War Of The Race's

CH 9: For All Mankind PT2

[...You look like shit, smell like shit too...]

The vibrating drill numbed my hands, the dust that flew off the rock dug itself under my nails, the hot unmoving air made it hard to breathe, and I couldn't stop sweating.

  How long has it been? It seems; that every day that goes by it grows longer than the last, every second seems like a minute, every minute seems like an hour, and every day seems like a week. I turned the drill off and backed away to see my work so far; the gray rock crumbled in on itself; I didn't know what the mineral was; but the only thing I did know; was that they wanted a lot of the stuff, rarely ending demands for it.

  The dust didn't help at all either; have no idea what Lea and I are breathing in. Turning to her, she had put on a fair bit of weight since our little encounter with that beast; I noticed that she had been smiling a lot more often, and she now had the strength to do things like run and jump; she looked a lot happier and even has been wanting to visit that beast more and talk to it.

  That beast. . . That beast has been asking me questions nonstop; about how I got here and how I have been personally, how I've been dealing with the experiences I've been facing, and then always scurries away; what's with that thing anyway? But I still don't trust it no matter what face it pulls, nothing more than a demon in an angel's mask like the rest most likely.

  Can't stay here, won't stay here, not for Lea and not for me. . . But how would a chance for her and me to escape even arrive? Can't break through the walls; we'll just be shot, can't walk through the front gate; we'll just be shot. Can't sneak our way out with all the turrets; they'll just shoot at us; all roads lead to the same highway.

  "You ok?" What? Lea sat on one of the work baskets used to carry rocks in, just looking at me, her beautiful eyes focused on me as if looking through me. "What?" She tilted her head at me, "You're doing that weird thing again where you stand still looking at the rock, thinking about something?"

"Yeah, yeah I am, many things,"

"Like what?"

  I felt my lips curl, I walked over to her and kneeled beside her, "Like how cute you are," I told her, pulling on her chunky rosy cheeks. She shouldn't have to worry about these things, don't worry Dad, I'll take care of her as you did us; I can't afford to be weak anymore.

  "Ew, stop it; your hand stinks!" she spat out at me, couldn't help but laugh "Wanna make sure you get a good whiff!" I put my hand closer to her nose as she recoiled, making me laugh more.

  "What do you think you're doing skinner!? Didn't you hear the bell!" I immediately spun around to face the voice, a beast much bigger than the others stood in the way where you go to exit the mine shaft, blocking any light from that direction as it began to walk toward us.

  It glared down at us as I stood to confront it. "No," I told it. It looked me up and down before curving its body around me to look at Lea, I pushed Lea behind me as its eyes stalked her. "Problem?" it ignored me and stood straight, no doubt still being able to see her.

  "Yeah, kids aren't allowed in this block," what is this Deja Vu? "It would be a real shame if something were to happen to her while being in this block," It spoke, Yeah it would, but I'm not gonna let that happen, but I kept my mouth shut as it looked down at us.

  "We have a guest, I recommend that you go to the gathering area, I'm sure you already know what happens to those, who are late."
I thought at any moment the grin on the beast would spread off the sides of its face as it watched us leave, taking a glance back at it, it had its hands on its hips, the same grin present, I bit my lip.