She felt them behind her. They were trying to be stealthy, but she had grown accustomed to the sensation of guards following her. People around her were whispering, eyeing her cautiously. Some quickly left the scene, most likely to avoid being caught themselves. The marketplace was busy. Rain clattered against the tin roof above the stalls.
Malsath was a strange country in that sense. It would rain profusely for hours on end, then, in a matter of minutes, the sun would be shining again. It made it quite difficult for Celine to pack lightly each day.
The scene around her became increasingly auspicious. A path had cleared so she could hear the clicking of guard shoes closing in as she walked at the same steady pace. Such a contradiction. Their shiny new black shoes stomping along the same surface on which someone had probably slept the night before. They were closing in, so she stopped to admire a browning apple on the corner of three intersecting aisles.
She felt a hand touch her shoulder, cold and clammy against her skin that sizzled with sweat. The khaki coloured sleeve of a jacket brushed her sunburned neck. Taking a deep breath, she put on her best unsuspecting face as she turned around to stare directly into the stoic officerâs eyes.
âCeline Burvudoir?â he asked, his tiny mouth turning up in snake-like smirk. She knew it well, it was the yes! Another runaway being sent to the soul-sucker smirk. Sheâd seen it countless times before.
Bowing her head, she delicately placed the bruised apple back in its place, taking time to assess her most effective exit route.
She took a step towards the guard, giving the impression she would come quietly. But before he could forcibly remove her from the apple stand she wrenched her knee into his groin. As he crouched over in pain, it was Celineâs turn to smirk before leaping away and taking off down the left aisle.
Market goers stared at her as she sprinted past the stalls. She heard whistles blowing in the distance, a sign that more guards would soon be after her. Good, she thought, she could use a challenge.
Luckily, she had purveyed all the routes available countless times before. Running at full speed she prepared to turn left at the bread stand where she grabbed a loaf of rye. Tony, the owner, gave her a disapproving look but she saw him smile when she yelled that she would pay him back later.
She took another right, turning into the rain-ridden streets. The guards would have a hard time running on this with their fancy shiny shoes.
She could see the bar in the distance. A bright neon light beaming The Red Ribbon from atop the old black building. The footsteps could still be heard in the distance, but they had become noticeably vaguer.
Still, to be a good houseguest Celine ran around the back where they wouldnât see her enter Margeâs humble and very law-compliant abode.
Slipping in through the kitchen door, Celine could see the dim lighting of Margeâs bar counter. She heard the kitchen staff laughing and chopping up food for the eveningâs guests. One of them boasted of his escapades with a woman named Sofia as the other men jeered him on. She rolled her eyes.
The hallway was positioned so that she could see through the front windows, but it was dark enough so that those outside could not see her.
She could see a heard of olive green uniforms running towards the bar. Marge, a middle-aged, stringy woman, tensed up from her stool at the till, but they marched right past The Red Ribbon and into the alleyway where Celine had seemingly disappeared. She smirked again and walked towards Marge at the bar, tapping her on the shoulder. Marge jumped and whirled around in her chair so quickly that she dropped her book.
Her eyes widened and she let out a gust of air when she saw Celine.
âCeline!â she whispered angrily as her hand dramatically clutched her chest. âChild, what did I tell you? You have to be more careful. If you keep cutting it that close weâll all be found out and youâll go straight to the soul-suckers. I canât have that Celine, I just canât.â
Celine smiled warmly at Margeâs familiar antics.
âI bought you a loaf of breadâ, Marge raised an eyebrow.
âBought or brought?â she asked sceptically.
âI said Iâd pay him back.â
Marge rolled her eyes, but opened the trap door beneath the bar none-the-less. Just as Celine went to climb down the ladder after giving Marge the bread, she spoke again.
âOh, by the way, thereâs a boy waiting for you down there.â
Looking up quizzically, Celine opened her mouth to argue but Marge only shrugged in response. How in the world, she thought, are we supposed to stay hidden from the soul-suckers if Marge lets every potentially available boy in because she âjust thinks it would be quite nice if you had a boyfriend dearâ. Honestly, the woman was ridiculous. Brilliant, but ridiculous.
Celine climbed down the ladder and into the den. She jumped with a thud to the bottom and immediately made her way over to the checked quilt and dusty old mattress in the corner. It was placed haphazardly next to a thin bookshelf, stocked with frayed pages that had clearly been well-read.
However, before she could move anywhere, she sensed another presence in the room. The air was heavier and she heard scuffling, then a voice.
It was a manâs voice. This must be the person Marge had mentioned.
