Chapter
32
To The Departed
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The next morning I found myself laying face-flat on Rebecca’s floor…
That man, the one from the dream, the so-called: President, had me wondering about these Outsiders and Soulless Wanderers. To be honest… I don’t know, he mentioned the phrase as though the subject had been a closed chapter, but Oliver did speak of them to me a while back… and Oliver isn’t exactly normal.
What if Oliver and his Myrmidons are the Outsiders and the Guardian’s are soulless wanderers? It did make a bit of sense, or was I thinking over my head again?
I flipped over and stared at the ceiling, snuggling my head more comfortably on my pillow, which Ms. William so-happened to have stashed in this large, black sack. The bright sunlight slit through the blinds; glad to see the disgusting sight from yesterday has been erased from the atmosphere.
I heard Rebecca shuffling around on her bed. I half expected her to have stayed in Ms. Malcolm’s room, but I guess after that confrontation with that Guardian, she probably didn’t want to be alone... neither did I.
I heard the large monitor whirr on. A Loading… on the right corner appeared and the monitor suddenly flashed white erratically.
“Good morning Rebecca, today: September 20th is a free day. There’s one more day before your birthday. There are no messages currently in your in-box. Good-bye.” Sarah, the AI, said.
The monitor switched to static and then buzzed off.
“You know, if it’s a free day, then why does that stupid mechanical AI thingy have to go and wake us up?” Rebecca groaned.
“Morning, Becca.” I said.
“Splendid day I see… that’s always a good sign, maybe there are no more of those things out there ready to eat us.”
I heard the sarcasm in her voice.
“Did Ms. Malcolm ever get back?”
She yawned, “Ah… well, I don’t know! Maybe… um, I do smell something cooking so that must mean she’s back!”
My nose finally caught the scent of something; I couldn’t put my finger on what it was, but I did have a hunch that it reminded me of Ms. William’s cooking. Could she have come early to pick me up?
“Hey, there’s been something I’ve been wanting to ask you”
Rebecca’s head poked from the edge of her bed, “Shoot.”
“Have you ever heard of the Dark Times?”
She shook her head, “Um, nope. Is that some historical event or something?”
“That’s the thing: I’ve only heard really, really vague information about it… Dr.”
Rebecca cleared her throat abruptly, “That sucks…” she squinted her eyes and then nodded her head towards the monitor, “Perhaps,” her voice lowered to a whisper, “Best to talk about these matters when we’re outside.”
I nodded.
Strange she hasn’t heard of the Dark Times; that took me by surprise, unless she’s playing oblivious to the entire entity… but why would she? Or she’s playing some impressive pretense due to the monitor being on the wall… I did however speak out of bound in here: I wanted to slap myself in the face now for even saying that! Now the Council Officers and John will be barging at Ms. Malcolm’s door thanks to my loose tongue.
A knock on the door startled me; Rebecca gasped.
“Good morning sleepy heads!” Ms. Malcolm waltzed in with a silver platter composed of two glasses of water and a plate with 6 red pills, “Oops!” She giggled, “I didn’t mean to spook you two! Sorry!” Ms. Malcolm apologized.
Rebecca smirked, “It’s ok mom!”
Ms. Malcolm sighed in relief, “Phew! Good, well here’s your medicine, and breakfast is on the table whenever you both are ready to chow down!”
Ms. Malcolm had this captivating aurora… not just because of her eye-catching glamorousness, but because her attitude was so carefree… but Ms. William is the same way, and so was Ms. Johnson… personalities are contagious.
I did find it odd that she didn’t comment at all about her cracked kitchen window… or the EMQ alarm that occurred yesterday, or even be remotely concerned about our wellbeing upon the fact that Rebecca and I were by ourselves the entire time of the alert… hmm...
After Rebecca and I took our medication, she went to the restroom to do her share of affairs, and I followed my nose towards the dining table. Her hallway leading towards the kitchen gave me a sudden déjà vu… it reminded me of both my hallway and Amy’s… I stopped and glared at the painting on the wall, that same beautiful sunset over the ceaseless azure crystalline ocean water.
