Broken Times

Chapter five: Principium

Prielle

"Somebody else may need the bed." I heard Adam say to the doctor. Apparently he did receive a contusion, but he decided to leave against the doctor's wishes. That's when I really decided to really give this guy a chance.

Now on our way out of the hospital I can't help taking side glances at him, every 2.35 seconds to be exact. I constantly find myself admiring his impressive -although I wouldn't admit that- six foot well-built figure.

'Shit! He just saw me, right? I... Got caught...'

He'll have the arm cast for about a month before his next check up is due, to see how his bones are healing. Every time I see his cast and now that I know about the constusion, I feel like I owe him more than an apology.

The sliding doors parted, and it was as if you'd enter the upside-down. You could still see it, hell, taste it; the debris of the aftershock still clogging the air. It had happened a few hours after the first earthquake and at least half an hour away from where we are, but apparently it caused a gas leak and by consequence, a minor explosion. It was supposedly contained pretty fast, but the air preaches otherwise.

I recoil in a coughing fit after inhaling the smoke that crowd us. "Wow, seeing it didn't make it obvious enough? You had to go and get a lungful of it?" I rolled my eyes to myself. Great! Even my inner self is sarcastic to my outer self?

We're back in the safety of the sterile hospital in a matter of seconds and out of nowhere Adam turns to me with a face mask in his hand and offers it to me, while putting one over his own nose and mouth. The most beautiful pair of almond shaped eyes the color of amber are the only thing you can see now. It's enough for me.

"Damn! Sappy much? I think you've been deprived of social interaction for too long!"

“Do you just happen to always carry these around with you?” Gesturing to the mask now in my hand. He shrugs and gives me a small smile, as if he alone knows a secret.

I stepped outside again, but Adam stayed back. "What's wrong?"

"I can't see well, the smoke is still too thick."

"Take my hand. And don't worry, I won't tease you like you did with me." But I still give him a teasing smile. "I  guess I can see a little better if I leave my glasses on."

"Sorry about that." He looked away embarrassed?

"Don't be! Isn't it normal to react like that? I mean, if you think there's a possibility of another earthquake happening at any given moment after what we just experienced... I get it! I'm still traumatized!"

"Now I feel worse." He looks about to panic after my statement. As if he was the cause of my trauma. So I took his hand before I could think it properly and started walking on the direction of... I don't know where cause we were brought on an ambulance!

Just walk and don't focus too much on the warmth...
Ugh! Am I a teenager?

°°°°°

Once a safe distance from the hospital he turns to me with an inquisitive look, but before he gets to say anything, as if already knowing his train of thoughts I tell him that I have no plan. His eyebrows raise in a surprise gesture. "So, we'll be like the resistance? What will our goal be?" He asked instead.

I ponder on the question for some seconds and the answer it's clear. "To give back to the people. We'll fight for those who can't do it for themselves." "Is it me or do you sound like a TV heroine?" A certain look passes over his eyes briefly, and it's gone as soon as it came. "Did you just interrupt me to say that?" I deadpanned. "Ok... First, we need to figure out a way to get communication back, then think about how we can get some extra food and water, since the rations are not enough for everybody. We can decide on everything else later. Oh! And we definitely need a top secret hiding place, like a layer or a bat cave!"

And he actually burst out laughing.
Does he think I'm kidding? I want a bat cave!

It's still a nice laugh thought...

°°°°°

I was staring at my ceiling counting down the hours to meet again. After we got out of the hospital, we decided to meet tomorrow in his "headquarters" -whatever he means- so we could formulate a plan, and then went our separate ways. There was no way we could contact each other beforehand, yet; so I hope we both make it.

After everything that happened in this last two days I was searching the radio for any kind of news when I just heard that there had also been an increase of reports in sexual assaults, taking me back to the scream I had heard, so near, and wondering if that was the case.

Sadly, every catastrophic event that has happened in the last month has led me to the conclusion that we live by appearances more than we think. And when you strip that away, the only remaining thing, the truth, sometimes is more ugly than we care to admit. And that was, that corruption is everywhere and that we were poor. A third world country pretending to be a first one.

And here I thought that we were advance in technology, but everybody has surpassed us by what feels like a century. All that has happened has just brought it up to the surface, and now we are submerged in it. No one can help us, and even if they could, I don't think they would want to. We aren't the only ones after all.

I guess it's up to me... And maybe him?

"Would you stop day dreaming of being a super hero?"

Shut up!

*****
Author's note:

EVERYBODY! I'm terribly sorry for the way overdue chapter post... A lot has being going on! But, I'm trying to stay organized and always take time to keep on writing. The other this was, that I was really stuck with this chapter, but hopefully it doesn't suck that much and I'll continue delivering chapters more regularly.

Did you guys get my reference of "Stranger things"? It was pretty obvious! 😂

And if anybody is into otome games and got the reference of Mystic Messenger, please let me know! 😉

Glossary: Principium (from the tittle) means start in Latin.

If you're a reader since the beginning, thanks for your patience and loyalty! 😘
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