The Network Inspector

Chapter 13:The Light In The Darkness

 Alvin leads us through the halls of this building. The carpet floors are soft beneath my shoes, and there are paintings of nature along the walls. Behind some of the doors, we can hear people laughing and playing music in their rooms.

 "People are actually happy here?" Kyle asks Ricky, nudging him."Maybe it won't be too bad here. Although, I might have trouble sleeping knowing that we are in a zombie-infested city."

 "This building is ninety-five percent safe," Alvin says, not sounding pessimistic."No zombies would be getting past our walls, unless one of you will turn like Adam did. The guards here are highly trained soldiers, and have been friends with you all while prepping you for life in the Network. In San Diego, we will give you back your memories and you all will remember."

 "What happened to my family?" Mason asks Alvin, gruffly."I don't take kindly to the whole kidnapping us thing. So tell me what happened to my family, now!"

 Lucy gasps when we all hear a slap. Mason rubs his cheek, scowling as Alvin glares at him.

 "My sweet Elizabeth is dead, so I don't care what happened to any of your family!" Alvin shouts, sounding full of fury and grief. He realizes what he's just done, then disposes of his glare. He smiles, but I can tell it doesn't mean he is happy."My apologies, Mason. I assure you that my team will contact your family once you all have settled in. I'm sure all of you have family members who miss me dearly."

 "You better do just that, old man," Mason warns. We resume walking through the hall, then Alvin leads us around the corner. He pushes open a set of double doors, then allows us to enter the massive room. There are at least thirty bunk beds in the room, and tables with a dozen pizza boxes on each of them.

 "Enjoy your overnight stay here, everyone. You all deserve it," Alvin says, walking into the room with us. There's a large window next to one of the tables, and I can see that it's now nighttime.

 After ten minutes, I'm sitting on one of the bunk beds with Lucy beside me. We're both eating pizza, enjoying each other's company as the others eat and chat. Alvin walks up to us, then hands us napkins so we can clean our greasy fingers.

 "Sorry to interrupt the fun, but you won't be sleeping in this room," Alvin tells Lucy as she wipes her hands with a napkin."We have your own private room in a different hallway. Follow me there."

 Lucy finishes wiping her hands and fingers, then tosses the napkins into the trash bin nearby. I decide to go with Alvin and Lucy, wanting to protect Lucy. I want to be there to attack Alvin if he hurts Lucy. The three of us leave the room, and head to a different hallway not too far from the room.  

 Alvin guides us to a open door at the end of the hall. Inside the room is a queen-sized bed, a bookshelf, separate bathroom, and a desk. There's also a window that would allow someone see what's outside.

 "This will be your room, Lucy," Alvin tells her."Sleep well, because we have a big day tomorrow."

 Alvin walks away from us, leaving me to converse with Lucy. I stare into her brown eyes, wishing that Ricky didn't take every chance he got to be close to her.

 "What are you thinking about?" she asks me. I shrug. I want to tell her that I wish I had more opportunities to be with her, but I don't say that.

 "Wondering what tomorrow will be like, I guess," I reply."I hope things won't be too bad."

 "Hope is the best thing we have right now," she says, then opens her arms."Luckily, we also have each other."

 I step forward and we wrap our arms around each other. When we pull away, I'm surprised and filled with joy when she kisses me. Our lips touch for two seconds, but it's still an awesome moment for me.

 "You are the light in the darkness, Danny," she says, cryptically. I give her a expression of confusion, then she laughs."I think it means that you bring hope, even when everything seems terrible."

 "And you're..." I begin to say, but trail off. I'm not sure what to say about her. After a few seconds, I think of something."You're my best friend."

 "I hope I'm more than just your best friend," she says."You can't tell me that you don't want to be my boyfriend."

 "I do," I say, honestly. Of course I want to be her boyfriend. She's been in my life for years, even before we were brought into the Network.

 "Good. I like you, Danny. A lot," she states."If we survive long enough, I think I'll marry you. Goodnight."

 "Goodnight. See you in the morning," I say, even though I want to tell her I love her. That will have to wait another day. I guess that's good enough for now.

 Lucy enters her room, then closes the door. I stare at the door for a few seconds, then turn away.

 One hour later, I'm back in the room with the bunk beds and pizza. I'm laying down on one of the beds, having chosen the bottom bed after Ricky took the top one. The lights are off in the room, bathing us in darkness. Some of the boys are sleeping peacefully, while others are speaking to each other.

 "Hey, Danny?" Ricky says. I thought he was asleep. Maybe he was simply laying down and thinking, like I was.

 "Yeah?" I ask, wondering what he wants. 

 "Do you think everything will return to normal, soon?" he asks. Of course there's a possibility that the world will become normal again, but it's not guaranteed.

 "Of course," I say, then start feeling more exhausted. It's been a horrible day, especially due to the fact that we are now free from the Network. That building seems to be the safest place on Earth, now. I wish I could be back there, again. Safe.

 "Do you really like Lucy?" he asks me."The other boys think you do. You probably did something with her when you two left the room with Alvin. You know how I feel about her, and I bet you kissed her."

 "Sorry, dude. She means everything to me. I wanted to her that I love her, but I didn't. I think she wants me to marry her," I reply. He becomes silent, probably upset over the fact that Lucy prefers me over him.

 "You kissed her?" he asks, after a minute.

 "She started kissing me, but I did enjoy it," I answer."Don't worry, there might be girls in San Diego. Lucy most likely isn't the last girl in the world."

 "I'm going to sleep," Ricky says, wanting this conversation to end. After a few minutes, I can hear him snoring. 

 Besides the talking boys and snoring, the sounds of groaning could be heard inside the room. There must be zombies massing in the streets, groaning as they search for prey. I shut my eyes, thinking that I will feel more peaceful with my eyes closed. 

 Even though there is a terrible virus plaguing the world, I feel happy knowing that I have Lucy. Lucy isn't my only companion, though. Mason, Ricky, and Jack are decent allies who I look forward to speaking to in the morning.

 I open my eyes, then grin widely. I feel safe in this moment, and that's good enough. This world is cruel, but I will help change that.