Hush in The Bush

Grasping A Clue

“Where did you hide those tapes?”

Catheryne had drawn herself in brushing her hair. She had cut it, now touching her shoulder. She wanted to be easy and comfortable whenever she run.

“In my drawer. Don’t worry. They’re with my underwear, so no one would dare to look in there easily.” She said, now trimming her toenails. It’s almost seven in the evening, but the outside is still crammed by those steps and chats from everyone, now became low than the days have passed. The room where Devian is occupying; is well-guarded by three men as to the gates are sealed and they’re doing their shifts usually.

The woman had somehow taken her rest and is now sleeping soundlessly, without any signs of being fretful for her men. Even about her assistant, she’s willing to get him killed to save her own. They see her as a heartless woman, but more that is a selfish, conceited being.

“Since when did they turn off all the light? The base becomes murkier without it. Is there something going on that I still don’t know? Any news to be shared? ”

“A captain who is late for updates. Are you really one of them? Geez, don’t be like the average like us. Just this day. Captain Roswal said that during their stroll, most of the infected are coming around this area. We don’t know when this will stop, but I heard that they would cut off the water too.”

“I see. Did Mr. Vicoffs approve of this?”

“Yes. That man is full of rules.” He looked for her as he placed those plates on the table. They’re inside Catheryne’s room; planned to have dinner together. Isabela had left for a while to pick up something from her room.

George had grilled some mushrooms. He got it from his pot where it was planted. Having crops are important as well to them and they needed to maintain them. They have made their own greenhouse, near the main building and it was a success just be seeing those plants growing despite of the bushes’ presence. A couple of minutes, Isabela joined and offered her company by bringing with her a Tupperware of biscuits. Amazed by the scent of it, Catheryne couldn’t stop but to ask her where she got it.

Simply, she bluffed that she took it when they were rescuing them from the North. It was secured inside the wooden basket and it was in the perfect position to take the spotlight. She thought that it was intended for the prisoners but was left untouched during that time because they got a mission too.

Isabela made sure that it was safe for them to eat, by taking a bite first. She acted like she was about to puke, trying to make them pester, but it didn’t work out well. Her acting skills won’t even let her pass the audition if there’s one, leaving her sulking. This is going to be a norm for them to use the candles in each room. It will stop those who’re outside to get their attention to Trinity. Time is running and every day, it will be vital and changing.

Catheryne stared at the two. For now, the people that she wants to protect is them. George had remarked her countenance, snapped his fingers for her to blink out of deep notions.

“Spit it out.” George told her, but she just gleamed at them. She grabbed her plastic fork. It is a simple dinner shared by the three. They have promised that there will be no secrets among them, but the two had already broken the seal of it.

Being the daughter of the founder is a barrier for their friendship. Despite of having a strong foundation of their relationship, the two couldn’t deny, if ever there’s a single hint of sign, that Isabela would betray them. When they recalled what Amelia had told them, they started to have the doubts about Trinity. What’s lurking is slowly prying to set its feet on the light.

“How’s my father’s condition?” Isabela suddenly asked the doctor, keeping her stare on her food. She wanted to enjoy it, but her worries are piling up and filling her up. She’s having a hard time in dealing with her emotions. She hasn’t got a message and she had a sign that George is avoiding to give her any details, which made her more to bother. Catheryne elbowed the man for him to spit it out already.

“He wanted to keep it from you, since he wanted you to focus in our tasks. He doesn’t want to be a burden to anyone. But…lying will just make things worse if I continue to avoid you prying. He’s getting worse, but we’re able to stop it by giving him some pain killers.”

“How long will it make for him to continue taking those? What about his scar?”

George slightly shook his head. “No. It’s not even healing at all and it’s even…slowly growing. We tried putting some herbs and ointments but it’s not working out.”

“How about your experiments? Those stored inside those tubes I’ve seen in your lab. Will they work out on him?”

“Isabela…we offered him about it. But he refused. Rather, he want the thing that we had brought with us when we saved our men from the north. Captain Roswal will be the one to deliver it to him by tomorrow.”

“I’ll be the one. I volunteer.” She promptly stated and had finished her plate first. She didn’t eat much, which is a total opposite of how Catheryne’s plate was fully filled. She hasn’t been eating much for a couple of days and now that she got the appetite, she made sure to treat her tummy well.

“Aren’t you going to eat more?” George didn’t reply to her about the matter and offered her the remaining fish to her.

She didn’t fall for it and had been focusing with the issue. “What’s happening with the two of you? I always try to ask about him and you often cut me off, either by shunning or changing the topic. Don’t make a fool out of me.”

Catheryne slowly put her utensil beside her and eyed her best friend. “We just don’t want to hurt you.”

“But I guessed you just did.” She bitterly scoffed and slowly stood from her seat. She took her step away from them.

