One Last Lie

Chapter 7

"Hey, did you know that the train station is closed?" Yara asked pouring lemonade into two cups. 

"No, I didn't. How'd you know?" I asked. I figured it was best to play safe and dumb.

"My friends at work told me that the trains aren't going to run until they find out where this Ace person is." Yeah, this "Ace person" happens to be the very person you're talking to right now!

"Well, that doesn't really surprise me. It's kind of common sense they'd close it down. Otherwise that would just be handing him a one-way ticket to getting farther away from getting caught. He already caused so much commotion here, it'd be stupid not to close the station. I mean, he should be pretty easy to catch if at least some people can remember what he looked like," I said.

"I just wish they'd catch him already. The thought of a cold-blooded murderer so close to me scares me." I didn't look at her. Instead I ran my tongue over the rigde of the cup. Did I blame her? No way. She didn't know my story, but it stung just a little, anyway.

"So, it looks like you're going to have to stay here awhile, right? Groztough is going to have to wait," she said. I looked up and met her eyes. Innocent, and genuine. And here she was, sitting with the person she feared most.

"Yeah, I guess. I can afford to stick around for a little longer," I said through a tight throat. Just how much more of this can I really handle? 

                                                           ****

I lied on my sleeping bag shivering right out of my skin from the cold of the night. I didn't know if I was trying to fall asleep, or stay awake. I knew what I'd face if I forced myself to sleep, but it didn't change the fact that I'd be a zombie in the morning. After a little while longer of tossing and turning, my body gradually began to feel heavy, as though weights were attached to each of my limbs.

But an image shuttered my tired body back awake. Something new to haunt me? This is what I get, isn't it? I thought of recalling the image of a frightened Viktor. Viktor, the fearless strong man I've always known him to be lying helpless on the floor, clearly being abused with deep angry red gashes covering his face and body. 

They're gonna kill him!? What the fuck am I supposed to do? My entire body was now covered in goosebumps, and my throat, being threatened by tears, began to throb. Before I could even try to stop my grief over my one friend, my vision grew blurry as I pulled the covers over my head. And eventually, I fell into a troubled sleep.

                                                            ****

She didn't pelt me with questions that morning. Instead, she silently ate her breakfast beside me after the two of us prepared it together. If there was one thing I was grateful for was how understanding she was. If she was anyone else, she wouldn't stop shoving questions down my throat. 

"Do you need anything?" Was the first thing she said since 'good morning, did you sleep well?' and a few directions on how to cook and set the table. 

"No, thank you," I felt so terrible. Just seeing how willing she was to help, with her allowing me to have breakfast, lunch and dinner with her, yet I couldn't repay with the most important pieces of information about me.

"Are you sure everything's alright?" She asked hesitantly.

I gave her a reassuring smile. "Of course, if something was wrong, I'd tell you. You deserve that much." I meant the last part, though the first part was just another countless lie I told. 

 "Okay," she skeptically responded. She doesn't believe it? Well, I gotta make her.

"Yeah, so what do you say I walk you over to work? And I'll walk you back?" I forcefully happily offered. She seemed a bit surprised at the offer at first. She probably expected me to just stay here and sleep...the way I usually do.

"Okay! That sounds nice. So should we head out now?" I wiped my mouth with a napkin and stood up.

"I'm ready." I zipped my jacket and we left her home.  As soon as we neared the front of the town, my heart felt as though it would burst out of my chest, but something caught my ear. Not just mine, but Yara's, too. 

"What's going on?" She said. We turned in the train stations direction to see probably the biggest crowd I have ever seen! We heard nothing but shouts of the citizens, and shouts of the gaurds telling the citizens to calm down.

My palms began to sweat, my heart began to flutter, though I didn't know why. This might be a good thing. "Hey, let's move in a little closer and see if we can catch anything," I said, she nodded, and we both walked towards the mob of angry people.

"Open the stations!" Angry citizens demanded. Open the station? Why?

"Everyone quiet!" A burly guard bellowed. "Norgien's citizens are not the only ones of Ominiski who wish the train stations to be reopened." The citizens began to shout over one another, attacking the Ominiskian government for closing train stations if many in the country took issue with the new rule.

"Quiet!" He shouted over everyone silencing them again. "President Balfanz is currently looking over the issue, and it will most likely be overturned."  Before I could even fully process what he was saying, the entire town blew out into earblasting cheers.

But why would they want the train stations opened back up? Doesn't that give the criminal more opportunities of escaping?

Yara and I backed away from the station. "Well that's interesting. And unexpected. Why would they want the stations opened back up?" I asked. 

"They haven't even found him when the train stations are closed. People need to travel, they expect the government to do a better job! They haven't even found him yet, is he even in Norgien anymore? I've been wondering that for a while, now." This is great, but why do I feel like something is going to go wrong?

"That means you'll be leaving soon, right?" She asked pulling me back into reality.

"You know I might stay. Just for a little bit."