darwinism00

[darwinism00]

Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6 GETTING TO KNOW YOU Duke stands up and she automatically wraps her arms around his neck. Still gripping her in his arms he lays her on the soft comforter, gently. She feels like she is on fire; not literally but within. Dukes body presses on top of hers. His shoulder are broad and flexed as he glides on top of her. Kissing her deeply as his breath increases he withdraws and in a breathy smile he whispers. “Breath Keera.” He gives a knowing wink and starts to kiss her neck, nibbling on her ear and working his way down her body. Keera briefly smiles and thinks about how sweet her name sounds on his lips. She then uses the meditation she had so painstakingly used with her anger and applied it to keep her ability at bay. Keera closes her eyes and breaths heavily and Duke kisses her stomach and thighs as he slowly removes her white lacy thong. She unlatches her matching bra from the front after a few deep breaths. Keep your cool Keera, keep your cool. She repeated in her head trying desperately to avoid the situation that occurred earlier. She felt like she was going crazy with how bad she wanted Duke. The realization came to her like a crash. Suddenly her legs shake as she pushes any rational thoughts to the back of her head. Later; she will psychoanalysis this. Later. She thinks briefly and she gives in to his kissing on her body. Breathing heavy she leans up on her elbows to toss the bra off meanwhile checking out this man. His tan skin is beautiful and all his tattoos gives him a bad boy side she always craves in men but never knew he had. He slowly touches the tops of her feet softly caressing his way up her body. She tilts her head back and moans. His touch feels like honey. Warm soft honey that leaves a cloud as a reminisce instead of a sticky residue. When he works his way back to her lips she latches on like a succubus needing a fix. He gently and slowly kisses her back leaving waves of tingles in her belly and groin. She thrusts her hips towards him feeling a rather large shaft growing hard against her skin up to her belly button and she gets a feeling of satisfaction at this. She doesn't remember ever being so turned on and so desperate for a man to be inside her. Duke pulls back and looks at her, studying her face and then body. He was breathing heavy himself now. “Bloody hell love, you are absolutely stunning.” Keera smiles thinking about all the guys that have called her hot or sexy and yet they all seemed like empty compliments. She knew she had a sex kitten type body but at the end of the day it was just that. A meat sack. When Duke complimented her though it felt like recognition from a man who was worshipping her not one that just wanted to say something nice in order to get a porn star for the night. Keera reaches down touching his now rock hard form through his underwear and locks eyes with him. Flutters run up from her belly and into her chest. She reaches her right leg up to catch the back of his boxer/briefs on her toe and pushed her leg down to get them down to his ankles. They both smile and laugh as Duke shakes his leg to get them to the floor like a dog shaking a wet foot. She strokes the back of his neck and stars at his face admiring him. “You have the most delicious mouth I have ever tasted.” She bit her lip knowing she was letting her sexual side out but didn't feel embarrassed. Instead she felt empowered as Duke smiled with a sort of hunger in his eyes. It was an odd feeling not putting on a sex crazed porn star show but an amazing one as well. She felt oddly comfortable with him. Like they were made for eachother. Keera positions herself for him to plunge inside her and thrusts her hips. His arms are under her shoulders cradling her head and neck. He kisses her deeply and then enters her slowly tightening his grip as he holds himself still when he is all the way inside her. She gasps, in pleasure breaking their kiss, still not blinking from his eyes. She usually finds it creepy when guys stare when they have sex but this felt like they were in another dimension. Slowly working his way back to the tip he plunges back in and holds. Tiny beads of sweat are forming on Duke’s forehead and dripping down to the tips of his dark thick hair that is falling forward leaving him to look much younger than he actually was. Keera is so worked up she feels like she might explode. Again the same thing and by the fifth stroke she does just that. Metaphorically that is. She cries out in ecstasy finally closing her eyes. As her core tightens and contracts Duke moves his head to the side. The candles that were melted into a heap each bared a blue flame that shot a foot into the air. “I can feel you love.” He whispers in her ear as she climaxes harder and longer than she had ever before. She wraps her legs around him and claws his back as though to never let go of this sensation or him. Duke moans out loud and Keera could feel him pulse inside her. He collapses to the side pulling Keera tight to him in an embrace. Keera’s legs shook so hard she knew if she stood she would walk like a newborn bambi. Her voice was hoarse and in need of a drink of water. She lay next to him drenched in sweat. Duke stroked her arm and hair and softly kissed the top of her head that was sliding onto his chest that was drenched. Both of them were panting; hearts pounding. He holds her tight with both arms and kisses her forehead again. “I think that was Heaven.” He says finally. They both laugh. There was no awkwardness for either of them. Keera usually is long gone before any occurs but she can feel it coming. “Love? Can you not burn my flat down?” Duke asked casually looking up to the candles that now had yellow flames at about six inches in height. She laughed and calmed her heart and snuffed out the flames. She lay limp in his arms high from this feeling. This feeling of walking on clouds. I guess Amanda was right, she thinks to herself and chuckles. “Am I that funny?” Duke asks looking down as to catch Keera’s expression. “There are a lot of words I could use to describe you but funny is not one of them.” She giggles a bit and Duke belly laughs. His laugh was rich and youthful and made her heart flutter. She loved that sound, She continues to laugh. “Oh is that so? Then what words would you use to describe me?” His crisp accent was so close to her ear she could tell he was lifting his head up towards her. She takes a deep serious breath and lifts her head to meets his gaze her silky blonde hair falling onto Duke’s chest. “Well so far you are extremely giving.” She catches a shy smile from Duke and kisses his chest averting her eyes to his intricate tattoo under her lips. She moves her hips so her belly is leaning against his side. “Sexy.” She kisses his collar bone. “Smart.” Then she kisses his neck. Duke closes his eyes as Keera puts her hand under his neck rubbing her fingers through his hair. She swings up on top of him straddling him. She pulls back feeling the heat come to her cheeks a new sign she is becoming aware of as not blushing but a sign of her ability starting to spill over out of her container of control. Sitting up she looks at Duke’s face and smiles at his angular features. How did she not jump him from the get go? Keera wondered to herself letting a smile come across her face. Dukes hair is still tousled across his forehead giving him a boyish charm. He grips her thighs with his hands and says. “You are so gorgeous.” Keera looks at him not knowing what to say whenever she hears those words from a guy. “You have this energy inside you that shines through.” Duke sits up cupping Keera’s face and gives her a soft passionate kiss. “It's weird to say I know but I have felt drawn to you since I laid eyes on you.” Keera had butterflies in her stomach again. She smiles nervously which was an odd feeling for her to have. Her long hair lays over one shoulder. Dukes brushes it behind her and tucks it behind her ear to kiss her once more. Almost breathless she whispers. “Me too. Like you were made for me.” Normally she would feel corny saying this but in this moment no one was there who cared. Just him and her both feeling vulnerable for each other. His eyes reached deep inside her and in that moment she knew. She was in love. The dumbest thing a person like her could do. She kissed him deeply, leaning down to reach his lips. Her hair cascading over Duke’s face. He kisses her breasts twirling his tongue around her nipple, grasping her ass in one hand and her breast in the other. Before she lets herself go she breaths and focuses her mind. She grabs his face and kisses him fiercely rocking her hips back and forth. Duke grabs her hips helping her up to insert himself in her. He is still sitting up as she slowly rocks her hips back and forth building up the sensation over what seems like eternity. Dukes caresses her back and moves with her. For the first time ever Keera knows what it's like to make love. The awareness of this causes her to smile in the middle of a kiss as she climaxes. “Im cumming” She whispers out. Duke hugs her tight to him holding her. She can feel him finish right after her and she collapses onto his chest after he does the same onto his back. Her hair lays clinging and sticking to their sweaty bodies. They both laugh a bit and she lays her head on Duke’s chest and traces her finger along his tattoo while listening to his racing heart beat slow. Duke runs his fingers through her hair breathing in her scent. “What does this mean?” Keera asks breaking the silence. She traced the tattoo over again. She could hear Duke's heart rate pick back up. Keera raised her head to read his expression. He was looking straight up as if the stars were shining through the ceiling. She didn't like that he didn't meet her gaze but waiting for his response anyways. “It is called a Aum symbol. It's a Sanskrit word that describes the single most important song in the universe. It was the first and highest word to be spoken. It represents the beginning and the holiest of words, and encompasses the cosmos and the mystic world.” An awkward silence follows obvious tension in Duke's body. Keera speaks “So basically it's the Hindu peace sign.” She laughs first and then Dukes catches on. Keera can sense Dukes hesitation in answering her questions about his tattoos so she keeps quiet and scans the room. When her eyes fell on the picture of the boy in the greenhouse she studies the face and smile of the young long haired boy in the frames picture. “Is that you in that picture?” She points. “Yes that is. Elephants are sacred in my family and so we use to travel and meet one's from all over the world. That one was in Africa. Her name was Splinter and she gave me the honor of a handshake. Well an elephant hand shake.” Keera moves her eyes to the picture of the figure petting the elephant. “Oh wow. I was talking about the other one.” Duke smiles, raising his chest. “Well yes that one is me too. I actually.” He pauses hesitating to continue. “I helped develop the first hybrid plant.” His chest stops moving as if he is holding his breath. “Seriously?” Keera says. She raises her head to meet his face. “That amazing!” Her energy was like a shot of caffeine in the morning, It was explosive. Duke smiles. He never got to see this side of Keera yet. She always was energetic and happy at work but mostly sarcastic. She had never given him any attention and her praise seemed extremely humbling to him now. “Well with my ability I learned which plants could talk to one another or were compatible with one another.” Keera laid her head quiety back on his chest listening intently. Keera thought that looking at him was probably making him insecure and to talk about his ability was a huge step. “What do you mean talk to each other?” Keera asked after a pause. “Well it's like a soft humming. Different plants humm in different patterns and different frequencies and some when matched harmonize. I was at a facility in Africa and when my Helmeliac plant was presented it won an award and grant. My family was so proud of me.” Duke seemed reminiscent on the last part pausing long enough to indulge in a memory before continuing. “ I had a mentor that took me in and set me up with this sort of apprenticeship. We were poor and this helped my brother and parents have food and clothes and a good life. It was the first hybrid plant that offered something more. My plant let off helium. It was something fun. Eventually I came up with the super oxygen based plants that allowed for higher levels of oxygen to be expelled and a few other strains. Once I developed a few strains it created a pattern for them to follow. But unlike me they couldn't hear the plants. They started pearing ones that didn't sound right together. They created hybrids that caused toxic gas. To me I couldn't even stand to be in the same room as them. It was like nails on a chalkboard. When I finally said enough was enough and decided to leave my mentor threatened to report my abilities to the government. I never told anyone about them but him and he used them against me. I stayed for a few months until they started other experimentations. I had life insurance and named my family as the beneficiary and ran. They all think I'm dead and that God awful place is gone. I had money stashed away, but I needed a job that allowed me to fly under the radar which is why I tried working at Bob’s wings and things. Well that and the fact that you bumped into me on the street wearing your work shirt.” “Wait what?” Keera asks rolling to her side to face Duke. She was trying to remain quiet in order to let him talk but this she had to know. He smiles a shy smile and continues his story. “Well yes. You were in a hurry trying to catch the light rail and I saw you walking from half a block away. Did you know you bounce when you walk?” He laughs softly. Keera remains quiet trying to remember the day he is talking about. “You ran and right before you passed me a guy called something crude at you and you turned your back to me to flip him off. I caught wind of your hair. You smelled like sugar cookies.” Duke squeezes Keera in his arms and kisses her forehead again breathing her in. I glanced at the back of your shirt and went straight there to apply. Doug said he would keep me off the books after I explained that a bunch of my papers were lost in a fire. He said that way they wouldn't have to pay workmans comp or anything. I knew nothing about bartending but figured what the hell if I got to see you.” Keera didn't know what to say. She felt this overwhelming sense of security in this. Which seemed crazy she thought. Or maybe it was because she knew that if he didn't tell her this story that she would never tell him the real reason she tracked him down. It was because she felt the same way. She gathers the words in her head trying to rip the sarcasm from them. Emotions were not her strong suit. “Yeah well I have never trekked down shitty employees to check on them before just so you know.” Duke gave a quick chuckle and this time Keera hugged him. She listened to his heart rate quicken. “Well then since we are letting it all out on the table you must know that with my ability I am not exactly legal either.” She can't look at him. She has never been able to talk to anyone about her even having an ability or all the stress and luggage that comes with it either. “Oh yeah? You mean you've burnt up guys that can't heal themselves in the past?” Keera pauses remembering the first guy she lost her virginity to. It was over so fast there was no heat needed. Maybe that was part of the facade of being a sex kitten with guys. No emotions and no out of control power? She wondered this silently to herself for a moment. “No actually you are the first. Maybe its because you have an ability to?” Duke stroked her hair then said. “Or maybe its because you feel something non superficial.” It was like he read her thoughts and then she had to ask, “Do you read thoughts to? What exactly is your ability?” She sat up knowing that her question was invasive but didn't care. She wanted, no she needed to know. “I'll show you mine if you show me yours.” Keera says in a childish tone while she sat cross on her feet and placed her hands in her lap. Duke smiles and reached up to caresses Keera’s cheek. Well as far as I know it's all healing. I heal myself and plants and small animals.” “Can you heal other humans?” Keera asked as if she was a child in school excited about the subject they were studying. She crosses her legs into an indian style to face him wrapped in the soft sheets, long hair thrown over one shoulder. “Sort of.” Duke says furrowing his brows. “I can heal small things. It takes a lot out of me. With plants it's like breathing life into them. Like I'm breathing out anyways and that energy is being recycled into the healing. When I am healing myself it's like running. Depending on the injury it's like wearing my muscles out. When I try and heal someone else.” He pauses looking for the right words to explain it. “It's like draining my life force. Like I'm doing a transfusion.” I can recover but it takes time.” Keera speak up. “Wow thats amazing! How did you learn to control it? I've worked all my life to control mine and it still gets away from me, as you can tell.” She looks down. Dukes reaches out to tilt her chin up. “You are amazing! All of you and your ability is part of who you are. It just comes from a different part of you. Mine comes from the control aspect of me. Making sure everything is neat and tidy is part of my compulsion to control my ability. When I was a boy I over grew my mother’s garden in a tantrum and nearly wrecked our house. Its my emotions I have to control. For instance my mentor found out about my abilities because of the way I reacted to a situation. A girl climbing a tree in Africa fell. I had come to love her spirit throughout the months. She brought us water from the river for money to feed her family. She broke her leg and would not be able to make the journey to the river to collect water for her family or for us to make her family money. Her mother had just bared another child and this was crucial to their survival for them. Instead of taking the time to assess the situation such as waiting to heal the girl's leg when I knew we were in complete solitude I healed it right away which caused my mentor to witness I had an ability and caused me to have a seizure. Duke looks back to the ceiling. “When my loved ones are on the line I act without my strongest attribute which is my mind.” Keera nodded in understanding. “You.” He lifted his finger to touch her nose. “Your passion is where I think your fire comes from. I knew of a boy in africa who had something similar. The war hit and the government took his family, his baby sister, mother and father. In a rage and heartbreak he burned the entire village to the ground. Including survivors, what enemies that where left and himself. It was said that he was a figure of a man made of lava and burned everything with a fire that was said to of burned for a year after his death or the figure of the man walked no more. They had a spiritual name for him but knowing what I know about myself I figured he had an ability that consumed him. He was nine years old. But legends exaggerate I guess. I don't want to tell you how you feel though, it's just what I think. What do you think?” Keera paused for a minute picturing the man walking on fire and it resonated deep within her. She clears her throat. “Um I'm not sure. I always tied it to anger. I mean before I met you that is.” She laughs softly. “But I think you are right in a way. For me it feels like a little camp fire with stones around it. When I get a little angry the embers starts to fly and then when i get more angry I feed fuel to that fire and the fires started raging outside its containment area so to speak.” She played with the end of her hair with her fingers looking for a better way of explaining it. “For example when I started at Bob’s place I would break the coffee pots a lot. People would piss me off and I would walk to the back to cool off my temper and I made the coffee heat up way too hot and they would break. Until today that hasn't happened in years. I tried smoking pot but that made it worse and less predictable and I hate drugs with a passion. It just takes extreme concentration and breathing techniques. With you it's more like a pot boiling over. Its different. It's not like a fire at all but hot water boiling over and I have to breath to calm it. It's so hard to explain because I never have had to.” Keera notices she is playing with her fingers now not looking at Duke at all. “You mean you have never told anyone?” He asks softly. Keera just shakes her head. Tears start to prick her eyes. “Well I did tell one person and he died because of it.” She wipes her face with her arm in wonder. Am I fucking crying? She asks herself in disbelief. Jesus her emotions were everywhere. She lays in Duke's arms immediately to avoid unnecessary emotional confrontation. He wraps his arms around her and kisses her forehead once again not pushing the subject that she most definitely did not want to talk about. Man she loved when he did that. It was such a small comforting gesture. “Enough talking for one night?” Duke says into her hair. Keera just shakes her head yes. Duke again does not push and Keera smiles at this. She squeezes him as to almost say thank you without actually having to say it and he does the same in return. She lays there listening to his heart beat as his body relaxes and she can feel him drift off to sleep. She feels more relaxed than she has ever felt in her life. Like she's home in a way. Like she's finally not alone. Keera went to sleep smiling that night and for the first time in a very long time she didn't even dread dreaming.

