“It’s six, when will he be here?” Red groans with an annoying tone.
I giggle and say, “Don’t worry Red, he’ll be here soon.”
Gwen turns away from us and suddenly jumps away, “Trent, you’re right on time.” She walks to a boy who stands at the doorway. I sit up and turn to him.
He has dark hair that is put in a perfect style and his dark skin makes his grey eyes stand out. He wears a white button down shirt and black jeans. A tie is fastened around his neck and his hands are stuffed in his pockets.
“Good, I thought I was late,” He says with a bland tone. Trent looks amazing, yet he sounds so dull.
“So, my friends and I are going to take a walk,” Gwen grabs her coat from the hanger.
He nods and asks, “Can I close early? Apparently, people are saying that a ceremony is happening tonight and every one is asked to be there.”
I jump from my spot on the bed and ask, “Ceremony?”
Trent turns to me and cocks his head, “Alice Lee. I think you’re supposed to attend.”
Gwen glances in between us and asks, “Why don’t you close up now and we can all go together?”
He looks at us and takes a step back. “I don’t want to intrude.”
I shake my head and assure, “Don’t worry, you won’t be.”
Trent looks at us again, but shakes his head, “Go ahead.”
I shrug and grab Will’s hand. “That was our chance to get a boy in the group!” Sam screeches in a whisper at Will.
Will shakes his head in disappointment as we all go walking out of the infirmary.
The sky is low and dark. The thick cloud, grey as the stone they pull from the quarry, gives the monochromatic world outside a claustrophobic feel. By this time of day the birds should have been singing and the horizon tinged with reds and pinks, oranges sometimes. But the weather is accountable and the ceremony shan’t be delayed.
We stand outside behind crowds of people. Most of them are setting up chairs around the fields. To the right of me is a group of girls with beers in their hands, watching the bulky men lift chairs upon chairs in their hands. I smirk at the sight. To the left are the younger kids with Jo. She has set up a little playground with many things to climb on. She is perched on the gate and watches the kids jump around.
Jo catches my eye and waves. I wave back cheerfully and look ahead to see what is going on. I cock my head to the side when I suddenly realize what they are setting the chairs around. I gasp and turn to the group around me.
“The chairs are surrounding Eric!” I shout.
Will takes my hand and waves at the others, “Come on, let’s go see what’s up.”
We push through the crowds and get to the front of the chairs. Instead of Eric’s coffin on top of the ground, a huge white cloth is draped over something that I cannot tell what. I turn to a woman who stands next to it, who is shouting commands at the people setting up chairs.
“Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I yell. I pull my hand out of Will’s grasp and storm to the woman. Her blonde hair is in a tight bun and she has dark hazel eyes.
She gives me a sweet smile and says, “Don’t worry, Miss Lee. You may take your seat at the front.”
I turn my head to Will and he shrugs. I look back to the woman and ask, “I’m guessing that you aren’t going to tell me what is going on?”
The woman shakes her head and smiles, “Sorry, but it’s a surprise. Please sit and the ceremony shall begin once everyone gets settled.”
I turn back to my friends and nod to the chairs in the front, “Let’s sit.”
We all sit in the center of the front chairs and wait for the ceremony to start. My hands are twitching and I keep on shifting in my seat. I’ve got to admit, I’m not a very patient person. I almost stand from my seat and start to pace around.
Will sets his hand on top of my mine and whispers, “Calm down, I’m sure they wouldn’t do anything to hurt his body.”
“How can we know that? What if they buried him without telling me?” I whisper in question.
He chuckles and says, “If they did, worrying is not going to help at all.”
“When in God’s name is this going to start? My grandma can take a shit faster than these people are moving!” Red shouts loudly from my side.
“Red, be nice!” I laugh.
Sam gives her a side glance and asks, “Why on earth would you use your grandmother shitting as an example? That is just not right.”
