Ashes in the Sun-Chapter One

Chapter One
“Don’t go, Asis.” Cato’s voice is shaking. He’s standing against the wall with his arms crossed. I left the windows open so the draft is causing his milk-chocolate brown hair to blow with the wind. His sweet eyes are begging me not to go. I feel like crying. I never want to make him hurt.—But, I have to go.
“I have to.” After pushing myself up on my toes, I kiss him on his nose. The beautiful nose is dotted with freckles. Just the amount that make him look adorable. And, they’re only on his nose. Only a few. Seventeen to be exact. I remember from staying up late counting them on a bright night lit by the moon. I remember watching the reflection of the moon in his eyes.
“You don’t have to.” He wraps his arms around me. He smiles a sad smile. It makes me want to hug him and never let him go.
“Yes, I do. My parents live there.”
“At least take me with you.”
“And, how would I explain that to Ash?”
“Why does he matter?”
“Because I’ll be staying with him.”
Cato’s dark green eyes are filled with emotions—betrayal and sadness. “I’m going with you. We’ll find a way to explain our relationship.”
“As far as Ash is concerned, we have no relationship.”
“Then, I’ll be your… bodyguard.”
“Why would I need a bodyguard?”
“For protection,” he states.
“And, why would I need protection in the Settlement? With a crime rate of zero?”
“Um, well, I could be your… friend.”
“Darling, you’re not going with me and that’s that.” He has this way of looking at me through his thick, black eyelashes. He’s so innocent.
“Well, you’re not going alone,” he puts his foot on the ground to make a point.
“It’s fine. I’m not going alone.” I bite my lip, a habit I picked up years ago. “I’ll bring Brian with me.”
“Not Brian!” He tightens his grasp. He releases me with one hand. He runs the other hand through my charcoal black hair. The sun is blinding me today. I’ve only seen my amber eyes once. They aren’t even able to be considered mine. I’m an evil person when it comes to colors.
“Yes, Brian is going with me,” I say calmly.
“How are you two going to explain your relationship?” He releases me and shuffles to a position in front of me.
I put my finger to my lips in a playful way, and say, “I’ll tell them he’s my fiancé.” Cato’s jaw drops. “I’m just kidding. I’ll tell them he’s my brother.” I go back up on my tip toes and kiss his cheek, which seems to make him happier.
He forces the happy out and takes on a more serious look. He says, “Oh, so you’re going to lie to a person of power controlling the heart of the Settlement? When really Brian is my brother, not yours.”
“So, would you rather go and pretend to be my brother?”
“No,” he pouts. He’d just die if he had to pretend to be my brother.
“Then realize it’s just for a few months. And, relax, you’re brother isn’t interested in me. And, I’m not interested in him.”
“Fine, though, he can’t touch you anyways.” He kisses me.
“Well, you can. So, one advantage for you.” Cato is the only one who can touch me, excluding my parents.
“But how do we know that Ash can’t touch you.”
“We don’t, and we’re not going to test it.”
“Aw, but I want to see it.”
“Nope, it’s dangerous. You know how I feel about it.” I glare at him.
“If I can’t stop you from going, then take these.” He hands me two skin colored gloves. “So people don’t know when you wear gloves.”
“Thank you.” I kiss him on the cheek. “I’m going to talk to Brian now.” Cato has a way of making people like him. Even if I’m angry at him, he’s still got that goofy look on his face.
I walk down the grass covered path until I reach a log cabin house. It’s Brian’s house. He’s been living alone since he was fifteen. He’s eighteen now. But, according to the Settlement, he’s been an adult for two years. The Settlement took over the parts left of America and held us together, by force. They took over when I was born. I’m fifteen now, a year younger than Cato. The Settlement claims they fixed maturity. They claim they fixed the death rate of births to zero. They claim lies.
“Knock-knock, Brian, can I come in?” The door to the cabin is wide open. It’s a hot day today, especially to people who don’t have electricity like us. But, it could be snowing tomorrow. Who knows what the weather is going to be? Fifteen years ago, the earth had seasons. They say we caused the sudden random changes in seasons.
“Yeah, I’m making lunch.” He points to the chair across from him. It’s made of tree branches. He probably made it himself. “Do you want any?”
“No, Cato made me a sandwich earlier.”
He reaches for the uneven, homemade bread. He looks to me. It seems that he is uncertain if I’m telling the truth. I’ve gone days without food before because… I was used to it. Both Cato and Brian were there when Elder Caroline found me. I was half-dead and the other half was a shell. I’m currently living in a house with Elder Caroline, her husband, and Cato.
“I came to talk about our plans for tomorrow.”
Brian nods as he sets his wooden plate on the wooden counter. With a loud screeching, he pulls out the chair and places himself on the flower decorated chair. They are real flowers sealed into the wood. I remember Cato made me a set of ten plates like that.
“We should leave early, and we have to make a loop so it looks like we came from Mountain Valley. If we leave at five in the morning, we should get there by one in the afternoon. And, we’ll have time to bathe in the Thermo River. I heard it’s really warm. Ash isn’t expecting us until two, so we have an hour to relax.  We have to change into nicer clothes, too.”
“Ok, I’ll be sure to wake you up in time.” he turns the edges of his lips up slightly.
“Or, I’ll wake you up.”
“Why are we staying with Ash, anyways? Isn’t he a person of power? And, don’t you absolutely hate people of the Settlement?” He takes a large bite of his sandwich.
“Well, I got in contact with some people there so we could stay with them. I even registered us so we could stay there for a while, but Ash found out. He said he didn’t want me staying with them. He says we’re staying in his house, of course, that means with his little brother Aiden. I think he’s nine.”
“So, you talked to Ash?” Brian gets tense. He hates the Settlement just like me. That’s why people are in the Peace District, we hate the Settlement.
“No, one of the persons of contact mailed me a letter.”
“Oh, okay. Promise me you’ll never contact Ash without letting me or Cato know. He’s not safe for you. He’s dangerous and once he finds a target, he’ll never give up.”
“I know, and I promise.” I look up to Brian who has put the wooden plate in the sink. You have to wash them a certain way, and it takes forever. “I’ll see you later. It’s getting late, and Cato’s waiting for me.”
“Bye, tell Cato I said hi.” Brian and Cato are so close. I wish I was like that with my brother. We look alike. Well, did… His name was Jamie. It’s been so long.