As I stared this brief recollection flashed before my eyes: the so-called masked President pointing down the steep slope towards the murky ocean water, and that lone ruined archway leading to nothing but the ocean sand.
I didn’t see any logic in that dream last night, I mean, so I had a dream of the Council President whom I’ve never met or even seen. Could my own mind have carved and portrayed an imaginary image of how he looks like? Perhaps that silver mask meant secrecy? And maybe my blurred face meant that this part of my future had yet to be written?
What was I getting at? How could I believe that my own dreams and nightmares be the future that lies ahead of me? That’s impossible.
I pressed my finger against the cool glass frame of the picture where the sun touched the ocean water…
“Beautiful isn’t it?”
Ms. Malcolm’s reflection startled me as it bounced off the glossy painting frame. Her big bright, and beautiful, smile embraced me.
I nodded.
“I hope soon, since a lot of things are coming back together like it did when Elizabeth, Amber, and I, were together in our early days, the Council will open access to the Quebec Sea again… there was once this extravagant Reservation Area that led towards this endless ocean, Sam, it was bloomed with all sorts of animals; quite a long time indeed. But then something happened and they had to shut that entire section down, so now it dwindles with wandering memories of lost compromise.”
“The Dark Times?” I queried monotonously, trying my best to act as oblivious as possible to see if Ms. Malcolm would somehow shed some light on such a sour subject.
She nodded with a smirk, “Funny that you should even know what those times were called. But yeah, most call it The Dark Times… personally I find the idiom used to describe the events a bit too: excessive, but different people experienced those tragic times a tad bit differently than others. I saw it as an opportunity to grow, but other radicals saw it otherwise… and then out of the blue the sudden shift occurred that brought us to what we are today.” Ms. Malcolm explained.
Her account… was so vague that I didn’t even decipher what she spoke of, since she was clearly speaking about her own knowledge: as though she were concurring with her own conscious about irrelevant subject that I could care less about.
However it did seem that perhaps: Freedom became overly taken advantage of… that’s my educated assumption. She didn’t go into detail about the actual event’s pertaining to such a radical idiom as she put it. I also had a small hunch that Ms. Malcolm worked directly with the Council Officials since she mentioned opportunity and whatnot.
Ms. Malcolm gave me one last smile and left towards the kitchen.
I turned towards the painting again and reimaged the time when I set foot on that beach that she called Quebec Sea. I had this urge to go and witness its beauty once again. I might grab Rebecca and take her there with me, I’d presume that that’d be an excellent local to have a uninterruptable conversation about some things I’ve been wanting to ask, and to see if in fact she did know about The Dark Times.
My supposition was wrong, I thought Ms. William would be waiting for me, but she wasn’t, it was just Ms. Malcolm and I at the table.
I tried to be as imperceptible as possible when I glared at the windowsill over the kitchen sink. There wasn’t a crack anywhere to be seen on it. I didn’t know if it could have be
en my exhaustion, but I didn’t even examine the window when I came in with Rebecca.
“Did you have a delightful evening?” Ms. Malcolm said.
I nodded, “I did, Ms. Malcolm, I slept really well. Thanks for asking.”
“I am so sorry I had to work overnight yesterday, but I’m glad you enjoyed your stay!” She wholeheartedly said.
I smiled, trying to be as astute as possible to the fact that she again didn’t mention that there was an EMQ alert yesterday.
Rebecca finally came into the kitchen with a big, light blue towel wrapped over her head and a long, hot pink, nightgown, brushing over the floor.
“Morning mom!”
Ms. Malcolm smirked, “For a second I was wondering if you were still here!”
Rebecca rolled her eyes, “Uh gee… thanks for embarrassing me…”
“No worries, sweets.” Ms. Malcolm turned to me, “Becca here takes the longest of showers. She could have her own lake by now!”
Rebecca shrugged and then slumped down beside me on the dining table; her cheeks were flush and eyes wavering about to different objects trying her best not to make eye contact with me... or she was also in shock that somehow the window was perfectly fixed without a scratch.
