Octavia Jacob’s
Aspiring Author, Writing First Novel (Burning Embers), Instagram: octaviajacobswrites
Octavia Jacob’s
Aspiring Author, Writing First Novel (Burning Embers), Instagram: octaviajacobswrites
Aspiring Author, Writing First Novel (Burning Embers), Instagram: octaviajacobswrites
Aspiring Author, Writing First Novel (Burning Embers), Instagram: octaviajacobswrites
“I told you what would happen if you disobeyed me!” I whisper venom over his face pressing my dagger under his chin. I watch as the blood bubbles around the sharp tip contrasting against the darkness of the blade.
His lips shutter as he kneels in front of me. Fury courses through me the longer it takes for him to say something.
I get even closer, pressing my lips ever so slightly to his ear, “Tell me why I shouldn’t slit your throat right now for what you’ve done?” I growl in frustration when yet I’m met with silence kicking him back to the floor.
I unsheathe my sword trading in the dagger.
“I told you to stay at your post and wait! What was so difficult about waiting for my signal!” I yell into his face, my saliva spraying. “You got him killed! This is your fault.”
He doesn’t fight just let’s me take my anger out. His arms stay at his sides as I consider murder.
Tears string at my eyes slipping past my defenses. My blade starts to shake. I can’t even hold it steady anymore. My knees give out and I am on the floor. The clang of metal on the cement barely rings in my ears.
I can feel his arms around me, his voice deep in my ears, “I’m sorry. I was trying to do something more.”
“You still disobeyed me.” I have no strength left and I finally let him go. No longer do I feel arms around me or his breath whisping in my hair. I sink to the floor and let in the despair.
“You should have listened to me,” I mutter between gasps.
When I see the planet below I can’t do anything but take a deep breath. Relief and excitement fill each bone in my body. It’s been 500 years since we went into space to find a new home after ours we destroyed. But this time we will do better. We have too.
Cryo sleep has saved us but only after we destroyed so many other lives. Now only a few of us left. About 301 people who made it onto the ship. The one was me. I was the exception.
Dycen got me on. He was chosen and the only one left who knew how to fly the ship. He got me on by negotiating with the rest of humanity. I knew I was lucky but with all the hateful glares I got on the ship for the ten days that were were still awake made me feel otherwise.
But now awake for about a month as we were getting closer to our hopeful new home I’ve made two other friends as well. Tyler and Breea. Each day the three of us would wake up before sunrise just to watch the deep orange sun rise in the distance making the planet in the distance glow. Then, as usual we would go eat breakfast together and do whatever else we could find to do on the ship. With each passing say my enthusiasm grew for I missed being in solid ground. The feel of dirt and grass under my feet, the sun that kissed my face, and the breeze that whispered in my ears. Everything.
When the day finally came we all followed the plan. With each person buckled into a seat in their station. We started to dissend.
That first breath of fresh air instead of the false oxygen the ship produced felt like a renewal. Like I was born anew. With Dycen’s hand squeezing mine. I couldn’t stay still not with the need to run through the grass that I could already smell. Something else stung my nose and I couldn’t place it until I saw the glittering body of water that we landed directly next to.
I never though I could see a lake again. Or natural water even.
But all this wasn’t what was the most beautiful. The light from the sun gasped an orange glow over everything. So instead of the water being blue it was more of a green the sky the same tint. The grass was the blue instead and the trees in the distant were of all different shades. I was memorized.
It doesn’t take long to get settle into our makeshift camp for now. But we were told that no one is to touch, eat, or drink anything until tested. The only odd thing was that there didn’t seem to be any roaming animals I except for a few strange bugs and ripples in the water that showed signs of life.
The three of us kept close together for we had no one else. Our families left on earth to... Die. I gulp down a sense of loneliness and cuddled closer to Dycen under the stars. We soon well asleep peacefully in such a long while.
Screams wake me in the middle of the night and I watch as our people are forced into a tight circle. Dycen pulls me into his chest before I see but it’s too late there are some bodies littered on the outer circle. And my breathe hitches.
And I come to realize that it would never be someone invading earth... it had to always be us invading another planet... because we are the destroyers. We are the invaders of the story... this is our fault. We should have made better decisions.
“What do you mean?” I harshly whisper mentally, irritation building deep inside me.
“He’ll be here soon!” The voice that’s been in my head for as long as I could remember excitedly shouts with a little bit of impatience.
“Who are you talking about?” I shout outside in the cool breeze of night knowing no one could hear me even without the sound of music seeping from under the club door.
“Ugh this is useless! You’ll see.” I feel the presence that resides in the back of my brain disconnect. I nearly scream in frustration. I can’t believe this. With a few very needed breathes, I step back inside the humid building. The beat fills me once more pulling me back to the dance floor.
Soon I’m very aware of the bodies that brush against me every so often. I can feel each thread of the black dress that hugs each curve of my body heightening my sensations. And soon I’m swept up in the beat dancing the night away.
With all the people I have danced with throughout the night, the one that presses up against me from behind doesn’t startle. We sway together in a perfect rhythm. Song after song we don’t break apart. Eventually, I turn around wanting to see the face that I can’t stop imagining. And my breath is stolen straight from my lips. He was stunning and I couldn’t help myself so I moved closer if that was even possible.
Without a moments breath he reached down and kissed me. Hot and wanting.
I don’t hold back letting him take control.
“I told you he would be here.” That voice again. I smile against his lips wrapping my arms around his neck.
He pulls away, a smirk on his lips, “you just didn’t expect me.” I take a step back bumping into someone behind me but before I could fall his hand is wrapped around waist yanking me back to him, swaying. His breath on my ear.
Despite the shock that ripples through me I can stop myself from something blooming in my check. “How” I ask inside my brain.
But all he does is smile. Of course that’s his answer.