Chapter
30
Innocence
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Rebecca’s residence finally came into view: Townhouse 253.
I knocked.
The door opened and Rebecca stood there with a crooked smile. She looked captivating: her angelic expression, arms crossed, as she tapped her feet like she’s been waiting for me for a period of time. Rebecca had on a wrinkly spaghetti-strap blouse with little pink and white flowers, and long blue sweats.
“Oh wow, nice.” She said as she tried to suppress her laughter.
I cleared my throat, “Um now would be a great time to invite me in.”
Rebecca moved away from the door and left it clear for me to go in. My squeaking feet went over the cold tile until I sat down on a chair next to the dining table.
“You’re a bit late Sam… we already had dinner and Ms. William joined us too! She brought you some clothes too, they’re on my bed in my room. She said something about you having to spend the night tonight because she has to do some overnight thing at her work.”
I groaned.
Rebecca hurried over and gave me a hug. Her warmth soothed me from my ice-cold clothing sticking to my skin.
“How uh…” I hesitated, my lips quivered and body shook uncontrollably, “H-how long has it been since Ms. William came by?” I asked.
There was something going on… and perhaps the lobbyist lady was in fact wrong: I must have been there longer than I had anticipated.
Rebecca went to the refrigerator, “Well, we don’t know Sam! Ms. William came strolling by and we were expecting you to be with her, but then she told us that she expected you to be here… and then the EMQ alert hit. So we were stuck in there for 3 hours! I was about to go insane, Sam… hearing my mom and Ms. William yapping about useless stuff, UGH! Insanity! But overall maybe like 4 hours since it’s about 5pm.”
I didn’t recall the exact time Ms. William and I left the Jefferson building, but four hours did sound pretty accurate.
Rebecca opened the fridge and pulled out a jug of some strange golden-brown liquid and set it on the counter. She placed a pan on the stove and poured it inside.
“Making hot apple cider!” She said gleefully.
My freezing and shaking body can surely use some hot apple-what-ever-she said right about now; a hot bath felt tremendously welcoming too. I was shivering so hard that my teeth were gritting; I couldn’t even concentrate. I squinted and grimaced; setting my head on the table. I closed my eyes warmly accepting the consuming jet-black abyss spiraling around in the back of my eyelids until I couldn’t feel or hear anything anymore...
“Here you go Sam.”
I gasped.
Rebecca giggled, “Wow! Did you pass out or something?”
She slid the cup of warm cider towards me, “This should wake you up.”
I scoffed, “It b-better!”
We both laughed together.
I felt at peace. Even though my overly uncomforting wet clothes sticking against my skin continued to pester me… I found myself enjoying this moment here with her.
I took the cup of cider and sipped a bit of it. I felt the hot trickle go all the way down until I felt it plop inside my stomach. I didn’t really find it desirable… I mean it smelled sweet and delicious but its hotness ruined the entire taste in my mouth. I set the cup down.
“Tastes good?”
“It’s wonderful, Becca.” I said.
I lied, obviously. I mean it wasn’t that she made it bad, the smell and the warmth was almost desirable, if and only if, the taste would have coped its fragrance.
“Where’s Ms. Malcolm?” I asked.
Rebecca shrugged, “Well… I don’t know, she said she had to do some late work at the Medical Facility. So I don’t know when she’ll return.”
“Ms. William told me she had to do some late work today also… a bit strange”
“It is!” She quickly said, “Amy told me Ms. Johnson was bombarded with a bunch of late work before they… uh… disappeared Sam. Do you think it’s a coincidence?”
I hadn’t thought of it. Especially since I wasn’t aware about that little bit of information about Ms. Johnson having late work before her disappearance. I mean what could the two have in common?
“I don’t know.”
“So where were you at all day today?”
I didn’t feel comfortable explaining my disappearance inside the kitchen. I mean as highly monitored I’ve been, and not to mention I promised Oliver I wouldn’t say anything about what had occurred. But I wanted to tell Rebecca, I just felt the need to: she had to know of this, or perhaps she already knew and is being pestered about keeping this illegality secret as I am.
“Is it secret?” She finally said after I remained silent for a prolonged amount of time.
I nodded.
Rebecca faced the refrigerator and stared at their AI CAM.
“Sarah what’s today’s date?” Rebecca said.
“Hello Ms. Rebecca, today’s date is: September 19. You have 2 more days until your birthday.” Sarah replied.
