Oblivion

Safehouse

Eagle

We made it. We really made it. I've never felt the sun before. It's hot, bright, empowering, it's so beautiful. The field that we're running through is like an ocean of grass and yellow that sways in waves when the wind blows.
We've been running for almost an hour. The litter marking the first signs of human civilization. Brenda says there's a town up ahead, small and fairly run down. But as long as there's water I don't care. My mouth has developed a metallic like taste from all this running.
"Okay, hang on, just a sec." Brenda huffed. "Can we just rest a minute?"
"Okay, but just a minute." I plopped down into the soft grass. Everyone sat down, the sound of our breathing slowing down.
After a few moments Ghost stood up. "I'm just going to scout ahead, I'll be right back." Her voice cracked just a little bit when she turned to walk away.
I waited for her to go out of earshot before I stood to follow her. I jogged to catch up to where she stood with her head down. Tears were streaming down her face.
"Hey, what's wrong?" I said placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I killed him. He's dead because I killed him. I shot him and left him and he's dead because of me." She sobbed, keeping her eyes to the ground. She was picking at her nails, glancing at the blood staining her shirt. The blood belonged to Thunder.
"No, hey, that's not true." I turned her towards me and lifted her tear stained chin so she was looking at me. "This isn't your fault. You didn't kill him. We all left him and, and it's what he would've wanted. You didn't do this. You didn't kill him."
"Yes, yes i did, I pulled the trigger, I shot him. I, I was aiming at the guards and the bullet it, it-"
"It wasn't your fault. You did what you had to do to get out. That isn't a crime." I pulled her closer to me and hugged her. "It's okay to do things for yourself l, especially in life and death situations." Her head fell against my chest, her hands clasped behind me, and she cried. I stroked her hair and listened to her sob.

==============

We walked the rest of the route to the town in silence. Our bodies exhausted and the adrenaline that had been fueling us was now gone. The excitement of our escape was now replaced with the weight of our actions. Sorrow filled our faces and we walked together at a distance as if we might hurt each other if we got to close.
The sun began to set and more signs of humanity appeared. More litter, small shacks that seemed to serve no purpose, worn paths that seemed to lead nowhere.
When we reached the town I was overwhelmed. When Brenda had said the town was rundown and small, she had greatly understated. Though most the skyscrapers were abandoned and falling apart they still trumped my expectations. I was thinking a old west type town with a saloon and rugged people. This place was bustling. The streets packed with people wearing faded tattered clothes. Everyone going somewhere at a rapid pace. Some selling random things, others buying random things. The crowds surfing in every direction, intersections turned into confrontations, the smell of smoke and sweat were obvious signs of poverty and industry.
One person in particular caught my eye. They're face was obscured by a tattered scarf they used as a hood. They moved through the crowds so fluently it was as though they were water. However the most interesting thing wasn't they're appearance. It was their actions. They were pickpocketing. An act I wouldn't have noticed till it happened next to me when we shuffled down the street.
Brenda guided us down the crowded street and into an alley. She began climbing a rusted ladder that stacked up a skyscraper. We climbed after her and followed when she ducked into a dark window.
"Where the hell are you taking us?" Beast demanded.
"I have a friend, she'll let us camp out here for a while. At least till the chaos calms down a bit." She removed her dusty lab coat upon entering the dark window frame, and tossed it to a beat-up sofa in the corner, revealing the grunge type outfit she sported underneath, a dark purple long sleeve shirt with a grey button up vest and black jeans. he place was pretty spacious. The open floor allowed easy access to see out all the broken windows. The concrete floor was rough but flat. Whoever lived here had set up makeshift kitchen in one corner with a iron box as a stove/furnace and multiple glass dishes stacked on multiple surfaces used as counters and storage spaces. Another corner was a sitting space with three beat up sofas and a bookshelf that was less than half full. Ragged blankets and pillows decorated the space. A makeshift bedroom occupied the third. A poorly built dresser with strung about clothes, a tall grimy mirror, and a bumpy metal framed bed took up little space. The final corner had a broken cement staircase. Pillars supported the cement structure and from six stories above we were given an advantage and a view.
Beast made his way to the sofa that Brenda threw her coat onto, and collapsed into it. The springs slightly squeaked before settling. Arrow did the same on another sofa. Brenda made her way to the kitchen cupboards where she pulled out three water bottles.
"Supplies are limited so we'll have to share." She said as she tossed Arrow and I each one. I twisted the lid and took a long drink, it tasted almost dirty, but I downed half of it anyway before passing it to Ghost.
"Your friend, how do you know her?" Arrow asked after passing his beverage to Beast.
"Believe it or not, I only work at Hydratech because I have to. I ran away, more than once from that prison, and she was there for me."
"Why'd you go back then?" Ghost began wandering through the building.
"They threatened to kill her. For granted she's not easy to kill but, I wasn't so selfish that I would use her as a shield. They said if I worked and produced viable results they wouldn't hurt her."
"So if you're gone, that means her life is in danger again." Ghost murmured. Brenda just nodded before making her way to the window.
"I'm gonna go grab some supplies, you guys stay here and make yourselves at home." She did wait for a reply, just disappeared up the ladder.
Ghost and I made our way to the unoccupied sofa and sank into it. Despite it being bumpy and wobbly, it was fairly comfortable. Or maybe that was exhaustion talking. Ghost pulled her feet up and curled them towards her, focusing her attention to her nails.
I looked at each one of my companions. Beast had suffered a cut to his temple but now it was only dry crusted and bloody. Arrow's hair was tossed about and his clothes were Covered in dirt and grime. Ghost's hair was also tossed, and unkempt, but it worked on her. Her clothes were stained with our fallen comrades blood, but we had made it. We were free.
The sound of our breathing brought my thoughts to peace until sleep was all I was thinking about. Here, with my friends, I felt safe.
The sound of boots sounded from the window to the sofa, Brenda. I stood up but was shocked by the fact that person who entered our safe house wasn't Brenda. It was the pickpocket I'd seen earlier.
Everyone but Beast sprung up from there seat and I couldn't help but to glare at him.
"What? My head hurts." He said in response to our glares. The person who entered pulled out a short stick like device from nowhere, but at the push of a button the seemingly innocent device sprouted a blade.
The figure removed the hood and revealed her face. Her brunette hair was cropped shorter than Brenda's and the left half of her face was riddled with burn scars. More than that were her eyes. They were white. Completely void of color.
She swung the blade quickly and with precision so that it was touching Beast's throat.
I stepped forward, "Hey, hey no it's okay we were told we could come here and stay, if you just take a look at-"
"I'm blind you idiot" she said showing off her white eyes. She swung her sword toward my genitals. "But my other senses are extremely good."