LOLA IS DEAD [ COMPLETED ]

Chapter Eight

I woke up early the next morning. The room was cold and dark and all I could hear was my steady breathing. I must be tired from yesterday's activity with Safa that the minute I hit the bed last night, I drifted immediately to sleep. It was dreamless and quiet, I see nothing, but darkness whelmed me in a cocoon. But instead of panic, I felt peace. I wanted to dream about the life I lost but the dream didn't come. The minute I opened my eyes, I tried hard to conjure all the memories that I had when I was still alive. I wanted to embrace those memories once again, but I was troubled that it took me a while to paint a picture of my mother in my mind. Those memories were slipping from my grasp and the dread that I felt was immediate. Something told me that this was normal, that the more the soul stay in the afterlife, everything that defines you as human will be stripped away. You'll be reborn as a soul. Would I be losing all those memories? I couldn't bear the idea of forgetting my family. It was the only thing that I have left. My brother's face appeared in my mind. I saw his green eyes beamed; the freckled in his face, his brown hair - he was a male version of me. Ram's face brought a smile to me and suddenly, the darkness became bearable. I held the thought for a while. It took me a moment to realize that my eyes were wet with tears. I was crying and I didn't even notice it. I wiped the tears with the back of my hand and sat up. The floor was cold against my feet, but it doesn't really matter. I stood up and walked towards the window. It was a moonless night and the stars were distant and reluctantly hiding behind dark clouds. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, allowing the cold morning air filled my lungs. I opened my eyes as I breathed out and suddenly, I felt awake and my vision was clearer. The darkness outside was unnerving. The walls loomed over the village and casting shadows from the roofs below. Something was brewing from beyond those giant walls and probably it was just my imagination or a hint, but something wasn't right. Then suddenly, an explosion shattered the silence. My eyes darted from the groves outside. The explosion was followed by gunshots. I heard voices screaming from a distance, there were inhuman growls that made the hair in my arms stood. I leaned closer to the window and squinted my eyes to see clearly. There were movements at the alleys beneath the Zion Headquarter. People running clad in black hoods, moving towards the gate. "Guardians" I said.

What's happening? I needed to know what the commotion was all about. Another explosion; this one was closer to the wall. My eyes were huge in shock to see the smoke rising to the sky. I heard voices below. Platoon leaders cascading command as the guardians spread through the alleys moving swiftly in different directions. The door from my room opened in a bang and I jumped in fear to see Safa holding a candle with huge eyes staring back at me.

"Safa! What's happening?" I almost yelled.

"Darklings." She answered. "They never come closer to the wall... Not until now."

I stared at her appalled with my eyes wide and mouth opened. I didn't know what to say or how to react. Safa mirrored my fear and she walked in haste toward me and held my arm.

"Olga told me to get you. She said that the Darklings must be looking for something and..." She stopped and she seemed searching for the right word to say.

"Do you think they're looking for me?" I asked and the thought of it made me shuddered.

"I don't know what to think as of now. We must go to the base. We will be safe there. Olga didn't tell me much. Let's go."

There's no need to argue with the situation. For the first time my mind was blank and all I wanted was to follow Safa to the base downstairs or wherever we could be safe. I know that this wasn't the right attitude for a Guardian. To be one, someone must be fearless and ready to face the enemy or in this case the Darkling demons. I thought about Sula and her platoon of Barbarians. She must be at the front line by now fighting fearlessly. How could I be like her? I was nothing like her. For a Guardian, I must be fraud. Safa and I reached the base and the moment the elevator door opened; I saw chaos. The magic stairs were opened and Guardians where running everywhere. I moved closer to Safa and held her hand to show that I was scared. She didn't say anything but in response, she squeezed my hand to tell me that everything would be okay. I wasn't convinced by that and my anxiousness was rising inside my body that made me wanted to vomit. With my free hand, I covered my mouth and swallowed hard to stop the bile from my throat and for a minute it worked. Safa pulled me closed to her as we snaked the hallway. I walked behind her to give way for the Guardians hasting for the stairs. When we reached the intersection Safa turned left and I followed. I took a quick glance at the Archangel Statue and made a short prayer for protection. At first, I thought we were heading to see Olga, but we didn't stop at Olga's chamber. I wanted to call Safa in case she forgotten Olga's room but it seemed Safa knew where we were heading and so I followed her without protest. We passed through the infirmary and I could see Guardians lying on beds and it was literally mayhem. At last we stopped in a closed-door room at the end of the left wing. Safa looked at me but didn't say a word and motioned a hand to knock at the door but the door immediately opened and there stood Keenan staring at our frightened faces.