Sarah seemed… a tad bit more mechanically sounding than my AI Jane.
I straightened my posture and stared aimlessly at Rebecca. Her birthday, that’s the same date as mine.
“I was born in September 21 too…” I muttered uncomfortably.
She giggled, “I know… mom told me! But here’s the thing though. Theoretically our birthdates aren’t justified by the fact that we were born in the same day. Our birthday is classified by the date we were released from our Consolation Chamber. So just because we were released on the same date doesn’t mean we were born in the exact same day in September, perhaps I could be a day or two younger or older than you!”
“Who told you this?”
Rebecca gasped and then pursed her lips, “Ah crap!” Her grimace lifted into a curious grin, “Well… um… uh… a random stranger with really bright blue eyes told me. I ask a lot of questions….”
I laughed, “I guess.”
She did talk a lot. But that strange, bright blue eyed individual: I am assuming it’s Oliver.
I lowered to a whisper, “Why’d you ask about the date?”
She got closer to me, “I wanted to see if the AI was still active.”
Rebecca’s own astuteness could have left me fooled. So her AI was on a time cycle? I didn’t want to ask.
“Want to go out for a walk?” I asked.
Rebecca looked at me a bit confused, “Outside, in the rain? Get wet?” She giggled, “I see how comfy you are all cold and wet, I… uh am perfectly happy as I am. Dry.”
I forced another gulp of the now lukewarm cider.
“And it’s about time for lockdown, as you can look at the clock. Might as well spend the night tonight since you probably won’t make it back to your townhouse on time... and then be locked out and get into trouble again.”
Rebecca was so astoundingly witty that I couldn’t hold my laughter back enough. I wonder if she knew about the time I wandered about in the old preservation zone.
“Did he mention about the second time I got into trouble?”
She nodded, “I asked him.”
“Have you ever been remotely curious about it too?”
Rebecca didn’t quite understand what I meant by “It,” but I was referring to day and night.
I groaned, “You know, I hate that we can’t ever have a private conversation because of these stupid AI monitors constantly tracking our jabber.” I turned towards the AI CAM and nodded, “Thank you.”
Rebecca patted me on the back, “Well you can always tell me, I mean what’s the worst that can happen? We’ll get confiscated and asked questions and then told: Not to mention anything to anyone about the events seen, or something like that.”
She was right. I mean out of all the things I’ve done I’ve yet to even experience any bad punishment. And now that I know about these mythological fiends known as Guardians… what more can they
do?
I took a deep breath, but something held my words back; I couldn’t say what I wanted to say. I ran my fist against the table and got up.
“Leaving?” Rebecca muttered.
I nodded.
“I have secrets too Sam. Just so you know.”
I grimaced, “I just can’t, Becca... I can’t compromise our safety.”
She grinned, “I understand, but look… is it about them.”
I followed her eyes to the kitchen sink and up to the window sill until my body’s reaction moved ahead from my consciousness’s reaction, finding myself tripping over the chair and banging my head against the floor.
“SAM!”
I felt Rebecca grab my collar and shake me. My head throbbed and this unnatural daze continued to stop my every action. The thought of that thing I saw sparked adrenaline to just erase the pain away and rise.
“Becca, we need to run!”
I took her hand and tried dragging her towards the door, but she remained stiff.
“Wait Sam, wait… what is it?”
I stood startled. I mean when I saw a Guardian, which it was, right there, staring at us outside the window: it's hot breath smearing the window with fog, I couldn’t budge either, but not out of fascination, but out of the incomprehensible dread.
“It’s a Guardian.” I muttered.
Rebecca stared at me with an arched eyebrow puckered up, “You’ve seen this thing before?”
I honestly didn’t know why I was standing here answering her question when I should be out the door running in hopes that a Myrmidon might see this hideous thing outside his area of vicinity. And where’s the AIA alert system? Where’s the EMQ call?
I nodded, “Yes, I’ve seen them …”
“Another, there are more?”
“Yes! That’s why we need to get out!” I said.
I sighed and inched towards the door. And as the tips of my finger touched the knob the beast’s ferocious howl cracked the window over the sink.
Rebecca finally leapt to her senses and ran towards me.
The loud EMQ alert beamed its sirens.
Rebecca clutched my hand as I opened the door and we both broke into a sprint into the haze of rain. Our splattering footsteps striking the pavement matched the thumping sound of my heart.
