Timeless and Bliss #wattys2016

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"What is this? Why are we here?" I asked the question to the group, but Felix seemed to have been the only one who heard me. No one answered me. I became irritated and I didn't want to sit down. "Someone answer me! What is this piece of paper?" I leaped out of the chair jumping for answers.

"Sit down." Felix eased me back into the seat. I glared at him waiting for any sort of explanation. I looked back down at the document that now had creases caused from hands.

"Why is my father on this paper? What's his picture and all his information here?" I was practically yelling. Felix was still timid to spill the answers.

"You Father wasn't just a Grunger. He was someone Important. He had high clearance. All I'm going to say is that when one of the leaders before the rebellion was murdered, your father stepped up with Maverick," Dexter never turned away from the filing cabinets as he spoke.

"I knew if you found out about this then it would only make you that much more persistent on joining the rebellion." Felix looked into my eyes. Many feelings surged through me mainly confusion though.

"Whose office is this?" I asked scanning around the room.

"My fathers." Felix finally stood up walking back around the desk.

"How come you never told me about this?" I too, stood up matching his motions. Felix casually looked over to Dexter. Dexter just shrugged and turned his attention away from us.

"Blaize," Felix let out a sigh and I knew he was about to get serious. He took my hand into his tilting my chin up so our eyes aligned perfectly.

"I'm leading the next rebellion," Felix said in one breath. I glowered at him shaking my head with denial.

"You can't!" I removed my hands from his backing away slowly.

"There's more," He paused for a moment as if he was fighting whether to tell me or not. "You aren't going to fight with us. Once we get to the border I'll arrange for you to stay somewhere else. I want you safe." I became infuriated at the things he said as they settled in.

"It's not your choice Felix," I laughed at him.

"Blaize, please just do this for me," Felix pleaded.

"No. You are in no position to turn down people who want to rebel," I retorted crossing my arms.

"She's right you know," Dexter added and Felix shot him a glare with his eyes that were now stone cold. "Exie why don't you help me find this map," Dexter demanded and Exie turned on her heel away from Felix and me.

"I can't lose you. You need to understand that I could never forgive myself if something happened to you. You know the statistics and very few Grungers made it back," Felix tried to argue.

"So it's okay for you to fight and risk you're life and possibly lose it, but not me? How do you think that makes me feel? If you were to not come back I would much rather die than live in harmony!" My voice grew louder with each word heating up my face.

"You don't think I know that? Why do you think I made it clear that we couldn't be together? I tried so hard to not have feelings for you so this wouldn't be the problem, So that you could fight with us but that didn't happen. I am without a doubt in love with you, Blaize, and I need you safe," Felix whispered so low I almost couldn't hear him. I nervously glanced at Dexter who wasn't in tune with our conversation thankfully. Felix wasn't backing down, but then again I wasn't about to either.

"I love you too, but I'm not standing around while everyone I love dies. I'm fighting with you, and Dexter, and Exie, and whoever else meets us at the border," I firmly stated my points in a low whisper. Felix let out another sigh and just nodded.

"Okay," Felix gave up.

"I'm sorry that we fell in love. On the other hand this is my right and not even you could ever possibly change my mind and you know why," I stated gazing at him.

"I found the map!" Dexter announced. Felix threw everything off the desk and the map was centered as the four of us hovered above it.

"I haven't seen a real map in years," Exie spoke up skimming her fingers along the crinkles where it had been folded. All maps had been band, or so I thought, the sight of one felt abnormal and perplexing.

"Look were here." Felix took charge and pointed to a location on the map. "The border is here." Felix paused scanning the multiple roads then continued, "There's a small path that has been closed off. It's one we should all be familiar with that leads to the river. No one remembers it not even the workers so we should be safe if we take it. Once we make it to the river we follow until it splits in two separate directions. Then we'd have to cross over and follow again for another few miles. Then that should lead to the road that takes us to the border."

In all honesty Felix did make the plan sound so simple, but saying and doing were completely different things. We also had to consider all the other factors, not to mention how long each step of the plan may take.

"Don't forget that there are government workers patrolling the streets, the dangerous animals we would come across once we hit the river, the fact that we'd have nowhere to sleep and it would be difficult to stay hidden. Oh and let's not forget that once we hit the main road all the alternate government building sits there." I felt a knot in the pit of my stomach while all of my concerns began to ingest me. At this point backing out didn't seem like such a bad idea.

"Jeez someone's full of negativity, don't tell me you've lost faith in us," Dexter teased nudging me in my shoulder. I inhaled a breath and shook my head.

"No. I'm not backing out." I stood my ground.

"What are we looking at time wise?" Exie stared into Felix's eyes flipping her silky black hair and giving a subtle smile. Felix paid no attention however.

"I'm thinking about two days. Leaving at night would be our best bet. We would travel to the halfway point which is when the sun would start setting, so just before dark. We set up camp and rest then in the morning we continue our journey. At this point we'll hit the road with the government workers at night which will help us blend in," Felix said. I examined the halfway point Felix had mark. Sucking in air then exhaling on how much ground we'd have to cover.

"Dexter didn't you use to live right around their?" Exie questioned him.

"No my grandmother had a house right here," Dexter pointed a little more than the halfway point. "We use to visit all the time before this mess years ago when I was just a young boy. If we can make it to the house we could stay there."

"I think it's worth a shot and a lot safer than setting up camp in the wilderness," I finally spoke up. Everything was falling into place perfectly coincidentally. I found it difficult to process.

"I think this could work you guys," Felix smiled at the group confident in the actions and the gruesome adventure we were about to embark on. My heart was heavy and the moment was bitter sweet leaving both the terrible and joyous memories behind.

My mother was lost in a sea of false happiness just like the rest of our population. Along the way she had lost herself in the ocean of secrets and lies and lived among the rest oblivious to what was to come. She had lost herself, lost everything she stood for, because there was a point in time where she stood in agreement with my father, at first. She didn't fight, and she rebelled for a short period of time. After my Father's death she simply gave up.

The love for my mother was unconditional, but I also loved my father and what he stood for. This was my chance to stand up. I was going to fight for our messed up society, for the others who will soon discover this pain, for the lost Grungers, for Felix's father, for my mother, and my beloved dad. Felix had been right, the news only made me more determined.

Because I shared the same values with my dad we had always gotten along. My mother was a different story. I needed to do this. If I didn't then I couldn't live with myself. Every day I would sit regretting the decision to not partake on this war. All I ever wanted was to help and make changes in the community, especially after I found out all my Father stood for and all that Bliss stood for. Half of my reasoning was to find connection and closure with my dad. The other fraction of my reasoning was as simple as it felt right.