The Root Of All Evil

It’s a beautiful day in this little town of chaa. (Pronounced, Chay-uh) Or at least it would have been if it weren’t for the it being post-apocalypse. The little earth that was left was ashen-covered, and the rest was underwater. Of course, that’s ok with me. As one of the few Wengels (Way-gel or in this case Way-gels) I like the water. I mean, when I’ve got gills, it isn’t so strange to live down here either. The little islands are nice too though. I mean, I can breath and all. Too bad for the humans, they got the short end of the stick on this deal. But, my squad, and I, we’re raiding this town today. So it’s good that it’s a good day, or night as it is. A good day’s night? “Alright men!” The captain barked, “You know the drill. Go in, steal what we need, no more. And then get the hell out. Any questions?” One on the newer guys raised his hand, uh, fin. “Is there a plan on what houses each of us hit? Or just kinda go for it?”
“Good thought. You then, you’ll take those houses there, I got these, and Drew. You see that big one? (Drew nodded) Well guess where you’re going. Glais, you’re going into the mayor’s mansion.” Some of the guys laughed at me. It was hard enough to sneak into a normal house, but the mayor’s mansion? I’m so screwed, if you pardon the slang. “Get busy!” It was his way of saying ‘Get going’. But anyway, my crew dispersed and I was left standing on the hill. I started walking off to my target, but the Caption stopped me. “This isn’t the usual. You’re the best there is, so I need you to get this.” From his wet suit, (obviously the only human-made cloths that would suit us) he showed me a picture. “Wait, I wouldn’t call the photo of a ‘this’”
“I know, but we need this human. She’s the only one that knows the cure to our elder.” Oh yea… The elder had been sick for a while then, just so you know. “We need you to get her out with out anyone noticing till dawn.”
“Why till dawn?”
“When they find that she’s not in bed, I think it’ll be obvious.”
“Alright. I’ll get going.” Caption melded away into the dark and I was left alone with the photo. Stowing it, I started moving to the Mansion. The town was still slightly active, so it was a little interesting to get around, but once I was on the roofs, it was easy. I arrived at the mansion and perched on the wall. The guard pattern was simple with too many holes to exploit. Man, and I thought I was done. I dropped down off the wall and crept into the bushes that were around. It was tedious, but after a few minutes, I was through. And as good as done. There were many guards around the main door. Why the yard security was so flimsy. There has to be another way. I looked around, and after a few, saw that there was a rain gutter running up the wall right there by a window. Too easy. I just shimmied up the pipe and into the window. And almost laughed out loud. There she was. The window had lead into her bedroom, and she was right there. She had a reddish, orange hair color with very fair skin. Her hair was about shoulder length, not entirely too long, but not quite short either. Her hands were slender and had red nail polish adorning them. So I slipped out the chloroform and made sure she wouldn’t wake at an inopportune moment. Now, I couldn’t just go back out the window with the girl, I would draw attention. Instead, I slipped out of the door into the hall and saw there were pillars ever three feet with a comfortable space from the wall. Are you kidding me? This place must have been MADE to be robbed. I softly padded down the hallway to leave through the back, and there was a guard. He was asleep against the wall sitting in a chair. You humans are just plain funny. The only thing to stop me is sleeping. I slinked out the door and out of the grounds without a hitch. So here I am, walking along with this girl slung over my shoulder up the hill and I lay her on the grass and wait. So enough, one after another, the guys get back. Drew chuckled and teased me that I must have brought her back for certain purposes. Then Caption got back and commended me on the mission accomplished. “Wait, how are we going to bring her back to the hall? She doesn’t breath underwater?” Caption assured me that it was all taken care of and so we left. When I got to the sea, I saw that there was a submersible vehicle and then I knew how they were going to pull this off. Caption and me were in the ship while Drew and the new guy swam back. We went back home and it was a good thing that in our cavern was an air bubble meant so that human ambassadors could visit us. After that, some government goons took off with the girl and I just went home. I had some sleep, and when I woke up in the morning, I knew I had the day off till night rolled around, so I went around and killed some time. The cavern was brightly lit now, so it must have been around 9. Turned out that it was 12. I really slept in. After awhile of walking, I went off to see a few things and found something out was quite disturbing. When I saw that there was commotion at the zoo, I never suspected this! The girl from last night was in one of the cells meant for the animals. There was the sign in front that even had everything on it like how it said human. Were they anticipating this? It was right then, that I was sick, and had to make way for the rest rooms in order to avoid making a mess. But when I came back, I saw that she hadn’t even a change of cloths. She was still in the nightgown from when I brought her here. And then, there a few of my kind that shouted obscene things at her, and this whole thing was starting to make me angry. Then I saw Caption was here too. “Caption! What the hell?! This shouldn’t be!”
