Syen: thank you for pointing out that it's Nina Idi instead of Nina Ida. For some reason my warp, miniature mind had forgotten and so I thank you for making up for the lack of mental activity that my mind receives.
Christine managed to smile sweetly in reply. Inside, her stomach had butterflies. Nina glanced at her worriedly.
"Are you all right?" Nina whispered gently.
Christine nodded, "just tired."
Nina bit her lip and went back to work. Matthew blinked and moved along the line. Christine breathed in deeply, glancing around. A boy a few years older than her with a familiar face walked up to her. Christine's eyes widened. The boy stifled a gasp.
"James…" Christine breathed out her brother's name.
Nina frowned, looking at them. She realized the similarity between the two. Nina swiftly kicked Christine in the shin, letting the end of the tablecloth to cover their feet. Christine blinked and shook her head, looking down. James caught on and hurried along the line. Christine bit her lip, gulping as she looked around wildly. After a few minutes, Nina and Christine went into a private hall that had no surveillance.
"Was that your other brother called James?" Nina asked softly, looking around.
Christine nodded tearfully, "Jason will find him and make him tell! He has to leave. James has to stay safe… Can you do anything?"
Nina shrugged, wincing at Christine's worried tone of voice, "it's hard to do that. You have to have a distraction. I don't we can. I hope James has enough sense to keep his mouth shut. If Jason captures him to make him tell… I don't know what we can do. It'll be suspicious if we tried to get James out of here after Jason has seen James on the list. We can't really do much."
Christine bit her lip, "Nina… we've got to do something or else everything will go wrong. I'll think of something meanwhile."
Nina smiled and hugged Christine quickly. Christine froze, unsure of what to do. Nina stepped back.
"We'll get through somehow, Christine, won't we?" Nina smiled.
Christine shrugged, "in one way or another, Nina."
Nina turned to go. She hesitated in the middle of the doorway. Nina turned around and looked at Christine, her eyes sparkling with tears that she dare not let fall.
"Don't give up hope, Christine. Don't give it up so soon. You'll see that things will work out. You'll see," Nina whispered quickly before hurrying away.
Christine closed her eyes.
First Person (Maria's View)
'Don't give up hope,' she said. What hope do we have? People believe that Dark Children are illegal… What hope do we have when many believe the lies of the Population Police?
To have hope, you have to cling onto something. What are we clinging onto? Nothing. We are clinging onto nothing. Everyone else believes in things that are not real. I prefer to face facts. We are clinging onto nothing.
Nina, Matthew, Luke, Trey, and the rest of them, they want to have hope. They want to survive. But why? Why do they want to survive in this tortured world? This mutilated world that we live in? There's nothing good in here. Nothing worth living for. It's empty, this world. It may as well succumb to what the Population Police believes because no one will understand us Dark Children.
We're going to be gone. In a few years, we'll all be dead. No one will try to silently resist them. No one will take our place. The adults will not dare to cross the rules after their Dark Children are dead. All the other Dark Children will not dare to go out and they will die without sunlight and exercise.
Perhaps I am just a pessimistic. I could never look on the positive side. I cannot survive this. I was once free… Happy… Without worry… Now… I am tired and stressed. I no longer have the will to live… I might be going mad. I am scared… I do not want to admit it, but I am scared.
Third PersonChristine's phone rang. She picked it up. Matthias ordered her to his room. A few seconds later, she was inside.
"I need you to bring these weapons to the car. Follow me," Matthias ordered quickly.
Christine picked up a few bags and Matthias picked up the rest of the bags. Matthias glanced at her, biting his lip. She smiled encouragingly. Matthias smiled back and walked out of his room. Christine followed him quietly. Matthias walked outside the building and hurried up to a car. The commander walked up to them suddenly.
"Roger, I can't bring you there. I'm going to have an officer by the name of Jason Barstow escort you there. He'll help you spy among the rebels," the commander said quickly, patting Matthias on the shoulder.
Matthias quickly hid his surprise. Christine gave a shudder. The commander looked at her.
"Are you cold, my dear?" the commander asked in a gentle voice.
Christine gave a smile, "I'm fine, commander, sir. A little cold won't hurt me, sir. Thank you, though, commander, sir."
