Not So Different

Chapter 16 (Chris's tragic tale)

Part of me, a very large part, was seriously to shrug off Jet and go after Mr. Argon.  I was okay with receiving the death sentence, I had been living under one my whole life after all, but when he brought up my family then insulted Jet, well... part of me snapped.  Thankfully the last reason part of my mind screamed above the clamor of the bloodthirsty, and shall we say animal/ mutant like, part of my mind.  I allowed Jet to restrain me until Mr. Argon left.  The moment the door clicked behind him I sank to the floor and drew my legs up to my chest. 

Jet sat beside me, placing a hand on my back comfortingly.  "Are you okay?"  She asked in a gentle voice.  I wanted to assure her that I was fine, but I wasn't sure I was.  As my anger drained away, memories filled it's place, memories I had tried to repress.  I tried to shake my head, to clear away the memories like I had many times, but they refused to flee.  I could feel the sadness of my past self seeping into my mind as the memories demanded to be remembered, despite that very few were happy.  "What is it?"

"Argon," I spit his name out bitterly.  "He brought up my family and tried to make their death a reason I should not have helped when it was the very reason I did."  I could feel the barriers in my mind breaking as the things I tried to keep to myself broke loose from their bonds. 

"Chris," Jet started hesitantly.  "What happened to your family?"  I could hear the hesitation in her voice to ask but thankfully I heard no pity.  I supposed she understood that pity for someone who lost a loved one doesn't help from the lose of her own mother. 

I knew I should keep quiet, the past was the past, but everything broke loose.  I could hear the pain in my rough voice but could not hide it.  "I never knew my father but my mother took care of me and my older brother.  I don't remember him either, much.  His name was Isan and he left my mother and I when we were five to try and hide himself deeper into society, away from the government's eyes.  We heard word that he was killed by the government when I was six."  I tried to stop there but my voice refused.  "When I was seven, the government found my mother.  When she saw them coming she hid me in the empty apartments across the street.  I cried for her to stay but she went back to our apartment.  Like most mutants and most of the poor, there weren't good records of us in the government's system and she knew that if the government found a mutant apparently unsuspecting where they had been tipped of they might be, they would not think to look for another if they didn't know for sure there was one.  She sacrificed herself for me.  I watched as the government agents stormed the apartment and arrested her.  They took a blood test right there to prove she was a mutant then paraded her into the street.  She stood proud and tall as they forced her to remove her contacts and show everyone what she was.  She continued to stand courageous until a soldier leveled a gun at her and shot her between the eyes."

Jet said nothing, for which I was immensely glad.  No matter how many times someone tells you they're sorry, it doesn't help.  Instead she wrapped her around me protectively as if I was a child who had skinned their knee.  I felt something moist on my face and when I reached up to touch my face, I realized that tears were streaming down my face.  I wanted to feel ashamed at my actions, I mean we were locked in a crazy man's prison and facing a death sentence, and I was crying.  But all I could feel was pain and nothingness.  For the first time in nearly ten years since she had died, I mourned my mother openly, releasing everything I had held inside.

"That's why you saved me," Jet murmured.  "You couldn't stand by and watch what happened to your mother happen to me, even though I was a complete stranger."  There was warmth and kindness in her voice, underlying with sadness on my behalf.  I nodded, my head still resting on my knees.  "Thank you."  I didn't reply, I didn't trust myself to speak.  Instead I allowed Jet to draw me closer and rub my back comfortingly.  When I had finally gotten control of myself again I took a shuddering breath and sat up straight.  "Better?"  Jet asked.