Aberrant (15 page)

Joshua smiled. "Then I'll remind you," he said. "My
mom had taken me to the park to play. It was supposed to be for the older kids who
attended school there, but she insisted I have some time outside of the house,"
Joshua paused. "I remember I was three because she was pregnant with
Jacqueline. It's the only memory I have of my sister," he admitted.

I reached out, found his hand and gave it a squeeze. "When
did you see me?" I was curious.

Joshua smiled. "I was playing in the sand, making a
mess. I remember glancing up at the time and you were walking with your mom on
the outskirts of the park. You kept peeking over at me. It looked like you were
jealous, like you wanted to play. Your mom took your hand and wouldn't let you
come over."

I shook my head in disagreement. "You may have seen me,
but that's not the first time we met," I reminded him.

"Not true," Joshua smiled. "You don't
remember?" He was perplexed. "I suppose we were both young." He
didn't dwell on it. "You broke free of your mom's grasp and came running
over to the sandbox. I remember you asked me if we could play together."

"I did?" I tried to remember, but I couldn't. It
sounded like something I would do.

Joshua laughed. "We built a sandcastle together at the
playground. Though it looked more like an ant hill." His eyes twinkled. "I
realized in that moment that you were the most beautiful girl I had ever
seen."

"You were three!" I laughed rolling my eyes. "You're
making that up! Besides," I smirked, "In your first three years you
hadn't seen that many girls."

Joshua smiled. "Well. it hasn't changed. You're still
the most beautiful."

My heart fluttered, and already I felt slightly better. The
dream began to fade. I was grateful Joshua knew how to take my mind off painful
moments.

He squeezed my hand. "You want to tell me about that
nightmare you had?"

He always had a way of getting things out of me. I shifted anxiously
in my seat. "I dreamt the doctors wanted to cut me open and study
me." I felt my stomach lurch just thinking about it. "The worst part
of all of it, the woman doing it was my mother."

Joshua paused for a second thinking over what I said. "You
know, it was just a dream. Your mother would never intentionally hurt you,"
Joshua reminded me. "Everything she's done, even lying to you, was to
protect you."

I nodded faintly, not saying anything at first. "I know,"
I breathed, staring out the window beside me. "It just hurts. Knowing I'll
never see her again and then that dream.” I sighed. “I guess I’m still mad at
her.” It was an honest answer. She had lied to me all my life about where I
came from. I knew she thought she’d done so in my best interest, but clearly it
hadn’t been.

"Maybe your mind is trying to tell you something,"
he suggested, trying to rationalize what I'd dreamt.

"Probably. Like I'm afraid of losing you," I
muttered beneath my breath.

Joshua glanced at me briefly, before he focused his
attention on the road. "What's that?"

"Nothing," I couldn't voice it again. I felt like
we’d been on such rocky ground last week. Things were better now, okay in fact.
I didn't want to risk it. "It's just a little frightening to think someone
might want to cut me open or study me because I'm different."

"You know I won't let that happen." I knew he'd do
anything in his power to protect me. I also knew I would do anything I could to
stop those from hurting Joshua as well. "Olivia?"

"I know." I reached for his hand and grasped it in
mine. A moment later I dropped his hold, resting my hands in my lap. "How
much longer until we reach the next town?" I hoped our arrival wouldn't
cause any trouble, but I knew if anyone discovered our identities, the same
thing could happen that had in Haven.

"Not sure." He gestured toward the backseat. "The
map is in the pack. Can you grab it?"

I reached behind me, pulling the pack in the front seat, and
unzipped it. Careful not to let it fly away, I grabbed the map and reviewed it intently.
"I'd say with the rate we're going, maybe another eight hours?" It
felt like an eternity, but I knew it'd pass too quickly. The calm and tranquil
moments we felt would be fleeting as we faced the rebel city.

CHAPTER 13

We left the desert hours ago and as we drove I felt the
faintest hint of a smile at the trees and vegetation when they came into view.
Everything here was still alive, just as it had been on the drive up the
mountain. Most of the Gravelands consisted of dry rocky ground or grassy
fields. I felt like life flourished out here farther from Genesis and the
governments’ reach.

