The ABC's of Perfect Mistakes
Chapter Fifteen: O is for Oriri
Jak paused just outside of the Slums, there was an unusually large number of Krimzon Guards patrolling the area. He considered blowing them sky-high but stopped when he heard a moan behind him. He glanced behind him, Daxter stood on Parker's chest trying to feel her pulse as she shook and twitched. Jak cursed, that was her second seizure since they left the roof. He'd hoped a drive through the city would help but she only looked worse. She was sweating and he could see her teeth chattering. He turned back to the road and gunned it back to the Underground, taking the turn sharply and jumping out the second he stopped.
"Where are we?" Parker whispered as he slid her out of the zoomer.
"The Hideout." He said running through the doorway.
"–know where he is!" Torn shouted as the trio entered, he had his back to them as Lena motioned to the map.
"Yes we do. It's obvious that the Baron hid him." Lena said standing up, she stretched and smiled at Torn. "It's kinda like hide-and-seek!"
"I don't like games."
Lena snorted. "You don't like anything that's not red-headed, busty and the daughter of an evil man."
"Glad you said daughter, for a second I thought you were talking about Erol."
Samos walked in, speaking softly to Amberly before gasping at the two in the doorway. "Jak, my boy, what happened?"
Jak took that as a signal to move, he rushed forward and dropped Parker on an available bed. Amberly rushed to her side; shoving Jak aside and bent down beside her. "Oh God, Parker, what did he do to you?" Jak snarled before Lena grabbed his shoulder, she shook her head before brushing past him to grab Amberly by the shoulder. She yanked her away from Parker's side and dragged her away; cursing Jak and Erol at the same time.
"What happened?" Samos asked limping up to the bed.
"We found her in a brothel. Erol was pumping Yellow Eco into her."
Samos touched the girl's face. "She has no more Eco in her."
"Yeah we know that log head!" Daxter shouted. "She almost blasted Erol right to the moon!"
The old man huffed and shook his cane at Daxter. "What I meant is, she doesn't have any Eco in her! Yellow or Green!"
"She needs Green!" Amberly shouted. "She can't survive without it!"
"Amberly." Lena snapped. "Stop that!" She shoved her towards a side door and pushed her through. She yanked the door close and held it in place; Amberly started banging on it from the other side begging to be let out. "She's right though. Parker needs Green Eco like we need iron or sugar. She either needs an Eco transfusion or start planning her funeral!"
Parker screamed, aching her back off the bed before she started to choke on something. Torn rolled her over onto her side as she vomited onto the floor, she gagged before Torn rolled her onto her back again. She coughed a couple of times before going silent but with hitched breathing.
"I'm calling Slim." Lena said pulling out her phone.
"No!" Torn shouted.
"Would you rather bury her?!"
"Stop fighting!" Amberly screeched from behind the door. "Do something to save her!" She banged on the door and screamed.
Samos went into his pocket and took out a vial. The glass was see-through and Jak could see green liquid splashing around the bottom of it. Samos sighed and looked to Jak. "Before we left I took several vials of Eco with me, if we landed someplace where there wasn't any Eco. I used most of them in prison but I still have a couple left." He held it out to Jak. "Give it to her."
Jak reached across Parker's body and took the vial out Samos's fingers. It was the Eco he remembered. The warmth of Eco burned through the glass but not enough to hurt him. Haven's Eco felt wrong, felt tainted as if it spent years floating in Dark Eco. He'd felt Parker's Eco before. It was like Haven's Eco, haunted and flat. Jak pulled the cork off and snaked an arm under her shoulders, he tilted her head back before pouring a little of the Eco into her mouth. She coughed before swallowed the Eco. Jak smirked, now he was getting somewhere. He poured more into her mouth, pausing every so often to listen for choking. The last drip slid past her lips and her eyes flew open. The endless void becoming the sharp vivid green of moss. She gasped and ached into a sitting position.
"The end is coming." She spoke, her voice weak and quivering. "The dark ones are here. They want our planet and will stop at nothing to get it." She turned to face Jak. "There may be hope…there are those who are scared of you. Use their fear to defeat them." She touched his face, following the line of his jaw. "We believe in you… we gave up everything for you." She gasped and fell back on the bed.
