Darkness First

What did they do to you

Heart pounding, palms sweating I follow Ray inside our temporary so called home. I'm dying to know what the hell's going on, but at the same time I'm scared as fuck.

Ray leads me down in the basement. It's pleasantly cool down here, still not too cool. The basement looks way bigger than I thought it would be. Black blankets are thrown around the place; on the ground, the chairs and on the shelves. 

"It's pretty cold at nights. That's why so many blankets if you were thinking about that."

I nodded, afraid that my voice would tremble or would crack. Some food cans were laying here and there and a question popped to my mind.

Where do we get the food?

Just when I was about to ask that, Ray stopped in front a door. The question faded instantly when I recalled why we're here. I swallowed.

"I, uh, I'll leave you two alone for a while."

A quiet "okay" left my lips. Ray turned around and started making his way back up. What will wait for me behind this door? I raised my hand and hovered it on air for a while. My mind was racing. After a while I got the courage to knock.

"Yeah, come in."

A voice that calmed my nerves instantly. 

I turned the handle and opened the door slowly, not knowing what to wait. I step inside and close the door behind me.

"Well that took long enough."

I turn around to face the voice and my heart sinks down into my stomach. 

"My god."

I walk towards Frank, who's laying on the bed. He's laughing. Even though he's got a long wound running through is face, from temple, passing his left eye, to the corner of his mouth. The closer I get, the deeper it looks. 

There's a big bruise on his jaw. The violet gives a good contrast with his perfect, pale skin.

He smiles at me and sits up. He winces a little, murmurs "fucking hell" and raises his hand on his upper chest. 

I sit on the edge of his bed, still staring at his face. I raise my hand on his cheeck and gently turn his face to see the wound better. It is deep.

I shake my head lightly and feel tears form in my eyes. 

"What the fuck happened?" I ask.

He looks down and opens his mouth to speak. 

"There was this guy who pissed me off. Pretty badly. Actually has always pissed me off."

Nooo way. 

He looks at me and laughs slightly. 

"Yes way. Dave was there."

Oh, I said it aloud?

"God damn it, Frank." I laugh too. 

Dave was the one who bullied Frank for his whole chilhood. They we're neighbors, until Dave moved away. I quess to the East Coast. I know that Frank did gladly beat the shit out of him.

"Yeah.. So as you may quess, I lost my temper and kinda beat him up. But he had a knife, so when I attacked him and knocked him down, he sliced my face in half."

He raises his shirt up and I can see a patch on his shoulder.

"And after that I got shot. Right trough the shoulder."

He drops the hem of the shirt back down and lays his hand on the bed again. 

"Damn." That's all I can say. I am shocked. But I'm sure that's not all. His face seems too different. A frown forms on my face. I open my mouth and say the words very quietly, my voice cracking.

"What else?"

"What?"

"I know you're not telling me everything." I look at him. It's something, but I can't get on my mind what.

He goes all silent. After a while he turns his head to right and sighes.

"I..um.. My left eye got blinded. By the knife."

The words hit me like a truck. Blinded. 

He takes the lamp from the desk so I can see better. He brings it closer to his face and it reveals the greyish eye.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry." I say in a shock.

"It's not your fault."

How can he still be so optimistic. He's always optimistic and I just can't understand that. 

He coughs to break the silence.

"So, how's the prison. I knew you couldn't get out by yourself." he smirks.

I slap his leg playfully. He looks shocked and cries "how could I do that?"

"I met a guy there, Gerard." I tell him. 

"He's a new student, or was, or I don't know. Anyway, he's a nice guy." I smile at him showing that I like him and he should too.

"Oh.. You mean he's from the East Coast?"

"Yep. He got away from the war and was sent here to continue his studies and life."

"Yeah.. I heard that a few new people had arrived a few days ago."

After chatting for a while about what we're expecting from this war and how we should continue in this situation, Frank got up from the bed. 

"Come, I'll show you some places." 

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Heya! 

I  hope this chapter came out as I wanted it to. Heh.

So, my fourth ever exam week started today and I'll be having more free time. ('Cause studying is highly overrated.)

Oh, also, I've been feeling, again, very shit lately and I'm just hoping that I won't fall as deep as I did a year ago. Even though I haven't recovered? Whatever. I'm just so pissed at people making me feel like shit, and myself making me feel shit.

P.s. Thanks for the comments in the last chapter. You made my whole day. (: