Project Genesis

Chapter 10

The stuff
you heard about me
is a lie...
I am way worse!

†††††

"Flesh tearing. Blood spilling. Bones crushing. Shots being fired. Screams. Cries. People running. Death. Fire. Flesh burning. Unfathomable pain. More blood. Blood---Blood---Everywhere. Dead bodies---Everywhere---Crawling--- Creeping there way...to me. Crying my name. Wanting...Needing an answer. 'Tell us. Tell us.' They are crying." And he jolt awake, breathing hard and gasping. Beads of water travelled down his forehead and down on the bedsheet through his cheeks and chin.

He tried to focus his senses on everything around him but his eyes were watery and blur and his ears were ringing as if a grenade just went off near them.

He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and realised someone had been sitting beside him on his bed, shaking him lightly and probably saying something too.

He felt a pair of hands grab the sides of his face and before he could take a hold of them and jerk them off, he heard a voice. A voice, he knew very well. A voice he got familiar with over the period of many years. A voice he grew up with. A voice that belonged to his once bestfriend.

"Hey. It's okay. I've got you. Can you hear me?" He heard the familiar voice mutter as his vision slowly came back to him and he saw the person sitting in front of him. Althea.

"Just breathe. You are fine. It was just a nightmare. Breathe." She whispered, still clutching his face.

After a while, he replied, almost whispering, "I am fine. Thanks." She removed her hands from his face after she made sure he was back to his senses.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I couldn't sleep. So I was going to the library. I was passing by when I heard you. So I decided to check." He nodded his head in response.

"Is it often that you can't sleep?" He enquired to which she just shrugged dismissively.

"I wanted to ask you something but I didn't get a chance before." She stated looking at him knowing well he can see her well despite the darkness.

"Sure."

"Do you like not wanna live?"

"What?" He asked confused.

"Well, everything you said on the roof to just get me to hit you. You must really not wanna live because you knew I wouldn't let it go. You knew what I was capable of. And you knew I could and would have ended your life. And you still went ahead. Why?" She asked. Her gaze not wavering for a second as she locked eyes with him.

"Isn't this a bit heavy for a talk at midnight?" He asked humorously but when Althea didn't smile he continued seriously, "You said you wanted to put it all behind you but you couldn't have. You needed to take it out, the anger. And I knew you weren't going to hit me. You were too busy trying to pretend that you don't give a shit about any of it. So that was the only way to get you to at least talk to me if not forgive me."

"I was talking to you."

"NO. You were accusing and taunting me at every chance you got. That wasn't talking. This is talking." He said motioning his hand between them.

"I don't blame you, you know, for what happened to me. I blame you because you left me. After you said you are going to be there. You left." She said in a serious tone with a hint of emotions that she never showed in front of him.

"You didn't come here to check on me. Did you?" He asked playfully trying to change the topic.

"I know you think of me as a complete bitch but I am not." She said simply that made him laugh. He could see her face that was now devoid of any emotion. The only thing that covered her face was fatigue and tiredness. Her eyes were half closed and she was struggling to keep them open. She clearly needed to sleep and her body wasn't telling her otherwise, then why was she awake?