10Spare Parts: Part Five
Bea left after that strange encounter, wondering idly why she kept on bumping into him. She didn't really believe that there was some unknown force up there, shaping events with an invisible hand, but at times like these she really did wonder.
Bea walked back to her room in a daze, not quite seeing the cold, sparkling corridors, nor the sleeping forms of the other girls as she climbed into bed. The only thing she thought as she fell to sleep was this:
There seem to be less of us every day.
"You came," Rael stated, one eyebrow disappearing into his fringe. Bea glared at him, silently reminding herself that she was simply doing this in hope that he would let slip some form of information.
"Hello to you too," she grumbled irritably, shifting her line of sight to the wall next to him. Rael grinned, moving to stand next to her.
"Shall we head off?"
Bea grinned and waved her hand ahead of them. "I don't see why not."
Before leaving him the previous night, Rael had painstakingly extracted a promise from Bea to meet him the next time she came. He had not wanted her wandering around by herself in such a dangerous area, or so he professed. Bea did not quite believe him, but agreed anyway in hopes she might learn something, or at least get shown around properly. It would be nice to have something akin to a guide, even if he was infuriatingly tight-lipped when it came to anything interesting.
"Where do you usually go?" Rael asked, interrupting her internal monologue.
"Around," she answered cryptically, not wanting to reveal her usual haunts.
"That's very descriptive," he grumbled, frowning. "Have you been to any parklands?"
Bea thought a moment, before answering, "Once, and only briefly. It wasn't very interesting."
Grinning brightly, Rael turned to her. "You have no idea what you're missing out on, do you?"
There was a soft plain of grass, stretching out as far as the eye could see, dotted with trees, shrubbery and beautiful flowers artistically arranged in carefully planned beds. Pathways of cream-coloured bricks wove in and around the flora, old-style lamps lighting the way.
There was a lake also, hidden among a circle of trees that draped their branches softly across the surface almost protectively. Another path was laid down between the trees, this one older and more worn than the others Bea had seen, grass and weeds stubbornly pushing their way through cracks in the stone.
Moonlight reflected from the surface of the lake, dancing across the pale trunks of the trees in a way Bea found utterly entrancing. She drifted over to the edge, sitting on the sandy bank and staring at the water.
Rael grinned, hanging back behind the tree line, watching her as she stood up again, pulling her shoes off and wandering into the water.
"Are you glad you came now?" He asked.
Bea looked at him absently, a soft smile flitting across her serene features. "Yes, I am."
They headed into the crowded metropolis after that, wandering the streets aimlessly, talking all the while. Bea found Rael surprisingly easy to converse with, when he wasn't trying to infuriate her, and she almost enjoyed his company.
It got late, and they went their separate ways after agreeing to meet the next day. It went on like that for a month or so, Rael meeting her a block away from the entrance to the Tower, him taking her to all manner of places, all of them wonderful and intriguing to her.
As time passed, Bea began to grow attached to Rael, thinking of him as a friend, even missing his company when she was sitting in class, or eating her lonely meals.
When he wasn't there, life didn't seem quite as interesting, like a fine grey cloth had been pulled over her vision, obscuring the true colours of the world. Bea began to count down the time to their meetings, throwing herself into chores and other monotonous tasks with vigour in hope that time would somehow pass more quickly. She barely noticed the people around her, choosing instead to live daily life in her mind, largely ignoring the outside world.
Coming back from her nightly jaunts into the city was slowly becoming more and more difficult, though she could not place the reason. She lingered for as long as possible, even forgoing sleep on a regular basis in an effort not to leave. She began to sleep through classes, waking up to the teachers yelling at her and sending her outside, where she quickly slipped into unconsciousness propped up against a wall.
Bea stumbled through the day in a daze, only half awake as she made an effort to show a pretence of normality. She was practically nocturnal now, only getting up in time to hurriedly dress and sprint for breakfast, getting to the dining hall just in time to grab a piece of toast and run to her first lesson.
After classes were over for the day she slept, setting her alarm to wake her up in time to get changed and hurry to her meeting with Rael and wandering the city. Getting back in the early morning, she merely collapsed on her bed, exhausted, as she waited for the cycle to repeat itself.
"Are you alright, Bea?" Rael asked, peering at her uncertainly. Bea jumped, startled at being asked such a question, especially when she had been falling asleep on the spot, albeit unwillingly. She smiled, waving her hand dismissively.
"Fine, fine," she answered, feeling awkward under his scrutiny.
"It's just..."
"What?"
Rael sighed. "You've been a bit...distant, lately, and I've caught you falling asleep a number of times now. You're tired, aren't you?"
