While her body has become lighter than a feather, her mind weights the burden of an entire world. The walls around them are constricting, sucking up the air and leaving her breathless. Hundreds of questions are flooding her thoughts at once, unfolding various simulations, all cursed with the same tragic end - her grandmother gone forever. With teary eyes, she sways a glance over to the trashed pictures spread all over the floor around her, one in particular, drawing her attention - a family portrait. Two joyful parents, holding their daughter dearly to their chests, are smiling widely for the camera. She leans forward, barely holding the salty tears that are invading her eyes, and with shaking fingers, she grabs the idyllic testament from the ground, trying not to touch the shattered glass.
For a second, time freezes in the astral darkness creating a passageway to Susan's old words, which coming to life, are encircling her like a protective cloak. Sweet reminders of the unconditional love of her parents are giving her the strength to keep going. Nerissa found solace in them every time she missed them greatly, yet at such a young age she couldn't get the true meaning behind their story. Being infected is not something one wishes for, even so trading their lives for a painful death. Love, such a foreign word, so powerful and deadly. However, because of her grandmother, she knows what it means to be wanted, to belong. For her, this is where love begins and ends, all the same.
Roone watches her in silence, two clear crystals longing for her soft lips to start moving again. Instead, Nerissa's thoughts are caught in the past, when she knew nothing but happiness. Then, her face changes color as the image of the old toy chest pops in her mind, the only legacy she has left from her parents.
'Of course! That must be it!' She exclaims, making him flinch, then without any warning, she bolts upstairs, still holding on to the broken frame.
With her heart beating fast in her chest, Nerissa is sure that if Susan has indeed hidden something of such a value, that would put her life in danger, there must be it.
'Follow me!' She yells after Roone, once halfway up the stairs, her voice hopeful and boiling with anticipation.
It feels like ages ago since she last slept in her own bed, now a sad reminder of the past. Like a fire that's spreading without mercy, the rebels haven't missed this room, bringing with them the general chaos to match the rest of the house. With her senses numb, she throws herself down on her knees in front of a beautifully ornated wooden chest. Ignoring the axe stuck in the curved top, Nerissa's hands are trembling as she glides them gently over the coppery lock, hesitant and afraid of what she might discover. Roone, who's waiting patiently in the doorway, watches eagerly for her next move, nodding supportively when she raises her frightened stare back to him. To his signal, she opens the trunk, only to reveal a clump of smooth and colorful stuffed toys. Sweet memories fill her mind, every single one revealing its own childhood tale. Not losing her hope yet, she's driven to get to the bottom of the box, her rushing hands grabbing and throwing inanimate old friends out in the air. One by one, they start flying around, only to meet their end as they crush on the walls or onto the hardwood floor.
'It must be here. Whatever they are looking for, it must be hidden here somewhere.' Nerissa's mumbled words are filling the room, adding despair to the already disordered setting.
Roone steps closer to her thinking that perhaps his presence will calm her down and he'll get a peek of what might be hidden at the bottom. However, in the hail of lifeless puppets, he loses his focus as one of them hits him straight in the face, his hand waving it away rapidly.
While the sky starts to clear, the moon's silver light fills Nerissa's bedroom, its rays disclosing the empty chest and wavering hopes. By this time, Roone is certain their treasure hunt was a waste of time and they have to flee the house as soon as possible.
'Nerissa, we have to go.' He begins reasoning, grasping her elbow and pulling her up.
'No!' She pushes back, certain that whatever Susan has hidden, must be in there.
Every conversation they'd had about her parents led to this toy chest one way or another. Impatient, he runs his hand through his hair, knowing way too well how this is going to end - him hoicking her up and dragging her out by force. In the midst of his thoughts, Nerissa refuses to give up yet and starts knocking sporadically in the worn timber, looking for any hollow sounds. As she taps the bottom left corner, the opposite one slightly lifts up, giving away the secret compartment underneath. Roone's imposing stature hovers over her petite frame, stopping the light from touching her skin and spoiling this moment.
Her skillful fingers manage to pull out the fake plank, unfolding a hidden room no taller than an inch and an old notebook sitting in the middle. Its velvety cover it's tied up by a delicate leather string, holding all the loose papers in place.
'What is that?' He asks impressed, following Nerissa to the broken bed and sitting near her on the mattress.
Breathless and hungry to find out what it is that her grandmother was guarding with her life, she has already started delving into the notebook's content. It looks like a scientific journal, somehow similar to the one she keeps in her lab, however, this one is packed with chemical formulas and hectic adjoining notes.
'It's my mum's writing.' She finally utters, letting the air fill her lungs again and totally missing his question.
She knew her parents were scientists, but she was never told what they had been working on. From what she can make from the scribbling memos, they were researching the effects of different viral strains, looking for ways to improve the nanovaccine and convert it into a viable cure. Her eyes are devouring page after page, only stopping to wipe the tears that are fogging her vision. She's an emotional roller coaster as she follows the same trace her mother's fingers had left on paper. Her own beloved mother, who was taken away because she harbored knowledge of the only cure that could possibly save mankind.
