Black Morning Sky

That night I didn't sleep. Images, flashes, sounds and then the lack of it all kept me up. Shortly after the web was up again, the A.I restored the link to the nearby cameras. I saw everything that followed after the smoke cleared out. Cart after cart I watched they clean the hall while I hid on a rooftop.

At first I tried to count them. One by one they were thrown into the back of a truck. Hopelessly I tried to memorize their faces even though I knew it was impossible. I just wanted to do something. Standing there safe, unharmed was eating me alive. My first thought was to get down, grab the first gun and shoot as many of pigs as I could before I was killed. He had to pay. His plan was to exterminate all of us and he would do it without anyone knowing.

Instead, I stayed and watched, memorized every little detail about that night. How angry I felt; how quiet it was; how clever he was. Never in my life I would forget what happened.

Wide awake I waited until all the officers had left after the last new shining glass door was replaced. With the departure of the last armoured vehicle it was like no one was ever there. Not a single trace of what happened was left on the entrance of the City Tower, besides the carpet of corpses on the street that led to it. That stayed exactly like he left it.

Back at edge for the first time, the sun came up. I couldn't see it because of the tall buildings but the rays escaped between the cracks illuminating Tier-1. A new day, at least for everyone else that wasn't on that street. For me and the thousands of bodies it was still night, regardless of how bright it looked.

Right after I looked down I pulled away. I didn't have the courage to look at them. Going home was all I wanted. Get as far from that city as possible, I needed to leave otherwise I would do something hasty.

Louise! She crossed my mind like lightning. In no time I was up and heading towards the station. On the way I left the armour on the hideout, couldn't risk the Force tracing it back to me. Ready to head out I had nothing on me besides my screen. Left every piece of gear behind in case I got searched by the Force pigs at the port.

Initially I feared I wouldn't be able to board at the closest station. Cops would be all over it and it would be probably out of service. To avoid being seen in broad daylight wondering around the City Tower, I went down a couple blocks earlier to catch the train far away from that hellhole.

Back with my feet on the ground I hesitated on leaving the anonymity of the narrow alley. I had no clue of what I would do if I saw one of them again. Normal people crossed my sight, coming and going in all directions unaffected by what happened. Did they even know about it? Did any of them care about anything besides themselves? Just as the anger faded away a chill got to my stomach before the thought had even taken form in my brain.

Jk. His name wandered around my mind, blocking me from doing or thinking about anything else. Jk was always at the front being the first one to throw bombs at the cops but I didn't see him. Truth is I didn't even think about looking for him. I didn't think about him at all. I was so focused on winning I didn't consider the consequences. He could've been there. He could still "be" there.

Pulling my screen out of my pocket I called him. While I waited I stared at his profile picture. Every time the loading circle completed a turn the ice knot in my stomach went up a bit. Crawling up to my throat to choke me from the inside. In my head I shouted those two letters trying to suffocate the horrifying thoughts that gradually became louder and louder.

- What… do… you WANT?! - A sleepy but very angry voice hidden in the shadows yelled after the connection finally loaded. Seeing him made me spit out the apprehension that was holding me from breathing.

- Where were you, you son of a bitch?!

- Home? Why? Where were "you"? - He approached the light, allowing me to take a look at his face.

- Nowhere. - I breathed in deeply. Our eyes met but as soon as it happened I looked away. - You can have the place for a couple days, I'm going out of town.

- Cool. Goodbye. - in any other given day I would have freaked out over it, instead it made me chuckle. It was selfish being relieved for Jk but it gave me the courage to get out of the alley.

Keeping my head down I crossed the street, putting physical distance between me and that night. Still my memories held me captive, reminding me at every step of what I left behind.

To take my mind out of things while I walked the short distance between one stop and the other, I figured it would be polite to call Louise to let her know I was coming. She said I could visit whenever I wanted but I felt obliged to let her know I was on my way. Closing my eyes for a short second after initiating the call, the images of horses on the green fields made my heart shrink.

- Kid? What's up? - hearing her voice hit me differently that time, unexpectedly causing my heart to beat stronger almost breaking a hole into my chest.

- I am... - I watched her puzzled face stare at me and her eyebrows come closer together with every second I stayed silent. - I'm coming to visit… Actually I wanted to stay for a few days. If that's okay?

The answer didn't come right away. First she analyzed me. Kept staring intensely at the screen like she was standing right in front of me. Beating stronger than ever in a rhythm I had never experienced, my heart was digging an even bigger hole in my ribs. I was about to call it off and say it was all a joke when she told me she would go pick me up at the country port.

Poorly composed and alone with my thoughts after she hang up, desperately I rubbed my face to shake one suffocating feeling that insisted on going up my throat.

I was in the middle of the streets with people bumping into me left and right and never apologizing. Uncertain of which way to go, I looked up. The city was the same as always, ads everywhere. Buildings of all shapes and sizes. Trains crossing in tracks that led everywhere. Something hid behind all that. I tried to find a small opening on the mess of concrete and iron but it was hopeless, everywhere was all blocked. All I wanted was to know what color was the sky that morning.

Black, I assumed.