Cairo

Chapter 33: Immortals

The bridge to the past that Cane had always known had burned. Red and tall like the flames he watched engulf his house. A large gap stood between him and the scorched black land of death that resided behind him. No footprints left to lead back to safety, Cane knew he could only walk forward.

But he hesitated as he contemplated the two roads in front of him. Which was the right one and which was the wrong one. The lines between good and bad had blurred, and at this point, Cane wondered if anyone knew.

Sia slapped Cane on the backside of the head as she walked past. "Didn't I tell you before not to think about things so much. Life is more simple than you're making it out to be. Give your mind a break for a bit and enjoy outside while you still can."

Cane turned to her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that when you're plagued with so much guilt even your sense of enjoyment is stripped from you. Everything you look at reminds you about the wrongs you've done somewhere in the back of your mind. Those are the kind of thoughts that you can't erase. No bottle or pain does..."

Sia pointed up to the sky with her finger. Cane followed the invisible line she made, squinting his eyes as the glare of the sun stung his eyes. The sun shined bright in the sky. It felt hot against Cane's skin. He shielded his eyes with one of his hands as he looked out into the sandy terrain around him.

The base was located in a small village that'd been previously abandoned. People moved in and out of buildings, lively greeting each other with a smile on their faces. They looked like normal citizens going about the grueling tasks of daily lives. Children's laughter filled the air, women talked around their houses in groups while fussing over the laundry piles in front of them, men walked the heat stricken paths with sweat pouring down them and baskets of food over their shoulders. With all the activity going around, it was no one in the Government wasn't aware the people living here were the rebels.

Yet as Cane looked into the faces of the people he past, he was filled with a sense of irony. The same people fighting against the Government are also the ones being helped by them, receiving the benefits of the aid given to towns and cities alike. Without the supplies of food and water the Government gave them, none of them would be able to live. They were biting the hand that fed them, and yet Cane couldn't even preach against them.

He'd thought the same at one point. Had the fire of hatred burning in him, scaring the flesh inside of him one broken memory at a time.

Cane sighed, scratching his head as he waddled behind Sia. From under her hood, Sa looked back at him. Her eyes sparkled in the darkness that surrounded her.

"Where are we going?" Cane asked.

"Someplace special," Sia said. "It helps me when I'm in a rut, so I think it'll help you."

"I thought you were teaching me to kill someone?"

Sia laughed—the kind that made Cane cringe, filled with a bitter aftertaste. "I can't do that. No one can make that decision, but you. Sure I can put my hand over yours and pull the trigger, but that's me doing all the work not you. I can't teach you to get used to killing people. You either kill or you don't; there's no in between."

"You said you'd help me," Cane shouted. "I can't do this by myself. I've never killed someone; I've never even gotten into a fight with someone, and now everyone expects me to just be able to do this. What am I supposed to do? I don't understand."

"That's something you have to decide for yourself. Killing someone isn't about being able to pull a trigger or fire an arrow; it's about being able to shut your heart out."