Decipher | Watty's 2017

LXXXV. Logomachy

Logomachy

/lōˈɡäməkē/

noun

an argument about words

My feet couldn't have carried me to Luke and my room faster than they were. I reached the door in record breaking time, my hand having to rest on my chest to help steady my breathing when I finally stopped. Luke glanced at me with a bewildered expression.

"What happened?' he asked, but I held up my hand as if to ask for a moment, still heaving due to the fast pace of my run. Being the worried boyfriend he was, Luke began to sit up from his chair despite the doctor's orders.

"Stop!" I suddenly shouted, which caused him to slouch back into the seat as he waited for me to tell him, explaining why I had ran all the way to our shared room. "It's the Code," I finally managed out, waving off the sudden wave of questions as I took another deep breath. "It's deciphered," I said, meeting his eyes with mine, the shining blue in them clarifying that I was telling the truth.

Luke seemed stunned as if he couldn't believe what I was telling him. Although I had been infamous for playing practical jokes on Luke to his expense, I had never joked about the Code, finding it too serious to toy with. His eyes lit up finally as if he realized what this truly meant. Emotion seemed to cloud over him as he stood up suddenly, only to wobble slightly and put myself on edge.

I came up beside him, laughing gently as I led him toward our bed and helped him lay on top of it before following suit in relaxing into the mattress. Silence filled the room as we both thought of what was left to do. Neither of us thought through this part, thinking that the deciphering process would take much longer than it truly had. Not to be confused, we were both happy, but now the hard part of planning the attacks and attempting to gain supporters within the cities was placed upon us.

I wasn't sure if Luke felt the same, but I was still in shock of Michael's death, the scene of Riley speaking to 'Michael' still vivid in my mind as I constantly reminded myself that he would be proud. The idea of not being able to celebrate with Michael was beyond my understanding still, even after his death had settled into my brain. Now the planning was going to be underway soon and I was left in the dark, not knowing how this would affect Luke, who sat emotionless beside me.

"Say something," I begged him, watching his face as the corners of his lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed. Although I had expected some grief from him, I had never expected him to completely close himself off from me as I attempted to bring him back to reality.

"I just," his voice faltered as he looked down at the floor, his breathing remaining deep as though he were trying to block out the memories of his dreams and Michael's death. "I just can't believe it," he laughed slightly, lifting his head up to look into my eyes with intense emotion flooding his blue orbs. "All I was worried about was you being killed because of what happened to Michael, but now I am just happy that we can finally get out of here," he spoke, gripping my face between his hands and holding me there while he gazed into my eyes. "I'll protect you."

Those words sounded like a solemn vow, but I lacked the faith to believe that Luke was able to protect me from the perils of this world, especially after all that had happened since I had arrived in the colony.

Only two years ago, I had been rescued from the laboratory and I had thought the outside world would be a new journey that would bring happiness and purpose to my life. Sadly, within the last two years, the only thing I had received from the outside world was cruel punishment and the ever growing feeling of being jaded. I had walked out of the laboratory with the envisionment of blue skies and the sun shining brightly, but now I was followed around by a dark cloud of memories that eclipsed the sun in all of its glory.