Evelyn Earth Part 23

When I had told Sebastian that there was food I was referring to the shared stash that Owen and I had accumulated. Now that I thought about it though Owen did most of the accumulating and my original supplies had all been consumed in my old and now disintegrated apartment.

“Wait” I stopped, “I don’t actually have any food to share with you.” As Sebastian looked at me I felt that uncanny sensation of him reading my thoughts.

“Not yours to share hey?” I simply shook my head in response. I was actually quite embarrassed. I looked like one of those girls who relied solely on their male partner to be the bread winner. I wracked my brain for possibilities. Most of the surrounding area had already been picked clean by the group and anything that had been left over within Harbour Town and the town houses had been consumed by the darkness. Speaking of darkness it would be relatively impossible to raid at night anyway.

“Let’s go see the rest of the lads then, maybe they’ve been offered some grub”

“Actually hold on” I grabbed his wrist before he could march away at his impossible speed, “We had two others that were part of this group, but when the bridge went down they ran off, I’ll bet any money that they didn’t take all of their supplies.”

“Well that’s a start. Lead the way.”

“Oh I don’t know where their camp was. That’s the whole point of living out here, so that no one can steal from each other.”

“That’s beautiful love, sounds like bloody utopia, but what good does it do us?”

“Are you always so fucking condescending” I sneered. Honestly how did he go from being charming and practically sugar sweet to a complete sour gummy worm.

“I was thinking maybe your terrain view was more advanced than mine, seeing as you are Mr Experience and all.”

“Terrain view?”

“Yeah, I don’t know what you’d call it. When you merge your sight with the Earth, do you see just terrain or can you go beyond that?”

“I think it’s my turn to be perplexed darlin’, I haven’t the slightest idea what you mean.”

“Oh really” I smiled with sheer cockiness, “So your telling me that I know something about our powers that you don’t?”

“Don’t draw this out Evs and let us in on the secret why don’t you.”

“Evs?” I raised an eyebrow, “I think I understand now why Izwan dislikes you so much.”

“I have a talent, what can I say, when names grace these luscious lips they’re given new life” he licked his bottom lip slowly to draw my attention in their direction. I tried to keep my eyes pinned steadfastly to his, but I glanced down just as his tongue was tracing the corner of his mouth.

“Evelyn is fine” my eyes darted back up to his and I could see that he was amused.

“Come on then Evelyn show me this terrain view” he drew out my name in an annoyingly seductive way. I motioned for him to follow me further out of the compound until we hit solid Earth.

“I stumbled upon this once, like literally stumbled and fell into it. Kneel down and place your forehead onto the ground” I assumed the position and waited for him to do the same. I thought he would protest or make some stupid remark but he followed my lead with a seriousness that a moment ago I didn’t think he possessed.

“Do the same thing you would if you were using the far sight, except project your mind’s eye into the ground instead of into the air.” After a few moments I looked to my left to see how he was doing.

“I feel like you’ve put me in this compromising position just to mess with me” he growled.

“You don’t see it?” I asked surprised. He raised his head from the ground and swiped his sleeve over his dirtied brow.

“I’m beginning to think that not all of the Mother’s vengeful children are given equal gifts. You for example seem to have a more spiritual bond with Her whereas mine takes the form of physical manipulation.” I looked at him in the dim night light and tried to ascertain if he was being serious or not.

“I’ve wanted to ask you so much about…all of this. I don’t even know where to begin.” So many questions were racing through my mind. I wanted to know Sebastian’s story, how he came into his power, what led him here and where he came from. More importantly I wanted to know everything that he did about the Earth Mother and her plan for us, but we needed an appropriate time, and place, to discuss this. As we sat here in the mud famished, Fins was dying in a dingy shipping container and both of our groups were interacting without us, potentially creating a dangerous situation.

“First things first we need to find this stash. I think if you channel your power into me it might boost my vision enough to locate the other’s camp.”

“I don’t think I have the energy for this” his eyes creased in the dim moonlight and I could see the worry etched into his face.

“Maybe just your added presence will change my vision” I tried to look optimistic. Honestly I hadn’t even tried to expand my geographical Earth view on my own before, let alone with a fellow destroyer. Who knows what might happen.

“Just place both your hands on the back of my head. I’ll try not to tap into any of your energy I promise” he nodded in agreement and I assumed the position once again letting my consciousness slip into the Earth.

It was much the same as the first time I had done it except with a slight tingle at the back of my mind. I imagined that sensation to be Sebastian’s added power and I let it travel throughout me sending shivers down my spine. Slowly my surroundings dropped away from me until I hung suspended in a world of pure Earth. Rocks and mud and veins of ore twisted and turned before me. I traced their delicate spidery lines until I could see the whole layout of Docklands. I didn’t need such a wide pan view so I pared it back and focussed on the immediate area around us. Not surprisingly the man-made pier upon which most of the group had made their dwellings was invisible to me, but I knew where it began as the ground level dropped down dramatically to below sea level. This was the tricky part, I needed Sebastian’s extra influence to broaden my view to something more topographical rather than the subterranean images I was currently getting.

  Cautiously I tapped into his tingling presence and tried to draw out his power. What I saw intensified in detail, rock formations and clay clumps took on a much sharper look, but everything above ground stayed out of my reach. Just as I was about to pull more of his energy out of him I felt the pain that he was in. It was such a deep seeded fatigue that it made my knees go weak. I pulled my consciousness out of the Earth and slumped down on the ground. I felt as if his severe lethargy had gripped me by the throat and sucked out valuable air.

“How are you even standing right now?” I gasped.

“I’m not. Clearly right now I am sitting down” he replied in a mocking voice that no matter how hard he tried was still tinged with chronic tiredness. “The terrain view was impressive, I can see how it can come in handy I guess.”

“Yeah me too, but not tonight, we’ll have to go and beg food from the others. I’m sure Toya will share something with you unless Marla forbids it.”

“Worth a try love, they’re your people you know them better than I do.” I stood up and hauled Sebastian up after me. We made a pitiful site, plodding back towards the shipping container covered in even more mud than when we had wondered off. Sure enough the fire that Old Mal had been prodding was now rigged with a kettle from which a mouth-watering aroma was wafting.

Besides Owen, Marla, Toya and Old Mal Sebastian’s four companions were gathered around the fire. Izwan who I already met sat on his hunches while the three other were sprawled in various positions of exhaustion. Amidst all the commotion and drama I hadn’t stopped to consider why five strong able bodied men, one amongst them being a soldier of the Earth, were travelling on foot with no supplies and all close to passing out.

We sat down amongst the others and waited quietly for the food to be dished out. Every once and a while the air would be punctured by Fins’ deathly moans, which rendered any conversation utterly pointless leaving us in an uncomfortable silence that dragged on into the night.