(Kate's POV)
Sitting upright on my bed, I listened to Humphrey as he spent the past hour doing his best to recap his life's events in the past four years. I listened as he poured out all the pain that had been sitting on his heart. From what I was able to understand, he had never succeeded in coming to terms with losing his parents and sister. He explained how lonely he had been in the past four years. He really had no one, no family members or friends alike.
As Humphrey finished, he just looked at me, his beautiful ice blue eyes piercing my amber orbs.
"Kate"?
"Yes, Humphrey. Is everything alright?" I said, giving him a smile as I answered him.
At this he simply lowered his head and stared at the floor. As I eagerly awaited his answer, he finally raised his head to face me.
"It's...it's just that for the past for years, I had no one! I would be lying if I said that I didn't start to question it all; to ask myself what meaning my life had".
Humphrey slowly lowered his head to face the wooden floor yet again, sighing deeply before continuing.
"You see, when you're all alone, your life seems meaningless. If you were to die right there and then, nobody would even know or care. Now, I have to admit, what kept me going was the thought of seeing you again, Kate. And now that I have you and your family, my life suddenly feels meaningful. You have no idea how important it is to know that you're cared for".
He then raised his head back up to face me. He now had a wide smile on his lips, his eyes almost seemed to be glowing.
"I'm so glad I found you guys, I feel alive again. You and your family are all that I have left. You all mean so much to me... you mean so much to me".
The second he finished his sentence, I leaped up and drew him into a tight and meaningful embrace. As he rested his head on my shoulder, I could feel his hot tears slowly dripping onto my shoulder. The past four years must've been hell for him, he truly didn't deserve to be put through such harsh situations.
It didn't matter, though. The past is in the past, and now that I'm here with him, that's exactly what I planned to do. To help him put his pain and suffering filled past behind him, and work towards a much better future.
"Kate! Humphrey! Come downstairs please".
It was my mom, probably calling us for dinner.
"well, Humphrey. It seems that we're needed downstairs" I said as I slowly got up.
Humphrey nodded as he too got up as we made our way to the stairs.
(Humphrey's POV)
As we reached the bottom, I noticed that Lily was already seated at the table. Eve was in the kitchen, most likely finishing up the food, which I have to admit smelled quite good. Winston then came down the stairs and took a seat at the head of the table, followed by Eve who came out of the kitchen holding a pot.
Eve set the pot down on the table and motioned for us to take a seat. As Kate and I took a seat, Eve went around the table, serving us from the contents of the pot which was basically the typical MRE beef stew. We all ate in silence until Winston spoke.
"So, Humphrey. Do you mind explaining to us how the system about the system here"?
I wiped my mouth with a napkin and quietly cleared my throat.
"Well, the system is basically pretty much the same every day. We get our daily food rations at 7:30 am, we get taken to the auditorium from 5 pm till 6:30 pm for what they call 'social hour', and we're each allowed one hour of exposure time outside, wearing protective gear of course. Curfew is at 10:00 pm. That's pretty much it".
"Well thanks for the info, Humphrey" Eve said.
"No need to thank me. It's the least I can do" I replied to her.
After dinner, Eve and Winston retired to their room upstairs, whilst Kate, Lily and I remained at the table talking.
"So, Lily, how have your past four years been?" I asked the snow white wolf sitting across from me.
"Well, to be honest, they've been kinda boring. After the war, I got separated from all of my friends. I really miss them all, especially... Garth" she replied.
I truly felt bad for her. She and Garth had been inseparable, just like Kate and I. I guess the war has taken its toll on all of us.
"Well, Lily, the war has been hard on all of us. We've all lost close friends. I've even lost family members, so I guess you could say that I totally understand your feelings. Now it's time we all move on and form new friendships. And who knows? Maybe you'll see Garth again. It's definitely a possibility..."
I turned to face Kate who was still sitting besides me. Her facial features were currently sporting one of her adorable smiles. Something I said must've cheered her up too.
