Rev's Odyssey by R. R. Kaufman (the reading list .txt) 📕

the direction of Kleng but her battered body slowed her down. She needed to find a high clearing for Kleng to lift her up. She spotted a clearing a short distance away but needed to journey through a dense forest and then climb a hill.

The trees blocked out the sun as she made her way through the forest. Ivy spread out on the floor of the woods. The odd ray of sunshine filtered through the trees.

A sense of peace filled her presence. She realized that she didn’t have to follow Razor. She could return to Brix and feel the company of her family and friends.

She thought about turning around and give up on Razor when she caught a glimpse of Kleng overhead. She would let Kleng decide her fate.

Suddenly Rev heard a thumping and thrashing getting louder from behind her.

She turned around.

Klutch. Unreal. He was coming fast but with a heavy limp.

Rev picked up her pace but was still achy from the crash.

There were plenty of places to hide but she knew Kleng might not stick around forever.

She had to make it to the clearing.

She looked up again to see Kleng and didn’t see the long tree root stretching along the forest floor. It caught her foot and she stumbled down a shallow ravine. But that was enough time for Klutch to gain ground on her. Rev bounced back to her feet but Klutch was faster and managed to grab her and send her flying.

Rev lay still face down on the ground.

Klutch kicked her with his good leg.

Rev didn’t respond.

He bent down and rolled her over.

Before he knew what hit him, Rev stabbed him in his eye with her flexion.

Klutch bolted upright holding his eye and screeched an ear piercing scream that cleared the forest of all its birds.

Not hesitating for one second Rev reached a small creek at the end of the forest and skipped across it. Climbing the hill, she looked back. Klutch was close behind her.

What? Is he another droke? Rev felt her ankle start to go limp as she reached the top of the hill. Why did she have to fall? She was in enough pain, she thought.

Kleng. Kleng. Where are you?

Rev had no choice but to keep running through the clearing. Suddenly a moving shadow appeared on the ground in front of her. She raised her hands high in the air and kept running.

She didn’t dare look back. She could almost feel Klutch’s breath on her neck. And then a lofty breeze almost blew her over.

Kleng gently locked his claws around her wrists and swept her off her feet.

Rev looked down to see Klutch flogging a clenched fist at her as he got smaller and smaller.

 

Chapter 97

 

 

Soaring high and feeling free, Rev was flying again. The wind soothed her sore body as Kleng lifted her to a bird’s eye view of the valley. In the distance Rev could see a trail of smoke spewing from Razor’s train.

In no time they were high above her train as it snaked through the valley. Kleng kept flying ahead of the train and in the distance Bluster Harbor came into her view.

Kleng adjusted her wings and feathers as she drifted effortlessly, descending smoothly towards a landing spot overlooking the harbor. She hovered over a safe spot and delicately released her claws, dropping Rev a short distance to the ground.

Rev said thank you to Kleng by touching her heart with the palm of her hand and raising it in the air as Kleng made a quick turn, swooped down over Rev and then made a steep ascent as she disappeared in the direction of Brix.

The sun began to set over the harbor waterfront. Rev crouched down on a hill overlooking it. At least a dozen drokes lay lifeless on the long pier, their heads scattered about.

Rev couldn’t believe the massive steel ship floating in the harbor below. It looked like a streamlined whale with a big fin on its top.

So this long tube-shaped boat was Razor’s submarine. How did she ever build such a massive wonder?

Rev realized that this was the reason the men in Brix toiled day and night. The factories that created the pollution in Brix were used to supply all the steel parts. Her train shipped them here and the drokes assembled it.

Rev had to make a quick decision. She knew Razor would be here soon. But her curiosity overwhelmed her reasoning ability.

Just a quick peek, she thought.

She was immediately drawn to the large fin like structure on top of the sub. This had to be the entrance. Keeping an eye out for anyone, Rev reached the docked sub. She leapt on top of the sub keeping her balance on the curved structure. As she climbed to the giant fin Razor’s train entered the harbor.

A strong gust of wind almost blew her into the water. On the top of the fin, Rev turned a wheel and swung it open. She crawled inside and closed the hatch. It reminded Rev of the entrance and departure compartments in Genus. She descended a steep ladder to a door below.

She slowly opened it.

Stacked high on the interior walls were hundreds of droke body parts.

Rev realized that Razor could easily assemble another army with all these spare parts. Ready to go any time.

She moved through another doorway. A kitchen area. Sinks, tables, and freezers. Rev gradually moved through a storage room and a living area decorated with nice furniture and plush carpets.

She looked through the window of a door at the end of the living quarters.

Rev’s heart leapt. Ice ran through her veins.

Coming down some stairs was a short stocky man.

Before she could duck she felt something hard connect with the back of her head.

