Chapter 3. Red Flower Child

Three years had passed since Aaro's capture. There wasn't a day that went by that no change was progressed by his master's ruthless training. Word soon got around of this grand fighter of the flower children.

Fighting Eloi was a rare sport in this age. To most it didn't come across to even think of the soft, deer-like humanoids to be used as killer devices. What made it even rarer was that there were hardly any Eloi that would live long enough to prove to his own master. His will to be crushed and rebuilt into an animal so strikingly disparate from his own image.

Aaro was not one of these the Morlocks considering a weakling. His master was very proud of his work put into this buck. The lanky Eloi was now nicely filled out with lean muscling from his everyday excursions. He was very promising in all his fan's eyes who rooted for him ever since he showed up in the ring to be pitted against others of his kind.

Scars carved over his shoulders and backside. His ears were also notched, showing who he was slave to. Smiles were non-existent to him now. It was as if he had never smiled in his life. Such childish expressions were left behind. His eyes, cold and prodding for a fight to the death. It was true that he was a tougher Eloi than he once was but inside he was shattered to pieces.

"Go and lick that nasty bloated head over there." His master barked at him, his signal to charge Aaro into fighting mode. He slung forward and grabbled his opponent. They both snarled at each other, each only wanting to beat each other senseless to ease their own suffering.

Aaro had watched Morlock male's compete for mates out in the open moon-light. He experimented their fighting styles into his own. His opponent threw him forward on his back. The crowd howled and hooted at him to get up.

The male flung himself into the air, hands out spread to give the prized Eloi his final blow. Aaro flashed his leg out, nailing the Eloi right in the stomach. He wheeled forward over him. Aaro grabbed him by the waist and hoisted him over his back. Then he backed into the wall several times. His partner screamed as blood coursed down his face. A few more slams split the small head apart. Fresh brains oozed down the wall and splattered on the cold floor. Aaro dropped the male carelessly onto the ground and bent over to bite off a finger. Then he walked out from the ring. His ears filtered out everything. Silence was all he strained for.

"Good boy." His master patted him, tying the rope back around his neck. "Barely any scratches."

The lifeless blue eyes dropped to the floor and closed. Each day he thought of how his last day would end. The stillborn baby came to mind again. Maybe he will fall asleep and never wake up. Maybe if he tried hard enough it would happen.

In his pen he collapsed in a heap. He raised his head feebly and whispered. "Sleep."

To reward his prized Eloi he always gave him a female. It was the only pleasure now Aaro ever got. Not mating but just the companionship of an individual that was not wanting to tear his own head off. He went over and brushed a finger down the female's fine face. All the females gave him that same, frightened look. His mean face was hardened. His feeling of tenderness now only existed in his heart. To ease her hard stare he kissed her on the cheek. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him over her. Their love-making was brief. For the rest of the night he kept her tight against his chest. His tender moments were convincing enough for her to sleep in his grasp.

During his time along he recalled memories past about his life. Back when he was blissfully ignorant and strolling through the grass. The flowers, sweet between his teeth. The fresh fruits plucked from the branches. Now he feasted on overripe fruits and the flesh of his own kind. He grew used to it.

He remembered the times he wanted to be left alone from the annoying children. Now he would do anything in the world to just dance with them. Even if it met a whole lifetime of no peace and quiet.

He stretched out his neck and held the female tighter. Another feeling started to embed itself slowly onto his being. The desire to acknowledge individuals of his own kind. He wanted to know a female. Not just to keep her for a night to smile inwardly for awhile but to keep her forever. Somebody to share his side and to guide his shadow. None of these females seem to click.

The next morning Aaro was tied outside to soak in some sunshine. He had a heavy rope wound around his neck and chest by a thick knot behind his back. Here he was trusted enough that he wouldn't run off. The rope itself would surely keep him there.

He climbed up top of a boulder within his reach and sat down. His master was smart enough to place him in a spot where there was no sharp rocks to cut the rope with.

Up here he could see the Eloi playing and laughing. They would all meet the same fate in the end. A long time ago he tried calling out to them but they kept their distance. He didn't know it but his red color warned them. It was not uncommon for a warped fighter to escape and find himself amidst his gentler kind. Only it ended in bloodshed with many wounded or killed. Eloi were such sensitive creatures.

