Scrutator (noun)
A person who investigates.
Chapter 20
(Mako's P.O.V)
"I... um..." I hear myself stutter. The little boy walks over to me, so small in a thigh length gold embroidered beige top. A mask hangs from his left ear; leaving his face on show.
"There's no food in there." He mumbles inspecting me; his brown hair obscuring his view, little pieces of hair laying on his freckles filled nose. I keep staring in confusion,
"Huh?" I ask him gazing at his slightly bright brown eyes, the yellow light in the kitchen reflecting on them.
"The fridge, there's no food in there." He repeats at me pointing at it.
"Oh... did you look inside?" I ask him now. He nods as I step towards it, pulling the door open. I spot a few water bottles... with eye stickers on them; every bottle with two eyes staring back at me. I glance at him; a smirk appearing on his face at the sight.
"Did you..." I ask as he nods, the smile disappearing as quick as it came. He's so cute and mischievous!
"My stomach is digesting itself." I complain loudly moaning closing it back shut. The boy keeps his eyes on me in silence, as the wind howls in a whistle outside. His prank giving a moment of joy.
"What's your name?" I ask him pressing at my arm to ease the pain.
"Shay." He simply offers. I nod smiling in response.
"Shay... Are you awake because of those... eye stickers or the storm?" I ask him as a loud thunder hits down. He shakes his head shrugging, face blank. I spot an earing on his left ear... quite similar in shape to mine.
"Why is your arm hurt?" He questions titling his head. I glance at my arm trying to think of an answer... he's really young to tell him what actually happened.
"I... fell." I lie to him; smiling. His eyes land on mine, a boring nonexistent expression lays on his face.
"But that's a bite you have." He points out softly. I try to remember if the cut was visible earlier from my dress,
"Wow... you got a good set of eyes. Beautiful glowing color too." I say cheaply, my arm stinging and pounding in silence.
"You too." He replies; eyebrows raising my way. I squeal at his cute reply; cupping my face in awe.
"Oh thank you!" I say a bit too loud.
"No, I meant the glowing, yours are the same." He corrects me. I take in a breath; my squeal halting.
"Shay, tell me. Any idea why we're brought here?" I ask him. He blinks away for a moment then glances back at me,
"Because we're a group now." He tells me, tone flat. I shake my head getting closer to him and leaning down,
"Group of what? how do we all relate to each other?" I ask him peering around. He stays silent. Was it a complicated question? He looks around eleven years old... he might have not understood me.
"Why are we here? together? are we like distant cousins?" I try again, maybe we're all family? I just don't know them yet? Maybe father sent me and Botan here to get to know them... but why the weight and height check?
"Our bloodline can suggest so... but I don't think we're that close." He answer vaguely letting out a slight sigh. He pulls his mask from his left ear and secures it in place, hiding his nose and mouth.
"What are you guys doing?" I glance up at the hoarse sound of a girl. Tall and colorful, she stands by the door in her mask. The little boy defiantly wore his mask before she showed up... did he smell her?
"You should be in bed." The girl orders peering from the door; voice bossy. Her hair half black cut to her ear and the other side; shoulder length with streaks of yellow and green.
"I was just thirsty..." I explain, quickly grabbing the fridge door open and pull a bottle out.
"We all have water in our rooms; did you not see that?" She pricks voice accusing. I loose my fake smile, she's triggering me more than my bitten arm.
"I did, but it's hot. One bottle isn't enough. Besides; these have eyes on them. Who doesn't want that?" I press slamming the fridge door loudly. I hand one bottle to the little boy and he takes it, leaving towards the stairs. I do so too. She gives us a few glares as we walk past her.
.
In my room I take my top off, checking my arm. All the skin around the wound is turning pink and a bit inflated. I cringe at the sight, red wet in the middle, with purple edges of the teeth that she sunk into me. But I know I am lucky to have survived the dot.