[darwinism00]

Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 SEEING THROUGH WALLS (We are approaching the Montrose stop. Exits will be on my left.) The British robot voice calls over head. Keera stands to exit the tran cart. Outside were street sweeping robots and mandated recycle bins on every sidewalk corner. She normally didn't travel this far North in Chicago and couldn't fathom why Duke would get a job so far South from where he lived. As she walked to the address on the sticky note she tried to rationalize it. He is probably a fucking Hunter sent to kill me. She scolds herself. But then why would he quit? She found herself having this argument with herself all the way to his building. She looked up at the sky scraper with bared in balconies that had hybrid plants peaking their way through. These plants were engineered for air support in higher altitudes and they doubled as light at night when they glowed in the dark. They were a newer invention from New Vegas so they were very expensive. “He's fucking rich.” She mumbles out in disappointment. She stared at the grey building trying to image which unit was his. They all had white blinds drawn down for privacy. Her eyes followed the floors cascading up into the sky. The floors where at least narrow, like 4 units per floor Keera guessed. The problem was that the front entrance was a brass bar security door that lets you into the corridor that had a thick glass door which both required a form of security to enter that she did not have. Now what? Keera mentally kicked herself. She paced back and forth for about 20 minutes until she saw someone that swiped their card to get in. Stopping mid pace she followed the older man in. He had grey, short, well kept hair but was attractive for someone who looked to be in their late 40s. He wore an expensive suit and carried a bag of Groceries that read Organic Food Basket on the front. When the man gave her an alarmed look she smiled and said “Thank you for holding the door. I was told I had a package and I am in a hurry.” If Keera was good at anything it was making up a story on the spot, though she only did this when it was deemed necessary. The man smiled back and after a quick glance at her cleavage mumbles the words. “My pleasure.” and continued to the elevator staring shamelessly at Keera until the doors to the elevator closed shut. Keera leaned down to read the names on the mail port plaques that lines the wall magnificently. The whole inside the building was completely different than the outside so far. Instead of a modern look it had a antique decor and was well kept. Old paintings of the city in the 1900s were hanging on the beige colored walls and the few pieces of furniture looked as if they belongs in some upper North side Library. There were plants in the lobby but nothing genetically altered. Keera focused on the names, if she didn't find Dukes name he is a hunter sent to capture or kill her. If she did he was a lousy bartender that had hypnotized her into having romantic feelings for the first time in a very very long time. She followed along reading each name on the port plaques. These were used so that if you had a package you placed your key card into the slot with your name on it. The plaque then distributed a ticket. Then you place that ticket in a slot at the front office that had your package on hold. Most apartments on the ground didn't have a port station in them. Usually you had to bring your ticket to the local port stop but this apartment building was in a nice part of town and obviously cost enough to afford one in house. She continued to scan the names on the next floor. Dr. Mary Ghindi Scott Nelson Scott Whitmore Duke Koli She looked again and her heart started to race. Jesus I am so nervous. She thought with her hands shaking. “Fourth floor” she whispered out loud. He actually lived here. Holy shit! She yelled in her head. She was actually doing this. Room 402 is what the plaque read. In order to use the elevator you had to have a key card so Keera prompted to use the stairs. As she reached the fourth floor she felt light headed from all the adrenalin pumping through her veins. Why am I this nervous? She thought as she shook her hands as if she could shake the nervousness out. She paced back and forth taking deep calming breaths. Just fucking do it Keera! She yelled at herself and knocked two ticks on the door. When there was no answer she pounded. God dammit how fucking dare he make me feel this way and then quit she rationalizes in anger in her head. She felt like she was going crazy. Is this how stockers feel? She thought briefly giving her actions a quick evaluation. Just then the door slowly swung open to Duke, wearing boxer briefs, messy tousled hair, and nothing else. His lean tanned muscles flexed as he rubbed his eyes because Keera had obviously woke him from the dead. He looks at her with such a shocked expression she was rendered once again speechless; for a moment. Then, once again words just began tumbling out of her mouth with no controle. “I really don't like wasting my time Duke!” She glared and pointed her finger giving his bare hairless chest two jabs before inviting herself in walking right past him to continue her fumbling rant. If she had time to process her thoughts at that moment she would notice how clean and neat his apartments was. He had an intricate hand made looking Indian rug hung on the wall and trinkets that look to either be family airlooms or Indian collectors items lining the walls on floating shelves. He also had a picture frame of some soccer team and the British flag hanging up. There were noticeably a crazy amount of plants and a lot of high tech gadgets, a comic book display and enough video games that if he decided to sell would probably put a store out of business. Yes, he was in fact a geek. Keera thought after a quick glance. She turned on her heel to face him in sudden silence and he slowly closes the door not daring to say a word. He just stares at her with those eyes. Drinking her in. She hardly knew what the hell she had said so she blurted out. “Well?” raising her hands in frustration and a sort of embarrassment. He looks to the ground and says “Well, since you're here would you like some tea?” His eyebrows raise up and he gives her the most handsome grin she has ever laid eyes on. She melted inside and felt like an explosion of butterflies got released into her stomach and even though she preferred coffee she found herself sitting on a stool at Dukes kitchen bar in silence watching him make tea in his underwear. Her senses were so heightened and she was so nervous that she couldn't stop her mind from vibrating long enough to form intelligent sentences. So she sat quietly letting her mind wonder. It was like she had been lost in space and now she suddenly is being pulled to something or someone. Like she was a planet and Duke was the sun. She almost hated this feeling but she found herself craving it more. It was like this awful drug that was slipped to her and now she couldn't help but seek out another hit. Craziness be damned. Is this was dipping was like? She mentally gagged at the thought of injecting that poison into her veins. The vision she had burnt into her mind of the last time she saw her mother was reminder enough that nothing was worth that much sacrifice. Then she thought of Albo and the first time they kissed. She opened up to him and blurted out with a shaky voice. “You're my drug.” Albo smiled an endearing smile and then very seriously said. “And you are my peace.” That was the moment she knew without a doubt that Albo would be the love of her life. However now Keera was feeling guilty as her chest hollowed out at the thought of comparing Albo to anyone else. She just didn't think this feeling could exist anymore inside herself. She watched Duke’s lean muscles flex. He has intricate symbols tattooing his back, shoulders and chest with a flat stomach which lead her to be pleasantly surprised. God why am I so infatuated with him? She continued to talk to herself in her head. He turns with two tea cups on saucers in his hands and nods his head to the couch. As they sit down Keera takes one of the saucers from Dukes shaky hand and makes a mental note to tease him about the floral print of the couch sometime in the future. If she sees him again after this. She thought. A laugh slices through the silence. “Ha.” Duke laughs out nervously. “Guess I should get some clothes on.” He says as he looks down and realized that he is still only in his boxers. Keera smiles and says “So now you're embarrassed? You don't have anything I havent seen plenty of times.” Well that came off as incredibly slutty Keera! She yells at herself inside her head. She goes to say something else to correct her statement but then thinks better of it. She just can't talk around him. “Look I am really sorry but you and I both really know that I am not cut out for that job. I really thought I was doing everyone a huge favor.” Duke blurted out while looking down. He just looks at his cup sort of rubbing the tip of his finger on the rim. Not knowing what to quite say Keera blurts out. “Well I know you cut yourself are you ok?” Keera reaches for his hand and grabs it. She was half curious and half desperate to touch him. She feels a soft amazing electrical charge shoot through the fingertips and up her arm. Her breath hitches. She looks at his hand flipping it over to see nothing there. She glances to Duke's face to read his expression but he wouldn't look at her so she grabs his other one to see the same. They are perfect and large and warm. Her chest is moving in large breaths when she looks to his face again. His eyebrows are furrowed in concern and anticipation. Those eyes send cold liquid joy and fear down her spine. Fear of rejection and the unknown. When he looks up and their eyes locked they slowly move closer like magnets unable to move in any other direction. Her lips touch his and they are even better than her dream, soft but firm. She feels an explosion in her chest, desire takes over and she smashes into him. She climbs on top of him and tangles her hands into his hair holding on like she may fly into pieces from everything she is feeling and bursting out of her. He is kissing her with the same intensity. Gripping one hand on her thigh and the other in the small of her back. Duke pulls her close and as tight as he can to him. She rocks her hips back and forth feeling his bulge grow and she wants nothing more than to feel him inside her. She has never felt lust like this. No not lust but desire. Its burning her up inside hotter than any fire she could ever start. He kisses her neck and she tilts her head back. He kisses the part of her breast that are bulging out of her dress. Her lungs burning for air. Duke groans and pushes her hips down into him. She parts his lips gently to make her way in. sucking at him, biting him gently, tasting him. She is hot, sizzling for him. She hears a shatter of glass behind her and glances back to see both tea cups broken on the coffee table and steam still lingering in the air. Then she hears sizzling and looks down to see Dukes mouth burning in almost blisters, and charred hand marks where her hands were on his chest. She jumps back across the room in pure horror. Closing her eyes she calmed herself quicker than she ever has so that she could rush to his aid. “Fuck.” She barely breathes out fumbling to the floor on her knees she clumsily crawls to his feet. He sits there with his head back and fists to his chest breathing heavily with his eyes closed. “I'm so sorry Duke I didn't mean to. I have never.” She didn't know what to say. Tears ran down her face uncontrollably. She had never cried in front of anyone but her mother and that was a quick lesson learned. He couldn't even look at her from the pain. He was breathing in large even breaths not saying anything. She ran to grab her cell out of her purse but knocked it to the floor in her panic. When she retrieves her phone she drops it fumbling to get the code to her hand print to work. She had charred her prints off again and it usually takes a few days for them to come back. She needs to use her backup passcode but since she hasn't had any accidents in forever she couldn't remember it! “FUCK!” She cries out in frustration. “Put the phone down Keera I'm fine.” Keera looked up, shaking, tongue numb from anxiety and mascara running down her face to see Duke standing up looking at her in perfect condition. No burn marks, no blisters, no nothing. Just eyes that bored into her very soul. Knowing eyes. Someone that knew her secret. A secret she had kept from her closes of friends and had her on the run most of her life. “We should talk.” Duke says hands raised like Keera was pointing a gun at him. And then before she could respond the numbing moved down her arms and into her vision. Her last thought was that she was having a full blown panic attack, just like the ones Angel has, before darkness claimed her and she passed out. Last thing she remembers is Duke running to catch her before she hit the floor. Keera awoke coughing. She couldn't breath. Where's mommy? she frantically thought. Mommy may be taking one of her naps on the couch which were impossible to wake her from. Keera contemplated in her adolescent mind. There was no space to breath, and the thick fog of smoke started blanketing her every sense so she couldn't see. She rolled to the floor and under her bed dragging her once white teddy with one eye with her. She cuddles him fiercely as if without him she may fly away like an ember in a fire floating off into the sky. Her chest burned and she couldn't cry out but the tears in her eyes helped with the stinging. She clasps her tiny hands around her teddy even tighter and wished harder than she had ever wished that it would stop. She yelled stop even though no sound seemed to come out. The sound of the fire eating in loud continuous chomps was too much. She lays there screaming for eternity she felt until she had no more tears to cry, no more breath to scream and no more strength to go on. She closed her eyes and wished to be taken away. When the firefighter found her she was asleep under her bed and everything else around her was ash. They couldn't explain it at the time but she wasn't harmed. Her bed sit in tact. When she is woken she is tucked into the arms of a frantic fire fighter yelling words she couldn't make out. Her ears rang and her blonde braid is mostly undone causing soft waves to cascade over his uniform that is dusted with soot. She grasps him tightly trying to wake up from this dream. Her feet are freezing as they hit the frigid December air with no socks. Though it didn't snow in the desert the nights would still get unbearably cold. She can't tuck them in so she just curls her toes and thinks about the heat she was blanketed in. Her oversized pajamas hang loose on her frame and her Teddy is barely held on, pinched between her thumb and forefinger by its arm. When she passes what was the couch she cant help but glance at the ashes that sat in a mound in a body forming her mother. The images flash of her mother that have so many times been burned into her six year old mind of her mother passed out in that very spot after coming home drunk. Keera’s mother was unable to be woken from either the alcohol or the high on whatever drug that would keep her comatose for long periods of time before her next fix. Keera does not cry because she has no tears left. She simply stars at the ashes that once was her mother and etch them into her memory; locking them in a box deep in her mind for later mourning. Mourning that took place at night in the dreams that terrorised her almost every sleeping moment. When she thinks about the dreams that terrorised her childhood and young adulthood she connects the dots to a scene that is actually a memory and not currently taking place and wakes up in a whimper. She opens her blurry eyes scanning the room like she often does when searching for something. She was in a large room with white walls. A picture hung of an elephant being pet by a young boy in Africa if she had to guess. The next framed picture was of a greenhouse of exotic looking plants and a young man looking to be 16,dark brown skin with long dark hair smiling and holding a particularly peculiar plant in a pot posing for the picture. The dresser underneath was grey with silver knobs. Everything on top of the dresser was perfectly aligned, nothing was strewn about. The floor was hard wood with middle eastern looking rugs placed about. Keera looked up to see the bed had a soft material tied to the long posts of the bed creating a curtain like effect. The bed was large and soft swimming in white sheets and a feather filled comforter and about a half dozen pillows. She rolled over still collecting her thoughts. She caught eye of a side table with candles that had looked to be burnt all the way through their wicks. All six laid in a mound of melted wax placed onto a brown circle board. Before she could take anything else in her eyes settled on a figure. He sat leaning back in a brown antique looking wicker chair. One foot was resting on his other leg almost crossed. His hand was over his goatee as though he was thinking but at his face there was only evidence of concern and angst. Like he was waiting for a mother to get out of a highly risky surgery type expression. She sits up clearing her parched throat avoiding his grief stricken eyes as the events that played out earlier come rushing back to her. She looked to the window and saw that it had no light shining through. “What the Fuck Duke it's dark! I'm supposed to be at work” she yells in a raspy voice while ripping the covers off of her and jumping to the cold hardwood floor. “No it's fine.” Duke says as he stands up, hands out as if he is following a toddler just learning to walk. Annoyed Keera stopped and then realized she was naked. Well in her thong and lacy bra but still. “You strip me down and then make me late for work?” she continues towards her shoes no dress in sight. “I got your shift covered. Angel is working for you. I told her you were sick.” Duke says in a hurry and follows her as she heads towards the two light brown boots in the corner that she recognized to be hers. “You what?” Keera says thinking how she couldn't believe that her BFF would ever buy that story. Duke reaches for Keera hand. “Are you ok love? How are you feeling?” Keera jerks away in an automatic reaction to being grabbed and snaps. “You had no right!” Taking a quick glance at his worry stricken face and instantly regrets her candor. “Well then what would you have me do?” Duke pleaded trying to catch Keeras gaze, worry painting his. “You were out cold, dress was burnt up and you were having devilish dreams.” Keera felt more naked than before. What did I say in my sleep? She asked herself frantically and instantly angry with herself for putting her into this situation to feel humiliated. “Yeah well I have never called in!” is all she could muster up to say in a half hearted tone, avoiding Duke’s eyes as she grabs her boots up and turns quickly; instantly getting dizzy and losing her footing. As she falls to the floor she anticipates the pain of the fall but is irritated that she is dizzy enough to fall in the first place. Panicked at the thought of missing work and a small part of her is embarrassed to be falling once again in front of Duke, or whoever he actually is. Her butt and thigh hits the floor but her waste is grasped tightly in warm gripping hands. Hands that are connected to firm, tone forearms wrapping their way behind her and crushing her body protectively against him. She gets goosebumps from her neck down her arms when he whispers into her ear through her hair. “I got you love.” Even though she is stable and sitting down on the intricate woven rug his grip doesn't let up. She can feel his inhale of her hair from behind and she closes her eyes giving into his protection. Such a strange addiction to have. she thought quickly while goosebumps painted her again from his breath down her neck. She could feel his heart pounding against her back as he held her. She feared that this was all a game, just a ruse to catch her and her abilities but when the memory of Dukes abilities and how he healed himself pop into Keera’s head she thought better of it and took the leap. She leans back to read his expression and when she locks in on those eyes his intentions were no longer of any concern to her. She looks from his lips to his eyes tilting her chin a fraction closer to his, testing him. He looks almost pained with his eyes furrowed probably thinking the same thing she is. Torn between desire and rationality. Does he really want me or is this an act? Keera thinks despite moving a little closer and raises her hand to the back of his neck stroking it in encouragement. He closes his eyes at her touch and then tightens his grip around her turning her onto his lap. She responds greedily pressing into his lips with a feverish lust. She tangles a hand in his hair and scratches his back with the other. He pulls back grabbing her wrists with his hands, breathing heavily. “I'm sorry.” Keera says searching his face for injury. Duke smiles softly though his eyes are still shut. “I'm fine love, let's take this slower.” He opens his penetrating eyes to look to her for validation. Keera was confused by the notion. Did he think I was a slut and thought sex on a whim was bad? She thought self consciously. Duke releases her wrists and places her hands on his chest. He then cups her face with his warm hands staring straight into her eyes almost as a sort of permission. His brows furrow and Keera felt vulnerable. She for once did not feel in control and she was leaving it that way trusting Duke with the wheel. Butterflies felt like they were flying through her whole body now. Duke slowly and softly kisses her mouth. His hands released her face and while one stroked her left hand in a soft caress the other rubbed the small of her back leaving goosebumps up and down her arms and legs. He softly kisses her mouth parting her lips and working his tongue in to taste her. He tightened his hand on her back and the soft strokes turned to rubs as his kisses got more passionate and deeper. He seemed so confident and sure but she could feel his heart racing underneath her palm which set her mind at ease.

