The Last One Standing

Chapter Four: Hopeful

Chapter Four: Hopeful

I sat in silence looking around at the dingy room I sigh leaning back on the chair Enzo and Yehuda have been gone for the past 15 minutes leaving me in the enclosed space, I sigh with frustration thinking to myself how could be be so stupid. I should have just left the river were I saw Birch and could have looked for another. I look down at my wrist staring at the bracelet Sasha gave me.

"I'm sorry Sasha." I whisper to myself, the opens immediately after I said that Crosby and Nova walk in Crosby was holding a gun.

"come on princess lets get you to your cage." Crosby says smugly I glare at the blonde haired boy getting up angrily, Nova grabs me by my forearm escorting me to my dingy cell. We get to my cell, I am roughly pushed in before they shut the door behind me leaving me in a dark and musky room. Once i hear that their footsteps are gone I scream in anger.

"Ahh! How could I be so stupid." I sit on the ground kicking at the air in anger my shackles hit against each other, could they not at least remove my shackles. 

I lay my head on the dirty concrete floor staring into oblivion. How could I have failed? I can not fulfil my purpose now. Was this the end of my mission, all that I have been is going to be stopped by a group of boys. I feel something wet on my face, I slowly reach my hand out and touch my face lightly realizing that I was crying. 

Why was I crying you ask? Apart from the fact that I am sitting in a dingy room held hostage the reason was that I have failed the women in the world. I have failed in executing my purpose. I have disappointed my mother....Sasha, oh my gosh Sasha. I wonder what she is thinking seeing this wherever she is.

Even though it felt like I lost all hope when actually hope is still hanging on a string in the next room. 

Birch was sitting on his bottom bunk ready for bed staring down at his hands contemplating, even though Bi on the choice he was about to make, Birch was lost in his train of thought while the boys in his age group were causing havoc in their shared room, rows of bunk beds were aligned with all the boys belongings in cabinets that were across from the bunkbeds.

 The chaos of boys hurriedly getting ready for bed, play fighting with one another, one weird kid in the corner was trying to start a fire, but even in the chaos Birch was in his own head not noticing their hostel leader Crosby staring down at the boys. Crosby slams his hands on the metal cabinets in anger silencing the rowdy boys. 

" everyone in their bed" Crosby's thick Irish accent laces his voice, all the young boys hurriedly dropped what they were doing getting under their duvets, Birch's bunk mate Charles snickers whiled getting up whispering to Birch, " I bet a rat crawled up his arse en died". Birch rolls his eyes at Charles statement, even though Charles and Birch were both thirteen year old boys, Charles had a vulgar mouth of an old man. Birch ignores Charles getting under his covers. 

Even though Birch was annoyed with Charles statement he could not disagree that Crosby was in a really bad mood today, well even though Crosby is always in a foul mood but today it was different. Well this day was a very different day. Crosby switches of the lights leaving the silent boys once their metal door is closed they all start whispering to one another, but one specific conversation caught his attention he could not help but to eavesdropping.

One of the boys who chatting next to Birch's bunkbed were Isaac and Fuma they were the gossiping type.

" I heard that the female is a robot." Isaac whispers to Fuma, " How do you know?" Fuma responds with a gasp. 

" I heard Enzo and Yehuda talking after dinner." Isaac whispers.  

"pfft, what a load of c**k arse." Birch hears the grunt voice of Charles has his head silhouette  pops out from the top bunk. 

'It's true, that's what I heard." Isaac whispers aggressively, Charles chuckles jumping down from the top bunk. " well then if you're so sure that's she's a robot lets go and find out.' Charles says throwing on his trainers. 

Even though the boys could not see one another it was no doubt Fuma and Isaac eyes were wide as saucers especially Fuma's. 

"Are you crazy Charles." Fuma complains grabbing Charles wrist.

" What? Since your boyfren here Isaac is so sure why don't we go and find out." Birch hold in his protest not wanting to be caught for eavesdropping on the conversation, Birch slowly turns facing away from them mumbling acting like he was in sleep the whole then changing his position.  

"Birch, get up you fucker I know you were listening." Birch's eye snap open he quickly sits up on his bed facing the three boys, 'How did you know I was awake?" Birch's eye are wide open even though the could not see each other's faces Birch knew Charles held a smirk on his face. 

