by Roman Shepp
âYou’ve seen the people in this community. They’re all happy, and isn’t that what’s truly important, especially given the way the world is at the moment? All we want to do is spread that happiness around, to show people they don’t have to wallow in pain anymore. I know you’re like them, Saeed. I have seen it in your eyes. That pain, that sadness. You can let go. It’s okay to let go. All you have to do is join us. Admit your mistakes and I’ll let you out of this box. You can be free to go about your life, you can be free to join us. All you have to do is accept our truth into your heart. Open your eyes and look around at what really matters to you. I promise you that you won’t regret it.â
Part of Saeed sorely was tempted to accept his offer just to end the pain. It would have been so easy to tell Hugo that he would surrender just to get out of the box and end the agony, but what then? Would Saeed be able to look Tara in the eyes and tell her that it was better to give in to this type of torture? How would he be able to live with himself if he folded now? No, he had to stand up to Hugo. He had to show that man that he couldn’t win just by torturing people. If Saeed was the only one to stand up to him, then so be it. He only hoped that by his actions he would inspire others to do the same. He had to show the rest of the community that Hugo didn’t know everything.
âCome on, Saeed. You know it makes sense,â Hugo said.
Saeed refused to answer. He almost could feel Hugo getting more and more frustrated.
âFine. Have it your way. But know this. I’m going to return here tomorrow and ask you the same question. I’m going to come here the night after that as well, and every night after that until you come to your senses and surrender to me. You might think you can endure it, but you will break. Everybody does,â he said.
Saeed heard him walk away. He breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Hugo had left as there was less chance of Saeed breaking without him there. Saeed had to try internalizing the pain, making it a part of himself. He closed his eyes, hoping his body was so exhausted he would fall asleep without any problems, but the pain was too great. He began sobbing again, wishing for the pain to be over.
Thoughts whirled through his mind, thoughts of the past and of the future. Nadya and Aaminah were there, smiling at him. The fragments of memory flashed between images of them standing before him, smiling, and lying in their apartment, dead. It seemed that everything he loved turned to ash. But he wanted to make them proud. He wanted them to know that he was brave, and that he had carried on even after he had lost everything. Nadya once had told him that he was the strongest person she ever had known. It was time for him to prove her right.
Then he thought about Tara, but not as she was now. He saw her as a woman in the future. He was partly responsible for how she would develop. If he gave into Hugo, then he’d be betraying Tara. She had to be strong, had to be principled if she was going to survive in this world, and Saeed was not going to be the one to take that chance away from her. Hugo would not break him. Saeed would remain strong for his family, and for Tara.
Slipping in and out of consciousness, Saeed wasn’t aware how much time had passed when he felt someone approaching the box. At first, he thought it was Hugo, but that man seemed to love the sound of his own voice. He felt the lid being lifted off carefully. He started wondering if someone had come to rescue him, but equally as likely it was just someone sent by Hugo to torture him more. Saeed braced himself for more pain. He was becoming numb to it all by now. To resist them, Saeed clamped his eyes shut and shook his head, indicating he wasn’t going to leave.
âSaeed, I’m here to save you,â Jane said. At first Saeed thought he was hearing things, and then when he opened his eyes he thought the world must be fooling him. Two shadowy figures loomed over him in the box, but as his eyes adjusted he did indeed see that Jane and Tara were standing over him.
âI found Jane!â Tara said excitedly, then quickly hushed herself as Jane glared at her. Jane reached in and helped Saeed clamber out of the box. He fell onto the ground, limbs shaking as he tenderly stretched them out. Tears welled up in his eyes as he tried moving his muscles. He hated looking so vulnerable in front of Tara, but there wasn’t much else he could do.
âCan you walk much?â Jane asked. Saeed shook his head. Jane helped lift him to his feet, but it took a few tries as the weight was too much for Saeed’s tired bones. Tara, bless her, helped too, even though she wasn’t able to offer much in the way of brute strength. Her act of helping him did fill Saeed with warmth, though.
âI tried calling for you earlier. I think I was too far away,â she said. âDamn, I had hoped we’d be able to escape this community, but I don’t think you’re in much shape for that,â Jane said, looking this way and that. Saeed almost cried with the relief that washed over him.
âWe’ll go back to that tent. It’s not perfect, but it’ll do for now,â she said. Jane and Tara helped Saeed walk. With every step Saeed felt his strength returning to him. He tried to keep his wheezing grunts to a minimum so he would not alert anyone else that he was free, and the three of them were soon back in Jane’s tent.
Saeed fell to the ground. It took him a moment or two to realize there was someone else in the tent.
âDon’t worry about him. I had to tie him up so I could come rescue you. Here, have some of this,â Jane said, and handed Saeed some water and food that she had left from earlier. Saeed gladly took it and felt the sweet relief of water. It was as though a monsoon had poured over dry, cracked land, and Saeed felt immediately better. Tara ran up to him and gave him a hug. That made him feel even better than the water did.
