The Ascent

Chapter 54

For a few startled moments, Asher stood there, wondering what the best thing to do would be. It was the first time in his life that someone was so openly unguarded and honest with him, and he wished he had just the right words for her. He needed something impactful that would make her feel safe and heard.

However, he couldn't even imagine the words that would express everything he wanted to say: the compassion, the support, the encouragement, and the gratefulness for sharing all that with him as it made him feel so special.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that," he said kindly. "But if you feel like you are struggling now or in the future, please let me know and remember that I will always be by your side."

He knew that in their current situation, he was overpromising as there were no guarantees what would happen to them. Yet, he felt like it needed to be said, that Jasmine needed to hear it.

"Thank you, that means the world," Jasmine said, quickly wiping away the tear that could betray the depth of her feelings, a part of herself that she was still unwilling to share.

"We're almost there," Plague suddenly said, appearing next to them like a ghost. "I recommend not making any sudden movements. They are a bit jumpy after learning what happened to the other cities."

"Thanks for the heads-up," Asher said coldly, still not fully trusting the guy.

It was something Jasmine had noticed since the guys kidnapped them in the first place. Asher trusted none of them, which was understandable at the time. However, he seemed to trust Melissa. Otherwise, he would have never allowed her to do a procedure on his precious daughter, no matter how necessary. Maybe it was that instinctual feeling many people had of trusting doctors implicitly. It wasn't how Jasmine felt, but she knew many people did.

"I better keep a close eye on the children," Asher said, moving to the front to walk with his children, afraid that something they do might provoke the edgy city residents.

As he did so, Isaac returned to his place next to Jasmine seemingly preferring her company and not the company of his peers. It made Jasmine wonder if he had imprinted on her as the first available adult or if they had created a genuine bond.

"What do you think will happen?" Isaac asked with uncertainty. " I'm not sure about this whole city idea. It makes me anxious thinking about many people moving around."

Jasmine didn't want to share her thoughts because they were too dark for a child's pure mind. Besides, she wasn't sure if her pessimistic view of humanity was the reality or her prejudiced opinion of the world.

The truth was that in fiction, whenever the main characters encountered any large groups of people, it meant big trouble for them, even though everything would start nice enough. That was until the terrifying revelation that they sold them out to the aliens, planned to eat them, or wanted them to work as slaves on their land.

"I'm not sure what will happen, but I'm sure that as long as we stick together, we'll be fine," Jasmine said, hoping she was right. "As for how you feel, I think that's normal. We have been away from other people for a long time, so you aren't used to it. It feels odd to you."

"Jasmine, when will this all end?" Isaac asked, his voice breaking on the last syllable. "I've been trying to be brave, but it's getting harder and harder."

"I don't know," Jasmine said, thinking honesty was the best policy. "But I think we need to try our best to stay brave. Even if we are afraid of what lies ahead, we must keep going because that's the only way to get through all this. The only way to get back some of the things we've lost."

"I'll try," Isaac said, sounding as tired as Jasmine felt.

"Who goes there?" a voice, seemingly coming out of nowhere, asked when they were just about to step into the city's periphery.

"Relax, old man, it's me, Plague," Plague said, stepping out of the group so the guy could see him. "I'm just bringing home some strays I found in the forest, as the facility might be compromised."

"Plague is no name boy. Plague is one of them Riders of the Apocalypse," the grumpy old voice said. "Your mother gave you a mighty name, and you go around using a new name. It's disgraceful! That's what it is!"

Jasmine could even hear the older man spitting loudly, although she still couldn't determine where his voice was coming from.

"Mother is dead. She wouldn't care either way," Plague said, his voice sounding sad for the first time since they had met him.

Clearly, he was human like everyone else but chose to play the tough guy to hide his pain. Jasmine knew many people like that. In a way, Jasmine was one of them as she always tried to pretend things didn't hurt her, that she didn't have feelings. The truth of the matter was that, sometimes, when Jasmine was alone, she cried so much that it felt like her eyes might swim out of her eye sockets at any moment.

"You don't know that boy. This ain't one of them movies you're watching," the voice said stubbornly. "The folk in that city just disappeared, and it's them aliens. That's all we know. Got it, boy?"

"Got it, Grandpa," Plague said, rubbing at his eyes furiously doing his best to hide the moisture that had gathered there.

"Your grandpa is a ghost?" Arman, who happened to be standing next to Plague, asked excitedly. "That's so cool!"

"I ain't no ghost, boy," the grandpa said rising from the ground like a freshly resurrected zombie breaking through its grave.

As he rose, his camouflage tarp fell off, and he picked it up and folded it carefully, ready for its next mission. After all, it was the same tarp that had saved his life so many times before, in the old days, that had never failed him. Thus, he paid it due respect.

"Wow!" Arman exclaimed. "That's awesome! How did you do that? I didn't see you at all!"

"It's a good ol' military training, boy," the man said proudly, like someone who had been through so much that nothing could get to him anymore.

Ariyana, on the other hand, didn't seem so thrilled by the performance and was clinging to Asher's leg, her eyes never moving from the large gray-haired man who appeared out of nowhere, occasionally completely hiding behind Asher, unsure what to think of the man.

"Everyone, this is my grandfather, Jeremiah. "He used to be in the military, so he tends to overdo things a bit when it comes to defenses."

"Pleasure," Jeremiah said, ignoring the rest of his grandson's words.

Although it was hard to resist the urge to point out how much they had all benefited from him 'overdoing things'.

"We need to move quickly. I have new information about the alien's movements, and the council will have to decide what we are to do next," Plague said his tone back to a businesslike emotionless manner he had adopted since the invasion.

"Evacuation?" Jeremiah asked as if he was spitting out a bad word.

"Possibly," Plague said. "Well, probably. They seem to be heading this way, and with their technology, we don't stand a chance."

Jeremiah's face darkened, but he didn't say anything, but lead the way into the city. As a soldier, he knew when it was the time to talk and when it was the time to act. And judging from his grandson's expression, he gathered saying anything more would be a waste of time.

"Let's go," Plague said to the stunned group.

Thus, they followed him, for better or worse.

Will the city continue to stand?

Or will their arrival bring about its downfall?

Jasmine had a strange feeling deep down in her gut that told her the latter was more likely.