Cursed Souls - Chapter 7 7 Relationships

After the tornado stopped everyone left the bunker. People went back to the cafeteria and grabbed enough food for two days. Everyone completely finished their jobs and went back to their floors and rooms. Everyone locked their doors that night, and nights for the next two weeks. It was rare to see anyone without there unit. Everyone lived in fear. But in a strange sense… it was the fear that brought most people so close together. In each room, there was a new passageway, that wasn’t previously noticed or there before. I didn’t know if I was that unobservant or if in fact, the passageway was there all along. The way everything adapted at such a fast pace was almost as if it was being controlled or a living being itself. At the corner edge of every room, there was now a staircase that went below the floor and leads up to the room directly across the hallways unit. Each unit only had one passageway. The underground stairway hatch could be locked. Elijah and Ember’s room had the hatch to Kure and his “partner” Ava’s room. Each unit had a “sister unit”. The first two days each unit kept their doors locked and stayed in their rooms and did not interact with their sister unit. They spent time getting to know each other “better” as a unit. The first two days Ember and Elijah kept to themselves a lot and did not opt to do much with the unit. They spent a lot of there time in the room and only left during day hours with Oaki and Noah to work. By day 3 most people had become noticeably closer with there partner. Some had already started dating. About two weeks into this new reality of the danger that lurked outside, Oaki’s unit had experienced a… to say the least “awkward” interaction..?

Oaki rolled into embers room.

“Hey, guys!” Oaki froze.

“Oh hey Oaki…” the couple grew awkward.

Ember and Elijah had been passionately making out on the bed. Oaki froze in the awkwardness. Noah walked in behind her.

“El where’s your shirt bro?” Said Noah completely missing what was happening.

Ember got out of the bed. And jumped to her feet.

“Guys we are getting to know each other better and I’m glad and that is great….but….every room….should also have its privacy yanno?”

Ember grabbed the calendar and slid it in the middle of the door.

“Okay, so new rule if a calendar is under the door that means don’t come in. Okay?”

Noah laughed. “Kinda like the sock on the door eyyyy!”

Oaki smilies awkwardly.

“Yea sure whatever,” Ember said in a sassy tone.

“Now get out and close the door behind you,” Elijah said in a rush.

Oaki and Noah walked out of the doorway awkwardly. Took a slight pause to look at each other, and closed the door behind them. Just then Noah remembered he had an MP3 in his pocket. Noah mostly wanted to avoid any awkwardness that would be a result of El and Em’s “privacy rule”.

“Well I guess El and Em are a thing now…” he said awkwardly.

“It appears so…” oaki said in an uncomfortable chuckling.

“Well wanna listen to music?” Noah asked her.

“Sure.” She said excitedly.

The little iPod was the first technology they had access to on their own. People didn’t have any other electronics, so it was nice to get a small taste of what used to be the everyday normal. Noah played the first song.

“Do you know this song?” He asked her. “It’s Elvis Presley can’t help falling in love.”

“Oh really? I haven’t heard many songs from that artist.” She replied.

Oaki has, in fact, heard the song. But to avoid any closeness she acted like she didn’t. She hoped that it was just a coincidence that it was a love song. She was never the type of person to share how she felt or all the gushy feelings and romantic hobnob. They laid on the bed with Dao in between them each listening through a headphone. They looked at each other making goofy faces and smiling. After three songs placed oaki got into her wheelchair. She started to feel suffocated by the flirting. Noah grabbed the handles from behind her and started spinning it in circles. She hoped it was in a friendship playing manner. However, she never had a super close guy friend before… so maybe this is what people do? She questioned it and then cleared the thought from her mind. They each laughed. They played tag and had pillow fights. It seemed so simple and childish but they didn’t care. Oaki played over on the bed.

“Are you hungry?” He asked

“Nah, but I could go for a glass of water.” He looked over to her and bowed.

“As you wish,” he said.

They both laughed because it happened to be a line from their favorite movie. The princess bride. She sat at the edge of the bed and took a sip of water.

“Noah… do you think that we would have ever met each other or became friends if…”

She paused not sure of how to end her question. He looked over at her and smiled.

“I mean yea. Two awesome loners were bound to meet each other eventually!” He said laughing.

She smiled at him.

“So what do you wanna do now?” She asked him

“I don’t know. What else is there to do?”

Oaki shrugged.

“I don’t know either.” She said with a giggle.

“Hmmm… what about 20 questions?”

“Sure I’m down!” She said.

She honestly wasn’t a fan of the getting to know your part. But if she was going to be trapped in a room with him she guessed she would play… I mean it’s not like there was much else to do.

Just across the hall Kure and Ava we’re following there usual routine of arguing over things that don’t matter. Which they did every day usually every waking moment they were in each other’s presence.

“Why am I stuck with you?” Ava protested.

