Outlaw

12. Calypso

I was just sitting in my room, pondering everything that had transpired over the past few days, which, may I add, has been quite overwhelming for me as a young teen with more than a few issues. Not only was I ambushed by government bozos after breaking a rule I thought meant absolutely nothing whatsoever. That was rather staggering for so many life changing events in one day. You can understand why I probably wasn't thinking straight, that was why I might have, sort of, left my mother to die. It sounds worse than it actually was. That or my guilt ridden brain was just trying to console me about the terrible, terrible thing I had done. It could also be the denial at my mother's death you will never know which one it was and neither will I honestly. The thing I needed most right now was a distraction, Tori annoyingly told I couldn't leave this room without being escorted by somebody else from this facility for my own safety and there was nothing interesting to do in this room, it couldn't have be more boring if you tried. All I was left to do was sit and think about the past few days which wasn't my idea of fun, if I'm being perfectly honest. I was grateful for their help mind you though I do wish that they could have send somebody sooner, I was starting to lose it in here, and by here I mean my mind. When I'm alone my thoughts tear me apart bit by bit. I absentmindedly scratched off some of the black, peeling paint on the wrought iron bed frame, watching it flake away like pieces of my soul. In that moment I felt alone, so so alone. A singular to fell down my cheek but I wiped it away before it could get to the corner of my mouth, I would not be made weak, not now, not when I needed to be strongest. Here, courage was everything and I would not fall apart and have them ridicule me when I didn't have to.

Suddenly there was a few smart knocks at the door; finally. Somebody has come to collect me today just show me where the dining hall was, I hoped it wasn't obvious that I had been crying.

"Come in."

The young woman walked in, she couldn't be more than 15 based on the look of her, she seemed rather young to be hanging around with these people, then I remembered I was only 14, I really couldn't talk. She had shoulder length brown hair and hazel eyes to match, a splattering of freckles marked her cheeks and nose and her teeth flashed dazzling white when she smiled.

"Hi, my name is Livia, I'm here to show you to the dining pavilion. Well don't just sit there let's go."

Wow. She really did not waste time did this girl, straight to the chase just like everyone else here it seemed. Sigh, this was going to be a long dinner.

Livia led me out of my room and down one of the concrete corridors. They still all look the same to me, how did anybody know where they were going? Seriously though this place was like a stone maze, how does anybody remember where anything was when everything appeared exactly the same? I swear this is a talent, it doesn't seem like something ayou can ever learn, at all. I admired these people for it, definitely, it wasn't a skill one normally came across. Just like the many other times I been down these corridors with various individuals, every damn door looked the same. From what I could tell none of them had anything that stood out apart from the stupid language I could not read. This was really starting to get on my nerves, a lot. The whole way Livia kept asking questions to which I replied with one or two word answers, attention to give her the hint that I was not really in the mood to talk to her right now.

"What's your favourite colour?"

"Green."

"Cool, what shade of green?"

"Hunter green."

"That's super cool, I like blue personally, royal blue to be precise but we each have our own tastes don't worry? Write, another question; what's your favourite food?"

"Berry pie."

"What does berry pie taste like, I've never tried it. I've never really been allowed outside the compound ever since I was little, something about protecting me and all that shit. I've never really worried personally I just want to get out and see what everything looks like in real life and not just through a screen. You have been outside, what does it look like."

Once you get past Livia's constant questions, really is a nice person so I spent the rest of the trip waxing eloquent about all the lovely details of the forest everything I loved about it: the trees, all different colours the smell the sounds sights just the taste of the air itself is enough to bring you joy in my opinion. I also loved the bushes and sound of water when you near it, and the sounds of the birds chirping in the trees nearby, it is so joyful and happy you couldn't love it completely and absolutely, I describe the Dead I fell in love with the woods to Livia how I went out into the everyday until I was forced to leave my home until we got to the dining hall when Livia questioned me some more.

"Didn't you have school and friends know if you went in the woods every day?"

After my dad died, my mum stopped sending me to school. I mean, I never really had any friends anyway people thought my love for the woods was strange in that I was a freak like the rest of my family."

A sad expression, possibly pity, flashed across Livia's face.

"So you never had a best friend? That is so sad!"

I my head solemnly, not knowing what all the fuss was about having a best friend.

"I mean, having a best friend can't be that great, can it?"

Livia looked me with a shocked expression on her face.

"OMG of course it's that great. A best friend is someone you can do everything with, someone you just resonate with, you know. A breast friend as a person who just gets you, someone who can just let your walls down in front of, someone you don't need to be... someone you can just be yourself with. I know, I can be your best friend if you want."

Livia had just offered me something I never thought I would have the chance to get: a friend, let alone a best friend. Of course, I accepted her offer immediately.

"Really, of course I would love that, thank you so much!"

I was just realizing how awkward I was being, Livia however, didn't mind.

"No problem. Bestie."

I smiled, the first real smile I had cracked in 3 years, I had forgotten how it felt. We pushed open the doors of the dining pavilion and walked inside. Livia and I took our seats at one of the tables, and began to load our plates with food from the middle. I could see Colt, Tori and Jove sitting at one of the tables across from from us on the other side of the dining room. Livia, catching my gaze turned to me and whispered.

"There is so much gossip about those 3, did you know Tory and Jove are actually brother and sister and both came from working for the government, they realise what their employees were doing and ran away, or so they say. In my opinion, bulshit, never believe the word of it. I think they have such a troubling past that, although they did work for the government, there's more to the story they say."

"What about Colt?"

I asked, now curious.

"Colt, ye came from the government as well, probably. All we know is he arrived here with Tori and Jove, wearing the same military outfit as those government bastards. The word is that he has a crush on Tori, but big, bad, military man is too afraid to tell her, ha! It really is rather funny imagining Colt as afraid of anything."

Livia's voice broke at the end and she erupted into toned down giggles, her laughing made me laugh as well, the first time I had laughed since, well, I couldn't remember. Livian I spent quite a lot of the dinner eating, and discussing Tori and Colt and what they would look like as a couple.

"You spent a lot of time with Tori and and Colt, you think Tori likes him back, do you think Colt likes Tori at all?"

Livia turned to look at me, apparently expecting answers.

"Well," I began but Livia interrupted me.

"Tell me Cal, can I call you Cal?"

I nodded in approval before continuing,

"Well, Colt did seem rather protective over Tori and looked at her in a, caring sort of way. Also, when they walking me to the meeting room, they were walking very close together, so close together that their hands kept brushing as they walked, and they didn't even try and move apart. I think they like each other."

Livia silently squealed. We spent the rest of dinner discussing about Tori Colt and Jove and the inner workings of their relationships. However, one thing kept playing on my mind: all three used to work for the government.