I put my top back on grunting. It was doing just fine earlier... I wasn't even in pain when I got here... I need to ask for some medication and help tomorrow morning.
After a sleepless night of pain in the company of the storm. I get up as I hear voices out in the hall. I see a few people standing about speaking amongst each other, dressed in a uniform... I go back in and look in the wardrobe, similar one to their uniform lies there; with gadgets like bag and a mask... and shoes! The same as the one I was offered when I was back at home and told to go out with Tora and Seiji... how is all this connected!?
After grunting and moaning, I put the uniform on like everyone else; leaving the props behind but placing my mask on one ear like the little boy yesterday... just incase since everyone has them on. I also put the shoes on and they are magically my size. Sweat trickling down my forehead as I brush my bangs down and put the rest in a braid, reusing the same elastic band I had. Having no mirror in here doesn't help as I don't know if it looks alright. I could care less anyway. Leaving my bedroom I notice the little boy gliding down the stairs. I follow him and tap on his back, he glances over and I smile; noticing his similar outfit.
We walk down the stairs in silence, I open my jacket vest a little as I feel quite hot.
"Can't wait to eat breakfast." I prod leaning in.
"There's no breakfast." He breaks his silence as we glide down the first floor. I spot the others sitting on the sofas.
"No breakfast? is this a diet camp or something?" I rant in annoyance. We walk over and I spot my brother sitting in a corner not speaking to anyone. A girl looks up at me from under her glasses and says something that I don't catch, my ears fogging her words. I shake my dizzy head,
"What?" I blurt. A group laugh fills the room and I just stare in confusion, my stomach knotting.
"I said, you can come sit here." The girl repeats smiling, tapping at the empty place next to her. Big fluffy red-pinkish curly hair cupping her bloodless olive toned face. I walk over and sit in my sweating jacket, not daring to take it off incase they start laughing for no reason again. Shay strides and sits somewhere between the crowd.
"I love your hair!" She tells me. I raise my eyebrows.
"Uh... thanks." I utter studying her masked face; big green eyes shine brightly behind her mask. I look away, the sound of heels grabbing my attention; the women in the floral dress walks in. I swallow, my eyes landing on a big fat silver jar piece on the table before me. My eyes widen as I spot my reflection... my bangs sticking up like an antenna. I slowly look around and push it down as slowly as I can so no one else's spots it. I glance over at the curly haired girl pressing my lips in annoyance... liar.
"Right good morning everyone!" The women in the flowery dress says walking over, her voice giddy.
"First mission together, are you guys excited to work with each other?" She goes on; not really sounding like she wants an answer. She stands before us, to me left.
"As you guys can see, the storm is pretty bad this time. Your help is much needed." She runs on pointing at the massive window; taking half of the wall in width, the fog starting to clear up, but a lot of black ash is flying around... is this the same ash that I used to find back in the garden sometimes?
"You're all one group but I'll split you in two. You'll be five members. The leader of the first five is Botan; the members are Gorge; Pearl; Hadrian...." I glance at my brother, hoping my name to be declared so we can at least be in this same whatever group.
"And Faintasi." I sigh at that; if I'm not with my brother, how else is this situation is going to be explained? Anger is starting to build up at all this confusion.
"The leader of the second is Piper; the members are Amelia; Shay; Emmett and Mako." She declares from her device.
"The leaders can decide who will drive and the distribution of each task. Any questions?" She finally adds looking away from the device and up at us. Everyone is silent...
"Um... I got a question." I utter, my voice breaking. She studies me waiting,
"What are we doing? Why?" I ask her hoping she actually answers.
"Helping with the storm of course. Well, because with this storm people need the most help they can get. I heard you're a very kind girl. So you would want to do this." She implies with a nod, I raise my eyebrows at her.
"Want? I was dragged here. I was never given the option to be this kind girl you're talking about." I begin, heat flashing through my face. Maybe I shouldn't have said that... what if she gets angry at me? She lets out a faint laugh,
"I'm sure you don't know what you're saying. I know you want to do this. Alright everyone..." She cuts me off, standing up on her black heels.