“Oh,” Ms. Malcolm shot up off her chair, “I almost forgot! I have to go in to work early today… again,” she groaned, “It’s a free day so you two can do whatever. Ms. William sent me a text this morning informing me the same thing, so I’ll be home to make dinner ok?”
I nodded and so did Rebecca; she obviously didn’t care and just continued to plow slices of apple into her mouth.
And then just like that, Ms. Malcolm was out the door again.
“You know, things are getting weirder and weirder.”
“Yup.” Rebecca replied, “Looks like they were kind enough to fix the window too.”
“Apparently so. And did you notice that Ms. Malcolm didn’t mention anything about the EMQ alert?”
Rebecca sighed, “Yeah she seemed a bit too perky… anyways,” she slapped her hands on her thigh, “I’m going to get dressed and we can just, I guess, wander about.”
I took her queue and did the same…
I stepped outside.
The day felt the same as it normally did on a normal day here in the Facility: cool, bright, and consistent breezes of brisk wind. Might as well call it that now since I’m aware this is but some gargantuan dome that’s housed by us, the species being isolated from the outside.
I continued to recall all those many lectures and studies from my Consolation Chamber, excited as a child to finally holster and embrace the beauty of nature upon my release, but I get a half-world full to the brink with an altered perfection of natural beauty.
I did wonder too… I wondered how a highly advance race of humans could be pushed to live like this; here, deprived from natural selection… I wonder if that’s how the President entailed it as.
That his vision was a perfect recreation of what life was: perhaps real life was a burden? Could that be possible though? I mean something so unique and wonderful to marvel over as life could be just some hollow hole with a bottomless depth?
But, what if the President is encumbered by apathy? Apathy? The inability to care for the wellbeing of anything. He’s the President though, I mean he’s the leader, how could someone who’s accepted that fate not want to care?
The LCP!
Of course, the Life Career Placement plan… if individual people are just set in random fields of study that they’d care less about, would that person live up to the expectations of their job?
Since mine was Classified I didn’t feel any pressure… I do recall Amy though, the tears she shed due to her dislike of what the Council had in store for her. What about Rebecca, I’ve yet to even ask her what her LCP states.
A second later Rebecca waltzed out of the townhouse skipping across the pavement until she reached the gate. Took her long enough to come out, for a second there I thought she left out the back door and was about to leap out and spook me.
“So… uh what we doing today?”
I moved closer to her, “Well, since you showed me that orchard house in the forest, I’d like to show you a little something I stumbled upon.” I whispered.
Rebecca smiled from ear to ear, “Oh my! I can’t wait to see this.”
We stepped off the sidewalk, leading to the Jefferson Campus, and ventured through the seeming endless fields of green pastures until we caught sight of the first clutter of trees that led to the river… err, the now gigantic trench that was once a river.
Rebecca stood by my side and examined the deep cleave, streaking across the ground.
“What happened here?” She asked a bit bemused as she leaned over the once bed of the river.
“The river ran dry, I guess… I don’t know how it happened.”
She hissed, “More than likely the Council shut it off, just like they burned down that place I showed you in Monarch’s Reach.”
“Wait, what? They burned it down? When?”
So that nightmare, the one that had that place alit did come true…
Rebecca nodded, “Yeah… wow, ok, gee, how am I suppose to know when they burned it down, Sam? Do you know when they shut this river down?”
“No…”
“Exactly, they act discretely, I-I mean did you see the window? It was fixed! Overnight! Err… over-day? Is that a word? Heck I don’t know, whatever.” She rambled.
I chuckled, “Ok, well, let’s climb on over to the other side.”
Rebecca sighed unhappily, “Oh great, so we’re going on some hiking expedition now?”
I cleared my throat, “It’ll be fun; but… since it did rain yesterday the ground is probably extra slippery, so let’s be cautious.”
“Excellent. Let’s go!”
Rebecca kicked off her shoes, rolled up her jeans, and then stooped over, securing her balance, and slid down the thick, muddy ground until her feet splattered over the mush soil.