[darwinism00]

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 FEELING LIKE AN ASSHOLE Keera dreams vividly that night. She dreamed of a life she left long ago. She was in a large room with light grey carpet, wood paneling on the walls, light silver mandated furniture and firefighter posters on two of the five walls. The old American Flag was displayed over one wall almost covering the 10x10 ft space completely giving the small room a even cozier feel. There was posters of old American soldiers giving a salute back in the late 1990’s and family photos displayed around the neatly kept room. She quickly recognized the bedroom of Albo. There was an Albanian eagle Carbon in a frame on the wall above the beds headboard and Soccer and basketball trophies on hand made shelves by the window she was always welcomed through. Keera’s heart started pounding. She immediately knew this was a dream but it had been so long since she had dreamed of Albo that she played along with the dream sequence. This after all was the only way she got to see him anymore. Albo was about 15 she thought. He was sitting on the bed with his hands folded and clenched together. His elbows were resting on his knees and his head was bowed as if he was contemplating something intensely. Keera reached for him and gently touched the back of his shoulder. Like she was approaching a feral animal that only she could tame. He took in a deep breath when her fingers touched his shoulder and he seemed to hold that breath. There was some sort of electrical charge between them that she had almost forgotten about. A memory of her touching Duke flashed into her head and before she lost this moment she shook it off. This was her moment with Albo. Her memory that was so precious she couldn't lose it. Not even for Duke. The words came out even though she didn't consciously think to say them. “Albo please talk to me. That's all I ever want.” Albo’s muscles that had quickly developed over the last few years of puberty flexed through his thin sheen of a grey t-shirt. “I know babe I'm just trying to find the right words.” He says without looking at her. He sucks in another breath and turns to Keera who was laying on her side on the bed behind him. She knew what she was doing to him and for once she didn't care. She wanted him. Her body had came into form with a vengeance and puberty had been good to her. Her breasts were large and her hips were curved. Her once stringy blonde hair had grown thicker now that she took care of it and the waves that once were a mangled mess where soft and flattering to her feminine physique. Her lips always had a gloss and her long lashes that framed her light green eyes were coated with mascara. The more she changed the more guys at school took notice and finally gave her positive attention but she didn't care either way. She wanted Albo. She had always wanted him. “I just want to make sure we do this right. I am old fashioned and I want to marry you first. I want it to be perfect.” Keera had heard these words from him before and rolled her eyes in frustration from having the same argument over and over again. “Albo!” She starts as she sits up. She is wearing white lacy boy short underwear and a loose fit t-shirt that she conveniently left the house in without a bra. Her breast were much too large to pull that off but she knew this and relished the look on Albo’s face when she pulled her sweater off. His parents were gone to do their volunteer work early seeing it was Wednesday. Keera knew what she was doing and intended to get her way. She rose to her knees and wrapped her arms around Albos neck. His accent was so slight she barely noticed it. She looked into his beautiful blue/green eyes and said. “You are perfect. We are perfect together can't you feel it?” She saw the admiration and respect he had in his eyes for her and she couldn't help but feel like the sexiest most beautiful girl alive. She wasn't scared what so ever. Just eager. “I dashure” Keera says intently which meant “I love you.” in Albanian. Albo doesn't smile his signature smile he just looks deep into Keera’s eyes and says. “I love you too. So much it hurts babe.” Before he could add anything to it keera stole his breath with a deep penetrating kiss. One hand was on Albos face feeling the little bit of stubble he had growing on his face and the other caressing the back of his neck. Albos hand wrapped around the small of Keeras lower back and pulled her onto his lap. She wrapped her legs around him easily despite the army pants he wore that had many bulging pockets. She kissed him like she was drowning and his mouth had oxygen. She felt him swell beneath her and her chest pounded like a drum begging to be danced to. She ripped his shirt off and gently touched his chest hair. She was trying so hard to control herself. Her other self she had boiling beneath the surface. She pulls back to take a breath. She could feel the heat emanating off of her and for the first time she was scared. Not of losing her virginity or of any pain that might cause her but that Albo would see up front the ugly side of her. Albo grabbed her face and focused her frantic gaze on his. He searched her expression for what she was thinking. “Are you sure?” He asked with such reverence her heart melted. She shook her head to answer before whispering the words. “Yes.” She knew that reply said everything she couldn't. That she loved him more than life itself and that she wanted to give him her virtue and vice versa. This was something she could do with such certainty. Staying and marrying him was not. Albo was a man of pride, bravery and honor and he would try and do right by her and this is why she knew she couldn't stay. If she did and got discovered he would fight for her and he would lose. The more in love she fell for him the more she was sure that she had to leave him. To save him. He kissed her with such passion she almost forgot that in reality Albos parents came home and ruined everything. They stumbled to get clothes on as his dad walked up the stairs to ask Ablos help with carrying something out to the car for their charity work. Keera had jumped out the window just before they were caught and Keera was not able to give herself to Albo before it was too late. In this sequence however, she was in control. It was a dream and in her dream no one else existed but her and her love. Albo shifted his weight and turned so Keera gently landed on her back and he was on top of her. The last few years Albo’s height had caught up and surpassed Keera to where he was more than a few inches taller than her. He towered over her as a mass that was much larger than her. He panted above her with a shaky nervous breath. She stroked his face with her left hand and he looked her in the eyes. “It's ok babe. This is what's supposed to happen. I want to give myself to you.” He smiled knowing that they both talked about how what was meant to be would be and his smile that she had fallen in love with touched his eyes. Without a word he kissed her again. Keera closed her eyes imagining what she could imagine to happen next. Keera is then kissing soft lips. She is rolling around in white sheets staring into eyes. Black eyes. Feeling full, peaceful and happy. When the man on top of her pulls back Duke looks her in the eyes and reaches up to stroke her face hypnotizing her with those deep dark eyes. He smiles at her with such love and admiration in his face and says “I love you so much Keera I feel like I could break.” Keera looks at him with almost a self conscious flutter in her chest letting the nagging feeling of (this isn't right) go. He leans in and kisses her deep and passionately leaving her breathless. When he pulls away to look at her before speaking any words he plunges a chaaku knife into her chest. Keera woke up bolting straight into a sit up position grasping at her chest in pain. She clutches her locket around her neck with tears running down her cheeks. She tried catching her breath as all her candles in her room instantly came to light with 6 inch or more of flames. She learned a long time ago that candles were a good tool to dispose of excess energy. If she gets heated so to speak her mind automatically targets the candles and not the stove or walls like she has in the past when she was out of control, scared and unpracticed. She glances around startled at her own recklessness and bows her head, closing her eyes and starts to take deep calming breaths. The candles over time grow dim and snuff out. She is calm but the ache in her chest is still there; foreign to her. She wipes her face and lays back glancing at the clock. 6am. She had gotten home and asleep three short hours earlier. Damn it! Keera yelled at herself subconsciously. She barely felt like she could breath while still calming her heart rate. After laying there replaying the dream in her head at least a 100 times she decides to get up and heads to the bathroom. Which is literally five feet from her bed seeing that she had a studio apartment. Her kitchen was basically in a closet that she never opened. It was a tight living space but she got to live alone which she didn't just prefer but viewed essential for her to survive. She keep two fire extinguishers at all times and had fire proofed her small space with anti flammable mushroom liner on all the walls, ceiling and doors. If someone were to ever come over they would assume she went crazy and thought martians were coming for her but since noone was allowed over ever she didn't seem to care. Besides she stayed on the South west side in the ghetto so no one wanted to come over anyways. Even though she was at work most of the time a girl could never be too careful right? Work kept her distracted. Distracted from everything and anything. She liked to keep money stashed away in savings jars so if she had a incident and needed to get away fast she could. So she didn't mind all the hours she put in. It made her feel secure. Keera rinses her face with cold water. As she pats herself dry and looks at herself in the mirror. A fair skinned girl with bright green eyes, a round nose and full rose colored lips looks back at her. She is wearing a tank and some boy short panties which is what she preferred. she stares at her chest. The source of her pain. Her locket hangs down between her bust almost buried from its long chain. She likes it that way because drunk people are nosey and this way she can wear it at work and not have to answer stupid questions to patrons. She holds it in her hand feeling the heat that was left behind on it. When she parts her cleavage she sees a perfectly oval burn mark. “Damn it.” Keera said in a whisper. Then she opens the locket and her heart raced at the memory of Dukes knife plunging into it. Not the physical pain that would cause but the betrayal that she felt from it. She drops her hands to the sink clutching its sides and draws in yet another breath. “Get your shit together Keera!” She says out loud. She looks up at herself and thinks about his lips on hers and feels a flutter in her stomach and instantly gets mad at herself. “FUCKING STUPID!” She says louder. There is no such thing as love. she thinks to herself while shaking her head with tiny beads of sweat forming. Not anymore. Keera thinks to herself with a flash of Albo’s smile blinding its way into her closed eyes vision. She pushes the picture away subconsciously to get away from the pain that hits her chest like a freight train every time she thought of him. “Fucking stupid.” She says again after her breathing slows and she gets herself back under control. Shaking her head she walks back to her bed. The sun is just rising outside but she is far from a morning person so her blinds are drawn shut. Little specks of light are shining through and each one makes Keera more and more desperate for sleep. Her body was sore from her shift the day before and she needed to rest. She couldn't stop from torturing herself about her dream and her intense connection from the night before. The way he looked at her. Like he was looking into her. She just couldn't shake the memory. Duke's first shift by himself would be today. Keera suddenly thought. It should be dead but after last night she wasn't so sure how it would go. She had a pang of excitement when the thought of stopping by the bar and grill crept its ugly head into her mind. She argues with herself. Why would I be there? Amanda would be there and she would totally embarrass the shit out of you. one side of Keeras inner voice said But you did a very sloppy close last night and it wouldn't be fair for Duke to come in to that on his first shift alone. “FUCKING CHRIST” Keera says outloud flipping the covers off of herself. When she was in the shower she thought how stupid it was for her to go in. Maybe I can sweep under the glass chiller. Keera thought when she remembered kicking the broken glass that Duke had shaddered in the middle of their rush off to the side. Then I can stock the cooler and walk him through setting up and then go home, get a nap and be fresh and ready for my close tonight. Keera had rationalized herself into going. She shaved her legs, put on lotion, deodorant, vanilla body spray, light makeup, and a short sun dress with short casual brown leather boots. Her curves were looking voluptuous. She grabs her breasts in approval and perked them up a bit in her bra. They were big and round. Not much perk up for these babies she thought to herself. She usually wears a sports bra to work but not today. Her only good bra would get its money's worth. Her long blonde hair was curled into soft waves with her straightner and her lip gloss was well coated by the time she got to the ground cart train. Keera looked out the window at what she has come to call her city. Up above in the sky where tall old buildings as far as she could see. Zip lines spidered their way from building to building like a spider web broken apart. The pods where transportation for the rich or tourists. This way they could make there way from building to building without having to surround themselves