by P. L. Camery
But to her surprise, the nurse turned to Roland, “General Stone I presume?”
The boy nodded, “Roland Stone at your service.”
The nurse continued in a monotone voice, “I have been informed that you have a message for Mr. Richardson…”
Mavis looked between Roland and the nurse, then back again, What the hell is going on?
“…if you would follow me please.”
Roland nodded, clearly unsurprised, then began to follow but stopped after two steps and glanced back at Cal and Mavis. “These two are my associates,” he told the nurse, “they will be accompanying me.” The nurse shrugged then led the three of them into their friend’s room.
The moment she saw him, Mavis felt a wave of relief, the tension of worry easing away from her stuff form, followed by the sharp jab of annoyance. Besides the bandage wrapped around his head, the boy seemed just fine sitting upright in the white bed, his gaze happily glued to a TV screen in the corner as he spooned vanilla ice cream from a cup in his lap.
“Well someone is really enjoying himself,” Mavis said, not bothering to hide her irritation. The boy snapped his gaze to her, and the smile that emerged was almost enough to forgive him for scaring her half to death.
“I agree,” Cal said with a smirk, “you’re living it up aren’t you buddy? I bet they bring you all the ice cream you want!”
Lawrence made a face, “They do, but I’d rather be allowed to get up and get my own ice cream. I tried to at one point,” he lifted the bed sheets to reveal that his legs had been strapped down to the bed, “but as you can see, my nurse didn’t like that very much.”
“Pff,” Mavis rolled her eyes, “You’re an idiot.”
Lawrence smiled, “Yeah, probably. But I’m a happy idiot, I have friends and ice cream!”
“But obviously you got hit in the head harder than you thought,” Cal interjected, “otherwise how else can you explain the fact that you just got beat up, suddenly have a best friend who’s gonna kick your ass again for scaring him shitless, and are still smiling like you just won the lottery?”
“It’s the medication they probably gave him to dull the pain,” Roland explained, “I’ve seen others with head injuries, they all exhibit some form of disorientation.”
As if realizing Roland’s existence, Lawrence tilted his head, “Hey there General! I didn’t see you- did you come to visit me too?”
Roland stepped forward and answered, “I actually came in because I have a message for you; I have just received a call from my commanding officer. He says that the Guardian has received news of your injury.”
That was unsurprising, Mavis rolled her eyes, they were probably notified the moment he checked in.
“And in light your current appearance, it is best that you not speak in the rally tomorrow.”
Lawrence blinked, “Wait, what?”
“You can’t give your speech,” Roland summarized, “because they don’t think the head bandage is the most inspiring symbol of national pride.”
“Oh,” the boy slumped his shoulders, “I see…” There was a moment of silence before Mavis stepped forward.
“Awe sweetheart,” the girl had to bite her lip to keep from smiling and she wrapped her arms around him, “I’m so sorry, I know how much the speech meant to you.”
The boy blew out a breath then shrugged, “Eh, to be honest I’m kinda alright with this, now I don’t have to worry about what people will think of it.”
Mavis squeezed him again as Cal punched him in the shoulder and said, “That’s the spirit.” The action seemed halfhearted and Mavis shot Cal a sympathetic look.
Roland placed his hands behind his back, uncomfortable in the situation and uncertain what to say. He opened his mouth, then reconsidered and closed it again, turning his attention to Mavis. Out of gratitude, she was about to ask him if he wanted to say something when the nurse walked in, “Are we all finished here?”
Mavis watched Roland. After a moment he nodded, “Yes, we are done here.”
*****
Lawrence was not dismissed until mid-morning the next day, and Mavis did not get a chance to see him again until after school when they were supposed to meet in his lab. However, when she arrived, she found him standing outside, wearing a pensive gaze which seemed to analyze his shoes. She internally moaned, oh no, what now?
When Lawrence looked up, he smiled on instinct, but quickly it faded and he had to look away, “I’m going to go view the rally live.”
“What, why?” the girl did not bother to hide the alarm in her voice. “You’re no longer giving the speech, you have no reason…”
“Mavis, I know about Cal’s mission,” the boy said flatly.