She groaned, “Ugh, disgusting!”
I tried suppressing my laughter but her hysterical posture there, in her tip-toes, shaking the mud from her feet, made me crack.
Rebecca cleared her throat, “Ha, ha, really funny, Sam, yeah… next time make sure you build a bridge before taking me across anything that’s taller than me!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her sarcasm, “Gotcha, gotcha.”
I slipped my shoes off, rolled my pants up, and then just leapt down the decline and landed next to Rebecca. I lurched over the disgusting, oozy, mud to the other side and started climbing up the ledge.
Rebecca groaned, “Ugh, I can’t believe we’re doing this.”
I leveraged myself from the edge and rolled on over on my back.
I heard her continue to carp about gibberish that I couldn’t hear… didn’t want to hear.
I opened my eyes to see Rebecca lurched over me with arms crossed and disgustingly dirty feet, tapping on impatiently.
“I was beginning to think you’d never show up. Hi, welcome back!”
She slapped me in the gut, knocking all the air right out of my lungs. I rolled over and curled up, trying my best to keep the gnawing pain from overwhelming my stomach: I felt due to just barf.
“Relax Sam, I didn’t hit you that hard!” Rebecca said.
After a couple of seconds my pain finally subsided, but there was still this little snag just annoying my insides.
I groaned and rose clutching my stomach, lurched over, “Y-yeah, yeah… it wasn’t that hard.”
She clapped her hands, “Ok, now that we’ve established that, and climbed this trench, I’m ready to go.”
“Don’t forget, punched me in the stomach...”
“I slapped you in the stomach, Sam, if it was a punch you’d still be on the ground.” Rebecca corrected.
I groaned, “Alright, let’s continue on.”
There was this moment of nostalgia that counter-bounced off my brain
and just brought back the first time I ventured here… but this time, I had Rebecca with me.
The Preservation Zone kept it distinctive look it had when I first set foot on it last year; it felt thicker around the ground, with more cluttered piles of foliage and less splotches of soil scattered about.
“It’s beautiful Sam, almost reminds me of Monarch’s Reach.” Rebecca said.
I nodded, “Yeah, this was once a Preservation Zone.”
“A preservation zone, how so?”
“Remember when I mentioned the Dark Times, well Dr. Harris told me that before those times set in motion this place kept and maintained precious wildlife.”
“Wait, like real living and breathing animals?” Rebecca interrupted.
“Yeah… well, that’s what Dr. Harris said. But this isn’t what I want to show you… this is the appetizer.”
Again, I mention the Dark Times and she didn’t give any hunch at all that she knew about it… but still, she must know, she’s got to have some sort of insight of this mysterious inflicted bruise to time’s course.
She giggled, “Oh gee, awesome, so far the appetizer is really, really overwhelming the course of the dinner, so this thing you’re about to show me better be heavenly!”
I cleared my throat, “Well, it’s actually perpetual if you can guess what I mean by that!”
I broke into a sprint and started running through the forest; I heard her shuffling foots, stomping on the fallen leaves and scratching low shrubs, grazing against our bodies like grasping hands attempting to seize our momentum. The forest ahead of my sight didn’t appear to end at all, not a single break, the trees seemed like they were multiplying.
I steadied my run to a stride and then slowed to a walk.
“What? What’s happened?” Rebecca said.
I hesitated and stood motionlessly for a minute, I remained out of breathe; exhausted from that little run.
“Oh nothing is wrong; we shouldn’t be too far off now… a break in the wilderness should be soon.”
I continued my walk.
“Can’t wait… uh Sam, what if we get lost on our way out of wherever-this-place is?”
I cleared my throat, “Well, we’ll have to worry about that when we see what we came to see”
“And you’re aware what happens when uh we pass our bed time right?”
“Enlighten me!” I said as I turned to her briefly and winked.
“Ha-ha-ha, well when the sun hits the sunset… it comes back up on the other side, making it morning again. The Council does it to keep congestion down.”
