Hopetown
I wake up to a bucket of water splashed on my head. I sit up coughin an sputterin an cursin. Someone grabs the collar of my shirt an tosses me so's I land on the floor. I look around me. I'm in a white room with a stone table. There's a wooden door behind the stone table an I hear shouts an screams an roars from behind it.
A man steps into my view. Medium an stocky with scruff growin on his face. Grabs my face an turns it left an right before lettin go.
You sure it's him? he asks.
That's him alright. Ezzackly where they said he would be, one of them men answers.
What the hell happened to his face? the one in fronta me asks.
Tried to run away, behinda me hisses.
You sure yer sure? fronta me asks agin.
Swear on me mother's life!
So that explains why she a-dead.
Shurrup, chump!
Both of yuz shuttup! fronta me bellows. Them two's shrink away sayin, Sorry Cage Master, Whatever you says Cage Master.
What's all the fuss about? I hear someone say.
All of 'em turn round an I see 'em cowerin like a rat whose been caught by a tiger. I raise my head an through my swollen eyes I can jest see a tall figure robed in black. I don't need nobody tellin me who he is. A shiver ripples through me, right in my bones.
Cage Master don't meet his eyes when he say, Demalo...uh...nothin's the matter, uh y-you see, these men here brought someone in an t-they thinks it might be...him. He whispers the last word so soft it's almost like he don't say it at all.
DeMalo don't say naught. Jest looks at me. Looks at me like he knows somethin I don't.
He knows. He knows what you've done...
That cain't be. He don't know who I am. I ain't never spoke to him. Too many of us fer him to notice one person.
But he always knows...he knows everythin.
I force myself to meet his eyes an don't look away. His eyes narrow an I swear I hear him hiss but it's gone in a flash. Like it never happened.
Where did you find this man? DeMalo finally says to the guards behind me. I breathe a sigh of relief.
No where else but at Dead Man's door. Mason had our work cut out for us, one of 'em answers.
Anger fills my head. It's all yer fault, Mason...
I'm esspecktin him to say somethin 'bout knowin me, 'bout knowin me an Ike an how we ran from Freedom Fields. I look around desperately for an escape.
Gentlemen, I thank you for your service, I think your work here is done, DeMalo says to them guards. The idiots trip over themselves bowing down an thankin DeMalo before prancin out like a couple-a damn puppies.
Cage Master's still waitin fer the verdict. Well? he asks. Is it him?
Can't say for sure, Cage Master, DeMalo drawls. Took quite a beating didn't he? Throw him in the stocks. Let's see how he does as a cage fighter.
Really? Cage Master's jumpin up an down. Oh thank you, DeMalo I'm sure he'll be very good fer business!
DeMalo's makin his way down the steps to leave. I'm still on the floor. When he passes by I swear I can hear him whisper, We meet again...
So, he's chosen not to take me back to Freedom Fields. I ain't no slave no more. I'm a cage fighter.
Well, well, what am I gonna do with you? Cage Master says after he's left. Suddenly the noise outside gits louder an louder an now all I hear are the roars an poundin of feet an fists.
Well, perfect timin. Why explain cage fightin when I can jest show it to you? Cage Master drags me offa the floor an flings open the door behind his desk. He shoves me outside an I fall hard on my knees.
This, he says gesturin to the scene below, is the crown jewel of Hopetown.
I'm lookin down the bottom of a hill. Rows of benches built into the land all leadin down to a cage that stands in the middle. Two girls is inside, their heads shaved clean an their feet bare.
Welcome to the Colosseum, Cage Master says. An that, he points to one of the girls in the cage, is the star attraction.
I don't say naught. Don't like bein up this high, never have liked it. Star attraction? I heard that somewhere before.
She's called the Angel. The Angel of Death, he says agin. My biggest money maker ever since Artashir.
The Angel of Death. I keep my eye on the girl as she fights. The other girl's got her in a stranglehold but she don't seem to be fightin back neether.
Wanna know why they call her the Angel of Death? Cage Master says.
Suddenly, as if somethin's shocked her, the girl comes alive an before I know it...she's got that other girl on the ground with her arms an legs twisted. She's callin quits. The crowd becomes one giant roar, increasin until it's like I cain't hear nothin anymore.
The girl's pumpin her fists into the air. There's somethin different about her. Not like anythin I ever seen. Almost like...an animal.
