Unreal #JustWriteIt

2

Chamex wasn't hungry. She stared at the mushed up peas on her plate and moved them around, mixing them with the gravy on her plate. It was a quiet and awkward and Chamex just wanted to leave.

Across from her sat James, her brother whose eyes were staring at her so deep she felt they bored into her soul, and his best friend who also worked for the Fortess as a keeper, Josh.

"So Josh," her mother began the conversation. "I heard you two were on patrol today. How was it?"

"New." Josh stuffed his mouth full of some chicken dipped in barbecue sauce. "We caught an intruder today."

"An intruder?" Chamex's mother seemed genuinely interested. "Did you have to arrest and take them back to the Fortess for judgement? Exciting!"

"More or less, we took the judgement into our own hands. We were ordered to kill on sight-"

"Kill on sight? You murdered somebody?" The room was suddenly chillingly quiet.

"Yes, but he deserved it. That's not even the best part, there was a passerby, a girl. I think she didn't see much but she saw enough."

"And you killed her too?" Chamex could tell her mother disapproved. 

"No. She got away." Josh seemed to be unknowing about all the damage he was causing by speaking.

"Oh, but would you have killed her?" Her mother pressed.

"Maybe. We would have waited for orders from the council. By running, she was restricting justice from taking place."

"You can hardly blame the poor girl, she was obviously terrified."

Chamex, come show me your homework." James suddenly spoke, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Oh, I'm done with all my homework." Chamex stuffed a spoonful of peas in her mouth.

"Show it to me, I want to check it for you." he repeated, grinding his teeth.

She swore she saw steam begin to stream from his ears.

"Oh ok." She got up and headed towards her room, James following behind her.

Chamex was walking to her death... figuratively.

Once the door closed behind them, his neutral expression melted and out came the batshit angry brother, fuming from his nostrils.

"What were you thinking?" He whisper - yelled, shaking his head at her.

"It wasn't my fault. I was scared and I just saw somebody get killed, the only logical thing for me to do at that time was to run. I didn't want to die."

"Do you know exactly the gravity of what you did? By running from authorized keepers of the Fortess, you are now a rebel. And do you know how they treat rebels? Tell me, what exactly were you planning on doing with the information you aquired today?"

"Nothing I swear-"

"Stop bringing danger to this family Chamex. Remember what happened to dad."

Chamex's expression saddened.

"Don't tell me his sacrifice was for nothing." He rose up his shirt to reveal a dark scar that sliced from the top of his chest to his abdomen.

"I'm sorry, I'll turn myself in."

"It's okay Chamex." His expression softened. "It'll be all right once you set it right with the Fortess."

He walked towards her and then brushed her hair from her face before leaving the room quietly, shutting the door softly behind him.

That was when Chamex heard it. The muffled groaning of a man came from far away so at first she couldn't hear him. She walked towards her window and opened it, the cool breeze of the evening air blowing against her skin.

A man was staggering painfully on the road, he looked like he was using everything he had left to keep himself upright. He was bleeding from his stomach, Chamex could tell, and he clutched it as if it would make the bleeding stop. Chamex didn't realise she was caught staring until she came face to face with a pair of yellow eyes. Unique.

"Hey, you! Listen to me!" He yelled at her. "You can't believe a word they say! There's no liberty. It's not real! None of it is!"

"Not again." Chamex whispered, her eyes widening in horror.

"You've got to shut it down-" The man's eyes suddenly lolled to the back of his head and he collapsed on the ground, laying crumpled up.

A keeper in his full uniform walked out of the coming darkness and Chamex shut her window immediately, not at all eager to see what happens next.

She was freaking out. Why did this happen to her, how many other people could these messages have gotten to, why did it have to be her? Daughter of a rebel who had been captured by his own son, a keeper.

She needed to see Boyd.

She picked up a kimono and ran out of the house, narrowly avoiding the dining room and heading out the front door. As if planned, the heavens burst open and it began to rain. Heavy droplets that splashed against her and soaked her, making her feel heavy. She passed a patch of red and she wondered if it was blood then she felt sick.

◉◉◉

Boyd opened the door and dragged her in immediately he saw her through the peephole in his door.

"Chamex! What are you doing here?" He smiled his award winning grin at her.

She studied Boyd. He was a muscular average height boy, with dirty brown hair and hazel eyes. His nose was straight and his chin chiseled, he was perfect. Chamex felt warm inside, and in that moment she had never been more happy to see her boyfriend.

"Oh Boyd, everything's wrong." She sobbed, falling into his hands. "I'm in trouble." Chamex relaxed as he wrapped his arms around her, making her feel safe and warm.

"What happened baby?" He rubbed his hand up and down her arm.

"Let's sit down first." He carried Chamex bridal style and sat down on his couch, plopping her ontop of him.

"Tell me." He ran his hands through her hair.

"I rebelled against the Fortess. I restricted justice." He raised a cute eyebrow. "It's a long story."

'I've got all the time in the world. For you."

So she told him.

"Wow." He breathed out, staring at her and then smiled with a raise of the left side of his lip.

"Is that all you're gonna say? I just told you I restricted justice."

"Chamex remember when I was sure my dad was cheating on my mother but nobody believed me?"

She nodded into his chest.

"I got a lot of restrictions on that but I brought him to justice. My own personal justice."

"I don't understand what you're saying."

"Do you feel asif these men are telling the truth about something?"

"Maybe. I have this urge to investigate."

"Then do it. Maybe the Fortess has some secrets."

"Really?"

"I'll be with you along the entire way."

"But I'll be going against the Fortess. I'll be a rebel."

"Correction. We'll be rebels."

Chamex smiled and sunk deeper into his chest, and at that moment, she felt like the happiest girl in the world.