"You know? no lady. I don't want to; thank you but I'd rather go home than be kind." I add standing up as well, the floor spinning a little beneath me. She brushes at her long bangs.
"Behave." She suddenly uses a none filtered harsh voice taking me aback. I swallow,
"I shall behave if I'm told of what's going on. I really just want to know what's happening. Did father assign me to this?" I ask beginning to shake at the stares I'm receiving. I glance over at Botan,
"Did he? because I sneaked out?" I ask him as he shifts uncomfortably adjusting his mask. Shaking his head slightly at me to stop my tantrum.
"If you don't settle down and behave; You will be punished." The woman threatens. I glance at her, her fierce eyes glare back at me. My eyes dart to Botan and I open my eyes wide at him to help. I swallow shifting back in my seat. I'd rather shut up than keep bringing all this attention... I might faint.
"Right... Be on your way groups! We expect high performance." The women declares, her voice returning giddy and joyful, she steps away from the living room. The members begin to stand up. Botan rushes away with his teammates behind him, giving me no words or attention. I place my hands around me biting at my lips.
"You guys ready to leave?" The same girl who bossed us around last night says standing tall in wide baggy white trousers with red pockets and an open matching knee length jacket. Shay and the girl seated next to me stand up nodding. I glance up at them;
"Where are we going?" I ask her as a pasty skin toned boy joins the circle; his skin with a very much blue tint to it.
"Emmett, you drive." The bossy girl orders the boy, ignoring my question as she heads out. I shake my head at the rude behavior. Shay glances at me and proceeds to follow. I groan dragging myself on the white floor following them. Maybe I can run away from the group outside... I need to stop thinking of running away every single time, goodness!
We get on a sleek white high car. I sit in the back in the middle; Shay to my left and the other curly haired girl to my right. The boy raves the car into life and we head away from the house.
"What's this storm... I never saw it before." I ask the girl beside me. She looks up at me, her green eyes filled with brown freckles under thick trimmed eyebrows...
"I'm Amelia... incase you forget." She says nodding; not answering my question.
"I'm Mako." I introduce myself, not very thrilled about making friends now. I lick my lips, giving the ones sitting in the front a quick glance. I lean over into Amelia,
"How did you get here?" I whisper. She keeps her eyes on the window, where there's so much fog the scenery isn't even visible. I sigh at her silence
"Why is everyone so secretive? any idea Shay?" I ask him as we both ogle out the window; fog eating up most of the scenery. He shrugs,
"Orders." He tells me. At least he answers. Thank god, or I would have gone ballistic at this point.
"From?" I ask and he stays silent this time. The car jerks from side to the other, looking ahead at the front window I notice how fast we're going and my stomach grows upset.
"Goodness.... My stomach was digesting itself but now... it wants to vomit itself." I blurt holding on the two chairs of the front. Amelia blurts a sudden laugh and I jump at that;
.
The car finally comes to a stop. We get down; The driver... Emmett, opens the car trunk, giving us each a heavy cardboard box to carry.
"Pasta packs for Mako." He announces in a playful tone, matching his bright dry looking yellow hair; shaved slightly at the sides and ear-long in the back laying on his neck, with sharp bangs above his very... rectangular eyebrows, handing me the box. My eyes dart in confusion as I take it...
"Tuna cans for our little one; Shay." He goes on in a high pitched tone as if he's having the best day of his life...
We stand around in a circle in front of the house as the... leader... Piper leans down towards an odd mini metal door next to the house's main door. She opens it with an ID card that I just spotted hanging from her neck, making it beep. She stands up, eyebrows crossed and opens at the box Amelia is carrying; pulling out a packet of what seems... flour packets... She takes it and places it in the metal box; throwing it with no care. Doing similar action from each box we're carrying. My box ends up having Pasta packets just like Emmett said.
Are we distributing food!?