Chapter 28

I will never be

It has been a long drive until we get to the place they were talking about. I don't know much about it, they weren't even giving me enough details to it. I wasn't sure of anything they've been talking. At first, I thought helping these people would make me feel good and that'll make me a better person but falling into their words made me realize that in this world, putting trusts into people who you don't even know is dangerous.

When the vehicle stop, Dilly leans her face on me and patted both of my cheeks to wake me up. I jerked my head away from her hands, smirked and refrain myself to do harm on her even if I was tied, I could spit on her. But I didn't.

"C'mon, kid. They are waiting for you." She said and for a second, I thought of what she says... they. How many of the people are in their movement? It is ridicule to think that there are people who think they can do something opposite to what they wanted to do.

Next thing happened, the door at the end of my feet opened and blinding light comes to ray and when my vision was adjusting from the light, a figure of a man comes in front of me and somehow I realize it was Manny.

"You're now with us, Dylan. Whether you like it or not." He said as he pulled my leg down out of the vehicle. Dilly removed the straps on my body but still, my hands were tied up as they were making it sure that I won't escape into their holdings. When I'm already out of the vehicle, I get to the surroundings of where we are now. "Don't try to look around, Dy. You still can't go anywhere." Manny said and pushed me to walk forward.

I don't know where did they bring me but as far as I can tell from the tall buildings surrounded us, we're still on the part of the city but most likely on the deepest, dangerous part where you won't like to step a foot because in any other way, if you do, you can't escape alive.

"Where are we?" I asked Manny.

"A place you didn't know." He said, my forehead creased. "And you wouldn't even know unless you give yourself in."

"I'm so excited for you, Dylan... they will absolutely like you."

"This isn't fair," I hissed. "I didn't want any of this. I don't want to join your freaking movement—" I didn't even get to stop my words when Manny smack me on my head.

"Don't make us torture you, Dylan. Just give yourself and you will live. This process has to end and at this moment, we are sure that the High Council will be destroyed. You can be part of something great, something you can actually proud of. You don't have to be afraid of us, of the movement Dylan... it will make you human that you'll ever be."

"But this doesn't make any sense."

"What part of it you didn't understand, Dylan?" Dilly asked.

"Why now? All of a sudden, why does the movement acted now?"

"You were wrong on that part, Dylan." Manny said, "it has been for a long time but now, they find the time to act and destroy the High Council and you're gonna be a part of it. Don't you want that? A happy life without sacrificing anything?"

I smirked, "I have sacrificed many things and you wouldn't understand that."

"Maybe we won't, but you will, once you'll be enlightened what is the movement for," Dilly said.

We enter a building, I couldn't recognize it but the way it looks was sturdy and maybe if they could bomb it once, it will fall off altogether. There were no lights when we come into the place. The atmosphere isn't that great, it's cold and the smell wasn't that bad at all. The silence was creeping me out. I couldn't see our way in but I think these two people know where we're heading as they lead us right into another metal door. Dilly knocked on it three times and someone from the other side slide the peephole and only by their eyes have seen from our position.

"Hey, it's Manny and Dilly," Manny announced.

"I know," it is coming from a man voice, so we're looking into a guy. "What's the password?"

"End of sorrows," Manny answered.

"Affirmative." The guy approved.

He closes the peephole once Manny answered him. I have come to think what was their password means and I like to think that it's been connecting to what their movement for. I still don't get why would they have to do this, why couldn't they just survive the several months of pursuing and become a Licit People. It is that hard enough to prove one but is a one way to assure that you are capable of anything. You became Licit cause you to survive into the impossible ways of living.

When the metal door opens, I felt the heat coming from the inside and I don't know what's happening there and I don't like to know it. Manny pushed me to enter the door as I try to resist him. When we were inside, I heard the man locked the door once again and I guess I don't have any chances of escaping this dark place now but to know what their motives are.

"Now what?" I asked both of them.

"You'll meet them soon but tonight we're gonna remove your tracker."

I shook my head, trying to free myself from their hands but I couldn't cause they gripped too much. Dilly slap me on the face but that didn't stop me and I try so very hard to escape but my hands were tied up and I don't even know this place. It is like an abandoned building where they build their army against the High Council.