“You know that turning your back won’t change a thing. Your father will stay in bed and us in here to do the task.” Catheryne made her see the painful truth. “Even if you’re one of the captains, you should seek for what’s good for everyone and not for your personal benefit. We should keep ourselves to be reminded on that.”

Her foot was halted from taking a forward. Isabela knows that Catheryne is right. “Weaklings…” She whispered to herself and to them.

Even if they’re doing their best, they couldn’t deny that they don’t have the full control. Their enemies are everywhere, both human and an unordinary one. The reflection of the flower had reflected in her eyes as it began to water by her own tears. She let it out as it had felt heavier taking it for several days. Isabela knew her Father just also want to protect both sides. The vast majority of them have joined each in Trinity. The truth is she wanted to surrender her spot for her to take the side of her father and just rather take care of him.

“Your father is still alive. Will it still be a worth just to hold on to that to little assurance?” Catheryne asked her.

She was a bit astonished to see her pleading eyes as if she wanted to tell her to stop. Guilt had presented straight to her and it was won her. Exhaling, she gradually clasped Catheryne’s hand. “You always pressed the button every time I would have a panic attack, huh?”

She chuckled and rubbed her head. “Of course. I don’t want to give you a good smack, so I’ll slap you with words instead. Did it work?”

“Absolutely.” She retorted.

Catheryne tapped her, enough to brush the worries she’s dealing for a while. “Are you going to sleep now?”

“No. I’m out for the night. John asked me to take his spot. That man is having problems, don’t you think?”

“Quite sure all of us are. Maybe he’s just having a hard time like you.” George snapped and finished the remaining food. Taking a loud burp, he pulled his glasses and wiped it off with his cotton shirt. As soon as he put it on, he blinked twice and satisfaction was attained, now that he could see clearly.

“Well, I should go. I don’t want to get a scold from that old man again.”

“Wait. He did? For what reason?”

“I forgot to put sugar in his coffee. I thought he wanted it bitter.”

“Well, Captain Roswal is a perfectionist sometimes. So if you don’t listen to him more often, it would result for a scolding.” George explained and piled their plates.

“I’ll see you around tomorrow.” Isabela smiled and asked for her leave.

“Goodnight.”

They waited for her to disappear and when she was totally gone, Catheryne closed all the openings where someone could peek them and George had gone to his bag to get the remaining disk underneath. He grabbed his laptop, placed it on his lap and inserted the disk. They’re hoping to seek for the truth and maybe they could find something for healing.

“I think Devian has something to do with the past.”

“In what circumstances?”

“I went to her. Don’t worry, I asked permission from Captian Roswal. He gave me half an hour to settle down with the woman. I asked her about the bushes, but it was still the same. She’s locking herself in tranquillity. I don’t know if she’s acting bold or she wanted to flee from her qualms. I asked her several times if she’s keeping something and why she wanted to take a bond with the Howard.”

“Do we really need to kick her own back for to spit something?”

“I think we don’t need that. Obviously, she’s playing with us since she had also known that we have been betrayed. Though, there’s something that I want to clarify something.”

“What is it?”

“Devian told me not to trust everything that I see. It is not the new that they feared the most, but the old ones. What do you think she’s trying to make me understand?”

Both have dealt with the silence for a while and when it was ready, their sights to the screen that is playing. It is their possible answer.

It was the next month of the same year of what they have watched from the first disk. After the unsuccessful research conducted by some doctors and those in the field of it, the recording had shown the site to where their investigation had started. Now, the speaker is a woman in her early twenties, standing still in front of a white facility that was already tainted with corpses and blood. It was the most destructive among the establishments. Wearing a lab gown and a mask, it didn’t stop them to see her wounds on her arms. Blood dripping, she contained herself and tried not to express the pain on her face.

The name is there. Still standing as if the operation will continue regardless of what they have let out from their experiments. Blossom is the name and they have operated a year before the incident had happened.

Or it is not. Holding the camera, she smiled and shrieked into a dark laugh. She was clearly in shock and her eyes were so wet by her cries. She knew what is waiting for her and soon enough she would join the mass. Her comrades have slumped on the surface, dead or still wailing to live. She wanted to find the people who were responsible for this, but the guilt of being one of them had crashed her. She walked slanted, dragging one of her feet. She opened the entrance door of the facility and the formidable setting had become deadlier. She couldn’t help but to stump on her comrades as the hallway was fully filled by them.

“I-I’m going to kill them. T-They killed my friends…and now they’re doing it to everyone…” She panted.

The woman suddenly fell when a hand had grabbed her by the foot. Her camera had rolled and landed on one of those corpses and luckily it’s still focused on her. She turned to see who it was and realized that it was one of her friends. She was coughing blood and her eyes were heavily wounded by a pipe that had been flung from the explosion.

