Cursed Souls - Chapter 3 3 Introductions

Oaki’s head was pounding. Everything was pitch black. ‘What happened?’ She thought to herself. Little did she know that this was the start of the downhill spiral that hit Quia High School.

‘Are we even at school? Everything’s so dark. My head is pounding! Maybe I have a concussion. Shoes! Shoes! Shoes! My god, what about Kure?’ She thought to herself.

She felt shell shocked with fear piercing into my heart as if she had been stabbed. Among her list of fears, there was; driving, spiders, social interactions, and the dark.

SMACK. She felt as if someone had just hit her back.

“Hello? Um.. sorry…” The voice said.

“Hello?” Oaki said in a panicked tone.

CRASH. It sounded like glass breaking somewhere far away, as it was eco-ed as if we were in a tunnel.

“Did you hear that?” The mysterious manly voice.

The voice was deep and carried an aura of calmness and sophistication.

“…yes?” Oaki said in a questioning tone trying to hold back the tears.

Just then Oaki felt a hand touch her cheek. She thought she wasn’t crying. She wished she wasn’t crying. But she was.

“Don’t worry it’s okay.” He said.

She felt the boy pat her head and wipe the tears from her cheeks. Oaki suddenly felt a flush of warmth in her cheeks. She was flustered and a little embarrassed.

‘Who was he?’ She thought to herself.

It had been four weeks since anyone had been to school. Yesterday was the first day back and she never paid attention to anyone. She was always in her own world. Taking notes and studying. The voice hadn’t sounded familiar. But yet she found him comforting. Oaki grabbed his hand and started to walk forward.

“Where are we going?” He asked with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

“Well, you heard the shatter earlier right? Let’s go down there.” She said bravely.

There was no one else around them. Only her and this mysterious stranger.

“Okay… I can’t see anything though?” He said questioning his decision to follow her.

Just then she let go of his hand.

“Well no duh, we are in the pitch black.” She said snappily.

She still couldn’t get the thought of Kure out of her mind. The stranger reached out and grabbed for her.

“Don’t you think I know that? It’s just how will being down there be any better from here?

What’s so good about staying here?” She said annoyance in her voice.

Oaki got on her hands and knees. She started feeling her way around.

‘I think we are underground’. she thought as she felt the cold wet dirt under her fingers as she reached out in front of her. He reached down for her and lightly touched her back.”What are you doing?” He said in a concerned questioning murmur.

She reached up for his hand.

“I think we are underground.” She said.

She heard him starting to shuffle around. He took off his jacket. She could feel him radiating heat.

“Here take this.” He said tenderly.

“I’m okay.” She said awkwardly.

“The temperature is freezing,” he said

He reached up to her face and put the back of his hand to her forehead.

“And you have a lower body temperature then me, so stop being difficult and put on the jacket,” He said in a more demanding tone this time.

Behind his voice was a sort of tenderness and worry for her. How could he be so concerned about her she wondered. After all, they only just met. She put on the jacket.

“…th…thank you…” she said.

“Here follow me.” He said.

He grabbed her arm and started walking forward.

“Stay behind me okay?” He said still in a demanding but casual tone.

“..okay” She said shyly.

They walked for what felt like hours. The air was a humid kind of cold wetness that engulfed the area. All of a sudden she tripped over her own foot and fell sideways hitting her leg on something sharp.

“Ouch” She said trying not to wince.

She felt a sharp jolt of shooting pain go through her leg. She reached down and felt her leg. It was cold and sticky. The boy crouched down near her. He felt for her hand but she wouldn’t let go of her calf. He reached down and felt something sharp and cold. He followed it down to her leg to whatever it was inside her leg. And realized she was bleeding. She winced again.

“Don’t touch it!” She said with a shaking in her voice.

“It’s in your leg. You have to remove it or else it will get infected. From what I can tell it’s pretty deep in your leg. Before we can remove it we have to find something to clot the blood.” He said with a sort of calm confidence.

She heard a metal jingling and a snap noise.

“What are you doing?!?” She said panicked and scared.

He had taken off his belt. Oaki felt his hands gently touching her thigh. Then something being wrapped around her leg.

“Like I was said.. we have to clot it.” He was very calm but direct when speaking to her.

He tightened the belt and grabbed her hand and glided it to the belt.

“Hold the belt so u don’t bleed out.” He said calmly.

She grabbed the belt tightly. Just then he took the sharp object out of her leg quickly. He reached down and ripped something then put it over Oaki’s wound. The belt still tightly fastened on her leg. He started to reach behind her back and under her knees and lifted her up.

“AHHH!!! What are you doing!?” she screamed.

“Well, you can’t walk. It hit close to ur bone and I think you might have a fracture.” He said.

“You don’t even know me why do you care!?” She demanded.

“Well, I can’t just leave you here.” He said.

“I’m fat put me down!” She pleaded.

He didn’t respond to what she said. He just stayed quiet. He held Oaki and kept walking with her in his arms. She felt extremely uneasy. After a while when she realized he wasn’t going to magically put her down she gave up. She rested her head against his warm chest. She listened to his steady heartbeat. Thump thump thump. It was oddly soothing to her. He kept walking with her. Carrying her in his arms.

“If you’re tired you can put me down.” She said sympathetically.

“I’m okay don’t worry about me. Plus your super light.” He said chipper.

“Wait to stop for a second” she said in a hushed voice. “I think there is someone behind us.” She whispered into his ear.

“Hello, who’s there?!” She called out.

Nothing filled the space beside suffocating silence.