"Easy for you to say, Humphrey. You and Kate found each other" Lily said as she hung her head, a look of sorrow on her face.
"That we did, Lily. And that's exactly the point! Humphrey and I also thought we'd never see each other again, but fate reunited us" Kate chimed in.
"Exactly, Lily. Just have hope. You never know what fate can bring to your doorstep".
Our words seemed to finally succeed in somewhat cheering Lily up. She even gave us a weak, yet meaningful smile.
"Thanks, guys" Lily said. "I really needed that..."
(Time skip: three weeks, Humphrey's POV)
The past three weeks went by rather smoothly. Kate and her family were still getting used to the new system, though they seemed to be OK with it. With Kate's help, I was finally able to do my best to put my past behind me, and look towards the somewhat bright future that hopefully lay ahead. And Kate, being the social wolf that she is, even helped me make a few new friends! Additionally, Lily was able to pull herself together, and she too made some new friends of her own. Everything seemed to finally be falling into place.
I now spent my days mostly hanging out with Kate. We would once again spend hours in each other's company, just like the old times. We once again grew inseparable. From time-to-time we'd also hang out with our new friends; Salty, Shakey, Mooch, Candy and Sweets.
But mine and Kate's favorite activity by far, was when we'd often sneak out of the safe zone after the permitted hours.
There's a dense forest located behind the safe zone. I had always dreamed of exploring it, but was unable to due to the safes zone's fences. But one day as I was walking along the fence, I noticed a small hole that was just barely big enough to fit through.
Basically, almost every day after everyone went to sleep, Kate and I would gear up and quietly sneak out. We would then make our way to the fence, climb through the small hole and cautiously step into the forest, doing our best not to get caught in the process.
We would do so often. Kate and I enjoyed it more than anything. We both agreed that the fact they gave us only one hour of exposure time was absurd. We had no freedom except for that one hour, and even when we were out, we were constantly being monitored. That's why we'd sneak out; to install some more freedom into our lives. It felt quite good to break the system, to go against the rules, to 'rebel'. We would spend hours walking around the woods, simply enjoying each other's company. We'd only be out for a few hours, though. We simply couldn't stay out too long and risk getting caught.
I really hated the military. They had control over our every move, even our thoughts at times. They had us locked up in these huge, cage like quarantine zones. Why couldn't they just let us be free? I couldn't ever understand why it was so essential that we all collectively be 'herded' into these 'safe zones'. What are they 'protecting' us from now? The war is over!
And it's not even worth asking, since they never release any information anyways.
But most of all, I hate the military for never telling me how my family had died. I can still remember it all perfectly. That horrible night.
It happened just a few months into the war. I returned home late from a friend's house, only to be met with the most horrifying scene I had ever witnessed. My parents and sister had been quietly killed in their sleep. They weren't messy kills, either. A simple bullet through each of their hearts had done the trick perfectly. When the military investigated the crime, all they ever told me was that I had been lucky that I wasn't home. They gave me no further explanation, just that I had been 'lucky'.
Just thinking of this matter never fails to anger me. I deserve to know! I deserve to know why someone so desperately wanted my family dead.
(7:15 am)
Once again, my alarm clock succeeded in waking me up. After I had shut it off, I rolled on my side to face Kate, who was still peacefully sleeping on her bed which was parallel to mine.
Getting up, I slowly walked over to her sleeping body and gently stroked her cheek.
"Kate, wake up" I said in a whispered.
She stirred slightly as she finally opened her delicate eyes and trained her gaze onto me.
"H-Humphrey? What time is it?" she asked tiredly.
"Good morning to you too, sleepy head. It's 7:15, we'll be receiving our rations in a quarter hour, and it's our turn to prepare breakfast" I answered as I continued rubbing her cheek gently.
She responded with a loud grunt.
"Ugh, why does it have to be us again? I'm just so tired…" she said whilst yawning widely.
"Well, if you really don't feel up for it, I don't mind doing it myself" I offered kindly.