"It's like a repeat." Torn chuckled. "This time I know she doesn't have a stinger in her foot."
Amberly gave a pathetic chuckle from behind the door. "And you're right… you're always right."
A beeping behind the table drew Samos from the bed, he limped over there as the Shadow came out. The Shadow took the communicator from Samos and panicked but it was Samos who recovered quickly.
"The Baron is still up to his old tricks."
"The Underground got word that several Krimzon Blast Bots are zeroing in on the hideout!" The Shadow declared.
"They're armoured bombs which seek out targets." Samos added. "If any of those Blast Bots reach us, we're dead!"
"Ahh, what are you worried about, old man?" The Shadow snapped. "You're almost dead anyway!"
"Well if you'd taken better care of yourself, I wouldn't be in the state I am now!" Samos shouted back.
"Take out those Blast Bots before they reach the hideout, Jak!" The Shadow ordered. "They have proximity defense, so do be careful!"
"Good hunting!" They both said at the same time. Jak and Daxter stared at them before moving to leave, glancing back briefly at Parker before Lena stepped up to the girl.
"Don't worry, I'll watch her."
The Yellow Eco burned her insides but it was a burn she welcomed. Soon she depended on it, she carved Yellow Eco when Erol left her alone for extended periods of time. She would curse and claw at her arms as her body struggled to go without the Eco, it shook uncontrollably as she prayed that Erol would come back. She'd cry into her pillow and wait for her door to unlock.
When it finally did unlock, she'd crawl to the end of the bed and wait patiently while he told her about the outside world. She didn't really care and really didn't listen, she just nodded and said yes over and over until she got what she wanted. Of course it was killing her. Doesn't crack kill it's users over a period of time? She'd let it sink into her veins like a dead weight and dragged her down into the darkest of depressions.
She opened her eyes and stared at Jak in the next bed. For once he was Daxter-less and sleeping. Every time she slept at the Hideout she found that Jak always tossed and turned or paced outside. Daxter always climbed into bed with her, curling up near the end of her bed or on her back. She turned to look but saw no Daxter.
She rolled onto her back and stared at the bunk above her. Her head still spun and her mouth was dry, but she didn't crave Yellow Eco like she used to. Instead she felt the cold push of something inside her body. It wasn't Blue Eco or Red Eco –which gave her hives and a serious case of acne. This was a pure Eco, as if it was given to her by the Precursors. She forced herself into a sitting position and ran her fingers through her hair, she swung her legs out of bed and wandered to the bathroom.
She flicked the light on and squinted single bulb. She stumbled to the sink, she grabbed the porcelain and looked into the mirror. Her skin was pale, almost translucent making the bruises darker. She never expected Erol to hit her –but he did, several times and without conviction. She sighed looked at her arms, they looked like horrible pin cushions. She ran her hand down her arm before jumping. She looked into the mirror as her heart started to race, speeding up as she pressed her hand against her chest and willed it to stop –well not stop but slow down, to calm and relax. She gasped again, feeling the cold Eco rush through her veins. What did her friends do to her? What did they give her? She gasped again, louder and longer. She hiccupped and coughed into the skin, red splattered the pearl surface and she looked into the mirror. Stunned at what she saw she took another breath before thinking to herself "This is what it feels like to die."
And collapsed to the floor.
Jak groaned and covered his face with his arm. Whenever his apartment was under investigation or there were too many guards loitering around, Torn told him to return to the Hideout and sleep there. He didn't mind sleeping at the Hideout, it was easier to go on missions if he was closer to HQ but what pissed him off was the bathroom. After a long day of missions he wanted to sleep in a dark, quiet place but instead the Hideout was bright and loud. He hated it.
He rolled over and glared at the bathroom. It was a pet peeve of his, dating further back then his prison days. Keira always left the light on when she went to the bathroom and his Uncle made a point of leaving the light on. Daxter made a point of dramatically turning the light off whenever he went to the bathroom.
