Efferent

Chapter 10

Walking, walking, walking, walking. Step after step, our feet rising over brambles and underbrush and crushing them under our worn boots. That is all that we seem to do these days, and the strain began to wear me thin as the tension rose with each passing hour. Typically Clark and I would bicker, or he would give pointers on survivalist habits and behaviors.

Katherine, with her silent glares and soft footsteps, put a damper on our antics and suppressed any conversation with a stern glance. "We will arrive soon," She called over her shoulder, examining us both. "And I would prefer it if the two of you walked in front of me."

"Why?" I shrugged and answered back, halting my steps and gripping the straps of my pack. "You are leading the way to this bunker, this place of safety for us. We should be following you."

"I would prefer that the two of you," she emphasized lowly, "Clark and Ardyn, walk ahead of me so that I know that you are perfectly safe."

Clark raised an eyebrow as he glanced at me from the corner of his eye, but took me by the forearm and lead my in front of Katherine, picking up our pace as we passed her by. "Just," Clark sighed, "Just do it. She is doing us a favor."

"Clark," I clasped our hands together and tugged slightly, pleading. "Something does not sit right with me... her whole persona puts me on edge, really."

"How so?" Clark pinched his brows together, in a whispered tone, and yet I saw doubt creep in to his gaze as he looked back upon her. "She is leading us to safety, she is saving our lives, Ardyn."

"She seems much too stern." I shrugged without a solid answer, and looked to the ground sheepishly.

"She is battle hardened," He sent a drifting gaze back to assess her. Katherines eyes were staring straight and lifeless, as if they had been painted on. "She probably has been on the run much longer than us. Can you imagine what that could do to a person? What that would do?"

I shook my head, conceding the point. "I trust you, I just..." I trailed off.

He nodded. "I understand, Ardyn. There is nothing wrong here."

"We are less than a few feet away," Katherine called up to us, looking down at her compass. "We need to start heading north."

"North?" I whispered looking up at the sky, and then back at the direction that she was pointing. "Isn't that west?"

"I much as I admire your attempt at orienteering, Ardyn," Katherine offered snidely, "Nature is never as dependable as machinery. My compass says that that," She pointed back to where her hand originally was, "Is north."

The sun, fiery and casting it's hazy orange glow, was clearly setting in that direction. "Clark," I objected, but he shook his head.

"We are fine. She knows what she is doing." Clark said. Deciding to trust, I nodded.

"Keep walking," Katherine ordered. "We are almost there."

We trudged along, slowly marching, but a growing pressure crawled up the back of my neck and settled on my temples. I could sense the source's presence, almost see it in my mind's eye, but I couldn't feel it in a tangible form.

"Clark," I whispered, "Clark, I -." I heard a high pitched trilling which ruptured through my skull, reverberating around my brain and bringing me to my knees. I covered my ears tightly, but the sound easily penetrated the barrier.

I could feel myself taking in gasps of air to fuel the ongoing whimpers, and I could sense that Clark had fallen in a similar fashion. I tried to call upon my power, to bring it to an end. Nothing. Nothing worked, nothing could stop it, nothing.

The noise consumed every cavity, every spare inch of space I had, wasting any resolve and tearing down my barriers. I felt weak, and helpless.

I rolled on the soft earth, brambles sticking into my hair, and the trill echoed in my mind.

Katherine. It had to be Katherine.

I looked over, to see her, standing triumphantly with her thumb on top of a small, metal, cylinder. A smirk carved into her face, as she brought up her other hand in to my limited line of vision. The noise stopped, and the birds singing resumed, and here in Katherine's hand, was a very large needle.

"Wh-." I started out, unblinking. "What did y-you j-just do?"

"You mean this?" her voice vibrated through me as she gestured to the plain button box. "This is an alternative pitch resonator." She strode about, and I glanced to my left to see Clark unconscious with his mouth hanging open.

"What does it do?" Katherine asked, continuing her on sided reputation, "It debilitates Efferents with abilities, just like you." She laughed. "And I suppose your next question would be why, would it not be, Ardyn?"

I groaned, curling up into a ball, but still kept my eyes on her every movement. "Why, because I want it for myself you see." Katherine hummed. "The serum."

"I do not have it." I whispered hoarsely, head feeling heavy.

"You do!" Katherine took the syringe and the large needle, pointing them as my visible blue veins running through my translucent skin. "In there, you do have it Ardyn! And so does he."

"That is your plan? Your master plan?" I reiterated, "To inject our blood into your body in hopes that the serum is transferable?"

"Yes," She whispered, almost adoringly. "Yes, and there is nothing that you or your friend can do to stop me."

I panicked, as she cam closer, the needle aimed to pierce my skin. "You will be the first," Katherine offered. "And Clark will go next."

"No!" I protested, struggling against the heaviness setting in to all of my muscles. "No, you can not do this! Help! Somebody, Help!"

Katherine laughed, lunging forward and pricking my skin, but I shook her off and the needle went flying. "There is no one around, Ardyn. You are all alone."

"Help!" I shouted again, though I knew it was pointless. "Help!"

Katherine tracked down her syringe on the ground, and reached out to grab it, before it went flying out of her hands. It floated in the air hesitating, and the confusion only lead to the ongoing drowsiness that I had.

I watched, just barely able to keep my eyes pried open, as the syringe, still floating in the air, turned its point to Katherine and plunged deep into her chest.