Chapter 12 – Against the Darkness

October 21st 2027 06:06

Inside an abandoned building, Pov, Carrie, and Odyssey were in the same room. The man was blocking the way out by standing at the doorway, with a mixed expression on his face.

‘Pov, I trusted you!’ he said. ‘How could you betray me like this?’

What? ‘I’m the one who should feel betrayed here! Do you know this?’ Pov referred to the exile of the people who—not wouldn’t—couldn’t give back to the community.

‘I do. Everyone knows. And you would too if your one month is up and you become a full-fledged resident here. Heck, I’ve sent people to exile myself! It’s something that needs to be done to keep the system running, Pov.’

‘Casting away children needs to be done?!’

‘It’s—It’s necessary! What else do you propose, Pov?’

‘Oh, I don’t know. Anything other than this!’

‘Sounds to me like you don’t have a solution either!’ Odyssey was holding a rifle, and it was pointed toward Pov. One pull of a finger and that would be the end of her.

‘I don’t. But I know that this isn’t right. Odyssey, maybe… maybe we can’t have a perfect system, but we can strive for one. And I don’t think that this is the way.’

‘What do you plan on doing then?’

‘Let’s… let’s run away. To a place with a better system.’

‘What will that accomplish?’

Carrie joined the conversation, ‘Take away the support and the system will fall. By running away, you’re fighting against the system. Fighting against the exile.’

‘What she said!’ Pov agreed.

‘That’s what you propose?’ Odyssey said. ‘Really? Just run away? The three of us? There’ll still be people who get exiled and die regardless.’

‘… Bring them with us!’ Pov said without thinking.

‘… Where specifically are we going?’

‘The capital city,’ Carrie said. Both Pov and Odyssey stared at her.

Could they really convince the people here to run away to the capital city? They considered the capital city as an enemy because of Kez. Wait…

Pov got an idea.

‘Ody, what if you convince Kez that… instead of exiling people, you send them to the capital city. Say that they’ll have a job as a spy for this city.’

‘That’s… I can try to convince Kez about that… No. It can’t be done. If people know there’s a safe option, they could slack. The reason why the exile is severe is because Kez wants to prevent that. So that they keep taking their job seriously.’

‘You’re controlling them through fear,’ Pov said. ‘Is that truly the way?’

At this, Odyssey was silent. Pov had known this man for a while now, knew that at his core he was a kind man at heart. The reason he had followed Kez was because he was led to believe that this was better. That there was hope for a better future. Something that the old system couldn’t accomplish.

‘Ody…’

‘… Let’s run away,’ he said. ‘Bring people who’ll soon be exiled with us. We can’t save them all, but we can save some of them.’

‘And that matters,’ Pov completed.

Odyssey nodded. He dropped his rifle and left it slung on his shoulders. ‘We can work on this. I can get people who share this belief of wanting a better system. And people who refuse to be exiled. We’ll then head toward the capital city. Together.’

‘Yes.’

‘To do that… Pov, you and I have to lay low, cover for each other when questioned.’

‘I can do that.’

‘And... your companion could keep doing what she does. Take without giving back. Divert attention away from us as I solidify the escape plan.’

Carrie gave this a thought. Then nodded.

---

07:00

After making up explanations to his colleagues who were around, Odyssey managed to borrow a motorbike. Thus, Pov, seated at the back, and Odyssey, seated at the front and driving, rode back to their place. The marvel of modern transportation was something that Pov was grateful for.

Carrie had to walk back. She was wanted and couldn’t be seen with them. And, regardless, it seemed she was relieved when she didn’t need to take the bike with them. If anything, she was more than glad to walk back.

Pov had always thought that there was something about Carrie and cars, but perhaps it was not cars. Perhaps it was vehicles.

‘That companion of yours,’ Odyssey said, voice raised to beat the loud wind, ‘how long did you say you have known her?’

How long? ‘Not for too long. I think around two weeks!’

‘And… you said that she’s a horrible person, correct?’

‘She’s… well...’ Maybe Carrie had communication issues. But… somehow Pov doubted it. After all, Carrie seemed to be able to communicate just fine when the situation mattered. ‘She’s a horrible person. Yes.’

‘I don’t know, Pov…’

‘Don’t know about what?’

‘About whether to trust her.’

That worry was… not unfounded. Carrie always had an air of mystery and suspicion surrounding her. If Pov wasn’t so scared of being alone, if she had other choices beside Carrie, would she still have chosen to travel with Carrie? Somehow, Pov doubted it…

However…

‘You can trust her, Ody.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘She’s a horrible person, yes. Ignores you at every chance when it doesn’t concern anything she considers important, yes. Always seems like she has something to hide, yes. Never expressive enough to share what’s on her mind, yes. And doesn’t have an inch of gratitude toward my cooking and would blatantly call them tasteless!’ The last one was personal.

‘Do you hear yourself? She sounds very untrustworthy!’

‘But she keeps her words, Ody. I was a burden during my whole trip with her, but she didn’t abandon me. In fact, she risked her well-being for me. She’s—a horrible person, yes, but I would also say that she’s trustworthy!’

‘Two characteristics that are very rare to have together…’

‘But could happen regardless.’

‘I’ll be honest with you; I don’t trust her. But, if you say so, Pov, then I will trust you!’

That was great to know.

Now… to set things into motion and make a difference in this city.