<< Chapter 16
The multi-talented @verbal-d (who, by the way, edited this chapter) has bestowed a wonderful gift for this story. Known for his lyrical rhymes, he's also a master when it comes to mixing melodious beats. To enhance the reading experience, play this on loop in the background as you read this chapter. Take a deep breath, and allow yourself to be consumed by the entire experience. Please be sure to follow and donate to @verbal-d! You can also follow his work on SoundCloud.
I wanted to scream, or use my armas to propel me up in the air. Different contrasting thoughts flooded my mind. If I didn't have self-control, I would've ran out of the fortress to fetch Diego to show him a fragment of his past. But, I did none of those. The teevee held my gaze. No matter how much I tried to move, I couldn't bring myself to do so.
"Hola, Dora," Diego greeted his cousin, with a pleasant tone that I hadn't heard in person.
I didn't know why a story of their lives captured my attention the way it did. It wasn't particularly pivotal or even compelling; though it was so captivating. I couldn't explain it. It gave me hope or a warm feeling of simpler times before the Great War.
In it, the story narrated how Diego saved this kangaroo from giants, who they referred to as "poachers." I didn't know why they referred to our adversaries that way. Whatever the reason was, one thing was for sure, those fiends were up to no good.
Could this be how the giants discovered our weaknesses? The two devices worked in conjunction with one another. Those fiends used computers for tactical communication. All the while, the teevee provided them with intel about our lives.
The revelation was gut-wrenching and, above all else, maddening. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. A part of me wanted to wreak havoc inside the fortress. But, I had neither strength nor the numbers to overpower my opponents.
Look before you leap, Ledd. That infernal mantra had been ringing in my ear ever since my recapture. I steadied my breathing and unclenched my fist. Trying to force a smile, I decided to sit back and grit my teeth.
After consuming the information about Diego, Lowlow clicked on the remote. The act forced the teevee to change its display. He went through several "channels" before he settled on a scene of pleasant looking giants.
"Donde esta la biblioteca?" a dark-skinned giant asked a brown-skinned one. At the bottom of the screen, the text "Where is the library?" was displayed. Written in the giants' native language, the text flashed ever so briefly. Perhaps it was a video that helped the giants learn my people's language.
It seemed like they were going to great lengths to learn how their prisoners spoke. I couldn't help but wonder why they had yet to understand a thing I said.
"Channel" was the term they used to refer to the teevee's different displays. In a way, it was like the "websites" of Dadier's computer. Lowlow flipped through them furiously, as the giants digested information at lightning speed. They paused briefly at different channels, until one eventually stuck out.
There was a little golden "H" in the graphic on the upper-right hand side. The voice on the other end kept mentioning "History." I'm not quite sure what it meant. But, it sounded like "his story," which was ironic because it showed a glimpse of my old life.
My eyes welled up, but I bit my lower lip to stop myself from bawling. This was a rare opportunity to rekindle my past life, and I wanted to take advantage of every second afforded to me. The display showed footage of the ruins of my village. There were no survivors, and teevee classified my people as extinct.
Chachapoya. They weren't satisfied with extinguishing my race, they had to butcher our name as well. The realization devastated me, and I wanted to make the giants suffer the same fate. Seeing what became of my people made me realize that I needed to be smart about how I handled things.
I was the last of my people. Am the last of my people. Even if I produced an offspring, it would not be the same. I was no elder, I didn't know how to pass on the knowledge that I held. The legacy of my people would end with me, so I had better make sure that I honored them by avenging what the giants did.
"One day I will join you, my brothers and sisters," I thought out loud. "But, not until I avenge your lives."
"Did you say something?" Teten asked.
"Oh, no, nothing," I excused, shaking my head. "It's just ... It's the story of my people on the teevee."
Without warning, Lowlow changed the display. And with that, my opportunity to be with my people, even for a brief time, vanished. The giants laughed among themselves a few seconds later.
As much as I wanted to get up and leave, for some strange reason, I felt compelled to linger. It was definitely odd. I could move, but could only make slight gestures. Focusing on the clock above the teevee, I pushed up against the cushion and tried to exit the leisure area.
The stare of the teevee was hard to avoid. Whenever I was able to lift myself an inch from the cushion, my gaze fell from the clock and back to the viewing box. A numbing trance came over me, and, suddenly, my thoughts were cast asunder. When I finally snapped out of it, what felt like mere seconds were actually minutes stolen from my life. As I gazed back to the clock, I could see that time had jumped forward.
It felt like time passed me by. I had no recollection of the minutes that passed, not even what the teevee was displaying at the time. The giants shifted their positions during the stolen minutes. I hadn't even noticed that Lowla had already left the leisure area. It was a very peculiar trap I found myself in, but I had to admit that it was quite ingenious.
The time the giants had taken were precious moments that I could've spent plotting. It was a non-violent deterrent to any suspected rebellion. That was, if that was what they were doing.
I closed my eyes and attempted to leave the area once again. After successfully standing up, I extended my arms to feel out the area for any obstructions. It was hard to navigate to the exit with my eyes closed, but it was a necessity.
"Ledd, don't walk with your eyes closed," warned Mamie.