"No, it's fine. I'll get up. What kind of friend would I be if I made you do all the work?" she said with a smile.
"A bad one, I guess. Now let's get moving. You know they don't wait".
With that she got up and walked over to her closet, quickly putting a shirt and shorts on.
She waddled towards me, and I chuckled slightly at her apparent lightheadedness.
"You ready, Kate? Didn't take you long at all" I said jokingly.
She punched me lightly on the arm. "Oh shut up. You have no idea how tired I am" she said with a chuckle.
"Hey! I offered to do it myself" I challenged.
"Whatever" she said as she walked right past me towards the door.
I watched as she suddenly turned around to face me, a sly smile on her lips.
"You coming, Humphrey? You wouldn't want to… uh… keep me waiting, would you"?
"Wait, so you're now waiting on me, huh"?
She giggled. "Are you still talking"?
(Time skip: 6:45 pm, still Humphrey's POV)
The bus had just dropped us off at our house. We all made our way inside and took our masks off, setting them on the table.
We had already eaten dinner at the auditorium. Apparently, it was "community barbecue night", so a few of our neighbors prepared roast chicken and hot dogs. It was nice to finally eat real food instead of those crappie MRE's, but besides that, nothing else interesting happened.
"Kate? Humphrey?" Eve said, getting our attention.
"Yes, Mom?" Kate replied.
"Well, your dad and I are quite tired, and since we've already ate, we decided we'd turn in early. If that's OK with you, of course".
Kate looked towards me before replying. "No problem, Mom, we'll be fine. You guys go ahead".
Eve smiled. "Thanks, dear. Good night. We'll see you two in the morning".
And with that, she and Winston turned around and walked upstairs.
Lily then turned to face us. "Guys, I'm also pretty tired. I think I'm gonna turn in early too. Goodnight"!
"Goodnight, Lily. See you tomorrow… " I answered her.
And with that, she too disappeared up the stairs. Now only Kate and I remained downstairs. It was then that I suddenly got an idea.
"Hey, Kate"?
"Yes, Humphrey. What's Up"?
"Well, now that everyone is already asleep, I thought it might be nice to go to the forest now" I said.
She raised a brow. "Go now? Isn't it a bit early?" she asked.
"Well maybe it's a bit early, but who knows? Maybe going early will be more fun" I replied.
She thought for a moment before she spoke.
"Well, alright. I guess we could go now. But don't you think we'll be more noticeable? How do you plan on us not getting caught?" she asked.
I shrugged. "I guess we'll just do our best to go unseen. Just like always" I answered.
She crossed her arms. "Everything always seems to be so simple to you" she said nonchalantly.
I shrugged again. "Well, that's because they just are. Listen, we're already in our protective gear, so let's grab our masks and get moving"!
Just five minutes later we were already halfway there, quietly treading through the snow in an effort to go unnoticed.
As we closed in on the fence, Kate suddenly grabbed my arm and quickly pulled me behind a large pile of snow.
I stumbled backwards slightly, though I was able to quickly regain my composure.
"What was that for?!" I asked her sternly.
She didn't respond, rather she motioned for me to look over the snow pile.
I slowly raised my head and peaked over the rim, just in time to see an army jeep pass by right in front of us.
I lowered my head and looked back at Kate, who currently had an "I told you so" look on her face.
I decided to be nice.
"Thanks, Kate" I said. "Didn't see it coming".
"Well luckily, you have me here. Now let's keep going. I don't want to need to save you… again" she said sarcastically, once again grabbing my hand as we continued onwards.
We finally reached the fence and I quickly located the breach. We both carefully climbed through the hole and ran towards the forest, and only stopped running after we were completely surrounded by trees.
The dense quantity of branches and leaves covered us like a blanket, effectively hiding us beneath them.
I chuckled loudly as I panted. "See, Kate? I told you everything would go smoothly" I said to her.
"so you consider me having to save your tail 'going smoothly'?" she asked with a grin.
I raised my hands in defeat. "I'm sorry, miss Kate. You're right. I'm forever in your debt" I said tiredly.
