In Search Of The Neon City

17- Lo

The only small light source in the tent came from a faint panting lantern in a less crowded area in the middle, where the guards always sat together every night.

 I welcomed the darkness of the evening, it meant that I could all relax, nothing would happen until the sun rose and finally the air would be a little cooler.

I sat with my eyes fixed on their little camp, it was calming  to see them sitting there, I knew exactly where I had them.

For no good reason everything felt a little better today. I had received some rations for the first time in a week, and even though it tasted horribly, my stomach felt full and I had some energy to actually look around and take in my surroundings. I had nibbled on the salty, flat cake that they handed out and tried not to think about what it could possibly contain, since it wasn't anything I had ever ate before. Not that I really cared. My body had gratefully received the nourishment and I had immediately started to feel more alert, my mood was better and a calmness spread within me.

My eyes had slid towards the boy sitting next to me, he sobbed as usual and I could not help but to feel annoyed, I wanted to tell him he should hold back the tears and save his strength. His dirty cheeks were constantly streaked by his constant sobs. But I reminded myself he was a child, he probably grieved his family.

Next to him, in a cage of his own, sat a man in his thirties, he looked younger than Carl but the aura around him was Carls total opposite. He looked like he had lost everything, and that all hope was out of reach. I got a stomach ache just by looking at him, so I let my eyes move away towards the other cages. However, they were so far away that they were surrounded by darkness and I could only guess that they weren't empty.

With a sigh I leaned my chin against my forearm, it would feel nice to talk to one of them, but I didn't dare. Who knew what the guards would do if they heard us?

Instead, I waved and smiled at the little boy in front of me, and for a few seconds he stopped crying and looked petrified at me before turning his back on me and starting to sob again.

I muttered to myself and sighed, my attempt to be kind had apparently done more harm than good. The lack of adrenaline, a full stomach and a few minutes without stress made my eyelids fluttered and sleep began to creep in, besides what else was there to do?

With aching joints, I tried to turn around and look for a better position. That was when I saw it, a faint blue light shining from the other side of the tent. The unusual spark shone brightly in the night, but still it did not seem to give off enough for anyone to care about it.

With amazement I followed the little blue dot that came closer and closer, and my eyes searched for the owner of it as it kept moving behind boxes and debris, at a disturbingly steady pace, straight towards me.

"Lo?" The voice whispering near my ear made my heart stop and suddenly I looked straight into an ice blue synthetic eye. The blue light in the darkness.

I did not dare open my mouth, afraid that everything was an illusion or a dream that would go up in smoke if I so much as blinked.

"Don't  forget to breathe" he whispered with a smile and took a firm hold of the grate " I'll get you out of here."

I felt my chin fall down to my lap and my eyes stared wide-open and I skeptically watched as he, with only his hands and without visible effort, bent the thick steel tubes so that an opening was formed, large enough for me to push myself through.

He looked around quickly, but the guards remained in the same place having a low conversation. The boy had fallen asleep with his back to us and the man next to him took no notice of what was happening.