The commander nodded. Christine had a strange feeling that the commander was suspicious about something. Matthias put his bags in the car and took the bags from Christine adding them in. Christine smiled at him. Matthias bit his lip worriedly. Christine walked up to him, holding the last bag. She put it in the car, brushing against Matthias.
"I'll warn them," Christine muttered quickly as she set the bag in the car.
She stepped back.
"Dismissed," Matthias said quickly.
Christine curtsied and hurried into the building. She slammed into Matthew. Christine quickly grabbed him by his shoulders.
"The commander isn't going to bring Matthias there! He's having a Jason escort Matthias there! Jason is supposed to help Matthias spy among the rebels!" Christine whispered, wide-eyed.
Matthew gasped and replied, shocked, "Oh my… They're going to die! Jason will kill them all! Come on. Spread the warning around. I think Trey is visiting Nina in the bathroom. Hurry!"
Matthew dashed off in one direction. Christine hurried over to the bathroom. She knocked on the door quickly.
"Nina, it's me. Christine. I have orders to help you finish cleaning the bathroom. She wants it done quickly," Christine said loudly.
The door opened and Christine rushed in, closing the door behind her. Trey looked at her, surprised. Nina frowned. Christine leaned against the door, breathing heavily.
"The commander isn't going to bring Matthias there! He's having a Jason escort Matthias there! Jason is supposed to help Matthias spy among the rebels! Matthew is spreading the word to a few other people!" Christine explained in a high-pitched voice.
Trey gasped, "I better get going."
Trey hurried into the vent quickly. Nina wiped the mirrors hurriedly. Christine snatched up another sponge and helped Nina quickly. They were finished in a few minutes. Nina hurried off into the kitchens as Christine dashed out, only to bang into James.
"M-" James started.
Christine stopped him quickly by opening a closet and dragging him in there. She slammed the door shut and turned on the light. James blinked, confused.
"It's Christine. I'm with a group of kids like me and a few rebels. We infiltrate the Population Police. You can go around as my ex-boyfriend or something. Watch out; Jason is around and he's seen me. He knows who I am and if he sees you, he might try to get you to talk. The way to get you to talk isn't a very nice way. Watch out for yourself and be careful of what you saw or do. I can't watch out for you," Christine said breathlessly.
James shook his head, blinking, "okay… I think I got the instructions down, Christine."
Christine smiled and quickly hugged him before dashing out of the closet. She bumped into Matthew. Matthew glanced from Christine to James.
"James was my ex-boyfriend, James. I warned him not to get between us," Christine said quickly, trying to hint.
Matthew nodded, smiling, "I see…"
Christine nodded breathlessly as James walked off slowly, "told everyone? I told Nina and 'T'."
Matthew nodded, "I've got the whole afternoon off. Meet me after lunch at the hallway. I want to tell you something."
Christine smiled as her phone rang. The commander called her to his room. Christine dashed off and knocked on his door a few minutes later.
"Come in," the commander said in a quiet voice.
Christine opened the door and walked in. She curtsied quickly after she closed the door, watching the commander.
"Your friend, Nina Idi, is one of the few servants that has been elected for a promotion. Do you have anything to say for her?" the commander asked in a soft and gentle voice as he smiled at her comfortingly.
Something made Christine not trust his smile, "oh, she's not really my friend. We just met briefly. She's a nice girl, I guess."
The commander blinked, "really? I heard from someone that you like to talk to her."
Christine managed to fake a laugh, "no, commander, sir. She likes to talk to me. I don't know why. I think she's just plain friendly. I say that people keep their nose right where their nose is and nothing unexpected will come to them, sir."
The commander nodded and flicked his hand, dismissing her. Christine curtsied and hurried off.
First Person View (Maria's View)
The commander is up to something. I can sense it. He suspects something. The way he looked at me when Matthias and I were outside, was strange, not to mention the way he spoke to me then. He is up to something.
Ha! I want to hear Nina's line about hope. I want to tell them my idea of their hope, but it would destroy them. They want hope. If I tell them, they'll fall into despair. And my despair is enough for me. I worry about them even though I do not know them.
When will someone take me from my misery?