Living In Our Minds

Chapter 12

****

Gemma POV

"Here's a map." I didn't know a map is actually given. Wow. I took it from Claire and spreaded it out.

"I tried narrowing down the places where people haven't been injected been injected. The places being circled are most possibly people not being injected. The star is currently where we are currently. The places being crossed out are places of injection."

The four of us mulled over the map together for a second before Chris asked, "What if there are people that are currently at the injection site that have not been injected?"

Madeline then pipes in, "Even so, the place would still be heavily guarded with guards, even if we actually save them, the chances of us getting caught will be so much more higher than the places being circled."

Good point there.

But then Madeline added, "If I remember clearly, saving people was not stated to me. If given a choice, I wouldn't have saved those people, I would rather save myself first."

I look at her in disgust. How could anyone say that? How could any human say that? Even if we  only saved ourselves where would that lead us?

No where. "I promised my parents I will help others and I'll save them," I said softly, the first time I had let my walls tumble down. The walls that I had built for years.

Claire reached over and gave my hand a squeeze. "But Gemma, judging from where you came from the café that you came out from, I would suppose that they have already been injected," Claire explained patiently.   A knock on the door made us froze.

"Wait here," Claire instructed sternly. She went and took a look through the peephole. I saw her eyes widened momentarily from her side as I shoved the map into my pocket. "The guards are here. Time to go. You people need to leave."

Guards?

"What about yourself?" I asked, a strong sense of déjà vu hit me.

Don't tell me she's gonna stay here.

Don't tell me she's gonna stay here.

Don't tell me she's gonna stay here.

A dreadfulness of her next sentence crept up on me.

Don't. "Look at me, how can I run?" She laughed humorlessly.   A knocked sounded on the door again.

Tears brimmed both of my eyes. Gemma does not cry. Gemma does not cry. Gemma does not cry. I repeated this mantra in my head over and over again.

People cry because they can't accept changes. But after a while, one way or another, we have to move on, transition and adapt, so why not now?

"You're just like my parents," I muttered under my breath. But magically, Claire had managed to hear it. "What's your parent's name?"

"Jasmine and Zac Davis." Her eyes lit up at the mention of them. "Ah, the lovebirds since high school."

"You know them?" I asked, surprise written all over my face.

"Yes. Long time ago, long story. But I suppose I can tell u sometime." My expression drops. "Maybe not." The knock on the door became more persistent.

"Time to go," Claire announced. She let us the wall opposite of the door and pressed a certain spot a couple of times. A door swung open, revealing a slide.

The slide are the ones wrapped, no light in them, and you can't see where's the opening. Madeline and Chris looked at it skeptically. Unsure of what to do.

"Don't worry, it won't eat you. There's a boat at the end waiting. Be careful, open your eyes and see beyond the cruel world. I shall bid my farewell now. I wish you luck. And if there are any chances, I hope we will meet again."

Chris was the first to go down. Madeline followed thereafter.   "I have a question. What do we do when we're back in the real world?"

"The plague should have been terminated, you shall be safe. The rest is up to you." Claire gave me a sad smile.   "I'll always remember you."

Was all I said before the darkness of the slide engulfed me. A few moments of bumpiness and thrills, I landed on sturdy ground.

True to Claire's words, there was a boat that could fit in at least a dozen or more people was waiting by the riverside. "Woah," Chris breathed.

Woah is a definition of it. There were tall skyscrapers across the river.  "So where do we start?" I asked as I tugged out the map that I had stolen.   
 
*

"Let's start with the nearest circles," Madeline stated.  Chris and I started rowing the boat as Madeline rattled off the directions to our destination.  

****
Sorry, I had been procrastinating recently. So.... Thanks for reading to the end. ((: