A/N Let me know what you think about the chapter? Is there anything specific you would like to see in this story? I would really love some idea's
Watching Helen grab another card off of the table, she had managed to find a deck in the storage room "Gin" Helen called with a large boasting smile. Grumbling under my breath, that's been the sixth time today she's beaten me.
Sighing, I leaned back in my chair "I need to find a game you're not good at" I teased "otherwise I'll never win"
"Or maybe you could pay more attention" she replied, not in a tantalising way. Raising an eyebrow she let out a light snicker before explaining "I was making it obvious…I was testing you to see if you were really just bad, or there was something on your mind – so tell me" Helen said while leaning on the table with her elbows "what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong…" I said with a sigh "I'm just bored. He hasn't let me out of this place for a month now. I feel like I can't breathe…like the walls are creeping closer and closer every day. I can't stand it" I said with a grumble. Collecting the cards that were scattered on the table, I started to flip them all over the right way.
"I've been down here with you…it's not that bad" Helen said, trying to justify our living conditions.
Scoffing, I eyed her "That's different. You chose to stay down here to keep me company. You can go out whenever you want. I can't…I'm – trapped" huffing, I sat up in the chair as the weight of my rounded stomach was making it uncomfortable.
It's hard to tell the time down here, but I know it must have been roughly around two months since escaping the facility and coming here for sanctuary. Lately, me and Helen have been experiencing the full burden of pregnancy. Our stomach have swelled twice the size and now it was more than noticeable. I'm not sure about Helen as she usually doesn't complain, but for the past week my back and feet were aching constantly. Sleep was also not an option, and it was rather uncomfortable having to sleep on my side every night and not roll over onto my back like I usually do. I've now had to wedge a pillow behind me to stop it from happening. Everything's becoming so much harder to do and I'm constantly having to go to the bathroom. It's horrendous. I don't know how my mother did it twice.
"Trapped is rather harsh" Helen said with a sigh "maybe you should talk to him. Tell him you won't run away again, and that you need some fresh air…it can't hurt to ask"
"I can't be bothered, and the outcome that he will let me out is miniscule. All that's going to happen is we'll argue, and one or both of us will get angry…it's not worth it"
Looking up from the deck of cards in my hand, the silence from Helen had caught my attention. Eyeing me from the other side of the table, she huffed "You sound exactly like my older sister…your always avoiding conflict – burring you head in the sand when things get too complicated. You don't want to fix the problem, instead you'd rather it fester"
"I'm not letting anything fester…he's just unreasonable" I replied.
"Are you sure he's the one that's unreasonable…he did help you when you were sick. He didn't let you suffer. And who knows…maybe he's keeping you down here for a good reason and you just don't see it"
"You always find the good in everything…always the optimist. What if there is no underlying cause?" I asked with a tilt of my head and a soft shrug "what if he's just rude and unreasonable like I said? What then?"
Shaking her head, Helen cracked a small smile "There's never not a reason for someone's actions. There's always an explanation, a cause. Even for him...he didn't become the person he is 'just because'…something happened to him – it made him the man is today" listening to the unexpected emotion escape from her lips. I felt as if what she was saying had another meaning.
"Made him what? A killer?"
Staring at me with emotion filled eyes, Helen looked away before leaning back in her chair. I knew by the way she looked that she was frustrated and upset – as if I wasn't getting what she was trying to tell me, but I do "Is that all you see?" she asked suddenly.
"It's all that I know…" I replied plainly.
Sitting on the bed, I was half way through reading a book the soldier had gotten for us while he was in town, when the familiar creek of the door to the bunker opened. Listening to it shut a second later, the sounds of the soldiers boots echoed as he climbed down the railing. Looking up from my book, I watched as Helen sat on the kitchen chair playing a card game; a smile on her face as she silently welcomed the soldier back.
Sucking on the inside of my cheek, I couldn't help but wonder how deep their friendship went. I started to notice small changes every to both of them during the past few weeks. For one he was much warmer and kinder to Helen than he was to me, and sometimes I would here Helens voice at night as she talked to him in hushed whispers. It made me question, are they closer then they seem, or is it just my imagination?
Turning back to my book, I finished the page before flipping over to the next "Here you go" sounded Helens voice from beside me as she held out the familiar silver packages. Giving her a smile of graduated, I accepted them before she walked back over to the kitchen table where the soldier sat.
Tearing open the meal, I chewed on the dried beef inside as I continued to read my book. Sitting for a few minutes, I got up from the bed and walked over to the makeshift bin. Placing my rubbish inside, I turned to walk back to my bed when I clutched the corner of the nearest kitchen bench with my hand. Wincing as I closed my eyes, I couldn't help but clench my teeth at the pain that had come from inside my belly – the baby kicked, again.
Waiting for the pain to ebb away, I opened my eyes to see the soldier and Helen staring with a confused and worried look "What happened?" asked the soldier as he sat in the chair, his calculating eyes looking me up and down for any obvious injury.
