Authors note:
The first two chapters are by far the most boring, but please don't let this put you off!
Chapter One: Prologue.
Heavy backpack, fumes in the air, tired feet. No, I cannot say that I was particularly fit, or strong for that matter, but I always thought that if I took the harder way, it would help. It hasn't yet. It was as if my body was telling me, what you see is what you get, and theres no changing that. I, of course, am small with a softer build. Determination wasn't going to change that.
Reaching the apartment building and fumbling with the keys, taking my time with the sweet blissful relief I was getting now, before making myself trudge up six flights of stairs. Inside, soft yellows and creams covered the walls, contrasting the grey outside world. England, traditionally, was rarely ever depicted as a bright, colourful place; they're not wrong. The old architecture, bleak skies and tight town streets, collecting gas emissions and keeping out the sun, freezes time, holding the age of which the cities grew and boomed. That was the one nice thing about it.
I am a second year university student, and still, I feel like I don't know nearly enough as I should in order to start a career, make discoveries, understand the in workings of our planet. Will I ever know enough? Is there any point?
The past two World Wars involved soldiers fighting for their countries. Using hand-held weapons and living off what little they could have. But if another war was to begin…it'll be nothing live we have ever had. I fear that today, there might not be a tomorrow, and of course, people-my parents being apart of that group-believe that something so devastating is completely insane to anyone, and therefore, will never happen. I agree on the insane part…but doesn't mean their aren't insane people running the countries.
Inside was warm. I walking past the fridge, noticing a small note on it from mum:
Charlie,
Exchanged shifts with Benny, so I'm working
a 12hr today, won't be back till 6 tomorrow
morning.
We have the ingredients for pasta if you
like.
Lots of Love
Mum.
Mums a nurse, always working odd shifts. Dad is on holiday with his new girlfriend, probably France. 'All the women love France' Dad once said when he took one of he previous ladies to France. His favourite restaurant probably know him too well now also. Its always the same move. Has it worked?
Nope.
After unpacking my notes and books onto my bed, I went to cook dinner. I wasn't particularly gifted in cooking, but if I focus on sticking to the instructions, I MIGHT be able to get a decent meal.
Take that society, a women who can't cook.
********After Dinner********
Sitting on the couch, I flicked onto the news and what I saw I almost couldn't comprehend.
BREAKING NEWS:
Paris booming: Firefighters and Ambulances are not enough:
Unknown suspects: Unknown survivors
Images of screaming people. Some fleeing, some helping others. Fire engines circle around the heart of the blaze.
I was stunned.
Maybe I should ring Dads cell phone number. They were probably at the Hotel, packing to come back, but their flights will surely be delayed now. I stumbled to my feet, then as mechanically as ever, made my way over to the kitchen phone, stabbing each key in, and bringing the receiver up to my ear.
*RING RING***RING RING****RI—
BEEEEEEP
The tone stretched out.
I shuddered. Hung up, rang again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
After hanging up once more I almost screamed when the phone rang instead. I picked up.
"H-hello?" I had to clear my voice.
"Oh sweetie are you ok? Have you seen the news?"
It was mum.
"Yea…"
"Its all over the hospital! I tried calling your father and nothing. Have you tried?"
I looked up at the clock.
"I've been trying to for the past 20 minutes."
"He's….He has probably just left his phone off again…"
"You alright mum?"
"Of course, just checking on you. I've got patients waiting, better go, love you"
I didn't know what to think. I was numb inside. So numb that it actually hurt to not feel anything. The TV was still playing in the background. I closed my eyes. Took a breath. Felt the sway of the world spinning around me. I focused on that as it became faster and faster. Overwhelming in fact. Static filled my ears, roaring.
I opened my eyes. Blinked. Everything was calm and I was okay. I turned the TV off, shut off all the lights, and went to bed, and slept the whole night through.
I woke, got up, went into the bathroom, washed my face, got dressed, and went into the kitchen.
And stopped.
Mum was sitting on the couch, still in uniform, handbag at her feet. I turned around and put the jug on before heading back towards her, saying nothing, but sitting beside her.
I was not very good at this comforting sort of stuff, nor was I good at mourning. I just suppress it and forget it, hoping it doesn't comeback to me in a big hurricane.
And so in silence we sat, until the shrill of the jug, followed by the 'all done' ping cut the silence. I got up, made myself a coffee, and mum a sweetened tea. The first movement from her, was her accepting the tea, gripping the mug, whitening her knuckles. I was worried she could break it. More silence followed.
