Prophesied

Four

"Charlie?" Acacia said, her mouth gaping. "Why? What? How?"

Charlie laughed which made Acacia's burning need for answers even greater. "Acacia I am a bit more than your innocent new neighbour you believe me to be. I'm part of an undercover group that is trying to fulfil a prophecy thousands of years old. I guess you could call us a Second Government."

Acacia placed her hands on her hips and pursed her lips, "I knew there was something fishy about you," she pouted which just made Charlie laugh again. "So is your last name still Maddox or was that a lie too?"

Charlie looked at Acacia with a 'are you serious?' look on his face. "No. No it's Charlie. My name is Charlie Charlie." He stared at Acacia with a dumbfounded look. "Yes my last name is Maddox and no, I'm not a Man in Black from those heritage movies."

Acacia smiled, feeling a bit calmer around Charlie now. "So your name would be Charlie Charlie Charlie?"

"What? Charlie Charlie Charlie?"

"You know," said Acacia, "your middle name? The one you take anonymously? You do have one right? Mine's Willow as you already know."

Charlie noticed the sneer in the last part of Acacia's speech. "Hey, I only know your last name because it was in your file. And my middle name is-"

"WOAH!" Acacia screamed and launched herself forward. She slapped her hand across Charlie's mouth and shushed him, "you can't tell me your middle name. It's illegal! You use it in emergencies." Charlie just looked back at Acacia, then down at her hand. He licked it. She withdrew it with a disgusted expression on her face. "Ew."

"There are many good things about our generation but there are things from the past that humanity treasured that we should have kept. You have a lot to learn." Charlie explained but it just planted a whole other box of questions in Acacia's head. She looked at him quizzically but he shook his head. Not now. Not here. "We have to leave," Charlie blurted out after checking a round device on his wrist. Acacia noticed the lack of an interface ring. As they walked out the building, she asked;

"Why don't you wear a ring?"

Charlie flexed his fingers and then held out his hands for Acacia to take. "Rings connect everything to the Seniors hence connecting you to the seniors. They're a dangerous thing."

Acacia shrugged at Charlie's vague answer and followed him through a door that appeared when he spoke into a large, metal box. She walked through a dimly lit passage, following Charlie's silhouette in the yellow light. As the passage was long and steep, Acacia took notice of her surroundings. Paintings donned the walls, each was a proud man and woman standing in front of a flag unknown to her. It was striped red and white with a blue box in the top corner. Were those stars? In most pictures they stood behind a white podium and each painting had more than four years in between them. A date and name was on a gold plaque at the bottom of the canvas. She traced along the wooden frame with a finger, dust came off and stuck to her skin. Acacia made a face and wiped her fingers on her jacket before she pulled it tighter around her body. The air just got chilly and the path started to slope upwards heavily. "Charlie, why are there no escalators here? It would be so much easier," she moaned and blew a strand of hair away from her face, "and who are these people? What is the flag?"

Charlie stopped in his tracks causing Acacia to stumble right into his back. "ouch."

"Slow down with the questions, Einstein!" he chuckled and ran a hand through his hair.

Acacia's face was blank, "Einstein?"

"Nevermind," Charlie dismissed her, "these men and women are all presidents of the United States of America or the U.S.A for short. They were good people who ran the country with the help of a government."

"So, like Seniors," Acacia thought out loud. Charlie started to walk again and she had to rush to catch up.

Charlie looked back at Acacia, amused. "Yes and no. Seniors decide how we live. They make strict rules alone, each has their own branch of society to watch over. They control how we grow up and what jobs we obtain by the Test. These people, the presidents, merely helped run everything. They were obviously the stronger, louder voice in the choir but everything was carefully thought over. What it better for the people? They gave them a choice with something called voting."

Acacia snorted and looked at the long list of paintings. She passed one with a lady with thinning, white hair. She looked frail and weak, a makeover would have fixed that. Acacia wondered why she didn't have one. "Must have been a pretty messed up society then. Everyone would have cut other out. Not everyone would have been heard. At least Seniors control it all, there's no controversy, no problems because no one was wronged."

Charlie nodded but Acacia could see he thought she was wrong. As they turned left, he pointed at a painting on their left. "That's George Washington. He was one of the greats."

She looked at him closely as she went by. He looked grumpy and old. Then her mind wandered back to something else Charlie said. "What is the U.S.A?"

"Oh! Right. The United States of America was a giant country. More like a continent really but in the world, there are many land masses called countries or continents if they are far larger. Usually, these places were run by a president or prime ministers. The ones I know of are America, Antarctica, New Zealand and Australia, oh and Europe. There are countless more but I can never remember them."

"Really?" wondered Acacia, "we were told they were all dead land. A carcass of a once beautiful animal."

Charlie scoffed, "bull, schools these days teach you lies. Lies that the Seniors fed them. This messed up society," he gestured around him dramatically, "is all their fault." They fell into silence then but Acacia could see the gears and clogs ticking inside Charlie's head. A light soon appeared at the end of a tunnel and She sighed in relief. Before the line of paintings ended, Charlie pointed to the last one. But something was different, he had a sad, faraway look in his eyes. "She was the last, before the whole world collapsed into war. Gemma White. She was brilliant, so they say. She almost stopped the whole war from beginning but she was assassinated by a man who became the first Senior. Now, Acacia, I have somewhere we both need to be. Follow me and be discreet."

She frowned at the sudden change in attitude but decided against running away. She had a burning desire to know everything. Charlie pushed a boulder to the side and sunlight streamed in the passage. Acacia shielded her eyes and stepped into fresh air for what seemed like the first time in days. They had made their way right underneath the city and into a bright green meadow. Acacia's eyes widened in awe and she looked back at Charlie in amazement. He smirked and motioned for her to keep going.

Hours had passed, Acacia's shoes had been abandoned long ago. Sweat dribbled down her neck but their mystery destination was nowhere in sight. Still Charlie ploughed on having taken the lead long ago. Wild flowers were sprinkled everywhere and Acacia was counting all the ones she stood on accidentally as they tramped. "Three hundred and forty one," she mumbled, "three hundred and forty two."

Charlie looked back in annoyance, "will you be quiet? You're driving me insane!"

"You? Insane? Don't you think I already know that? You've kidnapped me!"

Charlie laughed but it was cruel, "honey you've bought me baking and you came with me without fighting, I hardly think this is kidnap." She flinched back at the heavy scorn in his voice but kept her head high. The sun was now starting to set when a small brick hut came into view. "Home sweet home," mumbled Charlie. He peered back at Acacia who looked at the small building patronisingly. "Darling everything's underground these days. Get with it."

okaayyy. that was interesting. So sorry if it bored you but Acacia had to know some things about her past. TWO UPDATES IN ONE DAY! IS IT A MIRACLE? No. I'm just incredibly bored today and this story has me hooked and I'm the writer! What about you guys? Do you think Acacia should fall for Charlie or can you see a love triangle forming. But with who? Comment down below and don't forget to vote!

Love ya,

Alessandra