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

>She took a few steps down the stairway when she saw a shadow approaching from below.

Bruno stepped on the bottom stair as Rev whipped back to the top and hid to the left of the top opening. She opened her flexion and positioned it high above her head and across her shoulder ready to strike a blow.

She waited patiently as each step he took quickened Rev’s heartbeat.

When Bruno reached the top step he felt a vicious blow to his nose and mouth.

All Rev could hear was a loud crunch as she pulled back her flexion.

Stunned, he stood frozen at the control room entrance as blood spurted out from his nose.

Rev jumped out in front of him just as he spit out his gold tooth. With a leap in the air Rev landed a hard blow to his chest with her feet and sent Bruno sailing down the staircase.

Rev hurried back inside the control room and tried to do as much damage to the sub as she could. Within a few seconds she had flipped every switch and button within her reach.

The submarine lurched vigorously to the left shaking Rev off her feet.

She grabbed hold of the stair railing and jumped over Bruno at the bottom step, as he lay immobilized on his back groaning in pain.

The only exit that Rev knew was the way she entered the sub. She headed towards the escape hatch and hoped there were no more Brunos aboard.

But Razor was somewhere onboard and Rev did not want to deal with her. She kept a constant lookout for Razor and planned to hide if she saw her beforehand.

If Razor could pass by her unnoticed then Rev’s escape plan had a chance of success.

Without any warning the sub reeled sideways hurling Rev forward and tossing her against a wall. She regained her balance and learned to grab hold of parts on the sub as she walked towards the exit.

Where was Razor? Rev was almost at the drokes’ parts department. From there it was a few steps to the exit hatch.

And then the sub switched course in its underwater descent, loosening Rev’s grip on a pipe, rolling her to the drokes’ storage room floor. She looked up fearing the drokes might come alive at any moment.

Nothing but silence. Get a grip on your imagination, she told herself. You’re almost free of this death ship.

Then, out of the shadows a tall lean figure loomed over her.

 

Chapter 100

 

 

A faint ray of light exposed Razor’s grotesque, cruel smile. Rev tried to get up but a sharp object almost pierced her throat.

Razor stood above her holding a cane. Extending out of its end was a sharp stiletto knife.

 

Razor

You’ve ruined my plans for the last time. Now I’m going to enjoy killing you.

 

And in that moment Rev knew she had run out of options.

A sense of despair reined down on her.

She couldn’t move without getting her throat slit.

Razor wasn’t taking her away anymore.

Instead Razor was going to kill her.

Rev was even afraid to breathe.

No words were about to save her.

She just kept staring up at Razor’s black eyes as the cold long dagger stuck to her throat.

But in that flash of a moment Razor was propelled backwards by the force of the sub. The thrust of the sub spinning off course had given Rev a chance at life again.

Rev slid along the floor towards Razor. Her cane stiletto had vanished and Rev was quick to take action. Despair had changed to rage as she kicked Razor in her ribs. When Rev raised her foot again for a second kick Razor grabbed her leg and brought her to the floor, level with her.

Razor grabbed hold of Rev by her throat and Rev returned with a punch to Razor’s face. They rolled each over several times until Razor returned to her feet, grabbed Rev and tossed her hard against a rack.

Rev clenched a metal arm from the drokes’ storage bin. She slashed at Razor’s face but Razor snatched it from Rev’s hands so quick that Rev felt a blow to her shoulder before she knew what happened.

And then Razor found her stiletto.

Rev toppled back and felt a piercing pain in her calf. Looking down, her torn pants became soaked in blood.

The stiletto cane had shaved a piece of skin from her left calf.

Rev tried to recover the knife, but before she could Razor’s arm clenched her neck with an unstoppable stranglehold.

Razor’s knee dug into Rev’s back and lifted her off the floor.

Rev choked and gasped for air. She shook violently and punched behind her but started to lose consciousness. Rev didn’t have enough strength to unlock Razor’s chokehold.

And then with the last of her strength Rev reached towards her ankle and seized the acid syringe.

Before Razor realized it, Rev had emptied the syringe on Razor’s elbow.

Rev’s eardrum almost ruptured from the piercing shriek coming from Razor.

As Razor released her grip, Rev turned around to see Razor’s arm dangling from the elbow. Blood spurted everywhere. Once concealed, now bones and veins were revealed. Just some loose skin was keeping it from falling off. Razor’s face contorted and sobbed like the expression of a child who lost their favorite toy.

Rev took hold of her tiger locket around Razor’s neck and ripped it free.

 

Rev

You won’t need this anymore.

 

Razor foamed at the mouth as she spewed her last assaults on Rev.

 

Razor

You can’t do this to me!

 

Rev

I just did. Good riddance. You and your precious Incision are going down.