"I'm fine, Rael, really," she said firmly, slightly irritated at the question. If I went back I wouldn't be with you. Bea paused, wide-eyed. Where had that thought come from?
"No, you're not," Rael proclaimed flatly, frowning. "If you need some time to sleep, say so. One night won't make a difference to me, but I'd like you conscious when I see you."
Bea scowled, not wanting to admit that his words hurt a little. Didn't he want to see her as much as she did him? Maybe he was subtly signalling that he wanted to get rid of her. At this thought Bea felt a sharp pain in her chest, and tears sprung to her eyes, though she kept them from spilling onto her cheeks. She looked away from her companion, instead turning her gaze to the brick wall on her other side.
"If you want me gone, you can just say so," she whispered, still not looking at him. Rael stared at her, his jaw dropping, trying to understand what he had just heard.
"What on earth are you talking about!" He exclaimed, nearly shouting. Obviously there had been some kind of misunderstanding on Bea's part, though he could hardly see how she could mistake his concern for an effort to get rid of her.
"I didn't mean that at all!" Rael exclaimed, almost wanting to grab the girl and shake her until she saw sense. "You've just looked so tired lately; I thought you might want a night to yourself, maybe catch up on some sleep."
Bea grinned weakly, relieved at his explosive response. Rael smiled back, glad that she now knew that he only worried for her health. Besides, he would only send her away if something really terrible happened – something that would injure her, in either body or spirit.
And in that moment, a thought struck him like a tonne of bricks:
I've fallen for her, haven't I?
Bea practically floated back to her bed, a grin stretching across her face the entire way.
He wants me around. He really, truly wants me with him. Me, not anyone else. The thought filled her with happiness, and she dived under the covers, suddenly feeling very warm and content.
Then her eyes widened, and she gasped.
Oh God, don't tell me I've fallen for him.
When Bea met with Rael the next night, things were awkward, though neither of them knew why the other was acting differently. Rael wouldn't look at her, even when she was talking to him, and Bea was worried. And yet she couldn't help but act differently, stuttering occasionally when he did turn his attention on her.
Rael couldn't help but avert his eyes when she looked at him, her gaze almost unnerving him with its intensity. And yet when she looked away, he would steal glimpses of her, sincerely hoping she wouldn't noticed his strange behaviour. Still, considering the way she was acting, he doubted she would. Whenever their eyes met, her cheeks turned ever so slightly pink, Rael catching just a brief glimpse before she quickly turned away.
Then a horrible thought struck him, and suddenly he had to know.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" Rael blurted, the words tumbling bluntly out of his mouth. Bea stared at him, shocked at the sudden and unexpected question.
"You're the first guy I've met," she slowly admitted, her cheeks turning a brilliant scarlet. It felt like her face was on fire, and she looked down, letting her hair fall obscure her features.
Rael sighed happily, a stupid grin slowly stretching his mouth. He was overcome with relief at her response, and all of a sudden felt a sudden surge of confidence.
Oh, what the hell, he thought, and kissed her.
Once again, Bea was walking on air as she traversed the familiar passages and doorways on her way to bed.
I don't believe he asked me out, she thought, grinning until her face hurt, and then some. After the kiss, Rael and nervously explained how he felt about her, stuttering all the while, hanging his head in an ashamed fashion. Bea had not responded for a moment, and he admitted that he had been terrified of rejection, or even worse, driving her away. But then she had grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him, just a quick peck on the lips, but answer enough for the both of them.
Another month passed in a similar fashion, both of them hesitantly exploring the implications of their newfound relationship. Bea went out earlier than before, testing the boundaries of what was safe and what meant certain capture. It was now barely dark when she left, and the sky already lightening when she returned.
She spent most of her time in class sleeping, the teachers giving up on any effort to make her stay awake and do work. Bea was entirely nocturnal, and more alive at night than she had ever been during the day.
When she was with Rael, and the city surrounded her, she almost forgot about her fear of it, and the warnings he had made. She felt safe for the first time in ages, looking forward to every minute, and living for every second.
But then that fateful night came, and everything changed.
Bea was terrified, her breath coming quick and short, catching in her throat on its way out. Her heart beat a million miles an hour, and her eyes were wide and fearful.
Why isn't he here? Has something happened? Oh God, something terrible has happened!
Thoughts flitted across her mind like lightning, and she could hardly make sense of them. However, one stuck long enough for her to be truly worried:
It's his seventeenth birthday today. He wanted to spend it with me. Why isn't he here?
She waited until the sun had started rising before fleeing as fast as she could back to her prison, but Rael didn't come.
Something terrible had happened.
