Lia’s files 2
heading down south
Lia’s files 2
heading down south
by Kathrin Kilambya
This is a work of fiction. All the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Lia’s files 2: heading down south
Copyright © 2017 by Kathrin Kilambya
Cover: Blazenka Kostolna (www.blazenka.ch)
All rights reserved.
Publisher: Amazon Kindle
To Christine and Renate, true friends and mentors
Table of contents
Chapter 1 – finally united
Chapter 2 – take off
Chapter 3 – the flight
Chapter 4 – others
Chapter 5 – a gift of a kind
Chapter 6 – what now?
Chapter 7 – driving south
Chapter 8 – home at last
Chapter 1 – finally united
18th May 2072
I left off on Day 61 after the big wipe-out. When we were still waiting. For Josh and his friends to come. Hopefully.
Let me tell what happened then.
Next morning, Nin wanted to take care of some repair work at the solar panels. Re-wiring or something the like. He said that he didn’t need our help and that we should amuse ourselves elsewhere, thank you very much, he’d be quite okay by himself.
We gladly obliged as we anyway wanted to go for a little walk. Nin insisted that we remained close by. But he agreed that it might be safe to head direction northwest a bit, just a few hundred metres, a kilometre at max.
We promised to go no further and all of us went outside.
Even though he’d expressed a wish to spend some time alone, we still went with Nin to the solar collectors and sat around there a bit. It was another wonderful spring day; the sun was out and warming our skin. We could take off our jackets and wear just T-shirts. Wow, what a change after the cold and rain of the last weeks!
After a while, we left Nin and slowly walked through the trees behind our house direction main road. It was close to noon by now.
Yuki carried her bow and arrow, but Nin had made me take the semi-automatic gun. Just as a precaution he’d said. But, of course, we knew what it was all about. And I made sure the gun was ready and loaded. Much as I had loathed guns before, now it felt safe to carry one, to know that I would be able to defend Alice, and Yuki, should any danger arise.
We walked slowly, enjoying the day and the scenery. The trees were so wonderfully green and many flowers were already in full bloom, bees buzzed around busily and birds could be heard singing everywhere.
It was wonderful.
Now that all human noise had ceased, the sounds of nature could be heard ever so much clearer.
We tried to teach Alice the names of trees and flowers, but soon gave up. Not only because she didn’t listen too much, but also because we couldn’t remember all of them ourselves. We’d seen them, sure, but I couldn’t, for the life of me, remember most of their names. The trees were okay, those I knew, but the bushes and flowers. I knew only some and felt ashamed. After all, I was the one who had taken courses in biology and botany, wasn’t I? And here I went and knew nothing. It certainly was a bit of a disgrace. Yuki giggled but Alice clearly voiced her disappointment at my lack of knowledge and wanted to know why I had bothered to attend the classes at all if I couldn’t now remember the names of the plants.
“I am sorry, Alice.” I replied. “I am not too proud of myself, you know. But at the time it was just another course among many others. I kind of counted on having a lot more time and classes to familiarize myself with all this. How was I to know that come next spring we’d be all on our own and that this knowledge might come in handy, after all?”
She didn’t take this half-hearted explanation graciously but merely gave me look of utter disapproval, which made Yuki giggle even more.
“You’re looking so funny, Alice, dear, when you are put out. A bit like your Mum when she is in teacher-mode.”
I could sense that Alice liked this gently teasing statement very much, but she didn’t want us to see and so scowled and strolled ahead, declaring us to be silly bananas, both of us.
She certainly was funny, and I was so happy to hear her laughing and teasing us again, that I was ready to put up with a lot from her side.
Anyway, we decided to walk over to the bridge crossing the highway. Just to have a look. What was the harm in that after all?
Still, we felt nervous as hell when we left the cover of the trees, looking about all the time, checking and re-checking for unseen dangers. But there was nothing and no one. Just us and so we relaxed.
We had crossed the roundabout and were walking up toward the bridge when we heard the CAR!
Direction town! And heading this way!
We froze for a split second!
And a thousand thoughts raced through my mind. A thousand thoughts and none.
I shot a quick, shocked glance at Yuki and saw my fear reflected in her eyes.
Then without a word and as if on cue we both grabbed Alice’s hands and all spun around and ran back toward where we’d come from.
If we’d make it across the roundabout before the car appeared around the corner, we might make it!
I might have.
But not Yuki and Alice.
Alice couldn’t run that fast yet. And she was scared and crying.
And Yuki couldn’t run this fast any more.
As we ran across the roundabout and turned into our road, the care came into view up at the bend of the road. It headed our way. Probably they had already seen us.
We kept running, but I let go of Alice’s hand and let Yuki and Alice pass. Then I slowed down.
“Run! Run!” I shouted. “Bring her back, Yuki! I’ll try to stop them. Run, RUN!!
I swung around to a stop just at the edge of the trees. Breathing heavy from the running, I levelled the gun, aiming at the road, the roundabout where the car must appear any second now.
