Silver Lining

Chapter 3

She was familiar and yet she wasn't.

The first time he saw her, a sliver of hope flare within him. It absolutely baffled why he felt that way. Somehow, she made the darkness gripping his soul, keeping him captive and tearing him apart...ebb. And he couldn't deny that, the moment he grasped her hand, he felt an invisible force that pulled him towards her.

He tapped his fingers on his thigh. He'd been thinking about it all day, trying to process everything that happened every time they saw each other in the past three months. He didn't have a clue on why he held her hand when they first met, and why he forgot that he was holding her hand until she pointed it out. And he didn't know why he kept on shaking her hand every time she comes to visit Jerald, and why he would rearrange his schedule once he finds out that she's coming. He figured that there must have been something about her that made him feel like he should touch her or stay close to her.

If he were to be honest, he'd say that she reminded him of his dreams that continued to plague him on a daily basis. Dreams that made him feel an overwhelming need to know more and act. Dreams that made reminded him that doing nothing and walking away was always the better option. Dreams that he couldn't escape from.

Chard tamped down those thoughts, needing to stay focused. Now was not the time to waver or be distracted. The guards were scheduled to interrogate and examine Jerald tonight. A team would be asking him questions – a good answer would save his life and a bad one might get him killed. It was a routine established by the government long before he was born. And since no one opposed it, mainly because people didn't know about it, it was continued until today.

A few hours later, two guards came into view. He immediately hid behind a pillar, watching as they dragged Jerald who was unconscious and badly beaten. His face was ashen, his arms decorated with lines of crimson. He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat when he realized that they used the old torture tools on him. Those were in store for people who committed the highest crimes, those who have been unwilling to reveal their secrets.

His head lolled, and blood dripped from his lips. He could do nothing but watch in horror as the guards throw his friend inside his cell. His body twitched and convulsed as if he was still being tortured. He tore his gaze away from his friend as a few tears fell to his cheeks. He immediately disappeared from view and then swiped a hand over his face.

He should have been used to this. He'd seen nameless men, woman and sometimes teenagers brought in and out of their cells at any given time. He had stared at them impassively, refusing to be racked by guilt, shame and regret. But today was different. He didn't see Jerald the way he did the rest. He never did. He had always thought of him as his best friend, or even a brother he'd trust with his life.

He exhaled a long breath as he stepped out from his hiding place, and approached his best friend's cell. He hadn't even thought of warning him when he heard about the plans to break him. He purposely ignored it, and focused his attention on everything else but his best friend. But how could he possibly do that now that he knew what happened, now that he saw the aftermath?

Two hours later, Jerald woke up and sat up slowly. He moved closer to his bed, wincing at the pain of his injuries. He put a hand to his head, eyes darting around the room until he spotted Chard. His eyes narrowed, the easygoing air around him disappearing completely.

"Hey." Chard moved toward him, peering through his cell bars. "Can I get you anything? Water, perhaps?"

It was a lost cause and he knew it. Jerald was no longer looking at him like he was his friend, like he was almost a brother that he never had. There was only anger, pain and disappointment in his eyes. And he wondered if he'd ever get the chance to fix something that seemed broken beyond repair.