Shackled Serenity

by Leon Logos

  “The intruders have not yet been apprehended. Not a possibility.”

  “I get that. But if we end the lockdown, the intruders may believe that it’s safe to come out of their hiding spots. They’ll think we’ve given up or believe that they’ve escaped. Wouldn’t that work?”

  “That’s a rather flawed, unsound plan,” Alistair denied. “I’ve made up my mind. Now, will you please leave? I ask politely.”

  “Sorry,” she nodded courteously, exiting first out of his chamber.

  Although extremely disappointed and upset, she didn’t know what she was expecting. Alistair had zero reason to exempt her from the lockdown as well. She had to feel delighted for Sixto, who had attained his freedom. He was still visibly jocular, virtually prancing away from the Councilmen living quarters. She followed him, still bent on escaping confinement.

  “Sixto, you mind if I still come with you?” she tried.

  “I don’t, but Uncle Ali does,” he said cheerfully. “Sorry, I can’t do anything for you. But thanks, Serenity! Thanks to you, I’ve escaped!”

  “No problem,” she grinned, disappointed on the inside.

  There was only recourse left for her. A final option. She’d have to sneak out again. It would irrefutably be difficult under the daylight. But she had to find Cackle. It was pivotal, given her trust for him was almost nonexistent. She was dubious about this “plan” of his. Both the reliability and validity of it was questionable. She assumed Cackle didn’t even have a plan; it was simply to recover her and the brothers, and find a way out. Cackle wasn’t exactly the organized type. But it wasn’t him that devised this mission. She was certain it was Garen or Agno, most likely Garen who was the second-in-command. Agno was the brainy one, but Garen had a more solidified autonomy. His authority was third in the family, next to Desmos and Gunther. Furthermore, he had shown to be rather strategic in the past.

  Sixto accompanied her back to their chambers, as he mentioned waking up Lily to notify her of where he was going to be.

  “You should take my place and stay with her,” he said. “I’m sure the both of you would like that, right?”

  As tempting as it was to refuse, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Declining would be perceived as suspicious or petty. She nodded, following Sixto into Lily’s chamber. The little girl was awake, browsing her phone with crusty eyes. Evidently, she had just woken up. Lily looked up at them drowsily, putting her phone down.

  “Where were you?” she asked curiously. “Aren’t we not allowed to leave our rooms? I thought you were dead, Sixto!”

  “What?” Sixto guffawed. “I just went to visit Uncle Ali. Serenity’s going to stay with you from now on? Got it?”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to help Destiny,” Sixto said briskly. “Don’t know when I’ll be back. But hopefully, it’ll be when the lockdown is lifted. I need to get my armor and gear up. It’s in my chambers. See you guys!”

  Without another word, he sunnily exited the door. Serenity climbed up onto Lily’s bed, reposing herself next to her. She was indisputably tired, having not gotten a wink of sleep due to Cackle’s impromptu arrival.

  “Have you eaten breakfast yet?” she asked Lily.

  “No, I think they’re going to bring it to us,” she replied. “I’m starving.”

  “So am I. But I’m more tired, if anything.”

  “I didn’t sleep well, either,” Lily agreed glumly. “This has never happened before. I was scared the entire night.”

  “They’ll catch them. There’s nothing to fear,” she assured her.

  “Why would somebody break into this place?” Lily inquired. “Why can’t they just knock and ask nicely? They’re stupid.”

  “That’s because they won’t be allowed even if they knock. So they have to sneak past the security in order to get inside. They’re enemies.”

  “I know that, but why? Why would somebody want to be enemies with us? We’ve done nothing wrong. We’re good people!”

  She could not answer this question. Not because she was refusing to shed light on something she was too young to comprehend, but because she honestly did not know. Gunther’s bitter feud with the Aurelians made no sense to her. It was like a nonsensical tale parents told their children, only for the children to grow up to question the tale but not refute or invalidate the veracity of it. Simply because they lacked the essential knowledge to.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Serenity said lightheartedly. “There’s crazy people out there. That’s all there is to it. Crazy people.”

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Lily giggled. “You think once these intruders get caught, will they be executed like the prisoners we have?”

