chapter five -- "a friend"
I thought I could protect her.
Jay stared at the floor, unable to go on. The bread he had eaten felt like a rock in his stomach. He rested his hand on his stomach as he felt the familiar and unpleasant feeling of nausea. The blonde briefly wondered if the bread had been poisoned but he couldn't think why Black would want him dead. He was no real threat to him. That he knew of, anyway. He lifted his eyes up to the tyrant's face for the first time during his story.
Black appeared to be in his own world, staring out the window with a pensive look on his face. Jay wondered what he was thinking, if he was remembering his own moment before the Virus started. What had he been doing? Had he been with his family? Had he had any family at all? What sort of kid had he been back then? Jay found himself curious about his past but before he could ask, Black began to speak again.
"You speak of her so fondly, as if you loved her."
Jay was a little taken aback by this and he struggled to make a reply. "I did love her but it was different." His voice became quiet and a smile came to his face. "She was different."
Black seemed to tense up but still kept his face toward the window. "How exactly was she different, General?"
Jay rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly unsure of exactly how he had felt for his childhood friend. "She just was." He had honestly cared for Riley, he had. The girl had been his best friend, as unlikely as it had been. She had been his best mate. "We were just kids. It wasn't that kind of love. Riley was … " Jay closed his eyes, allowing his memory to conjure up what he could remember of the rambunctious girl of his youth. "She was fun. She was always in trouble too but she was never mean about it. Riley was just-"
"I was speaking of Robin." Black then turned his face to Jay, smirking like he had just discovered a valuable secret. He chuckled at the slight blush of embarrassment on Jay's face. "But apparently you weren't aware of that and misunderstood me."
"I just assumed you-" but Jay was interrupted again, much to his annoyance.
"You assume much, General." Black's smirk turned dangerous. "You should be careful with what you take for granted. Sometimes, you don't know what you have until it's gone."
Jay wasn't sure if there was some hidden meaning in Black's words and frankly, he was tired of playing games. What was it with this man anyway? He acted like the top dog but was there any bite to the bark? Jay watched as Black leaned his head back and settled comfortably in the chair. For a moment, he looked peaceful enough to fall asleep but Jay knew better and as Black closed his eyes, he opened his mouth.
"Tell me something, General. I'm very curious about this girl you speak so fondly of." Black paused. "Where is she now?"
I thought I could protect her.
Jay bristled, more memories coming like waves to his brain. He didn't want to see them, didn't want to remember them but there they were now, at the front of his mind. Black had no right to know anything about his past and he almost said so but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to speak. It was like his tongue refused to listen to him and stubbornly held back the words he wanted to say. When minutes went by and the silence grew, he could tell that Black was becoming impatient.
"I said, where is she?" Black sat up and Jay could tell that he was angry. Exactly why, he couldn't guess. What did it matter to him what had happened to his friend? Why did he care? But Black must have read his mind again because he rested back and shrugged. "I don't care at all. The girl is of no real matter to me. You probably have no idea what happened to her. Didn't look for her after the Virus, probably." Black turned back to the window, rambling on. "You did mention you had grown apart and what importance was she to you then? You had moved on, as all people do, and found yourself a new life. She probably did the same and is off somewhere on her own. Starving most likely."
"She died."
Jay said it so quietly that he almost wondered if he had only thought it. But Black was looking at him now so he knew he had spoken it out loud. He turned his own eyes out the window, out to the dark mess outside. "It was a fire. Her family lived on a hill and it just … just took over. It was after the Virus so there weren't any firemen or police or anybody." His voice cracked and he shook his eyes away from the window to stare angrily at the floor again. "There was nobody there to stop it."
"Death by fire. How poetic." Black said without sympathy.
"It wasn't poetic. Death isn't romantic. There is nothing glorious about death." Jay glared up at Black, angry at his lack of compassion. This man didn't seem to care at all that this girl had died. It was than that Jay knew exactly what he was dealing with.
Monster.
And it was speaking again.
"You tell me that nobody was there." Black rubbed his chin, still staring at him with those cold blue eyes. "How then do you know how she died?"
Jay sighed. "Jewel, one of her friends, told me when I went back to get her."
"Jewel, hm? The red-head that you always have about you?"
"Yes. I guess it would be stupid to ask how you know that." Jay raised an eyebrow as Black smirked at him. God, how he hated that smirk. It was making his blood boil.
"My castle, General. Remember that and we'll have no quarrels, you and I."
"No, I'm fairly certain we will." Jay spat.
It was Black's turn to quirk his eyebrow up. "Will we?" His smirk vanished. "Over what, if you don't mind me asking? I've been pleasant enough to you and your group of misfits. I've offered you shelter, food, clean water and protection. What exactly is it that you have a problem with?"