with commoners down below. The L train had been converted to a cart tran that ran off of solar panels. The outer shell of the train was made up from those and wind pods that lined the top and sides of the train carts. These were oval shaped devices that were concave on the top of the oval and convex on the bottom so on the other side the difference created a spinning motion in the wind created by the speed they hit between stops. The combination of the two not only paid for itself but helped power the every growing need for energy in Chicago. This made this transit free and the preferred travel for locals on the ground. Keera always thought of a mutated centipede when she got on the cart tran. The city was pathed in recycled tires and concrete supplemented type materials. Which were mostly plastics that had been recycled to appear as concrete instead of actual concrete. Trees were replaced with wind pod trees that were built to impersonate a tree but spidered out into little oval wind mills that were exactly like the ones attached to the cart tran. Wind would catch on the hollow side of the little ovals and it would spin endlessly until the wind stopped which in the windy city was rare. These wing pod trees also lit up at night like christmas lights creating lit nights so bright that stars were foreign to the windy city or to anyone that has never been outside of it which was more common than not for people on the ground. Keera had come here when she was 15 scared and alone. She had got lucky with a lot and cherished this city as family. She thought she would have to hide in an Independent state off of the grid for the rest of her life but thanks to her friends she had a chip. One that already registered as a Union state ally. If she could truly chose this would've been her choice and for that she could not resent anyone for her position in life. Though she wasn't rich or famous and had a lot of inconveniences to live day to day she finally had come to call this place home. Where the people had open minds, less judgement and catoried to freethinkers. Keera had never been to an Independent state but it was hard for her to picture a place more accepting. Even though this was the case she still kept her secret a secret. Though a large group of people think the same way it doesn't mean their personal experiences wouldn't get in the way, and it didn't change the law and what fear that law instilled in people. Keera shifted her thoughts to outside again. She saw food carts, and restaurants that advertise self ordering menus. Keera roll her eyes at that. Fucking sell outs she thinks bitterly. Chicago people were hard headed and like most passionate families they stuck together. When a restaurant sells out they get boycotted. Usually they were on their last leg anyways and some corporation would come to bail them out knowing that they would fail and be a good tax write off at the end of the year. Then the scum bags with money is a number pusher instead of a blue collar working American would come and fire the staff for robots to save money while operating. Idiots. She thought. And most of the time she was right. Suddenly a British sounding robot chimes in on the overhead speaker. “We are approaching Hyde Park. Exits will be on my left.” Keera rolls her eyes. The fact that the lady’s voice was British and they were in America always pisssed her off. Maybe that's why I get irritated at Duke's voice. She thought to herself. Then instantly, she felt bad for judging him so quickly. She always loved Albo’s slight accent. It was Albanian which was much different but it was so endearing. Maybe it was her brains way of rejecting her feelings. Keera had to walk two short blocks to Bob's wings and things. The Chicago breeze was actually warm this day. The sky was blue and no cloud was in sight. As she approached the front door she was nervous. She sucked in a nervous breath and walked in to scan the room when she locked eyes with Angel. She was confused but relieved. Angel was Keeras confidant. Meaning she was as close to a best friend as a best friend she could get. Angel was beautiful. She was 5”4, petite and lean. She had olive skin, honey brown eyes and long brown wavy hair with a perfect smile. While Keera kept the guys at bay and away from her curves with sarcasm and wit, Angel killed them with her sweet personality, kind heart and loving smile. If any guy disrespected her you best believe there would be ten more willing to fight for her honor and put him in his place. Despite her being Italian her voice was soft and musical. Unlike her Uncles, Brothers and Dad that were rumored to be apart of the Chicago Mafia. That might be why Angel was so trustworthy with secrets. You could tell her anything. Well almost. Keera would not burden anyone with her big secret. There would be no point. “Hey Angel Face what are you doing here? Did Amanda call in?” Keera asks hopefully. Not that she didn't love her friend Amanda but she was not in the mood for her loud mouth and probing questions about Duke. She was happy her soft spoken one was here. “No actually I was gonna text you on my break cause I didn't want to wake you but Duke quit.” Keeras chest didn't hurt but felt empty and her stomach lurched. “What? why?” She felt anger start to rise in her gut. How dare he! Keera screams in her head furiously! Suddenly a shattering from behind the bar cracked through the air. The coffee pot that was brewing fresh coffee suddenly burst sending steaming hot coffee every where. “Shoot.” Angel said as she grabbed a towel and threw it to the ground. “We have the worst luck with these things!” She says as she carefully mops up the mess with her towel. “I swear it's because the coffee is being brewed too hot. I mean look at it. Its steaming!” Keera made her way through the stools that had yet to be taken down from the close the night before and around the end of the bar. Angel just smiled her soft smile and shrugged. “It's fine kid I got this.” Even though Keera felt horrible knowing that she was the reason that that had happen on more than one occasion she was relieved in knowing that that was her go to way of expending excess energy rather than setting the kitchen on fire like she had accidentally done at her last place of employment. “Let me help you.” Keera says as she grabs another rag from the bucket behind the bar and starts to clean the coffee pot and counter while Angel cleans the floor. Angel doesn't stop her but playfully says. “Why it's not like you did it.” Keera shot her a glance but saw the genuine innocence on her friends face. She had no idea. Keera thought to herself when suddenly a familiar voice spoke up startling her. “It was probably because he cut his damn hands so much he couldn't pour a beer even if he wanted to.” Keera followed the voice to see who it belonged to. As she looked to the end of the bar she saw that it was Kenny, the bar regular that was there the night before. Kenny was a older man in his late 50’s but wore a genuine warm smile and had this confidence about himself that was attractive. He had silver hair that coined him with the nickname “Silver fox” to all the employees. “Kenny what the hell are you doing here this early?” Keera inquired. “Oh, you know I got shit faced and left my wallet last night. Decided to stay and have a hair of the dog that bit me.” He raises a Bloody Mary with a salt rim, celery, olives, pickles, lemon and lime. “You didn't bother to text me and let me know this time!” He says almost accusingly. “Oh I didn't catch it Kenny I'm sorry. I kinda blazed out of here.One of the reasons I came back was to help open and clean up a little.” Angel interjects. “Oh you know I got this. You worked way too many hours to be here and you work tonight. You look hot though you going on a date in between bar visits?” She smiles playfully. Keera avoids the question all together but knows that unlike Amanda, Angel won't push the subject. “I just don't know why he would quit like that?” Keera says almost to herself. “I told you he cut his hands all to hell. He had a bad spill right before you came back to save him. He had a towel with blood and everything. I thought you kicked it with the glass off to the side cause you were slammed. I mean I wasn't that drunk yet.” He says the last part into his bloody mary as her takes a slow swig from the glass. Keera scowled and she struggles to think back. He had a look of panic but I didn't remember blood and I would of noticed that right? Keera questions herself. She walks to grab the broom that is tucked between the cabinets that hugged the wall just enough for a space to stick the broom, deck scrubber and squeegee. Before she gets on her knees she looks at Kenny and warns him about looking at her ass and does a sweep under the glass chiller where she remembers kicking the glass last night when she came back from break. Half a highball, shards of glass and a white towel came sweeping their way into the bar alley. Keera stands up grabbing the half broken glass and examines it. Blood stained the sharp edge. Surprised, she grabs the towel and sees more evidence when she unfolds it. Red blood stained in a round blotch but not a ton like Kenny had thought. Puzzled Keera says “Hu… Well that's fucking weird I don't remember him bleeding or saying anything about bleeding.” Kenny then mumbles “Well maybe he's not as much of a pussy as you were treating him last night.” Guilt panged Keera now. Did I treat him so poorly because I was trying to mask my feelings that he didn't want to come back? Usually Keera wouldn't care. She would laugh and say that the guy needed to grow a pair then she remembered telling him just that. “Hell.” She says. “I'm going to grab my tip out and get a fucking nap.” Angel and Kenny both laugh. Angel smiles sweetly and yells back to Keera. “Let me know if you want tonight off I got a trip to pay for in two weeks to New Vegas.” Keera laughs. “You know I never let myself not work.” Keera yells back. It gives her too much time to herself. “Yea I know just wanted to put a bug in your ear.” Angel yelled back to her as she was entering the kitchen. Keera approaches the office and peeks through the tiny window placed in the center of the large white heavy door only to see Marcus, her favorite manager and smiles. Marcus was almost like a father figure to Keera. More like a perverted favorite uncle but as far as family goes Keera would take it. He was huge. Like could of been a NFL player huge if he hadn't blown his knee out in college. He had combed slicked back hair, tucked in crisp dress shirt, pressed dress pants and shiny dress shoes as usual. He use to manage the moose lounge for 15 years which was a swanky bar that the snobby rich men from up above would go to to discuss business and the newest things they blew their cash on. He never told the story out right but the rumor was that one year at a Christmas party one of the wives of a super rich regular was throwing herself all over Marcus. Marcus being Marcus tried to be polite and professional but the husband was embarrassed and took it out on Marcus calling him pond scum and promising his job would not be there in the morning. Marcus, having a nerve struck thought if his job was already done for he might as well make it worth it and beat the dog piss out of this guy. He yelled with every punch landing “You don't know who the fuck I am and where I've been and who my family is you pussy ass son of a bitch!” The guy was too scared to press charges. The guy did however make sure he was never hired by any other establishment up above again. Thus brought Marcus to the slums of Hyde Park. He wore a gold chain cross around his neck and had perfect Chicago accent to go with it. Some habits die hard. He would kill anyone who messed with his girls especially Keera. He was the only one on management who appreciated the slack she picked up around there. Keera gives the door a few knocks and pushes the massively heavy door open open. “Where the fuck were you last night?” Keera says to Marcus as she kicks the door stop in, crosses her arms and leans against the door frame. He spins in his chair and takes her in. “Whoa girl what the fuck you doing looking like that? You finally decide to become someone's trophy wife and retire? Where can I put in my application? Jesus Christ!” Keera smirks and leans in to give him a half hug and telling him to shut his Splenda Daddy wanna be ass up. “So what ya doing here kiddo didn't you work like 20 hours yesterday plus pick up the slack for fat ass (which is Marcus’s pet name for Doug the douche bag.) “Yeah but I heard my new bartender quit.” Keera says. Marcus shook his head. “Yeah well maybe he should grow a pair right. Fat ass was supposed to hire a man not a little girl.” Usually she would chime in with agreement but she was feeling a bit of guilt and a little defensive. Thats weird. Keera reflected on her feelings. Marcus stopped and tilted his head looking concerned. “What's up kiddo you getting soft on me?” “No” She said too quick. “Kenny just said he saw him cut himself and what not and I wanted to check in and make sure we didn't have a sue happy pansy on our hands.” Marcus lets out a deep breath. “Yeah cause he'd be the type. So you wanna what? Stop by his house?” Keera shook her head yes. Marcus rubbed the back of his wide neck letting out a deep breath, reached for a pen and jotted down an address on a sticky note. “Now you know you didn't get this from me right?” “No shit.” Keera replied. Marcus points his finger. “Be careful though. If it wasn't you always looking out for this shit hole and me knowing you can hold your own I wouldn't give it to you.” “Yes daddy.” Keera said with a witty smile as she walks away. Marcus leaned back in computer chair with his hands on his chest and head tilted back. “Ah I love it when you call me big poppa!” He joked as he swirled back in his seat to finish his morning paper work. “Marcus you are an old fuck!” She yells back to him laughing. Keera then says a quick goodbye to Angel and Kenny as she heads out the door with a new mission in her head.

