Chapter 7- Half Dead
Darkness in Phynoisse was not something unusual from its residents but today was different. The stench of burning metal and the taste of blood mixing with the gust of wind, assaulting every senses of Aeshua but how? How could she even think about the sickening smell and view if this was the last time she could be with the only person who stood by her when everyone left and forgot her?
For hours, she sat there watching and balling her eyes out in silence. She tried to stay strong. She had to. Who will take care of Jim and the twins? She thought. Nana was the only living relative of the twins. By blood, Nana wasn't related with Aeshua but Nana's daughter was the one who saved Aeshua from that dreaded night. The night she was banished to Phynoisse.
Without a home and anyone to run to, Aeshua sat in the corner for days covered with dried up mud and moss. One night, Carmilla, Nana's daughter, just so happens to pass by coming home from her night shift in the Burner. She was surprised when what seemed to be a hardened lump fell down to the ground. She walked towards it cautiously only to find out it was a human. It was just a matter of time before Aeshua's light would have been knocked out and gone forever. She was lucky enough someone found her and attended to her.
Aeshua shuddered as the memories of her past flooded her mind, paralyzing her cognitive thinking. Her eyes widened and she stared blankly at the roaring flames consuming the last family she had.
Suddenly, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned her head and looked up. "Antonio.." At the first sight of Antonio, Aeshua's eyes were filled with tears, dripping simultaneously. She stood up and embraced him. She buried her face on Antonio's arms as she wailed, mourning for her Nana's death.
Antonio stood still. His mouth falls open but no sound can be heard. He could not comprehend the stinging pain in his chest nor the weakening of his knees. But he had to be strong. Aeshua would need someone by her side and it had to be him. He swallowed his adam's apple, holding back his tears from falling.
As soon as it was over, one of the employees handed Aeshua an urn. She took her in her arms as carefully as she could, like holding a baby in her shaky hands. She just kept her silence. She swayed as she walked out slowly and silently. Antonio held on to Aeshua, supporting her weight to prevent her from falling. The last time he saw Aeshua this blank was when she sent off Carmilla. Antonio was there. He watched as Aeshua's world crumbled apart but Nana was there. They shared each other's baggage. This time he promised to stay by her side.
Silence filled the air as they rode down back to Aeshua's house and as their motorbike passed, windows opened and their neighbors threw coins and rice, and slightly bowed their heads as a sign of respect for Nana. Everybody knew Nana. She was the eldest in their community. Funerals and burials were not a thing in Phynoisse. Bodies were burned since there were no plots for the dead.
Reaching their house, Aeshua would see from afar the twins sitting on the balcony. Her body stiffened. She clenched on Antonio's shoulder. Antonio felt the sudden pressure. He slowed down the motorbike.
"Do you want me to stop?" He quietly asked.
Tears once again dripped from Aeshua's eyes. She nodded. She could not stand to look at the twin's excited and innocent eyes. How could she tell them what happened to Nana?
"Okay. You don't need to speak. Let's go to---"
With her lips trembling and her voice quavering"No…" Aeshua sobbed. "Just give me a moment. The twins are waiting"
Antonio just nodded in response. He parked the motorbike on the side and acted as if fixing something on its rear while Aeshua faced backward from their house. Antonio handed her a scarf which she used to wipe her face. When Aeshua grinned and squinted her eyes. This was a signal to Antonio that they must go. They rode the motorbike once more and proceeded to the house.
The twins were so delighted to see Antonio and Aeshua that they ran and hopped down the stairs to greet them. Aeshua smiled at the twins and hugged them tightly one by one. Antonio tried his best to be his usual self, grumpy and angry as usual. The twins teased him and he chased them around. They called on Jim who was on the second floor, looking down on them. Aeshua
"Jim doesn't want to play with us." Aejhi said.
"What took you so long? Where is Nana" Lucas asked.
Aeshua swallowed hard. " Ahm.."
"Nana went to live with her cousin in the northern wing. She'll be there for a while so you better be good kids or else I will feed you all to the Bouda" Antonio immediately replied and chased the twins some more, diverting their attention from Aeshua.
Aeshua whispered Thank you. And went straight upstairs. Jim was hurled in the corner.
"I know what happened to Nana." Jim quietly said.
"Aeshua kneeled, her chest tightening.
"She left us, right? She's never coming back just like mama" He added with his voice filled with anger.
Aeshua cleared her throat. "Yes," She took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. "But it's not like she wanted to leave you. It's just that their time is up."
"How about you? When are you going to leave us?" Jim said with his eyes glistening as light reflected on his watery eyes and his voice trembling in both anger and sadness.
Aeshua stayed silent and wrapped her arms around Jim. Jim struggled to get out of her grip. He swung his hands on Aeshua, scratching her cheeks, leaned back and forth, pushing as hard as he could. His whole body tensing up, screaming in anger to be freed. But Aeshua clung tighter while crying along the way. No words can pacify a confused child, unable to comprehend the sudden disappearances of people close to them and Aeshua could understand that. From resistance, Jim's tensed body gradually loosened up. His arms were hanging, sobbing lightly, and breathing slowly. Aeshua released Jim. She stood up and looked for anything that she could use to wipe Jim's face with.
