Metropolis
Dark Reflections

Part 1

"Don't fear, Atlas. I will be fine"

Her words still haunt me to this day. Don't fear, those two insignificant words in a mad world, don't fear. I had ever right to fear, Jenda was my friend and she was murdered. How did she manage to convince herself that everything would be all right? How did she manage to speak those words to me?

I can still see her, lying in that bloodstained snow. It was the first war that brought her to this, alone in her final minuets of life. Her emerald eyes looking up at the dark grey sky, I don't even know if she could see that sky. She knew that she was dying; anyone could have read it in her face.

Most would have left her where she was, let her parents find her and grieve. But she had no parents, just like me. She was an orphan and stayed wherever she could for however long was possible. That was how she found me, a tiny child in a darkened alleyway close to dying. She offered me warmth that I had never been offered before, she watched over me and helped me until the end.

I scrambled over to her, and pulled her close to my body, tears falling down my face. I thought that she was already dead, I jumped about five foot when she murmured, "Atlas?" in a tiny and quiet voice.

I can still see her eyes burning into mine at that point, she had a faint smile on her face but her eyes were still looking up at the sky. I remember asking her if she was okay, her reply still chills me to the bone. She spoke of being able to see silver and pure white skies and two people were standing just out of her line of sight, but they were calling out to her.

"Can't you see them, Atlas?" she asked me. I lied, saying that I could. I wish I have never said those words now, maybe then she would have fought harder and remained. She only smiled deeper and pulled me closer, gripping my sleeve as tightly as she could. I could hear the material ripping, but I didn't care. At least I was with her for the last few minuets.

"It's okay Atlas, you don't need to worry about anything. They haven't come to hurt us, they've come to take us to a better place. Somewhere where we shall be free and won't have to worry about what we do. We'll play all day in that silver and blue sky and sing songs of joy and hope...you believe don't you?" she asked.

I couldn't respond, my tears had only got worse and I silently cried into her side, praying with all my might that she would be spared and someone would find us both and save her, "No, it's not our time yet! We're going to survive! We're going to survive" I sobbed slowly to her, not loosening my grip for a second.

I felt her sigh slightly but I could feel her smile. Slowly her hand traced up my back and rested on the side of my head, "I understand now", she whispered, "Don't fear Atlas, I will be fine". I didn't look up, I knew what those words meant and I couldn't bare to look. My tears got worse and worse and soon all I could do was choke on my sobs. After what felt like an eternity I rose and turned to look at her face. Her straw coloured hair was stark and cold against the freshly falling snow. I hadn't noticed it before, it must have been snowing for a very long time.

Her eyes were blank and emotionless and held nothing in them, I knew that she had gone and that she was never coming back. I was thought that she looked like a child angle and now she was one in that silver sky. I looked up at the sky and felt fresh tears in my eyes, it was dark and black. No silver or blue, "Why her!" I screamed at the sky, "Why her! She didn't get involved, why did you take her!". I never knew who I was screaming at and I never want to know.

I fell down onto her cold body and continued to weep. I must have cried so hard that I fell asleep from pure exhaustion. I was woken by a man with red hair and dark eyes, he had pulled me up and was gently cradling me as if I was a tiny child. I remember slowly looking at him and not being aware of where I was, nor what I was doing or had done. A smile lit up his features, "Hey, Rinan, this one's alive!" he shouted.

Another man appeared, this one had black hair and blue eyes, he had a blanket, which he gently rapped around me. "You're a lucky one son, ain't he George?" he said to the man who was still holding onto me. "Too true, Rinan, looks a bit lost though" said George, slowly rubbing my arms to warm me up.

"Not surprised, probably been out in this whether longer than you and me" said Rinan, "looks a little blue but all he needs is some warming up and he'll be as right as rain". I remember looking at them with questioning eyes, had they come to take me to the place where Jenda was? "J...Jen...Jenda?" I managed to splutter out.

Rinan frowned slightly at me before George tilted his head to Jenda who was still lying where she had been. George smiled, "We'll make sure she's okay, son, c'mon now we've got to get you to safety first" he said, gently raising and hugging me into his larger body. I glanced over his shoulder and saw Rinan check on Jenda. He sighed silently and reached down, closing her eyes and marking her hand with a black marker.

I started shaking again and I wanted desperately to cry, but no water would come to my eyes. "Shh...son, you'll be okay now" whispered George.