Memories (3 of 3)

It was getting to be sunset and most of the families had gone home, and I was running out of patience. I looked over towards the setting sun and wondered what Mark could be doing. It wasn’t long after I started to daydream that I heard footsteps in the distance. I stood and dusted myself off as the figure slowly emerged from the glare of the sun. The man carried a large shovel over his shoulder and his cloths and face were caked with dirt and blood. I hesitated for a moment before approaching him.
As I came closer, he smiled and called out to me. “Ay! Girl, what you are doing here in front of my shack, hmm? Not causing trouble I hope.”
I was startled by his sudden outburst, but what really caught me was his Irish accent. I reached into my pocket, and pulled out the keys. I tossed them to him, and he returned to me a solemn look. He sighed and gave a nod. “So, it’s time huh. Well you best follow me.”
I gave a quick nod and followed behind him. The sun had set well beyond the trees, so there was barely any light to see where I was going. He led me to a large mausoleum and unbarred the doors. He made a motion towards me that made me think that he was about to strangle me, but he picked up a glass lantern that was next to me instead. He reached into his pocket, pulled out some matches, and lit the lantern. The glow of the lamp was miniscule, but it allowed some sight to the blind. He took a step inside and I followed close behind. We didn’t go very far.
Soon after we entered he took a torch from the wall and used the lamp to light it, as well as two others. The light filled the room slowly, as if it was fighting to exist. And as the last bits of light brightened the room enough to see, I saw it. I was George’s father’s Flyrunner. I took out my cell phone and called George again. Once again he picked up on the first ring.
“Hello?”
“Hello again Georgy.” I yawned.
“I’m guessing that you found it right?”
“Um uh yea. So, now what do I do?”
There was a short pause and I could hear some typing in the background. “Well, you need to get inside…once you do, I’ll guide it from there.”
I walked around the outside of the mechanical monster, vigilantly seeking any obvious entrance inside. “Um George…I can’t find a way inside.”
“There should be a hatch on the roof.”
I took a step back, and motioned the grave keeper to lift me. In a way, I was really excited. But another part of me was scared. I wasn’t scared in the way that you’re nervous for your life; I was scared in the way where you’re nervous for someone else’s. I grabbed hold of the head, and straddled it between my legs. I carefully shimmied my way up the neck and closer to the body and once I was there I saw the small hatch. In the center was an even smaller key hole, where I placed the key and opened the hatch. There was a loud hiss of air being sucked inside as it opened. The entrance led deep inside the beast and I could hear a faint humming coming from within. A moment later, the lights inside turned on and I could see deeper inside the creature. There was a small slim shaft that had lights sparsely along the side. At the bottom, there was an even smaller hole that led to the head.
I leaned my head on the phone as I talked. “So I just go down the hole, right?”
“Yea but once you get to the bottom you will have to crawl toward the head. There won’t be a lot of room, so I hope you don’t mind small spaces.”
I looked down the hole. “I think I’ll be ok.”
I put my feet in the hole first, making sure the ladder was secure, and then the rest of my body followed. It was so cramped going down; there was barely any room to breath. Once I got to the bottom, I literally had to get onto my stomach to crawl to the head. I stopped once I felt a solid surface in front of me. I struggled to fish out my phone from my tight pockets.
“Ok I’m at the head, now what?”
“Alright, the whole thing can be controlled remotely so long as there is someone inside. So I’m going to do just that. Now in just a second its going to turn on, so don’t freak when it does.”
Within a second the world around me lit up and I could see everything around me. It looked like I was lying on air. I could still feel the cold iron beneath me, but I couldn’t see it. I looked up, and all I could see was the ceiling of the mausoleum. I was completely breathless. To be emerged in darkness, and then suddenly brought to light is an indescribable feeling.
“I don’t believe it!” I exclaimed. “It’s like I’m outside, but in the air! “
There was a small laugh in the background. “I thought you would like it.” He paused for a second. In the back I could hear typing. “Now, I’m going to guide you so all you need to do is stay calm and relax, alright?”
I honestly didn’t think I would be able to relax. I was too excited. Suddenly, I began to move. I myself didn’t move, but the Flyrunner did. First one foot moved and then the other. Slowly the mechanical creature moved towards the double doors and outside. Once outside, the beast extended its great wings and stretched to its full height. In front of me was a long path, much like a runway. It was strange; I could feel it around me, as if I had become a part of it. Every movement, every noise, every smell, I could sense as if I was outside instead of inside this shell.
