Chapter 73 In the Darkness

The underground highway is just so silent and dark that if we take off the headlights of the car, it feels like we're floating in a pitch-black void, not knowing what part of Arcania we are already.
Greg pushed a button and a holographic map of Arcania appeared, a yellow dot indicating our location and the blue dot, symbolizing the Bunker twenty-eight.
"Wow... that will be a long drive," Li commented as he saw the map and we almost tumbled down when the car hit something solid. But Greg refused to take another way and just pushed forward, making his way through the cars stranded in this place, screeches and howling became more audible as the loud banging of metal to a metal filled the dark part of this area.
Greg kept on pushing forward, that we had to hold on to something tightly just to not be blown away by the impact of the car crashing against the other, shattering the headlights and denting the poor cars who are unfortunately in Greg's way.
Li prepared this stuff so Roanie could make breakfast for us. I moved to help her and poured some water from the gallon of purified water Timothy and Jayson got from a convenience store. I placed the pot on the induction as I waited for it to boil so we could make some coffee for everyone.
While helping, I heard Greg speak, his voice full of amazement as he smelled the mouth-watering aroma of the coffee all over the car.
"I can't believe all of you had made it," he said and I saw Jayson smile from the corner of my eyes, sympathizing with Greg's feelings. "It's a miracle how you all survived that crash landing and those Creepers when Col. Morgan did not."
Jayson shrugged his shoulders, wanting to make sense of everything but it's true. It's a miracle all of us are still alive despite all that has happened to us within the three weeks since we landed tragically in Zone twenty-three. "I guess we just really care for each other," he answered and smiled. "All of it wasn't easy though. There were times that we almost died but we just believed in ourselves that we could make it. And we will,"
"I wish I had that kind of courage, though." Greg started to feel comfortable with their conversation and that's because Jayson is just amazing when it comes to encouraging people and making them feel inspired. "I'm actually new to the scout but I've been training for almost two years already. Some of my friends were in the scout too but after the wave of Creepers went to the opening of the subway, I don't know how many of them just left."
Jayson got silent for seconds and just let Greg have his moment of reminiscing his fallen comrades, trying to fight to complete their missions and to serve the people of the bunker who never care whatever happens to them. It's the sad truth though. These young soldiers give their life to the people who are only for their money and possessions to be secured.
"We fought for different reasons, Greg. But I do understand what you mean. I once fought for the people who are important to me too. But I guess, at the end of everything, we just realize we only dig the void inside ourselves and then try to look for something that could fill it. We thought what we were doing was for the best when the truth is, we were just lost. And we can't find our way back if we don't keep on pushing forward." Jason pat Greg on the shoulder and they both smiled, trying to make sense of everything that is happening in their life.
I stopped listening and let them do more pep talk while I helped Roanie in preparing food. I chopped some sausages and she made pancakes which made my mouth water when the smell surrounded the whole car. Even Timothy had to look at it while she flips it on the pan. I can't remember the last time I had a pancake and, amazingly, Timothy and Jayson got so much good stuff when they went to scout in the nearby grocery store when we were on the border of Zone twenty-three.
I took two cups of instant coffee and while it was still hot, I stepped inside the cockpit and handed it to Jayson and Greg. The two seem to get along so well with each other like they are long-lost brothers in the way they have a conversation.
Carl, my squirrel climbed from the floor up to my shoulder, also asking for food and after I teasingly touched his nose which made him rub it annoyingly, I took several pieces of nuts from an open pack, the same that I opened when the first night we met each other. I sit and he quickly ran and stopped at the palm of my hand, taking the pieces of the peanuts from it one by one, pushing them inside his bulging cheek.
The air conditioning makes the car feel like heaven in this scorching world. It makes me feel sleepy so suddenly, and the vibration and movement of the car make my sleepiness more intense that even having coffee won't help to keep my eyes from shutting down. I leaned myself against the bags that are piled on the corner until everything just came black and I fell asleep.
***
I felt a soft caress on my face when I woke up.
It's dark and the lights inside the car are off, a sign that everyone is sleeping too and it's already nighttime. Greg must have taken a short rest and stopped the car for all of us to get proper sleep without the car vibrating and in motion.
All is still and silent and the only thing that could be distinguishable to hear is the hissing sound of the air purifier which is the only thing that is working in the car.
"How's your sleep?"
Jayson's hoarse, low tone sounds like a lullaby to my ears and I shifted my position so I could see him, trying to adjust my eyes in the darkness. Our faces are just inches from each other since the car is just enough for all of us to sleep in a cramped position like sardines lined on the floor.
I could feel his breath on my face and I wish I could see him clearly. But the touch of his fingers is enough to fill the longing I am feeling right now. I move to lean closer to him and kiss him on his lips as we take advantage of the silence of the night and the darkness to obscure the longing we feel to kiss each other's lips.
Jayson pulled me closer and we kiss gently in the darkness, our hands clasping on each other as he brushed his lips on my lips and my cheeks, and then gave me a small kiss on my forehead.
"We're almost there, Harriet. How are you feeling about it?" He asked me in a low voice not wanting to wake others up.
"I don't actually know... I'm excited and scared at the same time. I don't know what I'll expect when I see my father and my brother when we get to bunker twenty-eight but all I wish is they're in good health and are well fed in that place. The management must know that I'm the daughter of one of their people in Level three so I am hoping they are treating my family right in that place."
"Yeah, they should. Timothy's dad is in that place too and he must know the family of the person who saved his son is in that place." He whispered and kissed the back of my hand like a gentleman. I could feel him staring at my face even though it was too dark for us to see each other clearly. I smiled and leaned closer to him, only to playfully bite his chin gently which made him jolt and made a hissing sound in pain.
"Aww, what's that for?!" He complained and he couldn't help but just laugh playfully with me while rubbing the part where I bit him.
"Hey, we're trying to get a good sleep here," Li complained too in his sleepy voice, and Jayson and I just chuckled silently as he pull me more closer, his arms underneath my head, trying to make me comfortable even though we're lying in the thin beddings that Li managed to get from the car, the night we took the containers of gas from the other car we used for three weeks driving around the Zone twenty-three.
We heard someone shush us again but I don't know if it was Roanie or Timothy. We just shrugged our shoulders and Jayson touched the tip of his nose to my nose, and then kissed me gently on my lips once again.
"Get more rest, Harriet. I'll wake you up when it's time to move." Jayson whispered and I squeezed myself against his body, his arms wrapped around me like nothing else matters in the world but his embrace.