Vision2 by Kristi Brooks Page B

scum attaching itself to his mouth could make him stay in that room a moment longer. As soon as his shoelaces were tied, he stood up and looked at Tigaffo, ready to leave.
    A happy smirk stained Tigaffo ’ s usually sour face.
    He trudged behind Tigaffo, filled with daydreams of kicking the little troll in the back or, Roger ’ s favorite, punching him repeatedly in the face until his green features ran together under a shower of blood.
    They passed through the main hall, which Roger had learned was called Granffa ’ s Court, and headed toward the training facilities. The dark and enclosed space proved to be a breeding ground for Roger ’ s rampant imagination. It was like he was five again riding through a haunted house at a carnival. Dark objects in the shadows seemed to move or reach out at him causing him to jump in his skin. Several times he ’ d had to close his eyes to ensure that he didn ’ t run screaming down the corridor.
    It was only when he found himself emerged in the bright orange light of the training room that Roger felt the last pieces of the nightmare dissolve and slip away, and he could almost believe none of it had been real.
    Kiperro spoke, bringing a much-needed interruption to Roger ’ s dangerous thoughts.
    “Night is the most dangerous time on the surface. There are nocturnal creatures that roam under the cover of darkness far worse than any which can be found in broad daylight. This also leads into the problem of visibility when dealing with night animals.”
    He sounded like a college professor reciting something he had learned out of a book. The way these people lived and behaved, Roger doubted that few, if any, Obawok had even been on the surface.
    “Why don ’ t Obawok live on the surface?” Roger asked and was promptly greeted with silence. Like the last time, all eyes moved to Firturro as if waiting for him to explain the situation to the poor, stupid little human.
    “When the ancients discovered our ability to watch humans, they forbid most Obawok from going to the surface for anything more than information gathering and testing situations because the surface environment is too unstable to properly watch people. After living in the dark corridors for so long, our eyes are incapable of handling the sunshine. We can only go up for limited amounts of time, even with our special blinders.”
    “So, who ’ s going to administer this test if you ’ re stuck down here?” Roger asked.
    “When the ancients moved underground, they selected a small group of healthy patrollers to keep an eye on the surface. They have lived there since, and their vision functions perfectly in the light. They will be there to watch over you, and once during the test you may request for either Tigaffo or me to assist you, as long as it isn ’ t to receive an answer.”
    Roger drew in a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. Kiperro looked at Roger and immediately renewed his lecture before Roger could say anything else. While Kiperro droned on and on about the landscape, Roger found himself once again studying the room, lost in his own thoughts. In a glass chamber one cage over was a variety of brightly colored plants that drew his attention.
    Yesterday, Kiperro had briefly pointed at the display case and announced that the plants inside were separated and labeled according to how poisonous they were, but he had neglected to delve into these plant ’ s method of poison.
    One thing he ’ d noticed was that those things labeled as the most poisonous were the brightest. One plant even had bright purple veins running through a bundle of Day-Glo yellow leaves whose tips turned into a deep blood red. In the center of the bush-like plant was a beautiful purple flower that matched its purple veins.
    How was a plant that beautiful poisonous? He wanted to know what it did, and for a moment, he was compelled to break through the glass wall and set it free, liberate it. It didn ’ t deserve to be down in this