Mum and Dad were high school sweethearts. Had me at 19 years of age. Dad studied computer programming full time, while mum studied part time at nursing school. Against the odds, they made it work; me, mum and dad, together. At least it was fine until halfway through Elementary. Dad was growing bored with the relationship and craved something more 'fun'. But of course someone had to always be there for me. If Dad had it his was, he would have taken me out of school, and we would halve explored the world together. Dad always promised me of all the adventures we could have had. At such a young age, I was easily turned against Mum. Mum was the realist. The sensible one. She knew that if we took me out of school and left, we would run out of money, I would be uneducated and doomed for a future, and all of us would be miserable.
So Dad gambled. Not a lot, and we never really suffered for it. Not financially anyway. But the friends he made. The women he met. He became so distant. Whenever Dad looked after me and Mum was working, he would teach me card games and tell me secrets. One of them was about a man named Andrew Ryan. A very rich man who rumoured to have built a city under the sea. A city, called Rapture. Oh how I wished I could go, and when I asked how to get there, Dad said if I could beat him in one game of cards, he'd tell me.
And you know what, I won.
He told me, Rapture is west of Iceland, and that Andrew Ryan wanted to escape the upper world, the societies expectations and create a free utopia. But it was also to be kept secret from the world as he fear it would be ruined. You either had to know Ryan to get in, or be smuggled.
A man named Frank Fontaine is he of the largest criminal empires on earth, and can smuggle you in… for a price.
Where can I find this Frank Fontaine? That's when Mum came home, sending me off to bed and telling Dad off for teaching me his gambling ways.
Dad was never a bad father. But he was young, and yearned for what he missed out for.
Because of Me.
Eventually he left. Mum never told him to leave, but she sure made it look like that was what she wanted. Only it wasn't. She never stopped loving him.
"Charlie…" Mums weak voice broke my thoughts.
"Mmmm?"
"I don't want to stay here anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"I want to leave. Leave the city. No. The country."
"Why?"
"Because that's all you father wanted me to do. Its late. But it's better than never."
I contemplated what this meant? "Where would we go?"
"We? No sweetie. Just me."
I almost chuckled at the rhyme if it weren't for what she was saying. "You want to leave me?"
"You need to finish your studies. Im leaving tomorrow."
"You're just leaving me, like that. What about work and ME! Why?"
Mum place her still full mug on the coffee table, standing up and heading towards her room.
"MUM!" I yelled, heat radiating from my face and core. When she didn't reply, I tried again, "mum?"
"You're 18, you can look after yourself."
"That's not the point."
The door slammed shut and I could hear a turn of the key.
Locked.
Somebody, who has only cared for me my whole life, always wanted the better for me, was now shutting me out of their lives? I could see what was happening. Doing one last thing for Dad, without me. To do what they would have, had I not been there to ruin it. I felt sick to my stomach.
I went to my room, shoved my books into my bag, and promptly left for university.
*****That evening******
Flinging myself into the small apartment, chucking my bag to the side, and standing. Standing and listening. I could hear jazz music upstairs, children's tv shows playing to the right and nothing to the left. All is normal, as there is no tenant to the right. All normal except in here. Turning my head knowingly to the fridge, a little pink note was stuck there. I snatch it off reading it.
Charlie,
I hope you understand this someday
And chose to not hate me for this
But I have left today, and have paid
The rent for the next two months in
advance.
Mum.
"WHAT! YOU HAVE LEFT ME! ALONE" tiny pieces of the note dropped from my hand. A nearby chair flew to the wall. Written study notes were thrown up and fell back down like confetti. But I couldn't think. How could I? She really left me. My own mother. Mother? Mum? Left her daughter?
"Close your eyes" I told myself.
"Firstly, calm the fuck down. You need to control yourself. This isn't the end of the world yet."
I tucked into the corner, head between knees in hands.
"Secondly, you need to check yourself. You now have no mother, no father, but you're able to look after yourself. But, where do you want to go from here?
Stay here, you gotta work, study and maintain the apartment.
But you could leave? Find mum, or maybe….."
My thoughts drift to Rapture. Could it be real? But what if…
Snapping my head up, sly grin crossing my face.
"You crazy bastard."
It was decided. I would go follow an invisible La La Land, taking with me nothing but the clothes on my back and small change.
"Andrew Ryan, whether you like it or not, you got yourself another citizen."
