Eve's Hollow by Charles Bedlam (best free e reader .txt) 📕

“Tell me more about where you came from,” Estelle asked her, shifting her weight in the tub..

“The club?” Tabitha seemed surprised. She got up from the stool and flipped Estelle's clothes again. She sat down and looked at Estelle. “How's the water? Is it okay?”

“Mhm.” Estelle looked at her hands. They were beginning to prune.

“So you want to know about the Blue Key Club? No one's ever asked me about where I came from before. The club is an old abandoned music theater that was brought back to life. It's run by a man named Gojo and his wife, Yetunde. They're a tough couple and the survivors there are tough too. I was one of 'em. We call ourselves the Blue Key Soldiers. There's about fifteen-hundred of us. I think we're one of the largest groups of survivors in the whole damn city. One of the biggest I've ever seen, anyway.”

Estelle listened intently. Tabitha looked at a high point on the wall when she spoke of her past, almost as if she were trying to project her thoughts onto the candlelit wall.

“Gojo had us divided into two groups. There's the main group of survivors who take care of daily chores around the club as well as medical responsibilities. Then there's the warriors; sort of like we have hear, who leave the club and go on scavenging missions. They're also responsible as the first and only line of defense for the club. We have a lot of fun though.”

Estelle tilted her head. “Fun?”

“Well, sure,” Tabitha said with a grin. “We can't spend all of our time fighting, you know. We have groups on patrol, but when the work is done, we dance and sing and play music. Oh, it's so great!”

Estelle had not believed that any measure of joy was possible in this wretched city. Listening to Tabitha talk about the Blue Key Club made her forget that she was even in Eve's Hollow. She wanted this conversation to continue. She realized that she had not washed her hair since she had been in the bath. The act gave her a perfect excuse to prolong the moment.

“I used to play piano,” Estelle said. “Did you play?”

“Me? No.”

Almost as if going through a transformation, Tabitha propped up in the chair, focused her eyes, and took a deep breath. She sang softly, but powerfully. She stared into Estelle's eyes with passion and gusto. She elegantly and smoothly sang through a series of scales. She sang like an angel and Estelle was enchanted to listen. Then, the verse of a song.

Clouds of doom fill up the sky

Tell me, can you hear our battle cry

The air is freezing, can you see the fury in our eyes

Of course you're scared, for none are spared

Life lost in a flash of light

Thunder is our harbinger

We will fight

Estelle sat stunned. Tabitha looked at the ground with a smile, then flipped Estelle's clothes once more, just to be sure.

“They're all dry now, Miss Estelle,” she said, breaking the silence with a shy smile.

“That was amazing!” Estelle exclaimed.

“Thanks,” Tabitha said though a chuckle. “I was one of three. Tony,Angela and myself were our own group.”

Tabitha now wore a sad expression.

“I miss them all.”

“Why don't you go back?” Estelle accidentally asked. She had only meant to think it. “I mean, I know the Punished are there, but... there must be a way!”

“Well after I got separated, I... found myself here-”

“Like me...”

Tabitha gave a half heart smile.

“My skills were very useful here. I know how to fight, but there are so many survivors here who need medical attention. I know a lot more than the others. The methods that kept the Blue Key Soldiers alive are very valuable here. I do miss my friends, but I've saved so many lives here. I don't know if I'll ever see them again, but something tells me I need to be here.”

“I'm sorry,” Estelle said, remorsefully.

“Ah! No need. This is my choice. Boy though, our soldiers are talented. Strong too. There are three squads at the top of the chain. Soul Squad, the Second Squad, and Nova Squad.”

“Nova Squad?”

“Mhm. Each of the squads have a leader that it's named after. Sister Soul leads the Soul Squad. Big Will II leads the Second Squad. And Supernova leads Nova Squad- well he used to lead it.”

“The Supernova Samurai?”

Tabitha nodded and Estelle stared at her.

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

“I- No. It's just- I've been looking for the leader of the Nova Squad...”

Tabitha's brow furrowed.

“The Supernova Samurai,” Estelle said. “I was looking for him when I was captured. Everyone I've met here has told me what a monster he is, but you're the first person I've met who knows him personally.”

Tabitha chuckled to herself.

“I can tell you what I know about him,” Tabitha said, “but he went missin' from the club long before I did.”

“I've been told that he hasn't been seen in a long time.”

“Mhm. He left after that woman attacked the club.”

“What woman?”

“That woman who's always trying to control Nova. The Pale Lady, he called her. She attacked our home.”

Tabitha stopped speaking for a moment. Estelle saw more than sadness in her eyes this time. There was something that could not be explained, some sense of loss greater than the weight of the world. When Tabitha spoke, she spoke as if she were staring at something in another world.

“We lost one third of our army to a single woman, Miss Essie. Supernova's powers were great, but hers were greater. There's this image burned in my head... of her standing among our dead brothers and sisters. She has this ugly black tattoo around her neck, long wavy hair, and an wicked grin. Was like she was... enjoyin' it. She kept yellin' about how she's the only one who'd understand 'im. 'These worthless vermin will never love you as I.'”