"Does...Does the...Does the twins know?" talking in between sobs and breathing, Jim asked.
"No. They don't. I actually don't know how to tell them." Aeshua replied.
"Okay. I guess we'll just have to keep it from them just like how Nana kept it from me when Mama left." Jim replied.
"Jim, Nana and your mother loved you so much. They may not be here right now but they are always watching you and the twins" Aeshua said as she walked towards, her hands fidgeting.
Seeing through Aeshua's facade, Jim placed his small hands on Aeshua's shaky hands. "I'm sorry, Aeshua. I'm sorry for giving you a hard time. Maybe, you are sad as well. I promise I will not be a burden to you."
"Oh Jim, you little angel. We'll make it through. I'll be here for you." Aeshua said.
For three long days, silence clouded over Aeshua's household. Continuing their usual routines, they were successful in hiding from the twins about Nana but from time to time, Aeshua would run on Antonio's side and break down her walls, showing her vulnerable spots while Antonio stayed, silently comforting her and keeping her company.
Days later, an alarming news was delivered in the house of Victoria. Rico rushed to Aeshua's house to announce the news. Antonio was working on his bench when Rico arrived. He was surprised that he accidentally caused the circuit that he was working on to burst and burn when Rico came flying in.
"Aeshua, it's urgent. Victoria calls on--"
"That's just great, Rico! Why can't you knock first?" annoyingly, Antonio said, throwing his tools on the working bench.
"No time. No time to explain" Rico handed a note to Aeshua and bolted out once more, almost tripping his feet on his way out.
"What's the matter with him?" Aeshua wiped her hands and opened the note. She gasped. "Antonio, do you have any idea?"
"Why? What does the note say?" Antonio asked, leaving his bench.
Aeshua handed Antonio the letter. When he opened the letter, it was a series of numbers handwritten in rush :
20:17:06
12:04:04:19
21:08:02
07:14:20:18:04:00
"It says urgent. What could it be about? Antonio could have just told us." Aeshua said
"We have to leave, Aeshua. It's already forty-five minutes past five in the afternoon. We need to rush" Antonio said.
"Jim," Aeshua called as Jim rushed down together with the twins. "Jim, could you look over the twins for a while? Antonio and I will be out for a while." she asked.
"Yeah yeah, sure. Bring something when you come back" Jim ushered the twins to go up the stairs some more, bringing a basket of stale bread on the table.
"Burn the letter before you leave, Antonio. I'll just get my satchel." Aeshua instructed Antonio to which he immediately complied.
One last time, Aeshua looked around the house, making sure that everything was in proper order. She checked the stove if it was properly closed, the windows were locked, faucets tightly shut. "Let's go." Antonio said.
"Okay." She nodded. They first looked left and right before heading out.
In Victoria's bunker, two sides were already in a heated argument. Volunteers from the west resistance have come down to the south in order to deliver the reports from the west.
"Tian, Roana. Why don't the two of you calm down for a moment. Have some coffee." Victoria offered as she handed both of them a cup filled with warm coffee.
"Ha! So, luks like yhe sowth chick-end owt! Good for ya'll ya cain sip cawfee whayle vwe Vweyst er sturveyng." Tian, one of the representatives of the west resistance angrily said as he slammed his fist on the table, spilling some of the coffee on the table.
"Well I can't understand you so what's the point of this talk? They should have sent someone who can speak properly"Roana rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Now, Sister Roana, I think that's not how we treat our brothers and sisters in the west. If you may please sit for a while and hold your horses." Victoria's cup clicked on her saucer. She smiled at them. For some reason, the fire between both parties died down as a strange aura emerged behind Victoria. Dark shadowy tentacles seemed to appear behind Victoria, with eyes seemingly looking at them sharply.
Tian and Czarita stared at each other, dumbfounded whether what they saw was real or not while Roana sat quietly, while Mathias was hushing her.
"Czarita, caint ya see that? Zhe hed yhe feyce of en engel but a damyen hart." Tian whispered to Czarita.
"We apologized---" but before Czarita could finish her sentence Roana stood up and shouted,
"Damn, I've been wasting half of the hour deciphering what this potato head was saying and you can speak fluently?!?" Roana butted.
"Sister Roana.."
The teacup Victoria was holding suddenly shattered into pieces, her face still smiling sweetly and her voice with a friendly tone but hiding a seeming danger in them.
"...my my. How clumsy of me? I broke one of my favorite teacups. Sister Roana, why don't you take a breather for a while. Hmm?" without any word, Roana exited the bunker.
Knock, Knock, Knock
"Mathias, I think that's them." Victoria said.
Mathias rushed to the metal door as fast as his short legs could go.
"Okay. Now, what was it that you wanted to say, Czarita?" Victoria said while signaling Aeshua and Antonio to take their seats.
"Yes. The west is now under strict surveillance. We came here to confirm the news about the Arena. It was indeed gonna be used to execute criminals. And that's not all, people in the west and some from the east were suddenly disappearing without a trace. They are currently hiring in the west for people who will be helping the construction of the Arena. We don't have much time." Czarita reported.
"We need to infiltrate the West as quickly as possible, is that what you are suggesting?" Aeshua suggested. "I'm willing to be assigned for it" she added.