Vanya's Journals, Part 54: Surprise and Tears You look up as you notice the woman across from you stifle a giggle at Vanya's discovery of Eltsha. Looking around, you notice that the guards have, for the moment, left the room. You take advantage of the opportunity and ask, "Really, who are you?" She says nothing, but the question quells your slight mirth. "Are you Lydena, Trebor's sister? Or are you perhaps Wari?"
She seems to enjoy the second question: her gray-blue eyes dance with merriment, and she seems to open up a little. "I'm not anyone you've read about yet," she tells you.
You'd fully expected her denial. With a smile, you ask what you've really been wondering. "Are you a daughter, or descendant of Vanya?"
For the first time, she doesn't shut you down. Instead, she leans forwards, with a playful, almost conspiratorial look. As you move closer, she whispers in your ear, "No. I'm not. Please... just keep reading. I promise I'll tell you when the time is right."
"Can that be now?" you ask, half as a joke, while you lean back disappointedly in your seat.
"You haven't read my story yet," the woman says, "but you will. I'm sure of it. For now... just call me 'Sally'." Standing outside the shoddy doorway, I gaped in surprise at the first person I'd met when I'd entered Parasol: Eltsha. She looked just as she did then, though dressed differently: a woman that looked to be older than she was, tall and muscular but hobbling with a cane. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again!"
Katie twirled around in surprise at my outburst. "You
know her?"
Eltsha smiled softly. "Aye, child," she said with a nod, regaining Katie's attention. "We met not two days ago, in the lobby."
"Why didn't you come over?" Katie asked with a slight frown. "I wanted to talk to you... I
missed talking to you, Eltsha, why didn't you come?"
"I dislike crowds, Katie," Eltsha reminded the girl, turning around slowly as she spoke. "You know that as well as any, but I were there all the same. Before the cold does kill you, come inside, now."
After directing a confused glance in my direction, Katie hurried inside after our hostess, motioning for me to follow. And so I did, stepping carefully over the low threshold. Katie waited until I was in, and closed the door behind me, sliding the locks into place.
Though warmer than the alleyways, the house was even more of a mess. There wasn't any carpet... just a cold, steel floor bearing so many deep scratches and scuffles it seemed incapable of reflecting light. A cheap metal table sat inside the living area, stacked with paperwork and illuminated by a single hanging bulb. There were several wobbly plastic chairs sitting around it, and heaps of plastic garbage bags in the far corners of the room. A ragged, dirty couch furnished one wall, which was decorated with a carefully hung photograph of Eltsha's family, including Saemin. Other than the framed picture, the wall itself was grimy, and though smooth, it bore dents and peeling paint.
Giving me a cautionary look, Katie led me after Eltsha around the table in the sitting room to the kitchen beyond, which wasn't in any better shape. The sink was empty of dishes, but there were practically no cabinets. A plastic patio table sat in the middle, surrounded by four assorted chairs. A refrigerator sat in one corner, and there was a scantily laden bookshelf in another, sporting only a few cans.
"We brought you food," Katie said, setting the bags she was carrying on the table. I did the same, trying not to make it obvious I was looking around. It felt rude of me to stare, especially when the house was in such a state, but at the same time, I could understand it... I'd once lived in poverty, too.
"I thank you, child," the woman said, smiling gratefully. Opening the refrigerator, she leaned on the door as she bent to look inside. "Would you like something to drink?"
"No, it's all right," my friend responded quickly. "I just wanted to know if you were okay, and if..." her voice trailed off.
Eltsha didn't seem to notice the unfinished question. "Aye, that I am, indeed," she crooned as she shut the door back. "With my knee hurt as it is, I cannot find a stable job, yet someone mysterious has been paying our bills. Were it you, child?"
Raising a confused eyebrow, Katie shook her head, murmuring, "No, it wasn't me..."