After reading along, Roone witnesses the shift in her strange eyes, the exact moment when Nerissa sheds off what she's been told and decides to find the truth on her own. Everything she knows is a lie. Years of hard work lost in vain. Why hasn't Susan told her anything? She asks herself over and over until she cannot breathe.
She suddenly rises, dropping the notebook as she stands, the weight of her body unbalancing the broken frame and causing everything to collapse behind her. Roone jumps off just on time, before hitting the floor, and picks the journal up from the rugged carpet.
Slave to her own feelings, Nerissa crazily paces the room, walking in circles and crying silently. Waves of emotions are pouring down her cheeks, as she tries to connect the missing dots. She finally has a better grasp of what happened to her parents, although she doesn't fully understand it. As she had gotten closer to the end of her mother's writing, she couldn't help but notice that the chemical formulas have become more organic, letters have linked into words, and words into sentences. For what had started as a log of her scientific findings, it ended up shifting into a personal diary, rather intimate and raw. Her mother had used the forbidden word numerous times, sometimes underlining it over and over again, that the pen literally poked through the yellowish pages. From all her entries, one paragraph stands out, confusing Nerissa even more. 'Love stricken insanity is proof of brain cell stimulation. Therefore, the lack of insanity in love is abnormal.' Closer to the end, Amanda made reference to deep feelings, true passion, affection, but not as side effects. Instead, she referred to them, in bold capital letters, as aftereffects of the cure. Could the salvation of all humanity stand in the hands of such a primitive endeavor, like love?
Now that Nerissa thinks about it, she hadn't seen them being sick. On the contrary, they'd always been joyful and happy, so very different than Nathan's parents. On the day they'd been exiled, the guard told Susan they were a threat to the city, infected and extremely contagious. Since then, Nerissa has always thought about them to be dead, but now, after reading her mother's notes, she dares to hope. Hope they are alive and managed to survive outside the city's walls.
Taking advantage of her temporary meltdown, Roone is scanning the contents of the notebook diligently, when a bullet misses Nerissa's head, digging a hole in the wall behind them. The window shatters into million pieces slashing everything in their path. Nerissa covers her face with her hands, yet the glass shards have already carved her ivory complexion. Little streaks of blood materialize out of nowhere, soon merging together and covering her skin.
'Get on the floor!' He yells at her, as he stealthily makes his way to the window.
Paralyzed with fear, she lies on the already stained carpet, shocked and unable to move. She's never been afraid of blood, however, feeling the warm vital liquid leaving her body is making her sick.
Although, the darkness covers them all in a thick blanket, their rugged clothes are what gives them away. They are surrounded by more than a dozen Iron Guard members, some even equipped with parts of the official uniform, while others are heavily armed. They wouldn't stand a chance.
'We have to go! Now!' He orders, grabbing her hand and hoisting her up.
It must be the urgency in his voice that's coaxing Nerissa to comply with his command, her body matching his speed and following his exact steps. Bullets start pouring from everywhere, following them as they run downstairs. The moon has hidden once again under the clouds, concealing their location as they reach the ground floor. They manage to hide into the kitchen, dodging a few blind missiles shot from the garden, while jumping over the counters. Dead still, both are holding their breaths as enemy footsteps invade the living room. There is only a matter of seconds until they will find them. He needs to act fast. The backdoor is just a few feet away, which gives him an idea.
'Nerissa!' Roone calls her, yet she's too shocked to respond. 'Nerissa!' He tries again, a little louder, this time drawing her attention. 'When I tell you to run, you go out that door. Do you hear me?'
She stares blankly for a tick at the blue door behind them, then nods her head mechanically. Her body aches all over, however, the cold air and her bloody clothes are hushing all the burning cuts. Roone takes a peek over the counter making sure she will have enough time to disappear while he diverts them. The enemy is getting closer.
'Go!' He finally orders watching her dash out the door and into the darkness.
Roone knows fighting is only going to get him killed and, besides, who knows how many of them are still outside. He silently moves near the kitchen door, crouching as he watches the rebels through a piece of shattered glass. Although, he can't see them all, according to their footsteps, there are at least eight of them inside. Leaning forward, he grabs the vase from the mahogany hallway buffet and throws it outside the already broken window. The sound distracts the guerrillas, diverting their attention from the kitchen, and giving Roone plenty of time to get out the door, and then reach Nerissa at the edge of the forest. They disappear into the blackness, away from the bullets and deep into the condensed patch of evergreen trees. With the notebook still in his back pocket, he takes the lead, holding her hand and ignoring the throbbing pain in his abdomen.
'Let me guess... Iron Guard?' She asks, although she already knows the answer.
...
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