AN: Thanks to Dancinstar for her invaluable input. Be warned: both my ghost
stories for the challenge were written while under the influence of cold
meds. And I shouldn't forget the very bad mood - which, by the way, I still
can't shake. That's why the first one was very dark and creepy. I can't
stay dark and creepy for long, though. This wanted so badly to get written,
I had to obey my muse. Hope you don't mind reading two of them; they're not
much alike.
Terminal City Revisited
The two youngsters raucously fooling around approached the sealed off area with very different expectations.
"No! You know we're not allowed to!" he yelled after her, as if the reference to the adults in their life would prompt her to reconsider the blasphemy she was about to commit. He should have known it wouldn't work, but it beat begging anyway.
She yelled back with that incredible shake of her head that sent her short locks flying. "Are you chicken or human?"
He hated how she always managed to coax more childishness out of him than he was prepared to show just by mentioning his origin. "So what if you're transgen, how does that make you better?" Seconds later he relented, ashamed of his words. She hadn't actually spoken the word "transgenic" and yet he had blown up at her. Again. "Sorry, you know I didn't mean it that way."
She didn't acknowledge his apology, as if there had been no need for one. "Trust me, it's going to be fun."
He felt himself caving in, despite his misgivings. "You're always looking for trouble." Hah, as if that would have been anything new. She always managed to get into one jam or another. At least she got herself out most of the time and even took the brunt for him when the adults snooped into their business.
"I didn't say I wasn't looking for trouble. But it's fun. So stop whining and come on. I've always wanted to see what's in there."
"Think all those stories they keep telling us are true?" he replied carefully. It wouldn't help to let her know he was just as curious as she was. It was one thing to sneak into what had once been Terminal City and poke around a few minutes, but it was a totally different matter to actually enter the dilapidated buildings and break the seal applied by the governor himself.
"What, about that Eyes Only and stuff?"
"Yeah, how he got the transgens their independence." They had heard the story whispered so many times that it had almost taken on the dimension of a fairy tale. Many kids on the block believed that was all it could be: myth.
"Nah, he was supposedly human. I bet you Max was doing all the work and he was just cashing in on the fame."
"And that's why they both died for the Charta, isn't it?" He felt irked in his pride. The story of Logan Cale and Eyes Only had always warmed him up inside, kept him tough when he felt nothing else but despair at the hardships life was throwing at them.
"Okay, you might have a point there. Without the Charta of Rights they both pushed through Congress we'd have been exterminated by now."
He wouldn't give in that easily. "They did get killed for their beliefs, but at least they made a difference for a while. You know, I keep wondering what would have happened if they hadn't killed them." He trailed off, lost in thought.
"Yeah, yeah, that's what you keep telling me every day. Let's go, it's going to be dark soon and as transgen as I am, I ain't gonna be trapped in here in the dark. Not with you."
"Who's the chicken now, heh?" he giggled, relieved that he was finally going in, with her no less.
*
They had been in there for hours and he was getting restless. The lab was an incredibly interesting place, just as the infirmary had been, even though they had no idea what half of the stuff over there was supposed to do. Just the fact that it was the place where Max and Eyes Only had found the cure had given them both shivers down the spine. But now, for some reason, she was totally fascinated with what had once been the living quarters, and he was getting bored. The sun had set long ago and the others were probably starting to get worried. They had an hour at the most to get back before they would be in trouble. Again. He sighed and yelled after her, his voice piercing the silence among the ruins.
"Hurry up, will you? I won't have them cut off my Net access again because you had to inspect those rags."
"Chill, boy! We have two more hours before the sector police can hold us up. Now that would be trouble."
There was no way he would be able to get her out of there before she had finished snooping around, so he decided he might as well use the time. Passing the weird metal rod that had once probably held a flag, he headed for he building at the far end near the genetics lab. They hadn't been in there yet, but it looked like living quarters. He wanted to check them out before she decided they were worth more of their already precious time.
Empty room after empty room discouraged him and it was starting to get really cold, even inside. But since she was nowhere to be seen, he decided to head up the stairwell at the end of the dusty hall. The second floor looked like more labs and he was almost relieved at the thought that they would finally be able to go home and warm up. Nobody had ever thought about the draft in these places.
Just then, one of the rooms appealed to him so much that he decided to take a look. Surprise washed over him and, suddenly feeling less cold than before, he leaned on the wall to take in the sight of the place. Apart from the dust and the cobwebs, it seemed as if the owner had just gone out and would be back in minutes. It looked as much like an apartment as could be imagined under these circumstances: makeshift pieces of furniture, bedrolls, a kitchen, and even a shower. Whoever said that the transgens had it bad?
Stepping into the room, he began to take a closer look at things. If only she could see this.but something made him stop. No, there was no way he'd call her out and let her mock him because he was finally letting curiosity get the better of him.
Who knew what compulsion made him check out the shower? It was so different than what they had nowadays, fifteen years after the Transgenic War for Independence. It probably was even older than that, since rumor had it Terminal City had been around even before the Pulse.
