Sickness

Part Four

I dealt with cat calls and whistles continuously the following morning. I didn't really care though. Let em talk. No sweat off my back. Just off Violet's.

We had had an agonizing morning of training with a woman we called Penny. Not because it was her name, but because she had a wart the size of a penny on the tip of her nose. She still hadn't caught on.

When free time is allowed, I decide to spend my free time jogging the perimeter. Not that I don't run enough... because I surely do... just that I find it relaxing. Every once in awhile you run into other people, but besides that... it's quiet. It's nice.

The base was around four miles in perimeter. It was a lot to run, but it wasn't too much for me. I'd run it three or four times if I could. Away from all of the chatter and drama that had been going on. It was nice to be away. However, it was apparent that serenity was not long lived here. Ahead, was Violet, speed walking with a group of her friends. I slowed to a walk too. I could see that her nose was heavily patched, and her eye was swollen a good bit.

"Ever heard of resistance?" she mumbled when she past me.

"Ever heard of self defense?" I snapped back.

I felt my face begin to get hot and my stomach start to boil. That girl had an instantaneous effect on me. Like her bitchery was contagious. I calmed myself down, and pushed myself back into a slow steady jog. But, I had only taken a few steps when I stopped again. Something caught my eye. A hole in the concrete wall. Like it had been carved out to be about the size of an adult mans fist. I bent down and peeked through. But there was something directly in front of it that kept me from being able to see to the outside. I pushed my hand through it and extended my fingers to touch the dark surface just outside the wall. It was too far. Just above the length of my arm. I sat myself tightly up against the wall, and reached until my shoulder was about to go through. And my fingertips touched it. The scratchy brown surface flaked off dirt and small pieces at my touch. It was a familiar texture. It was a tree. But that was impossible. The only trees left where ones that we had grown in the colonies to enhance oxygen levels. There were no trees left on the outside. All of the plants and grass and trees were killed when the chemicals hit our continent. They all died. It had been years... there was no way that there were any left standing and alive. I turned my arm and reach toward the ground. My arm is not long enough, but through the gash I can look down and see tall blades of grass leaning to the wind.

What was going on? Our officials had told us that there was no vegetation left. It was supposed to be a desert out there. What else was being hidden from us?

Later that day, I bring Gale out to the wall where I had found the hole. He was just as surprised as I was. I could tell in his facial expression. But all he said was, "We can't tell anyone."

"What do you mean?" I demand, "Everyone in this city and colony think that everything outside of these walls is dead. That it is a barren desert. But it is green. There could be animals out there... other people! They've been keeping us from this who knows what else they're hiding?"

"Vala. Just because there are plants does not mean that the sickness is contained. That's what we're in here for. To keep us safe." he insists.

"No Gale! Think about it! Once soldiers leave these walls... they don't come back. They could be taking them out when they're done training and exposing them to a new world! The whole point of this could be to send the most highly trained and intelligent group of people back into the world to restart!"

Gale shakes his head. "OR they could be dead. Caught up by the airborne part of the virus and dead somewhere in a ditch. You don't know."

"Fine. We'll stop talking about this. For now."

That night in Gale's cabin, I couldn't sleep. I couldn't even keep my eyes shut or calm. My mind was racing all over the place about the hole in the wall. The fact that our government had been telling us that there was nothing out there but a burnt up skeleton of what once was.

"Gale are you awake?" I ask.

After a moment, I hear him stir. "I am now."

"I'm sorry. I just can't sleep. I keep thinking about the trees and the grass."

He groaned, "I thought you said that we were done talking about that?"

"I said for now. It's no longer "now"." I mumble.

"Alright. Let's go."

"Go where?"

Gale gets off his bunk and starts slipping on his boots, "Somewhere other than here. We'll wake up my new roommate."

It was pitch black outside. Other than the lights outside of the cabins, there was no sign that there was ever life in this community. Gale and I walked for awhile before he finally spoke. "So you think that the trips are the governments way of sifting out the strongest."

I nodded, "Slowly but surely."

"But we're strong. And people all around us on our level have left. People with lower training scores than us." He said.

"Maybe they want to save the best for last."

"Or maybe they want to keep the strongest to pick up the pieces when the city finally falls."

I scowled at him, "The city won't fall!"

"You don't know that!" Gale was quiet for a moment. "It's in shambles. Barely hanging in there. It's going to give out eventually. And soon. We can all see it happening."

"I know." I mumbled.

"What?"

"I said that I know." I growled.

Gale took a deep breath and pressed his temples.

"Either way..." I continued, "...There is something out there that they have hidden from us. It isn't barren. There are plants and ways to make sustainable resources out there."

"Vala you only saw a tree. It doesn't mean that the-"

"It doesn't matter! If there is one tree, then there's hope! We need to get out of here!"

Gale looked around in thought. "I just don't think it's a good idea."

I got close to his face, "When the city falls in a few years, or months, or weeks; do you want to say that you didn't have enough courage to see if there was a way out? Do you want to be on your death bed wishing that you had just taken a leap of faith that could actually make a difference?"

Gale was quiet.

"I thought so."

I went back to my own cabin after Gale's firm choice to be cowardice and transparent. I wasn't in the mood to be around him in the least. I climbed into my own bed and closed my eyes. My dreams were riddled with possibilities, curiosity, and nightmares. What was out there was either good or bad. Either one would improve upon the situation we were living in now. The second my eyes popped open the next morning, I decided that I was leaving. With or without Gale.