Stained

Sail

“Learning to trust is one of life’s most difficult tasks.”

–Isaac Watts

            I woke with my heart thumping and in a cold sweat. I clutched my chest as I forced myself to breathe as I blinked my eyes and let my eyes adjust to the darkness.

            “You okay?” Avery’s voice came from across the empty room and I saw him wrapped up under blankets and hear the quiet chattering of his teeth.

            “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Goddamn, you’re freezing. Why didn’t wake me up or make a fire or something?” I sat up and pushed the nightmare from my mind, not wanting to imagine the screams or watch her die. I wanted to forget about her for a while. I wanted to focus on something else, and Avery freezing to death was probably a good start.

            “I tried to start a fire, turned out kinda like the last few nights only it took more time to find the matches.” He pulled the blankets tighter around him.

            We’d been staying here for a few days because of the long holiday and everyone was required to stay home. It was World Unification Day. The day that England officially controlled the whole world and decided that the new year should start that day. Yesterday had been the 64th anniversary and started year 2124.

            Bane Industries would still be working, in fact, they’d be working harder than any other time of the year. That was the day that was supposed to be the most productive because that’s when the government wanted results. As a secret government company, Bane was exempt from the rule.

            I smirked as I watched him try and be cool and play off how cold he was. “I’ll start a fire for you and you can get some sleep.”

            “Fine.” He mumbled and stood up and went over to where I was sitting. “You’re lucky you don’t get cold.”

            I got up and stretched, feeling my back crack a little as I walked over to the fireplace and saw a box of matches on the ground. “What did you do?” I asked as I picked up the box and found a single match that he hadn’t used and struck it along the side.

            “I tried starting a damn fire.” He hissed as he drew his head under the blankets. “It obviously hates me, so I gave up.”

            I stuck the lit match under wood and waited for the wood to start to burn. “Probably a good idea.” I pulled out the package of cigarettes and placed one between my lips before lifting the match to the end.

            “I’ll leave the fire stuff to you, because obviously I was not made to do it.”

            “That sounds good to me. Get some sleep; we’re catching the first ferry out of here tomorrow.”

            He mumbled a response too quiet for me to hear as he fell asleep.

            I turned my head to look over at the fire that was flickering beside me and was casting an eerie glow around the room. I pulled the white paper cylinder from my mouth and let the smoke out between pursed lips.

            What are up doing Erik? Did you really take  over Bane Industries? You hated that place almost more than I did! And you blame me for your father’s death? I was on a plane! Who told you I did it? Questions kept flying through my head, but none of them helped me find answers or made me feel any better. If anything it just made things worse.