While checking the unfamiliar fittings, he got the shock of his life when the wall of the shower opened into another small, dark room.
"Elfie!" he yelled out loud, aware that she probably wouldn't be able to hear him, even with her transgenic abilities.
His eyes got used to the darkness and he remembered to point the flashlight into the now open room, but then he almost stumbled, mouth agape. In front of him was a bank of computers and someone. someone was sitting in the chair. He blinked in disbelief as the man swiveled around to face him.
"Hey, take it easy, will you? I'm kinda busy here."
Matt almost dropped the flashlight at the sight of the blond man in front of the computer.
"Stop yelling that loud, kid, you're going to wake the dead soon," Elfie mothered him as she entered the office behind him.
"Elfie?"
"The one and only. What's up?" Normally she would have been annoyed, but the things she had just seen in the former Command Center had shaken her belief in the science that had helped create transgenics in the first place, giving her a wistful expression.
"How long have you been here? Have.have you seen him?"
"You mean her?" She looked at him quizzically, as if she doubted her ears.
"No, I meant him," Matt pointed toward the open room, now empty.
There was a long pause on her side and their eyes met, exchanging knowing glances.
"No."
Matt looked at her in silence and together they closed the door to what had once probably been a panic room. As they left the building, neither dared say another word. Only when they reached the ruins of the fountain where they had entered Terminal City did Matt risk speaking again.
"So, see anything interesting?"
"There was some stuff in the Command Center," she acknowledged, without elaborating.
Matt noticed her absent stare. She must have seen more? As if saying it out loud would strip her of the 'no nonsense' attitude she had adopted as second nature.
She had paused, hesitating. "You know about what happened..."
"I know."
"It's not like I saw..."
"Me, neither."
"I mean..."
"Exactly."
They walked through the ruins in silence. As they were approaching their entry point, Matt felt the pit in his stomach grow larger and larger, until he almost thought he could physically sense the disappointment weighing down on him . They couldn't just walk away without looking back! He could deny it, but he couldn't just forget it, as if it had never happened.
"I'm coming back tomorrow night," he ventured, challenging her.
"Yeah, me too," she replied in a surprisingly benign tone.
Matt grinned. So long as that was clear.
Seeing the hole in the wire fence in front of them, Matt slipped through first. With a flourished gesture he extended his hand to help her over the puddle on the other side. She chuckled at his needless gallantry but accepted it while rolling her eyes. Together, they hurried to reach the next sector checkpoint before curfew.
Sadly, they didn't look back, or they might have seen the two shadows at the entrance.
He was gently tugging at her chin. "It was worth it, Max."
"Yeah, I know. They'll be back."
"And there just might be another chance," he whispered to himself.
THE END
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Terminal City Revisited
The two youngsters raucously fooling around approached the sealed off area with very different expectations.
"No! You know we're not allowed to!" he yelled after her, as if the reference to the adults in their life would prompt her to reconsider the blasphemy she was about to commit. He should have known it wouldn't work, but it beat begging anyway.
She yelled back with that incredible shake of her head that sent her short locks flying. "Are you chicken or human?"
He hated how she always managed to coax more childishness out of him than he was prepared to show just by mentioning his origin. "So what if you're transgen, how does that make you better?" Seconds later he relented, ashamed of his words. She hadn't actually spoken the word "transgenic" and yet he had blown up at her. Again. "Sorry, you know I didn't mean it that way."
She didn't acknowledge his apology, as if there had been no need for one. "Trust me, it's going to be fun."
He felt himself caving in, despite his misgivings. "You're always looking for trouble." Hah, as if that would have been anything new. She always managed to get into one jam or another. At least she got herself out most of the time and even took the brunt for him when the adults snooped into their business.
"I didn't say I wasn't looking for trouble. But it's fun. So stop whining and come on. I've always wanted to see what's in there."
"Think all those stories they keep telling us are true?" he replied carefully. It wouldn't help to let her know he was just as curious as she was. It was one thing to sneak into what had once been Terminal City and poke around a few minutes, but it was a totally different matter to actually enter the dilapidated buildings and break the seal applied by the governor himself.
"What, about that Eyes Only and stuff?"
"Yeah, how he got the transgens their independence." They had heard the story whispered so many times that it had almost taken on the dimension of a fairy tale. Many kids on the block believed that was all it could be: myth.
"Nah, he was supposedly human. I bet you Max was doing all the work and he was just cashing in on the fame."
"And that's why they both died for the Charta, isn't it?" He felt irked in his pride. The story of Logan Cale and Eyes Only had always warmed him up inside, kept him tough when he felt nothing else but despair at the hardships life was throwing at them.
"Okay, you might have a point there. Without the Charta of Rights they both pushed through Congress we'd have been exterminated by now."
He wouldn't give in that easily. "They did get killed for their beliefs, but at least they made a difference for a while. You know, I keep wondering what would have happened if they hadn't killed them." He trailed off, lost in thought.
