Chapter 14: The Sky after the Dawn
We sat on the one side of glass. Dawn sat at a small table on the other side of it. One way glass. She couldn't see us but we could see her. That didn't stop her from looking over at the mirror and winking. I couldn't tell if she was winking at us, knowing we were on the other side, or just winking to herself in the mirror. Nonetheless, it was unnerving.
Jerome and Mitch stood on either side of me. Even though he'd been dried several times, Jerome still had that wet dog smell. He'd been rung out, blown dried, and patted down with a towel and still he smelled. Mitch says it happens. Sometimes he just can't help it. Jerome jokingly said it was a stress smell. It was funny. I couldn't tell if he was serious though. Regardless, the three of us laughed about it.
Ty entered the room with Dawn. I felt like I was watching a cop movie. Dawn was being interrogated by Ty. Did that make Ty the good cop or the bad cop? He sat down opposite her, avoiding eye contact. She leaned over the table, smiling. I couldn't understand what she was so happy about. She was, from her point of view, captured by the enemy, being interrogated, threatened, by them. I wouldn't be smiling if I was in her position. I don't think anyone would.
"You know where you are?" Ty started with a sigh.
"In your base, I would assume," she hummed. "Though it doesn't look like much. A rotten tree and maggots wiggling inside."
"Do you remember almost drowning a several years ago?"
"No."
Ty looked up. Her eyes seemed to glimmer in the light.
"Do you remember anything before being…" he hesitated, "Queen?"
"I was given a new lease," she purred, voice sounding so hypnotic. "He granted me my kingdom."
"Let's not play the pronoun game," grumbled Ty, "Who is he? Please don't tell me it's…"
"Herobrine."
The name sent a shiver down my spine. That name was beginning to haunt me, even outside my dreams. Closing my eyes, I could still see his looming body, soulless eyes. I gulped, looking away from the mirror. Mitch put a hand on my shoulder. He knew Herobrine's face. He was there. I forget that sometimes. It's so fresh in my mind that I forget there were other people with me. I wasn't alone when I met him.
"Herobrine…gave you a new lease on what? Life?" Ty sighed. "Which means…you were near death?"
Dawn perked, eyes lowered to the desk.
"Ty…"
The door had opened. Sky lingered in the frame, eyeing the ground. He had yet to replace his sunglasses. Ty took a deep breath, getting up from the chair and allowing Sky to sit. This interrogation was taking a different turn. Walking out quietly, Ty shut the door behind me. Hurriedly, he ran down the hall into our little room. Together, we stood in silence.
"Do you know who I am?" Sky gulped.
"Sky…leader of his army," she scoffed, eyes narrowed at him. "You've killed many of my people."
"They aren't your people. They…" Sky sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Dawn, you aren't their queen. You're…you were my girlfriend!"
I could hear the quiver in his voice. He was trying not to cry.
"You don't remember?" he gasped. "We…we went to the beach. You loved the beach. You…you wanted to go swimming, even though we had just gone the day before." He bit his lip. "I didn't tell you. I didn't think it was important. I kicked a…I didn't think. I kicked it, sent it packing. It swore at me and I…I didn't listen. It took you. I didn't…I couldn't save you…"
Dawn's smile faded. She stared at Sky intently, mesmerized by his story. I could hear his shuddered breath. I would've cried if I was in his situation. I couldn't image losing someone like Ashley and finding her like this years after thinking she was dead. It hurt to even think about. I looked away. My chest hurt.
"I thought you drowned," whispered Sky. "I thought I killed you."
"You failed," she replied. "I was given life by my lord."
"Your 'lord' is nothing by an undead monster threatening our world. Just because he promised you something, doesn't mean you get it. He'll wipe out this world and you along with it. He doesn't care for anything! No one! He'll kill you, Dawn!"
She smiled lightly, looking away. I guess that was the end of the conversation. Sky got to his feet, slamming his hands on the table. It reverted in the room. His breath was labored. After a moment, frozen somewhere between frustration and sorrow, he left. He stepped away, threw open the door and didn't both to close it. Luckily, Dawn was locked down and couldn't leave through the open door.
I don't know why, but I had decided to be the one to go close the door. Ty, Jerome and Mitch left without words, walking down the other end of the hall. I turned back down the hall, stepping in the frame and reaching in to grab the knob. I met her eyes. Her smile widened.
"Hello, Stevenson…" she purred.
"I remember your voice…" I whispered. I did. It hadn't occurred to me until this moment. I had heard her voice once before.
"Dr. Hammerston…such a failed venture. He had one job and couldn't even accomplish that. Like telling a dog not to bite," she scoffed.
"Why…" I gulped. "Why tell him not to hurt me?"
"It is not our place to kill you," she snarled. "It is his…"
Herobrine.
"Why?"
Her smile faded a moment then returned stronger than before. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with an unknown light.
"He hasn't told you, the fool," she laughed, throwing her head back. "The one man who knows what to come hasn't told of what is to come!" She turned her head back to me. "How sad…you know nothing."
I took this time to finally close the door. I could still hear her laughing, all along in her room. I gulped, feeling the lump in my throat finally slip away. My chest pounded, lungs gasping for air. It felt like I'd run a marathon, not spoken to a random woman. I rubbed my eyes. Why was I crying? Stepping away from the door, I knew what I had to do. I needed to talk to Seto.