Fever - Selina Brinkmann (short novels to read .TXT) 📗

talk about it. Besides I shouldn’t even be talking about it. If you are as promising as I think, he might share it with you one day!”, and with that she shut her mouth and guided Evy through the maze of corridors.

Evy however didn’t really notice any of that. Her thoughts were with everything she had been told by Roxanne. His black eyes had pierced right through her when he had hold her close to him and she had felt like he could see into the depths of her soul. And they had been cold and alone. She could picture him in one of the cages she had been inside. But he wouldn’t have been like her, broken and fearsome. Roan would have been the one who still held his pride, his freedom.

“Evy”, she didn’t react but recalled the moment when he had held her safe in the arms after her fall, “Evy!”, with a shriek she turned around and looked into Roxanne’s green eyes.

“Did you say something?”

The healer just rolled her eyes and repeated her words. “I was asking you what type of food you would like? And if water was ok with you?”

With a sheepish grin Evy agreed to the water and chose a simple Pasta dish to go along with it. Sitting down at the far end of the bright lit hall Evy had time enough to study the few people who were present. An elderly man was sitting two tables down from them, slowly nibbling at a piece of bread and drinking from a steaming cup.

“Who is that?”

“Who?”, Roxanne followed Evy’s outstretched hand. “O that is Aaron. He is one of the few historians among us.”

Pausing while eating her delicious pasta, Evy quirked an eyebrow inquiring.

“His job is to keep record of what happened and gain as much information about the fever as possible.”, added Roxanne and pointed at the women behind the counter.

“Our cook is Milla. She has been with us for three years now. Originally she is from Finland. However after the fever she had been taken by some mors to America to hide as the European government had ordered that everyone who survived should be reported and registered. Many of the ones who contacted the government haven’t been seen again.”

Evy crinkled her brow. “But I have been kept here in America. Why did those humans thought that it was safe here?”

“Well, four year ago America’s government hadn’t demanded that everyone was taken in or at least registered. They ordered it one year after Milla arrived when the outbreak in New York couldn’t be stopped and less than a percentage survived it.”

“So she had to flee again? Is this the reason why she came here?”

“Yes. To find help and sanctuary. Originally New Terra had been built by Roan and his followers for this very reason. They wanted to give it to those who were in need like they have been!”

Evy glanced once more over to Milla and was fascinated by her when she bent down to talk to one of the kids who just walked in. He had curly brown hair and two small dimples when he laughed. He hugged the cook’s leg and she could hear how he asked for another cookie. The laughter of Milla brightened the room and Evy thought that maybe this place could truly become a home to her.

Her pasta had grown cold but nevertheless she ate it and observed more of the encounters happening around her. Aaron had brought back his plate and now sat on a chair near the counter and held a small and chubby girl on his arm. With a grin he tugged at her pigtails and she pouted adorable.

“Whose kids are those?”

Roxanne glanced up from her chips and answered: “Some of them are orphans. The others either have one parent or if lucky both of them survived. But in truth it doesn’t really matter. Most of them are having new guardians to live with now or are raised by those who found their new home here, us.”

“So you are a big family here?”

“Well,” Roxanne blushed and Evy leaned closer.

“Aha. So not everybody here feels like a brother or close friend?”

“Nah, you are right. But I doubt that anything will ever happen. We are far too different and I don’t think that Roan would appreciate my choice.”

Evy shrugged her shoulders and grinned. “Well, Roan isn’t your father nor your brother. So that shouldn’t stop you! And everybody says that difference is what you need in relationship!”, she leaned back and giggled when she saw that Roxanne’s blush had deepened.

“And don’t worry! I won’t tell that Dominic that you like him!”

Roxanne’s gasped. “How do you know that!”

“Trust me, everybody with a romantic sense could see it! I could have almost grasped the tension when he was standing next to me. And I am not the one who has got the most experience or is keen on the idea of having a relationship with a guy. Besides the fact I was frightened out of my mind when he just stood next to my bed!”, she answered with a small smile.

“O yeah! He can be a bit weird sometimes. And I have actually to thank you for crashing as I had to ask him for help!”

Evy just shrugged and added: “Glad that my crash threw you two together! But you better speak with him before another emergency! I doubt that it would be a good ground for a relationship. However,”, she eyed the treats Milla had taken out, “I will head off now for some sweet. Do you want something?”

“Not really. I am fine but thanks for asking!”, Roxanne smiled when Evy slowly headed towards Milla and the children.

- Yes, she would make a good addition for their group. And maybe she would also make a good mate for Roan!

New Terra

After having finished their meal in the cafeteria Roxanne decided that instead of sending Evy back into the hospital wing they should ask Charleen if any rooms were free.