"I thought it might not be so, nay." Saying this, Eltsha hobbled over and took Katie's hand. "You did follow my Saemin into battle... Though he didn't make it back, for such devotion, I must thank you. It's warming my heart that you did care for him so."
Her lips twitched. "I try not to think about it," she admitted. Her voice, heavy with emotion, was hardly above a whisper as she spoke. "I
had to go. It's what my grandparents would have wanted... It's what
I wanted. I didn't want to lose him..." Her voice began to quaver. "But I lost him anyway. I couldn't save him, Eltsha, I..." And Katie started to cry, hanging her head in shame as the woman took her in a gentle embrace.
"Hush, child," she said soothingly. "It were not your fault. You did your best."
"I could've done
better," Katie sobbed. "I could've
saved him!"
"Shh," Eltsha whispered, her voice calming my friend a little. "Look, now. No one can save everyone, and Saemin knew it were dangerous. I did not want him to go, yet he did, saying he did want to support his family. You did follow to keep him safe. And Katie, child..."
Katie looked up at Eltsha face, two feet above her own.
In a motherly manner, Eltsha wiped the tears from the girl's cheek. "I know he were very happy to have you there, so hush, now. You're still alive, are you not?"
She nodded, taking a step back. "I wouldn't be if it wasn't for Vanya."
"I owe you both much, aye," Eltsha agreed, nodding as she looked between us. "Mina's condition has improved from the money Saemin sent, and she is awake once more, though still sick."
"Who is Mina?" I whispered in askance. It was the first time I'd spoken.
"She is my daughter," Eltsha answered, pointing towards a room in the back. "She is sick, and has been since she was born. When she grew worse, Saemin sought a job, and when I become injured, he went to war so he could earn more." She hesitated for a moment, and added in a thoughtful, regretful tone, "He was a good son, was Saemin..." And she smiled.
I'd never seen a smile convey such sorrow.
The next hour was mostly Katie and Eltsha talking about each other's lives, in which I took little part. Talking about Saemin seemed to dredge up old memories in Katie's mind, making her uneasy... It wasn't long before even Eltsha noticed it too, and changed the subject for her sake. She really did think of Katie as a daughter... she'd accepted Katie into her family, as if in expectation of the wedding that might have taken place, had Saemin survived... and unlike Trebor, she didn't hate me for not being able to save her son.
I saw a different side of Parasol that day. Beneath the shining towers and majestic facades they maintained, there was a darker side... a side where they hardly cared about their "lesser" employees, seeing taking care of them as too much effort; a side where the low-class workers could hardly afford healthcare, even when they weren't sick. It made me start looking at things in a different light... Maybe Ballpoint only focuses on money, but Parasol focuses on science to the exclusion of all else... even the welfare and happiness of their own people.
~~~
As we left Eltsha's apartment, I started noticing that Katie seemed uneasy. When she opened the door, she stopped suddenly, staring at a passing human in the hallway as if she'd seen a ghost. When we reached the main alleyway, we saw someone climbing down a ladder on the far side, and Katie froze up. Curiously, I stepped ahead of her and looked at her face, and found she bore an expression of sheer horror.
"Katie?" My voice startled her, and she jumped, glancing over at me. "What's wrong?" I asked. By that time, I knew something was up.
"Nothing, I..." she began haltingly, glancing back at the now-empty ladder. "I thought I saw... But I couldn't have, because he... I... Never mind," she finished, her voice trailing into silence.
"You thought you saw whom?" I queried, but she wouldn't answer, only looking away uncomfortably as she hurried forwards towards the stairs. I quickened my pace to match hers. "You thought you saw Saemin," I guessed as I came back alongside.
With a troubled frown, she shook her head. "I
did see Saemin. That was the third time today... but it wasn't him, I just
thought it was him. It's... flashbacks, I think," she said distantly. As she withdrew from her thoughts, she noticed my concern, and hurried to add, "But don't worry! I'll be fine - they go away, and they don't hurt anything. C'mon, let's just get back to the mall and get our groceries, okay?"