Joshua pulled the car off the road as he spotted a stream to
our right. "We don't have any towels or a change of clothes," he
remarked. "But I think we should try and clean up a little."

I stepped out of the car and stretched. My legs were sore
from sitting for so long. Joshua dug through the backseat, finding the bottle
of red dye tossing it to me.

"You want help?" he offered.

"Make sure I don't miss a spot on the back of my head."
I didn't have a mirror and knew I would be going blindly at it. I sat at the
edge of the bank, getting ready to pour the contents on the back of my scalp.

"Wait!" Joshua screamed. My heart leapt into my
throat.

"What's wrong?" I looked around, afraid a wild
animal was preparing to attack.

"Your clothes," He gestured with a laugh. "How
are you going to get into the water and wash your hair without getting dye on
your dress?"

I muttered under my breath realizing he was right. "Okay.
Just don't look." I narrowed my eyes as I removed my outfit.

"That's better." he smiled eyeing me in my bra and
underwear.

"Quit staring!" I grumbled. "Get undressed
and help me." I sat at the edge of the bank, pouring the bottle over my
roots at the center, trying to work my way down, careful not to miss any. Feeling
around was easy enough, but making sure I’d left no dry spots proved
challenging.

Joshua stripped down to his underwear, leaving his clothes
with mine before coming toward me. "Here," Joshua offered standing
over me. He grabbed the bottle from my hands and knelt down to my level. Carefully,
he squeezed and worked the dye through my hair, making sure every inch was
covered. "I really hope this stuff washes off my hands." He laughed
showing me his bright red palms.

I grimaced knowing my own hands looked just as red. "No
chance you brought any soap with you, too?"

"None." Joshua shook his head. "There's a
plant we could use as soap." His eyes glanced around our surroundings at
the vegetation. "Or was it tree bark to make soap?" He frowned unable
to remember. "We'll make do. Stay in here all night if we have to."

"Funny." I rolled my eyes. "I wasn't planning
on sleeping in the river."

Joshua laughed. "At least you don't have dye all over
your clothes."

"Yeah, that would have been a mess. Thanks for stopping
me." I didn't want to imagine what I would have had to wear into town. The
last thing I wanted to do is raise suspicion. We needed to fit in.

"Anytime." He nudged my shoulder. "Whoops!"
Joshua laughed watching as a small drop of color splashed my shoulder. "I
guess it's good I'm smart." He grinned working his hands through the back
of my hair and underneath where it was still dry. He poured more dye into my
hair, trying to get every bit covered.

"Smart? Sometimes I think you just like being a major
pain," I joked. I closed my eyes enjoying his touch for the briefest of
moments. A smile spread across my lips as my hands found the ground beside me
and he worked his fingers through my scalp.

"Oh, come on!" Joshua teased nudging my arm and
leaving a red palm print on my skin. "You're glad to have me here."

I didn't answer, but felt my cheeks redden. He was right. I did
appreciate having him here. I also appreciated that he sat behind me and
couldn’t see my skin flush. I tried to think of anything else, not wanting to imagine
him half-naked, but he didn't help matters when he stepped around to stand in
front of me, clad only in his boxers. I took in a sharp breath.

"What's wrong?" He frowned, checking me over to
make sure I wasn't hurt or upset about something. He always put others before
himself.

"Just anxious to get this stuff off," I lied.

Joshua smiled. "You're not planning on wearing that
into the water, are you?" He laughed, pointing at my attire. "You'll
be sitting in wet clothes the rest of the trip.”

I groaned in protest, and immediately Joshua turned toward
the river, his back to me. It had grown dark and I smiled as the last bit of
light had set and the moon showed off his features. He walked by the edge of
the stream, dipping his hands in first. I didn't say anything, just watched as
he shucked his boxers and jumped right into the stream. "Stay there and
watch my clothes," Joshua called back to me.

"Where else am I going to go?" I smiled feeling a
little more at ease.

Joshua dove beneath the surface of the stream. He turned
around to face me. "Just don't come in yet. Milo and Uma suggested the dye
had to set a little while. Give it a few minutes."

