One Bright Spot -- The Revisions

5

∞Christal∞

Two days later, I finally talked Kota into letting me go back to my apartment, with the stipulation that I would not exit it unescorted. I promised him I would not. I would have promised him just about anything to get out of there.

I'm sitting on my bed, staring at the picture of my parents, close to tears. Then it dawns on me. My mom. She must be freaking out, wondering why I haven't called her. I grab my phone and hit the call button.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No dial tone. No ringing. Just dead air.

It must be because we're underground.

I really am stuck in here. I start to cry.

***

Josh comes by later to check on me, "How are you holding up? Are you in any pain?"

"I'm fine. I can't call my mom, though. I was able to the first night, so why can't I now?" I ask to test him.

"It's where we're..." he stops abruptly.

"Underground?" I finish for him.

He looks relieved, "So Kota's told you."

"You're tolerating it, too?" I ask in disbelief.

"I don't really have a choice, now do I? I'm stuck in here, same as you and everyone else."

"We can fight back", I suggest.

"It's suicide. She has security guards and everything. There's no way we'd win."

"Nobody's even trying." We sit in silence for a moment. "Will you take me down to training? I'm tired of sitting around. After everything that's happened the past week, I need to punch a bag. Or two."

"Are you sure you're up for it?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'm sure", I tell him.

"Okay."

***

My fists pound the punching bag with everything I've got in me. I keep punching, even when my arms feel as if they are on fire.

Finally, Josh comes up behind me, and takes hold of my arms in mid punch. He wraps me in a hug, "Christal, its all right. But you're going to hurt yourself if you don't stop. And we both know that Kota will kill me if you take a turn for the worse."

I can't help it anymore. My walls fall down and I start crying. Josh holds me; whispering in my ear and smoothing my hair back from my face, "It's all right. It's all right."

He turns me around so that my cheek is on his shoulder. I wrap my arms around his waist. He lets me cry; lets me get it out. My sobbings quiet down to sniffs and hiccupping. When I pull my face back, my cheeks feel sticky and my eyes swollen. They sting, but I rub them anyways. I immediately regret it.

Josh's low voice breaks through the quiet stillness, "If I had anybody to miss out there, I would be crying, too. But everybody I love is in here, trapped with me."

I sniff which turns into a yawn. When I regain control of my mouth again, I ask, "What about your mom and dad?"

"They died in a car crash when I was young. My aunt gained full custody of me and I ended up here." He looks at me pointedly.