I laughed wildly boggled at her uncanny knowledge that had the hair on the back of neck rise, “How do you know so much, Becca?”
“My little secret!”
“Gee, ok, look around, we’re in the middle of nowhere, so more than likely you’re secret will be kept safely resting amidst the bark of the tree trunks cluttering the area.”
Rebecca scoffed, “I might tell you, but not here… I just don’t feel safe here.”
“Why not?”
“What if those things those, Guardian things are keeping an eye on us and we just don’t know it?”
Rebecca did have a point… they’ve been spying on us; those creature’s shrouded faces could be eyeing us as I think about it.
The Quebec Front
The thin clouds blanketing the horizon were a light shade of orange with the beautiful shimmering ocean stretching far beyond my eyesight.
We walked across the sandpapery gravel crunching beneath our bare feet. We made our way down the trail and finally headed out of those impinging woods.
The ocean roar brought this wondrous serenity; the pristine ocean breeze whipping though my hair, the salty air, my vague recollection that I had about this beautiful ocean rekindled.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, raising my hands high, and letting the wafting currents of wind cool me down. I opened my eyes to see Rebecca running down the slope and move closer to the roaring waves.
“Sam! Oh my… oh my gosh! This is-this is absolutely beautiful!” She said.
I watched her skip around with her hands in the air; she danced happily, spinning around on her tippy-toes, and leaping in the air with arms spread wide.
This moment with her was virtuous, like my own personal ballet in a little glass ball.
I felt overjoyed to see her enjoying this beautiful piece of architecture.
“Sam! Come on! Don’t ruin the moment by standing there doing nothing! Don’t be a party pooper!” Rebecca yelled.
I cracked a grin, “Ok, ok, I’ll be right there.”
I broke into a sprint and ran down the slope. The soft, smooth dirt slowed my stride until I hit the hard, semi-wet sand, and then ran through the blistering, cold ocean water: it splashed up against my legs like ice-cold hands, holding me, and dragging me into the depths of its shores.
It was striking, as I leapt headfirst into the water, the chilly, intense water hit me like millions of itty-bitty thorns simultaneously striking against my skin.
I poked my head from the water and noticed Rebecca still standing near the shores, letting the waves slowly wash against her feet.
“Sam, you ok?”
“Y-yeah, it-it’s uh,” this sudden chill ran down my spine, “Really c-c-cold.”
She laughed, “Yup, I guessed that part. Come back Sam… don’t get swallowed by the sea!”
Was that possible? I mean I think it already took a swallow of me when I leapt inside; maybe it means like taking me away forever or something.
I fought through the forcefully, unrelenting water, rushing beneath my feet; the rush subsided, and continued, like an ongoing cycle: I just assumed it was the waves just flowing beneath the water until it had enough humph to push themselves up over the surface and crash against the sand.
After that unexpected workout… just to get out of the water, I walked towards Rebecca and I fell on my knees and then rolled on my back: relaxing, letting the warm touch of the sun dry me. I closed my eyes.
“You ok?”
I heard Rebecca mutter a bit uncomfortably.
I stared at her and smiled, “Well, how do you like my little hidden spot?”
“It’s breathtaking, Sam… a masterful portrait… almost illusion, you know? I would have never expected to see something this beautiful here. I always thought the closest thing that came close to this was that fake painting in our hallways.”
“So, since we’re out of reach, tell me.”
“Ah, I know what you’re going to ask,” she interrupted, “You’re really obsessed with the Dark Times aren’t you?”
“I guess, it’s just-just, I don’t know, I want to know why things are the way they are. Why we’re like this, secluded from beauty and such things like this.”
She sighed, “Sam I wasn’t lying to you… I honestly don’t know anything about the Dark Times.”
I heard the honesty in her voice; so she didn’t know, my hunch was in vain. Perhaps my wait will have to be prolonged just a tad bit further until this final year is over.
I couldn’t say anymore, I didn’t know what to say now; I mean, here we are, alone, in this forbidden beach… I completed my part of the bargain, I showed her this place. But what now? The information I wanted she didn’t have.