I laugh again and look behind me at the people getting chairs. Soon enough, all of the chairs are full and I am fidgeting again. The ceremony begins just in time before I can start pacing again. A tiny stage is set up beside the thing that is covered with a cloth. The woman stands in front of a microphone as she raises her hands to settle the noise of the crowd.
She taps the microphone, causing all of the Conduits to settle down, and begins to talk.
“Welcome Conduits! Tonight, we celebrate the victory of our newly found freedom. Yet, I know we all know that this is only the beginning of our freedom to all of our brother and sisters in the rest of the world. But, I would like to honor our great and honorable leader, Alice Lee!”
Cheers erupt from the crowd and pats on my back come from behind me. I smile at the attention and look down at the ground.
“During that attack, we all lost someone. Even if we didn’t know who that person was, we are all connected because of these,” she turns over her arms to show the crowd her tattoos and other Conduit marks, “But, our leader lost someone who meant the world to her. Eric Lee, the brother of our leader, sacrificed himself for her. That is love. That is why we made this in honor of him and for the sake of our most trusted person here.”
A man walks to the white cloth and pull it off. A gasp escapes my lips as I stare at the beauty before me, a white statue that is about six and a half feet. The man that was sculpted is in a pose with his right hand out right pointing towards the distance.
His left arm stays at his side with him holding the handle of a handgun that is holstered on his belt. A huge smile is plastered on his face, and even though it is a statue I can see the familiar twinkle in his eyes.
They made a statue of Eric. I stand from my seat and kneel down near the plaque underneath his feet. It reads:
Eric Lee. Brother of our most trusted leader and friend, Alice Lee. This memorial shall enlighten the spirits of our people. Even though none of us really knew him, we all witnessed his honor, love, and care for his sister. Eric Lee took a bullet in the heart for his Alice Lee. We will never forget you. Forever Reign, o the King of Hope.
I smile at the sweet words and a tear leaves my eye. I put my hand over the words and close my eyes. I stand from my spot and turn to see everyone standing.
Whoever wears hats have them placed over their hearts with respect. The women who stands at the tiny stage, waves me to her. I slowly walk over to her and she steps down. I look out at the people watching. They slowly, onebyone sit back down in their seats.
I clear my throat and begin saying, “Thanks. My brother was really all I had. Parents died when we were young, and we were left on our own. He cared for me, raised me. He was and is my idol. All he ever did was be happy.” Continuing, I say, “Hope is like standing on the top of mountain and not yet knowing which side of it you will slide down – onto the slope of success or the slope of failure – and it’s so very exciting while you’re teetering on the precipice. Hope is to believe, desire or trust. Eric used to say, ‘Where there is life there is hope. Hope shows you that the light at the end of the tunnel will come.’ We all need to have our own meaning of hope. Without hope, we’re nothing. I’ve done some thinking, and I would like to tell you my definition of hope.” I let out a deep breath and say, “Hope is believing that there is still the possibility for good things to happen at unexpected times.”
I look down at my hands and shuffle my feet. I don’t know what else to say.
The woman walks over t
o me and places her hand on my right shoulder. I take a step back but she waves me back over. I take a step back and she whispers to me, “Would you mind talking about future plans?”
She steps down and I go back to the microphone. “Um, thanks. I, uh, I think that the future shall be worse than our first attack was. All we did was take out one C.T.O. organization of the rest of the world. Soon enough, we have to face the head of all C.T.O. This means we need to train and work even harder than we have ever before.” I explained.
A man stands from the back of the crowd. He has long hair that is tied in the back and wears sleek black leather. “Permission to speak?”
I chuckle at the question but nod slowly.
“Ma’am, what exactly happened a few days ago after the attack on the base? We all witnessed the three people who attacked you and claimed that they worked for someone named, ‘The Unknown’?” He asks.
I glance around at the crowd and sigh. “I don’t know who they are or who they worked for. All I know is that we have another threat, or I do. So please, don’t waste your time worrying about that as this threat is not directed to any of you, my fellow Conduits.”