âI hated the thought of you in that box. I had to get you out of there,â Jane added. She was standing with her hands on her hips, looking frustrated. âI don’t exactly like being here, but I guess there’s something to be said for hiding in plain sight. I was glad there was nobody guarding you either. Guess they didn’t think anyone would help you escape. Hopefully, that’s not the last mistake they’ll make.â
âThe others?â Saeed asked in a croaking voice. From the way her face fell he knew she didn’t have good news.
âAfter you left the masked man knocked out me and Frank. Tony told Phil and Rosa to rescue us. We didn’t make it back into the bunker. Tony and Groot were left in there with that man. I… I don’t think he made it,â she said. Saeed’s head fell. He had assumed that some of them wouldn’t make it, but actually to hear it confirmed was something else.
âAnd the others? Are they here?â
âWe were separated,â Jane said after a moment’s hesitation. âFrank and I are here. He’s made a deal with Hugo to help him. Typical of him, really. I said I couldn’t, so they put me in this tent.â
âWe have to keep on fighting. It’s what Tony would have wanted us to do,â Saeed said.
âBut how? There are only two of us here.â
âThree!â Tara piped up. The two adults looked at her and smiled.
âI’ve seen some horrible things here, Jane. These people, I’m not sure they realize the magnitude of what they’re doing. There are many who are devoted to Hugo and see him as some sort of savior. Others are more pragmatic, but they’re too scared to do anything against him. I can’t blame them either, not after being put in that box. Have you seen Martha and Belinda?â
âNo, but I haven’t had a chance to do much exploration. I was just focused on getting you out. It’s good to see you again, Saeed. There was a while there when I thought we’d lost everyone.â
âI know how you feel. But we’re together again. At least that’s something. We found a way through everything else, we can find a way through this. It’s just a shame that you got separated from Phil and Rosa. We could have used their help.â
âI know. We definitely can’t rely on Frank,â Jane said.
Saeed proceeded to tell her all about the community and ever
ything he had learned. Jane listened intently. The guard long since had given up struggling and seemed resigned to his fate. In time, Jane urged Tara to return to where she was supposed to be sleeping to not give anything away. Tara gave Saeed another hug and then ran out of the tent. Both adults watched her run away.
âI’m glad she’s alright,â Jane said.
âI made it my mission to take care of her. I failed with Martha and Belinda. As soon as we were taken back here they were hauled away.â
âHow did they get you anyway?â
âWe were just walking through the forest and they came out of nowhere. We had no chance to fight back. These people are damaged, Jane. Many of them have been living this way for so long they think they just can walk back into the city and convince everyone that their way of living is the right way. I don’t think they quite know how dangerous it is. And the school…I overheard the lessons they’re teaching the children. It’s like brainwashing. The sooner we do something about it the better.â
âThe question is what?â Jane asked. She had a thoughtful look on her face.
âI don’t know. We’ll have to think about it.â
âI’ll think about it. What you need to do right now is rest. You’ve been through a lot, Saeed. If we’re going to accomplish anything here, we’re going to need you at your best.â
Saeed tried fighting the exhaustion and stay up with Jane. There still was so much he wanted to talk to her about. It seemed as though they had been separated for far longer than they actually had been. Still, he wanted to know what had happened to the others and how she had come to be here, especially how she ended up being alone with Frank. Saeed didn’t think that ever would happen. But all his questions resided in his mind. His eyelids grew heavier and he could feel his body begin embracing the sweet release of sleep. Lying on the ground, he smiled as he was able to stretch out his body to its full length and give in to his dreams. With each deep breath he grew closer and closer to sleep, until the dark cloak slipped over him and offered him a respite from his suffering.
Chapter Twelve
âI’m going to tell you again. You can be a good person, Quentin. You don’t have to give in to these impulses. This world is a blank canvas. You have made mistakes, but there’s no legal system here. You don’t have to worry about being locked up in a cell. But what you do need to worry about is this eating at your conscience for the rest of your life. You need to start thinking about the person you want to be, the person you were before all this. You’ve lost a lot. We all have. That doesn’t mean we have to lose who we are,â Tony said, a plaintive tone to his voice.
Quentin did not reply. The two of them were walking along the river. Quentin had his hands bound together. Tony was holding his baseball bat. Groot was by his side, growling every so often. Tony was far more trusting than the dog. The air was clear and, as yet, they hadn’t run into any more people, which was probably a good thing. Tony had hoped the rehabilitation would have gone easier, but at least Quentin was talking, and he seemed calmer than he had been before. However, it all was speculation on Tony’s part as he wasn’t a professional at this. For all he knew Quentin merely was biding his time, lulling Tony into a false sense of security so that when Tony eventually did free his hands he would kill Tony without delay.
It was important for Tony didnât forget he was walking alongside a vicious killer, a man who had shown a great capacity for cruelty and brutality. Tony’s mind was alive with all sorts of thoughts. Part of him wondered if he was too weak to live in this world. He was sure that other men would have taken the law into their own hands and killed Quentin, removing this evil from the world. But Quentin was a victim too. If there wasn’t a way for Tony to punish Quentin, then there had to be a way for Tony to help him. The huge hulking man cast a long shadow. Tony often found himself glancing at the mask, wondering about the face that laid behind it. There had been a few times when Tony had suggested to Quentin that he could take off the mask but he only had been met with a withering stare. It seemed as though the man was fixated on his mask.