Jak rolled out of bed and stomped over to the bathroom. "God damn it!" He snarled. "Turn off the light!" He stopped abruptly when he almost ran someone down. Parker stared at him through her tangled hair, her eyes bleeding and streaking her skin red. Her nose bled and there was blood collecting in the corner of her mouth.
"Occupied." She snarled before slamming the door close. Jak turned the lock and stepped inside. Parker stood at the sink and wiped at her cheeks, she glared at him. "I'm using the bathroom."
"I can see that." He motioned to her face. "What's going on with the horror makeup?"
She sniffed and wiped her nose. "Considering becoming a zombie…" She looked at him in the mirror. "I don't know what's going on… I feel different though; a good different."
He leaned against the doorframe. "So what do you want to do?"
She gripped the sink. "Maybe lie down?" She moved from the sink to the toilet and sat down near that. She leaned against the wall, resting her head a few feet from the toilet. Jak bent down in front of her and took her chin, he forced her to look at him.
"Why don't you ask for help instead of being a martyr?"
She stared at him, eyes searching his face for sincerity and honesty but they soon clouded. "How can I trust you?" She whispered. "You told me almost a month ago that you're planning on killing me."
Jak let go of her chin and stepped back. He had plenty chances to kill Parker, she slept in the next bunk over, he knew where she lived and today, he could've pocketed the Green Eco that saved her life. Why hadn't he killed her yet? He promised that he'd do it before the war ended. He looked at her, she looked pathetic sitting on the bathroom's floor with nothing on expect the clothes she wore at the brothel. It'd be easy to kill her now. She didn't have any weapons and she was helpless, but how would he dispose of the body? He'd have to kill up this mess and then come up with a cover story. It'd be easier to shot her in the street or push her off a cliff. He crossed his arms and smirked at her. "I guess you're gonna have to trust me." He held out his hand. "I'll take you wherever you want to go."
He needed her to trust him. It wasn't enough that he had some loyalty to her and felt the slight pinch of trust, she had to have it too. She needed to trust him with her life, trust him with her secrets, and, most importantly, with her death. She looked to his hand before taking it. He pulled her up slowly and she used to the wall to straighten herself.
"Anywhere I want to go?"
"Anywhere…"
Parker left her boots at the entrance of the forest, she needed to feel the soft grass beneath her feet. Fear raced through her like horses, running and running until they died –she was waiting for that part. The fear was a good thing, it kept her upright and moving. That's what she needed to do, keep moving and never stopping.
The grass was soft under her feet and tickled her ankles, she swapped her soiled clothes for a plain white shirt and basic leggings. She also grabbed her weapons and her family's dagger. She swayed with the wind, listening to the beautiful whispers that came through the trees. She ran her fingers through the long reeds by the river, curling her pinky around the stem of one of the many flowers growing around it. She stopped and leaned into the reeds, she smelt one of the light blue flowers.
She breathed deeply, inhaling the intoxicating scent and twisting her hand around. Green Eco twisted around her fingers and wrists; it curled around her before she plucked the flower from its stem. She took another deep breath before turning to Jak. He glanced around uneasily, eyes darting from one side of the forest to the other. He had his gun out ready to shot anything that got in his way or came running out of the bushes swinging an axe.
"Jak," She said as calmly as she could. She stepped up to him and took his hand. "Relax, there's no Metal Heads around." She placed the flower in his hand. "Try to enjoy the quiet." She let go of his hand and started walking down the path, trailing her fingers over the tall grass.
"Just hurry up and do whatever you have to do." Jak snapped. "Reconnect to nature, plant flowers, save a bloody tree or whatever."
"I was thinking of running through the trees naked." She looked over her shoulder at Jak. "Just kidding."
"Somehow I doubt that."
She ran up the hill and climbed onto the rock outcropping that stood in front of the Tree of Life. She put her arms up and moved them; up and down, just like a bird about to take flight. The wind was pretty strong, like the last couple of days and she knew right away, a storm was coming. She took her hair out of it's ponytail and let the wind catch it, she closed her eyes and tipped her head to the wind. She could smell the city, iron and smoky but she could smell the forest too. It dominated her sense of smell, beautiful lilacs pushed away the iron and sweet cedars stomped out the smoke. She raised her arms again and dropped them to her side, she turned to find Jak staring at her by the Tree of Life. He looked intrigued, confused, almost stunned by what she was doing. She hopped down and ran up to the tree, she pressed her hands to it and laid her head against the bark.