"Now that's more like it" she said as she took my hand in hers.
"Let's get going".
(Kate's POV)
We had been walking for about half an hour, chatting amongst ourselves. I really enjoy being in Humphrey's company, the feeling is second to none.
Suddenly, I noticed a small metallic looking object poking through the snow. I tugged on Humphrey's hand.
"Look, Humphrey!" I said as I pointed towards the mysterious object.
Humphrey bent down and picked it up, wiping the snow off it.
"Well, what is it?" I asked impatiently.
"I dunno, Kate" he said, "I'm not exactly su-... Wait! I know what this is"!
I started bouncing in excitement. "Well, tell me!" I said in a demanding tone.
"Well, I learned about this device in class" Humphrey began, "it's called a 'survey meter'. Basically, it measures surrounding radiation levels, and…"
He never finished his sentence. He just stared at the device with a startled look on his face.
"Humphrey? Is everything OK?" I asked, growing more concerned by the second.
A long moment passed until he finally answered.
"It's… it's just… this can't be right!" he said, pure shock clearly noticeable in his voice.
I didn't understand. "What, Humphrey? What can't be right"?!
"The meter, it shows that radiation levels are completely normal! We're well in the 'green' zone!" he answered.
I was shocked. "But Humphrey… the war! It can't be that the radiation levels are normal! The meter must be wrong!"
Humphrey suddenly grabbed his mask and began to unstrap it.
I was completely taken aback by his sudden and shocking actions.
"Humphrey!" I screamed, "What the hell are you doing"?!
My concern seemed to fall on deaf ears as it was too late. By the time I had finished yelling, his mask was already off, his black mane swaying in the light breeze.
My heart filled with fear as I noticed him slowly taking a deep breath.
I just stood there, still as a statue, frozen in fear. But then, he exhaled, and began to take more and more breathes.
"I… I can't believe it!" he said. "The air… it's totally safe"!
I quickly snapped out of my trance.
"Are… are you sure, Humphrey?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"I'm completely sure, Kate. If the air had actually been contaminated, I'd be long dead by now" he answered.
I unstrapped my mask and removed it slowly. He was right. The air was completely safe. I kept breathing in the cool fresh air, I had completely forgotten how amazing fresh air was.
"Humphrey, what… what does this mean?" I asked.
He looked towards me. "It's quite simple, Kate. It means they've been lying to us… lying to us all along"!
I was once again dumbfounded. "What? Who's been lying to us, Humphrey"?!
"The military!" he spat. "There is no contamination in the air! There are no high radiation levels! The military has been lying to us, Kate. Can't you see"?!
Humphrey was right. They had been lying to us!
"But why, Humphrey? Why have they been lying to us?!" I yelled.
"I don't know, Kate, but I'm sure as hell gonna find- "
His sentence was cut off by the sound of approaching rotor wings, which by no doubt belonged to a helicopter.
"Humphrey!" I yelled, "let's take cover! A helicopter is coming".
"No need, Kate!" he yelled back, "the trees, they'll never notice us through the trees"!
The tree tops were now swaying violently, making loud snapping sounds. The helicopter had to be close.
Not two seconds later, the helicopter flew over us. But that wasn't what freaked the shit out of me. What had me frozen in fear was the fact that the helicopter had stopped… right above us!
"What the hell…"? Humphrey whispered.
Suddenly, four brown ropes dropped from the helicopter, followed by many armed soldiers who slid down them.
In mere seconds we were completely surrounded, their guns all aimed towards us.
The commander slowly approached us, only stopping a mere few meters away. His rifle aimed and ready.
"Freeze!" he yelled.
"Don't move or we'll be forced to shoot…"!
A/N:
So, what did you guys think? I worked really hard on this chapter compared to the previous ones, and I'm quite happy with the result. It would mean so much to me if you all could take a moment and review. Your feedback is priceless.
Also, if you haven't already, please follow and fav!
That's all, folks!
Until next time, bye!