Saving Humanity

Chapter Forty-Four: The Great Escape, Part Two

Chapter Forty-Four: The Great Escape, Part Two

Holly

It is as though everything stops, because as soon as Kenji steps in, silence prevails.

His footsteps are the only sound in the hallway. Someone lets out a sharp intake of breath--then I quickly realize that it was me who did it.

Kenji's gaze travels to where Jared is located, and stays there. No matter how hard I try, I can't read the expression in his eyes. The way he looks only adds questions to the thousands already existing inside my mind. Is he still angry? Does he still believe that Jared was the one who killed Kenneth?

But I choose to keep my mouth shut. This isn't my scene to interrupt. Jared and Kenji need to talk. And they need to do it once and for all.

Ephraim steps away from Kenji, who now has a full-view of where Jared is. His expression remains unchanged, though.

As expected, Jared is the first one to break the silence.

"Hello, Kenji." His voice is still hoarse from disuse, and upon hearing it I see the subtlest change in Kenji's expression. His mouth twitches ever so slightly, indication that whatever he saw or heard affected him.

He clears his throat, responding to Jared's greeting.

"Hello, Jared."

Silence. All of us are anticipating the next words that they're going to say. Ian, Felicity and Andre already knew what happened, why Jared was imprisoned. We told them everything that had happened since we got here. In exchange, they told us what happened to them.

It was gut-wrenching. The way Felicity cried when they were recalling the events of the massacre in the hands of someone named Edward almost made me vomit. I can't imagine being there, seeing all the dead bodies.

They had a much-harder time outside than what Jared and I had inside the Institute. We might be closer to one of the masterminds, but they faced the wrath of the post-apocalyptic world that we are currently living in now.

Just thinking about it makes me dizzy.

I turn my attention back to Jared and Kenji, and to the moment that is about to unfold.

"Bakit ka nandito?" Jared asks. It is an innocent question--something that seeks an innocent answer. There is nothing hostile on how he delivered it. He simply wants to know why.

Kenji swallows, hard. I can tell that he wants to say something, but he doesn't know where to start. Both of them seem unaware of us listening in on their conversation. Ephraim stands a few feet away from Kenji, waiting for his turn to speak.

Finally, Kenji speaks. What comes out of his mouth is something that I did not expect.

"I came here to apologize."

It seems that Jared isn't expecting it as well, because he's rendered speechless. I watch as Kenji puts a hand at the back of his neck, rubbing the skin with his thumb.

He continues. "I was such an asshole for accusing you. I should've given you the benefit of the doubt, even after seeing you with a bloody knife while sleeping next to...next to Kenneth."

His voice cracks at the mention of his deceased partner. I don't know if Jared is aware about him and Kenneth's relationship. As far as I know, I'm the only one aware.

But that's not important now. What's important is Kenji, and what he's about to say.

"I'm sorry. I was so fucking blinded by my grief that I refused to see reason. I refused to acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, it was just a set-up to make it look that you did it. I don't know if you really did it... I don't know anything about everything anymore. I simply stopped caring."

Jared continues to be silent. I'm not sure if he's speechless, or he's just giving Kenji time to explain himself. I won't be surprised if it's the latter, though. That's just the kind of person he is.

"Hindi ko pa rin alam kung ikaw nga ang pumatay kay Kenneth," Kenji continues, his unwavering eyes looking directly at Jared's direction. "But I also refuse to let you rot here without giving you any chance to explain and prove your innocence."

Kenji takes a deep breath. "I'm going to do my best to help you and your friends get out of here."

Hindi ko maiwasan na mapangiti. Buong akala ko ay tuluyan na niya kaming itinakwil bilang mga kaibigan niya. He's making it clear that he still has his doubts, but he's willing to listen to Jared's side. Only then would he decide whether or not he'd condemn him for killing his partner.

"Thank you, Kenji," Jared finally says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. Somehow it makes my heart swell. "I appreciate it."

Kenji laughs and his body instantly relaxes, indicating that the tension has now been lifted. I can feel my own chest getting lighter, too.

He looks at me with a smile. "Sorry din, Holly. Hindi kita pinakinggan nang maayos noong nagpapaliwanag ka sa akin."

Napailing ako. "No need to say sorry, Kenji. Naiintindihan kita."

And I mean it, really. I know how blinding grief can be. It will eat away all your remaining ability to think rationally, turning your thoughts into a jumbled mess and your trust into suspicion.

Kahit nakakulong ako sa selda, hindi ko mapigilan na maging masaya. There's still hope for us, with Kenji and Ephraim and Sandy and James behind our backs. It's too early to hope, but maybe Kris will join us, too.

As if me thinking about her alone could summon her presence, the hallway door opens and she steps in, rifle in hand.

"Kailangan n'yo nang umalis," utos niya kina Ephraim at Kenji. "Someone will come check this wing any minute now. I don't want to get in trouble."

Tango lang ang isinagot nina Ephraim at Kenji. Sinundan nila si Kris palabas, pero bago sila tuluyang mawala sa mga paningin namin, muling lumingon si Ephraim.

"We're going to get you out of here, I promise."

Then the door closes and he's gone.

Silence prevails in the hallway again. No one wants to speak, all of us thrilled to know that there is still a way to get out of here. This is one of our most victorious moments, with us gaining new allies and an actual plan to escape.

Whatever Ephraim's planning, I hope that it works. This is our chance to fight back and resist the extra-terrestrial beings.

I used to think that we can't do anything about the invasion. But now...

Even if we're just a bunch of teenagers, we will fight back...

And survive.