Turning around, Celine found herself face to face with a young man who she assumed was only a few years older than her. He looked pale, even in such dim lighting. His hair was wispy and extremely light in colour. The candle light made it look orange. More distinctly though, she saw a flicker, a tiny sparkle, and a glint of a smile in his eye.
âYesâ, she responded. She could trust him. He smiled, though she did not.
âHugoâ, he held out his hand, and she shook it hesitantly, looking him straight in the eye.
âWhat do you want?â she asked. He chuckled.
âThey told me youâd be cranky.â
âWho told you?â She narrowed her eyes. Perhaps she had judged him too quickly. Maybe he was a soul-sucker.
There was a pregnant silence as the world seemed to render itself stagnant and Celine concluded that this intruder was, most certainly, a soul-sucker.
âMy parents arenât alive anymoreâ, she snapped. âGet out.â
âIâm not leaving. Listen, Celine ââ
âGet out!â She said, this time with an alarming amount of force.
Hugo took a step backwards, but didnât leave.
âWhat are you even doing here?â She asked, voice now beginning to tremble. âJust take me and get on with it if thatâs what youâre here for.â
âWell thatâs why youâre here isnât it? Youâve only mentioned my parents to make me more vulnerable.â
âOk youâve lost me.â She scoffed.
âHonestly! You soul-suckers get stupider every day.â
His eyes widened and he stepped back towards Celine.
âIâm not a soul-suckerâ, he said desperately with the same sparkle in his eye.
âWell then what are you?â
âI canât tell you that.â
She let out a bitter laugh. âThen Iâm going to sleep.â
âI trust you can show yourself out.â
She turned back towards her musty old mattress and flicked the light switch off. Reaching for the curtain that would provide a final barrier between her and the strange boy, she heard him sigh.
âIâm from the Orb Sustainability Alliance.â
Another pregnant pause, this time full of meaning. She continued staring straight ahead, but didnât close the curtain just yet. He took this as a sign to continue.
âYou were right. Your parents are gone. I spoke with them some years ago now. Iâve been looking for you ever since.â
âWhy?â She demanded. She could just about feel his desperation.
She considered it for a moment. Five years. Five years on the run. Five years reading and looking for answers. Five years since she had even heard from her parents. Maybe this boy was worth a chance.
âYou can sleep on the couch,â she conceded. âIâm tired. We can talk in the morning.â
âOkâ he responded, letting out a gusty breath. She turned slightly so she could see him out of the corner of her eye. He looked at the ground and nodded his head. He smiled and repeated, âOkâ.
She closed the curtain, unknowingly leaving it slightly ajar. Just enough so that, as he prepared to sleep himself, Hugo saw Celineâs body collapse onto the mattress. No wonder she has so many bruises, he thought.
Above her body, a glistening blue orb floated. He marvelled at how brightly she shone. He hadnât seen souls that bright in a long time. Not since heâd lived in Saraya, and certainly not in Malsath.
That must be why they were after her.
Most people would never have lasted five years on the run, let alone a teenage girl. That takes a bright soul, he figured.
He wondered if she could see him. She probably could, he thought. It didnât matter though, she wouldnât remember it in the morning. Bodies were for memories. Souls were for living.
âGoodnight Celineâ, whispered Hugo, before he too felt his body become lifeless. He felt himself drifting, disconnected, in the now pitch black room where he could sense everything. Where it all floated until morning.
 Celine awoke to an empty room.
Hugoâs mattress looked seemingly untouched, but the corners werenât tucked. Marge would never have left the corners untucked.
She sighed and began climbing up the ladder, knocking three times at the top for Marge to open the trap door. Shielding her eyes from the onslaught of light now streaming into her eyes, Celine emerged in the bar where it smelled distinctly of stale beer and cigarettes.
âGood morning sunshineâ said a deep voice on her right. She wasnât very well adjusted to mornings as it was, and Hugoâs presence only made it more difficult.
âI made you a coffeeâ, he said before handing it to her tentatively. If this was a peace offering it was working. She took it from him tentatively, eyeing his strangely jovial smile and taking a wary sip.
âThanksâ, she muttered.
Suddenly, the sound of clanging pots and incoherent swearing came from the kitchen, after which Marge stumbled into the hallway and then to the bar, yelling profuse apologies to the kitchen. After a few more fumblings she spotted Celine and Hugo.