Shaking my head "It's nothing…" I said before adding "the baby kicked" glancing at Helen, I made my way back to my bed. Putting the book on the cupboard next to me, I climbed into the bed slowly as to not disrupt the baby. I hated it when it kicked, it felt as if someone had stabbed me from the inside.
Turning to lay down on my side with the pillow propped behind me, I closed my eyes with a controlled breath. Listening to the faint hum of the L.E.D light from above, I focused on the black oblivion that now clouded my vision.
Waking up the next morning, I slowly sat up to rub my eyes from the morning haziness. Eventually glancing around, I noticed that I was suddenly all alone – Helen and the soldier gone. Frowning, I found it odd that she would leave me all alone. She never had before. Not since I had been confined to the bunker.
Getting up from my bed, I put on the white pants that I had been given from the facility. Not bothering to change my shirt, me and Helen instead had to wear the other baggy shirts; as the white one no longer fitted our expanding belly's.
Walking into the storage room, I grabbed the silver package I needed for breakfast before sitting down at the kitchen table. Eating away at the protein bar, I was drinking a cup of water when the door opened making me jump slightly in my seat. Looking over, I recognised the person to be Helen. Coming to stand beside me, she looked – happy "He said you can come out now"
Sighing, I was glad at the information but also angry. The way Helen worded it made me sound as if I were a disobedient dog, suddenly aloud to go out and play again. Nodding my head with appreciation, I swallowed the last mouthful of water "Do you know why he's letting me out?" I asked curiously while looking up at Helen.
Nodding she had a faint look of being caught "I…mentioned that you weren't feeling very well down here…and I asked him if it would be alright if you could come back outside again – he said yes" she explained with a small slap of her hand on her thigh.
"And he agreed…just like that?" I couldn't really believe it – but then again, I can.
"I told you" she said with a smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she tilted her head "you only have to ask" huffing lightly, I nodded "come on" she while motioning with her hand "it's a beautiful day"
Getting up from my seat, I followed Helen up the ladder. Seeing the rays of day light as they got closer and closer, I eventually arrived to the top. Not hesitating to take the first steps out, I couldn't help but melt at the feeling of the sun on my skin as it shined between the trees. Listening to the few birds chirp and the cool breeze brush past my cheek, it all felt like heaven.
Watching Helen walk into the distance, I now realised she was going back to join the soldier. Beginning to talk, I couldn't hear the words that were leaving her mouth or his, but as he looked over to me I couldn't help but feel self-conscious. Turning, I walked the other direction. Not going far, I was still in eye sight of Helen and the soldier. I didn't want to push my luck.
Finding a patch of sun, I sat in the middle. Playing with the dead leaves and sticks on the ground, it didn't bother me that I was just sitting in the sun. All that mattered was that I was finally able to escape the cold darkness of the bunker. Now I was out in the open, able to breathe fresh air and smell the scent of bark.
Sitting on the ground, the time passed quicker than I could comprehend and soon the sun was starting to set in the sky; a mixture of warm tones against the natural blue. Too soon I thought as I huffed while staring down "It's getting late. You need to go inside" looking up, the soldier stood in his outfit of black along with his mask.
Noticing that Helen was nowhere in sight, I assumed that she must be heading back to the bunk already. Sighing, I picked apart a brown crumbling leaf in my hands. I didn't want to go back – not yet anyway. Looking up to stare at the soldier, as he stood a looming finger, I couldn't help but ask "Why do you never take it off?..." the question had been bothering me for quite some time.
Staring back down at me, he didn't flinch or change emotion. There was nothing I could read "Because you don't need to know who I am – you're better of that way"
Tilting my head slightly "You say that as if you don't want to form any attachment – but I don't think that's true" not one bit I thought.
"You don't?" he replied, not sounding at all interested "because of her?" he said with a nod toward the direction of the bunker.
Nodding my head, he crossed his arms "She trusts you…" I said.
"She shouldn't"
"Why?" I asked "are you a liar?"
"I'm whatever I need to be, if it's a liar – then so be it" he replied before continuing "it may not be under the same reason, but you'll come to understand one day. You'll change to survive, because if you don't you'll die"
"What happened to you?" I asked "What made you change?" pausing, silence had enveloped both of us for a few seconds. I didn't know whether it was good or bad.
He eventually said "Not what – but who…"
Shying away at his answer, I looked down to play with my dirtied fingers as I felt his gaze bare down on me "Do you think…it's made you better?" I know it must have sounded like a stupid question, but I think he knows what I mean.
"Not better…but stronger. The changes that I've made have defined who I really am, not who I was pretending to be. I wasn't meant for greater things. I know that now"
Feeling suddenly sad at his words, I couldn't help the pang of sympathy I felt – even if he may have admitted to being a liar "You make it sound as if everything has come to an end for you…have you given up?"
Not shifting, the soldier answered without hesitation "When you've been broken and put back together as many times as I have…you'll realise letting go is less painful than fighting for something that's not there" holding his hand out for me to grab, he carefully hoisted me up to the stand. Giving me a gentle nudge toward the direction, we had walked only a few paces when a loud bang had echoed out from the distance – a gun.