Chapter 15: “Shock”
Darkness.
It was everywhere. I swerved my head to my sides, but only saw pitch-blackness enveloping me. Not even an ounce of light.
Panic gripped me. Where am I?
The silence resonated in my ears, and I strained to hear something, anything, but heard nothing.
I realised that I was lying on something soft. I sat up and groped my way in the dark, only to trip on something, and fall face down on the cold, hard floor.
I heard a door open somewhere, and the lights in the room I was in, were flicked on. They momentarily blinded me, but as my eyes adjusted, I saw a figure standing by the doorway. Relief washed over me, when I saw that he was human, and not a Kreon as I had feared, which meant that I wasn’t caught. He came over to me, and helped me stand up.
He looked young, about thirteen, or fourteen years old. He had a pointed face, and a mass of untidy, red hair on his head. Freckles covered his cheeks, and he had hazel coloured eyes, that were quite similar to mine.
“Who are you?” I asked him.
“My name is Zale. I was told that your name is Trinity.”
“Yes, it is. How did you know?”
“Your friend, Alex, told me.”
All at once, a floodgate of flashbacks opened. Escape…Kreons…Leon’s bike was shot…Wanda, Haley, Leon…their immobile bodies sprawled on the ground…
“Where are they?” I asked.
“In another room,” answered Zale.
“Are—are they okay?”
“They’re unconscious, but they are all right. Just a few broken bones, but nothing serious.”
I heaved a sigh of relief. They were okay. They weren’t dead.
“Where am I?” I asked Zale.
“In an underground shelter.”
“How did you find us?”
“You guys were lucky. Today was foraging day, and some of us were on the surface, when we saw your crashed bike.”
“What about the Kreons?”
“Dead.”
I nodded slowly. Serves those monsters right.
I asked Zale to let me see my friends, and he agreed. He led me to a clean, tidy room, with two beds, a table, and a straight-backed wooden chair in it. Alex and Natoe occupied the beds, but other than them, the room was empty. I was puzzled. Where are the others?
Alex was sleeping, and so I wandered over to Natoe who was sitting up on his bed. He avoided my eyes for some reason. I frowned at him, and sat down on the edge of his bed, but he still did not look at me. His jaw was clenched, and his hands were slightly shaking. I knew him well enough to know that these were telltale signs of distress and sadness.
“Natoe? Natoe, what’s wrong?” I asked, as panic gripped me once more. Was it the others? Has something happened to them?
“Natoe, where are the others?” I asked.
He stiffened, but still, he averted my eyes, finding the wall more interesting. I felt annoyed with him.
“Natoe!”
Silence.
Comprehension dawned on me.
“It—it can’t be…Natoe, please…tell me that what I’m thinking isn’t true…Natoe?” I shook his shoulders lightly.
The pain in his grey eyes gave me my answer.
“No…no, no, NO!” I screamed, shaking his shoulders with more strength this time, not caring if I hurt him or not. I didn’t care about anything then. The only images forming in my mind were the faces of Wanda, Haley and Leon.
“It’s not true!” I cried, “They are not dead! Natoe, tell me I’m wrong!”
It was as if I was talking to a wall. Natoe showed no signs of life, other than the fact that he was breathing, and his eyes were open. Yet, even then, his eyes were blank and expressionless.
“LOOK AT ME DAMN-IT!” I yelled angrily.
Someone pulled me away from Natoe. I wailed madly, not believing that my friends were dead. I didn’t cry though. No, tears did not form in my eyes. Only anger and disbelief raged in my heart.
The person who had pulled me a good distance away from Natoe, whispered in my ear, “Trinity…calm down…”
I recognized that soft voice lacing with concern, and stopped flailing instantly, as I slowly turned towards him.
It was all because of him. He first told me about my past, he told me that my brother was dead, and now, he was the reason my friends were no longer in this world. He had changed the peaceful, semblance of a life I had lived before, and now, everything was ruined because of him.
“YOU! It’s your fault!” I spat at him.
Alex looked taken aback at my anger towards him. “Trinity, what’re you—”
“GET AWAY FROM ME!” I shrieked, when he put his hands on my shoulders. I roughly pushed him away.
“Why did you come into our lives? You’re the reason they are dead!”
I felt someone grab my shoulders and turn me towards them. Natoe pulled me into his arms, locking me into a tight embrace, as I tried to push him away, but failed.
It was then that I broke.
Natoe held me tightly, and I sobbed into his chest, my tears staining his shirt. I heard a door slam shut behind me, and I concluded that Alex had left the room.
I felt something wet on my shoulder, and I realised that Natoe was crying as well.