I glared back briefly and saw nothing but the rainy mist consuming the atmosphere. I slowed down and halted, Rebecca slamming against me to a stop: apparently she wasn’t paying attention to my motion…
“S-Sorry Sam!” She huffed and puffed, squinting over, “I’m really scared!”
My lips quivered as my pumping adrenaline slowed to a crawl with the bustling breeze and ice cold rain intensifying around us.
“Me too Becca.” I replied.
Rebecca angrily sighed, “Gah! Why isn’t there anyone else around…? EVER! I mean, ok, it is raining, and I wouldn’t want to get wet either… but hey, even when the day’s nice and warm and cozy, not a single civilized individual wanders about when I’m out and about… and where’s all this highly monitored business crap John and that Oliver guy mentioned, huh? Sam, Sam are you even listening?”
I was listening, but the words entered one ear and went right back out the other. Sure I caught some points, but I couldn’t help but remain silent; I was too cold to talk, too cold to even remain sane. So I just nodded.
“Well say something!” She yelled.
I groaned, “I-I think we s-should um,” I hesitated and shook my head, “We should get inside the Jefferson Building.”
Rebecca glared behind me, “And where exactly are we?”
I shrugged, “Um, somewhere in the middle of the courtyard?”
She giggled, “This is exciting Sam…”
“Exciting isn’t exactly what I had in mind; perhaps: terrifying or horrific”
“I believe they mean the same thing Sam, but listen, this is so much more exciting than our average go-to-class day!”
Before I replied, the Guardian stood on its hind legs inching towards Rebecca, who was unaware that it was behind her. I stooped over and picked up a random rock from the mush soil.
“Rebecca MOVE!”
She leaped forward and I chunked this piece of rock with my utmost might. The rock soared until it hit it square in the forehead.
I took Rebecca’s hand and dragged her with me into the unknown depths of the rainy shroud.
“Run, run!” I bellowed.
“W-where are w-we Sam! I don’t know where we are, where we’re going!” She said terrified.
I didn’t know where we were going either. All I know was that we wandered off away from the sidewalk that lead to the Jefferson Building and we were now on an unknown route through mush sands and bundled trees with outstretched branches. I slowed down to a walk and caught Rebecca in my arms. I felt her whimpering on my chest.
For that brief second I looked at my surroundings: we were in the outskirts behind the Jefferson Building, perhaps around the Chapel’s farther perimeter near the old Preservation Zone.
Continuous howls and clonks came from all directions. I didn’t know if it was an echo or more Guardians moping about around us.
“Be weary.”
I heard a stray, unrecognizable voice in the wind, murmuring.
I felt Rebecca gasp softly.
“It’s right in front of you, hiding in the bushes… do not make any sudden movements. This shouldn’t take long.”
I gulped a mouthful of air.
Not a second later I saw a long, sleek black, barrel pass by next to me, the trickling rain tapped on the metal, smoothing the black like a finely polished apple. I heard the safety click off.
“Get down and cover your ears.” He said.
The voice was so well muffled that I couldn’t recognize it. In the corner of my eye I noticed a white veil covering his face. We did what he asked, I knelt down and covered my ears, and Rebecca wrapped her hands around me and pressed her face hard against my chest.
The blast from the gun left my head ringing.
The bushes shivered and I heard the Guardian’s howling whimper as it ran off elsewhere.
He set the gun down on the ground and faced us.
“You both are safe… for now at least.” He hesitated for a moment, and continued staring at both Rebecca and I, “What are two younglings as yourselves wandering about without supervision?”
Rebecca cleared her throat and rose, “Well, we were running from that thing you just shot… a bit obvious is it not?”
The man scoffed, “Obviously.”
“Obviously.” She sneered back.
“Thank you.” I said.
He turned to me, “You’re very welcome. Anyways, I’d suggest leaving.”
“And who are you?” Rebecca said.
“I don’t know Rebecca, who am I?”
“It’s Becca, and I don’t know who you are. Look at you; you’re covered from head to toe, am I suppose to make some educated guess….”
I knew it was Dr. Harris; his voice was finally becoming apparent. This unexpected overjoyed phenomenon literally pumped the blood through my veins so abruptly that I felt as though I’d dry my own clothes due to my temperature change.
“Dr. Harris!” I bellowed.
Rebecca faced me baffled, and then face Dr. Harris again, “Huh… this is the famous Dr. Harris?”
