Plucking Daisy

Chapter Chunk

Goodbye

It was far from quiet.

Every siren in the whole building was going off. With no one left to regulate it, the building was falling apart; soon it wouldn't be safe to stay inside. Daisy walked into the lobby slowly. She'd heard the _. Now he just stood there; no expression on his face, just staring down at the lifeless body below him. She took small, quiet steps towards him, but before she made it all the way she heard a sharp sound.

To her right, one of the main pillars holding the floor above them up had cracked past its holding point. The floor was coming down. She quickly turned back to Jonathan, who hadn't moved an inch.

She didn't have enough time. She wasn't fast enough.

The ceiling fell with little grace; powdered drywall filled the air and large chunks of debris flew everywhere. By the time Daisy reached Jonathan he was on the ground, blown back and half buried. She moved the chunks of concrete and tile with some effort and scooped Jonathan up into her arms, pausing only to look at Amina.

She knew she should have felt jaded by now. She knew that this woman's death meant her safety, she did. But that didn't stop her from feeling guilt; feeling disgusted with herself for wanting this. It didn't stop the flip-flopping of her stomach, but it also didn't stop her from turning away, leaving her lying there, broken.

There were more cracking sounds. The building didn't have long now, and she didn't have time to keep sulking. Daisy turned and ran towards the door, throwing a discarded chair at the glass doors to make an exit. She made it a few dozen feet outside when she heard the next floors hit the ground. When she thought they were far enough away she turned around to look at the tragedy.

Everything was burning.

The labs were completely empty. Anyone who wasn't dead already had evacuated. The Sky was orange with smoke. They watched from outside, the silence only broken by the sound of the debris and the crashing of the floors inside collapsing. They were all that was left.

Daisy looked away from the wreckage to Jonathan, whose eyes were locked onto what remained of the building. His face looked empty; laying there in her arms. He was weak, both of mind and of body. She looked around and found a lone tree, far enough away from the building that she figured they'd be safe.

The tree was large, and had good shaded coverage, an oasis of calm in their otherwise tragic surroundings. Daisy leaned down and lightly placed Jonathan on the ground beneath it, his back resting on the trunk. His eyes never strayed from the building. She waited agonizing minutes before finally sitting down in front of him, watching his face for a sign of anything. They sat like this for what felt like hours. Just the two of them, the shade from the tree, and the cool breeze. When Jonathan finally broke the silence, it wasn't what Daisy had expected.

"Do you love me?" he asked.

She sat, stunned a moment. "Y-yes. Yes, I love you." She leaned forward towards him.

He then sat in silence again for a few moments before continuing.

"Do you really?"

Daisy's mouth hung open, words failed her. She didn't know what to say, what he wanted her to say.

"If you do, I want to know why."

She stuttered and reached forward, grabbing his hand. It was only now that he finally turned to look at her. His eyes were so intense it scared her. Any words she'd planned to way were gone now.

"Because I don't think you do, not really."

Daisy took in a sharp gasp, his words cut her like a dagger. He could see it hurt her, and he quickly amended his statement.

"Not that I don't doubt you do. I believe you. I just don't know how valid an emotion it is." He closed his eyes and held her hand tightly. "I programed you. I made you to love me. And since the day you woke up I was one of the only few people you were given any opportunity to grow close to. How can you truly love me when I'm all that you've ever known?"

He looked up and Daisy's eyes met his for the first time. They were full of shame and sadness.

"So, what does this mean then?" she asked.

"I don't know."

He could see her lip begin to tremble and pulled her down to sit with him. She curled up in his lap and he held her close, his arms wrapping around her. They stayed like that for a long while. Eventually the sun began to sink and jonathan pulled away slightly. Daisy looked up at him curiously and he smiled