Evergreen

XIII

Over the next few days I came in and out of consciousness. But with each moment my eyes were open I felt reborn.

The world became sharp and true. I could tell objects, picture became clear. I could feel again.

Alex remained by my side through it all, but I realised too with each waking moment that something else was wrong.

We were in a war.

I stared from the window of the house Alex barricaded. Destruction and chaos is all that it could be described as. Cured vs Uncured. Houses torn apart by those now dressed in white. Like savages, they debased each house, somebodies home, to nothing but a former state of itself, and with only one aim. To remove all Uncured.

Alex and I spent a lot of time discussing what we were going to do. We couldn't stay. Eventually we would be found and we would be torn from our lives, destroyed like the others, because we couldn't be controlled. We always came to the same solution. We are going to have to run.

We chose a night not far from now. To leave the country, far from the men in white. In the dark evenings of November where the night was now longer than the days we could be out of sight, from the men in white.

As the destruction around us continued, the idea became more of a desperate final idea. We were going to live or die, but we would do it together.

And then the plan became official. Days we spent inactive, to avoid drawing attention to ourselves, lying together during the day, indulging in each other's company though hushed whispers and stolen kisses.

During the nights we collected supplies, storing them in the treehouse upon the evergreen. Our first checkpoint.

Alex said that beyond the thick forestry was a river, one that would lead us to the sea. From there we would find somewhere safe, the journey would be long but we would be together, and that is all that mattered to me.

The days came closer, and with each day the city became more demolished. Houses abandoned, fighting split the long pauses of the day briefly, everything was tainted a dirty beige. White buildings no longer white, but many stained red. The true regime began to bleed through the white it tried to hide behind.

Tonight, was the night though. We were going to get out of here. Escape.

As the sky was stained red by the burning sun, we knew the minutes would soon turn the heavens black.

We stood in front of the door separating us from the mess we were to face outside. Putting on layers of clothing, these would be all we would own. What we had on our backs and our love for each other. Even the regime couldn't take that from us.

I looked at him. 'are you ready?' I whispered too him, gently touching the side of his face. He nodded simply. But before I could turn to open the door he pulled me back to face him, pulling me close and kissing me.

One simple action representative of a thousand words; so many thoughts and feelings.

Here we were, facing the world. Or what was left of it anyways. We moved with quick strides from shadow to shadow, men in white where everywhere, as were eyes.

The air smelt of burning, probably a fight an hour or so before. To the cured this was all just fun, to the uncured these days meant survival. With our city in ruins, fleeing may be the only option for some. For the few brave, they would fight for their homes.

But a recent fight would mean that men in white were around, we would have to be careful. Alex turned to me, raising his finger to his lips. We paused.

Around the corner two men in white walked up and down patrolling what was left of the street. We had to get past them to get to where we needed to be, other diversions wouldn't fit into the tight time frame we had to get to the first checkpoint.

Alex motioned for me to stay hidden as he slowly moved forwards in the refuge of the dark. He approached one from behind, slitting his throat with a sharp jagged movement. At this point I had seen too much death to feel towards it, I was numb to the sight of blood and suffering. The second let out a cry of surprise before too being silenced and Alex let out an abrupt 'Move!' as he began to run. With eyes, everywhere the bodies would soon be found and if we were within the vicinity we could easily be found.

We slowed to a walk as I caught my breath, approaching the forest a sense of serenity overcame me, we were almost free. I should have known the calm always precedes the storm.

I began to run, I had lost sight of Alex. Intertwining with the green was the distinct colour of white. Something connoting innocence, protection and safety now creating a threatening atmosphere.

I ran, I kept running, all I could was run. I heard shouts, screams I felt disoriented and as everything went black I begged to any higher power, that the hadn't caught Alex too.