âWhat are you two still doing here?â she whispered angrily. Celine was beginning to think this was now just her natural tone of voice. âIf the soul-suckers see you through the window weâre all done young lady! Both of you, out now! Hurry up!â
In the process of ushering them out the door Marge managed to wink very unsubtly at Celine while jerking her head in Hugoâs direction. Celine rolled her eyes. This woman, honestly.
 It was a sunny day. She could hear the bustling of the market some metres away from the bar. The expanse of pavement and dead grass ahead of her had taken on a yellow hue in the sunlight.
âCâmonâ said Celine, grabbing Hugoâs arm and pulling him roughly in the other direction. âThereâs a park down here thatâs full of trees and flowers. The soul-suckers never go there.â
They walked in silence the entire way, something Celine was grateful for. When they reached the park the only other people there were two children, a girl and a boy.
Celine planted herself on one of the rocks under a tree that was likely the biggest in Malsath.
âOkâ, she sighed, âWhat do you want?â
âLike I said last nightâ, he began, âI want you to help.â
Hugo laughed conspiratorially and smiled.
Celine rolled her eyes, exasperated.
âWell that just clears everything up doesnât it! How am I supposed to help with âthe futureâ? Iâm a runaway. I didnât even finish school.â
âBecause the soul-suckers were after meâ, she responded simply. If he had really been looking for her for the past five years shouldnât he have known this already?
âWhyâ, he probed further, eyes wide and frustrated. Celine sighed, she always felt ridiculous talking about this part.
âBecause they think I have the soul of Alannah Minsky. Sheâs a ââ
âA revolutionary poetâ, Hugo interrupted with a sense of perplexing exaltation. âA key figure in the history of the Malsath people. One of the founding members of the Orb Sustainability Alliance and a strong critic of the Presidentâs father.â
Celine was flabbergasted. All of Alannah Minskyâs work had been destroyed by President Altana when he came into power. Hugo did that thing again, when he looked at his feet and smiled.
âIâve read all her workâ, he said.
âHow?â she breathed. âWhy?â
âI was assigned to your case by the OSA about three months after you went on the run. I was only an intern, but they thought a seventeen year old might be better at understanding a teenage girlâs actions than anyone else in there. So, I started talking to your parents and your friends and your teachers. We werenât looking for you at first. We donât have the resources to look for most people on the Protection List.
But then I read some of Minskyâs work. They started hunting you because you wrote something reminiscent of her in an essay, correct?â
âAnd youâd never heard of her before?â He clarified.
âHow could I have? All her work was destroyed.â
âExactly. So, I kept reading and I thought that if the thoughts swimming through your head were even remotely similar to Alannah Minskyâs then you have a lot you could offer the world.â
He paused, pursing his lips in a way that suggested he was choosing his next words carefully. Celine, naturally, interrupted him before he could begin speaking again.
âYou know itâs all bullshit though right? My soul didnât belong to Alannah Minsky.â
âYou donât know thatâ, said Hugo. His tone was so earnest she had to turn away.
âOh pleaseâ, she scoffed, âthe soul-suckers think anyone who has a soul is a threat. If it were up to them weâd all go to sleep and stay in our bodies like those miserable bastards do. Theyâd suck our souls out and use our bodies as robots. Look at the world now â theyâre already doing it!â
âIt wonât work thoughâ Hugo responded calmly.
âBecauseâ, he said, sitting down on the rock next to Celine. Usually, she would have been affronted by such uninvited closeness. But in that moment, though sheâd never let him know, she was secretly glad to have him there.
Clasping his hands, Hugo slid down to the ground and rested his head against the rock. Tilting his head upwards and squinting into the sunlight, he motioned for Celine to join. After a moment of hesitation, she sighed loudly and landed with a thud on the ground. Sheâd never had much of a knack for gracefulness. They sat there for a moment, looking up at the clear blue sky adorned with whimsical clouds.
âWhen our bodies dieâ, Hugo began, âOur souls go up into the sky. The shiny blue orbs become the stars. Then, one day, when theyâre ready, they come back down to find a new body. Theyâre never the same though. Bodies are for memories, souls are for ââ
âFor living.â Celine smiled. âThe Rebellion of Living by Alannah Minsky.â
âI told you I read itâ he smirked. âThe same thing still happens when the soul-suckers take your soul. A body is left behind, true. And they can utilise that body however they like, also true. But the stars always come back eventually.â He reached his hand towards hers. She hadnât realised sheâd been crying, but immediately pulled her hand away from Hugoâs to wipe the tears away. They both seemed to ignore the exchange, as Hugo continued talking softly.
âThatâs why they wonât win. Itâs why theyâve never won.â
Celine pulled away, uncomfortable with how vulnerable she felt under his sincere gaze. Standing up, she composed herself again.