“What? That thing in there? Why not?”
“She’s human! Even the Sear beetle has emotions!” I pointed to the cage besides her, which contained said creature. “The Wengel race can’t do this! This is wrong!”
“Why? Because it’s just another creature in the zoo?! Should the Sear beetle be set free too?”
“Yes. Nothing should be held captive like this. Especially humans!”
“Ha! Glais, you’re far too soft for your own good. Nobody CARES about the humans besides that we can steal from the humans. If you can’t stand seeing her there, then why don’t you just go home.” Caption turned away and walked into the thick of the crowd to taunt and jeer at the poor girl. And she was on the ground, crying, because she was here. Damn it, I did this! If I hadn’t brought her back, this wouldn’t be happening! I sighed at how pathetic these Wengels were. They want to be treated fairly by humans, and then do this. All of them that tempt and jeer are hypocrites! But I stayed there, till the cavern lights dimmed to a more twilight setting as to let other’s sleep. But I was still here. And she was still crying. Then I quietly slipped over the rail and clambered into the pen. I was in the ditch part and so; I climbed up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. I really should have seen this, but she screamed at the sight of me, kicked me in the chest and I fell down the jagged wall back into the ditch and lie there. “Ow…” I couldn’t move for the longest time, that’s how bad it was. I could see my blood, blue-black and shimmering against the rocks. I was really hurt from the fall. I was looking up at her, and then a beam of light descended upon her. Security must have heard her. But she didn’t show his presence. And when she ignored him, the guard left. I was still laying there, and really couldn’t move, even now. Then, she peeked over the side at me. I’m never going to forget that intense gaze of hatred in her eyes. As if accusing in those greenish eyes, a fire was burning. She threw a rock at me, it bounced off my scales and I hardly felt it. Then she climbed down, and sat on the slanted wall just above me. Most likely unaware how a lady should sit while wearing something akin to a dress. “So, what’s wrong with you people? You’re such weird things, but you’re all so cruel.” She had a spike of rock in her hand now, and was raising it above her head. “Go ahead. Kill me. But I tell you, you slay the only activist who wants you free. Go ahead. Kill me, and be imprisoned for the rest of your miserable life.” Of course she dropped the stone. On me, but still, better then being skewered. I sat up and tried to lean against the wall, not much success there, I could only manage a half-laying position against the rocky slope. So, there she was, sitting next to me, just intently watching, and knowing that I couldn’t do anything at that point anyway. And things were quite for a time. “So… What’s your name?”
“They call me Glais around here. So I guess that would be a name.”
“My name is Sharon.”
“Alright then, Sharon…” I started to lift myself; the injuries had begun to heal. “So, how do you think you could escape?” She looked down at the ground for a time before answering. “I think that I could sneak out of here, and back home.”
“Alright, How.”
“I’ll just leave the park.”
“Yea? Then what? This place is 200 ft below sea level. You certainly can’t swim back up.”
“Yea? Why not then. You swam down.”
“Your human body is too frail to take the water pressure. There is deeper in the ocean, but that’s deeper then we can go. Not even I can touch the ocean bottom.”
“Isn’t there another way up? I know that dad has been down here.” Then I started to smile, in my own slightly warped Wengel way. “There is a vehicle that can withstand the pressure to bring humans down, and up. There is a human colony that is sending a representative down tomorrow.” I stood, my wounds fully healed. “We could stow away on that. And then just find our way back to your island.”
“What do you mean we? I’M going, not you.”
“That’s what you think. If I spring you from this place, then the others will know I did it. That’s why I’m going with you. I can’t stay if I bring you back.” She seemed perturbed with the notion. “So… You can never come back to your home if you help me?”
“Never. I’d be a wanted exile. They would kill me if they found me. No, I would not be able to come back.” I solemnly bowed my head. It was treason to take imprisoned humans back to the surface. “But you wouldn’t be able to stay with me or anyone. The other people on the island would kill you too!”
“I know. Most humans don’t like my kind. It’s truly too bad we live in such a speciest world.” There was activity above so I knew time was up. “Look. I have to go now. I can’t take you now, they’d know. But I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“But how do you expect to get me out! It would be broad daylight!” That was the problem. I would have to take her at 2:00 to get her on the sub. It was now or never. “Damn… Aight, this is what we’re gonna do…”

The guards poured into the pen when they saw that Sharon wasn’t there. There was a huge commotion as they frantically started looking for her. What they failed to notice was two figures creeping out of the park and then break out into a run when they were out in the town.


To be continued…