The Savior: Origins

Chapter Eighteen

A day turned into a week. The weeks turned into a month and they went on. Simon and Ty had found a spot for us and the refugees to camp out. It was an abandoned warehouse a little outside of Los Angeles. San Francisco wouldn't be safe anymore since everyone knew our faces there.

After a headcount we realized we had about eighty that got out. All ranging from eight to about forty-five.

None with memories, none with any idea of who they were and where they were. We had started giving people names and trying to put their lives together again. Soon enough, our goal was to get them out there, living suitable lives for themselves.

Putting all of this behind them.

I sat in my chair, wrapping a rope around my hands repetitively and continuously. Barely wincing at the pain it caused me, I was willing to take anything these days. Anything other than the thoughts that corrupted my mind.

"Mia?" I heard a quiet voice call for me. I looked up and saw Simon standing at my doorway. "Are you doing alright in here?"

His appearance had changed a lot these past couple of months. I remember how he used to wear just a white tee and shorts. Now, he was usually just in sweats and other graphic tees. Ty bought him a bunch recently. His now, advertised something called Undertale.

"Yea." I mumbled, gripping at the rope. "What's up? Is everything alright?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you knew what time it was?" I looked at him confused.

"Why would I know?"

"Mia, it is the middle of the night." He told me. "You need to sleep; I know you haven't been able to." I averted my gaze as he moved closer and sat on the makeshift mattress I had as a bed. I looked over and saw a few of the girls huddled on the other ones on the room.

The rooms in the warehouse were limited so we all had to share with others. I had volunteered to go with the younger ones, I could easily comfort them when they were awakening with nightmares.

They had no help with mine however.

"You know, more than anyone that I am not sleeping." I told him. "I haven't been able to since-."

"Since Julie." He nodded, putting a comforting arm around me. "Mia, I understand, but you need to help yourself. Julie is gone, and she wouldn't want you wasting away like this."

I felt the cold come creeping back into my system at the mention of our lost friend. She was too young; she shouldn't have even been caught up in this.

It was all my fault.

"I am not sleeping." I told him again. More forced this time. "Someone needs to watch these little ones anyway. I am more than happy to." I wrapped the rope around my hand once again, keeping me on edge. "Go to sleep Simon."

He shook his head and ran a hand through his blond hair and looked at me with his empathic grey eyes.

"Mia, I know what you're going through." He sat there silently. "The dreams, the thoughts. The pain, Mia, avoiding it isn't going to help."

"Well, it's working so far." He didn't know the full of it. He didn't even know about the bottles. About the broken glass I had under my mattress.

Anything, anything to stop me from feeling.

"Until when?" He asked me, full of concern. "Until you pass out from exhaustion? Until you make yourself sick?" He pushed my chair back next to the mattress and held my arm softly. "Mia, at least try."

My mind wanders a moment, remembering back to watching him thrash around in his sleep. Feeling the pain, I feel.

"Who is Sam?" I asked, avoided the topic. His head perked up at the question. "Before, in your sleep you always call out for a Sam. Who is that?"