Deep Dark Blues

Chapter 13- Watery Grave

 The tunnels were quiet, not even the ambiance of the water surrounding the Vault echoed through the walls of the Vault. The base felt deserted...emptiness ruled the halls. The sound of Reed's feet patting against the floor was eerily loud in the apparent silence, making her cringe with every echo she produced. She couldn't hear anything, not even the team "fixing" the wiring around the storage. The Vault felt dead even though all of them were still breathing... but not for long...

How does one break the news that no one is going to save them? That no one is looking for them? That the broadcast they have all mistaken for the rescue party was in fact just some of the other survivors desperately reaching out to whoever was out there...

The news weighed heavy on her shoulders, a profound sense of failure nipping at her hills like a rabid hound. She knew she had no control over it... She couldn't have changed the outcome of the message or whoever remained on the surface and yet the tears stung her eyes. She'd always felt like a failure, only forgetting about it for mere moments... Through years of therapy, she knew that her attitude was most likely an outcome of a traumatic childhood, and she did often blame Diane for the way she was brought up... But the emotional part of her brain still responded like a wounded child, fearing what others might say to her when she brought up the news.

She stopped in her tracks, eyes gazing down the dark hallway. She couldn't force herself to move, her body taking the next turn towards the storage.

Her mouth was dry from stress, she needed a drink... Soon she reached the filtration machine, grabbing one of the cups before pressing a button. The mug filled up with water, the liquid tasting sweet on her parched tongue. She coughed, the water going down the wrong track. She leaned over the machine, coughing violently. She kept her forehead against the cool surface of the filter, staring down at her feet.

What was she going to tell them? There was no point... There was no point to anything anymore...Their food was gone...Their chance of rescue was gone... Was it even worth it to tell everybody that nobody was coming for them? What if everybody gives up? Was that what Ryan felt when he discovered the transmitters couldn't be fixed?

No...She had to tell them... That was the honest thing to do and besides, Reed wasn't as good of a liar as anybody else... They would see right through her...

Reed left the storage, heading once again towards the Observatory feeling like she would collapse any second. The weight of the news was crushing, and she was about to make it worse...

However, upon entering the Observatory she was greeted by rather disheartening scenery. Everyone else seemed to be gathered in the room, silently sitting around the flashlight. Alex and Ryan sat next to each other, elbows resting on their knees each wearing a sombre expression. Isabella sat opposite them, her face pale and her eyes staring into nothingness. Aksel's head rested hidden in his arms, the man curled up against the wall in the back of the room.

"We couldn't fix the storage..." Ryan muttered quietly.

But you already know it...

"We are going to starve..." Aksel's muffled whisper felt loud in the silence infesting the Observatory.

"We are going to starve..."

Reed's eyes slid across the faces of the gathered, her fingers twitching.

"Um...I..."

The faces turned to her, inquiring eyes tearing through her body and soul. She struggled to speak, words weighing her down. Her throat felt tight.

"The broadcast..." she started, but the noise of Isabella standing up. The woman marched to her, arms grabbing for Reed's shoulders, previously unseen desperation marking her features. Her sclera shone in the darkness, making her eyes appear bigger than they actually were.