Apologize

Chapter 5: The Freedom Unknown

     Mama Thatcher sat by her daughter, talking with the young boy. When the elder asked Robin about the community in the mountains, he was shocked to hear that the woman didn't know. He thought that the people in the Central City were taught their origins.

"I thought that the rich folk in the Central City taught what happened?" Robin started. "Why would they lie? What were you all really taught?"

"I... Do not know anymore, young one," Mama Thatcher said solemnly. "I... Cannot believe they would lie. Tell me more, sweetie."

"Well," the boy paused, thinking of what to say. "Well, I remember being taught that there was a large calamity that ruined the world. It was said to have killed most of the population and the survivors gathered together to find a place with even the slightest bit of life to start anew. Apparently, someone discovered something that they shouldn't have and went to expose all of the world leaders that were involved with it. Something about how the world has false or synthetic origins. When the gods that watched over the world found out who discovered this, they sent the calamity."

"Wh- I-" The woman stammered, obviously at a loss for words. This was the biggest news drop of the millennium to her. False origins? The gods brought calamity? "H- How do you know all of this, boy?"

"There are people in my home whose job is to research the planet. One team found a cave filled with documents that described what happened."

"Juan," Mama Thatcher called, turning to the mentioned. "Are you alright?"

     Juan, who was processing all of the new and foreign information, had a look of horror on his face. So many thoughts running through his mind at once, one in particular stayed. His father. Juan remembered that his father was a very high-ranking official in the Central City. How much of this did he know? How involved was he? Maybe that was why he never talked about work. Thinking about this, Juan looked around for his father and... He was nowhere to be found.

"Juan," Mama Thatcher called. "What is it?"

"Uh- Nothing, Mama," he said. "I'm alright."

     As Mama Thatcher, Juan, and Robin were speaking, Raya was starting to wake. She was groggy beyond belief, with a sharp, throbbing pain in her head. Moving in the slightest would send shooting pains throughout her body. Everything, from moving her head to even breathing was treacherous. Her cries and moans of pain filled the immediate area.

"Raya?" Mama Thatcher called. "C'mon, wake up. Please wake up! Raya, baby, wake up!"

     Raya's eyes flung open, but she refused to move. Everything burned. Something pricked her arm, but she barely felt it. After a small while, the pain and burning subsided. She tried to sit up, but it caused her head to spin. She looked around the field, trucks and people still littered everywhere. She barely remembered what happened.

"Mama," she said, strained. "Mama, what's wrong? Where are we?"

"You don't remember?" Mama said. Seeing Raya shake her head no, she continued. "We were kicked out of the Central Community. All of us. Because we went against that bastard Hemsworth."

"All of us?" she said quietly as she looked around the vast field. "Wait-"

"Amor! You're ok!" Before Raya could look, she was embraced in a hug so strong she fell onto the soft grass.

"Selena, are you-" Juan started.

"You can't do this to us!" a mother yelled, clutching her newborn. "This violates the Heavenly Principles!"

"You have no say, wench!" a guard yelled as he shoved the poor woman off of the wagon. "We gave you ungrateful bastards too many chances! You all have enough resources here. Build another life!"