Dr. Harris giggled, “Ding, ding, you’re right.”
“Those Myrmidons and Jason’s Council Officers are like seeking you pretty unrelenting…”
“And the Guardians…” Dr. Harris added as he fluttered his index finger in the air.
“Yeah and those big, ugly things too! Ugh!” She groaned and turned to me, “Now is a good time to explain to me why that-that thing was after us, or m-me!”
Dr. Harris cleared his throat, “Well, Sam doesn’t know… Thomas has done well to hide the reason they seek both you. The thing is, it’s only a rare few that have all of a sudden chose to have odd hunch
es and actually follow their instincts and go after that individual prey insistently…”
“Thomas is Oliver?” I muttered a bit uncertainly.
He nodded, “Yes. That’s his official name from the outside world… they give people in this facility code names… eh, thus the reason you don’t have a last name. The odd part is your last name will sometimes resemble your Caretaker’s last name, but individual first names are sometimes changed.” He explained.
Rebecca sneered, “Ok, then what’s your real name?”
Dr. Harris shrugged, “Well… it’s Harris Brown. I’d tell you the reason why, but,” he turned to me and winked, “Best to not delve into subjects that are over your head.”
After this moment I did notice how Rebecca got her information… she talked a whole lot and asked a mess of questions.
“Ha ha! I think I can handle complicated subjects.” Rebecca said.
He burst with laughter, “I love your attitude Rebecca, but no, not here, and not now. Thomas and his Myrmidons will show up any moment. So, I’ll leave you both knowing you’re safe. I’ll try and catch you all later. In the mean time, happy early birthday Sam and Rebecca! I wish you both the best.”
“Wait, Dr. Harris. Sir, wait one minute.” I pleaded.
He faced me.
“I, uh… I had this odd dream of you and Oliver admits an audience made up of my eyes solely… and he handed you an envelope, one I’ve seen before,” I hesitated, I didn’t feel the need to imply that I have that very envelope tucked beneath my mattresses, but what if he knew of it, what if he had placed it there to begin with, “Then you faced me and told me you’re safe, and alive… which you are…”
Dr. Harris cleared his throat, “It’s impossible for me to explain dreams or nightmares. They’re wrought by the soul’s innermost longings and desires… something I was researching quite thoroughly before my little incident.”
“You mean your crime!” Rebecca sneered.
I groaned, “Rebecca please”
“I never take back the actions I’ve brought upon me with remorse… I embrace them and learn from them. Before you judge best to delve and feel the things I felt and then react to the circumstances with the same assiduousness and see where it leads you.” He said and then ran into the wilderness, disappearing in the shadows of the cluttered trees.
Rebecca slapped my arms, “Come on Sam! That’s Dr. Harris Brown, the notorious wanted felon sought by the Council… we’d just let him waltz like that?”
I nodded, “He’s a good man Becca, I don’t know but the little time I’ve spent with him, hearing what he has to say… I’ve had this hunch that I know him somehow. I don’t know though”
“Ok so you know him a bit, it still doesn’t hide what he’s done!”
“And what has he done?”
Rebecca stood there with arms crossed and lips pursed. She squinted her eyes, “Well uh… I honestly don’t know.”
“Precisely, so you have no reason to condemn him or judge him.”
She rushed up and hugged me, “Your sounding so astute Sam… I guess that class we took together didn’t hop on out of your brain after all!”
I giggled with a touch of sarcasm, “Gee thanks a bunch!”
Rebecca poked her head from her embrace and smirked at me, “Anytime… so can we get out of this cold, icky place and find our way back to my cozy home?”
“Shouldn’t we wait for Oliver?”
“Thomas.” She corrected.
“Here he’s named Oliver, would be a bit strange calling him that other name… besides he’d know we’ve made contact with-you-know who.”
She groaned, “Ugh, whatever, let’s get out of here, please!” She persisted.
I agreed with her and just chose to leave. I felt as awful and nasty as she did… my shoes were now soiled with mucky water and mud, my clothes still sticking to my skin, and the cold breeze just intensifying my discomfort. It wouldn’t be long before Oliver uncovered the wounded Guardian, if it in fact returned and informed them about what he saw… and strange thing is: How exactly can these beasts verbally communicate with the Myrmidons about their hunches if they only howl? I didn’t think much into it, but again, another interesting subject to harass Oliver about the next time I see him.
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