Nova Vida

Part Three: The War

            Uncomfortably I look around the room, but eventually I let my eyes land on hers. “Want to talk about it?”

            “Not with you.”         

            “Okay then,” I say, slightly offended. “I’m turning off the light.”

            “Whatever.”

            I reach over to the lamp, and let the room plunge into darkness. With my thoughts thinking about River, I barely hear Sophie crying from the other side of the room. But I don’t say anything.

            I close my eyes, and let dream world take over.

There’s a boy, his face is unclear, almost blurred out. He walks to a plinth. Clutching his wound, he stumbles even closer. The sound of gunfire and screamed orders ring out through the tunnels. He barely pays attention. He has to reach it, has to put a stop to all of this. The pain sears through him, causing him to falter and catch his breath. Something approaches him from behind, loudly, rushing. Adrenaline kicks in. He spins and fires a volley of shots from his sidearm. A few hit their target, most go wide, hitting the masonry. It falls over, bleeding, writhing. He turns back to face the plinth. He almost feels it scratching at the back of his mind. It’s trying to talk to him. Adrenaline still flows through him. He speeds up to a jog.

            He no longer notices the anguished screams of his comrades. No longer hears the unearthly growls. No longer perceives beyond the plinth. He is mere feet away. He reaches into his pocket. The object is still there. He removes it. It seems to move on its own towards the plinth. He places it on the plinth.

            It is done. Mission accomplished. A few more volleys of gunfire sound out. He notices them now. There is a tearing sound, followed by a cry of anguish. Then silence. He sits, back resting on the plinth. He pulls out a cigarette. There are growls. He lights the cigarette. He takes a long draw, holding it for as long as he can. The things enter the chamber. He stares the leader directly in the eyes. He exhales. The things approach him, slowly. They are not sure what to make of him. He continues to draw on the cigarette, savoring it. They are close. Feet, maybe. He picks up his sidearm, places it against his temple. The things realize what he is doing. They stop. He smiles, takes one last draw and fires.

            His body slumps. The shot echoes. Blood pours out, dousing the flame on the cigarette. His face becomes clear, not blurry any more. It’s River. I scream. There’s a pool of blood surrounding his head. His eyes roll back in his head, and he’s gone forever.

            I wake up covered in my sweat. What was River doing? What did he need to do so badly, that it cost him his life?

            I turn around on my side. Sophie’s not in here, she’s not in the room either. She must’ve already left. I get up deciding it would be best for me to leave as well. I push the dream to the back of my mind. It probably meant nothing. It did mean nothing.

            Putting on the original close that I had first worn to the rebel base, I leave the room. Warren told everyone that was going to fight to meet him in the training room the next morning. So that is where I go.

            Nobody else is up, it must be early in the morning still. Warren wanted us to leave before sunrise, so we can get there sooner. But Nova Vida is still considerably far away, so we probably won’t get there until tomorrow night. Plus, we have a few stops to do along the way.

            I finally start to notice more and more people as I get closer and closer to the training room. They’re all dressed in pounds of clothing. Some are even wearing bulletproof vests. That is smart, but I think it’s just extra weight. I got out of Nova Vida with what I’m wearing. I’m pretty sure I can make it into Nova Vida the same way.