Jay didn't want to argue. He wasn't about to destroy the deal between them. Even if he did completely hate this man and couldn't stand to be near him, he wasn't going to let that cloud his better judgment. He turned his head back to the table with the map, carefully choosing his next words. "Like you said, I'm in no position to argue. You have been generous but do not misunderstand me," Jay turned back to Black, his eyes narrowing. "We aren't your slaves and I won't have you treating us like we are. We'll stay as long as we need to, helping you as much as we can to rebuild your walls. I am grateful for the offer. I'll try not to step on any toes while I'm here and I'll make sure to pass the message along to the others. Now, if you're done with all of your questions and 'negotiations', I think I'll go." Jay stood up slowly and waited for Black to stand as well. But he didn't. He just sat there, staring at him with a strange look on his face as if he was trying to decide what to do next.
"Star," Black shouted then. The girl came quickly to his side, her eyes on Jay. Black gestured for her to bend down and he whispered something in her ear. Her already serious face seemed to become more serious and she almost looked angry. She straightened back up and stepped behind the chair. Black turned to Jay with a look of no concern whatsoever. "She will take you back to the others then. I have nothing more to ask of you for now. We'll save the rest for later, shall we?" He then turned away from him and stared once more out the window as if suddenly deep in thought.
I thought I could protect her.
Jay thought to say more but Star shook her head and immediately began to pull him away. She dragged him through the dimly lit room and to another door in the shadows at the back of the room. Jay stopped and glanced over his shoulder at Black but the chair was ominously empty and he then realized that all the candles were blown out. Darkness had settled once more in the room. It was like no one had ever been there. Jay could feel Star tugging at his arm and he could hear voice calling to him to move but he found himself unable to tear his gaze away from the empty chair. Where had Black gone? What would he do next? Would he keep his word?
"I said, move it!" Star took a hold of his ear and pulled so hard that it felt like she was about to rip it out of his head. He gave a shout and quickly yanked her hand off him. She didn't look at all sorry. "There's nothing left to see. Don't you want get back to your cozy family?" It sounded as if she was mocking him. He frowned but said nothing back to her. Why bother? She would probably just snap at him again.
He let out a sigh and walked through the door, expecting her to follow behind but once again, the door was slammed shut behind him and he was left in darkness. "Hey!" Jay quickly tried to find the door again but his hands only felt solid rock. He shouted again but no one responded. Frustrated, he banged his fist against the door. He knew no one would open it but he knew they could hear him. Finally, he stopped and turned around, his eyes now fully adjusted to the dark. There was light coming from somewhere. With it, he could tell that not far away from him was an open stairwell that led down somewhere. It made sense. He had climbed up to get to the room. It was logical that he would eventually have to climb down.
The stairs were made out of stone, not surprisingly and they appeared to be well used. There were no cobwebs and no dust that he could see. The farther he went down the stairs, the brighter it got. Soon, he could see without any trouble. Small lamps hung on the walls every ten feet, candles brightly burning inside. Despite their hot flame, the air in the stairway was cold.
He thought it very medieval, Black and his caped companions. It was like they all took a turn and went back in time. However odd and backwards it sounded, it seemed to be working for them. Black had offered them plenty of food and beds and running water. He had apparently been able to get by just fine without electricity. It partly worried Jay because sooner or later, they would come against a problem that would need it and then, where would they be?
I thought I could protect her.
Of course, the world had survived without electricity for hundreds of years. He supposed it could survive a while longer without it.
When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he came to a wall. Behind the wall, he could hear voices. They appeared to be friendly and even happy. He leaned against the wall and looked for a hole or a crack to peer through. As he did, a familiar smell wafted through the door. It hit him hard and his stomach gave a loud growling sound. He was sure the entire universe could hear it.
Meat! He could smell meat! Fresh off the grill, sweet, mouth-watering juicy meat!
His stomach twisted into knots as he realized just how hungry he was. Jay bit his tongue to keep from whimpering out loud as the smell consumed his thoughts. He was very near to breaking down the wall when suddenly, a small clicking sound from behind alerted him. He quickly turned around, expecting to see Star again coming to tease him but instead found the guard from before.
"Well, I see you found the kitchen alright." The guard chuckled and Jay relaxed.
"How do I get in?"
The guard looked like he was going to fall on the floor laughing. He shook his head and kept chuckling. "Well, you aren't exactly allowed in the kitchen. Now, now." The guard put up his hands when Jay started to protest. "It isn't anything personal or nothing. It's only that the kitchen is a busy place and the cooks don't like it when kids come in and bother them. Besides, that meat they're cooking is for lunch. If you're hungry, you can come and join your friends as they finish their breakfast."
