I Am Fictional Real

Chapter 16: Poetry That Let's Life Go On

     In one hundred years there will be a change in the way we breathe. Quite possibly, we will most likely better people. We will go against the grain, fight for our lives and become some of the best people. If I could see it, I would tell the world that this was the best place to be. Away from the dictators, away from pain. In the future, I would love them to tell of a girl named LACEI that wrote her feelings into stories, creating the radical idea that there is more to us than just some stupid city run by a man too afraid to show his face but once a year.
     And I know your thoughts, forum reader. Am I a lunatic? Do I want to be arrested? Nah. Do I think I am above the law? Also a no. In fact, I'm such a normal citizen that you wouldn't be able to spot me in a crowd. I'm not trying to say that I'm better or that I'm somehow going to fix all of the problems so that in a hundred years we won't be under the iron fist of Attin's descendants, but we can try.
     I have a feeling that all we've ever needed was someone to speak up. Like ARSER. Maybe I'm reaching, too, but I can imagine the future in my head where everyone is happy. It's what ARSER and all of the previous outliers would have wanted. And I'm not as cool as ARSER. I can't be as flashy or even well-known because all that I am is a writer with a knack for hacking. You don't have to accept me, Internet. You don't even have to trust me. Just know that I'm not going away, and I'm going to make the future the truth. That's all I can hope.

     "Esinna Valunett, it's time for you to awaken Attin Ocklaeka."
     The days passed by as the emptiness and dread set in. After these few days, all I managed to do was speak to my friends and get my mind off of the problem, but it was still right there in front of me. And I wasn't even sure if Akalirng could keep his promise because they had every reason to put my head on a spike. And there was that incident with the one girl blurting my name so that others would die. It left all of Akalirng's people uneasy, and it left all the more reason to just kill me. This wasn't what I had wanted when I proposed that idea when I started being LACEI. There had to be a way.
     Rantorm told me that they were going to watch from the sidelines, and that didn't sit well. They should have left. They should have taken their chances with their home instead of worrying about a girl they barely met because, if it were me, I would have ran. But... I chose these idiots over my own sister, the girl I wanted to protect and cherish. Maybe I would have decided to stay, too, if not for the fact that I wanted things to end up okay.
     "Esinna, let's go," Lanien demanded. She pushed me out the bedroom door, and the other three were guided by two soldiers that were even farther behind. Lanien had hardened wrinkle lines on her face from scowling, and it may have been the Tethers wearing off. She must've thought of me as a child for picking friends over my own blood, but at the same time I was, in face, a child. She was alive in this world much longer, and I was busy sleeping it up in a world of endless grass until Alinak saved me from eternal solitude. Lanien had the experience, and she probably thought that I was so stuck in a past that I couldn't see that she was the better option. But... She wasn't, was she?
     We were pushed out into the center of all the houses, and Attin was sitting int he center in his chair. He had a grimace on his face, and he held to the arm rests fro dear life. Before I had time to ask, Akalirng came out from the lab to lean on Attin's chair. Scientists came behind him carting the green ball of Tether. There was no way to win this.
     "Lanien, let go of your sister," Akalirng demanded. Lanien grunted and retreated to the side.    "That goes for you two as well. If it's a comfort to keep your friends, then I would like you to be comfortable."
     I didn't understand him, but Alinak soon grabbed my hand and stared at me. My face grew red.
     "This shouldn't be so hard," Akalirng grinned. "You value your boyfriend's life, so I suspect that you will do the right thing and bring Attin to immortality!"
     Boyfriend? Alinak's face was turning red now, but there was no way to tell anything from his angered expression. Whatever.
     "Akalirng," Alinak said. "This won't work."
     Everyone began to point their guns at Alinak, but he was unflinching. Well, of course. A bullet could hurt but he definitely couldn't die.
     "Speak your piece, Alinak Bakonel," Akalirng demanded with his fists clenched.
     Alinak crossed his arms. "I work on the rescue team at home, so we deal with this all of the time. His chair is broken, and if you force him out of it he will go insane."
     "I can use the ciphers again," I told Alinak. "We can wake him that way, and I'm sure he'll be fine."
     No, I wasn't sure, because Bellieka still freaked out upon waking. But I wanted to gain the upper hand. This was the way. We had to retry what we've already done, and in the process of Attin's crazed stance, I could... Oh, well there was one idea, but that would take some effort. And there was no way I could tell Alinak without some repercussion.
     "That works for me," Akalirng smiled. Alinak nodded to me. "Now, get to it before you all die."
     Rantorm cleared his throat. "Esinna, just think of this like Anders. Ain't that exactly what you are?"
     Anders... Fighting them would be like fighting Satan, and I would have to let my curse take over me in order to do it. I smiled to Rantorm. It could be done, if not for the endangerment of myself. It would be done.
     I leaned down next to the chair and placed my hands on either side of the chair. His chair had the numbers 61667360. He was much farther down the line than I ever was, and his chair was in worn condition. It felt as if he had sat here even after it ended up like this, which left me wondering just how smart our dictator really was.
     I pulled out the ciphers, which attacked him right in the headset. He stuttered for a moment, even tried kicking the air to get it to stop, but the mask came off. His eyes were wide with panic as he saw everyone around, to which I had to sympathize. I had acted just as rashly when I awoke myself.
     "Sir the Tethers! They're not-"
     So my power worked against the Tethers, but what changed? How did I even- Nevermind. I grabbed Attin by his wrists and looked him in the eyes.
     "Hi," I smiled. "My name is Esinna Valunett. I'm also... Well, I'm LACEI, the girl you sought to destroy."
     Attin's hands tightened around mine. "W-what's going on? LACEI? The girl that destroyed my-"
     I pushed myself away from him, and I noticed the loose wires that were beginning to surge.      Rantorm no longer looked like his tiny self, and he was tearing people apart. Alinak and Two looked both confused and impressed. There was no time to think, though, not even about Attin. I ran to Akalirng who, as expected, ran towards the giant ball of Tether that was inactive due to my power.
     "You!" he spat. "How did you even get your power to work with the Tethers? How did you deactivate them?"
     I smiled. "Didn't you hear me, Akalirng? I'm LACEI."
​​​​​​​     "Shit."