Eyera (The Eyera Series Book 1) Read online

  “Have you thought this through, Cy?” Raiya moans in frustration.

  Cyren looked offended and annoyed too.

  “Yes! Sheesh, Rai, ya thought I come up with something and not think it through, gimme a little credit. I would never put ya in danger, have some faith,” Cyren says irritated.

  I notice that Cyren has a bit of a temper. Raiya folds her arms.

  “What is the plan then, genius?” she says in a mocking tone.

  “There is a truck that comes twice a week, and leads ta the outside of Elspeth City, there’s a wall that has a hole, and it’s covered by bushes, it’s big enough, we use that and we are in the city. All we need ta do is get on that truck, and we’re home free. I worked with the guy on the trucks, and he knows I want ta escaped, so he won’t be telling Eyera. He will give you a sign ta jump, but he won’t stop, no matter how fast he’s going, he’s on a schedule and Eyera would know if he stopped, and they will question why,” he says.

  I notice flaws in this plan, but knowing Cyren, I’m sure he has it all figured out. I hope. I let Cyren proceed before asking questions.

  “Elspeth City is closest ta us. I’ll make sure the rest of ya will be back home with your family,” Cyren says.

  “Cyren,” Parrish says.

  “Yes Parrish,”

  “The trucks come tomorrow,” Parrish says unsure.

  “Ya and we are leaving tomorrow,”

  “We are not going to do this tomorrow Cyren,” I say which makes him furrow his eyebrows.

  “Why the hell not?” he questions.

  “I want to get out as soon as possible but this, this is not planned correctly, and it will get us captured for sure, we need to be ready, not dive in without any preparations, we need to prepare ourselves,” I reason.

  Cyren throws his hands in the air letting out a frustrated sigh.

  “As much as I hate agreeing with … her, but she’s right Cyren, and you know it. Stop being stupid. You said you wouldn’t put us in danger,” Raiya says.

  Cyren pinches his forehead and sighs. He knows we are right.

  “Okay, gotcha, we plan and prepare,” he says.

  He carries on.

  “There are vents that lead us ta the back, there we will find the exit door, and the door is unlocked, there is no key needed, no passcode nothing,”

  “Why wouldn’t there be any security, Eyera are high on lock down, why would the exit door be open like that?” I ask sceptically.

  “It’s a fire exit for a start, no one can get ta the door unless you have a card, there’s camera’s and alarm triggers but if we use the vent it takes us past all of that and right ta the fire door. Besides I know,” Cyren says.

  It’s a risk but there’s no other choice, it could be our only shot of freedom, and Cyren has everything planned.

  “The power generator shuts down for a bit, which means our cells will be open, only for a limited amount of time,” Cyren says.

  I suspect Cyren has been in here longer than anyone, so he knows what he’s talking about. He’s knows everything inside Eyera. Everyone agrees with the plan and happiness longs on them. I can’t help doubting. It seems so rushed and unbelievable, but I can’t be picky as it’s better than what I come up with, and that is nothing.

  “What if we run into trouble?” Parrish says.

  I already know the answer to that.

  “We fight,” Cyren says deadpan.

  I sit in silence while the others tell each other stories about family, and what they are going to do when they see them. Cyren sends me a few glances here and there, and I often send him a warm smile.

  “This place sucks,” Parrish says as he throws grass in the air, he makes Orin chuckle loudly and the others join him too.

  I bring my knees up, resting my chin. I really want this plan to work; I want to see my parents, Hadrian and Hunter. Oh, how I miss them so much.

  Raiya stands up and looks at the others, Parrish and Orin stand apart from Cyren; he remains seated. Raiya looks at Cyren to see if he’s going to follow, but he holds five fingers in the air. And they leave. Cyren scoots closer.

  “I know what ya thinking about Acey.”

  I’m scared that if the plans fail, I don’t know what they are going to do to us. They most likely kill us instead of using the drug.

  “Hey, look at me,” he croons.

  I face him nervously.

  “It’s scary,” I say.