“So you all live in the hill or is anybody living outside?”, Evy asked curious when Roxanne had explained the outlay of their sanctuary.

“Not all but most. We have borders that surround the hill and go a bit deeper into the wilderness. Depending on their abilities some of our people decide to live within this territory. And of course the guards of the borders also live outside.”

Nodding her head Evy grasped the concept of New Terra, however: “What do you mean when you talk about abilities?”

“Well after the fever as you know some people showed unusual abilities. Take Roan for an example. He can shape shift. And Aaron has a green finger. But for him it doesn’t only mean his plants won’t die. If he touches something he can actually make it grow. The plants inside the hill are mostly looked after by him or his grandson Keith.”, she explained and pointed at a rank of ivy growing down from a gap in the ceiling.

“So everybody who is here got a special trait?”

“Mostly yes. Some of them aren’t as strong as other. I can heal wounds but it requires life energy of me. So the bigger a wound it is, the longer it takes me to heal it and recover.”

“But I don’t have any ability. The people from the laboratory tried to force me but nothing ever happened.”

Roxanne placed her palm on Evy’s upper arm and looked her straight into the eyes.

“I saw you playing with the wind in your room. I am sure that whatever you have is not nothing! I only know a few people who can actually control the elements. But you just played with the breeze like you were born to do that. Nobody of them has an affinity towards their element as big as you.”

“Do you mean it? But it is always touch and go. I doubt I can really control it. Maybe,” Evy looked eagerly around as though she imagined a guy coming around the corner with the same abilities, “you can introduce me to some and we can share our memories?”

“First of all we are going to find you a room to sleep in. And maybe some clothes!”, she added with a wink due to the peach coloured shirt Evy wore.

Following the corridor they soon reached the office of Charleen and hadn’t had to wait long for them to enter the room. It was a mess. Papers were lying all over the room and the desk was almost invisible due to the amount of folders resting on top of it. On an old and well-worn chair sat a young woman with a tangled mass of reddish hair. A pair of glasses sat askew on top of her tip-tilted nose and a pencil was pushed through the mass of hair to keep it out of her eyes.

The bang of the closing door startled her and with a surprised gasp she glanced up. Her eyebrows drawn annoyed together softened when she saw Roxanne.

“Uh, what brings you to my modest office?”, with a glance at Evy she added, “Ah, I see you bring new customers!”

- Wait what! Evy opened her mouth in surprise. – If they really wanted payment she couldn’t give any.

“Don’t worry,” Roxanne laughed at Evy’s startled expression, “Nobody has to pay anything. As long as you are giving your best food and living quarters are free” Than she turned around and asked:

“So do you have anything free that isn’t too far away from the headquarters?”, maybe by placing Evy near Roan whatever was between those two would solve itself.

Charleen grinned having guessed what her friend was up to and griped a folder from the pile on her desk. Having arrived in New Terra only two years ago herself she immediately got to know Roxanne as she was the one who treated her after the long journey from deep within Alaska. Since then Roxanne had become a very good friend of her and she knew when she was up to something. Studying Evy she decided that her friend could be right this time.

The light blue eyes and dark brown hair made for a nice contrast and the fine features where so exceptional that a man would have difficulties to look away even though they were still overshadowed by fear and maltreatment.

Running her finger down the long list of names she suppressed a chuckle.

“Yes. Number 107 is free. Colt has moved into with his new girlfriend Jaz. Probably not his wisest decision but who is judging him. It is not likely that anybody else would take him.”, opening her drawer Charleen searched for the right set of keys.

“Poor fellow. I am just lucky that he stopped hitting on me. I mean he is a nice guy,” Charleen cried out, when she found the keys and looked at them dreamily, “but we would have never gotten along!” And with that she gave the keys to Roxanne and set the folder back on top of the others.

“And if you have any problems. With neighbours or something like that!”, she sent a wink to Evy, “just drop by and I will turn the boiler of and tell that it might take a while to get if fixed!”

Evy laughed, gave a salute to Charleen and followed the healer out of the room.

“So what is so special about the headquarters?”, she asked when they had turned towards the living quarters of the sanctuary.

“It is better protected than the rest and is central. So if you ever need anything the easiest way to get it will be there as many of the higher ranking officers live there.”

“Don’t you think it will be weird if I come and live there?”

“Not really! I know that there might be one or two who actually appreciate you living there!”, and with a glance at Evy’s bewildered look she hastily added, “You might be able to give them a hint about the laboratory you have been in.”

Lowering her view, Evy’s shoulders slacked. “Probably not. I don’t remember a lot about how I came there. And when I finally escaped I was too busy to find a route to gain my freedom to actually