"I know. I was there," I reminded him. I stood and
walked to the edge of the bank, shoving my hands in. There was no sense in
letting the dye linger any longer. Same for the marks he'd left on my shoulder.
I did my best to scrub the red dye from my skin, but waited to strip down and
jump in. I sat down on the bank and watched Joshua swim in the stream, ducking
beneath the surface and breaking free repeatedly. "How's the water?"

"Pretty warm." Joshua smiled, staring back at me. The
moon had risen and gave off a warm glow as he swam from bank-to-bank. "Come
on in!" he shouted at me.

"Turn around!" I called towards him, so he couldn't
watch me undress. Although he swam around, I didn't trust he wouldn't stop when
I dropped my clothes on the ground.

"Do I have to?" Joshua whined, jokingly. He turned
his back and I quickly tossed my bra and panties onto our pile of clothes before
jumping right into the stream with a splash.

"Oh!" I squealed. It was colder than he'd let on. I
tipped my head back, rubbing at the dye trying to get the extra coloring out of
my hair.

"You want a hand?" he offered.

Thankfully, the water was deep enough that my body was fully
submerged without him seeing anything. Joshua swam over towards me. "Can
you see if my skin is red from the dye?"

"I can't really see much," he confessed, swimming
closer. I felt his warm hands in my hair and his body brush against mine
beneath the surface. "Dip your head back," he said, watching as my
hair fanned out in the water. He ran his fingers through, watching the dye
slowly seep away. "Yeah, I can see it's working."

"Is my hair still red?"

Joshua laughed. "It's hard to tell, but it looks
different." He nodded. "Makes you look hotter," he teased. I
slapped his shoulder hard, and he moaned and grimaced in protest. "Oww!"

"I'm your sister now!" I remarked, "You don't
say something like that to your sister."

Joshua laughed shaking his head, "That’s a disturbing
thought, but if you're Jacqueline then I'm Adam." He smirked, leaning in,
stealing a kiss and swimming away. “No longer are we related.” Joshua beamed
proudly.

"Hey now!" I called after him.

"Come and get me!" Joshua teased, waving towards
me.

"I would, but I'm trying to get out all the dye."

He watched as I went under a few times, breaking the surface
only to repeat the gesture. "What are you smiling about?" I retorted
as I swam my way towards him.

"The dye's been out for a while." Joshua laughed,
swimming backwards. "Can't get me!" He taunted, moving further away
and then turning back toward the direction we came from. I quickly swam after
him.

"Says you." I reached out as I swam, trying to
grab Joshua only to see him slip from my grasp. "Get back here!" I
demanded, finally grabbing ahold of his waist with a smile.

Joshua wrapped his arms around me and I leaned in taking a
taste of his lips, drinking him in. "We should get out before we turn into
prunes," he kissed me one last time before we swam to the edge of the
stream.

Joshua hoisted himself onto the bank and I enjoyed the view as
the crest of moonlight showed off his backside. Maybe I shouldn't have looked
but I did. He didn't turn around. He'd never know I peeked. "Leave my
clothes by the bank!" I called waiting until he’d put on his boxers,
pretending I hadn't been watching all this time. He tossed my clothes along the
river's edge. From the darkened stream I could see Joshua. He slid his shirt on
first and then his pants. "Don't look!" I shouted back at him.

"I won't. Tell me when you're done," he answered.

I pulled myself out of the river, struggling for only a
moment as the spot I'd chosen had been steeper than where I'd come in. I
slipped on my clothes, glancing around. "Josh do you see our shoes
anywhere?"

"Are you decent?" He laughed, turning around the
smile faltered with wide-eyes. "Look out!" He screamed pointing
behind me.

I felt the sharp blade of a knife against my throat.
"Give me the keys," a husky male voice whispered into my ear. With
one hand on the blade the other moved over and across my waist, making me feel
sick.

"Get off me!" I shouted trying to break free. I
had no weapon and absolutely no training. Terrified didn't even begin to
explain the feeling racing through me.

 "Now, why would I do that?" His laughter echoed
through the open expanse of land. "As soon as your boyfriend gives me the
keys, you and me, we'll get out of here. I could use a girl like you," his
breath tickled my ear and forced a horrible shudder down my spine.
"Imagine all the things I could do with you." His hand loosened on my
stomach as he petted my hair. This was who they'd warned us about in the
Gravelands – outlaws.