The Visionaries

20

I stare at Lana. She looked like she hadn't slept there. There was several bruises all over her face and body. Not that I fared any better. I was just as bruised and hurt.

"Great, now I get to spend the last hours of my life besides you." I say.

"You still hate me?"

"No shit, how am I supposed to forget the woman who abandoned me the first chance she got and came back doing the same shit to me?"

"Alma." she said. "For God's sake. I did it for you."

"Bullshit."

The door opens. It's Michael.

"Good evening. The courts have decided to schedule your executions for Tuesday morning. Isn't that wonderful?" he said.

"Eat shit, Michael." Lana said. He slapped her as hard as possible. The sound made my ears ring.

"Shut up, Lana." he said. "You have two minutes to tell me where those survivors went. Apparently none of your little rebel friends know but you do."

"Go to hell." he punched her. She looked at him and spat blood on his shoes. He started to beat the ever loving shit of her.

"Tell me!" he screamed repeatedly.

"No!" she said.

"Stop! Leave my mother alone!" I yell. He continues. I slam into him,with him falling on the floor. My mother's face is swollen and bloodied. I try to get up when he grabs me by the hair and then roughly pulls me up. My scalp hurts. I dig my heels into the concrete when he throws me against the wall. Ouch.

"Michael, stop!" my mother says. As I'm trying to recover, he puts me in a chokehold and takes out his gun.

"So are you going to tell me or will she die for the resistance?" Michael asked. I look at her. Her face is healing. That's strange.

"Don't do it, I'm begging you, Lana!" I say.

He removes the safety. Tears run down my tears. Shit, I'm really about to fucking die for the cause. At least my friends will remember. Oh, that's right, we're probably all about to die. Also at least I know Six loved me back. I hope he's ok. Well, if my death makes Michael and his regime go down in flames, I'm willing to die.

"Michael, don't do it!" she said.

He has his finger on the trigger, or at least I think that's what I'm seeing from the corner of my eye.

"Too late, Lana!"

"She's your daughter!"

He drops me. I gasp, clutching my chest and staring at her in horror.

"You're lying." he pointed the gun at her.

"I'm not lying! She's yours." she stepped back. "I never slept with anyone but you."

He stares back at me. I'm too shocked to properly react. I want this to be a nightmare. I want this to be a lie. That monster, my father? I really don't want this to be true. I really don't. I would rather take the bullet than find out that piece of shit is my father.

"I will get a paternity test. And if it's negative, all of you degenerate scum die, you hear me, Lana?"

I turn around. She bowed her head and she was shaking.

"I understand." she said. He gave me a strange look and left. Lana tried to hug me and I moved away.

"Please tell me you lied." I say. She shakes her head. I let out an angry screech. "You bitch? Why? Why did you hide this from me? My whole life! Oh my God." I pace back and forth, pulling at my hair, sobbing.

"I should have told you." she said. "For that, I was wrong. I was only trying to protect you from him."

"Why? How?" I slump to the corner.

"I was lucky to be accepted as an exchange student in high school. I ended up staying in the States for college after I won a scholarship. My senior year of college I met him. He was charming, handsome, back then anyway, and funny. We ended up marrying and planning on having children." She sits down in front of me. "One day, I was cleaning his study and I found a pile of papers. As I was moving them, one fell and it said, 'The Beginning of Plan 581B.'" I didn't think much of it until more papers slid off and they were all about how to overthrow the government and how they were planning on killing off minorities."

"And that's why you ran."

"I did.I ran off to my hometown. I was scared for my life. I thought he would find me and harm me or my parents." she said. "And then three months later, I got very sick. I was throwing up and losing fluids. Your grandparents took me to the hospital thirty minutes away. Then I found out I was pregnant with you. I wanted an abortion but your grandparents offered to take you in so you could be safe."

"That's why you vanished on me."

"I traveled around for a bit and finally went back to the US under a fake name. I met Dr. Miller and we fell in love. I found out Michael had divorced me in absentia. We got married and then I told him the truth about you. He suggested we bring you to the States with you."

"And that's when you destroyed my life. I'll never forgive you for that." I say.

Lana looked sad, defeated even.

"I know." she said. "I'm sorry for that. I let you go because Michael and his men had found me. I should of just left you with your grandparents. You would of never had to live through all the things you're going through right now."

I sigh. "You're right. Although, if that was the case, I would of never been chosen, or made all of my friends or re-encountered you. Not saying it was for the best but my life wouldn't be the same."

Lana sighed and nodded. Glad we agree on something.