That's why, Cage Masters says flashin me a toothy grin.
...
Well, well lookie here, we got a newbie, a boy with spiky brown hair an a chip in his front tooth says to me as I make my way down the cellblock. I see more faces peekin at my through their cages as I walk by. The Tonton let loose my chains jest before they throw me into my own empty cell. Them boys boo and jeer at the guards as they walk out. Some of 'em even reach out with their bare hands. That's when the keepers bring down them whips lightnin fast.
I sit on my cot an don't say naught. I have to find a way outta here. I cain't make the same mistake twice.
Hey, I hear someone callin to me from behind the bars.
I ain't in the mood to talk.
Hey, I hears agin, from the same person. It's comin from the cell next to me, though I cain't see who it is cuz they're hid in the shadows.
Well, don't be shy, I snap scootin up to the bars. Come out into the light so's I can gitta good look at you.
Slowly, I hear the clink of metal an the sound of someone draggin themselves offa the cot. I see a dirty little foot, a leg, an then a hand, an arm an then the rest of the whoever he is.
Scrawniest little rat I ever seen. Blonde hair turned brown from all the dirt an grime. Face coated with soot an whatever else I don't wanna know. Skinny little arms and legs. Clad in only torn up rags. But then I look at his face agin an I see the biggest, bluest eyes I ever seen. An not just no normal blue. Light, piercin bluish-white, almost like ice. Looks almost outta place in this filthy hell-hole.
He cain't be more'n thirteen. Poor kid. The Cage Fights ain't no place for someone as young as him.
Yer new here, he finally says. He's whisperin so' I have to lean in close to hear him.
Yeah, that's right, I says. There's somethin about him I cain't git past. An innocence about him that I personally never had when I was his age.
I seen you before, he says.
What? I ask.
I seen you before, he repeats. In my dreams, in the stars. Somethin about you an Freedom Fields.
No way. Right away I know there's somethin off about this kid. There's no way he knows me so I decide to play dumb.
Huh? That ain't possible kid, I don't know you. I ain't never heard of any place called Freedom Fields, I says.
I knew it, he whispers. They said it would happen, it's written in the stars.
Now I'm really confused. Written in the stars? What kinda jacked up mess is that?
Kid, I already told you I dunno what yer talkin about, I says.
You comin here right here right now it all makes sense! the kid's talkin faster now almost like he's excited. I ain't so sure he's completely right in the head so I says calmly, Hey kid quiet down ok? There's no need fer you to git excited over nothin. I'm a nobody, I always bin a nobody, an that's how it's gonna stay.
You don't understand, do you? He looks at me strangely with those piercin blue eyes, You an the Angel are destined to save us all...
What? That don't make no sense I ain't here to save nobody! The kid was startin to give me the creeps.
It's gonna happen. That's why you an the Angel are here. To save us all...he says agin. His eyes have gone hazy like he's in a trance or somethin. Suddenly his back arches violently back an his hands go to his head. Before I know it he's on the floor twitchin an howlin...
Oh my Gawd. Oh my Gawd. Kid, can you hear me? Kid! I screech bangin on the bars. Somebody help him he's havin a seizure or somethin!
Nobody moves. Not even the keepers. An hear I am screamin for someone to help even though I ain't even knowed the kid for more'n five minutes. Finally someone across from me yells, Shut it newbie, there ain't nothin you can do.
The kid's still moanin an groanin gibberish in his cell. Now he's bowin up an down doin some sort of crazy pattern dance. Or as much as he can in a place as small as this.
What in the hell is happenin? I demand.
Flynn's a loony, replies the same voice across from me. Best to leave him alone when he gits like this. Even the keepers learned their lesson the first time.
I'm jest about to reply to that when all of a sudden the door swings open an the guards walk in agin. This time someone new is with 'em but I can see he's higher in the ranks. Jest by the way the keepers make way fer him an how the guards stand behind him. He's wieldin a giant club but he don't seem too stable on his feet. Then I see why. The wild look in his eyes, his body always jitterin an...the smell of chaal lingerin as he passes by the cells.
Yee-Haw, I'm back! Who's yer Mad Dog, who is it! I am, gittit? Oooo that rhymes, I'm gooood! He's prancin round an round in circles, spit flyin outta his mouth. I look an see most of the boys who was booin at the Tonton earlier don't say nothin this time. In fact some of 'em look like they's hidin.
