“Good morning, friends. My name is General Donnelly. Welcome to our facility,” he said with a wide smile.
General Donnelly? Wait. That was Tina’s last name.
Then it hit me and things became clear. That’s why she wouldn’t ever be sent out on a mission, and that’s where she was getting her intelligence from. The General was her father.
As I looked at him again, I could see the resemblance.
“This is a place designed to be a safe haven, and we will do whatever it takes to maintain the highest levels of security here. In order to continue this standard, we have set up rules which each member must abide by. These rules are in place for everyone’s safety, and if broken, there will be consequences. We will give you a few weeks to get acclimated, but once the probation period is over, we will have zero tolerance for insubordination.”
I glanced at my dad and his expression was unreadable. My mom took hold of his hand. He was the leader of our hive since the beginning, and would now be taking orders. My dad was a very kind and humble man, and I knew this had to be wreaking havoc on him.
“Each one of you is a guest here, and even though our ways seem a bit harsh, it has worked for us. We are proud of everyone who resides here. I also want you to know that we have an open door policy. If you decide to leave, you are more than welcome to, but if you ever return – changed - just be warned that you will not be welcomed back, unless you’re in a body bag.” He chuckled a bit. I knew he meant it as a joke, but no one laughed. We had just survived the outside, and jokes like this were pretty rude. I’m just glad Dr. Banks wasn’t here to catch this morbid brand of humor. There was so much tension in the room, it was almost suffocating.
“Each one of you will also be handed a packet with all the rules and regulations, but we also have a lot of wonderful things to do here. We have a gym, a swimming pool, a few stores with necessities, and our amazing scientists and botanists have created an unbelievable oasis called the Garden of Eden. It’s located in a small area outside, but it’s still within the protected zone, so you won’t have to worry about danger. Each member will get an hour in the garden once every three months, and you will be notified ahead of time. It’s a place well worth the wait. All of the open times and locations of each area are located in the packet.”
“Also, starting tomorrow, we will need every fit and available male to meet in the B-Wing for training at 0800 sharp. If you get lost, there are guards set up at each door who can help you. Does anyone have any questions?”
The room remained dead silent, and it seemed no one had any questions.
“Alright then. Welcome to our little world, a place the residents of this hive have deemed the White City. We hope your stay here will be a pleasant one. If we all work together, one day we will be able to leave this underground city and begin to rebuild topside.”
Shortly after, the General walked out and we were all left alone, everyone still looking just as lost as when they entered.
A guard stepped into the room. “You can all return to your rooms and look over your packets. Lunch will be in a few hours.” He then stepped back out again.
My father stood and walked over to the new faces on the right side of the room and introduced himself, and then our group stood and followed him. Each one of us took turns introducing ourselves.
When I turned back, I saw Dr. Banks was at the back of the room, so I went to him.
“Dr. Banks, how is Dr. Lisa?” I asked.
“She’s…she’s in no more pain,” he answered, his voice and body were shaking. His eyes were bloodshot and his face was stained with many tears.
He dropped back down into the chair, and threw his hands over his face, silently travailing.
My insides ripped apart, and tears welled in my eyes seeing the pain he was going through.
“I’m so sorry, Dr. Banks,” I breathed.
He didn’t look up, but sobbed, “I’m just glad she won’t have to suffer anymore.”
Wait, was Dr. Lisa...dead?
My father came behind me and put his hand on my shoulder.
“Banks, I’m so sorry to hear about Lisa. She was an amazing woman, and will remain in our hearts forever.”
“What happened?” I gasped, looking up to my father.
“She passed away this morning,” he whispered.
“How?” I asked, wondering if she turned and they had to kill her.
My mother hugged me and whispered, “Come on, Abi.”
My father put his hand on Dr. Banks shoulder, and bent down to whisper in his ear. Dr. Banks nodded, and then they embraced.
My mother led me outside, and down the hall where we could talk.
“What happened? How could she die from a bite?” I questioned.
My father came up behind us. “She lost too much blood from the wound because the bite punctured a main artery. During the flight they said she began showing signs of dementia and wouldn’t stop screaming, but by the time she was taken to the facility, she’d slipped into a coma. In her comatose state, she started to mutate. Her heart must have been too weak, because during the change, it stopped beating. It was the most humane way for her to pass.”
“She’s dead?” I exhaled. Sadness overwhelmed me. “Oh my God! I can’t believe she’s dead,” I wept. My mother wrapped her arms around me. Mrs. Banks was one of the sweetest women I knew. She was like a mother to me. She and her husband made sure we were healthy and happy in the hive, and took the best care of us when we were sick or hurt. She was the first person, close to me, that had passed away. My heart felt like it had exploded.
“Shhhh. It’s alright, Abi. Dr. Lisa is in a much better place than we are,” she whispered, trying to comfort me.
“Yes, Abi. Don’t ever feel like it was your fault. It was her destiny to leave this earth, sooner than the rest of us. All she did was fall asleep and didn’t wake up. We can only hope it’ll be that easy for the rest of us when it’s our time,” my dad said.
