Undorn: The Beginning

Part Twenty-One

Beo, Region of Lufe

Location: Wharton Wharf

"Get up. Now." It was Bones' voice, Beo knew that, but it was so dark he couldn't see a thing.

"What? Bones? Is that you?" The lamp next to his head flicked on brightly, suddenly. White spots dotted in Beo's eyes from the surprise of the light. He had been asleep just seconds before. Now, he was awake, staring at Bones as he took a few steps away from the bed then bent over his duffel and started tossing clothes from the dresser into it. He looked positively frantic.

"Bones?" Beo threw back the covers. His heart rate doubled. Was this some sort of scare tactic to get back at him for pushing Bones from the bed earlier? "What's going on?"

"Get up, get your things. We're leaving."

"What? Why! Bones, what the hell is happening?"

Bones ignored him, continuing his haphazard packing job until his duffel was stuffed and zipped. "Bones, tell me what's going on!"

Bones tossed his bag on the bed, then beelined it for the attached bathroom. "Get changed and get packed Beo, I'll explain later."

Having enough sense to know something serious was going on, Beo swallowed his stubbornness and followed Bones' directions. As he packed, Beo's hands shook. His fingers couldn't properly grip the zipper of his duffel. Something was seriously wrong, Beo knew that. Was it the other two? Had something happened to them? Beo's hands shook more furiously. Was it his family? Had the Enforcers found his mom? His sister? Beo's struggle with the zipper worsened. He felt like he may throw up.

"Bones—" His roommate's name escaped his lips like a plea for help. Beo didn't recognize his own voice. It sounded like a child's.

"Here," Beo's hands were suddenly engulfed with larger, warmer, steadier ones. Bones helped Beo with the zipper, placing Beo's toothbrush and soap inside his bag as he did so. Once the job was done, Beo took a shaky breath in and looked up at his roommate.

"Please tell me what's going on." Beo couldn't do much more than whisper. It felt like years ago that it was Bones and him, in this room, on this bed, together... But it had only been hours.

Bones took a deep breath in before explaining. "Wanted posters are plastered everywhere in the Wharf. Our faces are on them. They must have put them up today. I just barely outran an officer... He didn't see me come back here, but we need to go. The wharf is too small. They'll find us in hours if we stay."

"Oh god."

"Beo—"

"Oh god, oh god, oh god..." Beo's torso keeled over. His hands on his knees were the only thing keeping him somewhat upright.

"Beo—"

"My family, they've probably already taken them... Or worse... Oh god..."

"Biondi! Snap out of it!" Bones grabbed Beo's arms, pulling him to a standing position. Beo was dead weight in his grip.

"My mom... My sister... They're dead...They're gone...All my fault..." Beo was on the brink of sobbing. His breathing was a labored mess. He couldn't hold himself up. The only reason he was still on his feet was because Bones held most of his weight.

"Beo! Stop it! You don't know that! You don't know anything!"

"I fucked up, I fucked up, fuck I fucked up."

"Beo!"

"I've probably killed them! I did this!" Beo was barely comprehensible through his tears.

"Biondi, get a hold of yourself!"

Beo couldn't stop crying. He was blubbering, actually.
And then, Bones slapped him. Hard. Across his face, so the pain radiated further than just his cheek. It shook him. Beo would be surprised if it didn't leave a bruise.

The shock of the contact stopped his tears.

"Beo, you need to pull it together. You're their leader, not me. Orwell and Taide depend on you, not me. You need to be strong or we're all going to crumble. We won't get out of here alive if you don't pull yourself together right now."

Slowly, Beo began nodding. He wiped the wetness from his cheeks.
"Okay?" Bones grabbed Beo's shoulders.

"Yeah," Beo nodded. "Got it."

"Take a few minutes. I'm going to wake up the others." Bones held Beo's shoulders long enough to squeeze them, then he disappeared out their bedroom door and left Beo alone.

Beo counted the deep breaths he took until Bones came back. Once he got to ten, Bones' face was in the doorway again. "Ready?"

Beo nodded, then grabbed his duffel from the bed and followed Bones next door.

Orwell looked anxious. He was biting his nails, standing in the door way of the room he shared with Taide. His taller, quieter counterpart stood behind him looking fiercely stoic, almost unbothered.

"Alright guys, next adventure then," Beo paused, glancing between the two. "Everything's going to be okay. Bones knows the next steps."  Beo wasn't quite sure that Bones did know the next steps, but he trusted Bones had something resembling a plan.

Orwell shook his head up and down obediently. Taide gave Beo a small nod of understanding.
"Alright. Let's go, then."

Taide filed out behind Orwell and headed downstairs, but before Beo could follow them, Bones grabbed a hold of Beo's hand and stopped him in his tracks. Beo turned around to face him.

Smirking—despite the fact this was not the time for a smirk—Bones held out his hand to Beo for an old-school fist bump. Beo allowed himself an inkling of a smile before touching his knuckles to Bones'.

"That's my boy."