Chapter 24

Follow me

As they took Al away from us, we haven't heard anything after that. We don't have any idea what they will do to him and it makes everyone uncomfortable that it could happen the same on them but another side, I think High Council staffs are trying to do something.

"Are you even listening, Dylan?" The dreadlocked girl caught back my attention.

I nod my head to response on her but I didn't get any of her words as my head was flying into Al's situation. "What you were saying again?"

She smirked, Cha nudges me and gives me a frown look, "don't mess this up, dude."

"Listen to her," Dreadlock girl said, "I'll repeat it once again, Dylan. I know you wanted to be part of the Licit People. Be part of something great that would make you more of what you are here but that wouldn't happen until you passed the rebirth... how sure are you that you'll gonna passed, huh?"

"I do." I determinedly said.

She raised her brow, trying to judge me. "Well... you're thinking of it as for now, but what about the next few months? Would you still survive like anybody else?"

I smirked, she's trying to get my weakness but I'm not gonna let her have it. "You don't suppose tell people how they'll gonna survive the process, you're depriving them that they don't deserve to grow as a person. How are you still trying to be in some way of making it all go wrong?"

She leaned closer to the both of us, turning her head around to make sure no one's listening, "because this process won't reach its end." She said, almost a whisper. Cha and I look at each other plastered with distraught reactions. "Just because you think everything's okay, you don't know what's happening behind it."

I narrowed my eyes on her, getting curious and all she said was trying to persuade us to join something we don't need to, but I think she's insisting because she knows, I have a family living in the Noble Land—whom already forget our existence.

"Tell me something we didn't know, dreadlock."

She scoffs, "that's not easy to do, boy." she said, stood up from the steel seat but I immediately caught her hand to stop her from leaving our table, "I won't tell a word if you aren't interested in our movement. It is our only way to destroy the High Council."

"I'd go for it, Dy." Cha asserted. I'm not surprised she would say that because she really want to get the justice for her sister and she finds this movement a way to start proving how High Council possessed cruelty on its arms. I shift my attention back to dreadlock girl, she's giving me a lopsided grin. "I think it is our only way out, Dy." She added.

It doesn't have to be this way.

"Nope." I lose my hand on her arms, "I won't be joining your movement, and that's final."

"What are you saying, Dy?" Cha asked, confused as it shows on her face.

"I'm not joining the movement," I said on her.

"You're making a mistake, boy." Dreadlock girl rebuked, shaking her head.

"I don't." I stated, "and you can't change my decision. I don't wanna be part of something that would ruin what life can bring to me. Don't make me choose between being against on the process and pushing through end 'cause in any other way, I would stay on the path where I know it is safe and secured."

"You're playing it safe, boy." She remarked, "don't make it hard for us, you know it is the only way to stopped them."

"How in the world you can surely tell you'll stop the High Council?" I taunted.

"It is not for you to know that, boy." She said. "Now, you, come with me." She pointed to her finger unto Cha, "if you wanna still wanna get that justice you're hanging from, join the movement. Leave the vulnerable on."

I immediately restrained Cha for doing the impulsive decision. She's been caught up by the fact were to choose the people who can lead her to the Noble Land or be with the people who can make it worse. By the time she took a deep breath, she finally comes into her decision. She smiled on me but eventually shift her attention to dreadlock and stood up from the steel chair.

"I'm sorry Dylan, but I'm gonna join the movement," I was about to argue with her decision but I didn't barge in when she followed her explanation, "I know you're a good person, you have your motives when you passed the rebirth, your ambitions to build something great there, I know it is not impossible to happen but I still have my decision... I wanna join the movement just because I don't want your way. I want justice for my sister and make the High Council pay for that... sorry, Dy, it's a chance for me, I'm not gonna let you take it away from me."

I couldn't believe Cha would do that on me but her reasons were pure and I think, I shouldn't be on her way for the purpose why she's taking the rebirth. "I understand, Cha..."

She hugged me, tightly. I don't wanna even let go of it. "See you on the other side..." she whispered.

What does she mean the other side? On the Noble Land? I thought.

Cha followed the dreadlocked girl and they headed back to their table. I was left alone on the table. I still have no idea what's happening on Al. Would he come back? Did they do anything on him?