Its feet began to move. Slow at first as if it was walking, then slowly gaining speed into a sprint. The wings spread further, and soon I was in air! The view alone was breath taking enough, but I could feel the air rush by me as I ascended into the clouds. I could feel the warmth of the sun against my skin once I emerged. I couldn’t help but let a tear run down my face. This experience was more than anyone could wish for.

Somewhere as I was soaring across the sky, I had fallen asleep. I awoke to the vibrations of my phone. My eyes opened a sliver, and as the vision of clouds crept into sight, my eyes bolted open. I tried to sit up, but my head hit an invisible surface above me. It was two seconds later when I remembered where I was. I sighed, took a deep breath, and answered my phone.
“Hello?”
“Hey lis, how did you sleep?” it was George
“Well, I guess.”
“That’s good. You’re close to landing, so get ready.”
“Right.”
Instantly, I felt myself descend. I fell through the clouds and away from the warmth of the sun. Below the clouds exposed an open wasteland. Debris was scattered about the lifeless plain. The field seemed to stretch on forever. Acres and acres of nothing. All I could see was nothing. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw life. It started as a small bush, but as I flew closer, the bush became many, and soon there were even trees.
I landed close to the first bush I saw. I felt the wings retract, and the rest of the bird move so I could get out easier. I slid out through the same hole that I originally came through, and made my way over to the trees. I placed my hand on one, but all I felt was the cold of the steel. I leaned up against the tree, and looked out at the wasteland. What kind of fight occurred here I thought. I hope mark is ok.
A minute or two passed before I heard a noise. It was a low rumbling, almost like a heavy animal was charging at me. I quickly hid behind the tree, and waited for the noise to pass. The noise grew louder as whatever it was came closer, then suddenly…it stopped. Just like that, the noise stopped. My heart was racing. I didn’t know what to expect. I looked over to the left of the tree, and standing before where I was hiding was a massive tank like structure. Its wheels were treads like those of a tank but there were four sets of them. The massive structure appeared to be a base on wheels. The driver climbed out of a door that was easily two stories tall, and climbed down a set of steps. Once on the ground, the man walked around to the back, and pressed a switch. There was a long loud hiss as a large gate in the back lowered and became a ramp into the monster. From that ramp drove several smaller vehicles and a squad of men followed. The men and the vehicles then lined up in front of the driver. It was completely inaudible, but I could tell that the driver was giving instructions to the squad.
I was terrified. Who were these men? Did they fight for us, or them? I tried to stay as small as possible; hoping, praying that they wouldn’t see me.
I looked over to my left, still crouched behind the tree. The driver had apparently finished with his orders, and the whole group moved out, following the vast empty plain. Once out of sight, the driver walked back up the stairs and into the cockpit of the beast. The beast gave a low hum, and then erupted into the thunderous growl that it arrived with. It started to move, but slowly.
I was stuck. I wanted to follow the machine and figure out where it came from, but I also wanted to stay safe, and not get caught.
Suddenly there was a noise. I turned around and I was looking down the barrel of a Desert Eagle. The man behind the weapon was dressed in the same garb as the rest of the soldiers, except his cap was imbued with a bright red cross. Keeping me at gunpoint, he dragged me to the back of his four-wheeler. For a moment, I honestly thought I was going to die.
When we arrived at his vehicle, he let go of my wrists and told me to get on the back. I looked at him, then the machine and nodded. Like a puppet, all I could do was obey. He then mounted the bike and looked at me. His eyes…they were as blank as a canvas. He was quiet when he spoke, but his words were clear. “Hold on to something. If you fall off, you will die. If you fall off and live, I will kill you.”
I was stunned by his words, but they made sense. He turned towards the front, and started the vehicle. The wheels spun beneath me, and we shot forward like a bullet on steroids. My hands barley managed to grasp the metal bars next to me to prevent me from flying off into oblivion. Once we cleared the trees, I could see his goal was in sight. He was heading back to the behemoth. He quickly swerved to behind the creature, and slowed down enough to go up the ramp.
Once inside, the noise became no more than a whisper. The interior was even more intimidating than the outside. Tanks, jeeps, and other vehicles bordered the walls, leaving a distinguished path down the center. There were people scattered about in what appeared to be random places. Some were working the vehicles; others were inspecting the guns, while still others were just standing around. He drove to an empty space next to the other vehicles of its type, got off, and once again bound my wrists and led me to another room.
