The Good the Bad the Ugly

27:Blaise

Blais

I feel specks blowing on my face, the feeling is foreign to me. All that I was familiar with was unstained white walls and cold floors. I feel heat on my bare chest, its touch is almost too much to bear but I feel welcomed by it. I open my eyes to see a small building or what's left of it in flames. The fire cracks still fresh from what started it. Even though to the human eye it just looks like a one room building it's so much bigger than that. This is what marks the entrance of the five story underground bunker.

I look up to the sky above me. Night looks to have lost its battle with the day as the sun begins to take over. This is my first sunrise in 11 years. "I miss you" I say softly, greeting it with a bright smile.

I don't realize how long I just lay there on the dirt string as the sun takes its place. It's almost like there was nothing in that moment that would cause me to wake up. Until the rays of the sun become too much for my eyes and I try to shield them with my arm. "Ahhh" I scream in horror, a piece of my flesh dangles unattached to my forearm. My face morphs into shock. How did I not feel that?

I see my bone but miraculously there is no gushing of blood. Just a clean cut between my wrist and my elbow. I look down at the rest of me to see blood all over but no large open wounds. I grab the corner of my trousers from my left leg and cut a long strip. I try to pull the fabric tight enough to hold the loose skin to my arm. The fabric isn't long enough to cover it all but it's better than nothing. It isn't until I sit up fully that I notice that there is a military backpack with me with some belonging. I notice most of them are ledgers and documents. I don't bother to look at them yet. I noticed a velvet box with a golden clasp on it. I open it to see more gold and silver. Some in clumps others in the form of jewels. I see a thin shirt on the bottom of the backpack which I slip on quickly to protect myself from the sun. I open up the last zipper of the military looking backpack and look at a pair of the military boots I would see the soldiers use. It had used up so much space in the backpack that it incessantly became a lot lighter.

It takes a few tries to lace up the boots with one arm and a sore body. I try not to think about what the bird did to get me here. I just thank him quietly in my mind. Just as I finish tying up my right boot I feel something sold in my pocket. There is a small pouch in one of them, I pull the strings to see a crucifix made of gold and a black obsidian. The cross is black with bright gold being used as accents on it. The man in the middle is also made with gold but the shade seems to be different, like someone made him with a different, maybe better quality of gold.

I also take the two big rolls of cash and put them in a small compartment in the military backpack. I take one last look at the burning building before I make my way north. For some reason that seems to be the way my feet take me. I can't tell if it's the bird or my own instinct. Either way, any direction that isn't underground is a better direction than where I've been.

Maybe it's because I found this new freedom that the need to run came over me. My body seemed stiff but the urge was killing me. I start off with a slow jog before I work my way to a sprint. I don't know how many hours I ran but before I knew it the night seemed to be taking over the sky, there seemed to be new noise. Noise of people and a soft rush of water; I watch them both. Two men seem to be leading 20 people somewhere across a bridge. I trail them from behind with quiet steps. "Date prisa, no tenemos mucho tiempo." One of the men says looking back at the people. Some of the women hold young children in their arms tightly.

Though it's been 11 years since I've heard my mother tongue, it still registers in my head. Hurry up, we don't have much time. I follow suit a few strides behind when they pick up speed. Not much longer I see the body of water I heard. There are one yellow raft where the land and water meet, the two men leading get on them. Only a few people near them get on before there is no more room. "¡tienes que chambearle un poco para no ahogarte!" The man that grabs a larg pattl says without a care. Even though I stand behind in the distance I can see one of the women with a young child in her arms stiffen. "No sé nadar," she says to the men. I don't know how to swim. "Por favor, déjame subir al bote." she continues to plead. Please let me get on the boat.

The man doesn't even bother to answer her and he takes off the rope holding the raft in place. Most of the men have already accepted the fact that they will have to cross the river themselves and bring their belongings above their head and walk straight across the river. Some of the taller men make it seem more doable then it must because with a little hesitation some women follow after them. Most of them have their head barely above the water while others choose to swim across. That one woman who said she couldn't swim stands still, frozen with the fear of drowning.

She looks behind her, at her motherland, she knows she can't go back yet she can't seem to be able to move forward. She takes one last look above her at the stars "Señor, ayúdame si fallo" she whispers.Lord help me if I fail

With new confidence she hastily walks forward putting her young child above her shoulders. "Sujétate bien fuerte." hold on tightly, she says to the child. Without much problem she's able to make her way through the first part of the river. I see her trying to follow the same steps as the others before her. By the time she is almost half all of the others have safely made it to the other side. They don't bother to wait for her and start to grab their belongings.

Seeing them packing up making the woman rush forward making her not as careful of the path she was on. Instead of following the diangle line that the people before her did she walks straight forward where the group departs. Unknowing to her there seems to be a large dip that swallows her completely. Her young child barely has its head out of the water. She lets the young child go in an attempt to save herself. At the same moment the child lets go and falls straight on its back into the water. Neither of them come up from air, only the spanshing of the two of them is the only noise you can hear.

I can't let them die. I think to myself as I run out of the pushes into the water. I don't bother to check if there is anyone watching me as I walk into the water. I head straight to where there is the most movement in the water and search with my arms. I don't feel any bodies at first as I swiftly move around the area but then my leg kicks a small body. I take a deep breath before I submerge my whole body underwater to receive it. I pick up the small child and feel again for its mother. My heart starts to drop as I frantically search without success. I slap the child's back just hard enough for it to start crying. You better not die on me. Just as I fear it's too late I feel another body and briskly use my other arm to capture the woman.

For once I am grateful for the serums and torture I went through in the facility as I carry the both of them with ease. Once I am on land I check to see if the woman is alive, she doesn't make a sound at first but then as I turn her head to the side she starts to cough water out of her lungs. I finally let go of the breath I held in for what seems to be the longest minute ever.

I take in the moment as I now am able to pay attention to the details of both the mother and her child. The child is a girl who has the same face as her mother, with a lighter shade of brown hair compared to the dark black color of heer mothers. I sit and wait for the mothers eyes to open to make sure the child is safe before I take my leave.

Before that happens I reach for my bag and pull out one of the wades from my bag. "Tú lo necesitas más que yo." I say to the young girl and put the cash into her hand.

The mother seems to be more active as she starts to move her arms around trying to find something or someone. Seeming to understand what she was doing, her child crawls to her. In that moment her eyes start to flutter open as she deeply holds her young one. "Mi hija!" she says with tears falling down her face. I stood up putting my backpack on and looked forward to where the others had continued their journey. How far am I from salvation?

Just as I start walking off the woman holds me back by the arm. ""Estoy eternamente agradecido con mi ángel guardián. Tu nombre será el nombre de mi próximo hijo."

"Blaise" I say so it transfers well in Spanish as I brush her hand off gently. Before she can react I sprint off at what must be inhuman speed. I may not be near as fast as the bird when he's got contrule but it's enough for me to win every race. At least the ones where the person I'm facing is human.