For once I was grateful to the clinging stench that hung in the air as we stumbled into the tube tunnel. It reminded me I was safe, and that I had a family. It reminded of my purpose, and what I could become.
Instantly, Robyn and Jay sprinted toward us, hasty blurs of red hair and muscular, wiry bodies. Jay gripped hold of me, worry clear in his eyes. "What happened?" He asked hurriedly, Robyn repeating the urgent inquiry in a much more colourful manner, as she took hold of the weary Chris.
"I'll explain later... I just need to rest. We both need medical attention..." Chris sounded intoxicated, words sluggish and clearly implying exhaustion. Critically, Robyn flicked her inky gaze over both of us.
"No shit. You both look dead." She snorted, though I could see she was concerned. Hefting Chris into a half-drag, half-carry, she started off down the tunnel toward the beds, Jay leading me also. I was lowered into some blankets with inklings of pain, my wounds tended to, pills administrated hastily into my mouth... Before I felt woozy, my mind being claimed my warm darkness...
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A nightmare greeted me with a leering grin, painting the landscape in the same dreary, tired colours. A storm brewed overhead, crackling with maddened glee, the filthy pigments illuminated in fleeting shades. Rain lashed down in driving sheets, soaking me. Yet I was not saturated, I felt no dampness, but the experience was genuine enough to send a shiver down my spine. Clenching my fists ardently by my sides, I fervently surveyed the situation, desperate to escape, yet I knew no solitude would be given to me, no matter how much I begged or cried.
The weather adapted a melancholy appearance, the wind varying from a whisper to a wail, spinning me around with clutching, cold fingers. Repeatedly I was spun, caught in this vortex of breezy capture, stuck, stuck...
Suddenly, it stopped, and I was once again still. The tempest - ironic much - subsided, leaving me in a neutral equilibrium, yet I was apprehensive for any horrors to come. I blinked, then a gun was involuntarily in my hand. I looked in the chamber and saw it was loaded, the bullets gleaming in an excited manner. Confused, I tried to deposit the weapon on the ground, yet it wouldn't oblige by my intent. Firmly, it resided in my hand, clinging to my possession like the guilty touch of death.
Then, I realised the nature of the artillery. Scared, shuddering in front of me were my parents. Their clothes were tattered and ripped, the flesh exposed ridden with dirt and the scarlet hue of blood.
Shoot them. They don't mean anything to you, do they? They ignored you. They cared more about business than their own daughter. They would do the same to you. They probably don't even know you're gone...
The voice was teasing, whispering with persuasive, sinister foreboding, rifling through my brain like a petty thief, unearthing my greatest fears and forcing me to face them. Guilt registered in my mind, and I felt myself raising the gun to take aim.
That's it... They don't love you. Do it. Now. Watch them die, they deserve it. Do it!
"No!" I cried out loud, my fearful voice echoing in the decaying vista of land surrounding me. But my hand kept raising, and I didn't shake. I was assertive, confident, and I wasn't going to miss...
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My hands clutched the sides of my hastily made bundle of blankets; I could feel sweat trickling down the side of my face. That concluded the second nightmare that had occurred since I was here - I could still see the ruined land whenever I blinked, the images blaring in my eyelids like burned equilibriums, tainted, infected...
Opening my mouth to call to someone, I hastily closed my jaws. Vague voices registered in my ears. Straining my hearing, I could hear the familiar fluctuations of my comrades. Silhouettes registered in my vision as my eyes adjusted, and I saw them crouched beside Chris's side, speaking urgently.
"I've told you what happened... There was nothing suspicious. They must've followed me when I went there a few days ago. I need to be more careful." Chris said, releasing a tired sigh.
"Don't you think it's a little bit weird that this happens as soon as she arrived?" Robyn sneered. I should've guessed she would've raised an inquiry - she still hated me, she seemingly detested everything around her.
"She hasn't just arrived. It's been a few weeks. It's just a coincidence. Anyway, she saved Chris... Just think about it." Jay contradicted in a calm manner, careful not to stoke the flaming nature of Robyn's behaviour.
"Yes. See? She saved me. Of course, we still need to keep in mind the threat that she is a mere spy. But for now she'll stay."
"I don't trust her." Robyn spat in an almost animalistic nature, casting a glare behind directed at me. I was careful to stay still. If I was caught I would definitely be in deep trouble. In all honestly, I felt betrayed by their obvious speculation; hadn't I done enough to achieve at least a little gratitude? How long would it take to convince them I wasn't a petty liar, a fraud and a spy for our very enemies. My heart was wrought. The most logical emotion to resort to in this situation was anger, but I just felt hollow, like someone had devoid my body of any strength and any confidence. "Yes - she's useful, but she seems... Off. It's hard to explain. I can't work her out, her motives and emotions aren't clear. It agitates me."
"We need to keep her." Chris murmured. Now they were talking about me like I was an inanimate object, available to be kept and destroyed. "We're running out of supplies. Without our shop we'll run out of food and drink pretty soon. I think we need to leave. The authorities are after us. They won't hesitate to kill us at the first opportunity they get. We need to move positions; migrate and set up another camp. I suggest we leave in a week or two, when Tempest and I are better. I want you two to pack any necessary supplies. We need to decide where to go."
An intake of breath resonated from brother and sister, a tied collection of worried apprehension and fear. "Oh joy. Just what we need." Robyn muttered.
Jay nodded. "Alright. What shall we tell Tempest?"
"She deserves to know." Chris answered. "I'll tell her soon. Keep her on the training regime, but remember to keep an eye on her. I believe the earlier incidents have declared her loyalty, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Now, I want more sleep. Go."
With that, the Twins departed. Any candles distinguished and faint snores emitted from where my injured companion drifted back to sleep.
Shrouded in darkness, I turned over, burrowing my head into the covers. A lone tear slipped from my eye, and I quickly wiped it away, closing my eyes and dozing off before my sadness and fear could become any more prominent.
YOU ARE READING
Monotone | ✔️
Action"If we were so riveted in the spectrum of nature, why did we stand, petrified, as we became corrupted by idle technology, stupefied by glowing screens, stolen from life as we know it from enemies right under our noses? Why did we relent to this obvi...
