2030: Forces

Outsiders

   "You could have stopped the bullet", Toby said and Joe got more perplexed. He parked the car, instantly.

"Stopped the bullet? How would that happen?"

"You just have to be fast enough to imagine the bullet stopping in your hand. If you're not fast enough, you get hit and you die"

"That's weird... I don't think I'll ever try doing that.... Yea, or else I die while practicing"

"There's more to being a conduit. You can make a ghostly item become real. You can also make a real item become ghostly."

"Wow! Now I'm beginning to like this".

"I made it seem like we were helping you but you were helping me... to kill Soko"

"Uhm... That's what you said. That you would help us in return"

"No... You were a medium. The darkness you let in yourself is what made you a conduit. Being a conduit, you control daywalkers. It's not otherwise."

"Why would you want Soko dead?"

"My mother and my brother. He killed them and slept with my mother's corpse"

"He did what?!", Joe was irritated by the sound of that. The action was exasperating in nature. "Why would he sleep with a dead body?"

   "Complete submission, I guess".

   "I'm sorry about that.  He's gone, now"

   Toby sighed. "Ok! it's time you get better with your new abilities"

Joe stared through the window. The car had parked beside an old abandoned building. He could see a young boy staring at them.

"Hey! Look!", he said and Toby turned.

"Don't go after him. He may be dangerous", Toby warned as Joe ran out of the car, ready to chase the kid.

"Come on, we need people... Hey! Wait!", Joe shouted and ran after the boy. The building was large and there are many paths and rooms in it.

As he ran into the building, he caught a glimpse of the boy's cloth as he made a left turn. He ran after the boy, relentlessly and the boy wasn't getting tired, either.

The boy kept running into paths, going left and right but Joe kept catching a glimpse of the clothes which seemed to not be the boy's size.

The boy ran into a room and Joe was almost happy but there was a window in the room. Actually, there was a big hole, meant to be a window but without louvres, in the wall. The boy jumped through and the chase continued.

"Just wait!", Joe shouted, getting tired. "I.. won't.. hurt you".

The boy ran into another room and stopped, suddenly. He wasn't waiting for Joe. He had seen something that was strange to him.

"Uncle Ladé?! What are you doing?", Suco asked. As soon as he noticed Joe at his back, he resumed running and jumped through another window hole.

"What The f**k?!", Joe exclaimed as he saw two weird-looking people who were having s*x before the boy's interruption.

The action wasn't strange. Their appearances were absurd.

"Wait! Come back here!", Joe howled as he resumed chasing.

"Mama! Uncle Ladé is doing something... with Rach-", the boy was shouting as he ran and fortunately, he stumbled and fell while trying to jump through another window. Before he could get back up, Joe already caught up with him in a room.

Joe put his palm on the boys mouth to keep his lips sealed. His instincts told him that the boy would scream.

"Wait! Calm down. I'm not here to hurt you", Joe said but the boy kept struggling to break free. "I won't leave you till you calm your nerves."

The boy stopped struggling. "Promise to not shout if I leave your mouth", Joe requested, with his hand still holding the boy's lips tightly.

The boy mumbled, incoherently.

"You promise?"

The boy nodded and Joe released him.

"Your people have killed many of us... captured virtually everyone. What more do you want?"

"You're mistaken. I'm not a soldier"

"Then why do you have that car? I'm not a fool"

"I stole the car. I'm also a civilian... like you", Joe tried to gain the boy's trust.

"What do you want?"

"I want to help... and I also need help", Joe said, leaning closer to the boy. "How old are you?"

"I'm 13 years old"

"I'm 26... Who were you calling, the other time?"

"Mama... She said we should never put our down things in another... She said it's forbidden but Uncle Ladé is doing it with Rachel"

"Ok... Mama's right but it's only forbidden for you and every other person below 18. Uncle Ladé can do it with anyone but if you do it-", Joe said and lowered his voice. "If you do it, you may die. If Uncle Ladé does it, he'll be alright".

"But Rachel's doing it"

'Ouch!', Joe thought. "How old is she? this Ra-chel".

"I don't know... but she's mean. She bullies me and plays with other kids", the boy said, contemptuously.

Joe sighed. "She may play with kids but she's not a kid. if she doesn't die, then she's old enough. You know what else is forbidden?"

"what?"

"Kids, knowing about all this. It's illegal. If you tell your Mama, you'll be called a snitch. Do you want to be called a snitch?"

"No", he shook his head.

"Then, you must keep shut and tell no one. I'll keep your secret. Should I?"

"Yes, please".

"What's your name?"

"Dani... Mama calls me Dani".

"Ok, Dani. I need you to take me to Mama and the rest"

"Ok... let's go", Dani stood up and led Joe out of the room. "Wait! what's a snitch?"

"I'll tell you, later, when we're alone"....

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

  They eventually got to a room that has a real door. Dani ran inside and attracted the attention of everyone.

"Dani?! What are you- who is this? Come here, Dani!", An old woman howled. There were about ten people in the room. All were looking wild and hungry, as they rushed the food before them.

"I mean no harm. I am a civilian... like you".

"And why should we believe you?"

"You don't have to. If I were a soldier, I wouldn't be negotiating. You're hiding. I'm running too. I have a plan to stop the soldiers and I need to survive to execute my plans".

"Stop the soldiers?! All alone? You must be out of your mind".

Joe sighed. "You don't have to believe but I need you to play a part in helping me".

"What do you want from us?"

"Food... I need food".

★★★ ★★★ ★★★

Back at the camp, things didn't get back to normal, as early as expected. Ada was left lonely and Idris' sense of hopelessness turned him introvert for a while. He stopped telling jokes, silently hoping for a miracle.

 Chuma kept giving himself and others the hope while a voice kept giving him doubts.

Alex was neutral. He expected nothing but was ready to take everything that life had to give.

Kalu remained loyal to Don. Don kept making peace. He believed in Joe.