  “I know,” he responds

  “You have this all figured out,”

  “Of course I do Acey, I am not letting them use the drug on me or you, or anyone else, this will work, I just know it.” he says passionately.

  All I see is Hunter, how passionate and determined to make it work. Cyren takes my hands in his and squeezes it; I give him a fake smile, and he buys it. Hunter would know straight away that this smile is fake.

  “It will work.” I lie.

  CHAPTER thirty-one

  five days to the escape.

  I’ve known Cyren, Raiya, Parrish and Orin for such a short time, and yet I feel like I’ve known them my whole life. I trust them. It’s strange that I made friends in a place like this, I never connected with people from school and I didn’t fit in, but they look out for me, only Hunter has ever looked out for me. I’m not sure about Raiya though.

  My mind slips to my parents and Hadrian. I wonder if they are safe, not a day goes by I don’t think about them, how my actions affect them. I wonder if they went back to punish Hadrian or left him as they have me, I hope he is safe and well. I think about Hunter too, wondering how he is handling all of this. Hunter probably blames himself; he finds a way to think it’s his fault to protect me, he will make sure that I don’t carry this weight alone.

  I’ve grown some attachment to my cell, it’s hell made specially for me stuck with my thoughts that circulate to the point of me going insane, this feels more like punishment than the drug and I haven’t experienced that, yet …

  Every day I put on a brave face to show that they don’t own me, and no matter what happens I will still be me.

  A guard clears her throat.

  “On your feet, Miss Shader, you’re to see Dr Liza,” she says and turns on her heels and marches out. Lucky me.

  I head to the elevator and push level nine, level thirteen captivates me like a toxic addiction. Cyren made it clear never to step foot, but I cannot help what kind of evil lies there. Whatever Eyera does on that level has mentally scarred Cyren, and it makes me eager to know.

  The doors open and I step onto the doctor’s floor and make my way to Phaedra. I knock twice and I hear her say come in. I enter and Phaedra sits on her chair writing notes, she places her board down and signals me to sit on the bed.

  “Hello Acelyn, how are you?” she says pulling a torch from her pocket flashing it into my eyes, making little-coloured dancing dots. I don’t say anything, not exactly having a swell of a time. Phaedra lifts my sleeves and checks my arms, then lifts up my T-shirt exposing my skin and touches the black bruises lightly.

  “You seem to end up with more injuries, the bruising will go down in a few weeks,” she says.

  Phaedra clicks her pen and writes down notes, she looks at me again and her face changes to a worried look, she places her hands on my cheeks moving my head side to side and touches my forehead and tuts.

  “Have you been eating?” she says concerned.

  “Yes,” I say. Part lying. I’ve eaten but not enough.

  “Don’t lie to me Acelyn,” she says sterner.

  I sigh.

  “Not much.”

  “Why not?”

  “I cannot allow myself to eat anything with animal products in; it goes against everything I believe in,” I say.

  Phaedra bites her lips and writes a small note, and smiles.

  “I’ll handle it.”

  “Why?” I say.

  “Like I said, I look after my patients,” she says.

  “But why? Why does Eyera do th
is? You clothe and feed us but also torture us, why?” I say. She looks down.

  “It’s how the system works,” she says.

  “But why?”

  “Enough.” she says.

  Phaedra touches my hand and shakes her head again.

  “You should have seen me sooner, Acelyn, you cannot get cuts and leave it like this,” she says changing the subject.

  She pulls out a cloth and sprays a painful liquid, and I hiss.

  “Is this a check-up?” I ask.

  “Yes, to make sure no infections or illness. Open wide,” she says and I obey.

  She puts a wooden stick inside my mouth and flashes the torch, writing more information on her clipboard.

  “What is the point, we are going to end up dead, if not the drug will do it, it’s unnecessary,” I say.

  She knows I’m right.

  “Don’t think like that,”

  “But it’s true, and you know it,” I respond quickly.

  She changes the subject again.

  “Do you sleep well at night?”

