Chapter 25
Deceived
I was waiting for the bomb to explode, burned me and torn every part of me but for a few seconds after closing my eyes, it didn't happen. As when opening up my eyes, I saw the strange man running towards my direction, without hesitation formulating in his head he picked up the bomb and immediately throw it above the air as for the exact time the bomb goes into the explosion. I covered myself with my hands as the ashes and debris of falling part of the structures.
When the smoke was starting to fade, my vision was now clear to see the surroundings. I slowly help myself to stand up from lying unto the ground and search for the man who just saves me from the attack. I found him lying on the ground, I hurriedly attended him and checked if he's okay.
I turned him to face me, I checked his pulses and I got to have a relief when he is breathing and fine. I pat his face to wake him up, I tried it for few times 'till he's consciousness back. He might feel a little bit of dizzy, 'cause of the explosion occurred and he shook his head to get back on his system.
"Doing good?" I asked, patting his shoulder. He nods a little, "thanks by the way."
He looks at me, "you owe me now." He said in stiff.
"And what is it?"
"You need to follow me," he said, he moves but he grunted. "Well, if you could help me first," I smirked when he said that and assisted him carefully standing up on his feet. When he's good, I put his arms around my neck to give him full balance while we headed to the place he' talking. "Forgive me for barging you like this but I'll talk to you about it later."
"I understand," I said. "We should now find your place before getting us back into the trouble."
"Okay, we'll be heading that way." He pointed the right street, corner of the street where the bomb comes from. We couldn't risk being bombed again. I just couldn't believe how I ended up unconscious into that military vehicle and where does everybody go? How in the world this man would end up finding me alone? This is so strange.
Along walking into the streets, we stopped when this man pointed the door of the building which I think the place he's talking about. We walked towards the door, he picked up a key on his pocket, put it on the knob and rotated it until the door opens. We immediately enter the door, locked it when we stepped inside and the dimmed place covered the place. It is dusty as it makes me sneeze, the place also smells like old rags but wasn't that strong to make me go nauseated.
"This way!" he commanded leading the way and losing his arms on my help.
I followed him as we make through a like a bodega. I still don't have any idea where we're heading but I think he won't harm me, 'cause of the fact that he helped me earlier or he must've been trying to get to me because he needed something? Speculations at its finest.
We pass through a curtain of transparent leather and as I thought that there would be more of them but it happens that it was way more than what I expected. I thought we're going to meet a lot of people but on the other hand, I have only seen one person. He hurriedly attended that person on the corner, lying on a cardboard with a disposable bag filled with stuff as her pillow. I can saw the man's face as he carefully wakes her up to know that someone—myself are here on their premises.
But the girl coughs, she doesn't stop until blood was she's coughing.
The man comes to me again, "I don't know what to do, she's sick and I got a feeling that it hasn't been treated early, she's gonna die..."
I look at the girl again and back on him, "are you guys held by the High Council before sending out here?"
He nodded, "We were the first ones."
"Oh-Okay, but how could that happen? The High Council gives us such medication to keep our strengths. How would she be sick after that?"
"I don't know..." he said confused, couldn't think clearly, "maybe the drugs they gave on her had side effects? The medication they gave on has been okay and it doesn't show any side effects but on her it is prominent and it's killing her slowly..."
"Manny..." she called him. He hastily comes into her help, as she wanted to move and stand up on her feet but she almost lost her balance, gladly the man she called Manny caught her and put her back lying on the cardboard. "You shouldn't be tiring yourself because of me... this is the end of my line."
Manny shook his head, disagreeing to her words. "No, don't you ever say that Dilly."
I saw her glimpse of a smile, she didn't bother her condition but accept the fact that it could be her last days. For a moment, there's a flashback happening in my head the day that my father died. I couldn't help but to think how painful for him to leave her like this—in her situation. Hurting yourself just for the fact that you don't her gone, but the reality exists and its how we should accept it.
"You know better, Manny, I know you can live up your dream at the Noble Land."
"But not with you, you know that." He answered.
"But you still can even if I'm there."
"Fuck, Dilly. Just don't give up on me now." His jaw clenched, trying to concede his emotions but tears won't make you weak. It is our only way to cope with how to accept our loss. "We can't just end right here."
"We won't, Manny..." Dilly said, "I'm the only one who's going to stop here but you're moving forward... and I think you can be with him." She pointed at my direction, Manny looked at me and I just give him a nod and still don't have any idea what am I doing here. "What's your name?" she asked.
I hesitated at first to say my name but hearing theirs didn't bother me to do it, "It's Dylan..."
"Nice to meet you, Dylan," she smiled. "Help Manny survive the process... for me, okay?"
I nodded, don't know what to say, "if you say so, I would..."
"Go on Dilly, you got to take your rest back and when you wake up again, you'll be good."
"And what if I don't?" she asked.
He sighed, those promises he couldn't stand, "I don't know... but you will."
I watched Manny help Dilly goes back to her sleep. I look away and took a deep breath 'cause I don't wanna ride with some deep shit of emotions right now. I stayed silent on the corner and wait for what he's up to now. I don't know why he brings me here in the first place and why would I'm the only one he found on the military vehicle?
I sat down and just look around, there is no good atmosphere in this place—it almost feels like death. I don't wanna stay here any longer, maybe this person needs something on me and if I did give it to him, I would find my way to see Al again. Cha has been a good friend of mine but if she thinks the movement is a good way to find justice for her sister, I wouldn't be someone who would try to stop her. I ain't that person.
Manny comes back later with a paper bag on his hands. He sat down in front of me and then get something inside the paper bag and handed over a piece of bread. I was surprised that he would give something like that. They needed it the most, that's why I'm thinking do they care if a person really a stranger into them? I think.
He handed the bread, and I gladly accept it from him.
"Why do you do this?" I asked him.
His forehead creased, "what in the world would you asked something like that?"
I shrugged off my shoulder, "I was just curious. You don't know me, I'm a stranger to you but then you helped out there, on the field when you really don't have to but you did. I don't know what's on you but I can see you're no harm than others."
"I'm not the enemy here, Dylan." He started, "I mean no harm to everybody but just to survive this process. You don't know how much I wanted to be part of the Licit People... but I think all those dreams and hopes are gone when Dilly's gone."
I reach his shoulder and patted, "don't think of it so badly, Manny."
"How I cannot think of it when the person whom very close to me, could be gone anytime. How's that on you, huh?"
I took a deep breath, "well... I don't wanna be rude but that's the reality of our existence. We live, we thrive and we die after... but if you're gonna make it until the end, you can make your life better as you want it to be..."
He sighed, "well... it is gonna be better if there's no High Council ruling the world." He said, "but have you heard the movement?"
I was shocked at first hearing those subject from him, "how do you know about that?"
A lopsided grin form on his lips, "well... I was invited but because of Dilly I rejected them."
"You shouldn't be joining the movement unless you got something to fight unto the High Council."
"I can make up a list on it if you want." Manny said, "would you join the movement if you were invited?"
"I was too," I confessed and he just nodded, "but I reject their offer also, I'm not the type of person to be part of something that would disrupt my existence..." I sighed, "but before entering the process, I already think about getting against into the High Council but looking at that view won't make me feel better, so I just follow them... and make it out of here alive."
He smirked, "you're thinking it so wrong, Dylan."
My forehead creased on what he said, "you have been deceived." He said and the next thing happened, Dilly stood up from lying down. I couldn't handle the surprise until someone put a sack on my head lost my consciousness.
What in the world just happened?