I wake up to the sunrise screaming colors. Purples and reds and oranges. All mixing into each other, not knowing themselves. I didn’t run into Cato last night. He either went hunting or went to bed early. He must be angry at me. But, he knows how much this means to me. How much I want to find my parents. I want to tell them thank you for setting me free. For loving me, even after they found out I’m a parasite. A disease that feeds off others. A monster. Anything abominable.
I end up walking to Brian’s cabin. I can hear the squeaking. He must be up.
“Brian?” He walks to the door, every step has its own squeal.
I imagine he’s been up for a while until I see his sleepy face. He must have just woken up.
“Oh, I was just about to come get you,” he whispers.
“Sure, you were.” I raise my eyebrows. “I just came to tell you that we’re leaving in an hour. I’m going to take a bath, and I’ll come get you when I’m done.” He just blinks and nods. He’s too tired.
The river we all bathe in is cool. The kind of temperature that feels good. We get water from upstream, where the water is sweet. I dip my head underwater quickly. We have a special “shampoo” that keeps our hair smelling good. Its scent is of flowers.
I’ve been in the water for about five minutes when fifty-year-old Elder Caroline comes over.
She says, “Asis, you need to leave now.” Her voice is dipped in panic. “Ash got news that the Peace District is conspiring. He’s headed here now, and he has cars, so he’ll be here soon.”
I’ve already jumped out of the water, and I’m slipping on my shirt as she says, “Brian already knows. He’s got a bag full of your clothes, food, and water.”
I finish slipping on the jeans with holes at the heels. My green shirt is wearing out, but we have to change before we get to Vatican City, anyways.
Vatican City is the heart of the Settlement. It’s run by Ash, a military person of power. His father is Joe Varmendigo, the founder of the Settlement. He was the reason I was sent to… prison. I hate the Settlement and Joe. His new laws found my “ability” too dangerous. I don’t blame them, though. I am dangerous. I am the definition of dangerous. I’ve killed before. That’s another reason. It was an accident. I was only five. The little girl who wanted to show someone my treehouse. I grabbed his hand. When I touch people, bad things happen. It seems Cato was exempted from that rule. Only three people have been exempted: Mom, Dad, and Cato.
I run to Brian’s cabin. He’s standing outside the closed door. His black hair doesn’t look combed. His amber eyes are filled with worry. He has a small, tan bag that looks like a purse strapped to his side.
“Alright, Brian, I’ll take that.” I try to stifle a giggle with less than pleasant results.
“No, it’s heavy. I got it,” he says in a serious tone. “We have to go now.”
“Yes, I’ve heard. I really wish cars were a common thing. Just think, we could be arriving in Vatican City in less than two hours, but we walk. So, we’ll be there in about eight. “
“Yeah, yeah,” he starts walking on the dirt path that will lead us to Vatican City. It will lead us to dangers. It will lead us to moments we won’t be able to take back. But, the worst part? We walk into the lions’ den willingly. People on this earth used to be like heat on the sun. Now, we are like ashes in the sun. Something so rare, scientists believe it doesn’t exist. We’re rare now. There used to be billions of people, maybe more. But, there was a large issue in  the past. People were greedy. Monsters. Evil. We killed each other to the point which we no longer are the majority of the earth. The Settlement hoped to fix that, they said. They said it’s easier to forfeit over your religion and rights so that you can be guided.
“Brian, do you think we’ll make it?” I ask in the beginning of our walk.
“Yeah, it’s not long ‘til we reach our first stop. It’s hidden, too.” He doesn’t understand the question. He thinks to physically.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know what you meant, but I’d rather you be blind to the problems of the world,” he’s still looking straight ahead. “I also promised Cato to keep you blind to the troubles. Just rely on Cato and I. You’ll be safe.”
“It’s not my safety I’m worried about… I have natural protection… Cato,” I fall into deep thought.

