Unity

Chapter five

The next two days pass without any news about the decision from Bri, until the third day. I stand on the bridge gazing out into the deep forest, listening to the chirping birds. Watching the wind blow into the trees, on the ground the strong gust blow small flowers across the ground. Blades of grass get uprooted from the billowing wind. The clouds are grey, and me and Bri both know, along with everyone else who lives here, that a severe storm is coming. Probably a hurricane, ever since the nuclear damage from the war, the weather has not acted very kindly to us. Storms more severe, winds stronger, tornadoes faster, tsunamis taller. I watch outside as the landscape changes, birds flitting into small holes in tree trunks, chipmunks filing into their holes, and squirrels scurrying up branches to snuggle into their nests. Bri walks up to me and grabs my arm, resting her head on my shoulder, "I want to do it, there's nothing left for us here. Only bad memories and the ghosts of our dead family." I down at her and rest my head on her's, "Meeno came by last night, we leave tonight at five o'clock. We'll be meeting him at the treeline, there he said we will be a car, a flighter will drive us to the harbor and then a yacht will drive us to New Portland." I state, "your sure about this," I ask turning towards her and putting her face in my good hand. She nods very unsurely, "what should I pack?" "Whatever you'd like, or nothing at all." I say she pulls me in and kisses me, her lips brushing up against mine. I pull away and grab her hand, kissing it, then lead her into the living room with me. Hours pass, me and Bri pack very few things, but mostly talk about what our new life might be like in New Portland. "I wonder how high up our penthouse will be?" Bri asks, "high enough." Is all I say. "I wonder if you'll have to endure any training before, the um assassination?" "Well of course they can't just have assassins running around Wethers mansion for no reason," I answer, I kiss her hand once more and get up. "Stay here," I command, without questioning me Bri stays put. I limp into the hallway, peeking around the corner for Bri, then find the loose floorboard sliding it out of place. I grab the ring inside of the box and slip it into the compartment underneath my shoe. I will do it before we leave, possibly on the yacht, or maybe once were settled into our new home, in due time I tell myself. I grab the box containing my mother and fathers rings, and flowers, the rope and I slam the floorboard back in. I stride into my room where I grab a backpack and fill it with my items. A box, a couple knives, rope, and a stopwatch. That's what I have to my name. Sadly. Soon enough that will change though. I walk back into the living room and Bri stands up, walking into our room. Probably doing the same thing I just did. She walks out five minutes later bag in hand. The bag seems much heavier than mine, sagging down to Bri's butt. She sets it down on the table and strips off her shirt, setting it down on the table. She opens her pack and gets out a purple long sleeve. Before she can put it on I come to her side. I rub her stomach, "Portland will be amazing for the baby, now it won't have to grow up in this smog infested city." Bri solemnly nods, then looks up into my eyes, "I.. I don't know if I'll be able to leave, although there are ghosts of our family here they're also good ones too." "Well then we're just gonna have to make new ghosts, and I'm sure people die in Portland too," I joke. She chuckles a little and pulls away from me, putting on her shirt. Six hours pass before Meeno sends a pigeon signaling for us to leave. "You ready love?" I ask as we step out our front door. By this time, the winds are at least eighty miles per hour, leaves blow everywhere, and there is no animal life anywhere to be seen. Bri's hair is braided down the side of her head, swirling around her skull once making a headband of hair. She wears her only pair of blue skinny jeans, a bright blue tank top, and her boots. "As ready as I'll ever be." Bri says smiling. Around her neck is something I've never seen before, a necklace, strung on the loop around her neck is a small dagger with a snake encircling the whole blade. I grab the small necklace and hold it in my hand. "I've never seen this before, where's it from?" "It was my brothers, he gave it to me two days before he died. It's weird it was almost as if he was saying goodbye before he died." She says shrugging. "It suits you, as does everything else." I compliment her. She rolls her eyes, "lets go, no time to waste," Bri declares. In her hand is a real dagger, in mine the machete, just in