[darwinism00]

Chapter three

CHAPTER 3 The butterflies sneak attack Keera shuts the back door to Bob's Wings and things with a deep exhale. It seemed like everything was testing her tonight. She is use to the drunks and witty responses she has to give to every drunk quip with sarcasm and a smile. However there is only so much a person can take. She is only human after all; right? She chuckles to herself at the ironic thoughts going through her head when she reaches for her Zig and lighter. “Fuck!” she yells a little too loud as she realises she lent out her lighter to a regular only to have them not return it even after her playful threats for their life if it wasn't returned. She bangs the back of her head on the back door leaning her body up against it at the same time and looks up silently cursing the Gods for what seemed to be an entire day of picking on her. She tilts her head looking to the outside lights for the cameras outlining the building. The jurisprudence requires businesses to have one at every angle outside of their building. Even Though Chicago was a Union state anything under Jurisprudence was a law that was universal between all territories in the United States. One, two, three, she counts to herself and guesses them to be about 10 ft apart on this side of the building. She walks down the ramp where a overhead light was out and there seemed to be a shaded area in the already dim alley. Since Summer was almost here it was still barely light out. Looking around to make sure she is still alone she then cups her hands like she has a lighter and lights her zig. Breathing in the fire deep she instantly relaxes. Was it worth it? She thought. Exposing herself and her illigal ability she was born with? Definitely, she thought. If she didn't get this drag in she would've lost it and ended up torching someone for sure. She has to keep herself cool so to speak. She wraps her over sized hoodie around herself tight. Even though it was Spring and the days where warm, the nights were still crisp and cold and in the windy city, unforgiving. She closes her eyes and tries to clear her mind. The buzzing of the pods on their zip lines filled with families in them polluted the city sky. Public transportation freaks me out. Keera thought to herself. Thinking about all the different traveling ziplines they had set up from skyscraper to skyscraper. Suddenly the door swings open and Doug the douchebag sticks his oversized head out. This was the name Keera liked to call him to herself or around corners to other servers. Seeing him instantly gave her stomach a sinking lurch before he even yelled the following. “Keera we need you in here we are starting to fill up!” His round head hung in a uncanny comparison to a bulldog with a patchy five o’clock shadow outlining it. His face was red with flush from the ten whole feet it took him to get up from his tiny office to the back door. He turns, seemingly out of breath, letting the door ease shut just to waddle back to his 5ft by 5ft office and sit in his well worn in computer chair so that he can pretend to work. Keera rolls her eyes. By we he surely means everyone but him. He most likely had the tragedy of someone asking him to actually do something for once. Keera complained in her head. In which case he managed to barely walk 10 feet for her to get in there and do his job along with hers. “Fucking fat ass.” She mumbles out as she exhales the drag. She learned a long time ago that relying on him to be functional in his duties was a far cry from reality and waiting on him to do anything only cut into her nightly tips and caused her blood pressure and keep it cool gage to go through the roof so to speak. Letting out another curse as reality sinks in she throws the lit zig into its 1 inch burn container which is one of the many things mandated by Jurisprudence. Keera ties up her thick blonde colored wavy hair in a tight pony. Then she takes a quick glance in her mirror on her phone to make sure her makeup hasn't sweated into a mess like it can sometimes do and puts what she like to call her game face on. “Girl can't have five minutes in this fucking place.” She mumbles as she aggressively swings the door open, annoyed that even after eight hours she can't get any kind of a break. She walks in glaring in Doug the douchebags direction which is in the office like she had thought playing a video game on the computer. “Worthless.” She mumbles under her breath while shaking her head in disapproval. Keera pulled her jeans up over her hips, takes the commuity hoodie off and hangs it on the coat rack mounted to the wall in back and pulls her Bobs wings and things shirt down over her large breasts and tucks it back in. She sprayed some vanilla body spray on so she smelled like fresh dessert and sighed pausing for a second like a runner waiting for the gunshot at the beginning of the race. She knew when she saw a server's shirt and it read (I am a server not your servant) on the back that she wanted to work here. However, some days it just seemed like it was more trouble than it was worth. That's life though, better than being in prison, dead or a camp she thought to herself with a shrug. A fraction of a memory of Albo flashed in her mind like it always did when she thought about being taken and she quickly shoved it behind her well built wall of emotions she had made so solid over the years that she had yet to meet anyone to even shake it. Keera got ready to go from peaceful serenity to super bowl crowd type noise. It's like jumping into a pool, but that pool is noise and chaos. All your senses just get drowned all at once and it takes you a second to get into the flow. “Keera!” Amanda called with urgent eyes. Deep breath! Keera thought to herself quickly as she dived in. “I'm so glad I found you!” Amanda says while walking away towards a P.O.S. which is a computer where servers ring their orders in. Keera didn't have to ask she automatically just knew. She walks with purpose flinging her soft pony back off her shoulder letting the loud yells and bar noise fade into the background of her mind. Amanda followed closely behind. “I tried asking the Douchebag but it was like trying to wake a bear from hibernation.” “Yeah I bet it was. His penguin ass actually had to get up to tell me to come inside.” Keera laughs sarcastically because even though he is the punch line to every joke when servers complain about anything at Bob's wings and things Keera knows that it's more of a joke to put up with it and stay. But like any place if she leaves it will only screw her friends long enough for them to find another person willing to do his job for him. She punches in Doug's manager numbers and proceeds to comp 50% off of one of Amanda's table’s appetizer for their meal coming out before it did. She then scans the bar and sees 10 tickets coming out of the printer and the new bartender, Duke trying to work on 5 other drinks. Crash! A glass breaks and the crowd goes wild. Amanda leans in; or up since she is a whole 5’2 and maybe 100 lbs and says. “You better save him girl. That's the 3rd glass since you went on break 5 minutes ago.” “Fuck me! Angel said he was ok to be left alone.” Keera mumbles to herself with a focused expression on her face people often mistake for resting bitch face and starts to half jog in his direction. Amanda yells her way while printing her newly corrected tickets. “That's what she said!” Amanda gives out a warm laughter and a huge bright smile. Keera smirked but was on a mission. On her way to the bar which couldn't be more than 20 ft she was asked for three refills on tables that weren't hers, two tv changes and someone asking if they were killing chickens in the back because their food was taking forever. Her responses were as follows. “What are you drinking piss water? Scott you better be saying a cheers to me cause you know better than to ask me to get you a refill when you don't sit at my bar rail. Didn't you hear the rookie back there just break your drink? Its Coors light it belongs on the floor. Yes the white sox will be on in 15, no I will not turn it on before then and yes we have to catch them, kill em and then we try not to kill ourselves in the process do you see this crowd?” She didn't know the last guy which was more rare than not; seeing how she practically lived there and this place was a native’s hang out but she didn't care. If he can't stand the heat than he can get the hell away from her and definitely out of Chicago. Even with her attitude and curse happy vocabulary she was considered nice in the windy city and if she pissed someone off Doug was more than happy with letting her pretend to be the manager and get her ass chewed out. This Duke guy was a fumbling idiot! She thought to herself when she almost reached the bar. Keera didn't get a chance to train him since he was going to be mainly on days which were usually pretty slow and she was the main closing bartender. This was supposed to be his final training shift and he was not cutting it. They were so quick to hire a penis that they didn't stop to actually ask if he knew anything about American sports or actual bartending. This guy had a British accent, which was surprising giving his obvious Indian heritage. It annoyed the piss out of Keera. She had been listening in on his first interview from behind the bar and told Douchebag not to hire him. So of course here he is breaking her shit and clogging up the traffic of drinks that needed to be going out of this bar in the first 20 minutes of his shift. Keera turns the bar corner pretty much flying in for the rescue. The 30 by 10 foot space was her safe haven. The bottles were displayed against the brick back wall, clean and neat in the order she places them every night when she wipes them down. Whiskey on the left and vodka on the right. The speed rails were filled with the various tequilas and attached to two glass chillers that were stainless steel coolers and fit snug under the 34 taps in the middle of the bar. Behind the taps was a mirror back splash and above that was one projection screen and four big screens lining up the rest of the wall behind the bar. The other speed rails were hidden behind the bar lining the sinks and ice bin filled with the bars cordials and bottom shelf liquors. The sink was filled with ice to cool the syrups and fresh cut fruit. One was open for dumping old drinks and the dishwasher sat to the right of that. The rest of the bar had sports posters and jerseys lining every square inch of the place. If there wasn't a tv it was a shelf with a signed baseballs in dusty case or a shadow box with a signed chicago jersey. The bar top had bottle caps of local beers lined up in a fancy mural picturing a baseball bat, basketball, hockey stick and chicago logo shellacked into a smooth surface. She was almost baffled that the place didn't get robbed for the merch hanging every where alone but seeing how one of the biggest mob families in the city had a daughter working here that thought explained itself away every time it popped into Keera’s head. Keera walks behind the bar and her performance begins. She plasters a smile on her face. “Awe Rookie no one can leave the baby for five minutes hu?” Duke turns around with panic stricken eyes. His glasses were foggy from sweat, his unusually well groomed hair was tassled and his too nice of a button up shirt had bar syrups and God knows what else on it and his hands were shaking. Jesus he'd only been back here for five minutes Keera thought to herself. She almost felt sorry for him. However he was now cutting into her tips and when it came to her money above all things she didn't screw around. She walks up to what they called the watering well which was where the servers all came to either gossip or pick up their drinks. She kicks the glass under the glass chiller and grabs 4 of the five tickets, spins on her heel and faces Duke. “Listen Rookie.” He interrupts her in his crisp accent. “My name is Duke.” He then holds out his hand. Keera being distracted and irritated by not only the gobs of people yelling requests at her but the fact that this guy couldn't handle a bar for literally 5 minutes for her to get a break in was infuriating. Keera snaps at him. “I don't care what your name is I need you to make these tickets.” She raises a fist of tickets between them and with hardly a glance to his eyes shoves them at his chest. “Snap snap rookie you're hurting my rent!” “Nice to finally meet you too. I've been looking forward to it all week.” Duke mumbles, pausing for just a second. She passes him by and heads to regulars from the left side of the bar so that she can work her way to the right which should leave the rookie with plenty of room to make those drinks and serve them to the now angry mob gathering at the watering hole waiting for their guest’s drinks. Not only did Duke step on every female's toes getting hired on straight to bartender but he was the only man employed there in a staff of men hating single moms, and he sucked for lack of a better word. Keera knocked out a Killer Koolaid, top shelf long island, blue mother fucker and a caribbean martini in about 90 seconds flat which is how long it took Duke to pour three beers and bring them over. Keera turns around dodging the clumsy tall Brit to see hardly a dent made into the tickets spilling from the printer onto the bar counter now touching the floor. “Seriously?” She says loudly then reminds herself to breath and keep a cool head. She had mastered the ability of not letting her anger expose her and this is the