Rebecca sat down next to me, curled up in a ball, with arms around her knees, staring afar at the endless ocean that stretched beyond eyesight. She rocked herself slowly, and I remained on my back relaxing, staring not at the marvels of nature, but at her: her sole beauty.
Yet something in me kept me from liking her beyond a certain boundary; I don’t know if it’s Amy’s feelings bubbling back up, causing me to resist this new type of love, but I felt attuned to Rebecca… in a different way; I just couldn’t explain it.
Her hazel eyes connected to mine, “Ever wonder Sam?” She hesitated and sighed, “Ever wonder how your dark times changed everything to the way it is now and not the way we were taught
in the Consolation Chamber?”
“I’ve been wondering that ever since I set foot here.” I answered.
She giggled, “I’ve even wondered why we were even brought up in a Consolation Chamber, not to mention that all the girls I’ve seen look almost identical… and I’m the only odd ball, well, besides you of course, but you’re a boy, so you have an excuse to look different!”
I noticed that too, perhaps Rebecca and I think alike, since it does seem a bit strange that none of the others think like we do: none of them seem to expose their inquisitive side… well Amy did, but only to a certain extent.
Everyone else is so secluded with themselves, hidden in their tiny cubical amidst the jet black ambient renascence that comforts them at night… never thinking outside the box, never venturing past the everyday logic of what exactly am I doing, why am I doing it, or why am I even here?
The thing is though, I quite frankly didn’t care much about it, its peaceful here, beautiful, of course only in certain areas that it outside the four corners of my room. But me thinking here, over exaggerating my already overly curious mind kept me at bay about things being too perfect.
I chuckled beneath my breathe, “I’m wondering what will happen if someone catches us out here.”
“Eh, more than likely they already know we’re out here. Remember this entire place is like one big egg-shaped dome: doubtful they don’t have it covered from end to end, even though this place is restricted and closed down.” Rebecca explained.
And she was right; this was part of the instillation, just an unused portion: thus the reason they somehow spotted my location the last time I was here with Dr. Harris.
“Well, I guess we’re in for a treat when we get back huh?” I remarked.
Rebecca nodded, “Yup, wonder what the sentence will be? Lifetime slavery?”
“Now that seems a bit too outrageous”
“So, tell me, what all do you know about these so-called Dark Times… it seems a bit over the top to name something so, uh… strange without there being any, you know, anything that entails it occurrence? I think I put that in the correct terminology.”
I took a deep breath, sat up and curled over, “Well, I am not too sure, but I think Dr. Harris had something to do with it, and this part of the instillation was once used for leisure pleasures and that entire piece of landmass covered by seeming endless trees was a preservation zone that kept animals. Something happened… and that something I’ve yet to figure out, that caused all of this to shut down.”
“Isn’t it obvious Sam?” Rebecca said a bit vaguely.
“Huh, what do you mean obvious, what’s obvious?”
“Remember when you learned about Human Nature? What exactly are human’s without logic, or guidance, or anything that’s an ambitious goal, situated to do?”
“Survive?” I answered; and I truly was uncertain, I completely forgot about that lecture, not being absentminded or anything… I guess I didn’t find that subject worth remembering.
“Exactly! Human’s without any form of guidance has one sole purpose... just like animals, we want to survive! No matter the cost, no matter the sacrifice, and no matter the consequence…”
Her little speech enlightened a part of me, “Hold on Becca, I had the strangest dream last night, seriously it was spooky as anything. The President… I swear to you, I was speaking to the President of this place!”
Rebecca scoffed, “Really? How can you have a dream about someone you’ve never met, in fact, how can you have a dream about someone you don’t even know exists?!”
I sighed, “Look that was the first question I asked myself after having it… the truth is, he was masked, and I couldn’t see his face. But he told me something about people giving up certain liberated rights in order to have peace”
“So you had a dream with the President and he told you that people gave us some freedoms in order to achieve this, all of this, that’s before our eyes?” Rebecca asked amused.