  “I’m not sure,” she shrugged. “Maybe. You’re still thinking about the execution? Destiny told you you’re not allowed to see it.”

  “I know she did,” Lily said, discontented. “It’s unfair.”

  “No, it’s the right thing to do. Lily, you don’t want to see an execution,” she reasoned. “It’s nothing like in the movies. It’s real.”

  “Are you going to watch it, then?”

  “Of course not!” Serenity responded truthfully. “I would never want to see something like that. Instead of watching the execution, wouldn’t you rather be on Netflix browsing their Disney titles?”

  “I’ve already seen all the Disney movies on Netflix,” Lily shook her head. “I guess I’d look through the new releases?”

  “Great. Do that, then. Is it settled, then?”

  “Yeah. If you’re going to be there with me?”

  “You know I will.”

  She agreed to pinky-promise with her, despite the childish nature of the gesture. Serenity was intent on keeping the promise, but at the same time she wasn’t. She was confident there would be no execution. Ideally, all the Carlisle brothers would be out of the residence before New Year’s Day. An Aurelian pursuit would be inevitable, but they would be on their own at that juncture. She wouldn’t aid them, having hopefully contributed in their escape. The decision to remain with the Aurelians was unyielding. Nothing awaited her with the Carlisles but a life fraught with macabre events and perpetual anguish.

  Here with the Aurelians, it was purely tranquil. But not anymore. Following her first meeting with Kyler and Desmos in the jailhouse, it had gone downhill from there. Her previous state of felicity had been superseded by constant ennui, dejection, and heartbreak.

  Breakfast was delivered to them as anticipated. There was a knock at the door, interrupting their conversation. Lily walked over to the door to greet whoever was knocking but found nobody. Nothing but a tray of breakfast, along with a glass of orange juice. Lily peered out into the hall, commenting that there was nobody in sight.

  “Serenity, somebody left a tray by your door too!” she remarked. “Hold on, I’ll go get it for you. Take mine really quick.”

  Serenity hopped off the bed, crossing over to the door and picking up Lily’s tray of food. She set it down at an empty round table Lily never used. The little girl returned, closing the door with her left leg. She placed her tray next to hers on the table. They inspected the meal. Both trays were identical; they contained scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, and a single giant hash brown.

  “Where’s the chocolate bread? And the pudding? Or the oatmeal?” Lily whined, flipping over her hash brown which looked burnt on one side.

  “This is all we get,” Serenity said rationally, uncaring of the visibly-rushed preparation of the meal.

  To her, this was still a five-star meal. She grabbed two unused chairs and moved it to the table. The two of them began eating. Serenity ate with more vigor and alacrity. They were both mutually famished, but Lily was still bummed out with the food provided. Serenity finished her scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausages, and was about to begin on the hash brown when she noticed Lily’s plate. She was still half-way through the scrambled eggs, everything else on the tray untouched.

  “You should eat your food,” Ser
enity insisted. “Until the lockdown is over, I think we’re going to be receiving trays three times a day.”

  “I want this to be over,” Lily groaned, stabbing a sausage with her fork.

  “We all do,” Serenity said, chewing on the potato from the hash brown. “Just hope that Sixto finds the intruders quick.”

  “Sixto can’t do it, he’s still a newbie,” Lily noted. “It’s going to be Destiny that’ll find the enemies. She’s the best in the military!”

  “I thought Bastion was.”

  “They say it’s Bastion, but I believe it’s my sister,” Lily maintained.

  “Whatever you say,” Serenity replied with a smile.

  At 1:00 PM, lunch was delivered to them. The lunch trays consisted of spaghetti and meatballs, a loaf of garlic bread, a glass of water, and broccoli. It was definitely not as lavish as the meals provided to them in the Lunch Hall, but it would suffice in satisfying her hunger. Lily complained again, moaning that she wanted cheese pizza again.

  “Is it going to be the same food every day?” Lily groused.

  “We’ll find out tomorrow,” she said, unperturbed, grabbing the fork.

  Even she had to admit, the quality of the food was declining. The kitchen staff could’ve been just as affected by the lockdown, their dissatisfaction reflecting off of their work. The food had clearly been prepared a while ago, given it wasn’t hot or cold. Just warm.