“H-Help me.” She begged.

She instantly tried to pull her to get up, but the moment she had seen her name tag, her intention had switched. She kicked her off and she hurriedly went away from her. The woman called her several times, but she didn’t listen to any of her pleas. She grabbed the camera and continued. The lights have flickered as she darted deep and went to the laboratory. “I-I’ll look for you V. No matter w-what. I’ll make sure you’ll pay for this.” She staggered and had almost collapsed on the side when she was able to take support by holding the edge of the table. She pulled the plastic container and slumped herself in the corner. A sigh of ineptitude was there. She glanced over the woman who just lost her leg and her eyes were locked to her. She’s not blinking anymore.

“Are you at rest?” She asked her, even if she knows that there won’t be any answer from her anymore. She scoffed. “Of course, you aren’t. Even if you have left your body, your soul should surely feel what I have right now. Guilt. We did everything. But…we have failed. It’s all a failure and it will be hard for us to get this back.”

She spits blood and tapped the leaves that are touching her shoes. They are slowly growing. The white ceiling had turned into green now and there’s no air entering the room much, being surrounded by the bush. The doctor had escaped, but her mission will continue still. She opened the bottle and poured those drugs into her hand. She counted it well and there are five left. Her breathing had sagged and she’s worn out truly.

She smiled bitterly. “Taking this might bring me peace.” She bit the edge of it. Just a single gulp and she would leave the world like the others.

She’s about to take it, not until she heard those feet from the outside. They’re searching the whole place and the door had swiftly flew itself to the sink. It was broken by a man, standing still as he held his pistol well. He’s a police officer and she recognized his voice when he talked to her.

“Beck. Is that you?”

“Oh. Hello…Mr. Braul. I didn’t expect that you’ll be here to rescue us. Why don’t you go to your family/ I bet they’re waiting for you as well.” She sluggishly responded.

The man entered the room. He’s the only one. Beck raised her head and saw those drooped, gloomy eyes of him and his bald head got scratches. His middle finger was also cut for some reason and continued to bleed. “Let’s go out.”

“Out. Is there anything waiting for me there? Oh there is…those daunting expressions of them.”

The camera was laid on her side and they couldn’t see anything except the floor and the lifeless body of that woman, but both still pursued to watch the video.

His feet were shown and they thought that the man had pulled Beck to stand. A few seconds after, those medicines have fallen on the floor then came her wails.

“Let me help you. We’ve known each other for years, Beck. And, this is the time that I will pay you off for helping me a lot.” He said and held the camera, now facing the woman herself.

“What are you going to do? There’s no such time left for us. Everyone will get killed or suffer.” She told him, now losing hope.

He gently touched her cheek. “Let’s find the one who started this.”

“I’m part of it-”

“That’s not the point. I want to find the mind of this. The person behind this. Let’s search for him. It is the only chance for you to give your sorry to those who have died and hate you. You’re also a victim here, Beck. It’s time to do the right thing…”

“Are you sure that you’ll be with me until the end?” She wiped off her tears.

“Just like the old times. Of course.”

“Then let’s find him. Let’s gather around and create a foundation for us to trust. But first, how will we find him.”

“There’s only one way to find out who he is. There’s a yellow rose and a cat’s eye tattoos on his nape. When we see it, it will surely be him.”

The recording had stopped all of a sudden and George’s laptop is the same The two stared at it for a while, processing everything that they have watched and why it had ended into a hanger. It didn’t satisfy them, instead it gave them much questions. Catheryne is the first one to get a snap out of it and turned to look at George, now his eyebrows curved in bewilderment. “That’s definitely a clue, right?”

“Yes. A shallow, bold clue. How will we find someone who got that tattoo if it might be a common one? There are still thousands of individuals living.”

“Come on. Don’t be so low. Remember when we’re searching for that case? It took us months to know where it is. Don’t you trust us for exploring?”

“I do trust, but-”

“No buts, four-eyed. You know the drill. We must start from the smallest thing which is connected to it. Let’s start searching the building which we have seen in that video. There’s surely we can find there. For now, let’s take a good look at our companion here. I got a feeling that she would move again with her own will.”

“Isabela is much concerned with her father. Even though she doesn’t have many memories of him from her childhood years, she still acts as his clingy daughter.” George closed his device and put it inside its bag. He took a yawn.

“I’m worn out. Let’s take some rest. By three in the morning, I’m planning to visit Devian.”

“Count me in. There’s still a lot that I need to put some answers. We’ll make the woman say something this time.”

“What are you planning to do, Cath? Force her?”

“No. As far as I can control myself not to burst into anger, then communication would still be the best thing that we can do. I just got something to have a negotiation with her again.”

“Okay. I trust you with that.”