case. The sky is pure black, no sign of the moon nor the stars, thunder claps above our heads, and lightning streaks through the sky. I start off walking towards the big tree, then grab an elastic band from my pocket. "Be safe, you wouldn't want to completely obliterate your injuries." Bri says, "thanks." I bite part of the band with my teeth, then grab the other end with my good hand. It's a long shot but if it doesn't work well never leave. I get go with my feet and slide down only a foot then stop myself again. Pain shoots through my entire jaw, and my foot. I keep going though, sliding down inch by inch stopping only occasionally, when the pain begins to be too much. Bri follows after me much quicker and with much less noise as well. When I'm only a couple feet from the ground an alarming crunch accumulates from my mouth, sending me falling to the ground, onto my back. Teeth have definitely fallen out. Bri slides down with ninja speed rushing to my side. "Shit," I groan, "Titus are you okay," I hear Bri say, my vision begins to get spotty but The pain in my mouth brings me back. I try to stand with success, "we have to go, they're not going to wait much longer." I state trying to beat the pain. I limp even worse now, clinging to Bri's shoulder to help my balance. With each step comes a more excruciating pain, I wince each time I move a muscle. "Almost there, Titus keep going." Bri whispers like she's trying to reassure not only me but herself too. I see the treeline and a unity car. "Bri that's not a flighter car that a know of," I alert her. She stops dead in her tracks. I see someone running towards us, Bri lets go of me readying her dagger. Me my machete. Bri charges towards the figure, "no Bri stop," I scream. I see her jab at the figure when it gets close to her and then she stabs him again. I walk as fast as I can towards her, and the figure. When I reach her I look down on the ground, it's just Meeno. Bri stabbed him in the arm then the shoulder, "bitch." Meeno says, "Bri chill out this is Meeno," I say. Bri's cheeks turn a dark red as the blood rushes to her face. "Oops," Bri awkwardly whispers. Meeno stands up and says, "well nice to meet you. Bri." Bri shakes his hand and stands behind me. "Your really screwed up right now," Meeno states, "but we'll have that fixed in less than twenty minutes." He shows us to the unity car, where a "cadet" sits in the car, "don't worry he's just posing as one for today." Meeno reassures us. We get inside the car, with the most comfy seats I've ever sat in, I moan when my body hits the seat. "This car will get us to the docs in less than five minutes." Meeno states, "but it's thrifty two miles away," I rebut. "The top speed is four hundred mph," the driver adds. "Gnarly," Bri astonishes, we spend the next three minutes with Bri marveling over all of the tech in the car. When we arrive at the harbor, the twinkling lights of each boat shines across the water, making it look like stars gleaming, but of course it's not because the sky is completely black. The yacht sits atop the choppy water banging loudly against the dock its on. The driver takes us to the boat and drops us off speeding away afterwards. Meeno leads into the boat, once we step in the door closes with a woosh. When were five feet down the hallway, lined with embroidered purple wallpaper, Meeno turns around and says. "Titus, your surgery will take place in ten minutes," continuing walking afterwards. Bri grips my hand tightly and whispers in my ear, "your sure about this." I nod my head in response starting to doubt my decision. Meeno shows us to a room with a bed and a small table, with light brown carpeted floors, and dark brown colored walls. A chandelier with thousands of small Crystals hangs from the ceiling lighting to room better than anything I've ever seen. Bri walks in and throws her things on the bed, then helps me over to It as well. When I reach the plush bed, covered with blue blankets and huge pillows fluffier than all the things in our house combined, Meeno walks out of the room silently closing the door just as he'd left. Bri slams down on the bed herself and moans. "Holy crap. Long day huh?" I nod and she gets up staring at me, I turn myself away trying to conceal my fear of the upcoming procedure. Although Meeno did say their healers work magic, I'm not completely sold on the whole idea, but I must be strong for Bri and the baby. She puts her hand on my cheek and turns my head back towards her face. "It's gonna be fine, you'll be as good as new in just an hour or two." Bri reassures me. She lies her head on my chest and we sit there, hand in hand each of us hoping this moment would never end.