Chapter 20:Gathering
*a/n* Hello all! This is the 20th chapter of "The Starlight Soldiers" I really appreciate all of you and your opinions and feedback mean more to me than you can ever know. Now, I know the story has been kinda dull lately, but I promise, just hang in there, and everything will be fine. BTW, you all rock. J *a/n*
Slowly and progressively Christie opened her eyes with hope that everything had been a sick, but untrue dream. Maybe if she just opened her eyes slowly she would be back home where she belonged. Where her heart belonged. Where her life belonged. She couldn't be in prison, the whole incident seemed so stupid and unjust which caused her to believe even more truly that it was a dream, nothing more, nothing less.
Her heart sunk. She had no idea where she was but she could already feel a loathe for it.
It looked like an extended metal-plated, circular room. It smelled musky and damp, like a cavern that one tours. It was a shock to be sleeping in something so cold and empty. She lifted her head off of the floor, she felt groggy as if just drugged. She didn't doubt it either. Now that she saw the room right side up it seemed to be more a large metal pipe.
Clink………clack…………Clink………clack.
Christie groaned. The room was leaking.
She looked down at her fingers and almost burst into tears. Her rings were gone, every one of them was now missing, even the one Cole had given her on their first anniversary. That ring gave her strength. Then she noticed that all of her jewelry was gone. The only possession she had were the clothes on her back.
Conspiracy my ass, she thought bitterly.
Slowly she lurched herself up, she felt somewhat lightheaded still. Slowly she crept forward to see if she if the others were nearby. She needed somebody to talk to, it could be quite some time before the government realizes its mistake and releases them all. She already felt lonely in the few minutes she was awake.
Losing patience with her search she cupped her hands over her mouth. "Anybody here?!"
Her voice bounced endlessly throughout the chamber until she became sick of her own sound.
Drained of her little energy she spun to the side and slowly sat back on her rear. It was so humid that sweat streamed down her temples and under her chin. She hated this prison, she hated it so much. She hated everything that everyone thought about her friends and how the whole country was becoming victim to a large witch hunt. She wondered how many others had been unjustly thrown into a holding cell like she was now--just for speaking their minds and to make people see where their error was. Was that not what the entire country was founded on?
Her anger filled her with enough strength to stand again. She took a deep breath and belted out the first words that came to her mind "GET OVER HERE!"
Her own words sent her aback. Weakly, she rested on her knees and took several heavy breaths.
Christie's eyes jerked to the side, she heard footsteps over the dripping-they sounded like an oyster snapping angrily at predators. Then she shivered nauseously. What if she didn't want to be found after all? What if the person who heard her was an angry guard ready to blindfold and shoot her on sight? Maybe they would drug her again , or tranquilize her like they did to that tall guy in the classroom. Impulsively she got up and ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction. Could she really run from someone in a concealed chamber in the darkness with no one to help her? Preoccupied in her thoughts she slipped forward and came sliding down the unleveled chamber. She could see nothing but the gray haze that floated around her and several forest green poles that seemed to be located randomly throughout the room.
She clawed instinctively with her nails to stop sliding forward but to no avail, the floor must have been covered with a layer of water. She gave a loud shriek, she could see descending stairs ahead. She held her eyes tightly shut having no idea how many steps could be in front of her. Finally she felt no floor beneath her--she was over the first step. Screaming frightfully she rolled quickly down the steps and subconsciously counted how many she felt beneath her. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven---she felt no more steps and simply rolled several more times and plopped forward on her rear.
She moved her arms away from her face slowly and the room she had rolled into spun rapidly. She blinked continually until everything could slowly come back into focus. Unlike the chamber above, this room was lit fairly well in comparison. She could see several feet in front of her in the dim light. Before she could move she reluctantly examined herself to see the injuries she had made on the way down. No bleeding but she felt a bruising pain on her rear, something she felt couldn't be too serious. Thankful for this she slowly stood up and could hear the footsteps again. She looked up the stairway with her eyes squinted and her fists clenched. She was not about to roll down another staircase. She marched up the steps, her bottom aching with pain, and faced the dilating silhouette.