Mavis could feel her heart sink, “But, how?”
“Come on,” his tone seemed almost insulted, “he’s my best friend, we are practically brothers. I know when something’s wrong, and I got it out of him.”
Mavis nodded, unsure of what to say.
“You know I have to go, don’t you?” Lawrence asked, “I need to be there for him, nothing bad is going to happen but just in case, I need to be there.”
“Then I’m going with you!”
The boy shook his head, “That’s not going to happen, there will be cameras everywhere, if you’re seen near me, especially after our mission last night, I could be kicked out of the Academy and there’s no use to blow my cover if nothing bad happens.
“But I don’t care! I need to be there, I need to make sure you’re safe!”
Lawrence smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Baby, I’ll come back safe, I promise. No matter what happens I will come back to you. I love you Mavis.”
The girl wanted to scream, she wanted to punch him and drag him away with her where they could stay together and safe. But she knew her love. She knew that one way or another he would get his way. So instead she hugged him; she held on tight, as if she would never let go, “I love you too Lawrence, you had better come back you idiot, or I swear…”
She trailed off as his mouth covered hers. The kiss was slow and loving, a promise for the future he believed they would share together. When it ended, he pressed his forehead to hers, “I will see you soon darling.” He squeezed her hand once then turned to go. As Mavis watched him leave, she couldn’t help but feel like the world was coming to an end.
Back in the lab, Mavis settled into Lawrence’s chair then set the computer to broadcast the rally. Leaning back in the chair, she watched without interest as the Quincentennial rally began. Within minutes she was settling her cheek on her hand, the whole thing was like a poorly executed play. The over eager speakers and performance seemed to her the definition of cheese which was sugar coated for good measure, difficult to swallow for even the most zealous of patriots. Finally, when it came time for the representative from Jalbac County, Mavis straightened to attention. As Cal walked out behind the podium, Mavis studied his mask. She was surprised at how realistic and lifelike it was. The man’s own mother would not be able to recognize it wasn’t him.
Cal stepped into place, offering the crowd a congenital smile, and opened his mouth to speak.
“Wait!” Mavis felt her gut tighten. The voice that spoke sounded like the representative- yet Cal had yet to utter a word. Shit…
The camera shifted, and she could see the actual representative of Jalbac County tattered suit flailing as he ran through the crowd. “Imposter!” he yelled, “That man is an imposter! Shoot him! Shoot the rebel scum!”
“This is outrageous!” Cal bellowed, “It is clear he is the rebel imposter not me, arrest him!”
Mavis could see confusion in the faces of the soldiers on guard as half pointed their guns at Cal and the other at the newcomer. The one with the most decorated uniform put his hand to his ear, as if receiving a message. Then he pointed his gun at Cal, “Nice try rebel.”
All at once the soldiers began to shoot. A commotion came over the crowd and C
al had to execute a dive role then to avoid getting shot. Then he leapt into the masses, civilians screaming in hysteria as they backed away from him and soldiers trailing to catch him with a rain of gunshots.
“Stop!” Lawrence called out, not so much as a plea but as a declaration, an order. The gunmen ceased fire and turned to stare at him. “Let the man go. A lone rebel is nothing unless the masses follow him.” Then he turned to face the crowd.
Mavis stiffened, her heart skipped a beat. No Lawrence, please don’t. Please, for my sake, get off the stage right now!
The boy straitened and surveyed the crowd. “Why do we bother with these rebels?” he paused, “Why can’t we, the disciplined and powerful nation exterminate this little problem? The answer is simple, because there are too many of them to weed out. The rebels live among us, confine in us, laugh with us, cry with us, and we don’t even know who they are.” The soldiers exchanged nervous glances, unsure whether this crippled boy was a threat. “And we cannot kill everyone under suspicion because we are a just nation, not a paranoid one. I can see only one solution, one plausible way to remove the threat.”
Oh, Lawrence please! Mavis bit her lip, she knew where this was going.
