The Unknown Darkness

Follow the Following

Sophia is curled in a ball next to the heater of the cave. Many tried to talk to her since Roger fell through the hole but not a peep would come out. She ran a temperature of 102 but her hands are always ice cold. Sophia was given food when meal time came around but she never did tough her food not even when Rowan tried to encourage her it's for the baby.

"Rowan, Roger was playing you and Sophia, just to let you know." Jax sits next to her on the bench in the cafeteria.

"It's been four days since his death. This isn't the place nor time Jax really." Rowan says looking down.

"When? Huh? There's never going to be the perfect time or place!" He places his hand on top of hers. "I know this is hard, but I can't let you feel sorry for him."

"Oh really? And if it were you I bet Roger would feel bad for you!" Rowan shouts. But right when the words come out, she regrets it. Shock of her own thoughts shows through her emotions.

"Thanks. A lot." He stands and walks off tense from anger.

"You shouldn't worry. I mean it is the end of the world so you shouldn't feel to bad about it. He'll come back for sure." Skylar startles her from behind.

"I don't know about that. When Jax gets mad he stays mad." She tries to smile but it doesn't stick.

"Since we didn't get to go to the Trench of Drenches today would be a good day." He puts his arm around her cheerfully. Carefully he brushes a strand of hair out of her face.

"Sure," she says.

They had been stuck in the cave for the remanding days just for caution. What had happened with Roger had occurred once before but was no one fell like that.

The day is warm with very few scattering clouds. The town was full of life unlike she saw before she left for the NASA mission. Little shops fill the streets with laughter and happiness. They're poorly built shops but no one cared. The smell of alcohol drifts now and then every so often. Yet presence of stress nowhere in sight which was a blessing.

"That's how the happiness get boasted times 100, you see." Skylar says passing a street cart with nothing but oddly shaped bottles filled to brim with thick liquid.

"T.D. is right up ahead." Skylar says. Then whispers, "Follow the following, Jax is somewhere behind. Curious where his little sis is oft to with a strange guy like me."

"Sure." Rowan rolls her eyes taking his hand he held out to her.

A large slide rises up at least 30 feet. Metal of rusted scraps found in abandon buildings. But getting closer, sharp objects stuck out of its sides glistening in the sun. Blood seems to stain their edges with cloth remands too. Twists and turn from the starting to finish line.

"What kind of game is this? Some sick joke?" Rowan backs away stunned.

"Everyone takes life as a party, Rowan, so what do you expect? They take this as a dream. None of this is real to any of them."

"So that includes you?"

"You see only a few of use sees this as a Earth's destiny. Fate if you will. Mel Juju, Kitty, me. We know this is what it's come to." His face for once is filled with concern. "You don't have to play. You can just watch."

"I don't know."

"Please? It's not as bad as you think."

"Fine." She nudges him playfully.

"Great!" he laughs as he jogs off toward the start. "Here, Percy, one admission." He hands a man a brass coin.

"No, I'll go first." Jax shoves past Skylar handing Percy a bag of tokens.

"Where'd you get that?" Skylar chuckles surprisingly.

"Kitty gave them to me during lunch today." He glimpses back at Rowan staring.

"Jax, no, please don't do this! If anything happens to you I'd..."

"You'd what, Rowan? I am technically older than you so I can do whatever I want." He snubs his nose at her.

"But I am the captain so I demand you not to."

"The mission is over. It's been over. So how about you do us all a favor and you get over it like the rest of us." He climbs the steps positioning himself in foot slots.

Slowly Jax is lowering down into the pit of the slide. The sharp objects motion into circles jabbing the air unexpectedly in different times. Dodging left and right, forward and back, missing each blow it throws his way. Towards the end he cheers for himself too soon pumping his fists to the sky. A steak knife guts him right in the left rib. Jax falls to the ground clutching his side.

"JAX!" Rowan runs full speed to him. "I told you not to be such a fool, and did you listen to me? No. You didn't!" She sprints off to the woods leaving the vision of blood and pain behind. Rowan doesn't want this to be real. She wants it to go always with a blink of an eye.

"Rowan! Wait!" Skylar calls after her but stays behind with Jax helping him up.

"Go, she needs comforting. The last person she wants right now is me so go." Jax balances himself on the side of the Trenches.

She sat on a cliff. Watching the sunset. It's a blazing pink and red and hints of orange. She had put her hair in a messy bun relieving her of its tangles. For a second, it seems like she was sobbing into her hands but getting closer she was looking at something intensely. A locket from Skylar's view. It held two pictures on each side. One of a little girl and man, the other with a little boy and woman. Rowan turns back finding Skylar staring.

"That's me and my dad. And that's Jax and my mom. If you were wondering. Our parents got divorced when we were young. Sometimes I think that Jax only signed up with NASA to get closer to me." She snaps the locket shut. A tear silently falls from her cheek.

"I know this world may seem strange, but you'll learn to like it eventually." He tries to encourage. Obviously he's never had to do this before.

"Yeah if I get injected but I'd rather die than see crap like that happen for fun." She waves her hand back towards the town. Skylar sits next to her putting a arm around her.

"I know it's hard," but really he didn't. He was here when it started so it wasn't that foreign to him. He knew the people, land, unusual happiness. "Thank you." Kissing Rowan's forehead so gently. A syringe pokes a dark green liquid into her arm. Before she had time to react, Rowan faints drifting off somewhere unknown. An unknown that had a certain darkness that sends a person flying over clouds. A warm hand strokes her hair.

I love you, Rowan.