Affliction

Chapter 5

Later that night, I had fallen asleep, laying on the cold, wooden floor of the shabby hut. First, I was half asleep, aware of the crickets, Dawson snoring, the others that we had just met. I was aware of it all, but at the same time, floating in that deep, black abyss between the waking world and the realm of sleep. Eventually, though, sleep overcame me and dragged me down, drowning me.

I was back in that room. Not the hut, not the waking world. But the vast, open room with the white walls. The seats behind me were filled, some with people I knew personally, and some with his loved ones. The stand in front of me, the... people to my right. The ones that would determine where I would end up.

I kept my head down, staring at my chained wrists. I didn't do it. I didn't do it. I didn't do it. I didn't do it. I knew people were speaking. A man next to me was defending me. It was back and forth between a few people. But I couldn't hear the words. I didn't want to. I would let them bring me wherever I ended up.

A sound rang in my ears, buzzing and blocking any comprehension of what went on around me. I could feel my hands trembling. My sight was fuzzy. I didn't do it. I swear, please believe me, I didn't mean to do it!

A hand was placed on my shoulder. I jolted, looking up at the man to my side. I could see again. Just barely through the unshed tears in my eyes. He looked at me, pity washed over his face. The man in front of the room got my attention. "Mr. Martinez?"

I stared at him blankly, still slightly trembling. I breathed through my nose, shaking as I did so. A tear slipped down my face. I listened as the judge spoke. Not all of the words reached me. But the word that did process in my brain was the one word of which I was being charged with. Murder.

My eyes opened, sweat dripping down my forehead. I caught my breath, feeling my heart practically beating out of my chest. The scene faded, the judge's stand turning into the wood ceiling of the hut, speckles of mildew covering the four corners.

I sat up, looking around. Only then did I notice the sound of chatter. Specifically, Dawson and a voice I didn't quite recognize. From the sound of the male voice, not being Neil's, I guessed it was Thiago.

I stood up, ready to walk outside before I heard my name. I stopped in my tracks, instead, leaning against the wall, next to the open door. I listened. The two of them were sitting against the hut, just on the other side of the wall. Thiago was talking. "How did you meet Mason? Like, after the outbreak or before?" Thiago questioned him.

Dawson answered, his voice still light-hearted. "Actually, I met him during the outbreak, not even after. The two of us snuck past the... soldiers." He said the last word differently. Our definition of soldiers had changed that day. Dawson sighed. "We had no idea whether or not we were infected or not, and honestly, it didn't matter. The soldiers were shooting anyone that broke curfew." He paused before continuing. "You must know that, though."

Thiago huffed. "I was 15 on the day of the outbreak. I was with my mom in a grocery store. My brother, Miguel, must have sensed them before they came in, because he started crying harder than he ever had before. Weirdly enough, Miguel was never much of a crier. He was two and had never even spoken a word. That day marked the end of his life."

Dawson and Thiago's words hung in the air like wet clothes hung out to dry, weighing down the line. I stood there, not knowing what to do. I didn't think Dawson still thought about that day. I mean, when he told Avery about it, he didn't mention me, and barely even mentioned the soldiers. I understand why. No one wanted to remember those days. The people running. The blood.

"Mason? How long have you been awake?" Avery. She stood at the door of the hut, a bottle of water in hand. She pushed it toward me. "Here. I was bringing this to you."

I frowned. "How long was Iv sleeping? What time is it?" We didn't have working watches or clocks or anything, but I assumed they knew how to read the sun at least.

Avery smiled nervously. "Late. I didn't want to wake you. You were... you know." She gave me that look. Avery knew about my nightmares, yet not what they were about. She knew that when she tried to wake me, I could snap. It was bad for both of us. Those few moments of terror for me, it's like reliving those moments. It's best to let the memories fade completely before waking.

I sighed. "Thanks, I guess." I grabbed the water from her and took a few drinks from it as I walked out of the hut. I could feel Thiago and Dawson eyeing me from behind. They knew I was listening in. They weren't upset. If anything, they were worried I would be upset for talking about me. Well, Dawson at least.

I took a deep breath before turning back to Avery. "Where's Neil?" I asked, feeling like I had to thank him for his hospitality, especially in such a broken world.

Avery pointed back behind the hut. "He's back there, talking to Inori." After she said it, she turned and walked to Dawson and Thiago.

I walked toward the back of the hut, making my way to Neil to, one, say farewell, and two, thank him.

_____

After leaving Neil, Thiago, and Inori, we made our way toward the edge of the first faction, the mercenaries. Avery stood to my right; Dawson stood to my left.

We hadn't made it yet, but eventually, I stopped walking. "Are you guys sure you want to make this trip? What if this thing doesn't even exist? What then?" I asked.

Avery shrugged. "Well, what could we lose? And what if it does exist?"

I glared at her. "Well, for starters, we could lose our lives! And..." I huffed. "I don't know. What about The Salvation?"

Dawson tilted his head to the side. "Well, I guess we could move around their territory," he said.

I looked at him. "Well, isn't that quite smart. Maybe while you're having this epiphany, you can tell us how the hell we'll know where the edge of their territory is without going off course? We don't exactly have a GPS."

Dawson only shrugged at that. Avery put her hand on my shoulder, getting my attention. "Let's risk it. We will make it there, if it doesn't exist, we can go on with our lives. If it does exist, we won't have to wonder if our current meal will be our last." She stared into my eyes, an emotion flickering deep inside. A familiar emotion. Hope. "We have to at least try, Mason. Please."

I stared at her for a moment longer before closing my eyes and letting out a breath. I opened my eyes again and looked at her before nodding. "Okay. Then let's do this." And as I said it, we turned to face the path before us once more, and we continued to the first faction.