  Of course I don’t, who does? She opens the cupboard and pulls out a small cup and gives it to me. I look inside seeing blue and red pills, and I scrunch my eyebrows.

  “They will help you sleep at night, and ease any pain, they kick in a few hours, so take them a couple of hours before lights out,” she says.

  I look at the coloured pills, moving them around, I don’t like taking medication and have never done it. She ushers me to swallow the pills and doesn’t take her eyes off me, I put both pills in my mouth and she watches carefully.

  “Open up,” she says.

  I open my mouth, and she tells me to lift my tongue up, down and to the side.

  “Good,” she mutters.

  My check-up gets interrupted by a loud scream, she begs them to let her go, and she will be good. My heart sinks and stomach twist in knots. Phaedra is uncomfortable and upset about it, she lets out a deep breath and brushes off her blood curdling screams.

  “You don’t agree with this,” I say, and she shakes her head immediately.

  “It’s wrong,” she says.

  “I came here because I wanted to help, but when I saw what they do to the children I couldn’t leave, no it be wrong too, these children need my help,” she says sadly.

  Maybe I was wrong about all Eyera workers are evil, Linxston and Phaedra are different to all the other workers, they know what Eyera is doing is wrong, but they keep their jobs so they can help people in their way. Or are they trying to make us trust them, and then they reveal their true colours? It’s all so confusing.

  “Why don’t you do something about it?” I say, and she lets out a humourless laugh.

  “You don’t think I haven’t,” she says.

  “Me here talking to you what I think is enough to get myself punished.”

  I part my lips to speak, but she cuts me off.

  “You’re all done here,” she snaps turning her back.

  I hop off the bed staring for a moment, and leave.

  I move away from her door, so she doesn’t hear me vibrating my throat coughing up the pills. I roll them in my hand and place them in my pocket strolling down the corridor. I see a girl strapped to the chair her eyes red and puffy, she thrashes trying to break free, we lock eyes and she lets out muffled cries, but the gag prevents her. I understand what she is trying to say ‘help me.’ I stare for a few minutes, whether I should help or not. They will know and will hurt her either way and me. I walk closer my heart has a mind of its own, the girl relaxes.

  “What are you doing here?” the doctor demands scaring me.

  I don’t look at him and avoid speaking.

  “Get out before I call the guards!” he shouts.

  The girl looks at me, shaking her head rapidly; she cries again and tears fall. ‘Please,’ she repeats. I leave the room and she cries louder. I run to the elevator blocking her pleads, wanting to get out of here. The doors open and I enter, and as they close I hear her alarming scream pierces my ears. I hold myself together taking deep breaths. I need to stop beating myself up. What can I do? I can’t do anything, I want to help so bad but it’s impossible. I bring my hand to my forehead. I don’t know how much longer I can take this.

  four days to the escape.

  The guard hands me a schedule as soon as I wake up, I look at it to find out I’m on rubbish duty, which is something I don’t want to do. I head to the elevator pressing B1, it jerks as it goes down, the doors open and a potent smell hits me right in the face making my nose scrunch up. I walk into the rubbish room, in the middle lies a large skip with a hole in the ceiling; it rumbles and food flies down into it, some food splatters on the chrome floor. Six other people are on rubbish duty too, four at the skip opening doors and putting rotten food into bags, tying them up and tossing it to the side, where the other two collects and throws it into the chute. A boy in a green jumpsuit walks up to me.

  “Are you lost?” he asks.

  I shake my head and give him the schedule, he puts his finger to his lips and reads it.

  “Ah, you’re with Haston, follow me,” he says.

  Haston. I haven’t seen him since we were chained, come to think of it I haven’t seen him in his cell, did he move? The boy takes me round a corner and up the stairs, machines and switches bolted to the dark grey walls. I see Haston putting rubbish through the chute.

  “What you will be doing is sorting out the rubbish, so cardboard into this chute, glass in that one and paper in this one,” he says pointing at different chutes.

  “Also, you will need these.”

