Monotone | ✔️

Chapter Eighteen

And so it was - I was elected to leave the tunnel in search for something to get across the electrical puddle. Of course, there was restrictions to my endeavour; going outside was dangerous at the best of times, but going when we were already under threat of being discovered was practically suicidal. It's not like we had much choice, however. We couldn't traverse the rest of the distance above ground, we'll be spotted before we reached the destination Chris had planned, wherever that was. And, thinking about it, I was the safest choice to complete it: if Chris went, it would leave Robyn and I alone, a seriously bad combination. If Robyn left, there's no knowing of what she would do, and if she'll ever come back.

I asked Chris to talk to Robyn while I was gone, try to get her to calm down a bit. I didn't know how successful any attempt would be. She was a myriad of unbalanced scales, her anger and grief tilting her mental stability into oblivion, and I didn't know whether anyone or anything could resolve her neurotic tendencies. But, it was worth a try, however fruitless it may serve.

Preparing to leave, Chris approached me. "Be careful, alright?"

"Since when have I not ever been careful?" I muttered in a sarcastic manner, apprehension making me not able to meet his gaze.

"I'm being serious, Tempest. It's dangerous out there. Don't go further than a few streets at a time. Don't move unless you're sure it's completely safe, don't even breathe unless you know you're alone. Promise?"

"I promise, Chris." I sighed.

A small smile tugged at his lips, etching into his harrowed features with tired nerves. "Thank you." Inclining his head into a friendly, almost respectful nod, he started walking down the tunnel, toward where the exit was. "I'll try to talk to Robyn. Hopefully she'll stop trying to kill you afterwards." A small huff emitted from his mouth; he looked tired. But who wouldn't? Having to live in this corrupted society, living your life in an aberration to the normalities... doing everything to survive on a daily basis... I'm still surprised I'm holding up myself, and Chris has been doing this for much longer.

Slowly, I nodded in acknowledgement to his words, the candle gripped in my hand flickering haphazardly, the flame writhing like an estranged, caged animal. "Do you ever wish you could be like everyone else? Content yet oblivious?" I asked quietly, my voice barely fracturing the tension clouding around me.

I wasn't surprised when he hesitated in answering. I was sure it had crossed all of our minds at least once - remained hidden in the abyss of our minds, taunting us with this hapless variable whenever doubt infected us, thus contaminating others... Why did I even ask in the first place? I wanted to take it back.

"Haven't we all?" Chris murmured, eyes narrowing. I waited, wondering if he would elaborate, but no more words left his mouth. We delved into a taciturn companionship, the sound of our footsteps the only reverberation in the air.

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"Good luck." Chris's words barely had time to register in my ears before the grate shut and I was rendered alone.

The city loomed above me, around me, below me, seemingly cackling in its desolate glory. Each building towered immensely, dusty and grey, abandoned, decayed. I decided they all looked like elderly citizens, leaning and slouching as they couldn't properly hold themselves up, needing a clean and time machine in order to restore them to their proper status. I had travelled to the city in my early youth, yet those memories were hazy and distant. No one came here anymore; there wasn't any need. If you needed food, you order it online. If you want clothes you can have a stylist robot pop round for a measuring and preferences. If you require entertainment, everything you could ever need to quench boredom was a phone call or thought away. Why they hadn't destroyed it all was a mystery, an enigma that led me to believe there was something they were hiding amongst this ruins, something vital... Was that what the others had been keeping from me, what this whole endeavour was about?

However, I had no time to contemplate that now. Ominous, impending footsteps resonated from down the street, steadily pounding in my direction. Although the monotone vista around me was rather ugly and sad, it provided a vast amount of places to hide.

With haste, I ducked into a building, flattening myself against the wall. Dust and plaster momentarily showered upon me, though thankfully the mizzle soon stopped. Keeping the sound of my breaths to the bare minimum, I daren't peek as the footsteps soon passed, clipping by me one by one.

I stayed like that for a good few minutes, not wanting to take any chances. I felt faint bile rise to my throat, doubt knot in my system. I can't do this!

Swallowing back any fear, I turned my head round the corner to check for any enemies - it was all clear. Lightly treading, I navigated my way from street to street, looking for anything that could serve as a raft. From time to time I had to do the same procedure as before: duck into a house, stay still... My heart rapidly beating like the hoofs of a charging bull, pounding like the steps that always thundered...

There was nothing to use! Everything vaguely presentable was either broken or too awkward to carry back. This was impossible. I was going to fail and thus probably kill the rest of my team.

My footsteps faltered as the terrain lurched upward. This was an aberration to the usual flat, bland ground; what was it? Peeking through the cracks in the concrete were faded green, sickly fronds. Grass? Yes, grass - however dead and yellow and patchy - could be common in the outskirts, but this deep into the city?

I continued climbing and climbing. The further I got the more grass penetrated the ground, before there was a plethora of the plant at my feet. From time to time I looked behind me: the city dropped behind, slowing, out of breath after it had tried to give chase.

Soon, my legs gasped for rest, for I had been walking in the same direction for an hour at least. It was a true gamble to head this way, yet it pulled me. Besides, the city was hopeless for any appropriate equipment... And more dangerous. And all the other directions I could've traversed led deeper into the heart of the city labyrinth, with more enemies, more risks.

I faltered.

I stopped.

Presented before me was a tiny patch of water. Even so, it was the biggest collect of H2O - save for an electrocuted one - I had seen in all my years.

The clarity that one would expect was still present, creating an almost crystalline sheen on its surface. I could see the light refract in sparkling slivers, gleaming through the surrounding land with a content, jovial nature. The zenith of my jubilant findings was found, however, when I saw a craft by the shore - a small, seemingly lightweight, plastic spectacle - perfect for the task my companions and I had to endure.

Barely remembering to keep quiet I started to run toward it.

Only to sprint straight into an invisible barrier.

The force of the impact blew me backward, the front of my body stinging horribly with the pain. Slowly, I regained my composure and rose to my feet, eyes narrowed against this... Fiend that had prohibited me from salvation.

A voice emerged from the shadows, an alien tone that made me shiver. "You should be glad you're not made out of metal. Otherwise you would've fried."