Taking her PEA out of her pocket, she called a taxi. Within minutes, we were already on our way back towards the mall... but I couldn't help but be concerned about my friend.
The second shopping trip went largely without incident. Katie, though quieter at first, eventually brightened up a little and became her regular, talkative self again. This time, instead of just leading me around, she took one of the baskets herself, which made it a little easier for me.
On discovering that I had no idea what "cake" was, she made sure to buy two pieces from a nearby bakery after we'd checked out, and we sat at a little cafeteria table and ate. It was delicious - I'd never had anything remotely like it before, but I thought it a little too sweet, and wasn't able to finish the icing.
"Maybe it's just because you aren't used to eating sugary stuff?" Katie asked curiously, picking up half our grocery bags in her fingers and motioning for me to get the others. Apparently, someone who "couldn't eat sugar" was something new to her.
"I don't know," I admitted, curious. "I just... It was too sweet. I feel full already, and I
know I didn't eat enough to be full."
Side by side, we left the bakery and started walking down the towering hallway towards the main elevator, half a mile away.
Suddenly, I paused as I realized something. "Katie! Wait!"
She stopped, stumbling forwards a step as a dwarf pushed rudely past. "What's wrong?"
"You left your purse at Eltsha's apartment! You hid it in one of the bags, and you don't have it with you anymore." With a bag-laden hand, I pointed at her shoulder.
Her eyes were soft as she smiled. "I said I was going to help, remember? She won't want to accept it, but -"
A cataclysmic explosion interrupted her, emanating from a potted shrubbery twenty feet ahead of us, so powerful it knocked us to the floor before we even knew what was going on.
"VANYA!" I heard Katie scream in terror.
My ears rang from the blast - as they cleared, I began to make out the yelling of panicked people. Looking about wildly, I tried to figure out what had happened. A dwarf's severed arm lay a few feet away, its fingers twitching spasmodically as a small pool of blood pooled beneath it from several large gashes. A wedding ring was visible on one of its fingers. Horrified, I dropped what bags I was still holding and scrambled over to my friend. "Katie?" I asked, panicked. "Are you okay?"
She nodded hurriedly, her eyes dancing about us as she struggled to sit up. "I'm all right," she said assuringly. "I'm just a little shaken."
As I got up to help her to her feet, she pointed at the elevator shaft, her eyes wide. "VANYA, GET DOWN!" she screamed.
The world became chaos.
Spinning towards where she'd pointed, I saw a tiny spot of light rushing towards us, flashing with fire. "
Armok, vendi scild!" I shouted reflexively. I felt my pulse throbbing in my forehead, as in a heartbeat, a magical shield of blood expanded from my outstretched palms.
A missile exploded - an ear-shattering blast overcoming my shield as it tossed me to the floor, spinning as I skidded backwards fifteen feet, a searing pain in my left ankle. I heard someone scream my name, saw Katie cowering in fear as a second missile rushed down from the elevator shaft.
There was nothing I could do.
The blurp of plasma weapons echoed as energy flew forwards above my head - like a wounded dragon, the missile trailed blackened smoke as it spun out of control, its explosion ripping a gaping hole in a wall, less than fifty feet from where I lay.
"GET DOWN! ON THE GROUND, NOW!" a male's voice shouted - a half-crouched, fully-armored security guard rushed forwards, his weapon at the ready. Behind me, I heard the sound of more guards yelling the same as they sprinted in my direction.
A crack echoed through the air, the sound of a sniper round - I looked on in horror as a cloud of red mist erupted from the back of the guard that had saved Katie's life. He stumbled, flipping to the floor.
"Vanya,
HELP!" I heard someone scream. My mind blank with shock, I got to my feet and limped blindly towards the call.
A second loud crack rang out - the floor by my side shattered in a short spray of shrapnel.
