Thirteen

The Road

Lady 'I have a list over here with your names.'
Lore 'And how do you know you're talking to Lore?'

Lady 'Ahm, there are photos too. You know, we want to make sure there are no intruders.'

   I have no clue how I can feel she is lying to me, but I do and despite that, I see something which makes me be even more sure about my initial feeling.

Lore 'There is no list there, Miss.'

No answer from her; she looks surprised about my remark.

Lore 'At least can I know your name too?'
Lady 'It is... Azel.'
Lore 'Nice to meet you, Azel!'
Asell 'Take these(she gives me the clothes) and go to the next man for your shoes and backpack!'

I am done taking all my stuff and I'm going in my ward to put them in order.

Three days later.

Everybody is gathering in the garden physically ready to leave the hospital and mentally to meet "the outside". There are us..thirteen teenagers and nine doctors.

Maison 'You already know the rules. Please, stay united and remember one important thing:  many adventures are waiting for you, but at the same time many choices, so you always need to choose thinking as a group, not as an individual. Working in a good team will lead you to succes faster rather than on your own.'
Kevin 'Well, I think everything is done. Should we go already?'

All the people nodd and the three of the guardians from the gates open them up. Kevin hasn't talked to me since I took the test. He is still upset about my answers from our last conversation, but I'm not making any effort to change this situation. He will need me eventually.
We are heading quickly out of the hospital since the impatience and curiosity are bigger than anything.

The nature is finally able to be seen. Green, trees, cars, roads, little houses (they are little because we're away from them), new PEOPLE. Everything is changed than fifteen years ago. This is a new beginning. My beginning. Oh, sorry. Our beginning. - Thinking as a group -

We are walking. The doctors are in front of us, leading us to a new chance to live our lives like normal teenagers. Suddenly, someone ( the voice is Lyvia's)  is starting admiring the view loudly saying beautiful words and showing us a side we haven't seen before.

Lyvia 'I guess we are as free as the birds which fly above the clouds.'

Smiles.

January 'We can't just walk to town, so we take two cars. The distance isn't big, but it is much easier and faster to drive since we are at about 40 miles away from it.'
Maison 'Lore, Stephanie, Jo, Lyvia, Dylan, Eva, Nick go with Kevin, January, Primer in the first one and Melissa, Aiden, David, Tess, Klaus, Andy go with Monica, Andrew, Liam and me in the second car.'

    I can see two vehicles similar to buses and right now I'm really realising that the world isn't the same it was fifteen years ago. Everything has another shape now, looks different; what is normal for us, is old for them and what is nomal for them, is new and amazing for us. I hope the goodness still exists in this new world.
We get in the second car, as Maison said, put our things in order and hit the road. Kevin has looked at me only to make sure I am here because he doesn't seem interested in communicating.

Steph 'Everything around is so beautiful. I almost forgot it!'
Kevin 'Do you remember anything before you got sick?'
Steph 'No, but I have a few vague memories with my parents and I playing in a forest down a river.'
Kevin 'Well, unfortunately your parents aren't here anymore, but you still can make memories. Who knows, maybe these ones end up better than the rest.'
Jo 'To be honest, I can't remember anything from my past. The only picture I have in mind is my father's look. That's all, for now.'
Kevin 'Don't worry! You were kids when that tragic incident happened, so you have almost nothing to remember. Flashbacks are totally normal too.'

I was eavesdropping to their conversation, but, at the same time, I was watching out of the window when suddenly... :

Lore 'I think this smoke gives off from our car.'
January 'What smoke? There is nothing.'

I didn't know what I was saying at the moment. I said those words loudly without having second thoughts. I feel awkward a little bit and I go back to my previous occupation.

Kevin 'No, wait! It's starting to get smoke out from the bonnet. Pull over!'

January is listening to Kevin and she is braking. We get out from it and Kevin goes to see what the problem is He lifts the bonnet and notices that the engine is way too hot. He almost burns himself when he tries to touch it.

Kevin 'Alright, I think we need to wait until the engine gets normal, so.. Break time!'
January 'It could take hours and there is no time for that. We have to arrive in less than ten minutes. It should resist.'
Kevin 'We don't risk their lives, our lives, January. We will wait!'

While they are talking, Jo gets closer to the "problem" and, without any doctors see her, she touches it like it was a cookie. I can't hear her compleining or making weird faces, instead she says the reason the engine is too hot is because something in the cold sistem wasn't correctly matched. Kevin is going to see if that's true, trying to make the system work perfectly again and to find how we can continue our way.

After two hours.

We are still here, in the middle of nowhere. Why did they choose a town in bleakness?
The doctors receive a call from the rest of the people saying they have already arrived.

January 'Everybody, back in the car!'

Her shoulder is pulled in a gentle way by Kevin.

Kevin 'It's still not safe!' January 'Shut up! Maybe it's not safe, but it is not the most dangerous thing it could happen to them. Remember when we were almost ready to bring them back to life and you told me the hardest part is about to come? Believe your words!'

Kevin looks thoughtful and undecided, but he knows January wants to do the best for their plan, so he lets her gather us again in the car.

January 'No one missing?'
Kevin 'No. There are all.'
January 'Let's go then!'
Lore 'I have just realised you never mentioned the name of the town.'
January 'Oh, that's right! Well, since we haven't done it so far, let it be like a surprise. Only ten minutes and you will see.'

Ten minutes away from the place we'll call "home". Strange emotions are getting born inside of me. I don't know if it is because January is driving less slower now or because the thought of the "new" scares me. My heart beats faster and faster, my hands are colder than usual, I'm shaking a little bit, but I'm covering all that up and I'm still pretending I am "only admiring the view".

   After nine minutes.

Even our car broke down and everybody was feeling nervous about driving on this condition, we arrived safely and nothing more happened.
We don't know what to say. The town is beautiful, it has a lot of people, trees, big houses and an amazing deserted forest where we can walk without being scared of wild animals.

All the doctors 'Welcome to TieQueen! Welcome 'home', fighters!'