That night I couldn't get any sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, James' last moments were replayed on a loop.
Most of the images were blurred but I could always recognize the look in James' eyes. Those hauntingly purple orbs void of all the life they used to hold.
It made me remember whenever he would start talking about things he was passionate about. He was always saying that one day he would improve the slums, that every person would be able to eat until their bellies burst just like the nobles do, that the children could play in clean parks with toys, that the sky would be clear of the dark smog that the factories would be pumping out round' the clock.
Of course, no one believed that he could do it. But it was something about the way he said it, with absolute certainty. I felt like if I followed him that I could be someone like him. He was a total goof and the only time I saw him without a light smile was while shielding his younger brother from the soldiers. But whenever he started talking seriously you couldn't help but give him all of your attention.
More time had passed while I was thinking about James' than I realized. The loud rattling of the door woke me up from my thoughts.
We were being transferred out of the truck we were currently into another one. The new truck looked slightly better, the corners had a little less rust, the paint was a little less chipped, and best of all it had a few tattered blankets scattered around, providing us much needed warmth as we continued to travel from the scalding desert climate further into the snow-covered North.
The new truck may have been better than the old one, but it still had the same empty feeling. And this time I didn't even have the numbing cold to distract me from my thoughts.
Only one person seemed to be unaffected, Skylar seemed to be fine. He was still running around with that endless energy that he always seemed to have. It was starting to freak me out. Whenever Skylar came up to me smiling like usual I would try to get away from him. From the looks of it, everyone else did too.
When no one would talk to him he would just sit in the same spot, leaning on one wall and staring blankly at the other. Not moving, for hours. He would only move when the guards gave us our two daily meals, and even that was only to stare at them for a while and continue to stare at the wall.
After a few days of repeating this, Ace walked up to him and shoved Skylar's portion of the food and water, which he had been stealing up until now, into his hands. This seemingly jolting him out of his trance.
"I-is this for me?" Skylar's voice was extremely horse and rough from days of no water, I can't even imagine how much it must hurt to speak.
Ace doesn't reply, only turning around and walking away, back to his small group of lackeys.
"Wow, thanks!" Skylar's voice calls out after him, still holding the same excitement as if he's on a trip with friends instead of having been stolen from his house.
But for the most part, I just ignored Skylar, the ones I couldn't ignore, however, were the new guards.