Jay nodded. "Where are they?"
"They're in the dining hall. Here, follow me and I'll take you there." The guard turned back to the door in the wall and gestured for Jay to follow him.
Needless to say, Jay was in no mood to argue and with the hope of more hot food waiting for him, he was eager to follow. He heard the door slowly shut behind them and didn't bother looking back. It was pointless. He knew he wouldn't be able to get back. With this in mind, he opened his mouth to ask the guard about all the doors and secret stairways when he realized he had yet to learn the guard's name. Before, Jay had thought he had recognized him but the guard had quickly discarded the question. Why? Did he know him?
"Hey. I appreciate all you've done for my tribe but I feel guilty for not knowing your name." Jay said, walking up to the guard's side. He tried to get a better look at the man's face now that there was enough light but the his mask hid his face well. The guard quickened his pace, ignoring his question again.
"Your tribe have all been set up with their rooms. We haven't told them about the deal you made with Black. He figured it would be right for you to tell them first." The guard sighed and played with the edge of his mask. For a moment, Jay was sure he would take it off and reveal himself but when he dropped his hand back to his side, he was disappointed. What was it with everyone here trying to hide who they were?
Granted, he really had no say in this. Hadn't the Technos done the same thing? Hiding their face behind black masks? A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Maybe Black had copied their style.
"Here we are." The guard pushed open another door in the wall and held it open for Jay to walk through. The room they entered was vastly different from Black's. It was bright and colorful, lamps lit in every corner to drive the shadows out. The windows were larger and wider, letting in the beginnings of the soft morning light. Jay rubbed his eyes, wishing that he had slept. The guard patted his shoulder. "Try not to yawn. It'll only make you more sleepy." He chuckled again and went to the other side of the room to yet another door. When he opened it, Jay could hear the excited talk of children. The guard nodded his head out the door. "This is just one of the empty rooms we have around the castle. We don't let anyone use it for obvious reasons. It's mostly kept for storing blankets, sheets and all that bedding stuff." He waved his hand to the multiple cupboards and dressers around the room. "The room is off-limits unless you're coming from Black's room, got it?"
Jay nodded again, too tired to ask any more questions or argue. "I'll tell the others."
The guard grinned and opened the door wider. "Good, lets hope they listen to you then. Black's not shy about punishment, if you get my drift."
"Of course." Jay started out the door, the smell of bacon and pancakes distracting him. His mouth began to water and he hated to admit it but he suddenly gained an enormous amount of respect for Black. If he could manage feeding a horde of kids and his own crew bacon and pancakes … well, he was doing much better than Ram already.
When he stepped out, the guard grabbed him suddenly by the arm. Confused, Jay turned. The guard hesitated a moment before finally speaking. "The name's Brye."
"Brye?" Jay smiled widely, glad to have made a friend in the dark and dreary place that was now his home. "Good to meet you then."
Brye smiled back. He let him go and dug his hand in his pants pocket. What he pulled out looked like an old scrap of paper, the edges worn and blackened. He watched with sympathy as Brye ran his hand along the paper and it was than that he noticed it was an old photograph. It looked like he had kept it in his pocket for years. It was obviously something he cared very deeply for, to keep it for so long. Jay was surprised when Brye handed it to him and was surprised further when he said, "You dropped this when we first captured you back in GreenWood." Brye said softly. "I'm sorry I kept it. It just … it reminded me of someone."
Jay took the picture, now already knowing without looking at it what it was. He smiled and ran his thumb across the old glossy photo. Jay looked over at Brye and grinned. "Thanks. I thought I had lost it."
"Sometimes, things we thought were lost, were never lost at all. Just waiting to be found."
Jay had no time to ask what he meant. The door was shut and he was left on his own in the hall. He made a mental note to himself to ask Brye exactly what he meant the next time he saw him. For now, he wouldn't worry about it. His brain had enough to think about.. It was strange how the conversation with Black had turned. He seemed to be interested in Jay's past and Jay couldn't help wonder why. It had been the first time that he had ever told anyone about Riley after the Virus. He usually wasn't very forth-coming about his past. It wasn't that he was ashamed of it. He just never thought it wise to think too much on what had happened and instead focus on what was happening.
Laughter from down the hall brought him out of his thoughts. It was time to go talk to the others. He smiled down at the picture, folded it gently and tucked it back into his pocket for safe-keeping.
Jay sighed and ran a hand through his messy blonde hair, then proceeded down the hall toward the source of the laughter. He pushed all thoughts of the past to the back of his mind but as he neared the kitchen and laughter grew louder, he couldn't help but miss the laugh of a little girl he knew long ago.
I thought I could protect her.
