Revive

Sleepless

The house is dark. All, except for the candle light that came from Mother's study. We didn't have electricity like all the other houses. Though I knew we were more wealthier than them, I understood that my father hated it. He found it dreadful that we were using large amounts of the Earth for our own satisfaction.

I didn't understand a word of it.

Father is very cryptic when it comes to finding a better way. He never gets something done unless there is a better way. Mother hates that.

That, I can understand.

I tread on my small bare feet down the cold timber. I bend my head to the right, seeing a slim ray of light exiting from mum's study. I try and listen but give up and sprint to the large door in the middle of the house, between the stairs.

The left door was wide open, emitting shade of yellow into the entry room. I dashed past, so fast that I bet they didn't see me.

I crouch down, blinking to adjust to the change of light. There are several men. And a few ladies. All of them dressed in grey suits, hair gelled back and stern faces.

I looked around and see dad, back turned. He stood out in a bright blue suit. He was pointing to some sheets on the table and exaggerated his speech with large hand movements. His audience didn't let their eyes leave him. Dad was like a king.

I wanted to be like him so much. To be able to have people who are willing to do whatever I say, whenever I say. To have people understand my ideas so I can help the world.

Suddenly, I felt two hands slip under my arms and lift me up. I screech to stop my kidnapper, but seeing how pathetic it was, it created more problems than solved. I see dad stop mid sentence and look directly at me. He looked angry.

I wriggled a lot, but stop when the kidnapper turned me around. I stared into Mother's large, annoyed eyes.

"Cloud..." she whispered dangerously.

I frowned back. "Let go, mum!"

She hastily put me down a few steps away from the meeting. "Do you have any idea what time it is? Normal four year olds would be asleep."

I looked down at my small toes. When I looked at mum, she continued. "Why are you down here anyway?"

"I just wanted to see daddy," I say.

She smiles and goes to close the other door to the occupied room. She then picks me up and I latch on around her neck.

"You see him all day long," she whispered.

"I didn't see him at all today," I whined.

Mother just laughed as she climbed me up the stairs. She put me down halfway up and huffed. "You're getting heavier by the day,"

I smiled and held onto her manicured hand. "What was daddy talking about?"

"Oh, nothing. Just trying to change the world,"

My smile got wider. "Do you think he will?"

"Yeah.." she said, slowly turning towards me. "You're dad's a superhero,"

It stopped there. Everything froze. Mum's face started changing. Dark spots formed all over her face, over her friendly smile. Geostigma. Then her whole body went alight with flames until I went into darkness.

-------------------------------------------------

Eva's head dangled from the side of the bed, her mouth open. I restlessly slid on the floor, groaning loudly.

"It's so hot," I cried. Eva groaned back.

She lifted her head and found another spot to lie down, facing towards the beige wall.

"Eva," I said, pulling myself to sit. "Are you okay after yesterday?"

Like yesterday, today is a hot day. When we saw the kids' made up game, and their use of hose water. It was also the same time where the strange man attacked Eva, but luckily I knocked him cold and he was escorted by his son.

Eva hasn't really spoken after that and it's been bothering me because I have so many questions to ask her. After the incident, she told me something I didn't understand, and she made me promise. I never usually like lying to her but the words came out of my mouth before I could even think. Because of what had happened, I felt obliged to say yes. I started wondering that if I did end up seeing that man, will I kill him?

I walked towards the window, desperate for something to do that didn't give me sunburn. Like I thought, the street's more dead like before we came here. When we first moved it was like everyone in the neighbourhood knew who our parents. They gave us gifts of food, clothing and even money. At the time I didn't know how famous our parents were, but Eva told me that dad was important to a lot of people.

"Hey Eva, what did dad do?"

She slid onto the floor and rolled on her stomach. "I told you, Cloud. He was a very important person."

"But you didn't tell me what he did. Why is he important?"

Eva pulled a sneaky grin. "Not telling,"

I stomped my foot onto the ground, attempting to scare her but she lied there like a snake. "Why not?!"

"Dad said I had to keep it a secret,"

My eyes then widen in excitement. "He answered your prayers?"

At that, Eva bursted into laughter. It had been a while since I heard her laugh, but this particular laugh was vicious. It wasn't intended to fill the room with happiness. She was mocking me.

"Come on, Cloud don't be so close minded. Once they're dead they are dead, you'll never see them again," she said.

I was filled with sadness and just slumped myself onto the ground. This time I accepted Eva's behaviour. Usually, her mood swings would annoy me so much, I would spend the day away from home or say these horrible things to her that I regret but never say sorry to her. I wasn't really upset at her rudeness towards me. I was upset that she had finally lost hope.

I see her pull another creepy smile and she crawled towards me. She caressed my cheek in her hand and only inches away from my face. "I'll let you in on a little secret,"

Not knowing what she was doing, I let my curiosity take advantage of me. "Tell me," I pressed.

She curved her smile, only getting closer. "Become a SOLDIER," she whispered.

I moved back a bit, but Eva kept moving forward until I fell on my back. She was now on top of me.

"What is a SOLDIER?"

She continued holding my cheek. "You'll see." Her face started getting closer to mine. When she saw my distress, she pulled back and sat up. "I know that they're dead, but I believe dad's vision is going to happen and probably end badly."

I sat up, slapping my hand on the ground. "What was dad's vision? What did he do!?"

All Eva did was place her pale finger on her lips. "Just become a SOLDIER and you'll find the answer,"