The Sky Grows Brighter Every Day

The Sky Grows Brighter Every Day-Chapter 4 Part 1

Chapter four-part 1

Adam and Alan stared at her wordlessly, their eyes wide with shock. Anastasia felt close to tears.

“You said you knew everything about her life?” Alan stared accusingly at Adam.

“I-I…I thought I did, I knew her parents worked for the Government but I just assumed that they were minor secretaries or something like that” Adam cursed and walked to the other side of the room.

Alan took a deep breath in “Ok, well now we know that…. How do you think you were exposed to plutonium?”

Anastasia looked up from the spot she had been staring at on the floor “Well” she began in a quiet voice “From what I can…remember my parents took me to their lab when I was about 5, and it was only a couple of days before the Bomb hit and the War began they left me playing with my rag-doll while they talked with Murdoch…the officer who was assassinated”

“Yes we know who Murdoch was” Alan said impatiently.

“And I think they were requesting a few days leave…but it was during the time that the Bomb was due to got off so I think Murdoch denied them it, but they were killed from the Bomb but I wasn’t, anyway they took me to their offices and handed me a grey piece of rock, I rolled it about on the floor a bit, and played catch and then they took it off me I never thought until now it could have had any relevance but I think that’s how I was exposed to plutonium” Anastasia finished off.

“So what did you actually know about her parents?” Alan turned to Adam, he looked much calmer now, and he had been listening to Anastasia’s story and was slowly leaning back against the table.

“I knew their names, Sarah and Robert… she was 42 and he was 43 when they died. They lived on Whittaker Street which is no longer there now. They had two children, Anastasia and Isaac who has been missing since the Bomb hit, his body was never found. They worked at the Government doing some menial job even though their intelligence level was very high also…”

“SHOULDN’T THAT HAVE WARNED YOU OR SOMETHING? OBVIOUSLY THEY WERE SMART!!!! THEY DEVELOPED THE BOMB!!” Alan shouted at Adam and then walked out of the room. Adam stood there and let his grand-father walk out; he seemed unaffected by his rage.

“Shouldn’t you go after him of something?” Anastasia gesticulated in the direction he had gone.

“No, he has done this before, he will come back sooner or later” Adam yawned and sat down in a cold plastic chair.

“So what else do you know about my parents, I mean you seem to know more than me and I was their daughter?” Anastasia realised how petty she sounded “I mean please could you tell me?” she amended.

“That’s about it, I know a bit about your brother, I know he was a lot older than you and didn’t live with you or your parents so maybe you don’t remember him much…but I could tell you stuff about him if you want.” Adam looked at her.

“Umm yes please” Anastasia tried to look hopeful even though hearing about dead family member were the last thing she wanted to do.

“Well he was 12 years older than you and was a major player in the rebellion that, his name was Isaac Stayne, and he well…he disappeared.”

“So is he…alive?” Anastasia let go of a breath she didn’t even realise she had been holding.

“Well…it’s possible but if he is…and I am saying if…then where has he been hiding for the past 12 years since he supposedly ‘died’”

“I-I don’t know, but it would be nice to have someone who is related to me alive” Anastasia turned away hiding her face from him.

“Why are you hiding?”

She felt him looking at her intently, and glanced up “I am not hiding”

“Yes, you are and you don’t need to be frightened, no one’s going to hurt you” Adam whispered tenderly. He leant closer towards her as she leaned in, their lips touched and they clung to each other like they were dying.

“Alright I’m ok now” Anastasia and Adam sprung apart as Alan strolled in “what have you two been talking about whilst I’ve been gone then?”

“Umm… Anastasia’s family…do you think it is possible her brother Isaac is alive after all these years? Adam said quickly, a crimson blush creeping up his face.

Alan considered the question, oblivious to the awkward atmosphere he had just created “Well, it’s possible…we need to find out if he is. Maybe you two should go undercover in the rebel’s camp and try to find out what is happening but it is a long journey…almost two weeks… I think to find answers to the questions we are asking, we will need to stop waiting for them to come to us and go and get them ourselves. I’m going to pack!” Alan walked out looking determined. A long silence followed his departure.

“So…where will we be going?” Anastasia said to fill the silence.

“Umm…” Adam strolled over to the map which was pinned to the wall “Well he said about a week’s journey and so that could be Canada, France, Israel or Scotland, before the Bomb happened all the countries were separate you see, but now my grand-father thinks they are all joined up and this is a rough map he has drawn, so we might get lost” Adam smiled wryly at the wall.

“I need clothes then for different weathers and climates” Anastasia nodded “I will also need something to pack them in, do you have a backpack I could borrow please?”