If there was one saying kept in heart by the owners of these warped savages was that the gentlest creature in the world was the Morlocks worst nightmare. Many of the other night beasts laughed at this. To them they only knew of the uncaring and dull nature of the sun lovers up above. A child could easily bring down an Eloi if it desired to. Only the trainers who lusted for the fight of their smaller cousins knew of it. You had to be one to have that feeling crawl down your backside.

Even he could smell the fear starting to come from his master. To the cruel trainer, he knew size didn't matter. It was the cunning and methods of killing your prey that mattered. The past few months he felt he had taught his prized killer too much. At first he thought the fact that Aaro copying techniques the Morlocks used on each other was a fine deed but now it was becoming dangerous. It had dawned to him that his fighter was not only learning the weak spots of his brothers but of his kind as well. His friends around him told him to take the Eloi outside and brain him against the rocks before he got too hot to handle.

His kids would laugh at this silly talk. Just a little Eloi with a temper. He disagreed with his friends. Aaro was worth just too much. He knew of other colonies that enjoyed the same games. They were very few and wide apart but it was a good way of earning goods and stock. He could easily trade three hundred head of good Eloi for him if he decided to give him up.

No he would not just slaughter such a valuable buck. He promised to himself if Aaro ever did turn he would just snap his neck off. He was willing to wait up to that point.

Aaro continued to watch the Eloi play about. He brushed the grass seeds from his tunic and frowned. He spotted a tiny bush rich with red berries. He jumped down and shoved mouthfuls in. They were very good. His mother used to feed him these when he was being weaned from her milk.

He stopped chewing for a moment, still he remembered her. The berries brought a sense of pleasure to him. He cracked a slight smile at the tart taste. The bush was big enough to support hundreds of berries. He reached in deeper and plucked off more.

He could see more red berries, speckled along the tree line of the forest ahead. He leaned forward against his rope. The noose around his neck tightened, choking him. The smell of the fruit was too much. He turned and jerked as hard as he could. His master had tied it around a rock that easily weighed around four tons or more. He grabbed the rope around his neck and tugged upwards. It was still tight. Then he backed up as the rope grew slack. The loop widened so slightly. He reached up again and pulled as he backed up. The noose was now wide for him to slip his head through.

Success! He felt his heart hammer as he slipped the rest of it down his hips and stepped over it. Now he was free. With one last glance at the dark hole he sped off into the woods towards the Eloi herd. His legs became a blur. This was the fastest he had ever ran. The little Eloi didn't stop until he reached the foothill where the Eloi gathered at. The sun was starting to set fast. They were heading back towards their tiny huts.

As he approached they all turned their heads and froze. Some started to chatter and cry to each other.

Aaro stopped and attempted to look as non-threatening as possible.

"Me Eloi. Friend! Eat fruits, lots fruits." He stepped closer as he talked.

The Eloi turned on their heels and scattered in all directions. This strange one was wearing red and carried the smell of their blood. He was an enemy in their eyes.

He lowered his head, knowing that chasing them would not prove him harmless. Instead he followed them, herding them like a sheep dog to get close. In the end the sun started to come down. They filed into the houses made for them and shut him out.

The Eloi near the windows stared out at him, speaking softly to one another. They all shut up as rustling in the bushes made it clear there was not only this enemy to deal with.

"There you are! Damned fool got away. Do I have to tie all your limbs together behind your back to make you stay put?" His master had come to find him. In his three fingers held another rope. Aaro bowed down and twisted off into another direction.

There came a sudden whoosh in the bush as another Morlock reached out with arms spread ready to grab him. He stopped short, staring downward at him. He swerved around, popping out one leg behind him, catching the Morlock in the nose.

His master was right behind him to drop the noose around his neck. Aaro spun around and flung himself underneath his master just as he felt the claws catch his clothing.

He gave his master a nice wallop in between his legs. The Morlock doubled over, clutching himself. His friends chased after him. Aaro put some distance between himself and his enemies. He would run forever if that's what it took to get away. Forget these Eloi. He could find others that would accept him.

The moon wasn't out this night, leaving no light to guide him. His years of living underground had sharpened his other senses. Like a blind dog he dodged obstacles in his path that he could not see. The forest around him was quiet now and not a snap of a twig could be heard. His enemies have given up for being too slow.

