Timeless and Bliss #wattys2016

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"What if she doesn't, you know, become eliminated?" Deep down I knew this wasn't a possibility. A part of me had hoped it could be.

"Don't be so naive," Exie said rudely. I glared at her knowing that alcohol, plus her personality, wasn't going to be beneficial for anyone.

"She's right," Dexter agreed. "If the pill doesn't kill her then you know damn well one of the government workers will inject her." They had their points. Surprisingly, it wasn't making me feel better. The law had been created in fear of over population.

"I'm sorry," Felix placed his hand on my shoulder. I sat in my seat sulking and sipping on what was left in the bottle when we all heard a peculiar noise above us.

"Don't move. Stay here and be quiet. I'll be right back," Felix directed us and climbed up the ladder and out of the room. A second pair of footsteps had been added to the sounds. We sat quietly in suspense holding our breaths from the uneasiness of the situation. Nearly fifteen minutes had passed before the three of us could finally relax. Felix climbed down the stairs once more.

"It was the workers," Felix explained. "He claimed to have been doing a surprise inspection. I personally think they were just skeptical about my absence."

Alcohol wasn't my thing even before these laws were set in motion, but at the moment I felt like I had nothing to lose. The four of us sat around drinking, contemplating about things to be done with this society, and reconnecting like lost friends. Dexter and Felix had always been close. They had a bond as strong as brothers would. Dexter had been young when his father died of cancer. His mother stuck around for a year or two, but immediately abandoned him the moment she heard rumors about Bliss. Felix's father, Maverick, treated Dexter as his own son and that's how I met him. Maverick had died in the first rebellion along with many other Grungers including my father. He and I had experienced the loss at the same time. The only difference was his mom couldn't handle the grief. Felix explained how it was difficult for her to cope and eliminated herself about half a year later.

I knew Dexter felt at least some pain for Felix's father. He disappeared for some time. I don't blame him though, it was like losing a second father for him. Both Dexter and Felix knew what real struggle, loss, pain, and despair felt like. Their life stories were similar yet they were as different as could be.

Our conversations carried on. We laughed and joked with one another as if times hadn't changed. As if the four of us had been closer than ever. Those were only lies hidden behind slurred, meaningless words. Times had changed and it was becoming harder to accept.

"Blaize tell us about your dream." Felix insisted, immediately putting me in the spotlight. At first I was hesitant, deciding if I should let them know how dark my mind could be. Felix continued to urge me until I finally gave in. Sighing, I began in great detail the nightmare I had physically experienced. It took several minutes for me to explain and by the time I reached the end I only received complete blank looks.

"And you felt the pain?" Dexter asked. The question startled me I figured they'd be more concerned with the war aspect of the dream. All of them stared at me and I looked down at my thumbs.

"I suppose I did. When the fire hit me I felt the burn, and when I woke up it was the same feeling in the dream," I answered Dexter's question to my best ability. Dexter murmured something to Felix. Felix shook his head like he wasn't agreeing to what Dexter had to say.

"What are you guys murmuring about?" Exie asked.

"Nothing," Felix's voice had frustration and I wanted to know what caused it. I decided against it though, fearing he and Dexter would grow agitated with my questions. After that the subject was dropped, once again I was left with my thoughts. I reminisced back to past dreams. They all had the same thing in common. The fire, the burns I experienced, how each time I had been so close to touch the altering Grunger's hand and failed miserably. The commotion next to me brought me out of the daze and I focused in on the new conversation.

"What do you think the adults do as their jobs?" Exie asked adjusting her sitting position so she leaned against Felix practically on his lap.

"They do mindless task. I'm not sure what the task are exactly, but they'd have to pretty simple considering education no longer exist. The government didn't want human beings they wanted behaved, efficient, workers to obey them. Human beings are dangerous, they are a threat to the government which is why they wanted to control education even before this mess," Felix spoke passionately and it was clear these subjects stressed him.

"They see us as just numbers," Dexter chimed in. "That's not a way to live. We should be seen as the music we listen to, the jokes we laugh at, the books we read, the art we explore, the things we love, the way we love, the quotes you memorize, the lyrics you sing when you're upset. Those are the qualities that make a person a person, but not here. Here we are a bunch of numbers and letters strung together with bad intentions."

Soon Dexter and I remained the only two awake and mostly sober. Exie sat on the right side of the couch curled up, her head on the arm rest. Felix laid sprawled everywhere on the other side, half his body was hanging off the couch sound asleep. I smiled at how peaceful Felix looked while sleeping.

"Tell me about your tattoos," Dexter sat next to me along the wall. I leaned my head against his shoulder feeling the exhaustion taking over so suddenly. I had about three tattoos but one was more significant than the rest.

"This one," I lifted my shirt and twisted my body so he could see it. "I got in memory of my dad." It was an eccentric, unique tree that stood tall. From it birds cascaded off of it with their wings spread far above, soaring high into what I can only imagine would be the blue sky. The phrase 'Give me wings and I'll fly high with you.' was written in cursive font just below the tree.

"When he was home sometimes he would take me out into the forest to go hunting, learn survival skills, or to just hike the trails and enjoy the beauty of the world. It would just be the two of us. Each time we would always hike in a different direction, and each time we always found our way to this one specific tree." My body shook from the warm memory.

"It was a gorgeous tree. It wasn't the tallest but flowers were always embodied into it and the birds made it their home. One day I got terribly lost in the forest. I somehow managed to lose sight of my father. I walked for hours and hours just calling out his name, and with each step I found the forest getting heavier and I grew scared of never getting out.

I was dehydrated at this point, my legs couldn't carry me any further, my stomach was twisted up into a knot. So I fell to my knees crying. When I glanced up, through blurry eyes, I saw my father approaching me, and behind him there was the tree I had seen many times before. He said 'No matter how lost we are, we'll always find our way back to each other.' I was so broken, so lost. My whole world crumbled when he died," I finished blinking away the tears. Dexter didn't reply he only listened.

I studied his visible tattoos as we sat in silence. Dexter had sleeves filled with various complicated patterns and colors. It was like art, beautiful to stare at it, so captivating, similar to Felix. I shook the thought off and asked Dexter about his.

Dexter stood up facing me and slowly took his shirt off with a smirk. A psychedelic owl painted in many astounding colors rested on his chest. It connected to the tattoos that ran down his arm. I studied the various shapes and patterns plastered onto Dexter's body. The tattoo resembled art in which I hadn't seen in years, catching me off guard. On the side I noticed a bit of another tattoo peeking around his ribs.

"What's the one on your back?" Curiosity enabled me to ask the question. He slowly turned around and there was the gorgeous ink I'd been waiting to see. It wasn't just beautiful in colors, but beautiful in the meaning. Two silhouette figures, one of a man and the other a girl, both holding hands floating up to heaven. The quote "I'll be holding alongside again soon."

"They took her." He trembled. "Both deaths were so sudden. First it was my dad. It was a tragic, unexpected event that took place. When my mother left we of course thought she was crazy, completely lost her mind. I was of age to take care of her of course, but in a few short months everything happened. Then they just took Lily. I fought for her I really did. They took Lily screaming and kicking. She was only nine and they just euthanized her like a dog," Anger and sadness were rising in his voice.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized wiping the few tears. I had ever seen him cry. I knew my apology couldn't possibly make up for his loss, but I could feel his pain. Dexter's hands cupped my cheek, he was only a few inches from me. Then he swiftly pressed his lips onto mine.