I sighed as I exited my area of the camp. I could hear Sargent Miko screaming once again, but this time it was good news.
"Today and tomorrow will be a break day! There are trains going to your hometowns, so board them and be back here two days from now!" with that, he picked up a suitcase and left.
"What a relief! I can stay at home and play games!" Kai announced to nobody's surprise. Markus was talking about seeing his parents, but I had to address something.
"Markus... you're parents never lived in the city, and you were born in the city... right?" Markus was hesitant but answered my question.
"Yeah. My real parents... well I have no clue where they are now, but those rich people took me in. They are my parents now, no matter what." He said courageously. What an inspiration.
***
The train ride home was pretty calm, no Pathogens invaded the train this time and it was nice.
"Hey, kid. Come here." A man told me as he practically pulled me away. "You're working for the Pathogen Hunters, aren't you?" I told him proudly that I was.
"It was nice for me too. Until some kid got killed and infected because I was too weak to defend him. He just wanted to get to the city we are going to, but if he took the train, he'd be caught by that... cult. The Pathogens caught up and the boy was...." the man became unresponsive, staring blankly at the ground. I took that as my chance to leave.
Markus asked me who the man was and I told him what the man said. He seemed shocked and then just nodded his head. "Escorting civilians outside of the gate was illegal anyway, you'd have to just escort them to the train. He's lucky he wasn't caught and fired, maybe even exiled."
It felt like Markus wouldn't save that small child if he were there, but for what reason? I think that he may just not like children all too much. "Do you think Kayla will be mad at you?" Markus asked, still looking through the train's window. "Yeah, I mean I think she already was. Let's hope she isn't now." I said, fidgeting from fear.
The train arrived home, and as I stepped off, the older man tried to grab onto me, to which Markus slapped his hand away. He began yelling about the boy, and how I or my family would become like the boy. I continued walking. I wish I would have yelled back at him. I wanted to tell him that... I had no family left. Not anymore.
***
Arriving at my house, I quickly took off my shoes and sat down on my couch. As soon as I sat down, I heard a knock on the door, it was loud and forceful. I sighed as I stood up and reached for the old door nob. My door squeakily opened up, and Kayla was on the other side. She was furious.
"Kayla please! Just listen!" I begged as she began slowly walking toward me. I continued to beg until she simply wrapped her hands around me and hugged me. What a relief...
She backed up and looked up at me. "I'll allow it... not like I can stop you now, no getting out of that job... but promise me you'll be safe... promise me you'll survive to see me again... do it." She looked at the ground and I promised.
Everything was becoming a blur at this point, but her face was getting closer and closer to mine, her eyes were closed and I couldn't understand what she was doing. I felt awkward and so I stepped away, she opened her eyes and her cheeks were rosy. Her cheeks looked... soft.
***
We left the house and she stayed a distance behind me as she walked. She walked slow and just stared at the ground. I didn't understand what she was trying to do earlier and why she was so awkward now. Making it to the park I sat down on a bench nearest to the fences around it. Kayla finally spoke.
"How did the job go for your first couple of days?" She asked looking at my hand, which was gently placed onto the bench. I responded with the truth. "Well... the first mission we were assigned to was quite dangerous. There was a huge Pathogen... I can't remember much, but Markus informed me that I managed to help kill it!" I said, maybe a little too proudly. Her face said it all.
"Stay out of dangerous situations!" She stared me in the eyes for a moment. "Crap... sorry... I forgot you are capable of defending yourself... it's just that... I want you to stay safe."
My expression was blank... a memory resonated inside of me... of mom.
***
"Honey, Cal has just been adventuring too far! He went over the hill this morning and scraped his knee something horrible! Tell him not to go out there anymore!" Mother yelled to my father, who just arrived at home. "When did he do so?" My father asked, looking at my mother questionably. She told him when I had went over the hill.
"He went while I was at work! You told me that he knew he may not leave while we are at work!" Mother continued, to which my father warned me about the consequences of being seen. Being young, I didn't understand.
My mother lifted my pant-leg to show my knee to my father, but the injury was gone. My mother was in awe. She turned to my father and they left the room. I sat on the chair where my mother had placed me on. I listened quietly, not understanding what I was hearing.
"He must have taken more traits from you. It's fine! It just means he can protect himself! You know how those church people have been lurking around recently... we can see this as a positive!" Mother tried to whisper. Father also saw it as a "positive." Knowing what they said now, it makes me feel sick... I always assumed that mother didn't know about Father being a Pathogen... but she did. She returned to me and pleaded for me to never go over the hill. "I just want you to stay safe."
Why was I remembering this now? Where did it come from... was it because of Kayla's words? Did it remind me of what Mother said?
"Cal?"
I turned to look at Kayla who looked concerned. "You've been mumbling to yourself for a while now." She was holding onto my arm, she must have tried shaking me.
"Sorry, just daydreaming... anyway I have some good news. Markus found Byul." Kayla was surprised and began smiling. "That's great. Thankfully he is okay." She said, looking at the clouds above. The afternoon sun was beautiful.
Kayla was speaking, but I wasn't able to pay attention. I do however know that Byul came into the park and I was surprised, not remembering seeing him on the train. "Byul! Where were you? I looked for you on the train!" I asked, quite surprised he did such a magic trick of vanishing and re-appearing.
"Yeah... I missed the train... so I decided to just walk from the city to here."
Kayla and I were surprised. I was especially surprised that he walked out in the wilderness, where Pathogens would be, but he did.
***
Kayla's parents were happy to let her stay at my house, Byul was able to as well, he was currently living with his grandparents, and they allowed him as well. Markus randomly showed up as well. I decided to not tell them about Markus being adopted into that family. I didn't want to cross a boundary there.
We all hung out, played games on our phones, chatted, and joked about many things. Inside, I could feel Kayla's dread of knowing I had to go back to the Pathogen Hunter Camp soon. I felt terrible... but at the same time... shouldn't it be my choice? She chose her job and I chose mine.