Oh shut yer trap Mad Dog, a brave soul says.
What?! Mad Dog whirls round an bares his teeth. Who said that? Show yerself! Somebody wants to play I see...
He's walkin along the bars like he's stalkin prey. His voice comes in a low growl.
Frankly, he says. I'm mighty ashamed of you lot. Buncha pussies who cain't even say nothin to my face while the Angel - He points his hand at the outside where the Colosseum is - is out there beatin everyone in sight. Such a shame she's only allowed to fight girls-I'd like to see some of yer sorry asses git sent to the Gauntlet by her. He lets out the ugliest laugh I ever heard. Like a dog chokin on his own tail.
He stops in fronta my cell. My blood freezes. Bein so close to him disgusts me but I don't back up.
Ah, fresh meat, he hisses. Reaches in an grabs my hair an says, I think it's time somebody got a shave...
I let outta low growl an spit in his face. Mad Dog roars an grabs my head agin an slams me up aginst the bars. I hear a crack an feel a sharp pain in my nose. I feel somethin warm an wet gushin down my face. Blood.
Unlock his cage! Mad Dog yells at the keepers. I want him out here so's I can give him a good beatin!
The keepers come sidlin up janglin their keys when all a sudden one of them guards says, Mad Dog, you cain't, not yet. They's waitin fer the next fight.
Mad Dog turns round an looks at the guard. He goes up to him an slaps him in the face.
I'll do what I want, he spits. An keep yer mouth shut.
His...Majesty...is...here...today, the guard says slowly. I tear a piece of my shirt off an ball it up aginst my nose to try to staunch the flow of blood.
So? Mad Dog don't seem to give a damn 'bout what he jest said.
So...DeMalo didn't bring him here fer nothin. We ain't got time to waste. You don't want him gittin...upset d'you? Mad Dog thinks 'bout this fer a moment. He curls his lip an says, Fine! Yer lucky yer second-in-command or I woulda tanned yer hide already.
He goes up to a cell at the far end of the room an pulls outta big guy. Bulky an dark with the looks of a bull. Eyes so dark he don't seem to have any pupils. Dangerous.
Well, well Darius, Mad Dog says. Looks like you'll be up aginst...Flynn today. My stummick drops. The guy's gotta be at least at least a head an a half taller an three times as heavy as the kid.
A couple of guards unlock the cell next to me an try to pull out Flynn. He's kickin an screamin agin 'bout how the end is comin or somethin like that.
Good 'ole Flynn, crazy as ever, Mad Dog says givin him a whack.
Obviously Mad Dog ain't taken a look at hisself lately.
As they's draggin the fighters out the door, Flynn somehow wiggles outta their grasp an comes runnin back towards the cells. Them guards are screamin an Mad Dog's yellin at them to come git him back.
Flynn hangs onto my cell bars an grabs the collar of my shirt, forcin me to look at him.
The end is comin, Jack, he says. My heart skips a beat. He knows my name.
Take heed of my warnin, you hafta - one of the guards is grabbin at him an he kicks him in the face. He goes on talkin fast.
You an the Angel, yer destined to defeat them all. The Tonton. He gasps an his back arches an he lets out an earsplittin scream. Mad Dog's still yellin fer them to git him but nobody dares to come near him. Somethin seems to come from inside him. His eyes ain't blue no more. They're white, like snow.
I see flames, fire in the future, his voice sounds deep an ghostly, You are i-in the middle of it. Take heed. Don't let the..fire...git...to you! Ahhh!
My hearts about to explode. My head's about to explode. This ain't normal an I feel power leechin from the hand that's grabbed my collar. He ain't normal.
You an t-the Angel, everythin will fall into place. Fire, fire in yer future. Beware of what lies ahead...you an the Angel are our only hope...
With that, he goes limp an collapses to the ground. The guards rush forward an drag him away. Mad Dog's cursin. They drag him out an slam the door. The boys start mutterin things like, It's the end fer poor Flynn, an, The kid's finally cracked, but I can hardly unnerstand the rest.
He waren't jest crazy, not like Mad Dog is. It was like he's possessed.
You an the Angel...destined to defeat them...the end is comin, Jack...
He knows my name. He knows who I am, saw into my soul. An the Angel...somethin about the Angel of Death...
This cain't be good.