“I don’t know honey, maybe god god though you needed some positivity in your life instead of being wound up so tight all the time,” Kure said back.

“Oh, you… you…” She said

“It’s okay I know I’m the person you can’t wait to see each morning when you wake up. Don’t worry… no need to say it. I know you appreciate my existence.” He said with a grin.

“Were you dropped on your head as a child or something? I DON’T LIKE YOU!” She screamed

“Well this is boring I’m going to take a nap. Nighty night.” He said pretending to tune her out.

“We aren’t done talking! And it’s only 2 o’clock in the afternoon. YOUR NOT TAKING A NAP!”

Kure laid in the bed ignoring her. Ava smacked him in the face with a pillow.

“I’m hungry! Let’s go get food?” Ava demandingly said.

“I mean you don’t like me…sooo… I mean… you got to legs go get it yourself.” He said snappily.

“Well fine then. Some man you are! Just know if I die, IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!”

She grabbed clothes and went to change in the bathroom. Kure rolled outta bed and got dressed then he sat outside the bathroom door waiting for her. Five minutes later she opened the door.

“Yanno your the most combative women I have ever met. It’s adorable!” He said with a smile with a goal of trying to piss her off.

“Yanno you are the most annoying man on this earth!” She slammed the door in his face again.

“Hey gotta keep things interesting. Life’s no fun with you, honey if I’m not on my toes…every waking moment I’m in your presence” he had a sarcastic draw to his voice this time with the type of smug body language and facial expression he knew was sure to get a relation out of her.

Kure liked egging on Ava. There wasn’t a bleak moment and he thought it was funny when she got mad. Ava was the same size as Oaki. Expect she had dark brown eyes and long light brown hair. Kure was tall. He has jet black curly hair and blueish gray eyes. He was 6 feet 4 inches tall and had an athletic build. In his face, he looked a lot like Oaki. People often confused them as twins. He sat waiting for a response and continued to wait outside the door for her.

“Okay, Ava if you wanna get food, let’s go.” He said with a kind tone in his voice.

When she ignored him he tended to be nicer. Not by much. But just enough to get her to speak to him again.

“NO! I’m not hungry anymore” she said flipping her hair and crossing her arms.

“Ugh! Women! Why can’t you just say what you want!”

“I did! Ugh, men!” She said rolling her eyes.

Ava went over to the bed and sat down. The truth was she did like Kure. A lot. She thought he was very attractive. But he was also very very annoying and childish. Sometimes being stuck in the same room with him drove her stir crazy. Kure walked over to the bed and sat next to Ava.

“Ava… let’s have a real conversion.”

“About?” She said in a snappy manner.

“What are your hobbies? What are your likes and dislikes? What are your pet peeves? Yanno just stuff to know each other better…”

Ava looked over stunned. She had never seen a side to Kure that wasn’t sarcastic and “witty” always egging on an argument. She always saw Kure as an immature child who loved bantering and attention. He seemed to get a kick out of making her angry. But now….now he was trying to make an effort. She didn’t know to trust this “newfound” maturity, or to ignore him and continue the regular routine they had going for them. Every morning wake up and clean up. Control things she can control. And ignore his shenanigans. She looked at him.

“Okay, I’ll tell you but no laughing!” She said seriously deciding to play into whatever game he was bound to be up to this time.

“Okay deal.” He said shaking her hand in a competitive but serious manner.

“Well, I like to do art and dance for my hobbies. My dislikes are being trapped in one area for too long with… well you. By far you are the most aggravating person to be around… and being in a confined space with you… not the hugest fan. I also don’t much like being bossed around. I also don’t like disorganization and the colors of the clothes they gave us.” Kure chuckled a little and Ava smiled at him. She continued, “my pet peeves are also my dislikes… well… most of the time that is.”

“Okay good to know,” Kure said

“What about you?” She asked him.

“Well, my hobbies are learning science and math and playing video games. I also like art and graphic design. My dislikes are when my stuff gets organized by someone else. When people try to insult my intelligence. And mind games. And my pet peeves are girly mind games when SOMEONE takes all the blankets at night and touches me with cold ass feet and anyone who messes with my sister or disrespects any girl. They kinda just get thrown into a list of nuisances.” Kure said smiling at her.

Ava felt herself starting to blush. He wasn’t so bad… he actually sounds sort of like a gentleman. Like the night he walked her to the room when she was scared…. but why… why couldn’t he just be like that and put forth that front, to begin with instead of being an annoying twit all the time she thought.

“Okay well from now on I will wear socks at night and try to share more of the blankets…” she said maturely.

“Yanno..” she added “… I like this Kure a lot better than the immature childish one.”

“Eh… I don’t know who I like more. The angry wound up tight Ava is a total riot. But admittedly I sort of like the calm … and mature-ish Ava better then the screaming pillow throwing one too.” Kure said slightly blushing.

