YP – B1: Finale – Chapter 23

253 Days Until Melancholy and The Uncertain End (part 3)

Evester looked over the empty makeshift home. The children were being transported with Robee and Trace as Andre and Layla protected the bus. Evester wasn’t sure he knew what a bus looked like. He’d seen pictures of the angular vehicle that could seat tens of people. It was what was used before the trains in the cities, but when the trains came, the busses disappeared. 

“What are you looking at?” Heipillia’s voice came from behind him. 

Evester hadn’t even realized he was looking over the notes again. It had been such an ingrained habit of his, to review the dates, that he hadn’t even realized he had it out. “Reviewing.”

“The others will be arriving soon and then we go over the plan for tomorrow.”

“Tonight.”

“What?”

“I’m not sure when the attack will happen, however, Aralax have habits of attacking at night or rather right before dawn.”

“You are telling me, they are already out there?” Heiphillia yelled at him.

“Inside.” Evester shook his head, placing the files back in his bag and putting it back on. “They move underground and in the dark, through the fissures created by the Catastrophe.” He slowly turned to her and believed that he could physically see her hairs stand on edge. 

“They are… The kids!” Heiphillia went to turn. He grabbed her. 

“We have time.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“The information says tomorrow and it is still today.” It was a long shot, but they still had a bit of time, if he was right. If the Project was that good, and he wanted to have faith it was.

“I can’t trust that. What if they aren’t included in the count?”

“They would have been included in the count.” Evester did not have the predicted death list of names, because the Project didn’t give that. It did, however, give times and numbers. The time was the next day. Evester doubted that the Project would mess up that. However, it probably would have been better if they sent the kids a day earlier. Safer. Unfortunately, they had needed time.

“Are you sure?”  Heiphillia pulled her arm back.

“Yes.” He lied smoother than all his other, the way he used to. 

“Okay.” She seemed to believe him. “Then we need to get to Shawn now.”

“Now?” The idea filled Evester with dread.

“Yes, now.” Heiphillia’s sharp glare cut into him. Without another word she directed him with her eyes to leave the room. Following her with his head hung low, they moved from the home past the triplets. “You get prepared. We are going to Shawn.”

Evester followed after Heiphillia as she led him through the caves and into the city through the pathways that she and her family had mapped and memorized since the Catastrophe. She led him through the dark alleys towards a set of houses. Up a broken ladder, at the back of an apartment complex, they came to the backdoor of a home. Heiphillia knocked on the window as Evester hung out in the shadows. There was no response for a second before the one Evester figured was Shawn opened the window.

“Heia?”

“Shawn.”

“Why…” His voice dropped. “Forgiven me?”

“No.” Heiphillia pulled Evester from the shadows, yanking his hood off and face mask down. Evester had shaved. He had cleaned up. He was perfectly recognizable to anyone that was looking for him.

“Evester Igalistal?” Shawn recognized him in an instant. He knew him. He knew Evester’s heritage and name, yet Heipillia didn’t seem to recognize it. Perhaps she had never seen the videos. “The Circle from the market?”

“That’s me.” Evester shrugged. “And you are Shawn. I need to make a call.”

“A call?”

“To the military.”

“You want to be caught?”

“As if I’ll be caught.” Evester placed his hands into his pockets. “No. I need them to come here in full force.”

“Why?” Shawn seemed to be catching on.

“I’m the only one who has the records of the Yasloughve Project and the Aralax will kill everyone in this city tonight if they don’t get here.” Evester said the words and Shawn immediately let them in to make the call. At least someone understood the importance of the information he held. 

Last Chapter | Index | Next Chapter

---

They aren’t perfect edits, but they will do. I hope you are all having a great weekend.

MM