longest she had stayed at one job because of it. Keera turns to Duke and directs him to take care of the remaining customers at the bar rail. “Move that cute ass of yours and make yourself useful!” She yells loudly trying to make light of a stressful situation and calling attention to the fact that even though he's a shitty bartender at least he's good to look at. He smiles for a second before she points at the end of the bar where a few females, both decked out in white sox apparel from head to toe were sitting. They raised their empty glasses, smiling and giggling at Duke. Keera knocked the rest of the tickets out under five minutes. “Did you ever know that you're my hero?” Lynn, a mexican waitress says in her always sarcastic voice as she snags her drink and shuffles off to her tables. Keera was like a dancer and the bar was her dance floor and when it got busy it was her performance. She glided behind that bar like a ballerina in swan lake. Regulars had come accustomed to watching her light shine when she's in her element. She gets her bar rail some refills, cleans some dishes and puts the game on in time to shut any ridiculous baseball fan up. They act as if you are murdering their baby if you don't get the game on. Keera thinks to herself as she gives a signature eye roll. White sox, cubs, cardinals. They all sucked donkey dick! She thought almost every time she worked a game night. Chicago fans are crazy about Chicago sports. She didn't want to share her tips with a barback so she scheduled this to be Duke’s first and last night of training with her. She always gave the go ahead with a new hire. He'd get paid minimum wage and she could keep her tips and he would be put to the test. So far he is failing miserably. Keera thinks briefly flashing a glance his way while she poured a row of five beers from the tap. He had worked a few shifts this week with the daytime bartender and Keeras bestie Angel and she said he was doing great but thats Angel for you. Super positive even if this kid didn't deserve it. Angel was going on vacation in a few weeks to New Vegas and when she got back she was switching to nights. Daytime was just too slow. That and Keera got to see her best friend more so even though she didn't agree with Duke being hired she kept her mouth shut. That and Douchebag didn't listen to her anyways. It would interfere with his power tripping he does when he occasionally decides to work. It would be less of a hassle if she was on her own. But that's how Keera was with everything in her life. Can't trust anyone to do anything so she did everything herself. Another comp and a void for a few servers she danced behind the bar for four hours until it finally slowed down. She was on a double and that 3 minute break was all that she got. She was starving and running on coffee and Brio fumes. Although Brio is advertised to be full of protein, vitamins and caffeine she was sure it wasn't designed to be a full supplement to the human meal plan in a 24 hour span of time. “Ok Duke I have to go eat something. I'll be gone for five minutes. Will you be ok?” She talks slowly at him as if he couldn't understand English but after babysitting him all night she didn't care. This was the first time actually talking to him instead of at him. The game was over and the place was clearing out fast. He would be in charge of cashing maybe two people out and cleaning dishes. He takes off his foggy glasses and is rubbing the sweat out of his eyebrows when he stops and looks at her with dark puppy dog eyes. Not just brown but almost black. Like the kind of black holes you want to get sucked down. “That's the first time you've said my actual name.” He looks at her almost star struck. Her stomach flutters and she looks down. Keera is not used to feeling a flutter of any kind. That part of her was dead. It was taken away a long time ago when the first and only boy she had loved was taken. She goes to say something witty or smart ass in defense of her feelings and is instead left speechless and for the first time in a long time; she blushes. “What?” She shaked her head. “Never mind.” She mumbles and turns quickly away to hide her flushed face. Keera walks quickly to the back baffled by her own emotions. “I'll be right back!” She yells back not waiting for a response leaving Duke with a goofy smile on his face looking after her. In her 24 years she had taken care of her primal needs with one night stands in cars, party bathrooms and once in the woods in the mountains. She thought of her virginity as something to get rid of, like it was something of a burden to carry. She had never knew her father and what she knew of her mother this type of behaviour was normal. It was a way for her to numb herself and build her wall of emotions up. “What’s wrong with you?” Keera looks up startled torn away from her own taunting thoughts. Amanda stood there, bright red hair shining from a fresh dye job that was cut short in a edgy wedge. She had fair freckled skin and a crooked smile and an attitude that would put any kitchen cook in his place. She was the actual living definition of a spit fire. She snaps her fingers. “Hello earth to Keera! You aren't dipping on me are you.” a playful laugh escapes her. Dipping was the slang term for Heroin addicts when they dipped into a particular stash of Heroin known to the general public as “Dirty tar.” This was named to a specific batch of heroin distributed from Afghanistan between the years 2015-2021 that was cut with a unknown substance causing mutations in the human genome. It caused nerve degeneration at an accelerated rate. The user was so full of adrenaline and pain that they would be severely aggressive and dangerous. There hasn't been any new cases of “Dirty tar” for over 20 years but the offsprings of these addicts were mutated and were the cause of the genetic war of 2020. That is what caused martial law to be instated for seven years. Amongst all the fighting the people with abilities were either shot dead or gathered up like cattle. Now; after the civil war known as the gene war that arose because most of these people with abilities were children jurisprudence was created for peace, which is a mutated version of the law itself. It causes restrictions and regulations on everything and everyone for the so called safety and preservation of the human species as a whole. It was the only thing all three territories agreed on towards the end of the war. Amanda didn't know Keera’s secret so Keera couldn't let her see how close she hit home for her by saying what she said. “No I'm good. I'm just exhausted.” Keera says this while staring blankly at the white wall with grease stains on it and laminated safety signs plastered in random spots. She clears her throat taking a huge bite of a turkey sandwich. “Yeah girl it's been a ridiculous night, let alone day! I can't believe you have already been here 12 hours. Girl you are crazy.” Amanda is separating out her credit card receipts for the night and organizing her money on the metal stainless steel countertop where she had cleared a little space between the silverware that still needed rolled and the ranch and blue cheese containers that were wrapped in plastic but not yet stored away in the walk in cooler for the night. She pauses in counting her money. “Not to mention your tall dark and dorky back there.” She chuckles and though Keera has a mouth full of food she does too. “Yeah I guess he is dorky, and clumsy.” She glances at the clock, gut clenching at the thought of leaving him behind her bar again even though it had slowed way down since the game had ended. “You guess hu?” Amanda eyed her skeptically clutching her money in both hands stopping mid count. “You got a thing for the British Hindu or something?” She thrusts her hips and then pokes Keeras side playfully letting out a loud laugh. “No!” Keera said too quickly catching Amanda's scrutinizing look. “I just can't help but feel a little, small amount of pity for him.” Keera gestures animatedly with her free hand and then continues. “ He's hopeless.” She shrugs and glances sideways wishing Amanda would stop looking at her that way and God help her she feels heat paint her face again. Not the dangerous kind but warm tingling heat that she knew was giving her away. “Oh my God!” Amanda says way too loud causing Keera to drop her last bit of sandwich and walk away. “You have a thang for him don't you!?” She still didn't hush her voice what so ever, following right behind her like a pesky fly at a Summer picnic. Keera wanted to crawl in a hole. She didn't know why but maybe she was right. “Girl I have never known you to have a thang for anyone! In the four years I've known you or ever!” She put her fingers in quotation marks rounding the corner and passing the bathrooms after Keera. The thought flashes through Keeras mind of the actual logistics of such a small person carrying such a loud voice. It just doesn't seem possible but here Amanda was louder than ever. “Well I'm not starting now. I just feel sorry for him and that's it.” Keera says in a hushed voice turning towards her friend and holding her finger to her lips to hush her. “So you like the Geek type then? No wonder you never meet anyone here!” Her voice seems to almost be getting louder as she gestures around the bar within earshot of Duke now. “You feel sorry enough to… you know?” She puts her finger in a hole she made from her index finger and thumb with her other hand. “Jesus fucking Christ Amanda get your fucking head out of the gutter!” She yells too loud while grabbing a half full glass left by a customer long gone along with most customers that were clearing out just minutes before. Without skipping a beat Amanda yells back while heading back towards the kitchen. “Yeah well that's where your head usually is at honey but now I think it's floated to the clouds.” she gestures fluttering fingers towards the ceiling while looking back and then she lets out a loud cackle. Keera had never wanted this night to end as bad as she did right then. She walks behind her bar glaring at the corner where her friend had just turned only to smack directly in a solid, firm, lean figure. Before thinking she yells. “Jesus Christ!” Her nerves where more than shot but at least she didn't drop her glass. She makes note of the height of Duke. Looking up into his dark eyes once again. He towers over her 5”7 body a good 8 inches. He has thick hair pushed back; long on the top, shaved and clean on the sides. He has a mocha skin tone with a beard that normally would do nothing for her but as her eyes move to his full soft looking lips she wonders what it would feel like to kiss them. She notices them moving but doesn't hear a word. She glances at his white tank that he was now wearing noticing his broad shoulders and defined muscles that glistened with sweat over all his tattoos that went down his arms. There was an electrical charge between them that had her holding her breath. He moves to touch her hand and she is froze. Her instinct is to always move away or be on the defense but she couldn't move. She didn't want to move. He doesn't touch her hand but instead was trying take the glass out of her hand. Before she barely let go he drops the glass yelping in the process. “Bloody Hell that glass was hot! How in Gods name did you not burn yourself?” He is stepped back shaking his hand as to shake the heat off of it. Keera looks around to just see Kenny and Richard which were the bars most faithful regulars and usually pretty well done for the night especially since the white sox won. They cheered and clapped! “Good job rookie that's glass number 7 for the night! You should get a raise.” Kenny says sarcastically and they both laugh to each other. He half smiles at them and nodes. “Yup lads it's all good. I'm ok. Thanks for asking.” Keera goes to grab his hand but before she does he steps back a little too quickly. Does he suspect something? She thinks to herself. He is Indian right? Maybe he's a Samsaptaka? Keera thinks to herself. The Samsaptaka are a group of Hindu religious nuts that are also called hunters that believe that the people with abilities are cursed with demon blood or as they call it (KALI) which is a demon that that possessed Nala and need eradicated from this world for the survival of the human species. They use some special knife to pierce the heart and they believe save the soul of the tainted, or so they call them. They use a chaaku that is blessed by their Brahmans which are their appointed priest to their cause. Keera silently kicks herself for being so prejudiced. Hes British she scolds herself. Besides they haven't been spotted in years she continued her inner dialogue just to see him staring blankly at her with a look of anticipation on his face. Just as her mind goes blank words start to fall out of her mouth. “I barely have fingerprints anymore rookie. You need to grow a pair and get use to it. No pain no gain.” She smiles and grabs the broom and hands it to him. “Here Cinderella hop to it.” Duke hesitates, squinting for a brief moment and then smiles his brilliant 1000 watt smile and starts sweeping all the broken glass in the alley way. “And put on a shirt.” She says a bit shakily, avoiding looking in his direction what so ever. Awe there it is. The face and personality she wears at work. Sarcastic, witty Keera. Nothing gets to her. She is carefree and everything rolls off her shoulder and she most certainly does not get all girly, shy and giggly over a guy. She feels comfortable and safe now. Keera feels in control.

