Chapter 20: Ashes To Ashes
1900 Words
“So are you going to be okay now?” he asked with a cheerful smile.
“Hm?” He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. She nodded with a slight smile.
“Come,” he said, taking her hands and helping her stand.
He walked towards the buildings with her as he had his arm around her upper back.
They strode within the city in silence. “So how is. . .?”
“Joel?” Virgil said calmly. “Still not okay.”
Alecia sighed. “I can’t even imagine what he’s feeling right now.”
She gave a downcast look as she watched her every step.
“This is all my fault,” she said sorrowfully. “I watched them cut her throat right in front of me. They wanted me to join them, and I refused. In the end, Kellan died because of my selfishness.”
Virgil stopped and stood in front of her.
“Listen,” he said, holding her shoulders, and looking at her straight in the eyes. “Kellan’s death wasn’t your fault, do you understand me?”
“And what if you joined them, hm? They might’ve let her go.”
“No!” he snapped, which startled her. Her eyes flickered in fear. “They show no mercy, no remorse. Everyone was going to die. They were going to kill no matter what!”
She shook her head disbelievingly. “W-why?”
“Because that’s what they do, they kill, they destroy. Their entire organization is run by fear. Every member is forced and manipulated, and that was what they were about to do to you, too.” He let go of her shoulders. “So please, stop putting this on you. Stop blaming yourself. Be thankful, that you’re alive, okay?”
He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Okay?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Virgil formed a slight smile. “Let’s go.”
Alecia turned her gaze to the buildings on her right and carried on.
-
Alecia and Virgil noticed a bright orange glow in the distance.
“Looks like that fire is near the sewers,” Virgil said, walking faster. “Come on.”
She jogged to bring herself near him. “Looks like they’re burning something.”
“I can see Joel.”
They spotted a blazing fire, with Joel standing near it, a blank stare on his face, the light of the flames reflecting off him. The survivors carried bodies and stacked them behind Joel.
“I thought you ran away,” Joel said, his eyes fixed on the flames.
Diana walked out of the alleyway, a dead body on her shoulder. She leaned down as she gently placed the deceased man on the pile. She looked at Alecia for a moment, her gaze hardly having any emotion.
“Your friends are here, Diana,” Joel said.
“I know that.”
“So what will you do?” Virgil said, looking at Joel.
“First of all, cremate the bodies. I’ll deal with my daughter.”
“What, are you going to bury her?”
“No. I’ll cremate her last. Alone.”
“Alright. Do you, um, need help?”
Joel scowled. “I don’t need your help. I already have enough people.”
“What can we do?” Virgil said, almost desperately.
“Leave.”
Virgil raised his eyebrows. “Pardon?”
“The three of you must leave.”
Virgil’s lips twisted upwards. “You can’t be serious?”
“Everything was fine until you showed up. You’ve brought nothing but trouble.”
He leaned down and picked up a backpack beside him.
“This wasn’t our fault,” Virgil protested.
“I don’t care.” He threw the bag to Virgil. “You must leave regardless.”
Diana walked past Virgil, leaning on the wall behind him.
“Please, it’s too dark now,” Alecia said, standing beside Virgil.
“Perhaps we can make a deal?” asked Virgil.
“I don’t want to see you three again.” Joel took out his gun, glowering at them.
“Woah, you’re not going to shoot us, are you?” Virgil stepped back, hands raised.
“It depends.” Joel glared at them. “Leave. I won’t ask again.”
“Fine, we’ll go,” Virgil said, swinging the bag over his shoulder.
Alecia stood for a moment, looking at Joel miserably. She opened her mouth to say something but changed her mind. Soon, she followed Diana and Virgil.
-
Alecia sat on the ground, her knees against her chest and her arms wrapped around them, slowly drawing patterns in the ash. Her eyes locked on her finger as it trailed in many circular motions. She looked up and caught Diana gazing at her and quickly turning away.
Virgil narrowed his eyes. “What’s wrong, Diana?”
“What? Nothing’s wrong.”
“Well, you’ve been watching Alecia for the past ten minutes,” he said as he bent his one knee and leaned his hand on it. “Is there a problem?”
“No. There isn’t a problem.”
“What then?”
“I was just watching what she was doing with the ashes.”
He turned to Alecia who had stopped drawing in the ash. “So what is it?”
Alecia shrugged. “I was bored.”
“You must be. I was very bored, then.”
“Those look like symbols of some kind,” Diana muttered, leaning in for a look.
“It is writing.” Alecia stared at it, eyebrows raised.
Virgil adjusted himself to further study the patterns. “That’s just gibberish?”
“It is to you.” Alecia leaned forward and drew a curve at the end through her index finger. “Back at Wallace, the writings in those books are as confusing to me as you are to this.”
“But you’ve lost all your memories?” Virgil asked with a narrowed gaze.
“True, but I don’t think anyone can forget to read or write.”
He nodded. “You really aren’t from this planet.”
“You’ve seen what I can do.” Alecia sighed. “Isn’t that enough for you to know who I am.”
Virgil chuckled. “Sorry. It’s a lot to take in.”
“What made you write that?” Diana asked.
“I felt like I could, and so I did.”
“If you’re really from another world,” Virgil started. “How can you speak our language?”
“I wish I knew.”
Diana gestured to the drawing. “What does it say? Can you read it for us?”
She moved her fingers across it, mumbling, “I’m a long way from home.”
“I can’t doubt that.” Virgil nodded.
“It’s sad how I don’t even remember my home.”
“But you will. I’m sure of it.” Virgil smiled, opening and rummaging through his bad. “I guess, we need to make a fire now. “I’ve got enough stuff to make one."
He took out a small box, shaking it. “Thankfully, we have these.”
-
Alecia and Diana sat by the fire that they made by scavenging cardboard and paper. Alecia was quiet as she watched the fire engulfing the cardboard.
“I’ve found more,” Virgil said, holding a pile of cardboard, placing on the ground and sitting with them. “Sorry for being gone long. I had trouble finding the stuff.”
“Tomorrow morning, we’ll leave for that settlement?” asked Diana.
“Yeah.” Virgil looked down at the box he was holding as the strands of his brown hair hung on the sides of his forehead.
“I regret coming. I just didn’t want you to go alone,” Diana mumbled.
Virgil chuckled. “Thanks for the concern. How about you? Do you regret coming?”
Alecia shook her head. “I’ve been thinking. How would I look like if my hair was dark?”
“You’d look quite different.” Virgil chuckled. “Why was your hair white, anyway?”
“I was told it was because of radiation, but that wasn’t the case at all. Your grandfather said it was because of some kind of liquid in the chamber I was in.”
“I think he’s right about the liquid, or maybe it was because of your amnesia.”
“That’d make more sense,” Diana said
“Since I don’t remember having dark hair,” Alecia said. “This is a norm for me.”
Virgil looked at her, intrigued. “What do you think caused you to have amnesia?”
“Good question.” Diana nodded.
“I’m just curious as you are. I don’t know if it was an accident or was extremely injured. I’m not the same person I used to be, and I wish I knew what happened. I spent my days here feeling empty.”
She looked at the flames. “I’ve been accused of being a murderer. They almost killed me because of that. If I was a murderer before, I don’t want to be that kind of person again.”
Her eyes glistened as she moved strands of her silver hair behind her ear. “I prefer who I am now. I just hope I’ll be the same once I get my memories back.”
Virgil smiled. “I’m sure you’ll still be you no matter what.”
She gave him a gentle smile and continued watching the fire.
- Writer