  After lunch, Lily left to visit Lyla. While Lily was gone, she was given a chance to ponder. Cackle dominated her thoughts wholly. Where was he? Why was he truly here? What was he doing at this very moment? She inferred that he hadn’t been caught yet, as the second bell would’ve rung already. He must’ve successfully infiltrated the barracks and met up with the others. In any case, Serenity would rather be in the barracks with them than stuck in here. She didn’t trust them one bit. Their intentions, their plan, everything about their presence here. She felt that she’d never be rid of them, bound to them by intangible chains. No matter how far she was, she’d be back within their clutches eventually. Preposterous. It wasn’t fate, just a coincidence.

  “Huh?!” Lily exclaimed, baffled. “Hamburgers? Fries?!”

  Serenity was equally as astonished. Dinner time arrived. Their trays held beef hamburgers with french fries. The typical fast-food meal. She had never before seen something like this being served to them during mealtimes. She assumed burgers & fries were too American-esque and lackluster, not extravagant enough to be served to the Aurelian residents. Yet here they were, substandard quality french-fries and patties on their plates.

  “Disgusting,” Lyla, who had joined them grimaced, pushing her tray aside, refusing to eat.

  “They got lazy,” Serenity remarked. “Wow.”

  “I don’t know if I should eat this,” Lily said indecisively.

  “Don’t,” Lyla implored. “That’s junk food. It’s disgusting—oh my god, what are you doing?! Are you kidding?!”

  Serenity set down the burger, which was an inch from her open mouth, looking at Lyla irritably. The moment she had noticed Serenity on the verge of taking a bite, Lyla called her out. She just had to.

  “What?” Serenity said. “It’s just a burger. Stop being so dramatic.”

  “You’re American, no wonder you’re willing to eat that filth!” Lyla said snidely, glowering at her as if she was a freak.

  “Yeah, I’m used to eating burgers and fries,” Serenity replied unashamed.

  It was unfortunate, but the majority of her life constituted being on the road, crisscrossing the States. Naturally, the ubiquity of fast-food restaurants and burger joints in the US impelled them to eat at these places whenever they stopped for lunch, breakfast, or dinner. Food exits only led to fast-food restaurants. Whether it was McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Checkers, Chick-Fil-A, In-N-Out, or Five Guys, she had been to them all. Of course, it wasn’t her choice. But it was either eat junk food or starve.

  The only times in her life with the Carlisles when she ate adequate-quality foods was when they ate with Gunther, who thankfully had an aversion to fast-food. This was the only admirable characteristic of Gunther, and in comparison to the brothers, it was an idiosyncrasy. All the brothers loved burgers, even Desmos or Agno. Though some of the brothers were more health-conscious than others, not one of them minded turning to fast-food three times in a row in three days. Of course, Desmos and Gunther at least made sure to guarantee that they maintained a relatively healthy diet.

  “Can I eat it?” Lily asked, seeking confirmation.

  “They served it to you, you can eat it,” Serenity said exasperatedly. “What are you expecting? For it be poisoned?”

  “It may as well be,” Lyla interposed.

  “Don’t tell me this is your first burger, Lily?” Serenity asked.

  “No, but it’s the first time in a long time,” Lily noted. “I can’t even remember the last time I ate one of these. I like fries, though.”

  “Try it,” Serenity said, setting her burger down after her first bite; it was at least tastier than a McDonald’s burger. “I’m not going to eat again until you take your first bite. It’s not hard.”

  “You’re not her mother!” Lyla upbraided.

  Lily hesitated, but then complied. Serenity observed her facial expression as she chewed slowly. It was neither disgust nor delight.

  “It’s okay,” Lily jerked her head. “I expected worse.”

  “Good,” Serenity said, satisfied. “Don’t be so picky about foods.”

  “It’s better than tomatoes; I shouldn’t complain,” Lily giggled. “Lyla, you should eat it. We’re not going to get anything until tomorrow.”

  “No, I’d rather be hungry for the rest of the night,” Lyla said stubbornly. “Eating that crap is conducive to obesity and heart attacks.”

