Jackson, Deborah: Heaven's Children (Earth Totem)

‘Blankets, they won’t make it without blankets.’ Nettles whispered to no-one in particular. She cupped the head of the youngest Eco in her lap, trying to rub life into her body. Her bottom lip was blue and her body shivered. Nettles knew it was only a matter of time. Someone touched her arm and she looked up to see a female Eco kneel beside her.

‘We don’t need blankets…we need to get out. Our power is outside.’

Nettles watched her gather the child in her arms, muttering to the faint light above them. The lucky ones that had survived the freezing were moving together, surrounding those less fortunate and Nettles moved away. She nudged Seth as the Ecos radiated a green light which pulsated over those that lay huddled and hurt beneath. It was something they had all heard of but never seen and for the first time she understood how connected they were. They seemed to meld, until they, like the totems, dissolved into the night.

The light from the moon cast reflective spots on the dome as Nettles snapped out of her trance. The ones that were left behind followed her upward gaze, pointing at the shadows that darkened the dome. Cramped conditions inside the cage made her paranoid. She noticed Amber waving at the dots that circled above frantically. Rage and suspicion filled her even further – it had to be a trap.

‘What are you doing Amber, calling more friends? Is this how you get your kicks, by freeing us to destroy us?’ Amber backed away as Nettles walked slowly towards her.

‘Shit, you’re in trouble now Amberrr.’ Seth sneered.

Amber held her hands up.

‘Wait, let me explain…’

Nettles waved her hands.

‘Explain? Explain this – look at what you’ve done? You helped her, for what? To become a monster?’ She looked Amber up and down before grabbing the front of her shirt.

‘Nettles, you’ve got every right to be angry with me but not now….listen.’ Amber rasps.

The noise from above had become louder, and cracks appeared in the opaque glass. It was only a matter of time before it broke. Nettles loosened her grip and Amber seized the opportunity to speak. She pointed to the dome.

‘It’s our, your group – Hawk and the others. They sent me back, but you have to help me.’

Nettles looked at her like she was insane.

‘The Ecos are outside. If we can disarm the frequency they can help their own.’ Amber gurgled as her windpipe was slowly crushed and small white dots started to appear in front of her eyes. Nettles stared at her for what felt like forever before the grip was loosened completely. Amber dropped to the ground, gasping for air.

The Ecos were calling their own, clusters of them swaying, prayer-like on their knees. The low mumble of their voices gave Amber goose bumps and she took the opportunity to peer into the adjacent room. The drones in there were still tapping into their consoles intently. They were not trained to guard which was confirmed by the noise beyond the console room and were quickly overwhelmed. A higher pitched alarm than before sounded through the chamber and Seth’s legs buckled as he held his head in pain.

‘The Harp perimeter is going into shut down.’ Nettles screamed at the clustered groups.

She looked at the drones and realised that by disconnecting them from their computers, they had triggered an alarm. Everyone froze, looking in horror as great pieces of opaque glass, followed by the large telescope smashed onto the floor, raising plumes of dust into the air. Flapping wings filled the room and within seconds, everyone was shouting and clambering over shards of glass to the exits. Grunts echoed from outside the open door. They had swept like a flock of sparrows at the guards, disorienting them. Some of those that clambered towards the exit stopped trying to get the attention of what they saw as relatives or friends, not drones. They had to be pulled away.

‘You have to leave them,’ Amber shouted. The full impact of what Anna was up to, hit them as they passed the large screens. Ships turned over in high seas by rogue waves, or beached whales and dolphins calling to their mates.

Only when they stumbled out of their prison and up the hallway stairs did they realise how deep they were. Growls and screams echoed through the hallways as they followed Amber towards the gated exit.

Outside, Nettles watched as everyone behind her ran across the slowly lifting drawbridge. Some jumped straight into their totems after being caged up for so long. Most were too weak and frail to complete their joining. She watched horrified by the desperate way some half crawled into the nearby forests. Their sobs and cries of pain from unused muscles were carried by the wind. She felt immobilised on the grass as she watched the strange metal antennae disappear into the ground. It took a few minutes for her brain to realise that the heavy breathing was hers. She gulped down the fresh air as tears poured down her face from the effort. Elated at being free, she watched as those on the ground and sky became smaller and smaller. Nettles frowned, wondering where Anna and her sidekick were lurking. The thought threatened her freedom and she quickly scanned the outlying crops of trees – thankful for the full moon. From what she could make out, they were alone. It didn’t make sense; she had seen how Anna raged about security. She had to be here somewhere. She just wished she knew where.

A flicker of movement caught Nettles attention. She nearly cried in relief at the sight of Amber sitting on the wet grass. Part of her knew she shouldn’t be feeling relief - Amber was more dangerous than any viper she had previously caught in her totem body. Amber was sitting on the wet grass – her knees drawn up to her chin rocking rhythmically. That’s when Nettles registered Seth’s absence and felt a sense of guilt that she hadn’t noticed earlier. She didn’t have to worry too long; Seth was running back towards her, waving his hands.

‘Hey…c’mon, we have to get away from here,’ he shouted, skidding to a halt in front of her. She looked over his shoulder before staring back at him questioningly. Seth coughed, shifting uncomfortably.

‘Babe, I’m sorry, I really thought you were behind me, I just had to get away from the noise.’ He stopped then, frowning at Amber who was still rocking, and growled. Nettles put her fingers on his mouth shaking her head again, this time more slowly, before turning to kneel in front of her. Amber seemed disconnected, and in shock. For a brief moment, she felt pity but not for too long. This friend,’ had nearly destroyed everyone and everything that she loved.

The thought propelled her forward, and she grabbed Amber by the shoulders, shaking her.

‘Anna….where is she? And where is that demon?’

‘Babe, we have to get out of here. If you like, I’ll get her to talk really quickly.’ Seth’s voice sounded hoarse but Nettles ignored him.

‘Amber? Where’s Anna? Where’s that thing she fawns over.

‘My angel?’ Amber mumbled.

Nettles felt the bile rise as she remembered the demon’s angelic face when he had turned up the frequency. She still couldn’t believe who he was and how easily he had deceived all of them. Amber must have known who he was, and the thought that she knew from the beginning made her feel ill. Was she that desperate for attention?

‘How could you be so stupid and blind?’ She shook her then and Amber’s head lolled forwards. Nettles let go, feeling weary. Wherever they were now, it was clear they weren’t interested in them, or they would have been caught. She stood up angrily, her fists clenching and unclenching.

‘It’s no use, she’s in shock.’

She didn’t have time to register the fierce growl or flash of movement from behind her. All she heard was a loud slap and watched as Amber rolled over into a heap. Nettles swung round to Seth who held his arms up.