“Supernova?”

Tabitha nodded.

“Ol' Nova negotiated a short truce with her so that we could take our dead from beneath her feet.”

Estelle now felt awful for pushing Tabitha. She imagined what she had seen in the intersection; the dismembered body parts. There were no more than a hundred or so people. What Tabitha was talking about must have been a slaughter. One third of fifteen-hundred was around seven hundred and forty. Seven hundred and forty soldiers were killed by a single person in a single battle. Estelle had immense trouble wrapping her brain around such a being, so tried to move the conversation forward.

“So... you don't know where he is then?” Estelle asked.

Tabitha shook her head.

“But we all think that he left to protect us,” she said. “It was obvious that she wanted nothing to do with the club. She kept shouting that she'd stop the bloodshed if Supernova would agree to have her. He was very mysterious and we didn't always understand his choices, but Gojo believes that he left so that he could deal with her on his own and not put anyone else in her path.

“I know that they've fought since he disappeared... Sometimes she can't find him and she'll scream and scream and scream. You can hear the cunt for miles...”

Estelle gasped at the sound of the harsh insult, ruthlessly and so easily wielded by Tabitha.

“What?” Tabitha asked with a bit of attitude. “An apple's and apple, Miss Essie. That woman is exactly what I called her. And if you're on the hunt for Nova, sooner or later, you will find yourself face to face with that-- well, you know.”

This devastating realization tore into Estelle's heart. Would she truly have to face the Pale Lady? If she was the sole purpose for his disappearance, then it would stand to reason Estelle and the Pale Lady's paths were destined to cross. Seeking to keep the conversation moving forward yet hesitant, Estelle didn't want to ask the next question that came to her mind, but she felt that she needed to.

“Is it possible that he's dead?”

“Sure, it's possible,” Tabitha answered, “but I don't think that he is. I heard a rumor around the club that when a Lightning Fighter dies, they emit a huge burst of light. This is how we'd know he were dead.”

“Lightning Fighter?”

“You sure have a lot of questions,” Tabitha mused. “You should get out of the water, your prunin' up real good.”

“Just this last question?”

She knew she shouldn't have, but Estelle put the most innocent look that she could on her face. It probably wasn't necessary, but Tabitha agreed anyway.

“I don't know a whole lot about it, but Lightning Fighting is the style of combat he uses that allows him to wield lightning. I never heard of it before I came to the club. The Pale Lady is also a Lightning Fighter, but her lightning is stronger than his. That's about all I know.”

Tabitha stood up before Estelle could ask her another question. She grabbed a towel and handed it to Estelle.

“I've got some other work to do,” Tabitha said. “I've arranged for you to have an escort.”

“Thanks for talking to me,” Estelle said. “You're the first friend I've had here.”

Tabitha gave a shy smile. She looked down, then back at Estelle. The grateful expression on her face was enough. She gave a slight bow, then exited the room. Estelle, then dried off and got dressed. Her clothes, still warm from the heater felt comforting upon her skins. She dried her hair and made sure she had her only possessions: her knife, her gun, and the snowflake charm. The pockets of her dress were deep enough to conceal them. The gun was small and fit in her right pocket. The knife fit in her left. The charm, Estelle chose to place in the front right pocket of her dress. She moved through the bedroom and out into the familiar high-ceiling hallway.

Waiting for her, across the hallway was a familiar face, but not who she expected. The short dreadlocks and darker skin immediately identified him as Mike's partner, Harrison. He wore a simple pair of jeans, black boots, and a worn out red button down shirt. He carried a shotgun casually slung on his back. He had very soft brown eyes and an easy expression. He seemed much friendlier than Mike.

“There you are!” he called. His voice was calm. “Estelle? Right?”

The girl nodded.

“Name's Harrison,” he said.

Estelle gave a small curtsy, while looking at his shoes.

“It's nice to meet you too. So, what happens now?”

“Whatever you want,” he replied, reaching into his pocket.

He handed her a couple of packaged chocolate cakes. They were slightly squished from being in his pocket, but they still looked soft and very delicious.

“I want to go outside,” Estelle said, taking the cakes. “I want to see the snow.”

“I thought you might say that. Let's go then.”

Harrison didn't even wait for Estelle to respond before he began walking. She followed a few feet behind him. She put one of the cakes in her pocket and opened the other. When she bit into it, chocolate and icing flavor exploded. It was the most delicious thing that she had ever eaten. She quickly ate the rest of it and went to work on the second.

Harrison was a man of few words, so they spent much of their walk in silence. This gave her plenty of time to think, which was what she was best at. She often took her scenario and applied the worst possibilities to it to prepare for the worst. However, Tabitha's story imbued the girl with motivation and inspiration. She. was more determined to leave the estate now. With armed security patrolling the estate, it would be difficult. However, she was hungry for her new life. The pair traveled to