Artificial Mates - Chapter 150

I woke up with a ringing in my ears. I had to blink a couple of times to clear the blurry images. There was a single ray of light that came from a hole in the ceiling. It didn’t occur to me that we were in the bas.e.m.e.nt and that thought was just impossible. Dust flew around in a mesmerizing swirl into the light. Rising and falling as I tried to gather my hectic thoughts.

“Grant?” my voice came out hoarse. I coughed to clear out my throat. An extreme pain rose from my legs and arms. I was lying on my belly, face in the dirt. From that angle, all I saw was the console in the middle and the huge slab of concrete hagging from the ceiling where the light came from. When I tried to get up the pain in my right arm bite harder. Panting I looked around in panic. I remembered Dr. Churchhill had shouted something…but my ears were still ringing and there was a warm liquid soaking the back of my head.

“Grant? Demos?” I listening over my racing heart and didn’t get a response. Guys! I thought, screamed, in the hope, they would hear me through our link. I fought to get up, pushing my horrible pain aside. There were fallen ceiling panels blocking my feet and cables tangled in my left arm. Come on, Liliane get up, I scolded myself. I pushed up on one elbow, crawled with little pebbles digging into my palm and bruised forearm.

“The bomb…” I gasped. I pushed the light panel and gazed at the reason why my left high was wet. A metal scrap was poking through the torn fabric of my jeans. “Shit!” I blinked tears away. I scanned around the room for help. The eerie silence that reigned made all blood drain from my face.

“Guy?” using my left hand I pulled myself in a sitting posture. My right hand was bloody with a cut along my forearm. My breathing accelerated. This can’t be happing. This wasn’t real. On the verge of a mental breakdown, I tapped my bracelet to access my phone to call help. I tapped it once and nothing happened. I tapped it again and again. Still, nothing.

“Access, phone,” I called with a quivering voice. Still, nothing. The interface I was so used to from the brain wave connector was gone. All the icons that used to be in the corner of my field of vision, gone. The clock on my right, the logo of the bracelet menu…all gone. I had to get up, I looked around the dim room going hysterical.

“Please, answer me. Grant? Demos? Nicolai? Elma? Somebody? Anybody?” I shouted. Nothing. Grant, Demos… tears rolled down my face. What is going on? No. I shook my head. I pulled the hem of my dirty shirt and tore a strip from it and tightened it around my bleed leg where the metal shard stuck out. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed it and immediately let go. An agonizing scream left my lips. a pain so intense, I saw black spots in front of me. Placing a hand in front of my mouth, I sobbed. The picture of Grant and Demos sitting on the fresh grass, that day we were to the garden for a picnic, all three of us, appeared. Demos smiled with a grass blade between his lips while Grant scrolled through the houses to find one for us.

“No!” I scolded myself and got up in one leap. Pain pulsed in every muscle of my body. I screamed to clear that sorrow…that monster that was choking me up. I limped to the console and bumped into a shoe sticking out from under a crumbled wall. I hid my mouth, the owner of the shoes was crushed under the rubbles. Throwing myself to my knees I brushed the dust away from the shoe… white liquid was seeping it. I fell backward.

“That’s neither of them,” I said aloud. “That’s not their shoe,” I felt bad for being a relief. My hand brushed fabric and I immediately turned towards it. There lying on her side with eyes wide open was Elma. She was covered with dust rendering her hair and skin of the same pale color.

“No, no, no,” I mumbled. Then I turned to the console and saw them…still attached to it. My vision went blurry. My whole world crumbled around me. I shook my head refusing to acknowledge what was before my eyes. No, this was a mind trick. This couldn’t be true. I sat there in the dust for probably hours shaking my head and crying.

“What are you doing, stupid?” a voice chuckled behind me. “You’ve promised, right?” said a second one. I was so tired that I couldn’t turn around to see who was talking. But deep down, I knew. “Get up, clumsy. You’re not going to lay down in this dirt. Just look at you. Come on,” he smiled. “Here, take my hand, let’s go get help,” when I reached out, I blinked and it was all gone. I was back in the bas.e.m.e.nt, in the heavy silence. Was it a dream? Were they really here?

“Get help…” I whispered. I got to my feet using a stick found off the floor. I limped to the console. Somehow, I was scared to touch them. It would mean they are really…gone. That this was real. Grant was resting his head on the keyboard, his curls were covered with dust. Small debris of concrete lay on the crackled surface. Demos was lying on his side with his face in the shadow. I didn’t want to come closer…I didn’t want to see if his eyes were open.

“I’m going to search for help. Y-you stay right here, ok,” I tried to smile and fail. “It’s going to be ok, my bag was sitting next to Grant. I grabbed it and throw it on my back then turned to the door. in the shadows, I could see more bodies. I quickly averted my eyes with a gasp. The door was still stuck tight. I looked up towards the collapsed ceiling. The rubble created a slope through which I could jump out…if I wasn’t wounded.

“I’m sorry…” I sobbed. I reached trembling hands towards Grant. I could easily imagine him resting his head on the keyboard after hard hour’s work. He would turn and smile at me. I pulled my hand away without touching him. I remembered what Elma told me earlier. Grant changed her life gave her a new purpose. “Focus, Liliane,” I heard him scolding me. Gripping my hands tight I jumped up the slope, fall twice but didn’t stop. Each time I could hear them…feel them holding out their hands to help me up.

When I emerged from the collapsed ceiling all I saw was a desert of devastation. The building was only an unrecognizable pile of bleached rocks, the parking was gone, the fence had thrown into a distance into a twisted pile of metal. Trees that bordered the street were laid flat. Smoke rose from several places in the distance. I limped using the stick to help me. I had to seek help but where? There was nothing out here. Nothing but death.

“Look, it’s an awesome day to go to the beach, right,” said Grant standing next to me with a smile. His brightest one, his eyes sparkled like jewels.

“I’ve got you a red bikini, and don’t tell me you’re not going to wear it,” Demos chuckled. I laughed at his sweet intension. They walked ahead of me towards the banks of the river. I reached out towards them.

“Wait for me,” I limped but my body wouldn’t go faster. Why was my body not listening to me? Demos looked over his shoulder with a smile.

“You’re so slow and out of shape. Next time we’ll go for a jogging. You clearly need it,” he extended his hand while facing forward. The sun was bright. They both shone like stars walking in front of me. I giggled. It was, a beautiful day to go to the beach.

“Lady” called a distance voice. I looked up at Grant, he was wearing his bathing trunk and smiling. He pointed towards the horizon. I had to squinted my eyes to see the silhouette of a group of people standing there. Demos let go of me, I frowned and reached to grab his hand.

“It’s ok, Princess. We’ll wait for you, right here,” he pointed towards the other side of the river.

“Don’t forget our date,” called Grant. When I blinked I only saw a man running towards me.

“Lady? Are you ok?” when he got closer he shouted making my head spin. “Somebody, call a medic,” next thing I knew everything was black. I smiled, I’m going to meet them again. I won’t forget. We will have our date, finally, all the three of us.