"Aren't you worried about bugs?"
"Shh…" Parker said pressing her finger to her lips. "Can't hear if you're yakked-yak."
"Yakked-yak and listening to trees?" Jak snorted. "Alright, you've lost it… what did Erol really do to you?"
"It's not what Erol did…" She whispered stepping away from tree, she took his hand and pressed it against the tree. "Listen Jak… maybe you'll hear your fate." She pressed her ear against it again, Jak hesitated but did the same. He stared at her before she looked up. The wind picked up suddenly, rustling the leaves in the tree as she closed her eyes and listened.
"This is a waste of–"
She walked and walked and walked until she choked with thirst, a burning feeling that tore at her neck and threatened to explode her lungs. She gasped for breath as the sky darkened above her, the sun blackening behind a moon shaped object –but it wasn't their moon. It wasn't even a moon. It was something darker, something dangerous and wanted blood. No one's in particular, it just wanted blood.
The Creature stepped up next to her, he had more fruit but it was rotted and molded. She looked to him.
"What is it?"
"The darkness." He looked to her. "You humans are so consumed by the idea of death you forget what can kill you." He touched her temple. "A simple aneurysm," He touched her neck. "A small nick in your precious neck, and," He pressed his palm against her chest. "A bullet to your heart."
"That'd kill anyone."
"Very true," He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "But you can't kill life with a gun."
"What should I do?"
"Live out your beautiful curse." He said turning her around, he slipped the blindfold on to her face. "Choose, my dear, take the path of the blind, dumb and clueless or take the path of the fearless, fighters and hopeful." She turned as he disappeared. She took a step forward and turned her head back and forth, unsure where the paths were. So she stood for a while, waiting for someone to take her hand and lead her.
She felt someone grip both her hands, a rough gloved hand with many scars and many old memories, some pleasant and others hostile. The other hand gave her a quick squeeze. The hand was fearful but also stronger than her, they didn't have many memories but they were willing to make some and–
"Parker!" Jak shouted again, Parker gasped and opened her eyes. She stared up at Jak, for a second she thought she saw fear and worry flash across his face, as if he was concerned about her. "What the hell happened?!"
She ran a hand through her hair, seeing the blood on her forearm. She sat up slowly and examined her wound. "Why am I bleeding?"
"You fell backwards," He said. "Your eyes flashed green and then you passed out. I thought you were dead but you were breathing. Did you fall asleep or something?"
"I think so…" She rubbed her temples. "I dreamed."
He chuckled. "Anything interesting?"
"Praxis in a tube top and stripper heels, with a pimp cane."
"You're back to your old self."
"Yup…" She leaned against the tree and sighed. "Granted… I'm exhausted."
"Rest for a bit," Jak said motioning for her to lie back. "We'll leave soon."
Jak watched the leaves blow above them, the wind had suddenly picked up and set a chill in the air. He looked down at Parker, she rested on his outstretched up. He considered shoving her away when she first curled up next to him but that feeling had passed. He did feel uncomfortable being so close to her, to one of his tormentors. He rolled onto his side as she murmured something into his arm. His darker side demanded more blood, demanded for him to get closer to the strange beauty that sent chills running down his spine. He touched her face with his other hand, trailing his thumb over her bottom lip. He hadn't apologized yet for before, even though he wasn't sorry. He was glad he scared her, she deserved to see what he lived with every damn day.
She sighed and Jak yanked his hand away. He was falling like solider on the front line, he was under her spell –and he hated it.
TBC…
Author Note
ANNNND I survived summer camp! I thought I was going to die. It was fun but tiring. I was tried writing these last two chapters over the couple of days and I finally finished them! I wanted to update three chapters but I changed my mind. Thanks to EcoSeeker for her awesome reviews. Also thank you to the Guest for their review. Also, oriri is Latin for Origins. Bye for now, Luv Eco!