The Fallen

Chapter 5

We started asking people everything that they remembered and they all said the same thing, they didn't remember what happened on the plane. But it is just all weird, something big had to have happened if they needed these troops to not remember what it was but then why not drug all the generals to and send them out with them? Was this all one big test?

While we were taking a break I made sure I could see or was in arm's reach of Brock and Andrews. When we finally got the fire to be put down we knew it wasn't the best idea but it was rough protection so we slept inside of the plane.

As usual when everybody fell asleep I stayed awake. Recently I have not had a lot of sleep lately but I guess it hasn't caught up to me yet. I got out and sat down on the ground outside of the plane. I was lightly pulling grass out of the ground, and I started praying even though I was not very religious. Brock came out to the edge of the plane and briefly touched my elbow with his hand. He sat down with me and started softly pulling up grass.

'"Can't sleep?" Brock added after he had a handful of dead brown grass.

"No, haven't been able to sleep for a couple days, what is your excuse for not being in there?"

"Well a numerous things are keeping me up, number one- I don't trust sleeping in a plane that was just on fire 3 hours ago. Even though it was small I still am not comfortable sleeping in it. Number two- it's tight in there and they are starting to sweat and kick me so I just figured I would come outside and take a small walk and maybe try to sleep again in a little bit."

"That's fair enough, what's your third reason?"

"Number three- you're awake, I can't sleep knowing that you are awake and having problems that I might be able to fix." I didn't say anything at first and just looked at all the grass that I had scattered across the ground.

"That's very sweet." I finally managed to say.

"Yeah well it's the truth. I know on the first plane we didn't talk much but it did mean something to me. I was reading and usually people know who I am and leave me alone because you know. I look scary, but you got my attention you were different. You kept pushing for a conversation and that Veronica is something amazing by itself. I don't think I have ever met somebody who talks to other generals like that. Like everyone else looks harmless and reminds me of old movies. How nothing bad happens."

He was looking at me and I didn't want to look up, but I knew I had to. I looked up and this was the first time I had actually looked into his eyes. They were a deep blue, like the middle of the ocean where you could get lost for years. I didn't know how to respond with what he had just told me. He was either playing me or was just being nice, but I have been hurt before and was not really looking for that to happen again, at least not right now anyways.

"Hey, uh do you want to go on that walk you were telling me about now? I'm sure they can handle themselves for an hour or two."

"Okay let's go."

I got up and offered my hand to help him up, it was just the nice thing to do. He had a good body though, he had muscles on his arms and legs, and I didn't see it but I could just tell he had at least a 6 pack. He took my hand and stood up, but instead of letting go he held on to it. I didn't say anything but I felt weird. We walked in silence before I finally really commented on what he had said back at the plane.

"You know it doesn't matter what people look like on the outside. It matters what is inside them, that little fire burning inside. That's what matters. What keeps them going through the day, that is what truly matters." He said nothing just walking probably trying to process everything that had happened the last days.