Keep Your Eyes Open

Perhaps We Just Had to Wait

To say that my mind was a mess was an understatement. To say that I was unhappy was also an understatement.

I had been cooped up in a house, not knowing anything else. I was scared for my friends, and I was afraid for my life.

We had all been suffering, and I didn't realise how much everyone else had until  confronted them and told them how I had been feeling. I felt too much like a drama queen, but they all persisted that my feelings were understandable because of my circumstances. Rhys had been keeping quiet, but I didn't want to force him to speak.

"Tab, it's alright. We're here for you," Vaseva gives me a tight squeeze and I let my gaze drop. I had been distant from everyone except Harri, and I felt incredibly guilty.

"I'll make it up to you. I promise. All this time I have spent away from you guys, I'll make it up to you."

And for the first time that night, I slept comfortably.

Over the next week, I began to cook and clean and help everyone. I could gradually feel myself becoming less and less detached. However, as there is always a bad side to every good part, my insanity and panic was only gently pushed aside and I knew it would return. I was still as scared as before.

But there was one day. One day that would stick in my mind for ever.

We were all sitting with the dogs in the cellar, giving them the daily attention they all needed. Vaseva had gone up to fetch some sort of treat, when we heard her call out.

The dogs started barking and we all rushed upstairs, trying not to push others down the stairs. When we got up there, she was standing by the window, an there was the undeniable sound of a car engine rolling towards our house.

"Guys! There's someone coming!" Vaseva called out.

"Can you see who it is?" I asked, coming up beside her. The windows were all blacked out. It was a black van of sorts, all very official. Which made me think that someone had finally come to rescue us. "Harri, someone is coming!" I gripped his arm tightly, and he linked his hand with mine.

"I know," he whispered quietly. The van pulled up outside our house. People in suits walked out.

"Oh god, are they going to take us away?!" Rhys yelled.

"It's alright Rhys, just calm down!" Harri said reassuringly.  The people in suits walked  up to our door, not noticing the large group of us standing by the window, gawking at them. The sound of the knocking on the door resonated throughout my body and it chilled me to the bone.

We all shuffled like a group of penguins to the door and Vaseva opened it slowly.

"Hallo." One of them said.

"Hallo, wir sprechen Englisch, nicht Deutsch." Vaseva said.

"Good, we can't speak very good German. We're here to collect you all. You can ask questions once we get to the headquarters."

"How can we trust you?" I asked, feeling a distinct lack of trust for these people.

"We are the first people you've seen alive for many months, are we not? Would you rather come with us and see something other than these walls, or stay here until you eventually starve?" The bitterness was all too evident in his voice. I involuntarily moved behind Harri.

"Come on guys... Can we get the two dogs and a cat?" Vaseva asked. "Please, they mean so much to us." My heart pounded in my ears.

"I'll go with you if you let me keep the pets and guarantee the safety of me and my friends," I stated bravely. I could tell the man was not liking my attitude. But what did he expect?  A warm welcome and to be presented with a hamper to show our gratitude that they finally fucking showed up?

"Alright. Get them quickly." Mac, Lottie, and Albert had all grown used to each other by now. I ran upstairs to get Mac, and the two twins ran to get their dogs. The rest filled out to the van, keeping close together. I carried a reluctant Mac in my arms to the van and kept him in my lap until he settled down. The twins came a minute or so later, with the dogs on leashes. The inside of the van was broken off from the rest. With eight seats all facing the centre of the van. The official people all sat at the front, which we couldn't see as there was a opaque divider between the two parts.

"They can hear us," Lennon said quietly.

"Yes, we can. Now buckle up and be quiet. It's a long journey ahead."

"How long?" I asked, not expecting an answer.

"Two hours." Not too long then. "Until the first resting point."

For shit's sake.

The journey was painfully long and boring. Almost unnecessarily long and boring. The animals got agitated, and we all began to drift off.

We got fed every two hours, only a small snack and a drink though. Nothing fancy.

When we finally did arrive at the headquarters it was nearly three o'clock in the morning. We all stumbled from the van, not being able to see perfectly clearly.

They let us sleep for about five hours. Only when I awoke did I realise how militarised the whole thing was.

We ate a small breakfast, before being escorted to a meeting room. We all sat down in silence. Our pets had been taken somewhere else, and I was worrying about them. Then, a big man walked in and sat at the head of the table.

"I'm Mr Ford. And I'm here to tell you what happened." Finally. Some answers. He went on to explain exactly what I thought, a scientist and her experiment gone all crazy. He then explained we had been monitored.

"Why the hell would you do that?" I yelled. Harri took me by my elbow and sat me back down.

"We need your help to defeat this virus."

"Well you've been monitoring us haven't you? You should know what to do!" I screamed. "Why did you leave us like that?"

"We needed to know if you were capable of surviving or not," he stated.

"Well I went crazy and we are all now a bunch of psychologically damaged teens. I hope you're fucking ready to deal with us. We've all lost our parents and are now orphans and you want us to help you?"

"Keep your language down. You are talking to an adult." Harri pulled me back down into my seat again.

"Babe, calm down. It's alright."

"No! It's not! Tell me Mr Ford, is the virus exclusively in Germany?"

"Yes." I felt my heart drop.

"Then where have they all gone?" I asked. "They haven't been around for the last few weeks."

"They've headed to the forests to hunt wildlife, as they can't find any other humans to eat."

"Lovely," Prasan muttered.

"What do you want us to do?" I pressed.

"We want to train you up and join our Army to take down the remainder of them."

"Was there any other people who survived?" Harri asked matter-of-factly.

"A few, they're already in training." I nodded.

"Can we go now then?" I spat. He nodded and we all filed out and taken back to our room.

I flipped out and hid underneath the sheet on my bed.

Why?

Why must this happen to me?