Life in the Stars: Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Things in the Trees

I didn’t know what to think of the guard physically picking me up out of bed the next morning. I had slept like a rock after my pre-night drama but the change in light as the guard turned it on, startled me halfway to my grave.

“Wakey, wakey time.” the guard said, without much zeal. He had no experience with children. Just with bratty mid-aged NASA pay-to-win winners

He grabbed me and draped me in his arms. I squirmed like a worm to get out and I did . . . but I landed hard on the floor.

The guard muffled a chuckle and snuck back out of the room.

I clenched my jaws and shook my head. Some people were just like that.

Propping myself up, I did a couple of push-ups, just to warm up my body, followed by hopping up to a burpee and jumping jacks. It was my daily routine. It got me ready for everything to come that day.

My father had come up with the idea as I had begun to adore sports. I had previously mourned it, but as we all do, I changed and now it is what I look forward to in the mornings.

I now took a moment to just gaze at the wall. I don’t know why. But it felt good and after a few long seconds, I was again heading for my suitcase at the base of my bed.

I headed out for breakfast when I had finished getting ready, however, Warwick was already waiting for me almost as close to the door as he could get with all of his unnecessary stuff, including the guard.

“Keanu, take this to the car. I’ll be right with you,” He said as he nodded at me. I also got a glower from Keanu, which of course, brightened my mood.

Once Keanu was out the door, Warwick started talking, “Sorry about him, he can be quite an offhand bully but when he’s not, he’s truly a good guy.”

“For sure,” I replied sarcastically.

Warwick sighed and shrugged. “I understand.” But that was the last of his sympathetic mode. “We must be going now. If you have all of your items, we must be going.”

I chuckled at his mood change. It was almost as if he were again a teenager like myself.

He ignored it and left the room and I quickly followed, almost getting stuck between the doors.

Keanu was promptly waiting outside the hotel next to the manager who was probably wondering what such a big league was doing at his place.

“Good day, sir,” Barnett saluted as he strolled past him and he grew pale, about to faint.

Keanu howled with laughter and Warwick stiffly punched him in the shoulder, which stopped him immediately.

As we slid into the car, the chauffeur came racing out of the hotel. I wouldn’t want to be him right now as Barnett looked down at his watch and said, “Gabriel, we’re 20 minutes behind and Pillace won’t be the greatest sight when we get there just minutes ahead of launch time.”

Gabriel nodded and hopped into the drivers’ seat. “D023, correct, sir?”

“Gotit.”

Gabriel pounded on the pedal and we streamed out of the ‘dump.’

I instantly fell into a doze. Keanu’s wakey, wakey act and our early outing had woken me up nearly two and a half hours early.

The sound of the rushing water on the side of the highway calmed me and slowly brought me into a faze.

My head leaned against the window and my eyes fell closed. The last thing that my half-unconscious mind processed was the gray mist in the trees and the dark purple blood, dripping from the trees.