We arrive at Thermo River, the clear water begging us to swim. Our trip went by in silence’ out bag is empty just as our minds. It takes a few minutes to realize we can stop walking.
“Brian, do you want to swim? We arrived earlier than I thought. I even sneaked us some bathing suits,” I say as I hear a splash behind me. He’s removed his pants and shirt, and is already underwater.
He resurfaces. “What’s the need? Enjoy it as it is, come on, Asis.” I start running to a secluded part of the river. I leap as high as I can and end it with a big splash as the warm water surrounds me.
“Woah, I could sit here forever!” I yell to Brian. He swims around a little, but ends up getting out. He does a 180 degree turn, and books it to the hill. He jumps into the water causing waves to push me away.
“Brian!” I splash water all over his face. It really is like we’re family.
“Look, Asis, it’s shells.” He swims under the water. I follow him to the bottom which is covered in black and white shells.
We gasp for air as we reach the surface. “Why are there seashells here?”
“Because the ocean is just a few miles ahead.”
“Oh, that’s so weird.” Brian gets out to check the time on his non-waterproof watch.  
“Asis, we should go now. It’s later than I thought.”
I jump out of the water. I head to the bag holding our change of clothes. Before I get near it, Brian thrusts a towel at me.
“They can’t get wet. We only have thirty minutes. “ My eyes widen. Thirty minutes? How did it become so late?
I’m completely towel dried in less than ten minutes. The clothes I packed for us had to be fancy. I chose for Brian a suit that no one wore back at the Peace District. The Peace District is one of the seven territories of the Settlement, although we don’t like the Settlement. The Peace District has fancy clothes that we never wear because we don’t need to dress up. I was very lucky when I found Brian’s tie, though. It’s a beautiful, dark blue. My dress is purple adorned with slight ruffles. It’s two strapped, but the straps are thin. It’s an elegant dress.
The entrance to Vatican City is pure white. It’s a large doorway entrance big enough for cars to fit through. The old man sitting behind the glass has a rough voice, probably from talking to people who don’t listen. Now, the Settlement only listens. We are the Settlement. The people of power run this society, but we are the society. My mother told me a story about ashes in the sun. She told me that people used to cover the earth as the sun is hot. But, as soon as human nature went full blown, the new government took over to help, but they made things worse.
I blink back to reality as the old man says, ”Name and number.”
“Anderson, Asis. B-57391.” He runs his fingers over his keyboard.
“Accepted.”
Brian steps closer and says, “Anderson, Brian. A-10972.”
“Accepted.” The old man grabs my arm and points a gun looking object at the crease of my elbow. He shoots it and I jump a little, even though I’ve done this before. He could at least do it more gently. I hate when they put the tracker in us.
Brian doesn’t jump. He just stares at the tracker-gun.
“Ready?” Brian asks me. He seems pumped up. He’s ready to take down the ant hill’s queen. He still must be nervous. He sometimes shows the opposite of his emotions.
We have to go to the Vatican Front Desk. That’s where we will find out how to get to Ash’s military home. The woman sitting behind the white desk flashes us a smile, unnecessarily bright.
“Welcome to Vatican Front Desk. You must be Asis and Brian.” Her nametag reflects the lights, hiding some letters. From what I see, I assume her name is Sarah.
“We just need to know how to get to Ash’s residence,” Brian states plainly.
“Oh, yes, Aiden will take you there. He’s Ash’s little brother.” She winks at us. Covering her mouth slightly, she says,” Don’t underestimate him. He’s a genius who’ll outwit anyone.” Behind her, a little boy steps out from an entranceway.
“Hello, Asis and Brian, I’m Aiden. I’ll take you to my home.” The calm, little boy shows little excitement. Maybe he’s hiding his excitement. Or, any emotion, really.
“How old are you, Aiden?” Brian asks trying to make conversation. Saves us from the dread of silence which always brings bad news.
“Physically, I am nine. Mentally, my age is a wise, thirty-five year old.” He’s walking straight upright, not a single bend. No curve in his back.
--Oh my, he’s been trained already. The training he seems to have taken is to progress his maturity. Every child is trained but not, usually, until the age of fourteen. His father probably taught him to show no emotion.

“Emotions will break you.”

What was that?—A memory. It’s from when I was in prison. A guard told me that. I can’t remember who he was. Or, what he looked like.
Brian is still having a long, intelligent conversation. They both stop dead in their steps and stare at me.
“What was that?” I didn’t hear the question.
“I asked if you had ever been to the prison down in Mountain Valley?” Aiden simply stares.
“No, I haven’t. Why?”
“Well, recently, my father visited the prison, and I was wondering if you saw him.” Aiden just keeps walking down the paved road. “It’s been six months since I last saw him.” So, Aiden does have an innocent, little boy side. He misses his father. He must see him as a hero.
“He’ll come back. The master must always check up on his servants,” Brian mutters. Aiden was too far ahead to hear him. Good, I’d hate to let Aiden see what his father has done. I’ve immediately attached myself to this little boy. He just wants his family safe.
He’s blind. I’m blind. We’re blind people in a world based on trust.