" I didn't know ye were awake." Charles said trying to supress the snicker that was about to come out of his lips. Birch slaps his hand over his face groaning, he fell for Charles traps again. Birch gets up putting on his shoes also curious about the girl they held hostage. Fuma was trying to stop the three boys but the ignored his protests. 

"It wont be long Fuma." Isaac says calming his friend down Fuma looks at the three boys before groaning and putting on his shoes. The four boys get up from their beds and they realize the room is silent, probably during their whole conversation everyone fell asleep. 

"Meet me in the passage I need to get something." Charles says, the other three boys nod walking outside the whole way, " I think this is a bad idea." Fuma mumbles. 

"Its going to be okay, nothing bad is going to happen , we will be quick and the leaders won't know." Isaac says patting Fuma's back while the two boys were conversing and Birch lost in his thoughts, Charles was looking through his personal metal cabinet looking for the torch he stole from Yehuda's bedroom.  Charles quickly grabs it meeting the rest of the boys in the passage. 

"I'm surprised you fuckers are still doing this." Charles chuckles putting on the torch flashing it at the three boys. 

"stop it." Isaac groans hitting Charles shoulder the boy laughs walking down the passage as the rest follow him, Birch has a weird feeling his stomach was it fear, nerves ,excitement or curiosity? He did not know and that was what was worrying him. He shakes these feelings away as the four boys start tip toeing once the pass Crosby and Nova's bedroom. 

Charles takes a peek and the room to see if the two teens were sound asleep, he shows his thumb up to the others telling them the go ahead the three boys tip toe down the wooden stairs of their residency, while they were going down the stair Birch unknowingly placed his foot on a faulty stair quite hard making a creaking sound.

All the four boys stop in their tracks scared that they will get caught by the elders and if they do get caught what punishment will they get. " Watch were ye stepping you fat fuck." Charles whispers harshly to Birch glaring at the ginger haired boy. 

"Sorry." Birch whispers Charles rolls his eyes motioning for the rest to continue once they get to the last flight they realized they need to pass Enzo's room. Even though it sounded simple everyone knew their leader Enzo was a light sleeper and was extremely intimidating if he catches them sneaking around without a reason they were for sure going to get in huge trouble. 

"What do we do now." Fuma mumbles clearly shaking this made Birch nervous cause he knew the small boy was an agitated  person especially in stressful situations he knew this due to their training sessions they had with Nova and Crosby, what makes it worse is that when he is scared Fuma loses his ability to speak English and starts speaking in his native language Japanese.

"Tell your boyfren to relax." Charles snaps, he rolls his eyes continuing not being scared of getting caught by Enzo. 'You see nothing is going to happen." And nothing did which made Fuma and Isaac follow Charles but Birch just stopped and hid in the dark he had a bad feeling, before Charles could call him over a tall figured loomed over the three boys.

"What are you doing out of bed?" The three boys turn around and Charles switches on the torch shinning it on a scowling Enzo. Oh no. They were done for. Birch hid behind a curtain to hide himself luckily he was not seen. 

Oh s**t they are in trouble, that's all Birch could think about what would he do to them. Enzo glared at the young boys in front of him he did not have time to deal with tweens right now, where was Crosby he's supposed to look after them. 

" Sorry Enzo, w-we will g-go b-back up." Isaac stutters, Enzo looks down at Charles hand to see he is holding a torch but it was Yehuda's torch, that's when Enzo crossed his eyebrows further these  ones were up to something. That was what was going through his head.

"Why do you have Yehuda's torch, you think I was stupid that I don't know where you three are going."  Oh no they were caught, Birch tried to stop his shivering Enzo was scary he could not do things behind Enzo's back how did he know they were going to see the female in the cell. 

"It's n-not what you think..." Charles was cut off by Enzo.

"Going to Yehuda's office to steal, you wanna be seen as thieves huh?"  

The three boys demeanours relax as he clearly did not know their actual reason for being out late. 

"Sorry Enzo." The three boys say in unison Birch peaks out from the curtain he catches Charles looking at him, Charles mouths 'Go on' to Birch before him and the rest of the boys are lead up the stairs by Enzo. Once the light from the torch is gone Birch is left in darkness. 

Contemplating whether or not he should go back to his room or continue on he had to think fast before Enzo came back. 

This decision would change the world as they know it and Birch knew.