Please Rescue Me

Cut Ties

1

Cut Ties

Nights in the desert are cold. Cold enough that I forget the heat of the morning. The blistering heat is an echo compared to the cold nights, and the centralized aircon is turned off as they let the natural air in through the vents.

In the early morning, it’s still cold enough that my hands are degrees lower than the rest of my body. Eve and Ahmed are the first to wake. No matter how early I wake, they beat me to it. Eve finds it funny how competitive I get, but I’m not. I just feel horrible that they have to wait for me, and they are forced to, despite whatever they say otherwise.

Today is no different. I sit up, and Eve is already sitting at the foot of our bed with a proud smirk on her face, while Ahmed comes in with a tray of our breakfast. However, they have refused to eat their portion of the meal ever since I started losing weight, and that started months ago. I feel bad that they haven’t been eating properly, but no matter how much I argue, I can’t help but stare at my wrist.

Human wrists are composed of small bones like our whole fingers are too, but the bones on our wrists are incredibly smaller yet I could trace each one. Every joint and tendon from my knees to my knuckles are all knobby. The last time I looked at a mirror, my cheeks were triangles with no sign of any roundness of flesh.

Both of them worry about me. I worry too, but I don’t have the courage to ask the spirits. What matters is I know the big picture. I know which big picture I want to see, and this is the way I know it would happen.

“Here, drink this first.” Ahmed hands me a hot cup of tea. I take it with both hands, the difference in temperature made it sting, but I bear it. “Don’t drink too fast, and before you eat I’m going to latch you on your new IV”

I nod. Hearing his voice so crisply made me instinctively touch my cochlear implants on the side of my head. Eve always takes it off and puts it on for me before I can do it. “How much is it this time?” I ask.

“This whole thing for this morning” He looks disapprovingly at the 1 liter bottle.

“You’re going to bruise” Eve clicks her tongue and gazes at the inside of my elbow. “let’s just take it slow this time.”

“And risk the both of you getting in trouble?” I shake my head vehemently. “I can take it, and you know it wouldn’t hurt if I do take it…”

They both look away from me, they don’t want me to see their pained and worried expressions. I don’t want them to fuss too much, or the man would be using it against them again. Ahmed starts with the couscous. Anything to help keep the food down and keep it from escaping my throat by the end of the day.

Eve takes out the outdated tablet from under her pillow. I’m not allowed to touch any of the devices that would aid in any attempts of escape, but Eve is allowed to handle the truly outdated tablet to check for my schedule and reply to our caretakers. Her brows are characteristically knotted as she gazes at my schedule.

Ahmed is standing over the both of us and easily gazes above Eve’s head with an expression that could mirror her own expression.

I look away. I don’t want to think about the day in front of me. I focus on chewing my food till it is utter disgusting mush in my mouth and I swallow it down. I wait for a few seconds to see if the food settles nicely in my stomach before grabbing another bite.

Ever since the continuous blood collection, and the constant appointments of countless people with a large enough pocket to afford my sessions, my digestion is less than ideal. But he doesn’t want to fall back on any of it, he pumped me with medication and supplements instead and bought thicker clothes in the searing heat or covered me with layers to hide from the “Guests”

The schedule is unforgiving. I only have an hour or so to finish the fluids, get ready and, eat and dress to start the day. I do all these with Eve and Ahmed’s help, and in between the usual Eve shows me the outside world. A Djinn is all-powerful, and is thought to be time itself, but being only half Djinn meant the twins are bound to something or someone.

Akeresh was smart. He made sure that the twins were bound to something, but not me, and he made it a rule that they weren’t allowed to divulge such a secret to me, or I’d do something to let them go.

“Him again” Eve rubs her temple.

I peek over the tablet, and nonetheless, I know who is making her stressed. “He is going to be a challenge.” The thought of the man who owned the largest steel company in America and the countless hands gripping around his chest stresses me.

“We’ll just prepare you” Eve sighs.

I smile despite the tumultuous feelings inside of me.

I feel bloated and murky. My veins are turgid and almost feel brittle under my skin. Still, I manage to stand on my own feet. Eve wraps another shawl around me as I stand there mummified from all the layers, but I find no energy to complain.

Ahmed’s palm is on the center of my back and Eve is on my front. We walk almost in unison and as a unit towards the halls, where countless of people and servants step back with their eyes lowered.

Not that any of the formality matters. I’m covered by an expensive embroidered shroud over my head. Almost like a veil, but it is red as… the strings of fate. In a way, they view me as a shaman of some sort. More than a fortune teller, but they aren’t exactly sure what I am. Visioners are so rare that even literature about us is dwindling.

History is trying really hard to purge any records of us.

I was so young when I lost my mother, but for all I know, she was just a caster. Not like me at all. I don’t know how I truly came to be if blood like mine skips a generation, but here I am.

Playing in the hands of the enemy.

Eve and Ahmed lead me outside and to the dark vehicles to cross the hot desert. Towards the meeting place where I always meet my patrons.

Akeresh is in the front seat, his dark eyes glare down punitively at me. “Make no mistake” he reminds.

“Of course” I answer meekly.

“Good” He huffs. “I don’t need to tell you what happens, right?”

“Of course” I repeat.

He doesn’t have to, because I already knew. I see it every night.