His actions were swift as he quickly unbound my hands, shoved me into a cell, and walked away. The silence brought pain to my hungry, dehydrated, exhausted body. The cell’s only comfort was a small cot in the corner. There was no window, there was no light. Silently I cried to myself as I crawled into the farthest corner of the cell.
A moment later, there came a sound. Echoes of metal filled the room as the door became unlocked. And once the door was open light flooded the room like a match in a cave, and then died quickly. I lifted my head, and looked through the bars. Three figures stood before me. The two men at the sides carried rifles, while the man in the center was clothed in a familiar looking uniform. It was too dim to make out any of their features, but it was light enough to at least their silhouette.
I rubbed my eyes as the last remnants of my tears ran down my face. The man in the center looked at both men and whispered something to them. They then turned and left with out a word. As soon as they left, two main lights overhead turned on.
I blinked a couple times, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the sudden change in light. As the last bits of the image came into focus, I had to rub my eyes to make sure I wasn’t seeing things.
Mark was standing before me. His uniform was decorated with various metals, and his cap held the emblem of a Master Sergeant. As he stood there, his eyes never moved. He didn’t even smile. He looked at me so sternly, as if I wasn’t even human anymore. I felt like I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have come here. He turned and was about to leave when I called out his name. “MARK!”
He stopped and turned his head to look at me. Slowly, a smile grew on his face. He turned all the way around, and came back to me. He stood there, just out of reach for me to hold him, but close enough to smell the cologne he put on this morning. Then quietly, so that only I could hear, he spoke.
“So…how are things back home?”
I told him everything. I told him how his mother was abused by the soldiers. I told him how I cried for so long just wanting to be held by him, and finally, I told him about the program I took form his computer. At the mere mention of the program, his eyes lit up.
“Do you have it with you?! Lisa, do you have it with you?”
I was baffled about how quick his expression changed. I stuttered a little as I reached in my pocket and pulled out the drive. “Y-yea, it’s on this thing I found at your desk. Here.” I handed him the drive.
A smile crept across his face as I handed him the drive. “Do you have any idea how valuable this is?” he asked me.
He quickly pocketed the device, and looked back at me. “I’m not sure what to say. You came all this way to give me this, but now what are you going to do?”
“I didn’t come here to give it to you,” I said. “I came here because I was worried about you. Ever since you left, I was haunted of thoughts of you never coming back to me. I thought that if I could see you, even just once, I could take you back home with me. I don’t know what I would do if I was never able to see you again.” A tear ran down my face.
For the longest time, neither of us spoke. He didn’t look at me, but he didn’t have to. On the floor I saw drops of his own tears collect in front of him. Sounds of the workers outside the steel echoed through the walls. I wanted to hold him, but the bars were in the way. So instead, I cried with him. I held my hand out to him, and he took it. His skin was as soft as his bed sheets at home. I tried to bring him closer, but his feet held fast. His eyes finally locked onto mine after several minutes. His crystal blue eyes actually sparkled from his tears. I wanted to hold him so bad! I brought my other arm through the bars, and whispered. “Please…please let me hold you.”
Lightly he shook his head “no.”
I gave a nod, and at that moment I had a feeling. It was similar to the one I had before when I was going to die, but then it grew stronger. I knew I would never see him again for the rest of my life.
His eyes took refuge behind the shadow of his cap. “As soon as we get to a safe area, I’ll have one of my officers’ take you home.”
“What about you?” I asked, but a part of me already knew the answer.
         His voice still echoes in my head today. “I’m sorry. I’m needed here. As you can see, I'm a high ranking officer; my soldiers need me to be here. I'm sorry, but I can’t leave. Not yet. But I-”
I cut him off. “Wait a second. Don’t make a promise to a girl, you know you can’t keep.”
The silence was painful, but it wasn’t as painful as false hope. He walked over to the door, and left. A moment later, another guard came in and brought me to his room. It was several hours before the same guard came back and brought me to a Flyrunner hanger. He brought me to one that was used to carry soldiers into battle. I took a seat next to one of the windows and looked out the small hole. The roof above opened like a camera shutter, allowing the carrier to take flight. My attention was brought back to the earth as I saw a figure stand alone amongst the other workers. Mark just stood there, and watched as the wings came out to their full length and began its ascent. As he grew farther and farther out of focus, I couldn’t help myself but cry. I knew I would never see him again, but I would always hold the memories deep within.