He shuffles his feet, but sits back down. Right when he sits, Gwen stands from the front. “Alice, don’t you think we should start sending groups out to different states to take down other C.T.O. bases?” She asks.
A flare of irritation spikes in my stomach but I push it down so no one can see.
“That is a great idea,” right after those words, I can almost see her head grow as big as the base. She put on a bright smile and waits for me to continue, “But some aren’t ready for that. Others wouldn’t deem it wise, though.”
Murmurs spread through the crowd, making my hands shake with nervousness. I raised my shaking hands and shout, “Please, enough with the muttering. It hurts my brain.”
The voices stop, and Gwen speaks right after. “Who would say it unwise?” She asks.
I look down and then at the sky. After a moment of silence, I gaze back at Gwen and I say, “Me.”
The murmurs start again I shout into the microphone, “Please, stop!” The people stop, but once again Gwen speaks right after the sudden silence.
“Why wouldn’t you? You said it is a great idea!” She gives me a concerned look.
Suddenly, I realize what she is doing. Gwen is trying to figure out what I’m thinking, she is trying to see if I am still depressed or not. “I had a dream.” I say slowly.
The crowd becomes noisy and I scream in the microphone, “What the hell is your problem? Calm your shit down, and let me continue, people!”
The crowd quiets and my speech continues. “I know, it sounds crazy. But, it makes sense. While I was in my minicoma, I had a weird dream. But, all that you need to hear is that I did something. Most likely, it is exactly what you want to do, Gwen. We need time. In the dream, the world is in war. The sky is on fire and so is the ground. Buildings collapsing with one person in the center of it all. I’m guessing that the person in the center is the head of all C.T.O. I just think if we even try to do this, then every single one of us need more training.” I explain.
Gwen sits down with a thoughtful look on her face. My chest is heaving up and down, and I am frightened that something will go wrong. But, to my luck Will stands on top of his chair and faces the crowd.
He shouts, “Alice led us into battle! We lost some people, but it was a price to pay! Look now, we need someone to lead us and she is capable. So stop doubting her thoughts and plans. If she wants more training then we do more training.” Will drops down and cheers start from the back and vibrate to the front.
“Hey! I’ve got something to say as well!” A male voice shouts from the back of the crowd. Will pops back up and stares in shock towards the man who’s storming through the crowd of people.
I cover my mouth as I remember who he is. This man made me who I am today. This is John Buck Gresh. “You,” I breathe. He comes close to the tiny stage but not too close. He stands next to Gwen. She takes a step away, clearly intimidated by the tattoos on his arms and up the right side of his neck. John is aiming a hard glare towards me as he clenches and unclenches his fists.
“John Gresh, I” He lets out a shout, which causes me to jump backwards. “My brother is gone.” He whimpers. I look down at my feet and back at him. “John, I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened.” John puts his head in his hands and his shoulders start to shake.
Will walks over to him and says, “Bucky?” John looks up at him with tears streaking down his face. “Bones? Will Bones!” He tackles him in a hug and Will gladly accepts it back. I watch in confusion and gulp down guilt.
“He’s gone?” Will whispers.
John nods and turns to me. “She killed him! She is a MURDERER!” He screams the last word.
I flinch and open my mouth to speak. John yells out a cry and charges towards me.
My eyes widen with shock and I hold out my hands. I take control of myself and disappear with a flash of darkness. I appear behind John and I hook my foot with his ankle. He falls to the ground. John jumps up and I motion towards Jo and a few other Conduits to lead him out.
“I am so sorry, John. But you made a great sin that day, and for that you had to pay the price.” I say softly to him. Jo and two others grab him and drag him back into the base. He is screaming and shouting as he gets dragged away.
The crowd cheers with the victory but I gulp down more guilt than before. Will sits back down and I sigh. I wonder how he knows him.