“We have to do the worst yet most humane thing we can possibly do. We have to shatter their lives,” there was a loud roar of approval, “we have to cut them away from us, the little tumors that they are” the eruption grew louder, “we have to exile them!” The crowd burst out in applause, oblivious to what Lawrence was truly proposing, “If they want to run things their own way then let them. Let the rebels pick up their things and go suffer in a cage of their own design. Let them…” Lawrence jerked then fell as a shot rang out and a hush fell over the crowd. Mavis went pale, a statue facing the screen in shock, and watched as soldiers ran forward, pretending to help the fallen boy.
Chapter 5: Traitors
As Mavis walked, she knew there was noise all around her, the air physically vibrated with a nervous energy, the restlessness of her fellow citizens, but it seemed far away to her, a distant dream not worth remembering. There was music blasting from somewhere, some nearby café. She vaguely walked in that direction and spotted an empty table. Another group got there first, discussing a video, the video, his video, on their phones. Whatever, it didn’t matter anyways.
Everyone seemed to be watching it. On their phones, their tablets, random screens on buildings, it was everywhere. And they were all talking about it, discussing as if they had any right to him, any right to his ideas. He was hers damn it! The Guardian should have blocked out every damn link to the speech and yet there he was, floating around on everyone’s devices, like a damn ghost.
She continued to walk. Several minutes later, she wasn’t sure how, she found herself seated in a corner table, tucked away in one of the largest congregation centers in the county. Good, she didn’t want to be noticed. She wanted to be lost in the crowd. She rested her forehead on her arms, her mind blank. Eventually some of the background noise penetrated her consciousness. Music. Stupid music. Mavis clamped her hands over her ears, shutting her eyes tight. Always noise, always background, always engaged, no quiet, nothing private, no time to think, no time to feel, no time to morn. Mavis bit her lip, trying to keep the tears at bay. But really, what was the point of hiding her pain anyways? No one would notice, and even if they did, no one could be bothered to care. She let her hands drop, her body shaking as the tears came and the world continued. What’s the point?
*****
She has to know, Cal reminded himself as he approached the cell, she’s his sister, even if she claims she hates him, she deserves to know. But as his hand reached for the cell door, it hovered over the handle, hesitant. Then he inhaled deeply and entered, “Hey Destiny.”
The girl sat cross legged in the center of the room her gaze locked onto her tablet as she jerked her head in greeting, “Hi Caleb.”
“What are you doing?”
“Playing games,” came her monotone response. She tilted the device as if trying to get a better angle, “games are all you people let me have on this device, would it kill you to give me a little internet time? The restrictions you place on you patients are barbaric.”
Cal felt the urge to smile then suppressed it, reminding himself of Lawrence and what this girl did to him, “It’s too dangerous, we don’t know if Dr. Lance’s drug can take over again and…”
Destiny rolled her eyes in exasperation, “Like that’s going to happen. We all know I’m clear and the only reason I’m still in this cell is because Lawrence and Mavis had a hissy fit.”
“There is still a lot to learn about the drug,” Cal reasoned, “we can’t be sure until…”
“Is that the excuse my brother is using? He is so pathetic.”
“What the hell do you even have against him?” Cal snapped, anger boiling dangerously near the surface.
Destiny lifted her head from the tablet, “What’s gotten into you?”
Cal appraised her then said, “Lawrence was your brother Destiny, why hold all this anger towards him? Why didn’t you ever try to fix things with him?”
The girl shrugged, returning her effort to the game, “No effort, no disappointment.”
“If you’d have given him a chance,” Cal said firmly, “he wouldn’t have disappointed you.”
“Maybe that’s not what worries me,” she said, her tone attempting a cryptic flourish, “Maybe I’m scared of trying my best and still disappointing him.”
“But he was your brother Destiny!” Cal reaffirmed, “I know he wanted to fix thinks with you, he loved you.”
Destiny dramatically dropped the tablet to her lap, “Look Cal, you want the truth? The truth is at the end of the day you can’t make everyone happy, so you do what you can to take care of yourself, to make yourself happy. And patching things up with Lawrence just isn’t on the top of my to-do list.”