It most likely had something to do with this Carol, someone who had been special to him. Tony had seen firsthand how losing a loved one could affect someone so much. Tony had helped Saeed through his anguish, and he now wanted to help Quentin through his. All the while, however, Tony kept thinking about the comic books he loved so much. In them there was always so much suffering that could have been avoided just by killing the arch-villain, but most superheroes never did. Of course, this was for reasons outside the realm of fiction. The companies who published the comic books had to think about sales, and if a character proved popular, it was not a good marketing strategy to kill them off.
That consideration did not apply in real life, but Tony was not about to kill anyone in cold blood, even though this man may have deserved it more than most. Tony had vowed to stay by Quentin’s side for as long as it took in the hope of stopping him from hurting anyone else.
For much of their time together Quentin remained silent, but there were moments when he murmured incoherently. Tony wished Quentin would talk properly. Being alone was starting to take its toll, and Tony was beginning to talk to himself under his breath. Quentin did not respond, however, so Tony was left alone with his thoughts. He wondered if Saeed, Jane, and the others had made it to safety. They all had been tasked with going after the other bad people, but he wouldn’t have blamed them if they had found some safe place to stay. All he wanted, really, was for them to be happy and safe. That’s all he’d wanted for all of them, but that was not what fate held in store for him. His destiny seemed to be tied to Quentin. Tony consoled himself with the thought that at least while he was with the masked man, Quentin wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else.
They had been walking for a while when Quentin finally asked Tony where they were going.
âThere is a group of people in this forest. Bad people. They want to hurt others and I can’t let that happen,â he said. In truth, he had thought of returning to the bunker for some time to rest, but he didn’t like the idea of spending his days in that tomb. At least in the open air he could feel free.
âWhy can’t you let that happen?â Quentin asked.
âBecause that’s not the type of person I am. I can’t just let them get away with all this. From what I know they’re planning to go to the city, causing more mayhem and destruction. Do you really think I’m just going to stand by and let that happen?â
âI suppose not. You seem like the type to want to interfere.â
âWe all have our purpose in this world. You think you have yours, but at least I’m helping people. I might be the only person who can make a difference here, so I have to try.â Tony said.
âWhy don’t you just find a quiet place in the world to live out your life? You could hide away instead of running toward these troubles, instead of putting yourself in danger.â
âI spent my entire life hiding. While everyone else was out enjoying life, I was sitting in my apartment, losing myself in fictional worlds. I thought it was a good life. I thought that I was enriching my soul by exposing myself to all these different forms of art, but I only realized how empty it was when I started to help people. This end of the world may have ruined some people’s lives, but for me it offered a new beginning. I finally was able to try being the man I always wanted to be. Real life is the only place where I can make a difference, and a difference is what I want to make. It’s only when this world ended that I realized my other one was so hollow,â Tony said, a somber reflection on the state of his life as it had been.
âYou were right before. You should have stayed in your bubble. When you try making a difference, the only thing that happens is that you get burned.â
âIs that what happened with you? Did you try making a difference?â Tony asked eagerly, trying to get more of an insight into Quentin’s past.
&n
bsp; He’d only been able to piece together a few fragments of Quentin’s life. At some point it seemed that Quentin had given a lot of himself over to something greater. Judging by how he had handled himself in the bunker it wouldn’t have been a stretch to think he had been in the army, or at least a cop or something such as that. If Tony could unlock the secrets of Quentin’s past, he might be able to save Quentin’s future.
His question was met with a stony silence. There was definitely something to Quentin’s past that was informing the present, and Tony hoped that the more time they spent together the more chance there was of Quentin revealing more about his past.
The two of them continued along the river when they suddenly heard cries for help. Coming down the river were two figures, arms flailing about wildly. Their blood-curdling screams were being engulfed by the foamy, rushing current. It was almost a miracle they had survived this long without being dashed against rocks or the riverbank.
âOh my God,â Tony said, rushing to the riverbank.
He leaned over, searching for a branch or anything to extend across the river so they could latch onto it. There wasn’t much time to think. The two people were coming at him quickly. There weren’t any branches long enough. Desperately, Tony tried thinking of how he was going to rescue them. He ended up running back down the river to give himself more time before they passed him, but still nothing presented itself.
âThere has to be something,â Tony said. Then he looked at Quentin. There was no way he was going to save these people without Quentin’s help, but if he misjudged Quentin, he might be signing his own death warrant.
âI need your help. I can’t do this without you,â he said. Groot gave a warning growl, but Tony didn’t pay attention. Even Quentin backed away, as though he wasn’t sure what Quentin would do once he was free.
âThose people need our help,â Tony said desperately, âand I’m not going to stand by and watch them drown.â He freed Quentin’s hands and turned his back on the masked man, moving toward the river, dropping his bat. Groot walked to the bat, standing guard over Tony’s prized possession. Tony got in the river and reached out a hand.
