The Forgotten Light

52. Ritael

Ritael sat on a mattress, cradling her knees to her chest and rocking back and forth. Lately, that's what she's been doing when left alone. Not because others were busy with themselves, forgetting her existence, but because she wanted to be alone.

There was too much going on, and she was completely unable to cope with it all.

The campers were preparing for the arrival of more rebels, enlarging tunnels and building furniture. They waited patiently for their arrival, but none were coming. Paul and Cody returned from Nevada empty-handed, claiming that the camps at Laughlin and Searchlight were deserted. If everything had gone according to the plan, they would have stocked up at one of those two camps and continued on to the outskirts of Las Vegas. However, the towns were cleared, devoid of any form of life, and the Sedona hikers were quite lucky to find leftover food in the only remaining building in Searchlight. They returned to base camp exhausted, swearing never to poke their noses out of the shelter of Slide Rock again. They narrated their trek with horror, comparing the Earth to a graveyard of cities.

So they were left waiting for the people from the north, but they weren't coming either.

Ritael got out of bed and walked out into the dimly lit stone corridor. Max and Joe waved her hello. Next she met Ty with his mother, who was about to give birth any moment, and two adult girls from Tucson. She headed deeper into the hideaway until she came to a staircase carved in stone and then stopped.

A week ago, she had also walked that way. She remembered that she was in a good mood then, because Kailah, in her wordless way, informed her that Usain was feeling a little better. 

So she ran to him, overjoyed like a child, and when she rushed into the man's room, she found that all of Florence's survivors were already sitting around his bed.

"I'm glad you could join us, Ritael." He sent her a warm smile. "I want to tell you all something. I know that I've caused you quite a bit of worry lately, and I'm terribly sorry for that."

Usain didn't resemble his old self at all. He suddenly became skinny and frail, his eyes were tired and had dark circles, his whole skin seemed to have forgotten the touch of the sun and was getting paler and paler.

"How are you feeling today?" She asked, sitting down between Ace and Harlyn, who made room for her.

"Well, Ritael. I feel good enough to finally tell you the truth."

Usain's face saddened, and everyone around her went quiet. She could have sworn she only heard her heartbeat.

"What truth?" Ace broke the silence.

Harlyn reached for Ritael's hand. She squeezed it tightly, afraid of what she was about to hear.

"I'm ill," their guardian finally said. He clasped his hands and rested them on his stomach. "Incurably ill. I don't know how much time I have left, but I don't want to think about it."

Most of the campers started crying, a few even left. Usain looked at them sadly. She, Harlyn and Ace were shocked, they couldn't even get a word out.

"That's why you so often sit with your eyes closed and hold your head. There is something in your head that is causing you pain. It's cancer, isn't it?" MJ spoke, her voice trembling.

Usain nodded, not denying her words. MJ could no longer hold back her tears so she hid her face in her hands, shaking all over her body. Dusty, who was sitting next to her on the other side of Usain's bed, embraced her wordlessly, hugging her tightly.