[darwinism00]

Chapter two

CHAPTER TWO VICTORIA PART 1 His loud slurping and sucking were distracting and fucking annoying. I bite down on my lip and slide my trained hands carefully across the silk sheets and grab for both white feather filled pillows to cover my ears, trying to focus my energy into the job that he wasn't getting done. He had dark long hair that fell in little greasy curls on my inner thighs. He wore a white tight tank top that stretched over his much too large muscles exposing his sleeves of tattoos up and down his arms and up his neck. The tattoos were covered with a white button up shirt when I first eyed him in the hotel lobby. He had his hair pulled back in a tight slicked back pony. He still wore his chunky gold jewelry on every fat knuckle while necklaces’ dangled from his neck. There are too many to count. The word corny flashed into my mind the first time I saw them but I let my eyes sparkle with awe instead of disinterest when he caught me eyeing them. He had big clumsy lips that he took the time to give a quick lick to when talking to the ladies as if that was a turn on of some sorts; to have wet lips. His goatee was well groomed like the rest of his body. Most woman would find him perfect but I just could not stop from staring at that crooked nose. His dark eyes burned with perversion. He just played it all wrong. Like a boy who got what he wanted not because he was good at it but because his daddy had money to throw at it. As he moved his big wet lips towards me I quickly put him back to work gripping his hair and shoving him back down. So much for an Italian stallion I thought while rolling my eyes and thrusting my hips to encourage him. He starts to kiss up my belly again and I shove him back down more aggressive than before keeping my grasp on his head firm. “You need to clean your plate!” I demand, showing him who's boss here in this bed. I grab my firm breast that was bulging out of my leather top and pull the skirt up higher, releasing his head to give him more access. This was starting to get me pissed off with frustration but as I glanced at the vintage round clock on the wall I realized the time was drawing near and I was starting to finally get aroused. I push the back of his head at the thought and thrust my hips almost smothering him which gets me closer. A moan escapes my lips as I think about the hooker I had him call and how she will be here soon. Right as the thought escaped my mind I heard a knock on the door. My grip re-tightens its hold on my pet's hair and I yank his head up so that his soaked face and dark penetrating eyes look to me for direction. “Tell her to wait five minutes and then come in. I just need to finish” I pause and smerk. “My first round.” I say this between clenched teeth; arched up, pulling his hair so tight that his veins in his thick neck bulge. He grins a perverse smile, no doubt enjoying this role play and speaks Italian and says exactly what I tell him to. “Good boy.” I say as I shove his head back where it belongs and thrust forward tilting my head back and closing my eyes in long awaited pleasure. I can feel my black straight hair from my wig fall from my shoulder to the white slick sheets under me. With the thought of what was to come I easily climax, tightening my legs around his neck and finishing riding my orgasm out like my hips were on a wave. He struggles for air when I don't let him up just for a few moments before I feel the crack of his neck between my legs and his face lays limp in between my folds. Not much of a difference I muse to myself. I can't let him make too much commotion. Hes a large man and I, being a small woman know he could easily throw me if given the chance. Much like any animal. I kick him to the floor, trying not to stab him with my heel. Satisfied, I skip to grab my purse. I turn and look at the man laying awkwardly. His head lay sideways on the ground and the rest of his body lay slinked over the end of the enormous bed facing up with a huge erection. I tilt my head and think that maybe he should of lead with that thing. Maybe he had more to him. Too bad I don't give a shit. I laugh to myself nonchalantly and stretch my tight leather mini down right below my crotch line; right above my clips from my garter belt that are attached to my stockings and continue to the balcony. I take a deep breath of the night’s crisp air and take a quick moment to appreciate the busy New Vegas streets below. It's surreal to be up so high above all the busy bright lights. The zip lines are the only lights close to this floor thats nearly at the top of the skyscraper about 200 floors up. I look down at all the hybrid plants decorating the balcony for air support. They were exsotic bright colors that glowed in the dark doubling as night lights in the dark sky. As soon as I put a Zig in my mouth and mumbled out the word “fucking rich people” I hear the door handle jiggle at the front of the suite and I take a quick look around to make sure no one is watching. Even this high up people are always looking down. The city is memorizing and the perfect distraction. I throw my purse to the other balcony beside me and quietly make a flip to my suite. I take a drag from my zig, close my eyes, lean against the wall and hear a female scream and get wet all over again. I tilt my head to the side and crack a smile as I head inside my room. I remove my wig and toss it into the metal container bin in the bathroom and then make a B-line to lay on the bed. I could go with the digital spread for my disguise but anything digital is traceable by anyone with enough money and this boy’s daddy has got more than enough. I slightly shake my head feeling a euphoric type high from the kill. The only thing that makes me feel much of anything anymore. People have become so obsessed with technology that doing anything the old fashioned way becomes the easiest way to actually get away with anything these days. I take a deep relieving breath and think God it feels good to be a woman and to get paid for it. Two birds; one stone. I get my burner phone out and send out the text. (Destination reached) and hit send. Once the confirmation of the money transfer is sent I can dispose the phone and get some sleep. Until then I lay on the bed and listen to the voice of a frantic woman in the next room making a panicked phone call. “Yes!” She says too loud with a Latin accent. “It looks like he fell off the bed and broke his neck. I don't know if he's alive or not I don't want to touch him!” Her voice shakes and hitches and then her words turn to spanish gibberish and I stop listening feeling already bored with the night. I hear a ding on my phone and smile. It reads (Money transfer confirmed.) I smash the phone and throw it in the metal bin in the bathroom to join my disposed of black wig. Then joining the items I threw in my clothes, shoes, eyelashes, fake press on nails, and fake jewelry. I'm about to light the fire with a quick flame chip until I pause to flip over the package and read the disclaimer on the box. Quick flame is a extremely flammable substance introduced to you in the form of a chip. Once activated by flipping the easy to use pull tag please place in Quick flames special mete container within 10 seconds to dispose of your waste with ease while creating a energy charge to the space around you for little to no smoke for a safer and healthier environment. I laugh a little; thinking about how hard I tried to make this into a throwing weapon of some sort when this first came out, but the fucking geniuses that designed it made it so the metal container and clear lid activates the chip somehow. I flip it back over, pull the switch and throw the rest of the evidence in the container. I bet they weren't thinking how easy they made my job when mandating these things to every house for landfill control and energy supply. I flip the fan on for good measure. Oh shit! I yell in my head. I can't forget about the fingerprints too. I peel the skin like prints from my fingertips and throw them in the top of the contraption that then feeds them to the flames. The fire is pure blue and I am memorized as I watch everything melt through the see through top. The energy gage for the room at the top of the front door goes from half full to full after the container is done burning its contents. That is proof something was disposed of but not what was disposed. I shrug my shoulders and look at my naked form in the mirror. It's been ten years, 3 months, 1 week and 1 day and I haven't aged a bit. I feel my inner wall start to shake and shrug the feelings off as I turn the water on and take a thorough scolding hot shower. When I am done I lay in the gigantic bed I have all to myself wearing a very expensive fluffy white bath towel with a matching wrap for my head, though my real hair is only about an inch long and bleached blonde. This would make most people feel lonely having a huge bed to themselves; but I'm not most people and I feel like a Queen, as it should be. Babies don't sleep this good was the last thought I had before I drifted off

[darwinism00]