  Serenity retired to her chamber at around 9:00 PM, leaving the sisters be for the night. She took a quick shower and changed. Not into her nightgown, however. But to her stealth attire; the thick black hoodie, black jeans, black boots, and black leather gloves. She then got onto her knees, reaching blindly under the wardrobe. Her hand barely fit under, scouring the floor uncomfortably until it made contact with what she was looking for: the jailhouse key. It wasn’t the best hiding spot, but it certainly avoided detection from the maids. She pocketed the key and faced the door.

  Her intentions were not to visit Kyler. Not alone. Or perhaps, not at all. She would find Cackle, Garen, or Agno and deliver them the key. It would be their choice to do with it as they please. This way, she’d avoid the risk of sneaking into the jailhouse again herself. Additionally, she needed clarification from the brothers on this plan of theirs. And she couldn’t deny, it would be intriguing meeting Garen and Agno again. Next to Desmos, they were the two oldest brothers. The two of them had bickered with each other the most; they weren’t enemies, but rivals in a way. She felt that the hostility the two of them felt with one other was mutual, but also reinforced their brotherhood. Which was quite strange, given the disparity of their characters.

  The barracks. This was her destination.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Security had beefed up exponentially. She ran into guards with flashlights at every turn, as they repetitively patrolled the halls. More than a couple of times, she had to backtrack, going back the way she came or retreat into an empty room to hide. At one point, she was detected as one of the guards presumably detected a flicker of movement that was her scurrying out of sight. Their pursuit didn’t last long, abandoned at the assumption the guard had been hallucinating. She had been prone behind a large vase, completely concealed in the dark and by the cover the vase provided.

  “I could’ve sworn I saw something,” the guard said stupidly, scratching his head; he lowered his loaded rifle.

  “You’re an idiot, stop wasting our time,” his companion reproved. “Come on! You really expect them to be lurking about inside?”

  She waited until their voices and footsteps had fad
ed before crawling out from behind the vase, jumping to her feet. “Them”? Were they certain it was more than one intruder? Or was it just a supposition?

  When she arrived outside, she immediately retreated back inside at the sight of four guards patrolling the courtyard. Sneakily, she peered from behind the wall, poking her head out. Patience was key in remaining undetected. The guards took their time surveying the vicinity, scanning every inch, every object and space that their flashlights illuminated. It was clear they had rectified their negligence, taking their job seriously now that there was an actual threat roaming the territory. After all, it was possible some of the rookie soldiers had never experienced a lockdown before. This was a first for them, so naturally they’d desist from fooling around.

  Once the coast was clear, she sprinted into the courtyard and did not stop. She ran with her heels pounding the bricked ground first, as a method of minimizing the amount of sound produced by her hurried footsteps. If she was to see herself running from another person’s perspective, she knew her gait would appear humorous. Nonetheless, it did the job. There weren’t any rushing guards converging on her.

  The barracks were conveniently situated close to the training grounds. She knew it would be a challenge finding them there. The layout of the barracks was completely foreign to her. She knew they had dormitories and a cafeteria, but that was the extent of her knowledge. Serenity figured the brothers would be in the cafeteria; therefore, she would have to search there first if she could find it. The dormitories would be her second choice. The problem was simple; could she enter these places without being kicked out?

  No, most likely not. Not during a lockdown. She could lie, providing the pretext that she was on an errand authorized by the Council. But there were the possibilities that they would verify it or wouldn’t believe her.

  Serenity recalled that Sixto might’ve been in the barracks. She wasn’t inclined on asking him for help, intent on avoiding him if she spotted him.

  Once she approached the art gallery building and the astronomy tower, she knew she was nearing her destination. The barracks were beyond the training grounds from where she was from. After ten minutes of cautious walking, she came to a halt, taking cover behind the trunk of an oak tree. A considerable number of guards were lounged by a large square building, conversing with one another. Some of them stepped out of the building with trays of food, preferring to eat outside. She surmised this was the cafeteria. And beyond the cafeteria must’ve been the dormitories; some of the guards were walking along a path stretching past the cafeteria building.