They were trying to comfort me, and what they were saying made sense, but it still hurt like hell. The pain of loss would always be there every time I would think of her. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain Dr. Banks was feeling.
“We will have a small ceremony this evening, after dinner. It will be just the members of our hive, and the General. A memorial of her life.”
“Did they -”
“They cremated her,” my dad answered my unanswered question.
The tears wouldn’t stop, knowing I would never get to see her beautiful face again was beyond comprehension. I couldn’t speak, so I nodded. My parents hugged me, and we said our goodbyes. At least we’d be able to say a final goodbye to Dr. Lisa tonight.
With the help of the map, I found my way back to my room.
Tina said she would go with me to the memorial, for moral support, but I didn’t want her to have to sit through that. She didn’t know Dr. Lisa, plus, it would be the first time everyone in our old hive would be in the same room since we arrived here.
The rest of the day was spent with the thought of Dr. Lisa on my mind, and the whole scenario which led to her fatal bite mark. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face. But then, when she blinked, her eyes were completely white. I was being haunted over and over again.
I anxiously waited for dinner, not for the food because I didn’t think I could eat, but because I couldn’t wait to see Finn. I knew he would bring some kind of peace to my tormented mind. He always had a way, no matter how bad I was feeling, to make me feel better. He could read me like a book, and could tell, even before I spoke a word, that something was wrong.
I never realized how much I truly missed him, until we were apart. Before, there was never a day that I had to wait to see him. If I had ever needed him, I knew where to find him, and he was always there for me.
Dinner came, and my heart mended a bit when Finn came in with his usual glowing smile. As soon as I saw his face, I felt happier…lighter.
He grabbed his fo
od, and then walked over to take a seat next to me.
“Hey,” he said, giving me a kiss on the cheek.
“You know that is against the rules,” I whispered.
“If they put me in the slammer for a kiss, then so be it,” he said.
I blushed, and heard Tina giggling.
Just when I thought Finn was going to dig in to his food, he turned toward me and paused. I knew he was assessing me.
“What?” I asked, forcing a smile.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You’re smiling, but your eyes aren’t. I know something is bothering you. I heard about Dr. Lisa this morning. Is that what’s bothering you?” he asked, coming dangerously close.
Damn, he was good.
“I guess. I just can’t believe she’s gone,” I said.
He sighed. “Yeah, I know. But, I also know you, Abi. Don’t you dare take responsibility for her death. Dr. Lisa knew you were trying to save her. We all knew it. It’s alright to mourn her loss, but don’t you dare take responsibility for her death.”
I sucked in a deep breath, nodded, and fought to keep my eyes from watering again. They were still puffy from earlier that morning. I quickly turned away, but Finn grabbed me, and wrapped me in his arms. I didn’t fight him, and buried my face in his chest and cried.
We both knew we were breaking their rules, but I needed his arms around me like I needed air. I needed his strength to hold me together.
The guards must have noticed, but they kept away, probably because we were still within the probation period.
I could barely touch my dinner, and afterward Finn escorted me to the room where we’d have the memorial. It was just a plain room, with fifteen chairs set up in rows of five, and an urn sitting on a table at the front.
What caught my eye was what was set around the urn. Real flowers. Actually, they were roses in a deep crimson red. This was the first time I’d seen a real rose, or ever remembered seeing one. Their fragrant aroma filled the room.
As we walked in, Finn’s hand found mine.
“Don’t let go,” I whispered.
“I won’t,” he replied with a grim smile.
Dr. Banks was sitting in the front, with his head down. My parents and grandparents were right behind him, and the rest of the members of our hive were scattered around, and everyone was quiet and somber. This was the first death that was close to every single one of us.
Finn and I walked toward his mom, who was seated at the back. We both gave her a hug and sat next to her. I was happy to know she was out of the infirmary and doing well.
General Donnelly soon came in and strode to the front of the room. The whole ceremony seemed to be a blur. The General read some passages from a little book, and then called Dr. Banks up to say a few words. When Dr. Banks took the front he couldn’t speak. He was trembling, and broke down weeping. My father jumped up, stood at his side, and gave the most beautiful speech about Dr. Lisa.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the entire room. Her warm, bright spirit was definitely going to be missed.
At the end of the ceremony, we each stood and paid our respects to the remains of the woman who was a part of our family.
As I finished my turn, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and Dr. Banks was standing there.
“Abi, I know my wife would want me to tell you how much she loved and appreciated you. We all know you tried to save her, and I appreciate that. You are like a daughter to us. We had a part in raising each of you kids, and I know you would never do anything to harm us. I just wanted you to know that, and know that she would have wanted you to know that too.”
“Thank you, Dr. Banks,” I wept, hugging him. “I needed to hear that.”
“She was very proud of you, Abi.” He hugged me back and wept.
Finn walked me out after we said goodbye. Yes, we were all together, but it wasn’t a happy gathering.
As we walked down the corridor, Finn stopped me and whispered, “Please smile. When you do, my world becomes a much better place.” I looked into his eyes and couldn’t help but smile. “There’s my Abi,” he breathed, his fingers tracing my cheek. He leaned in and placed his soft lips over mine, and I became breathless.
