Life After Death

Chapter 8

~***~

"What do you think the world is like, outside these walls?" Vlad asks. He seems a little older now, though not by more than a couple of years.

"Deadly, scary, filled with zombies. Why?" I respond. I'm making a bracelet with several beads. The two of us are sitting outside again, listening to the loud growls of the zombies.

"I heard dad talking to Mr. Cove. The two were arguing about mom. Dad said it was Mr. Cove's fault she died, and he doesn't want to live in a place that lies and treats people like soldiers before people. Then I ran off before they could catch me eavesdropping."

"Why were they arguing about mom? It's been a few years." 

"Dunno. That's all I caught. But I think we're gonna be moving soon." Vlad says, picking up one of my beads and rolling it between his fingers.

"I hope not. I'm no good at fighting, and you aren't either, I've seen it. Tyler is only two, and he's better than both of us combined. We won't last a day past the wall, that's what Mrs. Denver always says." I say, recalling all the lectures she gave me. Vlad nods, grabbing one of the bracelets from me. It's already been finished, with three shades of blue beads and three white ones with the letters ATV on them. He slips it on his wrist.

"She says our talents lie elsewhere. But I bet she wasn't good at fighting at our ages either. We won't learn how to get better if we leave, though." He says as I slip my own bracelet on. The third one would be for Tyler, made smaller to fit his tiny wrists.

"I don't think we'll leave. It'll all be okay." I say, standing from our spot with my supplies in hand. I'm not sure how much I believe my own words.

~***~

I stare at the tower before me, the memory fading. I've only had memories when sleeping before, but being here shot something into my mind. Vlad and I were older in that memory. I had mentioned Tyler being two, so there must've been a gap. The two years between my last memory and the one I just had must not have been all that important.

I stare at my wrist, where no bracelet sits. I wonder where it ended up after all these years. I also wonder what came next. I know I had to have left at some point, same with Vlad, but when? I'd have to find out. I peer back out at the tower, with a large wall creating a perimeter around the area. I no longer hear any zombies as I had in my memories. Between the wall and the base of the tower is a field of grass. I spot one area in particular that looks like it's near where my brother and I sat in the memories. It was the same spot during both memories. 

The area looks well fortified and more like a prison than a city. I have to squeeze out of the hole, it's much smaller than the one in Adam's room. Its small size must be how it hasn't been detected yet, though I'm surprised. Surely it would've been found, especially with how close it is to the wall. Perhaps no one got close to the wall because of the zombies, but there are none to worry about. I peer at Adam, who hands me a small metal staff. It's heavier than it looks. Looking closely, I see a button. It must be able to extend. I slip it into my pocket.

"I hope you find some memories. Use the staff as a weapon if you get attacked. Don't worry about leading them to the hole, just worry about being safe. If I don't see you in the next hour, I'm coming after you myself." He says. I give him a nod and run across the field to an entrance. The door isn't locked, allowing me easy access.

I'm not entirely sure what I'm looking for, but I've already had a memory just looking at the building, so surely I could find more. The halls of the building are much fancier than anything in Elysium. I wonder if it once actually was a prison, or if they built this themselves. It's somewhat empty aside from a child or two running past without a care in the world. It's evening now, so perhaps everyone is eating or busy doing something else.