Fault Line - [GASH]

Corpse Carrier - Act 1 | Chapter 18 - Fault Line - [GASH]
The Last Day After Juna Died

On the seventh day—an entire week since Theo and Juna had ended up in this damp-rock world—blood melted from Juna's eyes.

Her white blouse was ripped from the seams, riddled with tears, and matched the growing state her black eye was in. It had gotten worse, puffier and darker as if Reyna had hit her today and not a week ago. Juna’s right shoe was missing and the remaining sock oozed blood into the cavern's cracks below. Her bottom lip bubbled with blood from its split on the side, allowing a stream of the crimson liquid to flow into the nick on her chin before dripping onto her blouse’s collar.

She stood in front of the divot, loosely. Her arms dangling from the shoulder cuffs and eyes drooping to nothingness. The only movement she ever made was to spit blood from inside of her mouth, and to mumble a few words.

“This place isn't any different,” she whispered.

What had she been through? What amount of pain had been inflicted that Juna couldn't even cry? What did Theo miss? What led to this girl being battered and bruised, stripped of all the joy and emotion from her.

And then that same image appeared. The memory of Kaida—laying on the cold floor with a face lacking any color and a smile traced with blood. Her eyes washed into pure white as the bruises on her cheek darkened. Theo held Kaida in his hands and yelled for help. Once she finally came to, her eyes had been stripped of all the life they once had, and her feeling from the neck below was lost.

Two years is what it took for the glint in Kaida's eyes to come back. How long would it take for Juna's?

Theo couldn’t get a word in before Juna slumped into the divot while dragging her bloodied foot across the stone. Pulling a thin blanket Theo had made out of feathers from the birds he killed, Juna reclusively resigned herself to sleep and lay facing the inner wall.

“Juna,” Theo said, “...are you badly hurt anywhere?”

Theo waited for a few seconds, and in the end no response came.

“Your foot looks really bad,” he continued. “We should wrap it with something.”

No response.

“How did this happen? Did you go back into The Chasm again and something went wrong? Is that what happened?”

No answer.

“Specks,” he said scanning the divot, “where is Specks, Juna?”

Nothing.

She remained quiet. And Theo had no choice but to allow her some peace. He stepped outside and shut the makeshift door. There were too many things to question. Where did she get hurt and how? What was she thinking at the moment? Where was Specks? And why did she say, ‘This place isn't any different.’ Though Juna wouldn't answer those questions. If he wanted more information then that meant asking Radu.

And asking Radu meant going back into the village.

Theo shook his head, took one last glance at the makeshift door, then left towards the village. The stench of gasoline was still present and Theo could only slightly remember the layout from a week ago. It took a few minutes until he located the Travelers of the Lost tavern and stepped inside. While scanning the bottom floor filled with pale folk all downing the contents of their tankards, Theo spotted Ilinca wiping the bar with a wet cloth.

“Ilinca,” he said, approaching her.

She perked her head and gently set the rag down then straightened her back. “You’re Juna’s friend, right?”

“Yeah I am. Do you—”

“Is everything alright with Juna?” Ilinca asked, unintentionally cutting him off. “She was supposed to start the next shift an hour ago.”

Theo scrunched his eyes. “She was supposed to work?”

“Yes. Has she fallen ill? If so it is quite alright if she needs to take the day off. I can easily cover her.”

“Didn’t she just get back from The Chasm?” Theo asked.

“Chasm? Not at all. She had just worked last night, there would have been no time to descend into The Chasm, that process takes well over a day. Is everything alright with Juna?”

Theo didn’t know if he should be truthful and tell Ilinca the state Juna was in. But Juna was fine and stable, there was no reason to believe she was injured enough to cause a scene. Though her bruises and blacked face were enough to draw concern, Theo didn’t want to be too hasty.

He had to remain calm and be diligent.

She wasn’t in The Chasm? Theo thought. So how…

“Ilinca,” he said, “do you know where Radu is? I need to speak with him.”

She shrugged. “Not an idea. He tends to stay near The Mound most of the day, and I am not sure where his shack is located. Though, he frequents the tavern after work. I don’t think it will be long until he arrives, maybe an hour or two?”

“That works. I’ll be back in a couple then,” Theo said walking out of the tavern. He hurried back to his divot and racked his brain on what could have happened to Juna, and why she was in such a horrible state. Though nothing that sprung to mind ever stuck. Like he thought, asking Radu or getting Juna to speak herself would be the only way he could find out.

Theo opened the door to the divot and crawled inside. The space was only really large enough for one person to lay down comfortably so Theo just sat with his back exposed from the outside. Juna remained in the same spot as before—facing the inner wall and her mercury hair curtaining her face.

Theo fought with himself on what to say. However, saying anything was better than saying nothing. He spoke.

“How are you feeling? Is there anything I can do for you?”

Theo allowed his words to linger this time, giving Juna the silence and time to respond.

A minute passed.

Nothing.

“If you need me to go get you water or food I can. Would you like me too? You can just nod if you want, you don't even have to speak.”

Not even the stone ground Juna lay on was as quiet as her. She was either adamant on not talking or couldn’t find the energy to speak. Sometimes in these situations it would be best to give the person space. Maybe Theo would have done such a thing if they were back on Earth, allowing Juna time to herself before bombarding her with questions. Not everyone wants help, Theo knew that from his sister.

He debated on giving Juna space. That she needed to be alone. Though the notion was quickly discarded. Stepping away would make Theo the same man that disregarded Juna back in the halls.

Theo rubbed his shoulder, his mouth drying out as he fought for the right words. “I didn't mean to blame everything on you before,” he said. “I couldn't think straight and I was worried. Just because something in my life went wrong doesn't give me the voice to speak over your troubles. I was wrong. I'm just….”

He hesitated.

“...scared,” he finally said. “I want to confirm my family's safety—that my sister is okay. Because I was so obsessed with that, I spat nonsense at you and made your problems feel small. I'm sorry. But you're hurt. I want to help. You don't need to tell me what happened. I don't want to pry that out of you. Whatever you experienced must have been tough. So you don't need to talk. It's okay.”

Was saying ‘It's okay’ appropriate? Theo thought.

“All I need is for you to let me help you,” he continued. “Please. I don't know what you meant by ‘This place isn't any different’. I don't know what's wrong with you or what happened. Actually… I don't know you at all. I never bothered getting to know you. Asking you what you liked, what kind of person you were, why you were excited to be in this place, and especially—why you used that book.”

Theo stood and stepped towards Juna—towards the girl he never even tried to understand. He had been so engulfed in how to help himself that not once did he even give Juna's feelings thought. Theo was angry, who wouldn't be after getting dragged off to some world after trying to help a classmate. Unfair, it was unfair. Though even so Juna was still a human. Kaida was still a human. Theo was still human. What drove her to take her own life before, he might never know. But if he could at least learn who Juna was then everything might just work out.

Theo stepped forward and offered a hand and—

He froze.

Only now did he truly realize why Juna remained silent.

The mesh blanket was pulled above her shoulders to her neck, connecting with her mercury hair that flowed down her cheek and soaked in a pool of blood. The tips of her hair dying themselves red.

Juna no longer had amber coated eyes.