Rogue(Discontinued)

Chapter Five

The air was thick and heavy, an extra weight added on our hearts. The sky was a pale grey with a few hopeless clouds meandering through the sky without a purpose. The one day in my life I was ever allowed to let my feet touch the cool blades of dazzling green grass, and it was for this.

I held on to 26 carefully as she sobbed into my shoulder. They had just loaded 27's limp blue body unceremoniously into a poorly made wooden box and were now filling up the hole they had placed it in with dirt. That's all we got in the end. A wooden box and a mound of dirt to crush us.

78 and 137 were the only ones who had come with me when Royal Zecharia had granted me permission to see them bury 27. 61 was cleaning the Eastern Sector's things. Everyone else hadn't cared and went about their daily routines. Death was too common here.

I felt no emotion as the attending guards shoveled the last of the dirt onto 27's "casket".

No, no that was a lie.

I felt anger. An intense fury was breeding inside of me.

26 whimpered into my cloak. "My baby..."

I hugged her as tight as I dared. "He didn't deserve it 26."

One of the guards looked at us cooly. "You have three more minutes. Then it's back to the palace to resume your duties."

I nearly lunged at them, those over-righteous, pigheaded jerks. None of them cared that an innocent child had been led to the grave, just for what he was.

I took a breath and helped steer 26 away from the grave. She was a mess looking at her unfortunate son's final resting place and these guards were a pair of bastards.

137 sighed as we made our way back to the palace. "I had wanted to feel the grass beneath my feet again...but not like this."

78 didn't say a word, but I could see the tears in her own eyes. 27 had been a friend of hers.

"Damn the Royals. Damn them all."

I squeezed 26's shoulder. "Hush. Do not get yourself killed. Please."

She turned her silver eyes on me. "And why not? All that's waiting for us is death anyway. My child is dead. I watched him die before my eyes. There is nothing in this world worth living for, 96, nothing."

The pain in her voice struck me I to silence. She was right. This world was cold and cruel, but it was the only one we had. Something had to be done.

I walked 26 back to her cage, she was on leave from maid duties as Royal Julia was "generous" enough to let us grieve. I really didn't want to leave her alone by herself, but I had my own duty to Royal Zecharia.

A standby guard locked the bars behind 26, but she had already turned her back to us, collapsing into a crumpled, depressed heap. I could see her thin, furry shoulders rising and falling in shuddering, silent sobs.

They were going to pay for this.

I startled myself with that thought. It was there breeding in my mind. The Dissidents were right. The Royals were going too far. I gritted my teeth and tried to push the dangerous notion away. Nothing good could come of a murderous will.

"Are you alright, 96?"

I looked back at 78. "Please, look after her."

78 nodded and looked back at 26. Her ears drooped low.

I walked back to Royal Zecharia's room and dismissed the guard who had taken my place temporarily. I knocked on the door.

"Yes, Devin?"