“I’ve got to go to training, but I look forward to seeing you at breakfast tomorrow,” he chimed.
“I love you, Finn.” The words slipped easily from my lips.
“I know, and I love you,” he grinned, and then turned and walked away.
Chapter 17
A few weeks flew by, and we slowly fell into the groove of the new hive. I felt like a robot. Get up. Eat. Free time. Eat. Train. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.
Each of us had chores we were assigned, just like in our old hive, and it was nothing any of us weren’t used to: scrubbing, cleaning, cooking, sharing, and helping.
Ava was trying her hardest to win Finn’s affection and it irritated the hell out of me. Even though I trusted Finn, I knew he’d never had “options” before. Watching him be so friendly with all the girls, especially Ava, made me start doubting. To make it worse, I knew I was fueling her fire even more. She’d smile and touch his arm as he passed by, and then make eye contact with me when he smiled in return. What the hell?
After a few weeks of her outright flirting, I’d had enough. It was one morning during breakfast when it all came crashing down. Tina and I sat at our usual spot, and Finn came to sit sat next to me. Then, Ava, like the snake she was, slithered up behind us.
“Hey, Finn,” she smiled, attempting – and failing - to use a sexy voice. To me it just sounded like nails scratching a chalkboard. Oh how I wanted to reach out and wipe that smile right off her smug face.
“Hey, Ava,” Finn smiled back.
“It was so nice working with you in the kitchen all day yesterday.” She was rubbing salt in my wounds. “And, thanks again for helping me roll out the dough for the pies,” she chimed, as she leaned in and gave him a little one-handed shoulder massage. Hands off, skank! My teeth clenched and my insides began to boil, almost to melting point. What held me in place was the obvious; her touch didn’t seem affect Finn the way it did me.
“No problem. It was my pleasure,” he grinned, taking a bite of his food.
She leaned in so her face was a couple inches from his, and lowered her voice to an intimate level. “How’s your finger? The cut you got from washing that knife was pretty deep.”
Finn held up his left hand, and she took hold of his left pointer finger with her harpy-like talons.
“Looks like it’s healing just fine,” she replied, rubbing her fingers over his tiny wound. Her voice was dripping with venom.
“Yeah, it’s much better than it was. Thanks for helping to stop the bleeding. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
OMG! Was he freaking serious? Finn was flirting with the enemy right in freaking front of me. And not just any enemy…my enemy. The one person dead set on stealing the only person who had ever had my heart. And he was letting her!
Deep down, I knew it wasn’t Finn’s fault. He didn’t know about Ava’s intentions - but still - watching him being nice to her felt like a dagger being pressed into my heart. It hurt like hell. Maybe I was fooling myself and he liked all of the attention. In the hive he only had me, he didn’t have any other options. Maybe we were only together because of our surroundings. Just thinking about that hurt more than watching Ava and Finn’s little show.
I knew with Ava’s father being a leader in the hive, she could probably manipulate the schedules to be with Finn. If she could do that, she could probably also keep me away from working with him as well.
“So, I’ll see you later?” Ava said all breathy, batting her eyes at him.
“Yeah, I’ll see ya around,” he answered.
I glanced at Tina. Her eyes were bulging and her mouth was gaping from watching the interaction between Finn and Ava. That was it. I’d had enough. My insides and emotions were o
n a crash course, and I needed to get out of this place. And soon.
Acting irrational, I took the ring Finn had given me off my finger and placed it firmly in front of him.
“I don’t think you’re ready to give this to anyone, let alone me, and I’m not going to force you to stay with me because you feel like you have to,” I said. My voice was shaking, and I was on the verge of tears.
“Abi?” Finn asked, grabbing my hand with a look of total confusion on his face.
Before he could say anything else, I shook off his grip and ran for the exit. As I did, tears began flowing from my face. My heart was broken, and there was nothing I could do about it right now.
Ava didn’t know anything about Finn. While I, on the other hand, knew everything. But if he thought she could make him happier, then I would let him find that happiness. I loved him enough to let him go.
God, I hated this place. Just as much as I hated the Arvies outside.
I could hear the quick hammering of feet against the ground behind me, so I picked up my pace.
“Abi, stop. Please,” Finn yelled. But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Not in the condition I was in. I ran straight through the doors which led to our wing, past the guard, and down the hall to G-6. I slid my card, and as soon as the door opened, I ran and collapsed on my bed. I cried. I couldn’t help myself.
He was dancing with the devil, and they were stomping all over my heart.
I never knew how deep my feelings went until this moment. The saying is true, you never know how much you care about someone, until they’re gone. I guess it was magnified, because Finn was my best friend. And Ava didn’t care about him, she was using him. He was just someone to sharpen her claws on.
Tina soon entered the room, and plopped on her bed. She stayed silent for a while and then she whispered, “I’m sorry.”
I wiped the tears from my eye and sniffed. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.” I sucked it up and sat on the bed.