Chapter one

CHAPTER ONE The presentation of who we want you to be Definition of Darwinism 1 : a theory of the origin and perpetuation of new species of animals and plants that offspring of a given organism vary, that natural selection favors the survival of some of these variations over others, that new species have arisen and may continue to arise by these processes, and that widely divergent groups of plants and animals have arisen from the same ancestors. Young Keera shifted in her seat, nervously playing with her writing gadget as to keep her fingers busy during this presentation that every high schooler had to sit through on their first day of 7th grade. Her eyes were distracted from the projection screen and her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. She felt like after this maybe her friends, the few she had made at this school in the last year would start noticing things about her that she didn't want them to know. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath trying to focus on not having an outburst just this once. She had done good after all and this was the longest she was able to stay at a school. Dont mess this up now! Keera scolded herself. “Hey Keera you alright girl?” A boy with blue/green eyes and a gigantic grin leans over and nudges her. She jumps over dramatically. He smiles his charming white smile that made his eyes sparkle. She remembered once thinking that when he got older that his eyes would be the first to wrinkle. Laugh lines would surely be the first sign of aging and a good life, for Albo was the happiest boy or person she had ever met. He had a slight accent. His family was from Albania and had moved to America when he was little just before the borders were sealed. He laughed softly at her reaction. “Wow girl I'm not armed.” Keera gave him a sideways glance and his smile infected her. Even with the feelings of anxiety she was having he seemed to still have her smiling. “Quiet class there will be an assessment on this to see how much you were paying attention. This is your American history and very important key elements to your government. Pay attention!” Mrs. Stimack a very conservative pointed woman pointed her last statement at the two of them. They both bit their lips and stifled a giggle and continued their focus to the front of the room where the tv box had the documentary playing on the wall. In the year 2014 News stations had footage, reports and headlines of a new drug sweeping the U.S. Its street name was dirty tar but later was lead back to Afghanistan and was easiest explained to the public as a special strain of Heroin. The News stations claimed that it was cut with a unknown substance and extremely dangerous leading to episodes of aggressive super human delusions and almost always leading to death. There were several reports of people eating each other, lifting cars or jumping off building thinking they could fly. Like most reports this too was swept under the rug after a few months until years later when it was linked to something much larger and historically changing. Keera shifted again restlessly thinking about her mother. God this video couldn't be over soon enough. She thought to herself as she rolled her eyes in frustration. She knew this was coming and that she would have to sit through it eventually but that didn't mean she was going to like it. Besides most students already knew most of this stuff already. It was a part of their day to day life. Keera glances back to Albo who was taking notes. Of course. Keera thought with a smile. He was the perfect student. He got all A’s. He knew multiple languages, was captain of the debate team, class President and was captain of the Soccer and basketball team despite being a bit short for his age. Keera remembered feeling a bit self conscious when she looked down the few inche from her eyes sight to his. His eyes were penetrating and caused her stomach to be uneasy. So much so that she avoided him for the first few month she was here last year. Finally, his charm infected her and they were the best of friends. Because for her that's all she had to offer. Anyone she let get any closer than that died and her heart cracked just thinking about anything happening to Albo. She shook the thought off and continued watching the documentary. The drug not only had massive initial side effects but it also modified something in the D.N.A. and the offsprings of the drug users had certain abilities. One political group wanted to euthanize the ones with abilities for the safety of all. Another wanted them in camps and the third wanted freedom for its people with or without abilities. This disagreement caused a war among the citizens of the United States. This Civil war is now known as the gene war and the most powerful Nation fell to its knees. Pictures of actors dramatically falling to their knees flash to the screen. Keera rolls her eyes and shakes her head with a heavy exhale of breath. “Hey Miss can you keep that heavy breathing down I can't keep my attention.” Keera looked over to Albo as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. She burst into laughter. She couldn't help it. Just then the projection paused and the lights came on. They looked up to Mrs. Stimack standing at the front of the class by the controller panel with her arms crossed and a wicked glare on her face. She was definitely not amused. “Keera if you can't control yourself then I will have to ask you to leave.” Keera presses her lips together and after a brief second she puts on a poker face and shakes her head in understanding. Albo raised his hand with his writing gadget still pressed between his fingers. “Yes Mrs. Stimack I am so sorry. I was asking her a question about the film. The dialect had me confused and I guess my confusion came out funny.” He shrugges innocently. “My apologies I will save my questions for after the Documentary is over.” Mrs. Stimack eyed Albo skeptically knowing that his dialect in the many languages he knew was next to perfect but seeing how he was her favorite student she replied. “Ok Albo that is a good idea. I'll let this go this one time but any more outbursts or disruptions and I will have to separate you two.” Albo smiled his beautiful smile and nodded with eager agreement. “Yes mam.” He said as he gave her a salute. Anyone else doing this might come off as arrogant but with that smile Albo was charming and genuine. Keera felt her once fast beating heart beat skip a beat and float in her chest. He glances towards Keera as Mrs. Stimack walked back to the controller panel on the wall. He leans over and whispers. “Separate us? Never.” He still wore his grin and gave Keera a wink. Keera tried desperately to not look at him. Las Vegas was bombed into a hole in the ground for being found out to be a safe haven for those afflicted and the government crumbled. Other Countries turned their back on the U.S. none of them wanting to risk any tainted getting in over seas and have the same destruction go on. America instated Martial law while the government rebuilt. Three territories arose. The Confederacy, which made up most of the inner, center states. The Union which made up most of the bordering states and the Independency which was made up of just four states, Colorado, Nevada, Louisiana and Florida. These four states were made homes to people who saw both sides of the other two territories and refused to commit to either. “Fence jumpers.” One kid coughed out. “Communists.” Another added in agreement. “Hippies.” A third added in a high pitched squeak until Mrs. Stimack called out in a stern voice. “That is enough! Pay attention or I will give the assessment now.” The room fell silent. “I will take questions at the end.” In the Confederacy they believed that God would show them the way out of this and they integrated religion as law. If you were a citizen of the Confederacy it was mandatory to attend Church every Sunday and donate your Wednesday nights to charity work. As a symbol of your allegiance at the age of 16 you were given a Confederate silver cross to wear as part of the Confederate dress code along with your state issued ID chip in the palm of your hand. Keera glanced down at the palm of her left hand. She was almost 12. She had four more years until she would have to leave. There would be no way for her to stay with what she was and in a Confederate state nonetheless. She glanced to Albo and her chest ached. She had four more years with him. The memory of him enthusiastically telling her that he wanted to be a soldier flooded her mind. This is why she could never let him in. She knew that if she did that he would hate her for what she was and that was worse than almost anything else. Keera blinked back tears and continued the torture of watching the documentary. In the Confederacy you were obligated to go to the Army for a year of training after high school and then attend college if decided after that. Science was accepted but with the acknowledgment that God created all things and any science trying to prove otherwise was forbidden by Confederate law. There was also an election for a Commander in Chief every 5 years which enabled the public to vote for its Confederate leader. Because a lot of the Confederate states consist of farm land they thrive on trade and focus on this skill. In the Union territory they believe in the people's voice as a majority to be most important. They have a council of the Union which consists of a leader from each Union state as a representative. In this territory environment is most important. Recycling is a strict law. Technology is a huge push in the Union states. College is not only free but required. If you opt out then you are required to join the military. Without either you will not be eligible for work. In order to work or travel at the age of 16 when you instate your allegiance to your territory you get a chip in your palm. In a Union state you get a branding on the back of the neck. The symbol of two hands shaking. Because most of the Union states are on the borders their technology and waterways give them an advantage to trade with the Confederates for food. Keera found herself rubbing the back of her neck and noticed that a few students were doing the same. She couldn't imagine being branded even if she tended to believe in the Union states of government more than her own. For now she was stuck. She would probably have to find a way to an Independent state at some point. That's the only way they wouldn't need to chip her. She was scared of being chipped because there were rumors that when you are chipped if you have a genetic default that your chip implant zaps you dead in under a minute. Even though it was most likely malarkey she didn't want to take that chance with her life. She continued rubbing her palm and listened closely to the Independent explanation of government. The Independent states are just that. They are each Independent from government and run on their own individually. After Nevada was bombed and as a gesture of peace all three territories deemed it the first safe zone. It was renamed New Vegas and housed all the new and upcoming technology. College kids from all three territories were allowed safe passage. Louisiana, Colorado and Florida ran off of a point system. Colorado and Louisiana grew crops and canibus to trade with either faction for their needs. In order to get points you had to contribute and thus you got your rations. It was harder to establish this system more than the others but in time everyone just grew accustomed. If they didn't like it they could change to a different faction. So people moved to where they wanted to be. Once you pledge your allegiance however it was very hard to change. Florida functioned on the same point system as well but thrived on fish trade and tourism. Independent territories allow visitors from both Union and Confederate States but no long term visitors like New Vegas and once you pledge your allegiance to an Independent state because they don't require tracking chips you were not allowed to travel outside your state without special paperwork stating you had permission to do so. Damn. Keera thought to herself. She wouldn't be able to leave. She would need to try and research all of them. Keera sunk a little in her seat. Researching anything outside of being a Confederate citizen was almost impossible here. She would find a way or she would just go to the closest one. Nevada wasn't too far from Arizona. Keera thought. I would surely find someone to help her get to an Independent state from there right? The cold feeling of loneliness blanketed her chest like it often did when she tried to come up with a game plan. Keera was completely on her own and had no one to help her. The Nihilist started to arise in her. Fuck it. She cursed. She would do what she had to do and if she went down she would take anyone trying to stop her down with her. This system has taken nearly a decade in a half to establish into what we have today. A very precise unified governing system. All three territories though separate help keep the united states diverse yet segregated. Once a melting pot of angry people forced to live amongst each other we are now a three part governing system with everyone where they belong best. Now a little over 10 years after it all begun the United States has gone through more change than it has in the last 200 years but is finally prospering. With the ones with ailments gone or secluded peace has finally been possible. Music of a marching band crescendos into the credits screen. As the lights came on Keera glanced around the room to the students blinking to adjust their eyes to the light. She was trying to gauge their reactions to the video. She looked to Albo who was staring at her. At first Keera wanted to be self conscious as if the video exposed her in some way. Then Albo licked his lips; eyes penetrating her with concern. “Are you alright?” He asked with so much concern it caught Keeras breath. She exhaled and averted her eyes from his. “Yeah I'm fine. Just tired.” She clears her throat. “Oh i dashur you don't expect me to believe that.” He always called her that. Which meant “darling” when she looked it up one time. Though she secretly loved it she found herself rolling her eyes at it almost impulsively. He laughed softly at her response. “Ok then we talk later ya?” Keera found herself unable to speak so she just shook her head in agreement to make the conversation be over with. “Ok settle down.” Mrs. Stimack called out over the chatter of the room that had erupted once the lights came on. Keera overheard one boy finishing his story to two other boys. “Yeah well my dad said the tainted are all in Puerto Rico in a camp where they belong.” Keera flinched at this statement. Puerto Rico was deemed a safe zone before the bombing of Las Vegas but it ended up just being a trap. Anyone who was taken there was never seen or heard from again. Men in black uniforms would come and tear people from their families and drag them off to this safe zone that people without abilities were not allowed to go. All of them being children. It almost caused a second war but because people that were not affected directly from this and wanted to move on outnumber the ones who did nothing came of their rebellion. “Joseph.” Mrs. Stimack called out to the boy telling the story. “Tainted is a slanderous word for those afflicted with abilities and I do not tolerate slanderous terms in my classroom.” Joseph put his head down in shame for his slip up. Keera had heard that word plenty of times behind closed doors. Her foster family used language worse than that along with other things that would make it easy for her to walk away from this facade of a life. The only thing that made it hard was Albo. She thought about the times they had hung out on roof tops talking about their life plans. Albo was so certain about what he wanted. He was tenacious. His life was planned out like a check list. Not like I want this to happen but what will happen with such certainty. Keera would just shrug and say that she planned on going to college for something. Albo would tease her casual non-commitment type attitude but she figured that deep down he maybe knew she didn't plan on sticking around and pledging her allegiance to Arizona. They never talked about it but when the subject of what they would do after school got brought up he would get this look in his eyes that was unmistakably sad. Albo was always happy and contagiously enthusiastic but in those moments Keera knew that she was going to break his heart and in doing that break her own. Whenever she thought of those moments her heart ached and she would then begin to a wall. “Yes Matthew?” Mrs. Stimack said calling on another student and waking Keera up from her inner tortured dialog. “Is it true that.” He paused looking for the correct words. “The people.” he paused again not knowing how to refer to the people with abilities. Mrs. Stimack answered for him. “People with ailments.” She said nonchalantly. Matthew shook his head in agreement to the term and continued. “Is it true that people with ailments are shipped to Puerto Rico in a camp?” Matthew was a skinny blond haired blue boy with such an innocent expression that Keera almost didn't even feel a stab in her chest when he asked it outloud. Mrs. Stimack answered with a well prepared tone to her voice and a fake smile plastered on her face. Keera had been alive long enough to observe people who despised people with abilities. The slander remark didn't fool her. “Now Matthew that has never been proven to be true. OK?” She shook her head yes as to get him to comply in agreement and to Keeras disbelief Matthew did so. “Ok Mrs. Stimack.” He said with a smile. Did she just hypnotise him? Keera thought to herself. “Yes Mary?” Mrs. Stimack called on the next student with their hand raised. Most of the students that were born into a Confederate state ended up having a biblical name. Students had come to bear these names with pride and arrogance and it annoyed Keera to no end. Mary was a teacher's pet. She had red hair in two tight pigtail braids on each side of her head and a freckled face. “Yes.” She said brushing one braid off of her shoulder like the chip she needed to get off her shoulder Keera thought to herself. “My daddy said that Canada is a Country full of heathens that all have abilities and have children out of wedlock and…” She was cut off. “Let me stop you right there.” Mrs. Stimack said. Mary went on though. “He said it's Sodom and Gomorrah all over again.” Mrs. Stimack put her hand up and Mary’s rebellious look on her face fell into a blank expression. Mrs. Stimack smiled kindly, which looked odd on her wrinkled face that had stress lines from frowning rather than smiling. Her blonde hair was tight on top of her head exposing every one of those lines on her face. “None of that has ever been proven and here in the Confederacy we only acknowledge truth and justice.” The words Truth and justice was recited by the whole class out loud any time they were said in class conversation like a verse at Catholic school. The Canadian border was the last to close, but they are just that. Closed! Therefore we do not acknowledge them. Understand?” She says with a gritted toothed grin. Mary just nodded in agreement. Keera pinched her brows together in shock. She is fucking hypnotizing them? She thought. Keera looked around the room to the other students to see if anyone else noticed what was going on and as far as she could tell no one was catching on. She looked to Albo who had his nose buried in his notes he had taken. Luke who was one of Keera and Albos friends raised his hand tentatively. “Yes Luke.” Mrs Stimack said with a smile but rolled her eyes at the same time already fed up with this routine. “Uh yea.” Luke's voice was shaky and nervous. He was Puerto Rican. After the war begun Puerto Rico was evacuated and his family, who was very religious moved to Arizona and had him and named him Luke by suggestion of the Commander of Chief that said all Confederates should bring biblical names back for the future is within our children and we should give them the holiest path we can. “Yes Luke go ahead.” Mrs. Stimack said with a hint of irritation in her voice. “Yeah what will happen if we don't want to pledge our allegiance?” Everyone turned to stare at him in the back of the class. Keeras heart ached for him knowing how much this bothered him. “I mean do you have to leave?” Mrs. Stimacks head tilted like a puppy's does when it does not understand how something works. “What do you mean not pledge your allegiance? Do you mean switch sides to a Union state?” She laughed at the last part conveying what a joke she thought that would be. “No I mean why do we have to pick a side?” He says in a smaller voice. Keeras stomach started turning at the agony she saw her friend going through. Damn it Luke why did you have to open your mouth! Keera yelled in her own head. “Well you don't. You can move away from your family and everything you know and go live on a commune, in sin with the savages in an independent state.” “Savages?” A crude voice rang out clear as a bell in the classroom. Keera didn't realize it was her own voice until she noticed everyone's gazed shifting to her. Mrs Stimack looked to her as if she was a bug. “Yes I believe savages would be accurate.” Mrs. Stimack’s voice was overly punctual as to convey her conception of knowledge to be much greater than Keeras. “Violent and uncontrolled is an accurate definition of the word savage.” She drew the last word out and flicked her tongue at the end as if it were something dirty she needed to get out of her mouth. Anger started boiling in Keeras stomach and she knew she was skating on a thin line. Keera drew in a deep breath to calm herself. “Just seems like an extreme word for a group of people that want to live their lives without being forced into something that they don't believe in.” Keera could feel herself glare even though she was trying to will herself not to. Mrs. Stimack glared back and stood. Her nice smiling expression was gone. “Really Keera? You mean people who don't believe in God or Jesus and want to live in sin without any consequences. You think savage is too harsh of a term for them.” Her hands were in firsts hung down on each side of her body that was shaking. She paced in front of the class and preached in a strong overpowering raging tone. “John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” She glared daggers to Keera daring for a response. “Matthew 7:1-5” was all that left Keeras lips in a firm defying voice. Although every fiber of her being was telling her to stop bringing attention to herself she couldn't help but feed the fire inside her. Her lips curled up into a smirk. Gasps erupted from the room because the scripture she was referencing was about not judging others for you will be judged with the same harshness. “Get out!” Mrs. Stimack roared. Keeras smirk fell into a frown and she swallowed hard. Students that got send to the principle got lashings and although she was not scared of the pain from the lashings she was scared about controlling her ailments as she was punished. “Please.” was all that could leave her lips. She frantically looked to Albo that was looking at her with pain in his eyes. “I will not have you disrupting my class!” Keera did not respond. She had no words that wouldn't just get her into more trouble. She also did not move. She was unable to. She just gripped the sides of her desk trying to control her breathing frozen in fear that she might burn the entire school down if forced to move. Just then Albo stood. “I want to bear her punishment please.” Albo stood at attention. The class was dead silent. “Albo no.” Is all that Keera could say but it was barely audible. “Quiet.” Mrs Stimack spat at Keera. She approached Albo. “Are you sure you want to do this?”She whispered quietly into his ear. Albo stood at attention not looking Mrs. Stimack in her eyes. “Yes mam. I would please like to bear her punishment for her which is stated in the handbook as a viable rule.” Mrs. Stimack leans her gaze back to spot the agony in Keera’s expression. “Yes, but not a rule that I have seen actually practiced.” She then wore a smirk leaning in to whisper into Albos ear again. “You know you are very brave for this.” Albo said nothing. “I favore you but the Principal will make an example of you. You know this right?” Albo says nothing. “You can back out if you want to. Now that you know this Albo.” Albo looks to Keera and winks. “No mam I will not be backing out” He says loud enough for everyone to hear. Mrs. Stimack leans back to look Keera right in the face. “I didn't think you would. Go on then and receive your lashings.” Albo grabs his books and marches out of the classroom. Keera’s eyes glassed over and warm tears rolled uncontrollably down her face. Her chest felt like a hole had been hammered into it. “You should think of this next time you want to disrupt my classroom Keera.” If keera hadn't been so heart broken she knew the room would of exploded at that very moment. Instead she sat extremely quiet; silent tears falling out onto her desk until she had no more tears left to fall. That night Keera snuck out of her room in the attic of her foster parents house and into the upstairs room of Albo that lived just next door. She opened the window that was always unlocked. She had become accustomed to knocking and they meet on the roof never daring to actually go inside his room. She didn't want to give the wrong impression to him. Albo was laying in bed with bandages taped to his back soaked in blood. He lay face down covered in sweat. “Oh my God Albo.” Keera whispered touching his bicep gently from behind not able to see his face yet. “Albo I am so sorry.” She whispered out. Albo took a deep breath in. “Keera you didn't deserve this.” His words were muffled half into the pillow and half because of Albos teeth being grinded together through the pain. Tears Keera didn't think she had welled back into her eyes. She walked around the bed and layed down so that her face and his were facing each other. “You didn't either. Why did you do this for me.” He smiled his enthusiastic grin that was tainted with the pain. “Because i dasure don't you know?” His eyes shot lasers into hers and down into her chest. He raised his hand and touched her cheek. “Ti je dashuria ime” Keeras breath hitched. She wasn't exactly sure what that meant but she was almost 100% sure that he just professed his love to her. He leaned forward to give her a kiss on her forehead and kiss her tears from her eyes. Yeah I'm going to break him. She thought with certainty for there was no future for them but she felt like she couldn't live without him. In that moment Keera felt for the first time ever that she was not alone and it was going to kill her.