His lungs were on fire now but he couldn't give up. Stopping just made it worse. He kept himself at an even pace. Every few minutes he kept glancing back, suspecting any moment glowing eyes to be stalking him.

All night he traveled without a rest. He would not stop until the sun would scare all the Morlocks back underground. He made it his plan to start sleeping during the day and to move during the night.

At last the sun reached out over the hill in front of him. On the very top he looked down. The land laid out before him for miles around. No signs of Morlock colonies or Eloi. Up here he flattened a circle of grass and fell asleep. At midday he awoke to search for food. He pranced down the hill side to keep following the sun and find some of those berries again.

He halted and squinted hard into the shady woods beside him. Something out of place caught his eye. In the overhang of the trees stood small creatures. Were they eve alive? He drew nearer, bobbing his head to get the gleam of the sun from his eyes. There stood nearly camouflaged with the forest was these pale figures. He saw skulls with big black sockets, staring out at him. Their gaping wide mouths were pitch black. They were very still.

Behind a big tree trunk he saw an Eloi crouching down and facing away. It was painting something on it's face. He looked back up at the figures again. Now they all were looking at him still. His sharp eyes didn't spot their movements.

The one crouching down faced him. It had those same dark sockets. With closer observation he spotted the blue eyes. They were painting themselves. If it was for the effect it gave him it surely worked.

"Go away. No red here." One of them spoke out. "Make fight and kill."

"I no kill. I hate Morlocks. Evil and bad. I run way." He pleaded, showing them his hands.

"No go away. Morlocks follow you here. Follow smell of blood you leave. We have to move now. Go away." The Eloi said his final word and they disappeared with a trace into the woods like vanishing ghosts.

"Dumb Eloi." He heaved and went on with his travel. They had a point. He did smell terrible. The last time he bathed was many months ago. His blonde hair was now stringy and darkened by matted blood and dirt. To the Eloi he encountered he smelled just like a Morlock. It confused them.

Not but another mile a stream of water was found. He jumped right in with his clothing. With some nearby berries growing close the rocks he smashed them up and rubbed the juice over his clothing. There were a few fruits and plants that were great for removing grease from hair. He learned this from his early life. After smashing them up into a nice brew of fruity shampoo he rubbed it into his hair. It took a few rewashes to get everything out. After he cleaned his clothes he flattened them out against the hot rocks to dry out. He swam about to slough off the rest of the filthy layers from his skin.

He felt refreshed. All the years of torment seemed to wash out with the water. To celebrate he picked flowers and made himself some bracelets and necklaces to wear. For once he just wanted to be like everybody else of his kind. He wanted to forget and play.

He sat out in the sun naked to dry himself. Meanwhile he gathered a variety of fruits to fill up his stomach. It made him smile again to sink his teeth into fresh fruit again. No more repulsive cannibalism and stagnant water from the pools down below. Now the only problem that lay ahead was finding ones who would accept him. He would have to move far away where none knew the symbols of his scars and red clothing.

While the sun remained seen, he hid himself under a shady flower bush to sleep the rest of the day off. The Eloi he had met earlier had since moved away. The air was so still and silent. Almost too silent. He was so used the constant rumble of the machinery.

He grew weary though. If these Eloi were fearing the Morlocks did they even venture this far? Were there other ones close by? He could not smell the stench of rotting flesh that often lingered with them. Only the woody trees and their sweet fruits.

Again he dosed off till the internal clock inside him warned him of the oncoming night. He stretched his limbs and continued on going true. The setting sun drew him forward on the tips of it's orange rays, beckoning him on.

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"That damned beast has escaped." The Morlock trainer grinded a stone under his foot as he spoke to the others.

"Did you secure him right? With the rope?"

"Of course I did. He slipped right out regardless. He's become too smart." He peered down. "I don't know what to do."

"Well we can't have a overly smart Eloi running havoc out there. He could influence others and harm other Morlocks." One pointed out.

"Oh come on! It's just one damned Eloi!"

"No. He's not like the others anymore. He knows too much and is a savage."

"I just say he's somebody else's problem. He's probably far off now, trying to avoid us. Leave him be and lets deal with the ones we have. Take extra precautions."

"He was damned valuable. Damn it all." His trainer last said before retiring out above. "I will scour the area one last time."