Everywhere, people were screaming in terror - smoke grenades flew through the air, popping as they released their fumes, but not nearly fast enough - I heard the rushing sound of a third missile. On an instinct, I threw myself forwards towards where Katie lay shaking on the floor, and a shockwave rattled our teeth. A barrage of gunfire rang out from nearby, assaulting my eardrums; their projectiles thudded into the distant wall.
There was silence.
I prayed it was over, but a quick glance told Katie told me otherwise: a large metal beam pinned her left arm to the ground, swirled about with smoke. Getting up, I crouched, putting my arms beneath it and lifting with all my strength, but it wouldn't budge. My ankle screeched with a piercing pain - my leg collapsed underneath me as I crumpled to the ground.
"Get out of here!" a human guard yelled as he heaved the metal girder to the side with a bone-rattling clang. "Get somewhere safe!"
A fusillade of bullets erupted around us, pinging as they ricocheted cruelly off the metallic floor. The man yelled in pain, gritting his teeth and swearing as he fell, clutching at his leg.
"
Winteos, vendi scild!" someone cried out.
A wispy, purple dome formed above our heads - Katie stood before us, her arms above her head, bullets emitting whirring tones as they bounced quickly away. I felt a sense of relief, but it didn't last long - the gunfire ceased, and an exploding grenade sprayed liquid fire above our heads, carving little crackling trails into her shield.
"I can't hold it!" Katie screamed, her arms shaking violently as the shield flickered. "
HELP!"
Not knowing what else to do, I grabbed Katie's nearest hand and yanked her towards a nearby doorway. The shield vanished in an instant, the flames spilling onto her jacket and taking root. Half a moment later, a missile exploded behind us, the smokescreen swirling from the blast, but Katie and I were already inside. She bumped me, and a pain shot through my leg; I fell dizzily to the ground. In a hurry, she removed her jacket and threw it to the floor, stomping on it frantically to put out the flames.
As my vision cleared, my heart gentling its beat, I became a little more aware of my surroundings. All was quiet but for the yelling of the guards, the crackling of fire, and the sobbing of the terrified. A sharp odor filled the air, like smoke, gunpowder, and melted steel, so thick that you could taste it on your tongue.
But it was over.
I was lying in a black-tiled entryway to a women's bathroom, my view of the stalls blocked by a cyan-tiled wall. Outside the doorway, more security guards jogged past towards the distant elevator. Katie, hyperventilating, was still stomping fevishly at her smoking jacket, oblivious to everything else.
"Katie..." I said, trying to get her attention. When she didn't respond, I said it louder. "Katie!"
She halted abruptly, making a few more absentminded, mechanical stabs with her foot as she raised her eyes to mine. She was panting... but as she realized where she was, her face lost its crazed expression. Her legs wobbled and collapsed underneath her, sending her to her hands and knees upon the floor, where she began to quietly weep. It was only then that I noticed her arms were wet with blood.
After brushing the mussed hair from my eyes, I tried to stand, but was quickly met with a shrieking pain in my ankle. I yelped, supporting myself with my hands as I tried to shuffle forwards on my good leg. "Katie? Katie, are you all right?" I asked, worried she'd been injured.
She jerked her head towards me, eyeliner running down her cheeks, smoke smeared in across her chin and forehead. "Vanya," she whimpered, her pretty face twisted into an ugly frown, "I can't do this again. I can't... I can't just - I just... I
can't!" She broke down, falling to her side as she shook with sobs.
And I sat beside my friend, tears in my eyes, praying that Armok would protect us.
Katie had left the military to avoid the horrors of war... and now, it seemed almost as if war was coming back to find her. Though I still couldn't imagine who would want Katie dead, or even
why they would, I vowed that somehow, I would stop them. I wouldn't let something happen to her, as I'd done to Salaia.
I would keep her safe.
If I'd only known how wrong I was...
☆
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Topic: [34.11] Spearbreakers - It shudders and begins to move (Read 2278142 times)