“Well…,” I giggled, “In nutshell yeah.”
Shuffling footsteps silenced me. I stared at Rebecca, who seemed just as startled. I noticed her ease of tension; with her reaction I leapt up and saw him, Dr. Harris.
His face was veiled, and his body embraced by this long, thick: nightgown-looking robe, that danced with the wind like rags let loose into a free moving stream of wind. He walked towards us, majestically, I had trouble even thinking it was him; but that veil was undoubtedly his.
“Dr. Harris!” I bellowed.
I heard his muffled chuckle, “Ahem, I’d not mention that name… even in this barren and isolated place.”
“Oh why not! What are you afraid of?” Rebecca yelped.
“Ah hell, I don’t know, perhaps those grizzly, gargantuan beasts they’ve sent out-and-about to pursue me!”
Rebecca sneered, “Well duh! But there are some, that’d rather seek us and not you.”
“That’s because they’re right to do so, Rebecca,” Dr. Harris interrupted, “Think about it.”
Rebecca stood and stomped on over to Dr. Harris until she got face to face, “Then it’s because of you! You’re jeopardizing our safety… they know wherever we venture you’re soon to follow. Why is that, huh? You bear to protect us, but it is us that need protecting from you!” She snapped.
Dr. Harris stood silent.
She did have a point; I mean, that could be the reason those things are after us too. The hunch those few have is in fact true, they believe Rebecca and I to be Dr. Harris’s ally since we’ve yet to turn him in… the thing is, just as illusively as he’s somehow managed to evade the Council he’s sure done the same to us. Mysteriously disappearing without a trace.
“Rebecca, I didn’t mean to cause harm.”
“Perhaps you should have thought of that before releasing me from the Consolation Chamber.” Rebecca said.
So Rebecca has been playing oblivious all this time with her knowledge of who Dr. Harris is in fact true. Not only was she released from the Consolation Chamber the same day as me, but it was Dr. Harris who released her also… what a strange trail of coincidence; something is in fact up, this much correlation doesn’t happen by chance. There’s something he’s keeping from us.
“I didn’t mean to cause either of you any harm… and I know my apology might not mean anything, but please forgive me. Both of you live right ok; don’t end up like me… this wandering corpse seeking for a higher knowledge that’s never existed...” Dr. Harris said.
“You don’t have to apologize about anything,” I muttered, “Is this your form of farewell? Because you’ve yet to tell us about the Dark Times!”
I tried my best to add sarcasm, but the ominous vibe set by Rebecca just killed the atmosphere… it felt like Rebecca’s words did more than pierce through him.
“Us,” Rebecca cleared her throat and gave me a livid glance, “You mean you, I could care less about what-ever-that is, because more than likely it never happened,” she turned to Dr. Harris again, “And this man right here could in fact be smothering you with lies just as he’s a lie!”
I heard him groan, “I guess, uh, it’s best to say that this is actually my goodbyes then. This is probably the last time I get to see either of you… unless I find some way to escape this facility, but that’ll be when the air from my lungs has ceased to be. But I can’t tell you anything about those times Sam… since I’m not in my power to do so.”
His goodbye?
I grimaced a bit startled at his words, “Wait, what do you mean goodbye?” I asked.
“This is yours and Rebecca’s final year here, and like Rebecca has stated: I’ve done more bad than good to you two,” he faced me, “Especially you,” and then he turned to Rebecca, “Again, I apologize.”
Multiple ear-deafening screeches echoed in an eerie fashion out of the forest. The condensed howls were in secession, almost disappearing to but an indistinct whisper brought by the brushing gusts of wind.
So Rebecca was in
fact correct on her speculation: the fiends did in fact follow us out here.
Dr. Harris reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a sleek, black pistol. He clicked the safety off and cocked the gun.
I took a deep breath, I was annoyed, perhaps beyond annoyed, I think infuriated was a better word to describe myself at this particular moment...
“S-So they followed us.”
She grinned, “Ha-ha, yup!” Rebecca giggled carelessly.