âSo, what do you want me to do then? Why does the OSA need my help?â
âThereâs a study being conductedâ, he began, âthat suggests people can exist without a body. That by manipulating the psyche one can exist in spirit.â
âAnd you think I can help you?â
âI think youâre the perfect individual to test this theory.â
âOh, so Iâm a lab-rat?â
âNo!â he sighed. âYouâre smart Celine. One of the smartest people Iâve ever met actually, and your soul is brighter than any Iâve seen in Malsath.â
She whipped her head up to look at him.
âWatching me sleep were you?â She had meant to sound angry. After all, that was a serious invasion of her privacy. Unfortunately, the teasing tone of her voice betrayed her.
His eyes widened in a manner Celine found decidedly comical.
âN-no!â he stammered. âThatâs not what I meant, I ââ he stopped he saw her fling her head backwards with laughter. She couldnât help it, and it had been a while since somebody had made her laugh like that. All the while, Hugo merely stared at her, mouth slightly agape at her odd behaviour.
âItâs my jobâ, he said stiffly, jutting out his chin in indignation.
âOh, ok sureâ she said wickedly, patting him on the shoulder as she walked past him to the enormous tree shading the park. He turned around to face her.
âSoâ, she said, âWhen do we start?â
âYouâll do it?â he asked, practically bouncing.
âWell itâs not like I have anything better to do. Plus, I could use a friend other than Marge. I love her but the womanâs mad.â
âSo weâre friends now?â he asked, swaying towards her awkwardly.
âIf thatâs what you wantâ, she responded coyly. âYouâve been stalking me for almost five years, I figure youâd want to be my friend.â
Not waiting for Hugoâs response, Celine started towards a field situated next to the park. Marching ahead, she heard a brief and exasperated whisper from behind her.
âResearch, not stalking.â
She smiled at Hugoâs antics.
 Hugo and Celine spent the entire day training in the field, only taking a short break for lunch. Not a single soul-sucker interrupted them all day. She suspected the abundance of foliage warded them off.
The theory was easy enough to pick up. Tether yourself to something on earth, something you already have a strong connection with. Meditate, meditate, meditate until eventually your soul separates itself from its body. Simple.
But she couldnât do it.
Neither could Hugo, which she found quite ironic. Even when he left her alone for a few hours, nothing happened. Despite this, Hugo was simply giddy on the walk home. She had no idea why. They hadnât achieved anything.
He, however, kept insisting that Celine was making âamazing progressâ and that she was âthe best heâd seen yet.â
She wondered aloud how desperate they must have been when selecting candidates if she was the best.
Hugo grabbed her hand and looked her in the eye.
âHeyâ he said with such sincerity that Celine became immediately uncomfortable. âYouâre the best Iâve ever seen. Your technique is flawless. Your theory just⊠needs some work.â
She scoffed and raised an eyebrow at him.
âSome work? Itâs not just my theory either! The entire theory needs work. Maybe the logicâs flawed, did you ever think about that?â
They walked in silence again, and suddenly the weight of her hand in his became extremely heavy. She pulled away too quickly as Hugo coughed awkwardly.
 By the time they arrived back at The Red Ribbon, Marge was already peaking anxiously out of the window. They hadnât even noticed the impending sunset.
As Marge beckoned them both hastily inside Celine shot Hugo a furtive glance. If she didnât know herself better she might think she was actually beginning to like him.
âSoâ, said Marge sounding far too enthusiastic for Celineâs liking. âHow did she go?â
âShe was great!â Hugo gushed as Celine could only look on in confusion. âWeâve still got a little bit of work to do but after today I think we should make quick progress.â
âExcellent! See,â she had no turned towards Celine, âI told you something would happen one day dear. Iâm proud of you for doing this.â
Taking a deep breath, Celine smiled. Marge had been there for her since the day she spotted her stealing bread from the market. Day in and day out in this dingy old bar at the edge of the world. She had nothing to gain, yet she had taken Celine in when she was just a scared, moody teenager with not a hope in the world. Marge had never asked anything of her. She wasnât even asking for this, yet Celine felt an unwarranted sense of responsibility.
She took a deep breath and nodded, confirming more to herself than the other two people in the room that sheâd continue the training.
âWellâ, said Marge after patting Celine sloppily on the cheek. Her voice wavered slightly, as if she might be crying. âYou two canât stay up here for too long. Iâve left some food downstairs for you so you can eat down there okay. Iâll see you in the morning.â
They both nodded, climbing quietly down the ladder to the barâs basement. Celine noticed quickly that Marge had remade Hugoâs bed with the corners now tucked adequately while hers remained crumpled pile of sheets and pillows.
