The Soldier

CHAPTER THIRTY

  "You had a virus." Jacob says as he scans my arm with a health detector virus.

Its screen blinks red, which means I was close to death. We sit by the bedroom window, the moon shines its glassy light upon us. I take the Reeler from him it as it turns off. If I hadn't stopped throwing up, I would've died.

Jacob stands up and looks through the window.

I stare at him. "No."

He stands me up and says, "This is only the entrance, that's why it's so small."

I nod and lift my face up towards him. His eyes are a grayish blue in the moonlight. It's like the same color of the stars. Just a little bit darker. I stare at them and catch my breath. "I never knew we would meet again." I whisper.

"I never knew, either" he agrees, no smile on his face.

After a while, I ask, "Jacob, do you think this war will ever stop?"

Jacob looks up at the bright silver moon, taking a while to answer. "I don't know. Maybe, it never will." he says back.

I let the conversation drop, as my eyes, full of lead, begin to drop.

He holds me gently in his arms, running his nose against my cheek. "I love you." he says.

"I love you too." I whisper.

In the middle of the night, we finally fall asleep, moonlight shining through the curtains.

When morning times we checkout, we head off again before anyone can look twice at our faces. We're still not in disguise.

An almost later, we find a costume shop, hurrying in.

A lady covers my hair in a bald cap to where it looks like I have no hair on my hair at all. Afterwards, her assistant places faux studs to my eyebrows, and a one under my bottom lip.

Jacob's hair is dyed brown, brown contacts replacing his dark blue eyes.

We pay and leave, just as soon as we came in. No one would ever know who we really were, before and after.

+ + +

Everywhere we turn, I see Northern soldiers on every street. They wear red and white, the color of our flag, and their guns are more advanced than mine. If I'd stayed in the North, I would be one of them.

Jacob and I lower our eyes when we pass them, just to be cautious. I'm betting that those soldiers are on the lookout for us.

We run into a market selling old technology and clothes, and it's completely full. A lady runs up to me and asks if I want to buy earphones. I tell her no thank you.

When we pass through the market we see more guards. They all look around as if they're looking for someone.

Jacob grabs my hand as we turn into an alley. He turns around and faces me. His expression is dark, and I know something's up. "We have to separate. There's no doubt that the soldiers have already spotted us, and if not they will soon." Jacob says.

"Where do I go?" I ask.

He's silent for a moment until we hear the clack of boots. The soldiers are already here, we have no time to think. We run farther down the dark alley and still ourselves on the corners.

The soldiers hold a girl who is screaming. "Let me go!" she screams, but they just laugh and throw her to the ground on the hard pavement. I flinch as the image of helpless Leslie comes to my mind again.