“I think I see a light!” she said looking ahead of them.

It was very dull and it looked far away but without hesitation, he started walking towards it. This time at a quicker pace. A few minutes later there was a shattering noise again from behind them. Like a window being broken. They reached where the light was looking up to find a small bit of light shining down onto the ground. Next to it was a dimly illuminated latter.

“Can you put me down really quick please?” She asked him.

“Okay.” He said.

He put her down gently. She reached towards the latter then pulled herself up onto her feet. She couldn’t put any pressure on her injured leg. She grabbed for the next pole on the later as she half pulled half jumped to the next rung with her one foot. When she made it to the top she rolled over onto a crimson colored carpet. The boy quickly followed after her. She looked up and down. They were in a hallway with doors going down. The hallway was curved as if the building was in a circular shape.

For the first time, they were able to see each other. He had tan skin and eyes the color of a deep ocean blue. He had jet black hair and little freckles across his nose and top of his cheeks. He looked a little over six feet tall. As he looked at her his face carried a curious and carrying expression. He looked directly into her eyes and started to talk.

“Sorry about not listening to you earlier… I’m Noah.” He looked down starting to blush a little.

“It’s okay don’t worry about it. Thanks for everything back there.” She said smiling awkwardly down at the ground, avoiding eye contact.

“And you are?” He asked

“My name is Oaki” She said shyly.

He looked at her. He looked at her a little taken aback. To him, she was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. She had fair skin and greenish gray eyes. She had a scar in a diagonal shape on the top of her nose to her eyebrow. Her figure was really small and petite. She looked about five feet tall, with black curly hair that flowed a little past her shoulders. He looked at her face. Her head was bleeding dripping down the side of her face and neck. He looked down at her leg. Her blood seeping through the cloth and down to her shoe. He looked around again. He vaguely recognized this place. Like he had seen it in a picture before but couldn’t quite remember.

“Where are we?” He asked.

“I have no idea.” She said.

She took off his jacket and gave it to him. It was warm up here. The hall was lit by warm yellow lights in fancy lanterns. She then got up and reached for the wall. Noah grabbed her arm to help stabilize her.

“What should we do?” She asked.

“Umm…?” He said unsurely while thinking.

He let go of her arm and went across the hallway and knocked on a door. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

“Hello? Anyone there?” He shouted.

There was no answer. He looked exhausted. She took a granola bar out from her jacket pocket and started to sit down with her back against the wall.

“Here.” She said handing it up to him.

He looked down across the hallway then came over and sat next to her.

“You sure?” He questioned.

“Yeah, you should really eat something to get some energy back” she said in a soft, kind voice. “Thanks.”

She leaned over on his shoulder.

“I’m so tired” she said as she started to close her eyes.

“Not uh. No no no.” He jolted her over and grabbed her shoulders. “I get how you feel. But you might have a concussion and you have lost a lot of blood, so I’m going to need you to stay conscious”

Just then there was a slight CHING noise from the hole in the ground. A girl appeared up out of the whole and then a boy panting profusely.

“Thank god there are people!” The boy exclaimed.

“Do you know where we are?” Oaki asked.

“Not a clue. I just remember being at school and then I woke up in an underground tunnel.” The boy explained.

“Hi, I’m Ember.” The girl said skittishly.

“Hi we are Noah and Oaki” Noah said.

Just then the lights started to flicker and a door near the end of the hallway opened up. They all got to their feet quickly. The opened door leads into a huge room in the middle of the building. The building looked like it had many stories. Everyone got up to there feet quickly, except for Oaki. But Noah bent down next to her.

“Put your arms around my shoulders.” He said sympathetically.

She put her arms around his shoulders as he lifted her up onto his back. They all started walking down to the hallway to the door. Ember pushed the door open more and walked inside everyone closely following behind. There were students standing in a large cafeteria type area. There was nice booths and like in a restaurant. Everyone was sitting in similar arrangements. Two boys and two girls to a booth. Ember sat down and the boy next to her. Then Oaki and Noah. More and more people arrived until the whole room was filled, and every booth was taken. Above them were more seats and booths like at a stadium. An octagon-shaped television started lowering from the ceiling with huge screens on each side. The screen turned on.

“This is a pre-recorded broadcast. If you are hearing this televised report that means you are some of the few to survive this…. ordeal. The outside world as you know it no longer exists. There is a protected square boundary built in case of this emergency. This building has been comprised of 30 levels. The first ten are your new living quarters. One boy and girl are to be in every room. The base level is the underground tunnels that each and every one of you emerged from. This center point will be the and cafeteria. The next five floors will be used for medical uses. Each level after that will be suited for different jobs to keep this community going. Levels 16-21 will be for agricultural work, and your living quarters. Other levels will be used for libraries and recreational uses. The outside perimeter consists of Quia High School. And a courtyard. Curfew is at 11 pm. Do not go outside past that time. We recommend that you stay within the confines of the building. Each of you is paired with one person of the opposite sex. Partners will be assigned outside of the cafeteria on a spreadsheet. You must share the room with whom you are assigned. You will also have a neighboring room with another couple. This will be called your sister room. Each room has an interconnecting door to your neighboring pairs room, as well as a hatch in the corner of the room into another units quarters. In total, you will all have households with eight people, each comprised of two sister rooms, with a hatch connecting between two rooms. This will be your new household. If the population decreases the floors of the building will be taken away. We understand this can be a confusing time, but if you listen to these outlined rules, everything should operate pristinely”

VIZZUTE. The Televisions turned off. And the room fell silent.