Black Eyes

Chapter 16

"Eve... Evie!"

The android recovered as if from a daydream. She didn't know how much time had passed, but an important piece of her past had just returned to its place and so did all the feelings and the love she felt towards Julia. Eva looked at that figure collapsed on the floor, the ghost of the girl she loved and, helping her up, she held her in a hug. She was so thin that Eva was afraid of hugging her too tightly, but when she felt Julia's cheeks getting wet with tears she no longer had any doubts. She was her Julia and she would never forget it again. The girl was crying softly.

Her Eva had come back to get her.

They hugged for a long minute before Eva pulled away slightly to look at her face. Tears had streaked that heavy makeup that didn't suit her at all and only now did she truly realise how worn the girl looked. She wouldn't have taken her around the tunnels in that state.

"Yes. You come with me" Eva asserted "But not dressed like that"

"I don't own anything else..." Julia murmured, trying to cover her nakedness with her hands.

Eva thought for a few moments, then took Julia by the shoulders.

"If I run fast enough it will take me fifteen minutes to get to the North area and buy you some clothes" she told her firmly.

"No... please don't leave me alone" Julia began to cry.

"Julia, if you continue East you'll find a guard post for the East exit of the Below. Ask the guard for refuge for a few minutes and I will be back to you in a moment" Eva was determined.

Julia soon gave up. She understood that she would be only a burden for Eva to carry around and, despite the constant fear of being captured again, she decided to listen to the android. She gave a weak nod of agreement.

Eva pressed a small kiss on her forehead, then turned and entered the tunnel for the North area at the maximum of her running potential. Julia remained still for a few minutes, she was cold and very hungry. She still heard the shouting and the music of the Western area so she decided to march towards the East. She no longer wanted to deal with that place where she had been held prisoner. The girl wondered a couple of times if Eva had simply abandoned her. The minutes passed and Eva did not return.

The floor grew colder and colder for Julia's bare, dirty feet and shivers ran up her spine. Soon she began to see condensation forming when she exhaled. That tunnel was freezing and she was barely covered by a very thin layer of silk. Hunger tore at her stomach as it rumbled, the only noise in that tunnel so dark it looked like an old, abandoned subway line.

The floor and walls were grey and white neon lights like headlights occasionally illuminated the path. Pipes could be heard leaking water forming small puddles on the sides of the tunnel.

According to Julia she had been walking for a quarter of an hour and still hadn't found the checkpoint. The air was heavy, almost unbreathable due to the lack of a grate to the outside or a ventilation duct, something to make the air change. Julia, exhausted, sat on the ground near a big puddle and washed the makeup away from her face with the water.

What if Eva doesn't come back? She thought. She had to get to the checkpoint, but she was so tired that her legs refused to move and get back on her feet. Julia felt immense terror for a few seconds. She saw herself as if outside her body: a filthy little girl dressed like a prostitute who could hardly stand up.

The minutes passed and she felt her weight, even if it was very light, pressing her against the floor. She tried to leverage with her hands, but even her thin arms couldn't support the weight of her body and soon Julia abandoned herself to her fate.