It had been a week now, and still there was no sign of him. Bea wandered down to their meeting place with a heavy heart. She hated coming down here, and yet couldn't quite stop her feet from moving, her legs propelling her towards the streetlight that marked their spot.
With her eyes to the ground, Bea almost missed the figure standing underneath the lamp, and hope filled her like a flash flood. Rooted to the spot, she could only watch as Rael noticed her too, waving slightly in acknowledgement.
And yet something was wrong. She couldn't see his face, obscured as it was by the hood of his jumper, and Bea had the horrible feeling that something was terribly wrong. She stayed where she was, merely four steps away from him, not wanting to go any closer.
"Where were you?" Bea called nervously to the dark figure.
He moved towards her, stretching one hand out hesitantly, as if to touch her cheek, before recoiling. Even this close, Bea could only see a vague impression of a face wreathed in shadows under the black hood.
"You know I love you, don't you?" Bea was simultaneously relieved and terrified, her body taking a step back of its own accord. Dread filled her heart at the question, and yet the voice was definitely Rael's.
"Yes," she answered, her voice cracking from nerves.
"Bea, I am so, so sorry."
"For what?"
"This."
Rael lowered his hood, and Bea screamed, horrified at what stood before her. Wide-eyed with terror, she fled.
Days passed, and she did not return to the city. Bea went back to her old life, sleeping at night and paying attention to school, doing her chores and reading in her spare time. But she was not quite herself, moving through the day mechanically, only half paying attention to anything. The other part of her was still in shock at what she had seen that night.
Whatever it had sounded like, whatever it had said, that thing was not Rael. It was just a monster with his voice – that was what she told herself.
And yet Bea couldn't quite believe it.
However much it hurt, and however much it scared her, she had to find out.
"You came."
"I did."
They stood there for a while, neither of them speaking. Bea's heart was racing painfully in her chest, her body screaming at her to run away. But she didn't, and instead was rooted in place, her eyes trained on the back of the Rael-thing's head.
He hadn't turned around as she approached, merely lifting his hand in greeting.
"You're not him."
"I am."
"You can't be!"
The Rael-thing sighed. "But I am."
And then he turned around.
The face was not Rael's – it was too perfect, in a terrifying way. If you looked closely, there were fine lines where the skin changed colour, and though they were closely matched, it was all different. The only thing that remained were his eyes, gazing out at her both fearfully and apologetically.
"I told you this city was a horrible place," Rael said. "I didn't have a choice; they did this to me."
"Why?" Bea asked, her voice pained. Rael winced, struggling to find the right words to explain the monstrosity that stood before her.
"Because I was old enough – it's what happens when you turn seventeen – and because it's 'beautiful'," he spat the last word out like it was poison. "People here are insane; you have to understand that. They would do anything – anything – in the name of beauty."
Bea only stared, wanting both to hug him and run as far as she could.
"So they do this." Rael gestured at himself. "When they turn seventeen, they take the best parts of other people and replace the poor victim's own body. It's been going on for years, but people don't care. And that is what's so monstrous about this place – that they don't care."
A fragment of memory slipped into Bea's head, and she gasped.
"What about the people in the Tower? So many of as have vanished on their seventeenth birthday. Is this what happens to them?" Her voice cracked on the last sentence, and she found her mind spewing forth horrible pictures of the girls she had known all her life transformed in such a terrifying way.
"No." The single utterance relieved her beyond words, and she sagged against the wall, her nervous energy vanishing. "What happens to them is much worse."
Bea stared at him, aghast. "What can be worse?"
Rael gazed back, not wanting to burden her with such knowledge, but realising that she had to know – had every right to know.
"Where do you think the body parts come from?" He raised his hand, angling it under the streetlight to show a small scar. "You said your friend had a scar like this?"
Bea stared, tears welling up in her eyes. "Ember..."
"When is your birthday?" Rael asked.
"How could they do that to her? How?" The tears were flowing freely now, pouring down her cheeks. "That's her hand," Bea whispered, hiccupping slightly before breaking down into a sobbing mess.
"Please, Bea, answer," Rael implored, gathering the girl up in his arms.
"Tomorrow," she sobbed. "It's tomorrow."
Rael's heart clenched with fear, and he held her tighter. "I think it would be best if you came with me."
"Where are we?"
"Safe."
"Really?"
"Really."
Rael had taken her to the place where people like him – people who were horrified and angry at what the city did to them – met. It had been dangerous bringing her here, but he had to. She wouldn't have been safe otherwise, and she was still in shock, barely able to move on her own.
Rael crouched next to the girl, taking her face in his hands and making her look at him.
"Bea, I swear I'll never let them have you."