 

Razor

I’ll find you and I’ll beat you little girl.

 

Rev

Okay. I’ll let the people on Earth know that you lost to a little girl. Oh, I have one last question. Why do your boats always sink?

 

Razor

Come closer you little monster. I’ll bite your face off.

 

Rev quickly left the room, leaving Razor spewing her venom out to nobody but herself.

 

Chapter 101

 

 

Less than a minute later Rev reached the hatch. Rev climbed through the inner door and sealed it behind her. Just like in Genus, the water pressure in the escape compartment must equal the pressure of the sea. When that happens the hatch will automatically open.

Rev was surprised when she swam out of the hatch. After putting on her breather she was stunned to encounter a turbulent underwater storm. Looking back down at the Incision, it churned perilously spinning and twisting in a circular motion in its descent to the bottom.

The distance to the surface wasn’t far but it became a struggle for Rev. The murky water swirled brutally in a large circular motion taking her for an uncontrollable ride preventing her from rising to the top.

And then, Rev’s breather ripped from her mouth and vanished.

Rev knew the sea had always been her friend. She respected it but never believed that it could be this hostile.

She swam steadily towards the center of the churning vortex. A giant manta ray approached from below and scooped Rev up with its large fins that looked like wings.

Rev stretched out on its back as they floated effortlessly to the surface. She touched the manta ray to say thank you as it dived below.

She took a deep breath but almost swallowed a mouthful of water as the storm on the surface blew stronger than she thought. A bolt of lightning lit up the night sky and the wind lifted the waves up high, smashing over the pier.

Rev rode the towering, rolling waves to shore.

She climbed a fanlike rock and lay on her back.

Eventually, she managed to sit up. The cut on her leg had stopped bleeding.

So exhausted and beat up she barely felt the torrent of rain descending on her.

Within seconds giant funnel clouds hovered over the bay.

A series of lightning bolts flashed above it. And suddenly the funnel of clouds carved a giant whirlpool on the surface of the bay spiraling around at a ferocious speed, lifting the water up in the shape of a gigantic volcano.

Minutes later a perfect stillness took over. The storm had passed.

Rev gazed over the bay. Dead calm. It was over. No sub. No Razor.

She remembered the locket and unzipped her pocket to bring it out.

Did Razor change the passcode?

Rev tried her old passcode.

It flipped open.

Rev stared at the contents inside the locket.

She took out a picture from the locket that Razor had placed in there.

It was a picture of Rev smiling.

For some twisted reason the woman that Rev hated had loved her.

Rev turned around. She heard something travelling on the rail tracks. Her mother and Stike were operating a hand levered railcar.

She raced to them.

She never felt so alive.

She was safe now.

Her journey was over.

She had come full circle.

Home at last.

 

Chapter 102

 

 

A gentle breeze blew over Rev and her father as they stood on a green hill overlooking Brix Valley. Her mother’s healing hands had helped Rev recover from her battle with Razor.

Her father placed his arm across her shoulders in a loving embrace. The air was clean and they could see for miles. No more pollution from the factories. No more sludge and toxins contaminating the rivers and ocean.

 

Rev

When will all the water be clean again, father?

 

Kosni

Professor Mars and I analyzed the water and it will take at least a few months before the rivers restore themselves. With proper care the ocean will do the same.

 

Rev

It was close. We could have lost it all.

 

Kosni

Thanks to you we didn’t.

 

Rev smiled back at him as they turned around and walked towards the townsfolk gathered at the fair.

 

Kosni

So Rev, what have you learned from your journey?

 

Rev

Don’t mess with Mother Nature.

 

Kosni

True. Anything else?

 

Rev

That gold is precious.

 

Kosni

And?

 

Rev

But the most precious of all is family and friends.

 

They continued walking towards the fairgrounds. Seeing the young children laughing and playing their games made Rev feel like joining them in their joyful antics.

She realized that she had grown up fast in the last few weeks. She had gained some wisdom and experience but her innocence was gone. Everything seemed different. She was no longer the little girl that Razor had called her.

Rev loved to breathe in the aroma of cooking coming from the food wagons. The fair grounds decorated with large colorful flags and lights came alive with the activity of jugglers and stilt walkers. Prizes were awarded in archery contests and crowds of people outfitted in costumes danced around.

A crowd of party folks came rushing towards Rev and her father, momentarily separating them.

Rev looked over at her father.

He was shouting something and pointing ahead.

Rev just smiled and shook her head indicating she couldn’t hear Kosni.

And then she looked in front of her.

She stared at a huge ball higher than herself ready to roll over her. On top of that ball a juggler was looking up at the fire sticks he was tossing in the air.

For that one split second that seemed to last forever she hesitated.

And then she felt a strong arm pull her sideways and out of harm’s way.

 

Kosni

That would be some twist of