  He hands me rubber gloves and a green jumpsuit and leaves. I put on the jumpsuit over my clothes, and it’s very baggy, I roll the sleeves and wear the rubber gloves. I walk near Haston and he looks up for a brief second and proceeds back to work. Haston’s tanned skin sweats by the heat of the room, his muscles are very noticeable in his jumpsuit. He brushes his forehead and his short swept-back brown hair. A girl skips to Haston and uses her hands to cover his eyes.

  “Guess who?” she giggles.

  Haston turns round quickly and folds his arms together.

  “Oh, I wonder,” he responds not amused.

  “You are not supposed to be here, if the guards see you—”

  But she cuts him off.

  “Haston, lighten up.”

  She turns around making herself noticeable, and I recognise her. The girl that was in chains, her cheeks are bruised, and she has a few cuts on her forehead, she jumps on the counter swinging her legs, and looks my way, and her face lights up.

  “Hey, I know you, you were in the chains too right?” she says in a high pitch voice.

  She gets off the counter and walks my direction.

  “Come on, babe, we got things to do,” Haston says in which she flicks her wrists.

  “I’m Enkara, and that killjoy is my boyfriend, Haston,” Enkara says ogling him.

  Enkara ties up her long brown hair in a bun, her brown eyes light up whenever she looks at Haston, they’re full of love.

  “Acelyn,” I say.

  “I haven’t seen both of you in the cells.”

  “Haston and I got moved, we are on level sixteen,” Enkara says.

  I open my mouth making an o shape. I thought something bad happened to them. We continue to put the rubbish in the correct piles; the heat makes me sweat and my jumpsuit clings to my body, I undo a few buttons. Enkara bounces and giggles loudly, honestly, I don’t know how Haston can deal with it, she is so bright and cheerful, her voice squeaking whenever Haston is serious with her.

  “Oh, I’ll be back in a bit,” she says and heads downstairs.

  In the corner of my eyes I notice Haston staring, he takes off his gloves and walks closer.

  “I heard about your little escape plan,” he says.

  I look at him vaguely, how does he know? Did Cyren or the others tell him, they wouldn’t have, right? Why would they? If he knew about the plan then who e
lse knows, I thought we were very discrete about it.

  “I don’t know what you are talking about,” I say playing dumb. Haston squeezes my arm hard and looks dead straight into my eyes, his dark brown eyes narrowing, and he bites his lip.

  “I think you do,” he snaps.

  I do not like the way he is speaking to me, I whack his arm and give him a cold stare. How dare he put his hands on me like that.

  “You and your friends have a plan, and I want in,” he says.

  I chuckle.

  “If not, then Lieutenant Larcival would like to hear your little escape plan, heck even Miss Katherine Bennet would love to know,” he threatens.

  Oh is he seriously playing this game? I lock my jaw sending death glares.

  “You think threatening me will work, go on tell them, I don’t care, because you won’t ever know the plan and you would have lost yourself a ticket of being free,” I snarl giving him a taste of his own medicine. I turn, leaving him dumbfounded.

  “Wait,” he calls.

  I look back crossing my arms over my chest, really pissed off.

  “Look, I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot,” he says.

  “You have a funny way of showing it.” I grit.

  He holds his hands up and walks closer.

  “I want to join and Enkara too, I want her to be safe,” he says, gently this time. If only he spoke nicely before but touching me like that, he’s lucky I didn’t throw him down the chute.

  “Enkara overheard the girl and the muscly boy talk in the corridor,” Haston says.

  Great, just what we needed. I hold my tongue back thinking, if this gets out to anyone else and people start knowing then the guards will know too. Haston looks at me with willing eyes and I feel bad if I say no, even though he is a jerk.

  “Okay fine, not a single word to anyone, got it.” I warn.

  “I promise,” he says.

  Enkara walks back, and Haston moves away quickly.

  “Err what’s up?” she asks.

  “Nothing babe, everything is perfect just like you,” he says wrapping his hands around her waist, she blushes and kisses him lightly on the lips.

  “You know you can’t do that,” he says.