"If he's as smart as you say he will not be around any more."

"Then I believe it is best to pass the word on to the other colonies. Avoid that damned red one. If they want to be stupid and try to catch him so be it." He rubbed his balls, still aching from Aaro's kick.

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The sun and moon had trailed across the great sky several times since he had met the Eloi with the skull-painted faces. His joints creaked in pain and his feet sore. There was not a sniff of another colony anywhere. He lifted his face towards the clouds with eyes half-closed. Several buildings around him dotted the land. Here was a fallen city millennia's old. The anomalous shapes were weather worn and faded. Inside they were nothing but empty shells. Whatever traces of objects his smarter ancestors left behind had been taken over by the earth. His people looked at these buildings as just part of the environment around them. They served as protection from the weather and some from the Morlocks.

He wondered if they just sprouted from the ground like the trees. Building and work held no place in his mind.

There was a brief crash in the raspberry bush in front of him. He stood poised to run, one foot lingering in mid-air. A few Eloi were throwing the huge raspberries aside, sharing them among others that revealed themselves from the brush.

He stood still to watch, expecting them to run away at the sight of him. They only glanced at the newcomer and rolled a berry close to him. Bending over he cradled the berry in the fold of his arms and followed them.

A large herd of them gathered around a small valley at the bottom of the hill. There were more buildings scattered around, obviously their homes.

Here reminded him of home. Eloi frolicking about with no care in the world. Taking his place among the herd he sat down against a shadowed tree. He noticed they all avoided the dark shadows of the forest and stayed out in bright sunlight. Some looked over to him, confused at why he took to these frightening spots.

He ignored their prodding eyes and shoved his face full of the tasty raspberry. All these Eloi sported pastel-colored tunics and leather shoes. All of them looked the same as he.

After finishing his lunch he took a gander around the place, getting to know your area was wise incase of enemies. He inspected the buildings. They were heavily cracked from the shifting earth beneath them. The floors had grooves and scooped out bowls where the Eloi had favored sitting spots. Pillows and soft blankets were folded neatly. He could smell the Morlocks on them. Living underground had revealed to him some of their secrets.

Beside him he heard a whimper. An Eloi female was laying balled with her knees to her chin. Blood smeared across the pale blankets. He bent down and touched her arm. She jerked her chin up and gawked at him with big blue eyes. Both her arms were broken with compound fractures. The shattered bones stuck out from her arms, causing the bleeding. How she did this was over his head.

"Hurt." He said to her flatly. She peered down at her arms and winced.

"Morlock come eat you. Smell blood." He warned her, pointing out the door. She cried out loud, her eyes darting around.

He brooded for a moment and left. The girl stared out at the marble walls. Awhile later the strange male returned. Under his arm was sticks and banana leaves.

He pulled off the leather strap from around his tunic. With a sharp knife he kept tied to his waist he cut the strap in half. The girl only watched, not understanding.

The girl squirmed as he straightened out her arms, securing them with the sticks and at last wrapping them. She cried out again, believing he was trying to harm her.

"Still." He glared at her firmly. After he finished the girl laid her sweaty head back down. A few other Eloi peered in, whispering among each other.

Aaro took his place next to her and sat silently. The quiet girl pushed her face back into the cushy pillows.

"What you do?" One of the male Eloi asked at the door.

"Fix her arms, broken." He answered simply. After a time they wandered off, their short-attention span kicked in. The girl could only stare back at him once more. He already understood what she would say to him or not say really. One thing for sure he knew he would have to find her a better place to stay. The doors were rank with the beast's scent. They would trail her down first. The Morlocks never wasted any time on lame Eloi.

With great care he picked up the whimpering girl and carried her off into the wood line. Some of the Eloi thought this was a new game and tried it out on each other. Most were too weak to handle each other's body weight for very long and collapsed.

He carried her up high from the ground, leaving no scent of blood as breadcrumbs. She started to squirm when they went across a shallow pool into the dreary darkness of thickening foliage. In her small mind darkness meant the one enemy.

"No not dark! Bad things there!" She cried, kicking out her legs. He sat her down in a well-secured area free from where prodding eyes would seek.

"Good place. No Morlocks here." He reassured her, stroking her face. She pressed her face against his shoulder, hoping it was true.