A World Buried By Lies

07

Ravi's gaze never wavers as he carefully pours out the story. The forest around us seems to hold its breath, as if even nature itself is waiting to hear his explanation.

"I didn't want to leave you," Ravi begins, his voice soft, carrying the weight of the truth. "But I had to, Astra."

His words hang heavy in the air, and I'm torn between wanting to shout at him for being the idiot he is and demanding that he clarify. It's unnerving the way he finishes every sentence with my name, a cool tone lacing his words.

Carefully, I push myself up into a sitting position and take a deep breath to stop my head from spinning. All the while he watches me silently.

"Why?" I manage to ask finally, my voice a mix of frustration and confusion.

Ravi takes a deep breath and sits down in front of me. "I was heading to a base." He forces.
"A base?"
"Yes, a base. A research facility, more precisely."
"Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me..."
"Yes. There are people there. Well... there should have been."

My mind whirs. One person felt like a blow to reality, but more? If there were people still around, why hadn't I seen any for two whole years?

"Are there... more bases?" I manage through my shock.
He looks up at me guiltily. "Yes. Ten, I think. All across America. I grew up in one. Anyone who's left did. They have room for about a hundred people, food to last a decade, and endless clean water.

I know my jaw is hanging open stupidly but I make no movement to alter it.

"These facilities were put in place right before the... the apocalypse."

And there it is again. That word.

Apocalypse.

"They work as a way to prevent infection." He continues, before glancing at me in an odd way. "But here's what I don't understand... You... Astra, you didn't grow up in a base... did you?"
I shake my head slowly, unable to react any differently.
"I didn't even know... I..." I trail off, unsure of how to voice my rampaging mind.
"And yet... you're not infected."
"I'm careful." I argue weakly.

He looks at me as though he doesn't see that a fitting response.

"The base I lived in was in New York." He continues with a shake of his head. "But it... there was an incident. Someone brought infection inside. I managed to make it out unscathed, but I was the only one." His voice is sad, weaved with pain.

I remember him talking about his father.

"Nonetheless, before I made it out, I was informed the base here in Ohio would take me in if I identified myself. He told me there would be people here who could help." He says without pausing to specify who he is.  "He warned me that if I didn't arrive alone, unarmed, I'd be shot on sight. I didn't exactly want that for either of us."

I'm reeling from all the information just laid out for me, so it takes a minute before the pieces start to come together, but my anger still simmers beneath the surface. "So you knocked me out?" I manage with slight ferocity.

He nods, a look of remorse in his eyes. "I didn't know any other way. It was a matter of survival."

Survival. It's a word that echoes in my mind, and I can't deny the harsh reality of our world. We've all had to make impossible choices just to stay alive. No one knows that better than me.

"Just do it Astra. Before it's too late."
I shove the memory away violently.

"But when I got there," Ravi continues, "the base was abandoned. There was a note saying they'd relocated to the base in Alaska. It was just an empty underground facility, Astra."

It hits like a punch to the gut. All that hope that had been building in my heart comes crumbling down.

I struggle to process his words. The secret base, the promise of help, his desperate journey all the way from New York—it all feels like a cruel joke. A twisted game in a world that's already lost its sanity.

"So you came back for me?" I ask, the words heavy with skepticism.

Ravi's gaze never leaves mine. "Yes. I realized that we're all we have in this world, Astra. At least for now. I couldn't leave you behind, not like that."

I want to be angry, to scream at him for the fear and confusion he's put me through, but there's a sincerity in his eyes that I can't ignore. He risked everything to come back for me, and it's a gesture that speaks louder than any words.

"So, what now?" I finally ask, my anger fading into resignation, into fear, into confusion. "What's your plan?"

Ravi's face brightens with a glimmer of hope. "I'm going to Alaska."

My eyes find his in a second. "Alaska?!" I ask, incredulous. "Ravi, that's three thousand miles away."
"Three thousand two hundred approximately."

I just gaze at his stupidly giddy-looking face and sigh.

"And..." He continues. "I was hoping... you'd come with me?"
"No." I don't even think about it. There's no way I could possibly trust this boy and I wouldn't if my life depended on it. Going to Alaska? I would almost prefer aimless wandering.

"Think about it!" He pleads. "We go to Alaska, we find that base and see if they can offer us shelter, safety, and maybe even answers about what's happening in the world!"
"What's happening in the world?" I retort with venom in my voice. "Ravi, the world is dead. There's no hope left. There's nothing."

He looks at me with such a heavy sadness in his eyes that I have to look away. "Of course you think that. It's all you've ever known. Astra... there aren't just bases in America. My eyes reconnect with his. "You mean..."
"There's still hope. For me. For you. For the entire world."

Doubt flickers in my mind like a flame that can't be extinguished. The idea of Alaska feels distant and unreachable, like a dream I could never grasp. Yet, in this desolate world, perhaps it could be one of the few remaining hopes.

"How would we even get there?" I ask slowly, my mind already racing with the enormity and impossibility of such a journey.

Ravi's lips curve into a wry smile. "Walk. Until we find a vehicle that is, but we have time. Besides, maybe others will be heading there."

Others. The thought of not being alone anymore is both comforting and terrifying. I've grown so used to solitude that the idea of companionship feels foreign.

But almost exciting.

Ravi stands before offering me a hand, and I hesitate. This is it. This is the choice that will change my entire life. I can go back to the way things were before, or I can throw myself into the unknown with this beautiful, non-infected human being. With a deep breath, I entwine my hand with his. He helps me to my feet, and I sway slightly as I regain my balance. The pain in my head has dulled, but it's a persistent reminder of the poison still in my system.

"Are you sure about this?" I ask, looking into his eyes. "About going to Alaska?"

He nods with determination. "I'm sure. It's a risk, but it's a risk worth taking. We can't stay here, and we can't go back to the way things were. Alaska might be our only chance at a future."

A future.

His words hang in the air, a fragile hope in my world teetering on the brink of chaos. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the journey ahead. I've survived this far, against all odds. Perhaps I can defy fate once more.

As the forest embraces us, the sun casting a warm glow through the leaves, I take one step closer to the unknown, knowing that our journey has only just begun.