There was silence, as Cal stared at her, jaw dropped in disbelief. He could feel his muscles tightening from the urge to explode, “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“Why you, you,” he strode forward, hands clenching in and out of fists, “you fucking little…”
“Little what!” Destiny said, standing now to face him, “tell me Caleb, little what!” The boy glared at her, jaw clenched, and using every ounce of will power to keep from breaking her nose. “Why are you so interested anyways,” the girl pressed, “you’ve never cared before. Did Lawrence put you up to this? Did he…”
“Lawrence is dead Destiny.” The girl’s eyes widened, and her mouth remained ajar as if her face had been paused midsentence. “He was shot yesterday. He was invited to be a speaker on the Quincentennial rally and they shot him.”
Destiny blinked several times before she could respond, “No, no that can’t be true.”
“Well it is.”
“But no, no you don’t understand,” she turned away from him, fidgeting with her fingers, “He can’t be dead, they said they’d leave him alone. They said they wouldn’t…”
“They?” Cal’s tone turned to ice. “Who are they Destiny?”
“They?” The girl stammered, “I, well, um, I didn’t say they.”
“What did you do Destiny?” Cal took two strides then used his forearm to shove her into the wall, “What did you do!?”
Destiny swallowed, “I, I didn’t mean to say that I…”
“Don’t lie to me Destiny!”
“I’m not…”
“Stop it!” Cal barked, “Just stop it! I want the truth, Destiny! What did you do!?”
Swallowing, Destiny bit down on her lips, determined not to speak. Cal grunted in exasperation then slammed his palm into the wall next to her head. Destiny cringed, trembling. Then the boy took a breath and backed away, “Don’t you worry stupid girl, I’ll be back. I have a friend, and she’s going to get the truth out of you one way or another.”
*****
By the
time Mavis arrived at Destiny’s cell, the latter sat with her arms crossed, staring resolutely at a crack in the floor. Although she could feel herself vibrating with anger, Mavis reeled it back in, forcing her voice to exude an icy calm, “Cal tells me you have something to share.” She waited for a moment, and when Destiny gave no reply Mavis grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking her head back until they made direct eye contact, “Look Destiny, you want this all to be over, I do too, so I suggest you start talking so we can get on with our daily business.”
Destiny’s eyes flared dark, pinpoints of anger and defiance, “I’m sick of you Mavis, you and your self-righteous attitude. You’re in no position to be making demands. You have a life to get back to? Well I’m locked away. You think you can torture me? I’ve already faced the all-powerful super-drug you people are so scared of. I’ve been tortured by my worst fears. The most optimal torments tailored to my psyche. You don’t scare me.”
Mavis crossed her arms, her expression the picture of indifference. “Are you quite done?” When Destiny didn’t respond Mavis smirked, “I’m not sure what awful tortures your small mind could fathom, but I imagine between Caleb and I could come up with worse.”
As impossible as it seemed, the prisoner’s eyes darkened even more, “Oh I’m sure you can find more inventive ways to hurt me, but what I experienced was my own personal hell. There’s nothing you could do to create more fear in me than I experienced then. I was alone, Mavis. So absolutely alone and dangling naked from chains as faceless strangers, pale gruesome looking figures that were all skin and bones, they tormented me,” while Destiny spoke, her eyes clouded over, as if reliving her visions, “I was more than beaten, I was made to be nothing, a dangling inhuman piece of meat surrounded by the most oppressive darkness. A darkness so thick it sat like a pressure on my chest making it impossible to breath, so I was always gasping for air to the point where my mind seemed foggy, clouded over and I couldn’t see or hear well but I could still feel everything, every jolt of pain every crack of bone every drop of blood that dropped with agonizing slowness from my body. And when they’d leave it was even worse, because then I was alone, so alone and I knew no one was coming for me. No one cared enough to help, everyone I cared for, everyone I loved, you all hated me. I was so acutely aware of the hate like a physical lingering entity spreading out from within me, rotting my soul. And I just wanted to be numb, for death to come, for the pain to stop. But it wouldn’t because I don’t deserve peace. I’m nothing but an inconvenience, the most useless part of the team, the one everyone else has to take care of, the person no one wants around…”