Invade

Chapter 11 -- Vincent

The trip back seemed much more quicker than it did when I went to the abandoned hotel. It was probably because I knew how to get back. I wasn't sure how I was going to get to the hotel in the first place. It was a long walk through the farmlands, through a patch of rotting trees, and down the mountain to the back of the decrepit building.

We had finally made it up the mountain and at the start of the patch of trees. The sky was becoming darker as the sun dipped behind the horizon of the towers. A golden yellow and pale orange water-marked sky stretched out across us. The evening breeze was light, but otherwise there was none present. Clouds became cotton balls of a faded pink.

Brown trunks choked around me. It was as though the thicket of trees made a little haze of mist. Bright green grass came up half way to my knee. The blades swayed back and forth like hair in the wind. Shrubs were slowly being reduced into a group of sticks with leaflets fluttering around. The trees went yards up above us. Dark green foliage that spurted out of the limbs covered up the sky above us.

Ahead was the farmlands, just feet away. The rolling fields of wheat, fruits and vegetables were growing out. The fields were dead and empty. Not a soul was out there to tend to the crops. All of the caretakers to the plants all went home for the night. The remaining light from the sun shone on to the large blades, making it a pale yellow.

Dirt and sticks crunched under my weight. The soil was dry by the forest but freshly watered over by the plants. My legs strained with all of the agonizing steps that I planted downward on to this rugged earth. It was probably a good half hour at the most, there and back.

My mind drifted to earlier this morning. Everything was happening so fast and so sudden. It took me back to realize that everything that has happened was all today. With waking up in the Virtue compound, meeting Hazel. Then Hazel introduced me to Ttwo. I would have never guessed that of all of the ten thousand people who inhabited this city; that Ttwo, one of my closest friends, would be the leader of the rebellion.

Ttwo revealed his motivation, the will and determination of the Virtue. To kill the council. To kill Zoe. It was unheard of. Never in the history of this society has anyone created a rebellion like this will a dying will to overthrow the city's leaders. It was so surreal.

And then he talked about the book. The one I found in whatever room I was in with Zoe's dead father. Along with the key that I took from him. Ttwo said it was a book that held every thought of Zoe. Every lie, every secret. Everything. It baffled me to know that Zoe kept everything in this book under lock and key.

The thought that the city back there in the matter of days or weeks would turn into a war zone made me nauseous. All of the gunfire, killing and warfare. It was a bittersweet thought. It was a worthy cause, Zoe deserved what was coming to her. And on the other hand there would be so much collateral damage. Civilians killed, the Virtue could be overwhelmed and killed off.

It could be over as soon as it starts.

I grabbed the hem of my shirt and rubbed the dried blood I forgot about on my face. The crusted liquid flaked off and floated away. A slight aroma of iron wafted up in to my nose. The smell was disorienting, making me shake the dizziness away.

My back, stomach and face was still sore from what happened a while back. From Crimson and I fighting. I had never fought a woman before. Let alone hit a woman. I tried explaining to her that I was there for her on different terms. She was blinded by rage, it was like the world was on a red hue for her. Her eyes had blood and fire blended.

The first hit was expected. I knew it was coming and I don't blame her, she had every right to. The impact was startling. I hit the ground in pain. She was blood thirsty and she wanted more. I stood up hoping that hit got her anger out of her system.