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Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Lucia

It had only been a matter of minutes. The sky was dark and I couldn't see. I don't know what to do. How am I supposed to survive without her? She was all I really had. I remember thinking those other things I had were important, but now they paled in comparison. She was gone. Every thing was gone. I only had her words. I started running. Panic gripped my chest. I needed to get to Aralia. I needed to find out what my mom meant. I needed this last connection to her. And maybe then I could finally answer these questions looming in my mind. They kept following me no matter how hard tried to forget. How did this happen? Why? What exactly happened to my mom? What if this Aralia didn't exist and I just made it up? But if I didn't make it up, how did my mom speak to mind? How could I throw a ball of fire? This all just seemed too much. I stopped running. I had nowhere to go. I didn't. I was alone. The panic faded. I felt hollow. I just felt like curling up and staying like that. I wasn't exactly sad. But I wasn't angry. I was just empty and ready to give up. "But you haven't even started", I heard a voice deep inside me say.

"Oh quiet you." I mumbled. I felt a cold wind brush past my face. I shivered and rubbed my hands together. Calm down Lucia. You need to think. Warmth. I needed to warmth. I needed somewhere to go for starters. But I could feel a chill of unease working its way into my stomach. This was so hopeless I just wanted to scream. Instead, I just sat down where I was and seethed. Angry at everything. Wishing things were simpler. But then a thought struck me- how much simpler can it get? My mom is dead and finding Aralia is the answer to all my questions. I just have to survive, like I always have and hope my journey will lead my toward her. But if not, I have to move on anyway. I'm on my own.

I felt like I was missing something though. I slowly looked around me. I must have noticed something strange about my surroundings earlier without realizing so. Something was off... Then I saw it. I saw light. I was so startled I jumped back onto my feet. I squinted. It was faint but definitely light. Electricity? Must be a house. Those people have got to have a fairly larger amount of money than most in the entire Zone to be able to afford electricity. Buildings paid for by the government, like where I work-used to work, I remind my self- have electricity. Privately owned houses were a different story. Curious, I moved toward it. I was correct. It was a house. Well...sort of. It was more of a shack. It would have been exaggerating to say the owners of this house-shack had money. Yes they had a house and costly items, like a few a light bulbs, wires, and batteries, but they we're not exactly rich. Suddenly it just clicked. This is where one of Mr.Boss' permanent Fixers lived. Scrounging/acquiring electronics and fixing them, could pay off if one was to hit a jackpot of electronics. Maybe he only gave Mr.Boss his big find, and kept the light bulbs and batteries. Also getting paid quite a deal. Enough to move to sturdy, fairly safe building. It was a huge improvement from my apartment. I snuck up to a the door, but before I could knock, a face appeared in the cracked window to the left of the door. A man in his late twenties with roughly chopped dark hair falling over his forehead. His eyes had a certain gleam of intelligence.

"Who's there?" His raspy voice called. He couldn't see me from the window. Something about him was familiar. He reminded me of my mother. Same hair, same eyes, same tiny nose. I remember now, catching my mom whispering to him a few times at work. He must not be so bad since I mother rarely trusts anyone. So I spoke up.

"Well...my name is Lucia. And I-" The door opened. Suddenly I was face to face with him and his resemblance to my mother was stronger than ever. His eyes held some emotion I couldn't place. Recognition? No. Impossible. He backed out of the door way to let me enter. I was shocked. "But-" I started.

"Anything for my dear niece." He said in a very unconvincing way. As if it was supposed to have impact. Listening to him did seem like a silly thing to do. But if I was to get on my way to finding Aralia, I might have to do things differently to survive. And he was holding the door open. Trust was a hard thing to get in Zone 9. But mostly I was purely shocked someone would claim something like that to someone they had hardly met. My mom didn't have a brother. Although, now that I think of it, she never did talk much about her family. A pang of guilt rang through me. I should have been more caring and not so hot-headed. I should have asked. It was all my fault, and now she was-

"At first I thought maybe you found out I was your uncle, and came looking, but by your expression, I don't think that's it. She never did tell you, did she? Never mind. My name is Jason. But more importantly, why are you knocking at a strange house, alone, at night? You seem smart enough. You know how it is here." Well if you put it that way, it does seem pretty stupid. But then that same thought from earlier came springing back- survival. My guilt faded as I questioned why she would keep something like this from me. I mean, if it was true. Things did seem to be matching up suspiciously. When her brother was living this close? And with light? How could she never... I stopped the thought before I could finish. Survival, remember Lucia.

Before I could really wrap my mind around it, he ushered me into his house. I looked around nervously, suddenly this seemed like a very bad place to be. He crossed his arms, leaning against the door, expecting an explanation. I stared him straight in the eye.

"My mother is dead." I say it without emotion, even though my eyes sting and my hands are shaking. He makes this odd sort of sad squeaky gasp. I didn't buy it.

"Dead?" He says like he couldn't believe it. "Tell me what happened." I opened my mouth but I couldn't say anything. I just dropped his gaze and fiddled with my fingers. I could feel his eyes searching me. I looked up to meet his gaze, and I could see the compassion. In that moment there was no mistaking that this man was my mother's brother. This man was my uncle. It was just one of things you knew. But I still knew nothing about him. I wasn't naive enough to trust him yet. Blood did not buy trust around here. He sighs. Like he was expecting this.

"It's ok Lucia. You can tell me tomorrow." He wobbles over to the corner, favoring his right leg, as if just recently injured. I thought it wouldn't be wise to ask about it, of all things, especially when I'm the one holding back information. I stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do and not understanding what he was doing. He grabbed a few clean towels from the corner, taking them, realization dawning. I start to lay them on the floor, making a bed on the floor next to an actual mattress. How on earth he managed to get one I didn't know. Once I'm pleased with the towel lump, I turn to him. Unsure what to say, or how to act. My tongue felt like lead.

"Thank you." I say. Still unsure about this whole situation, but with no other choice, I guess I should be thankful I have somewhere to sleep. And I am. He gives a tight smile.

"I invited you in. I'm not going to kick you out. No way you are going back out there." He must know something about Aralia. Maybe the answer to some of my other questions, too. I couldn't dare speak, but I couldn't dare leave. So I slept. He must've thought I was in shock of his sister's death, so he didn't push. He left me to my own nightmares. Possibly even worse than speaking to him and reliving the last few hours. Because in my nightmares a a few hours seem like years. And not everything happens the same way. At least I'll have answers in the morning, I hoped desperately.