I stare at the people and slowly the cheering stops. I’ve got to say something important, this is the start of something and if I don’t say this now then there might never be another time. “I have to say, this is the start of new found freedom. But something can always destroy us. I have to tell you that we need to trust each other. We need to believe that we can do this or we will turn on each other. This needs to stand or one thing will take us down. Hate. Hate can be compared to anger and betrayal. ‘Hate’ is a word that people use lightly. ‘Oh, I hate it when...’ or ‘I hate that...’ but hate; hate is indescribable. Hate is what turns the sweetest of people to the angriest. Hate is what makes the hero turn into the villain. Hate is the feeling that makes you wonder ‘would I feel anything if I were to kill this person? Would I feel sadness? Anger? Would I feel like my shoulders have been lifted?’ Hate is what fuels some of us. Hate can break us. Hate can hurt us. Hate can turn us into things we feared as... as children. Hate is powerful, but what people try not to say, is that even though your hate is huge and you know the answer to those questions, hate can motivate us. So please, I hope you understand that if some of us choose hate over love, than this is going to get nowhere.”
I jump down from the tiny stage. The woman goes back up and starts to speak. “Since the surprise is over, I would like to address some people who also played a major role in our first victory. When I call your name, please come to the stage. I think it would be nice if these people could take over teaching sessions on the lines of training...” Her voice trails off.
I stand frozen next to the stage. No one questions my position, only Will of course.
He taps my arm but I push him away. I can see someone standing in the front of the woods. From the body structure, I’m guessing that it’s a boy. But, something familiar makes me freeze. His eyes are glowing, and are so mesmerizing.
I have to see who it is.
I push away from Will and make my way around the rows of chairs, and I hear Will follow me. He places his hand on my shoulder and says quietly, “Princess, where do you think you’re going?”
I gently push his arm away and whisper, “I just want to take a walk. Ever since I woke up, I haven’t really been alone to think about some things.”
A flash of nervousness flashes across his face and he whispers back, “Don’t be long.” Will leans forward and kisses my lips. I pull away slightly, but he smiles under my lips. He cups my face, and pulls away. “Embarrassed, princess
?”
I smile at him and whisper, “I’m not, don’t know about you.” I turn away, jog towards the woods, and slow down when I near the person. Before I can get close enough to see his face he turns and runs into the woods. “Hey!” I call out to him.
He doesn’t turn.
A black cloak covers his body and a hood is over his head. While running, I see a long sword hidden under his cloak. He slides under a fallen tree and his cloak slides behind him. I lunge to him and cover the back of his cloak. He falls to the ground and I roll under the tree. I hold onto the end of the cloak tightly in my hand and yank him towards me. He grabs the hilt of the sword and pulls it out of its sheath. He bashes at my hand with the hilt, which makes me fall back and clutch my arm. Luckily, it isn’t the arm that got hit with an arrow.
I fall to the ground, clutching my throbbing hand. The man faces me and I see that a mask covers his face. It is the same mask that the French girl and her two goons wore in the elevator that day. Green sparkling eyes give me a hard stare and a gasp escapes my lips. I’ve only seen those colored eyes when staring at one of the people I love most in the world... Eric.
He stands up straight and points his palm upright. I watch in shock as a bright light zips out and makes a swirling whirlpool of light above him. He slowly starts to float and gets sucked into it.
I can feel the gravitational pull make me slide towards it. I thrash at the ground, not wanting to get sucked inside. My body starts to float towards the golden light but suddenly falls when the light closes. I lie on the ground with a shocked look on my face. In the distance, I can hear the woman calling out names. I know that I should get back there; I might have to speak again. I slowly stand and look up at the sky.
No sign of the light is there. What I saw could have been a hallucination or this really happened.
Eric. Those eyes looked exactly like his. I know that I have to get over him, but that was Eric.
I jog back to where the people are sitting and plop into my seat by Will. He raises an eyebrow at my dramatic entrance and whispers in my ear, “Is everything alright?”
Alice: The Leader Page 21