Evergreen

VI

Frederick Read.

He was thrashing and howling as he was dragged on stage and suddenly it all made sense.

He didn't look like Frederick Read. He was taller, darker hair with evergreen eyes. The flash before his eyes when I mentioned his job, the wince whenever I spoke his name. He wasn't Frederick Read. He was Alex Dixon.

Everyone chanted, as Alex was forcefully held by the men in white, one either side holding his head and body in place.

Jean White went to the third man, entered the vial into the syringe like instrument and walked over to Alex.

I began to feel a bit dizzy but I can't seem to understand why. This was what I wanted to see my whole life, the cure was the answer to the survival of the human race. Our eyes connected.

Green, but not light green, that of an evergreen tree.

Jean raised her arm stabbing him in the back of the neck with the syringe, and he let out a scream of pain. It took all my self-discipline to hold my body rigid, to not reach forward in an attempt to help.

The vial was inserted and the restraints loosened, he dropped to the floor. His eyes never left mine, he mouthed something to me before they shut.

'top drawer.'

Everyone cheered as his eyes reopened, Jean called the men in white to lift him and speeches were spoken. I had no time for that, I needed to know what he was trying to tell me.

I walked to the glass elevator, but before I stepped in I felt a hand on my shoulder. 'Where do you think you're going?' I was staring straight into the dark cold eyes of Jean White.

'I struggle with large crowds, I'm going to go down to my floor and finish the work I was doing before I got up here, congratulations on your accomplishment.' I spoke kindly, which she acknowledged with a nod of her head.

Before I turned back around I had one last question, 'May I ask, what happens to the boy now he's cured?' She looked at me inquisitively. 'Well he will re-join society, go back to his family I suppose now he's cured, he's no longer a threat to everyone else.'

I nodded before once more thanking her. I stepped into the glass elevator, once more pressing the Thirty fourth button. The view is quite remarkable from this sight, you can see for far and wide. The city is quite alive at this time, the sun just dropped and the lights of the buildings like a star-studded night sky.

My floor was empty I ran to my desk. Top drawer he said, top drawer. I slid open the cold metal, everything in there filed in its usual place, I flicked through each file, each one a name of those I scan in and out. Until I found one I had not seen before. D; Dixon.

I pulled it out immediately, this must have been what he was telling me about. I scanned the file for anything of importance. Family address, found it. I made note on a separate piece of paper before shoving it in my pocket. There must be more he can't have only wanted me to see that, then something caught my eye.

My computer, which I had left logged in with a document open before I left my desk for Georgia's room.

Take me to the evergreen.

What am I getting myself into I thought, but his words replayed in my head, over and over.

He told me it was safe. If the opening was safe then maybe the city is not. Are we being constantly watched, and now I'm going to help a stranger. What has happened to me?

I stood up, carefully deleting the words Alex left on my screen, before logging off, maybe I'm not safe in this building, precautions must be taken. I reached for my black coat, putting it on before walking once more to the glass elevator.

I checked my watch. 9:58pm I usually left the office at Ten, but what's the difference of two minutes? Showing the men in white stationed outside my ID they let me through and now I was on the streets.

I could just go home, it would be a lot easier. Yet no matter how much my mind begged, my feet kept moving and before long I ended up before the Dixons registered address. And then I saw him. Sat in front of a grave in the floor, outside the house, but he didn't look at it, he was just looking directly forward. Sat on the wired black bench, no emotion upon his face. I walked over gripping his hand; he didn't even look at me. And then I walked.

As fast as my feet could carry me, I finally felt his words become true. Too many people around. Everyone is watching. You are always being seen. Someone is always watching you.

My heart beat quickened as I began walking faster and faster, I became ignorant to the low persistent ache in my calves as I willed myself to move quicker, only aware of the lump of flesh I was lugging around. He had no emotion. He was numb.

Soon I got to the forest, it was getting darker every few minutes so I went off memory, begging I would find my way to the clearing. As the trees became sparser more moonlight shone through and I was grateful to finally see the clearing.

I sat Alex down. He continued to stare at nothing. Evergreen, he said something about evergreen. A tall pine loomed close by. I walked over, a structure was built in one side, concealed by its large overlapping branches.

I almost giggled to myself as I saw the treehouse; I should have guessed. I struggled but it had to be done, Lifting Alex onto the first branch I climbed to the next, pulling him to the one I was sat on until we slowly made it up the tree.

When he was younger I imagine he would of scaled this tree, him and his father probably built the house together; their little safe place.

Yet now here I am, lugging him up the branches, one by one, until we reached the house.

I lay him flat on the wooden ground, searching for light, it was going to be dark soon. A single candle was lit and I could now see around me.

It was typical of a treehouse, nothing intricate by design. Four walls, one with a window and door the other three painted a warm beige. A rug was placed on the floor. Between the window and Door was a small stool, on top of it a candle. The wall closest to the window was lined with bookshelves, books, a medical kit and a note placed on them.

I walked closer, picking up the note.

Bri,

If you're reading this then they've 'cured' me.

I had a close friend leave a note to you asking you to bring me here after, I have no doubt with your intelligence you found your way and are now reading this message. I need you to remove the vial. The medical kit is equipped. You're my last hope.

Dixon

My hands began to shake as I placed the note back down, glancing back at Alex as he lay there dazing into nothing, his face was simply empty. I sighed, turning back to the medical kit. Lifting it and bringing the candle along with me I brought them closer sitting in front of him. I slowly opened the box, revealing a scalpel and an assortment of other tools and padding and cloths.

I have to do this, I cannot let him live like this. Slowly I rolled him over, running my fingers over the bump under his skin. I found a bottle of alcohol first holding the scalpel in the flame to sanitise it before pouring an ample amount of the liquid on top to further disinfect.

I winced as I sliced through his skin, but he did not even make a sound. Using tweezers, I ripped the vial from where it was buried in the base of his neck. His eyes closed.

Sanitising the needle, I stitched up the wound, before pouring more alcohol over the top. This time his body shuddered but his eyes remained shut. I wrapped it before turning him back over.

Carefully placing his head on a pillow, I packed away the medical kit. I pulled a blanket from a chest in the other corner of the room, Covering him in it.

I looked at him lying there silently, his chest rising and falling.

Please wake up.