Callidus Rising | Complete ✔️ | Book 1

8: Itch

It stops at the unnaturally cold building and rotates back so that the camera faces me.

I just stare in utter confusion.

What do you want? Why the hell were you just leaving me?

Lukas buzzes back a few feet, still facing me. Then he turns around and buzzes back away.

Oh, no. You're not thinking what I'm thinking are you?

I gulp.

My stomach feels like it is on fire and now the cramps are reaching my already weakened legs. Just standing up is hard. But... Walking?

You're even more crazy than I originally thought!

Out of nowhere, static fills my right ear. I place my palm over it, but that just makes it worse.

"I'm not crazy. You're crazy for not walking over here to where you can be helped when you can still move," it snaps.

I furrow my brows in concentration and irritation.

I put one pained foot in front of the other. Little jolts of what feel like electricity course throughout my body, making me stumble or double over with never-ending nausea.

This cannot just be "Heat Exhaustion" or "Heat Cramps".

I am just over halfway there.

Lukas keeps saying out-of-character encouragement, but it didn't really help.

I just keep on dragging myself down the sidewalk until I finally cannot anymore.

I stare at the corner as the little box flies around and disappears.

No way.

A high pitched noise echoes in my ears out of nowhere, and I hold my hands to my ears, doubling over.

What in the hell?

I lean up against the building, my entire body crying out at the pain moving through me.

Lukas, where did you go?

I run a hand through my hair and shake my head.

Shivers run through me and I'm drenched in sweat. My bag rests beside me on the dirty sidewalk, and I slide over to place my face on it.

I feel like I'm dying.

I blink and a tear slips free.

I hear shuffling not very far away, and I reluctantly attempt to lift my head.

I can't.

A familiar whirring noise fills my ears and I shake my head.

"Back so soon?"

Sarcasm drips from my voice and I cough weekly.

There's no response as the whirring continues and I hear a little click.

The distant shuffling gets even closer and soon I can hear separate footsteps.

Oh no. Victims? Scavengers?

Worry shoots through me like rain through the sky, and struggle to calm myself.

They're right up on me, and I finally muster the strength to raise my head.

In front of me, there are seven black-clad figures. Their masks shine unforgivingly and they're all packing blasters.

Their lace-up boots reflect the light, and it heads right into my eyes. The leader steps forward, and squats in front of me.

A black drone lands on his shoulder as he watches me, and the whirring noise fills my ears again.

My goggles darken significantly so that I can see.

He does some intricate hand signal and two of the people behind him move to grab me by both shoulders. I'm being dragged.

"If you're going to kill me," I whisper,

"Just do it."

I don't think any of them hear me because my boots continue to drag across the pavement, the noise an incessant itch at the back of my mind.

As I'm drifting, familiar static fills my right ear.

"Fifth to the left, four rows down," Lukas says.

What?

I struggle to keep awake, and his words swim through my head, and darkness takes over.

~~~~~~~~~~

A shorty chapter to quell your cliffhanger blues... And give you new ones ;). Not much today besides the usual: comment, vote (only if ya liked it), and tell me what you want to happen!
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