agree but did not have time to say anything before Celesta came back into view.
"Did you like the house?" Sam asked. Celesta looked nervous for a second before nodding her head. Sam gave her a small smile and turned back to Jack.
"I have to go explain to the council who she is and what she's doing here." He said. Celesta looked panicked.
"Don't worry, we are just telling them that you stole food so Drake kicked you out." Jack soothed her. He put a comforting hand on her back. Sam hid a small smile by turning to the door. He gave a small wave and started walking towards the center of town. He had made the right choice by having Jack watch over Celesta.
When he reached the door to the council room Sam allowed himself a second of doubt. What if the council didn't believe his story? What if he let something slip? He shook those thoughts away. If he wanted them to believe this it had to look like he believed it too. With that thought he entered the room.
The council members were sitting around the table. When he entered some of them sent him a nasty glare. They probably did not like him ignoring them when Jack, Celesta, and him had just reached town. He shot a quick look at Astrid. She seemed confused and a little hurt. Oh great, just what he needed. Celesta's safety came first though.
"I know you're all wondering about the new girl," Sam began. Everyone nodded their heads and some mumbled a small yes. "Her name is Celesta. She's from Coates. Celesta stole some food and Drake kicked out. Jack and I found her in the desert. She told us that Drake is in charge and that Caine went to see the Darkness. Now he's in some sort of comatose state." Sam ended quickly. He wanted this over with fast before anyone could ask questions.
Everyone seemed to think it over for a minute before approving. Sam let out a mental sigh of relief. They believed him, nothing would happen to Celesta. Strange, he had only known her for an hour and he already thought of her as a little sister. He could see how Caine had liked her so much, no don't think that way.
Then he noticed Astrid looking at him from the corner of her eye. Damn, caught. He thought that she believed him. Of all the times she could notice he was lying. Maybe if he avoided her she would take the hint. Too late, she was walking over.
"What didn't you tell us?" Astrid asked. Straight to the point. That was Astrid the Genius for you. The way she said it though angered him. She talked like Sam was being an idiot and she would have to clean up the mess when it went downhill.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Sam responded. He wouldn't betray Celesta like that. Not even for the love of his life. Whoa, where did that come from? Sure he loved Astrid, but did he want to be with her forever? He would think about this later. First he had to help Celesta control her powers. If it was possible.
Astrid gave little huff and spun around on her toes. She lifted her head and walked away without a second glance. That made Sam a little pissed. Didn't she trust him? Well she'd have to learn to.
Now he was off to talk to Albert about the food supply. He was not looking forward to that. Food was not a good topic. No matter how much they found it never seemed to be enough. People were starving and Sam couldn't do anything to stop it. What made it worse was that people expected him to. As if he could snap his fingers and food would pop up out of nowhere.
Albert was still in the old McDonalds. Albert was more powerful than Sam or Caine. Albert controlled the food.
"How is the food supply?" Sam asked. Albert looked completely at ease. He almost made Sam believe that they had found enough food and that no one else would starve. He knew better though. Albert put on a good face. If he panicked so would the other kids and we would be back where we started. Kids killing each other left and right and the rest starving.
"Not good. We have enough to feed everyone one thing tonight and tomorrow morning. After that though we're out." Albert replied. Sam sighed. Only two meals for everyone. If you could call one piece of fruit or vegetable a meal.
"I'll go out again with Brianna and Dekka tomorrow and look for more fields." Sam offered. He knew the chances weren't good. Before Albert could speak a word, though, Brianna ran in. Brianna was a Freak with super speed. She was Perdido Beach's messenger. She was one of the Freaks who embraced her powers. She called herself The Breeze.
"Sam, Jack told me that he had to talk to you immediately. He said it was very important." Brianna declared. Sam felt a moment of panic. What happened that was so important that Jack needed him? He shoved those worries down though, he didn't want Brianna and Albert wondering what was wrong.
"Thanks, Breeze," Sam stated. He said goodbye to them both before quickly leaving. He forced himself to walk slowly, like he was taking a walk through town. He waved hi to the kids he knew and even helped with moving a few pieces of debris.
Soon enough he was at his old house. He almost didn't recognize it. The whole thing was like a dream. Sam didn't see anything wrong and cautiously entered the house. He almost feinted. The whole floor was covered with food of every kind. There was candy and fruits.
"Sam," Jack said. He sounded relieved and Sam wasn't surprised. It looked like Jack had almost had a heart attack. His skin was pale and had a grey tint. His eyes were wide. Without waiting Jack grabbed Sam's wrist and started up the stairs.
Jack opened up the door that Sam recognized to be his mom's old room. Celesta was lying on the bed. Sam was about to ask what the hell was going on but he stopped himself. Celesta had a small stream of blood trailing down from her nose.
Sam shot a glance at Jack. He looked terrified. Jack kept flicking his gaze between Celesta and Sam.
"What happened? Where did all this food come from? Is Celesta okay?" Sam asked, worried. What had happened while he was gone?
"We were talking. I told her about the food problems and she said that she could help. She shut her I eyes and scrunched up her face. Then her nose started bleeding and the food appeared!" Jack seemed to say it all in one breath. This whole thing seemed to have really terrified him.
"She probably just used her power too much. She'll be fine soon." Sam reassured Jack. Sam couldn't be sure of that, but he wouldn't tell Jack that. He needed Jack to stay calm and collected. Hopefully Celesta would wake up soon, and when she did they could get some real answers.
"Let's leave and give her some peace," Sam offered. Jack hesitated for a minute before following Sam to the door. He shot a quick glimpse at Celesta before shutting the door behind them.
Sam allowed himself a small smile. It was obvious that Jack had fallen for Celesta, even if he had only known her for less than a day. Even though Sam didn't know Celesta that well, it seemed like that she had a crush on Jack too. They would make a cute couple.
"What are we going to do with all this food?" Jack asked. Sam thought for a moment. He hadn't had time to think about it. He had to come up with a convincing story or else people would ask questions. If people found out what Celesta could do… Sam couldn't even guess.
"I'm supposed to go looking in the morning. I'll say I found an old house that hadn't been ransacked." Sam clarified. He knew it sounded weak but there was nothing else he could think of. Jack seems to realize this and hung his head. He looked conquered. Sam felt the same. It seemed like everything they did only made things worse.
They sat in silence. Both contemplating what had happened in the short time Celesta came into their lives. Even though she had caused so much trouble Sam would have never changed what had happened. She was like the little sister he never, but always wanted, to have.