A plate of sandwiches sat on the small coffee table in the middle of the room. Hugo quickly walked past Celine towards the table and began devouring the sandwiches. Celine, feeling lethargic from the draining day that had passed, stood in the doorway until Hugo looked up and beckoned her over with a smile. She smiled back, and joined him at the table. They didnât talk much. They didnât have to. Celine appreciated that. Sheâd never met someone she was comfortable being silent with.
 When she woke up the next morning, Celine found herself being dragged along the ground of the basement, men shouting all around her. She identified Hugoâs voice immediately.
âStop it! Stop dragging her, she had nothing to do with it. Itâs my research itâs all mine!â
âShut him up will you?â One of the men dragging her said. Celine blearily opened her eyes to see stiff, green coloured uniforms filling the room. Sheâd know the soul-suckers anywhere.
âDonât worry, weâre taking you in as wellâ, said the man who Celine could now see had Hugoâs hands trapped behind his back so he couldnât move.
âHugoâ, she mustered groggily. As soon as she spoke she realised one of them must have hit her, because there was an unmistakable taste of blood in her mouth.
âCeline!â she heard him say desperately. âTheyâre taking you to the soul-sucker. Iâm sorry, Iâm so sorry. I donât know how they found out â someone from the park must have reported us Iâm sorry â â
âOh will you shut upâ she heard one of the soul suckers say. Her vision had become clearer, and she could see one of the men swiftly punch Hugo in his stomach as he doubled over in pain. Celine cried out, reaching for Hugo. But soon enough, she felt something strike her head, the room swirled for a moment before her world faded into blackness again.
 When she regained consciousness, Celine felt herself strapped into a chair-like contraption. The room around her was white, sterile, and smelt of cigarette smoke and metal. She heard a man laugh, deep and guttural, from across the room.
âMiss Burvudoir. Good to see youâre awake.â
She opened her eyes to see a single man sitting opposite her, his khaki uniform just barely able to fit over his stocky frame. He smoked a cigar, blowing the nauseating smoke directly in Celineâs face. His smile was toothy and wicked. Celine could only scowl at him.
âWeâve been looking for you for a long timeâ he said, standing and walking closer to Celine. âYouâve been doing some very illegal thingsâ he said. The soul-sucker crouched down in front of Celine, his yellow-stained teeth clenched in a victorious smile. Celine looked around, helpless. Nobody was there to save her. Her time had run out. She couldnât run anywhere now. The khaki-clad soul-sucker yelled at some men outside to start the machine. She heard the soul-sucking machine rumble to life behind her, and she knew she had only once choice if she were to make it out of this alive.
Celine closed her eyes and surrendered her body to the earth. She remembered everything Hugo had told her, everything Marge had been telling her for years. Her body had taken her through many an obstacle on its journey. Her eyes had seen cruelty that even the brightest of souls would be forgiven for not withstanding. All the while, her soul only shone brighter. She shouldnât have believed in love, but as she closed her eyes for the final time she felt an unmistakable thudding sound in her heart.
That sound took her to the stars, where she felt her mother and father envelop her as if she was still an infant. It took her to The Red Ribbon where Marge sat in the dimly lit bar. It was empty, and the blinds were all closed. Marge sat on the floor, a bottle of wine with only a quarter of the alcohol remaining sitting next to her as her tear-stained face stared helplessly at the door. The sound of her heart took her down the hall, to a similarly sterile room where Hugo sat alone in waiting. His face was a canvas for tears as well, only his eventually mixed with the dried blood he hadnât been bothered to clean from his nose.
The sound of her heart quickened, as did the growling of the soul-sucker. Celine listened, and saw all those around her that allowed her to believe in love. Then, slowly, as if sliding out of grasp, the sound of her heartbeat became slippery. And as it faded away she whispered four word that she had first read in a school classroom six years ago.
âSouls are for living.â
The noise stopped, but she saw the soul-suckers look up, baffled as the world became silent. She saw Marge and Hugo do the same. They smiled, and light seemed to engulf her world. She swam through the air towards Hugo and reached out to touch his face. She knew all he could see was an orb, but something in his eyes looked like he understood and he reached out to touch her.
âYou did itâ he whispered. âYou beat them.â
kianamaiart
discoholicmusic
germansingergirl
jbbartram-illu
prguitarman
baratheonpilled
janainaart