"Bring it!", she yelled at the figure "C'mon, I can take you!"
The single figure just ignored her and continued to move forward.
"Take this!", Christie cried recklessly as she sprung her leg into the crouch of the shadow.
The figure gave a high pitched sound of deep pain and fell forward at her. Christie held her head up victoriously as her foe fell at her feet.
The figure was Duke.
Christie looked down and gasped. She kneeled quickly at his side.
"Oh my god! I am so so sorry, Duke!" she said guiltily "I didn't know Duke! I thought you were a government guy! I-I", helping him up.
"Don't worry about it.", Duke groaned as she carefully helped him up. "I'm okay.", he lied. "How are you doing?", he asked with a feigned smile.
Christie had never felt so badly and foolish before in her life. She ignored his question for the meanwhile and led Duke cautiously down the steps.
She could hear more footsteps but now refused to storm towards these as she did before. She slowly sat Duke on the floor who still held his stomach queasily.
Slowly she could see what looked like 3 male figures at the stairway.
"Anybody need help down there?", the tallest figure called.
Getting a good feeling from these figures, Christie boldly met them at the top step. Her intuition was correct. They were the three other boys from the classroom.
"Hello.", Christie smiled warmly at the tallest one who domed over her by almost 2 feet.
"Hello.", he smiled back awkwardly. "I'm Basil.".
Christie just lost herself in his beautiful green eyes, Basil had to be one of the most gorgeous boys she had ever laid eyes on…but every glance she made at him reminded her of Cole, he only true love, and her girlish daze slowly faded away.
"My name is Riley, how do you do?", asked the more-normal-sized, raven haired male who also had stunning hazel eyes.
"Nice to meet you.", Christie replied. Then she looked to the thin redheaded male. "And you?", she asked him.
The boy looked terrified and jumped nervously at the question. Basil and Riley stared embarrassedly at him.
"Are you okay?", Christie asked him sympathetically.
The youthful looking redhead looked at her tensely with his royal blue eyes. "I-I am so so-sorry. I am not used to pretty girls asking my name.", he said genuinely, shielding his face in fear of getting slapped.
Christie blushed and could feel Duke's eyes rolling behind her. "I am so flattered. Well, since it's obvious we all never got acquainted at school, I am Christie everybody.", she smiled. "So what was your name again?"
"I am Jonah--Jon if you want."
"And I am in pain, so get over here!", Duke yelled sarcastically from behind. The three boys looked over at him skeptically and walked down the steps with Christie.
Basil quickly took a look at Duke and a smile stretched across his face. "Duke! There you are, we have been looking for you. Why don't you look so good?", he asked.
Christie quickly turned red, she felt quite obligated to explain. "Well, you see, I accidentally--"
"Nothing!", Duke interrupted, "Just tired."
"At least you didn't get a large dart in your neck, if its any consolation," Basil added kindly.
"That just reminds me of how much I hate it here.", Christie groaned. "We need to make a plan to get out of here! Now who is with me?"
"Sounds good to me.", Riley agreed. "We need to prove once and for all that the Sailor Soldiers are saviors, not killers!"
"Then its settled.", Duke rallied. "Time to get out of here!"
"Yeah!", they all happily yelled in unison.
"That is a stupid idea that will only kill all of you.", a voice projected from nowhere.
Christie looked around uneasily to the sides and behind her. "Who said that?"
The boys shrugged and also looked around themselves.
"I did.", said the same voice from before. He was louder now, so he couldn't be far away.
Stepping into the field of dim light was yet another boy. This one was slightly taller than Duke, was unshaven and had a speck of darkness in his deep green eyes.
"And who exactly are you?", Duke asked defensively.