Behind me I could hear Yuki and Alice running away through the little forest.
Let them reach safety! Before the car would reach the roundabout and head this way.
Please!
Run! Run! I chanted in my head. Run!
I would stop them! If it was the last thing I ever did. I would stop them. Yuki, Alice and Nin would be safe. They must be!
And suddenly it occurred to me that I hadn’t told Alice that I loved her today. And that I might never see her again.
And Josh!
My heart skipped a beat at these thoughts and I sent a silent ‘I love you!’ to all of them, and a very special one for Alice and Josh.
Then I banished every thought of them from my mind and concentrated.
I must not fail in stopping whoever was heading our way right now. I must not let myself be distracted.
Focus! Be prepared! I whispered to myself. Trying in vain to calm myself down.
And here came the car!
It drove into the roundabout now and slowed to a stop. It was a white four-wheel-drive. From what I could make out there were at least four people inside.
It felt unreal, almost dizzying. They must have seen me and would head my direction any minute.
I must stop them!
But they would have to come a bit closer before I could risk a shot. So I stood there, gun at the ready, as the car started again and headed my direction.
A wave of fear washed over me, but the thought of Alice made me focus. I had to buy them enough time to escape.
And suddenly I felt calm, all sounds disappe
ared and all I could see was the car through the foresight of my gun. Everything else disappeared as I carefully took aim and waited for the right moment. All fear suddenly gone. The only important thing that I must stop them.
Time seemed to slow down …
Then the car stopped, maybe twenty metres away.
Why?
It unnerved me at first, and I lowered the gun a bit. But then I lifted it up again and took aim.
A person got out. A man.
He didn’t carry a gun.
That was the first thing I registered.
Then I thought, ‘he is black, just like Josh…!!’
The man stepped away from the car, waving his arms, shouting. “Lia! Lia! It’s me … it’s us!”
It took a few seconds for me to register.
Josh? Josh? – It really was Josh!
With a sob I let the gun fall to the ground and ran forward.
“Josh! Oh, Josh! It is you!” I cried out as I ran straight into his arms.
He held me tight, swung me around, laughing. Holding me against him, kissing my hair; touching my face, planting kisses all over my face, and then simply holding me against him as if he never ever meant to let go again. His breathing came in sobs, as he whispered into my hair, “Oh Lia, finally! Lia, you are alive!”
It was wonderful. I wasn’t sure if I could stand by myself right now. The relief, the joy. My legs felt more than a bit wobbly and I was glad that he held me. But I felt glorious. To feel him, touch him, kiss him. Feel his body against mine. It was overwhelming…
“Lia! What’s happening? Are you hurt?”
Alice’s voice cut through the happy haze.
Josh set me down, but he held me tight, his face buried in my hair, fervently kissing me.
Then, slowly, he let go of me and held me in front of him. Now I finally had time to take in his sight, his face, his eyes. His wonderful eyes! Just the way I had remembered! And they blazed with love! I felt almost shy.
“Lia, oh Lia!” His smile was dazzling. “You are alive! And looking good! You don’t know what a relief this is. I was so worried. Oh, Lia! Thank heavens that you are okay!”
He bent down and kissed me again.
And the world felt whole again. All the anxiety and hurt were gone!
I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face against his throat.
“Oh Josh! Finally! I thought you were Nemesis trying to hunt us down. You know, just now, I was ready to die, to take as many as I could with me. And now, instead, you are here! Oh Josh, it’s just wonderful!!”
I broke free from his embrace to look at his face, touching it with my hands, as he smiled down at me whispering, “I love you, Lia!”
We kissed again as Alice reached us. She tugged my sleeve and Josh caught her up in his arms, laughing and swinging her around. She squealed in delight. He stopped whirling her about and held her up in his arms.
“So you are Alice. Pleased to make your acquaintance, miss! You are just as I imagined you to be: lovely, cute and brave!”
She laughed at him, delighted at his compliments and replied. “It’s wonderful that you have come, Josh! We were all so very worried, especially Lia. But she was brave, too, you know.”
“Ah, you’re wonderful, little one!” Josh held her tight and kissed her on her hair.
Then he set her down and reached for me again. I gladly obliged. To feel his arms around me was safety and happiness. We were all laughing, smiling.
The other people had by now gotten out of the car and walked over to us.
And Yuki, too, had followed Alice and now reached our small group.
Josh turned toward his friends and introduced everyone.
“This is Paul.” He pointed to the very tall man in the background.
“Pleasure to meet you, Lia, Alice and Yuki.” Paul answered with a grin. “I am so glad we finally made it to you. Josh and his lamenting about and worrying for you really got on my nerves these last few days, you know.”
We all laughed at that, I felt myself blush, but Josh hugged me tight for a moment.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Nin shouted from the edge of the trees where he had appeared. He carried his gun at the ready, but when he saw that we were all laughing and that Yuki and Alice were standing next to the strangers, relaxed and in no danger, he lowered the gun and quickly strode over to us.