They both reached out and shook hands. “To mostly peacefully coexisting” they repeated after each other and agreed.

“Now that that’s all squared away… and you hungry?”

“Don’t be annoying Kure. Yes, I’m hungry.” She said in a salty manner.

Kure and Ava took their passage to the unit across from them. Elijah was sitting on the bed messing with the alarm clock when they opened the hatch.

“Hey, Y’all. Wanna go down to lunch together?” They asked.

Ember walked out in a short towel.

“Ahhhh!” She slammed the door embarrassed.

“Sorry!” They screamed.

“Yanno el just meet us in our room whenever Em gets finished. And invite Oaki and Noah too.”

They went down through the hatch. Ember walked out and slapped Elijah.

“Why didn’t you tell me they were coming?!?” She demanded

“I didn’t know!” He said complaining at her. She shot him a look of disbelief then got dressed slamming the bathroom door behind them. Free she was dressed she went over to Oak’s room.

“Oaki knock knock I’m coming in!” Ember hollered.

Oaki was brushing her teeth and Noah was cleaning up the room a bit.

“Kure and Ava want to go to the stadium for lunch. And we have to go to work in our zone today. Join us?” Ember said in a cheery tone.

“Sure we have to do our zones too and I’m starving!” said Noah.

Oaki came out of the bathroom finally. She had eye makeup on and a nice shirt. She usually wore tomboyish things, so this slightly came as a shock to everyone.

“Today is the day Oaki’s stitches also come out and we are doing an X-ray of her leg to make sure nothing is broken. So if you guys all wanna eat go to work and come to the Meda-U with us that would work for us.” Said Noah.

“Sure it’s safer to stay in groups anyways.” They all agreed.

Everyone went over to Kure and Ava’s room then walked down to lunch together. After the agricultural work was done everyone went up to the Meda-U. Noah took out the stitches and did an X-ray.

“Good news! All your fractures are healed and you can walk again.”

Oaki was overjoyed. She no longer had to be so dependent on him. It was driving her crazy how helpful he was and how helpless she felt. She mostly spent her time in the bathroom reading books she sunk from the library to somewhat avoid interaction with him. Being in such a small room it was hard to escape his company.

On the way back the grabbed things for dinner and went back to Kure’s room. Ember and Elijah interrupted.

“We would like to announce that we are dating!” Said Ember.

“Congrats guys, wish you happiness.” They all raise a glass of water and clinked them together.

Oaki shyly looked around the room trying to play along to the social cues everyone else was doing. Was this what we are soposto do now. Congratulate each other for falling into the pairings. Of course, after being stuck with someone all the time I would imagine that the results would either be love or death. However, she thought… I don’t want to be like everyone else. And moreover… I don’t want to be paired and told what to do. My books and dao are good enough for me. Maybe one day, when he sees, ‘s me for me… he will find someone else… someone who can make him happy. Noah looked over at oaki, seeing she was clearly in a deep train of thought. The more and more time she spent here the less and less she smiled. Every day he would try to do something to make her smile and laugh. However, it was getting increasingly more difficult. He wondered if this is how she always was. At night when she left the bed to go to the bathroom she looked relieved. When he tried to help her she always put on a fake smile. But why? Why bother making yourself miserable to seem to everyone else that you’re happy? It doesn’t erase everything that’s happened. It just isolates you. He tried frequently to figure Oaki out. But seemed to always fail. The only time when he could truly see her happy is when Kure was around. Seeing him usually lite up her day.

Everyone ate dinner on the table in Kure and Ava’s room. They laughed and talked for hours. Oaki felt exhausted. She hadn’t walked for what felt like forever and now that she had she just felt like most of her energy was zapped away. Oaki got up.

“I’m not feeling well and I haven’t get water on my whole body in forever… I’m gonna take a shower and head to bed.” Night guys… let’s all do this again soon.”

She got up and walked down the stairs and back through Elijah’s and Embers room into her own. She held back the tears but her leg was still in pain. She got into the shower and sat down crying. She washed herself off and locked the bathroom door. She was so relieved Noah didn’t follow her. This was the first alone time she had got in weeks. She wrapped herself in a towel and got some clothes. Then laid on the floor for a little bit. The pain in her legs just intensified with complete fatigue. She got up and went to the bedroom door. I just want something to take the pain away she thought, holding the bedroom door being sure this was a bad idea. But she didn’t want anyone’s help. Kure had a family now she thought for a split second. She rationalized… so if I end up murdered… at least he still has people. She took a step closer to the door.

“Ugh!” She sighed in annoyance. I better leave a note so Noah won’t go around looking for me possibly getting himself killed. She went to the bathroom and wrote on the mirror.

Going out for a while, want to stretch legs. Please don’t come looking for me. I will be back soon. Get some rest, please.

She walked over to the door and turned the knob…