"I am Devon.", he sneered. "I have been locked up since Cole Collingsworth has been wanted for murder."
"And yet you still want to stay in here when there is something worth fighting for outside?", Christie asked firmly.
"You don't understand.", he urged "You don't realize how safe we are down here. Hundreds of feet below ground. When the worst strikes--and it will, I can feel it in my gut, we will be safe--we will survive!"
Christie took a long look at the sincerity and passion in his eyes. "But…"
"Trust me! Please, that is all I ask.", he pleaded.
"So who else is here if you have been here so long?", Duke asked critically. He obviously had something against Devon.
"Nobody besides you five I suppose.", he glared back at Duke. Slowly he shifted his eyes back to Christie and the others. "I swear that I know what I am talking about. Just trust me, that is all I ask."
"Fine.", Duke answered reluctantly. "What do you guys think?", turning to the others.
"Sounds like a plan.", Riley answered with his arms coolly crossed over his chest.
The others nodded with him.
Christie put her palm over her forehead , she felt drowsy and lightheaded still.
"Are you okay, Christie?", Duke asked, slowly laying her on the floor. "Rest for a little while."
"Yeah Christie, we need all the rebels we can get.", Basil smiled light humouredly.
Christie laughed softly.
"Well we will let you rest Christie. Get all the rest you can get." Riley nodded as he, Basil, Jonah, and Devon walked up the steps, Duke still at her side.
Duke looked at Christie, so innocent and cute as she rested, he couldn't help but to smile at even a single glance at her. "Christie…", he asked quietly.
"Huh?", she answered groggily.
"I…well…I wanted to ask you…when we get out of this prison…and go back home and all…I wanted to know if maybe you would want to have dinner with me…or together, you know? What do you say?", Duke asked optimistically.
"I'm sorry Duke, I can't.", Christie answered. "My heart is taken already by a wonderful person.", a tear streamed down her face. "I miss him so much."
"Sailor Saturn?", Duke asked.
Christie wriggled herself forward. "To be honest, I didn't even know there was a Sailor Saturn until recently."
"Really?"
"Yeah.", wiping the tear away with her hand. "I found out when they reported it live on the news. And you know its funny.", she sniggered softly.
"What?"
"Well, I had been with Cole's best friend Matt for a while…and I did like him a lot, Matt is a great guy…but I had always had a crush on Sailor Saturn. A silly crush. He saved my life several times and I cant explain it, I just could never get him out of my mind…so much that I couldn't be with Matt anymore. Then I met Cole, and it was funny, he reminded me so much of Sailor Saturn, the way his eyes lit up when he talked, the way he laughed, the way he just made me feel in general ya know?"
Duke nodded.
"And ever since then, my crush sorta faded, but now that I know, it makes me feel as if--as if Cole and I were meant to be together because when I am around him…I feel like I can fly…I could live with him for years and he can still make my stomach turn like it was the first day. I just love him and it tears me apart that he is probably so…so far away right now." Christie stuttered while more tears followed the first.
"Doesn't it bother you though?", Duke asked.
"Does what bother me?"
"That he never told you…that he lied to you for years."
"No," she answered without thought. "I know that it was for the best. I could have been in danger if I had known before. Cole was protecting me.", she sighed. "But I doubt even he could have seen that anything like this would ever happen."
"No one could have, Christie.", Duke smiled reassuringly. He put his hand on her shoulder. "But you can bet that we will always be here for you in the meanwhile. I am sorry for bothering you--"
"Oh no bother at all!", Christie assured. "I enjoyed this. I realized a lot right now."
Duke looked down at the ground. "Well, time for you to rest, Christie. Sweet dreams."
"You too."
Duke stood up and slowly waddled up the stairway. Christie couldn't help but to laugh a little.
Christie looked over her shoulders and around her. Good, she thought to herself. Nobody was around. She put her head down on the cold cement floor and clutching an image of Cole in her mind, she cried herself to sleep.
