Amanita: Poison Shot

Chapter 39: Tell Me The Truth

A raging thunderstorm caused havoc in my brain.

Still overwhelmed by that nasty scene in the Secretary of State's home office, I finished my shift and went home.

I forced myself to eat something but I wasn't hungry.

"Are you okay?" my father asked me. He was cutting some baked potatoes.

"Just tired."

I went to sleep shortly after that. I pretended to need rest. Once my father would fall asleep, I'd sneak out and go to Amanita.

During those idle minutes while waiting, I lay in my bed and my brain tossed and turned in my head.

I didn't make anyone fire me at work, as Eros had suggested. Instead, I would resign tomorrow. That was my plan.

I watched the sky slowly turn dark bit by bit. Minutes went by and I felt torn while wondering about Agape's true extent of her knowledge. Or whether sending me there had been done with a nasty purpose.

To be honest, I hoped I was wrong.

I looked at my alarm clock. Its happy, bright red hues sunk inside my sad, brown irises. It had been my mother's and my grandmother's. Staring at it had always felt comforting.

It was midnight already. My father had been snoring in the next room for a few minutes, so I decided to leave. I'd ride with Frankie, and then I would see Agape to find out the truth.

I put on my jacket, gloves, and helmet and took Frankie out of the garage.

As I rode north through the Mill and Buenavista neighbourhoods, I saw a lot of youngsters like me having a good time despite the shortcomings we had to cope with. I had been one of them only a few days ago, blissfully ignorant and unaware of the evil people that ruled the world and the underworld – and what they were willing to do to please their egos. And the upcoming war between them.

Apollo. The Secretary of State. Agape. Momo.

They were meant to belong to two extreme opposites, and yet I found them equally deviant and ruthless.

I sighed bitterly as I rode on. The fresh air pleasantly hit my body as the numbers on Frankie's mileometer kept rising. I needed to decide what I would do with my life.

So, I did the math. Who actually cared for me?

My father, of course.

There were Gabi and Ray, two traditional humans, but good-hearted rebels.

Eros and Mrs Nevermore had also treated me well and tried to protect me. They were two clones – and good people, too.

I was hoping to add Agape to that list, but at that moment I hesitated. Her aim to dethrone Apollo and end the clones' reign of tyranny was noble, but her means were appalling. She said she would never apologise for the unspeakable things she'd command rebels to do. She was a traditional human, like me, but she seemed to be willing to harm me or anyone to achieve her goals. She wasn't a good person.

Momo, also a traditional human, wanted me dead. She hated me with all her heart, like the majority of the rebels. They were ruthless renegades with a hard chassis and running on a high voltage.

Mrs Coco. I knew her little, but what I knew was enough. She indulged the Secretary of State's sadistic needs. She was a despicable collaborator.

Last but not least, Siegfried. I sighed.

He was fully convinced that what he had to do was the right thing to do, even though his last mission involved murdering an innocent fifteen-year-old, for example. Only God knew what other deeds he might've done. But he had saved me and protected me from harm, too. I appreciated that while a warm wave hit my body inside out.