“Don’t you worry… this time I’ll make sure it doesn’t get back up.” Dr. Harris said.
“Uh, I think there’s more than one this time.” I said.
Rebecca groaned, “Yeah, I hope you have more than just one bullet in there.”
Dr. Harris inhaled profusely, relaxing his shoulders, and lowering the pistol to his side. His eyes stared further down the beachside where I then caught sight of two shadowed figures striding towards us.
Before I could even catch a glimpse of either face: loud, plowing footsteps diverted my attention back to the forest. Within seconds, three of those guardians leapt out of the shadows and broke into a run, on all four legs, down the slope directly towards our location.
Dr. Harris raised the gun and began shooting; sending screeching, and gnawing sounds of gunfire at the three, mammoth-sized, grizzly, werewolf looking things.
Strangely and disturbingly, they seemed to be anticipating the bullets and kept on dodging them.
And then click, click… click; the gun was empty, and not a single bullet made contact with the Guardians.
Dr. Harris positioned himself in between Rebecca and I, his arms spread, trying his best to protect both of us from the collision soon to occur.
As the first one was due to collide with us, a bullet shot through its cranium, slitting through like a knife piercing flesh, from one side to the other; it flopped down like a rag doll, sliding over the sand to a stop at the toes of Dr. Harris.
The other two stopped, erected up on their hind-legs, and faced the direction where I saw those two shadowed figures. The thick, bushy, hair on the back of their spine spiked up, and with it a loud, thunderous howl raddled my eardrums.
“Yield or face consequence!” Yelled that mysterious myrmidon that accompanied Oliver in the medical facility, I didn’t know how he looked like, but his voice, it was exactly alike.
The beast started barking, communicating with its form of tongue to the Myrmidon.
“Well these children are a higher priority level than the rest, they’re not an enemy. So yield yourselves, now!”
It barked back ferociously.
“Then it’s our problem in the end, you’ve seen a hunch and we’ve written theirs, there isn’t anything to fear.” The Myrmidon answered to the beast.
The beast spewed out its nose and shook his head, as though it were scoffing. Its snout wrinkled up exposing its jagged teeth.
“Then you’ve both chosen your fate.”
Without warning it leapt at Dr. Harris. Right before my eyes I caught sight of the Guardian’s razor sharp claws cut through the layers of fabric across his chest and puncture deep into his flesh. It then snapped its jaw around his arm and tossed him past Rebecca and I until his limp body rolled into the ocean water.
This spark of hatred ignite in my heart… something I couldn’t control just slit through the many veins in my body; causing my heart to pump faster, blood to flow faster.
I curled my fist, closed my eyes, and shouted at the top of my lungs… until there wasn’t air left to shout with… until the back of my eyelids and its comforting blackness stretched beyond my bound and took me with it into the nothingness…
The ambient renascence of the ocean’s melody, the pristine breeze of cool air, and the sloshing sounds of the ocean waves, crashing against the surface, left me gasping, however, I felt hyperventilated, but I wasn’t able to move my body at all, or even yelp, say anything; but I could hear, and listen to my surrounding sounds? What’s happened to me?
“Sam!”
I heard Rebecca scream.
“Oliver, Oliver! Is-is he ok?”
Rebecca said.
I couldn’t budge, I couldn’t even open my eyes; and this throbbing pain consumed my head.
I felt someone grab my hand and squeeze my wrist.
“Hmm, strange that he possesses a DIA encoding serial number Thomas, I wasn’t aware of the Council’s choice to continue that project. Did you know of this?”
I heard that mysterious myrmidon mutter.
I heard Oliver sigh, “The project is still being considered and these two here are the main test subjects. That’s that, now, do you feel a pulse?”
I never noticed Rebecca’s encoding number on her wrist… and how could Rebecca and I be the test subjects to a project that should have been closed with Dr. Harris’s exile? That there seemed a bit too miss-informative, perhaps Oliver knows something that the other myrmidon doesn’t know.
“Is he ok?”
I heard Rebecca ask again.
“Yeah, yeah, he’s alive…”
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