“Josh? Is it you?” He asked, somewhat incredulously.
“Yes, and I guess you must be Ninian. Pleased to finally meet you!”
Josh shook hands with him, then turned to Yuki. “And you, too, Yuki!”
He gave her a hug.
Yuki smiled at him and welcomed him.
Finally, Josh introduced us to the other two people. “These are Winter and Rob. Now everybody knows everyone.”
“Pleased to meet you, Lia.” Rob said while shaking my hand. He was a bear of a man, tall and broad. I instantly felt that I could trust him in any situation. He had a lovely smile, gentle but somehow very wise.
He lifted Alice up and swung her around. She squealed with delight. Finally, he shook hands with Yuki and Nin.
Winter seemed a bit shy, but I liked her face. And her eyes, they were friendly, intelligent and full of laughter. She was a bit taller than me and very beautiful. She had red hair, but unlike Alice’s hers was straight and fell almost to her waist. She was slender and moved very gracefully, like a dancer. I felt almost intimidated. But her eyes; when she smiled, her eyes smiled too. I liked that.
I stepped forward and held out my hand to her. “Welcome Winter, it’s so good to finally meet you all.”
She didn’t take my hand, but embraced me, whispering in my ear. “I, too, am so glad to finally meet you, Lia!”
I immediately liked her a lot. She had seemed a bit timid at first glance but her twinkling eyes spoke of great intelligence and humour. And somehow, for no explainable reason at all, I felt like I had known her forever.
Much as I had looked forward to Josh’s coming, I had also dreaded a bit to get to know all his friends, total strangers to us.
Would we all fit together, get along, be able to work for the common goal of getting away from here and find our family, which wasn’t theirs. Why would they risk this long and dangerous journey? Of course, Paul and Rob were Josh’s friends of old times and both came from Kenya. So for them to want to join us made kind of sense. But what about the other people who were supposed to come along? Apparently not all of the people Josh had previously spoken about had come along. Had they simply decided against traveling to us and further on to Kenya or had something happened to them, on the way or before? Could I ask? Or was it too touchy a subject?
I suddenly felt very shy of what to say and what not. How to proceed. How to be with Josh, who, by the way hadn’t move an inch from my side and kept glancing at me in a way that made me feel even more insecure.
I had known that it wouldn’t be easy once our group would become bigger, but I hadn’t devised a plan how to deal with it once that happened. And now I was a bit at a loss of what to do.
Just one thing was clear to me. We had to get out of the spot we were to somewhere less exposed. But again, I didn’t quite know how to broach the subject. Silly me!
I needn’t have worried. Paul apparently had the same idea as me.
“Listen folks, much as I like meeting you all and having finally arrived. I really think we should move that car to a safer place and generally get away from this spot, it’s far too exposed.”
“Of course!” Nin exclaimed. “We keep our car in a barn nearby and there is ample space for yours, too. I’ll show you how to get there. Come on.”
He moved toward their car.
Paul nodded to Rob and Winter. “You two can tag along. We’ll need some help with the bags. Josh’s of no use right now. We better leave him with Lia.”
With that he winked at me and smirked.
Uh! Was he always so crude? I felt myself blush again. But Josh seemed to li
ke it, for he pulled me closer and kissed my ear.
Nin, as if he felt my discomfort and insecurity, turned around, nodded and said with a gently mocking tone. “Meanwhile Lia and Yuki can show Josh how to get to our shelter. That is, if Lia will get a grip on herself and act rational again.”
I couldn’t be angry with him, he was cute, and my brother, and trying to help me. So just I grinned sheepishly; besides, Josh didn’t seem to mind anyway.
Yuki giggled and started forward. “I’ll lead the way. You know, it really seems that Lia is a bit at a loss what to do. Funny really. It’s a first. I haven’t seen her like this before…”
Everyone was grinning at that. Then Robert and Winter followed Paul and Nin to the car, which left just Josh, Alice and me.
Josh lifted Alice up on his back and she giggled happily.
He looked down at me, eyes full of laughter and something else which made my heart skip a beat. “Shall we, Lia?”
I just nodded and tagged along.
I really would have to get a grip on myself very soon! This unusual timidity was just plain silly. Really! Most embarrassing.
So, once we had walked far enough away from the road as not to be seen anymore, I touched Josh’s arm and tentatively tried.
“Josh, you’ll explain us everything afterwards. How you got here, how Professor Papadopoulos and his people are faring, all this, won’t you? But just for now, are you okay? Did everything go well?”
“I am perfectly and blissfully alright, now that I am with you, Lia!” Smiling down at me he reached for me with one hand and drew me close, all the while carrying Alice on his back. He bent down and we kissed.
His lips were at first soft on mine. Then, as I responded to his urge, he pressed harder. It felt just right. It was new, of course, but not awkward as I had feared. It just felt like having known him for a long time. I caressed his face with my hands, ignoring Alice who giggled, and sighed happily.
“Feeling better?” Josh asked teasingly.
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