Things were quiet for a few days, Bea slowly breaking out of her trance and becoming her old self again, albeit a pained and scared version. Rael only left to go get food and drinks, coming right back once he was done.
Nothing happened, and that was what made her most nervous. Surely they knew she was gone by now; it was obvious. Surely they were hunting her down. They had to be, especially since she knew everything now.
But they had no way of knowing that. Perhaps they were just leaving her to die of her own accord, friendless and broke in the middle of a massive city, unable to go back to the only place she really knew.
It was midnight, and Bea couldn't get to sleep. She felt restless, a state shared by Rael, for he was still up, periodically gazing out of the curtains and into the night.
He assured her there was nothing out there, but she didn't quite believe him. Bea knew he saw nothing, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was out there, watching them, contemplating its next move.
The door burst into splinters, sharp pieces of wood raining down on Bea's uncovered arms, one piece driving into the skin. She whimpered in pain, tears clouding her eyes as she peered through her fingers at what was going on.
Three people stood in the doorway, two men and one woman, dressed all in black, guns pointing straight at her.
They had come late at night, gathering outside and surveying the long-abandoned office eagerly, obviously planning how they would break in and capture the area. Rael told Bea not to worry, that they might go away if they thought no one was there, so they sat in the dark, huddled together in fear.
But it hadn't worked.
"Bea! Are you alright?" Rael exclaimed, rushing over to look at her arm. The splinter had gone in deep, but not too deep as to be difficult to remove. It wouldn't be painless, but it would be quick. Rael gripped the offending piece of wood in one hand, quickly ripping it from Bea's arm. The girl's eyes widened, tears welling up, but she did not cry.
"Get away from her," one man ordered, stepping over the remains of the door. Rael glared at him, scrambling to a standing position.
"No."
He took Bea's hand in his, helping her to rise.
"Kid, stand away from the girl." The gun was trained on his chest now, a little red spot dancing across the design on his shirt.
"Again, no."
The woman moved now, gliding across the splintered remains in the doorway over to where Bea stood. Taking a needle from her bag, she quickly injected something into the girl's neck before either of them could respond, Bea going limp and falling into the woman's arms.
"Bea!" Rael shouted, stepping forwards and attempting to grab her back from the black clad woman. She darted out of the way, grinning maliciously.
"Shoot him," she ordered.
A gunshot sounded.
"What now?" One man asked as they strode towards a waiting car. Tossing Bea's body into the boot of the vehicle, the woman smiled grimly.
"First, the fun part – interrogation time!"
Bea woke in stages, slipping back into unconsciousness many times before waking fully. Her vision was blurry, her throat parched, and her stomach rumbling. She vaguely registered that she must have been out for a few days.
Her arms were tied behind her back, and her legs to the rungs of the stool she was perched on. Across from her was the same woman she had seen that night, the one who had drugged her and taken her to this place.
"Ah, you're awake," she simpered, "good."
"Where...am I?" Bea asked, narrowing her eyes against the bright light that shone in front of her.
"Back in Processing Unit 06," the woman answered, "otherwise known to you as home."
Bea was quiet for a moment, processing the information. Her wits felt clumsy, her mind clouded with fatigue.
"How did you find me?"
The woman laughed, a malicious sound that Bea instinctively tried to shrink away from.
"Did you really think we didn't know about your nightly excursions?" She asked, tutting condescendingly. "Did you never think that the corridors were oddly empty? Did you think it merely a stroke of luck that a cleaning woman showed you the way out? We've known from the start, child, and we would have stopped you were it not for an idea." She smiled at the memory, crossing her legs as she leaned over and placed one hand gently on Bea's arm.
"You were to be useful, dear, and you were. We've used you to destroy the headquarters of a rebel organisation that your little friend was part of. Your clothes are all sprayed with a tracking device, you know."
"Rael?" Bea asked, her last memories slowly filtering back. "What did you do to him?"
"He's dead, dearie. Shot through the head," the woman answered. Looking to the mirror on the wall, she ignored Bea's anguished cry, a smile creeping across her face.
"Take her to be processed."
In a way, Bea got what she had wanted for so long; to become a part of the city she both loved and feared so much. As her limbs were cut off, she did not scream. As her eyes were gouged out with metal prongs, she reflected on all that had happened and realised that, apart from all the terrible things that had happened, she was the happiest she had been her whole life. She had found a true friend, seen beautiful places, and most of all, found love.
So Bea became integrated into the city, not as a human, but as spare parts.
And she was content.
A/N: Well, there you have it! That's the end, folks, and I do hope you enjoyed the story.
This is just the rough first copy, and once I have the finished, edited version, I'll put it up here as one long chapter, if you care to read.