Blackness followed. Rev never felt herself crashing to the floor.

 

Chapter 98

 

 

Rev opened her eyes. Everything was blurry. Voices remained in the distance. Then she felt stiffness in her arms and confinement of her wrists. Someone leaned into her face and Rev recognized her tiger locket hanging from Razor’s neck.

 

Razor

Welcome aboard the Incision, my personal submarine. Isn’t it amazing?

 

Rev

What’s amazing is your ability to sneak up on me.

 

Razor

I’m curious. What happened to Klutch?

 

Rev

He might need one of Vice’s eye patches.

 

Razor and Bruno chuckled.

Still groggy, Rev checked out her surroundings. She was in some sort of control room. She spotted multiple computer screens, a large telescopic device and a long table that contained her breather and flexion. The short, stocky man was seated at the computer station.

Rev sat in a chair with her hands bound behind her by steel bracelets. Her head cleared as she began to focus her eyes.

 

Razor

You’re a lucky girl. I’m about to take the Incision on her maiden voyage. And guess what? You’re invited.

 

Rev

I’ll settle for a refund.

 

Razor

Now what kind of attitude is that? I bet you’ve never been on a sub before. You’ll feel right at home under the sea. Together we’ll conquer other worlds. We will be invincible. I have so much to teach you, Rev.

 

Razor strutted around the control room in a fit of delirium and laughter.

Rev lifted her head and spoke.

 

Rev

Why? What makes you this way?

 

Razor was quick to reply.

 

Razor

I used to care about people. But they never appreciated my superior talents and intelligence. So I decided to only care about myself and that attitude helped me soar to great heights. Remember this little girl. At one point in everyone’s life they will want to do evil. Your turn will come.

 

Rev

I’ll never be like you.

 

Razor showed no surprise or remorse.

 

Razor

That’s why you’ll always be small. So, I’m going to do you a huge favor and make you big. People will idolize you wherever you go. You’ll be rich, famous and feared. But for now you leave me no choice. If I kill you, a ray of hope will die within me.

 

Razor turned to Bruno.

 

Razor

Lock her up.

 

Bruno pulled Rev out of her chair and led her down some stairs and a long passageway to a holding cell. He kept her hands bound and guided her to a bunk.

Rev jumped and trembled as Bruno slammed the heavy metal door behind him. She remained completely still as she sat on the bunk still handcuffed from behind.

She bent over and stared down at her feet going over the past day’s events. She realized it was a dumb decision to have followed Razor. But if she had to do it all over again, she would.

Only a few weeks ago she was living her simple life in Genus with her parents and friends, as any fifteen year old should. Bouncy. No worries.

Now all those joyful emotions had been zapped from her making her feel like an abandoned hand me down doll. She was Razor’s puppet now, lifeless with no spine left.

A paralyzing feeling of total hopelessness filled her whole being. The thought of being held prisoner by Razor overwhelmed her.

Snap out of it, she told herself. But nothing lifted her spirits. She tried to get comfortable and stretched her legs and neck.

Rev crossed her ankles and that’s when a surge of electricity shot through her.

She felt the syringe of acid still strapped to her ankle. Razor must have missed it when she searched her.

Like a drink of cold water on a hot day, Rev felt rejuvenated. Energy flowed back in her body. She fell forward on her stomach with her arms stretched straight out behind her. She bent her legs as hard as she could towards her body and moved her handcuffed wrists around her ankles.

She let out a loud groan as she stretched her arms and bent her legs into her body as far as she could. One more loud groan and she slipped her arms around her legs and brought them in front of her.

She carefully brought out the acid pump. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then a loud sound jolted her.

 

AHOOOGAAA … AHOOOGAAA

 

The annoying penetrating sound kept repeating.

Then she felt the sub move. It was diving below the surface.

With her right hand, Rev carefully pumped out a few drops of acid on the metal handcuffs.

A trail of smoke evaporated in the air as she pulled the cuffs apart.

The cuffs remained on her wrists but the acid had eaten through the adjoining chain.

Her hands were free.

Rev dashed over to the locked metal door and inserted the acid syringe into the keyhole.

She turned around and covered her mouth from the fumes.

When she turned back, the door had swung open.

 

Chapter 99

 

 

Rev cautiously peered around the half open door. Nobody in sight. She crept silently down the long passageway full of a tangled web of pipes and wires. She came to the steep stairway leading to the control room.

Was her air breather and flexion still there? Another voice in her head told her to just get off the sub. But Rev needed the breather if she was to reach the surface.

She climbed the stairs like a cat.

Holding her breath Rev eyeballed the control room. Unoccupied. Good, thought Rev as she scrambled to retrieve her breather and flexion. Now to make her way unnoticed to the exit.