Few moments after, the noise arises from the canteen when a numbered of soldiers are coming with their weapon. A lot of us bowed down as we won't try to give some attention to them. As the soldiers formed into lines, an alarm echoed in every facility which indicated that we will be moving out. One by one, the soldiers assisted everyone heading out of the canteen and when the time they called me, I also caught their attention by asking such questions where my friend is.

"I won't leave this place until my friend isn't with me!" I exclaimed.

But the soldier has a low temper, he attacked me by knocking the bottom of his weapon into my head. I almost lost my balance, my head spins into dizziness but I didn't let it go. I was about to lunge on him but the other soldiers are restrained and blocked me from doing it. Cha and the dreadlock also saw me battling with these soldiers while they're heading out of the facility. The next thing happened, one member from the High Council lower position staff attended the brawl.

"What is happening here? Why does the participant isn't lining up with the others?" The woman in white-coat asked the soldier pertaining to me.

"He's looking for the other participant." The soldier answered.

The woman in white-coat nodded and look at me from head to toe, scanning me as they all did. "You look familiar... anyway, who's your friend?"

"His name's Al," I answered her.

She nodded again, identifying she knows the name. "I know who's you're looking for. But he's gone. Soldiers put him on the line with the others. We couldn't risk being late on the program again."

"No! No!" I shouted but they didn't even listen.

I'm trying to get out of the soldier's hand but they're harassing me to get in the line. I look at the woman, she picks up her communication technology and had a conversation on the line. She even looks at my direction, nodding and avoid my attention. And after that, she left and headed to the other hallway which I don't know where it'll lead to.

The soldiers put me in line, pointed their gone on me and threatened if I do something wrong or move, they won't hesitate to pull the trigger and shoot to me dead. I remained on the line, silent and calm but my head going around and couldn't stop thinking how in the mess we got here.

From where we lined up, at the end were the military transportation which to use to send us into different place once again. As I reach the end of the line, seated with a lot of faces I don't recognize, people whom I never met on the Waste Land, I could find on their faces to survive the game at any cost. They would do anything to get what they deserve.

When we're all set, they closed the door and the darkness enveloped us inside the vehicle. We come in silence and the only thing we're hearing inside was the deep breathing and some are even murmuring their prayers. I just closed my eyes and just wait until we come to know what's happening next.

"Come with me!" a deep voice coming from someone woke me up, he keeps shaking my body and so when I move, my head suddenly hurts until I realized what just happened. I look at the person whose waking me up, I just give him some observing looks but he didn't bother as he said the next thing, "we don't have time, we need to go!" he exclaimed.

I shook my head, wiggled his hands off of me, "no, I don't even know you!"

"You don't but I do," he said. "So get your ass off of there, we need to go!"

I'm not even listening to him but a moment later, an explosion occurred. I stopped for a minute realize shits going crazy. The man who wakes me up shouted at me once again and this time, I didn't hesitate to follow him and crawl out of the vehicle. Just then I realized what happened to the vehicle, it was impinging against the metal barriers.

"Come on, follow me!" he said and run.

I have no idea what's happening and just comply with him. But I stopped following him thinking that he might lead me into a trap. When he notices that, he turn back his face on him and give me a vicious look or so I thought.

"What's wrong, dude? We need to hurry!" he shouted, the cause of the explosions giving us enough to hear each other.

"Who do you think you are?!" I nagged, his forehead creases by the question I asked, I keep stand on my view. "You get to help me—and then what? What do you think had happened there and I'm the only one left at the vehicle?!"

He runs closer to me, "the military vehicle has been ambushed!" he scolded, "they left you there because they thought you were dead."

"How can I believe you were saying the truth, huh?"

"Because I saw it happen!" he reasoned, "don't try to think that I'm trying to deceive you but I'm telling you the truth, and so if you wanted to leave... follow me." He runs going in the same direction, I just watched him going farther.

There are still some things in my head I know I shouldn't follow him but what if he's telling truth? He actually tried to save me, maybe he is. I took a deep breath, take some courage to run towards him. When I saw him hiding behind a car, he immediately warned me to lower myself and hide in any that I cannot be seen. I go with his words and lie down on the ground. But on the other hand, a small container rolling into my position hissing on its final second. I was stoned, just staring at it and waiting for the next thing to happen. I close my eyes and murmur my words.

Sorry, Mom.