"Yeah, yeah, that's what you keep telling me every day. Let's go, it's going to be dark soon and as transgen as I am, I ain't gonna be trapped in here in the dark. Not with you."
"Who's the chicken now, heh?" he giggled, relieved that he was finally going in, with her no less.
*
They had been in there for hours and he was getting restless. The lab was an incredibly interesting place, just as the infirmary had been, even though they had no idea what half of the stuff over there was supposed to do. Just the fact that it was the place where Max and Eyes Only had found the cure had given them both shivers down the spine. But now, for some reason, she was totally fascinated with what had once been the living quarters, and he was getting bored. The sun had set long ago and the others were probably starting to get worried. They had an hour at the most to get back before they would be in trouble. Again. He sighed and yelled after her, his voice piercing the silence among the ruins.
"Hurry up, will you? I won't have them cut off my Net access again because you had to inspect those rags."
"Chill, boy! We have two more hours before the sector police can hold us up. Now that would be trouble."
There was no way he would be able to get her out of there before she had finished snooping around, so he decided he might as well use the time. Passing the weird metal rod that had once probably held a flag, he headed for he building at the far end near the genetics lab. They hadn't been in there yet, but it looked like living quarters. He wanted to check them out before she decided they were worth more of their already precious time.
Empty room after empty room discouraged him and it was starting to get really cold, even inside. But since she was nowhere to be seen, he decided to head up the stairwell at the end of the dusty hall. The second floor looked like more labs and he was almost relieved at the thought that they would finally be able to go home and warm up. Nobody had ever thought about the draft in these places.
Just then, one of the rooms appealed to him so much that he decided to take a look. Surprise washed over him and, suddenly feeling less cold than before, he leaned on the wall to take in the sight of the place. Apart from the dust and the cobwebs, it seemed as if the owner had just gone out and would be back in minutes. It looked as much like an apartment as could be imagined under these circumstances: makeshift pieces of furniture, bedrolls, a kitchen, and even a shower. Whoever said that the transgens had it bad?
Stepping into the room, he began to take a closer look at things. If only she could see this.but something made him stop. No, there was no way he'd call her out and let her mock him because he was finally letting curiosity get the better of him.
Who knew what compulsion made him check out the shower? It was so different than what they had nowadays, fifteen years after the Transgenic War for Independence. It probably was even older than that, since rumor had it Terminal City had been around even before the Pulse.
While checking the unfamiliar fittings, he got the shock of his life when the wall of the shower opened into another small, dark room.
"Elfie!" he yelled out loud, aware that she probably wouldn't be able to hear him, even with her transgenic abilities.
His eyes got used to the darkness and he remembered to point the flashlight into the now open room, but then he almost stumbled, mouth agape. In front of him was a bank of computers and someone. someone was sitting in the chair. He blinked in disbelief as the man swiveled around to face him.
"Hey, take it easy, will you? I'm kinda busy here."
Matt almost dropped the flashlight at the sight of the blond man in front of the computer.
"Stop yelling that loud, kid, you're going to wake the dead soon," Elfie mothered him as she entered the office behind him.
"Elfie?"
"The one and only. What's up?" Normally she would have been annoyed, but the things she had just seen in the former Command Center had shaken her belief in the science that had helped create transgenics in the first place, giving her a wistful expression.
"How long have you been here? Have.have you seen him?"
"You mean her?" She looked at him quizzically, as if she doubted her ears.
"No, I meant him," Matt pointed toward the open room, now empty.
There was a long pause on her side and their eyes met, exchanging knowing glances.
"No."
Matt looked at her in silence and together they closed the door to what had once probably been a panic room. As they left the building, neither dared say another word. Only when they reached the ruins of the fountain where they had entered Terminal City did Matt risk speaking again.
"So, see anything interesting?"
"There was some stuff in the Command Center," she acknowledged, without elaborating.
Matt noticed her absent stare. She must have seen more? As if saying it out loud would strip her of the 'no nonsense' attitude she had adopted as second nature.
She had paused, hesitating. "You know about what happened..."
"I know."
"It's not like I saw..."
"Me, neither."
"I mean..."
"Exactly."
They walked through the ruins in silence. As they were approaching their entry point, Matt felt the pit in his stomach grow larger and larger, until he almost thought he could physically sense the disappointment weighing down on him . They couldn't just walk away without looking back! He could deny it, but he couldn't just forget it, as if it had never happened.
"I'm coming back tomorrow night," he ventured, challenging her.
"Yeah, me too," she replied in a surprisingly benign tone.
Matt grinned. So long as that was clear.
Seeing the hole in the wire fence in front of them, Matt slipped through first. With a flourished gesture he extended his hand to help her over the puddle on the other side. She chuckled at his needless gallantry but accepted it while rolling her eyes. Together, they hurried to reach the next sector checkpoint before curfew.
Sadly, they didn't look back, or they might have seen the two shadows at the entrance.
He was gently tugging at her chin. "It was worth it, Max."
"Yeah, I know. They'll be back."
"And there just might be another chance," he whispered to himself.
THE END
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