Manny clapped his hands and from the darkness, it echoed. I laughed as I think Manny was just making noises around but the next happened blew me away. One by one they came out of the dark. I was confused at the time they look at me, they all look straight to me and some of them I recognize from the field. My head was gonna blow up by these turn out of events. I couldn't count how many of them were here but in front of me, they were more than fifty plus.

"H-How... how did this happen?" I stuttered, confused and couldn't understand how these people come together. "Fuck, is this another cult?"

Dilly laughed, "where the hell did you get that, kid?" she asked.

"I don't know... this looks like one, what do you want to hear from me, huh?" I smirked, "and does all these people group together to join the movement?"

"What do you think they're doing here, Dylan?" Manny asked. "Of course they're here for the movement and obviously, the main reason as everyone gathered here, to destroy the High Council."

I look back again to the number of kids. They don't know what they are doing. Their brain was washed out and didn't realize what might happen to them for joining this movement. It could kill them. Their life could bring into death and I couldn't look at them thinking of that.

"We need you here, Dylan," Manny said. "The movement needs you."

I shook my head, "but I don't need everything of it, I don't want this movement."

"You don't choose Dylan, the movement chose you to be part of it," Dilly said.

The other participants just watch what was happening and I think they were all eager to fight against the High Council. I can see on their faces that they were showing no fear but strength and courage to do so. How do these people end up being part of this? How does this movement will make a change after destroying the High Council? Would they make a better place?

Would the movement make every life change from the despair of cruelty? Or just the fact that they wanted to stop the High Council's process and still live on a place they grow up like the Waste Land.

"So, what's happening here?" a familiar voice coming from the sea of participants, as they parted and divided themselves to give way to the person who speaks. It's the dreadlocked girl. I'm in total shock seeing her in one place—I know she's the one who introduces me the movement against the High Council and I just didn't know how superior she is when it comes to this point. "Look who's here." She said smirking.

"Let me go," I said in gritted teeth.

"You can't, we can't." she said, "you're now gonna be part of something great... something you would never regret being a part of." She walks closer to me, "but as you can, you're not the only we recruited for this movement. Among the thousands of participants who wanted to end the process, some of them doesn't just want to survive but to end the cruelty we lived on."

"And what would be the cost of that, huh? And I'm not sure how I became a part of this."

"There will always be costs, Dylan and you will know at the end of the day... when the High Council went into their feet. And by the men of you have on the movement gonna make an impact. You got connections and connections does matter when you are big enough to destroy them."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You had a brother on the inside, and he's your connection."

"I still don't get you."

"You will know then." She said, "but for now, look at those these kids who wanted to stop the process, who wanted to have a life on the other side by putting down the High Council's cruelty. There is only one way, Dylan... and I know you wanted it too."

I smirked, shook my head. "I never wanted this. I just wanted to have a life as a Licit People, be with my brother and put our Mother inside the Noble Land."

"Hmm..." She mumbled, "and then at some point, you were still going against the rule of the process. No one can enter the Noble Land once you failed the tests and you wanted your Mother inside... is that some kind of your way being against them... and then I think, you are really a part of the movement."

"I will never be." I stood with my decision.

"We'll see them." She said. "Manny, Dilly. Help me put him on the cell and once he's ready, he can meet our boss." She said.

Manny grabbed my arm and pull me into the other way heading to where the dreadlocked girl said. I shouted as I don't want any of it but they wouldn't even listen to me. I don't know what will happen after. All those people wanted to end the process and I have no idea how would they do that. It is hard to think that there are people who always gonna be opposed to what's good coming to them.

When we reach the cell she's talking about, the locked me inside.

"You don't need to stay there Dylan if you just join us." Manny said, "but we'll be back for you... and to get your tracker off of your neck."

"Good night, sweetie... see you tomorrow." Dilly said.

And they both left me until their footsteps were gone. I crouch on the corner and lean on the wall as I try to think what will this world has brought for me but I could think all the dirty and nasty things I could encounter.

ButI still wish that this world will serve more than I ever think, beautiful andpeaceful.