Another World

Chapter 9

Who knew that the best hiding place from a bunch of jelly people would be a safe! Of course, genius Raven here, was so determined that his 'cool' safe was the only place where they wouldn't look thinking it was too small for anyone to fit in it, so he locked both of us in the safe. And God knows how we'll get out of it if the intruders don't break it open first. Inside, the box was much bigger than the opening of the safe, but still it's not made to fit any people. Sadly, we were two persons squeezed shoulder to shoulder and both of us crumpled in a ball hugging our legs. This is the second time I'm so thankful for being so skinny. Plus, I was so happy for those tiny holes on top of the safe giving us a hint of light and keeping the box a little ventilated.

"Are you sure we're safe here?" I asked.

"It's the fifth time you ask me the same question Leti! Yes, we are safe. I already told you that the safe is made of thick metal which will confuse their trackers, so the more they get closer to the indicated area by the tracker, the more confused the tracker will be and eventually they will get lost and return back to the place they came from. "

Deep down inside I was hoping they would find us and get us out of that safe safely because I really don't want to spend the rest of my life stuck in this tiny box.

Safe, in a safe, safely, safer, safe... To be honest, I don't feel safe at all!

I decide to change the subject and ask him a bit about Ruby, about me.

"Mmm what was her name?.... Oh Ruby..." I act "You said she was close to you. How?"

"She..she was my girlfriend."

Gosh! I've been with my boyfriend all along and I didn't even know! How bad does it feel not to remember anything!!

"And what happened to her? You broke up?" I try to act natural though he can't really see me. That's a first: having a conversation with your old boyfriend that rescued you and locked both of you in a safe lying on your back hugging your knees to your chest talking about who you really are in another you. That's so... unusual!

My injured leg is as if it never was wounded. I feel nothing. The pain is gone. Maybe it's because of this medication Raven gave me earlier.

"No, none of that nonsense. She..sh..e died."

"I'm so sorry." I can't believe I just said that! I'm so sorry? For what? Because I died? That makes no sense at all! If I'm dead then why am I here? Maybe he's dead too along with the other boys. No that can't be. Is this what the afterlife looks like? Am I in hell? No way! I hate this. If I get one question answered another million questions buzz in my head.

He continues speaking as if talking to himself.
"I can't believe she did it! This was not the Ruby I knew. She would never do that! She was just about to take over the throne and... she..." Is he seriously crying? He really loved me. If only I could tell him I was Ruby, that I was his girlfriend and I'm not dead, but that would be so wrong. He would definitely not believe me. I have no evidence anyway. In my brain, I have no past.

"She's gone" he would repeat endlessly. And I would answer him in my mind: She's not. She's coming back.

I knew it wasn't the right time, but my curiosity was killing me.

"She did what?"

He wipes his tears then answers me.

"They say she committed suicide." He sighs "Just as she was about to become the best queen of all time."

"She was royalty?"

"Yeah"

"You too?"

"Nah, I'm a norm. I didn't even know she was a princess until two days before her death, the last day I saw her..."

"Shhhhhhhhhhh, I hear someone coming."

The noise gets louder. It's not just a someone, it's more than a dozen of creatures. I clutch Raven's hand and squeeze it just like a stress ball. They enter the room where the safe is located. My heartbeat gets faster with every second. I hear some of them fire at a closet. Then, there's another gunshot at something else. The nonstop shots here and there are deafening. Seems Raven was right. The small opening of the safe fooled them since non of the bullets had contact with the safe once. Then, they started communicating with the same foreign language I heard my first night in the dark room. The sound of footsteps started decreasing slowly and so did my panic and terror.

Once silence invaded the house, Raven pushed a button to his left and unlocked the safe.
I got out first.

I expected a mess, yes, but what I saw made my bottom lip drop to the ground. It looked as if a war just took place in Rave's appartement.
Walls were all holed and destroyed. Most of the furniture was broken or burnt to ashes. What looked like a home sweet home, minutes earlier, now looked like a home sweet hell! This place could collapse in any minute. We needed to get out before the ceiling crushes us alive. This is not fair! Raven doesn't deserve this! And it's all my fault. Besides this calamitous mess, a paper lit with fire caught my eye. I grabbed it and dipped one end of the paper in a bucket of water which was surprisingly placed next to the paper as if on purpose.

The paper though was not blank, it was a note. Typed in clear, bold letters it read:

Still playing with fire?
Fire Burns. Smoke Kills.

And People who fight fire with fire, usually end up with ashes.

I reread the note again and again, trying to understand what it meant. I turn around to show it to Raven only to find the same shocked expression on his face, I expected.

He avoids eye contact and says: "We need to go."

I simply nodded and followed.
Infact, later I realized that the whole place was lit on fire.

After some time, we find shelter in the recycling plant and I finally get the chance to show him the note.

"What does it mean?" I ask

He examine it, his colored eyes lit with worry.

"Nothing."

He brutally crumples the paper and throws it in the air.

I start thinking of a conversation, an apology. And the other part of me thought, sooner or later I'll have to tell him who I really am. But at the right time.

"I'm sorry I got you into this kind of trouble. I could've stayed locked up with those freaks and wait for my end without messing other people's lives" I mumble the second part mainly addressing myself.

"What freaks?"

"Four guys around my age..." I sigh "... Leo, Brian, Joss and Adams. They were going to execute us..." I don't continue because he clearly knows what happened next.

His eyes widen.

"Adams?"

"You know him? He's a bit older than me, I think. Green eyes, brown hair, a bit short... He was searchi-" he looked at me then his eyes dropped to the ground interrupting my description.

"He's my cousin."