With my viento, I felt her approach, perhaps to guide me back to my seat. I picked up my pace a little, redirecting my viento to my bare feet. In my haste, I stubbed my toe on a coffee table that stood in the middle of the cushions and the teevee. The pain forced me to open my eyes, and I involuntarily looked back at the screen. I broke out of the trance as quick as the snap of a finger, but 20 minutes of my life had already vanished. After snapping back to reality, I found myself back in my seat with my back slumped against the cushion.
It was frustrating, but I didn't want to let it get to me. If I became enraged and lashed out at the giants, I would have been even further from them trusting me than before. I had to be smart about this. This is what they wanted, and knowing that, I needed to be careful not to fall into their trap.
Was it not a trap and instead a reconditioning method? I had thought of that possibility much too late. I found it strange that I didn't have the same violent reaction as before. The teevee didn't really paralyze me the way it did at first. It was only after that I ... That I ... Keep it together, Ledd!
"Teten," I cried out. She was as transfixed as I was, while the giants were free to move around. At that point, I was almost certain the reconditioning theory was the correct one. "Snap out of it! We need to—"
My words slurred, as nothingness began to fill my mind. For some strange reason, it only immobilized prisoners. It warped our minds to allay thoughts of defiance. Our guardians seemed to be immune to the ... Wait, what? Guardians?! I meant giants! Captors, adversaries, foul beings! Get a hold of yourself, Ledd!
Snapping out of the fugue state, I discovered that only Teten and I remained in the leisure area. Even in her advanced state, it was reassuring that Teten was still not one of them. She was too far along than I was, that was why I was able to snap out of the hypnosis more often. This may have been one of the last reconditioning sequences that she had to undergo before her transfer.
Lowlow had set down the remote on the coffee table. If only I could reach it, I could turn off the teevee and end this miserable plight. I closed my eyes once again, and made a beeline for the coffee table.
If I were to gain Teten's allegiance, freeing her from this trap was a surefire way to do it. After this nightmare was over, I was sure that she would be eternally indebted to me. Side by side, we could save the other prisoners from certain doom.
I jumped from the cushion and fell on the smooth cement floor below. My bare feet pounded against the ground, and my legs marched with purpose. I tilted down a little so that my hands could feel out objects that I could trip on. Making little steps so that I wouldn't miss my target, my crown eventually hit the side of the coffee table.
Teten rushed to my side to see if I was alright. I wasn't quite certain if it was her, though. With my eyes closed, I only made assumptions based on the sound of the steps the approaching figure made. It didn't make the earth shake, for one, and it made shorter strides than a giant normally made.
"Are you alright?" she queried. "What are you doing?"
"I'm alright," I replied, waving her off. "It's ... I'm okay. Don't worry."
I stood up, scratching the top of my head. My eyelids opened up slightly and I was able to see that the remote was right in front of me. Squinting, I grabbed the device and clicked on every button combination I could think of. Not knowing what was happening with the teevee's display made it difficult. I based my assumption on the sound it produced.
Teten tried to snatch it from my hand. Knowing that she was under the giants' thrall, I tried my best not to injure her. I used my viento to strengthen my grip. The augmented strength she gained from the giants' transformation made it difficult.
The volume of the teevee increased as the struggle went on. It must've been a defensive mechanism for when prisoners fight the reconditioning process. With only my sense of hearing as my sole means of navigation, I had to act quickly before it became impaired.
"Mamie!" she shouted. "Ledd's destroying the remote!"
I shouted back, trying to push her away with my armas. Sweat dripped down the side of my head and seeped into my squinted eyes. The sharp pain made me wince, but it wasn't enough to force me to give up control.
The brainwashed prisoner must've been sweating as well. I felt the remote slipping from her grasp. It didn't feel like she was wavering, so I held steadfast. I dug my fingers between the buttons, bent my knees, and crouched down. It allowed me to gain sole control of the device! I tilted back and laid flat on the floor, pointing the remote towards the teevee.
The teevee was deafening now, and I could no longer hear if a giant or Teten was approaching. Refusing to fully open my eyes, I clicked on the buttons more vigorously. Hoping against hope, I tried my best to rid myself of the brainwashing device.
All of a sudden, the ear-splitting sound vanished! Whatever combination I mashed must've done the trick. But, when I opened my eyes, the teevee was still functioning. It seemed as if only the sound disappeared.
The minor distraction provided Teten the opportunity to grab the remote. Without hesitation, she repaired the sound. I tried to snatch it back, but I couldn't establish a good position.
"Ledd," Mamie said, in a deep, authoritative voice. She scooped me off the ground and carried me up the steep staircase.
I stared at Teten, but she averted her eyes. This time, I lost the battle, but it wasn't anger I felt. As I looked at her, I couldn't help but feel only sadness. She was too far gone, but I remained hopeful that I could get her on our side.
The extremely passionate @ryivhnn has created this magnificent viento-inspired artwork for this story. Close your eyes and picture this masterpiece, as you imagine Ledd soaring to new heights. Please be sure to check out @ryivhnn's wonderful artwork and in-depth logs of her experiences with homeschooling her children. You can also become a patron of hers on Patreon so that you can support her regularly.
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