Familiar Story

One for Peter, three for Jim and four for Jeff. The anticipation was high and no one knew when the crowd around the table had increased, viewing the game of noobs.

Jim took his turn and on the second breath, he took his shot. The 5-ball rolled, hit by the white ball, round the table, hitting the edges quite violently. Jim had but a lot of effort in this one. Just maybe a 'lot' of effort. Eyes on the ball, it's movement stopped just right at the edge of the pocket.

"Was he jinked?" Peter thought.

"What kind of bad luck is this?" Jim asked himself. He was enjoying the game, and all of a sudden, his moment to shine was disrupted by the 'fucking' laws of physics.

But then, while everyone else stared at the ball including Jim who was hoping something would happen, something unexpected happened. Akira reached out for the ball, and with a flick of his finger sent the ball tumbling into the pocket.

'It was a put?'

Some around the table hailed in jubilation and it was shown on the exuberant smile on Peter's face.

'Was this a game?" Jim asked himself almost aloud. Akira had clearly touched the ball, and no one seemed to be concerned about it. Clearly, that method of 'making myself unnoticeable' was evidently working out fine.

"This is a game!' Jeff sounded out. And, they looked like the answer to Jim's question.

Jeff took his turn and managed to make a put. However, it seemed like this new found luck but of placing the ball in the pocket on the first trial would make Peter the winner. And it did. There were no need for argument when Peter made a put of his last ball two trials after, and and the next two, closed the game by putting the eight-ball.

"Hahaha" Peter harrumphed. "Now I wish we placed bets.

"Yeah you will" Jeff retorted. He had come out last in the game of pool and he was naturally not happy about it. Not that he could do any thing about it though.

"So, what do y'all wanna do?" Peter asked. The crowd was slowly dispersing and Peter obviously wanted to the three of them to do something like what they had just done, again. In the process of saying that, he looked to the side and it seemed he had noticed something the others didn't.

"What do you say we get out of here and continue our little chat elsewhere." Peter tugged at the two and slightly pushed them forward. The two immediately understood his cue, and since he had been a good tour guide, followed him.

"Notice those two?" Akira who was by Jim's side pointed towards the distance.

Jim could see some individuals shuffling their way around the crowd and heading towards them. Akira who pointed this out to Jim deduced this from the way the fast approaching individuals steadfastly kept their eyes on them even as they made their way towards them.

Luckily for them all, Peter was a very evader and thanks to his knowledge of the building, they were able to evade the 'pursuers'.

"We made it" Peter heaved. Jeff among the three who had no idea what was happening made it very clear he did not understand it at all.

"Just forget about it." Peter advised. "Any questions?" he asked in his usual casual tone spreading his hands to indicate ignorance.

"I have." Jeff made his intention known. And before Peter could reply, he proceeded to ask.

"If I were to be wearing a skirt, how am I supposed to manage when the place is made of glass."

Honestly, every one understood what Jeff was hinting at, but also wondered how and why his mind could go there.

"I thought you would think clearly." Peter replied. "The glass is translucent. If it were transparent, then no one would feel secure all the way to the thirtieth floor. But from there all the way to the one hundred and sixth floor,, there are no structures like this." With that, he had silenced Jeff and his yet to be born questions.

Peter looked at Jim who showed no intentions of asking anything, and his eyes trailed off which seemed to be staring at Akira.

"Since there's no questions, how about I narrate a story. One that has to do with my past, and pretty much a very familiar story."

That said, Jeff and Jim focused completely on Peter as they continued their walk.

"This happened late back, about three to four years ago." he revealed. "My family and I lived in a civilian settlement, outside of the Academy and the Resistance settlement. It was a fairly large one, very large one. It was composed of buildings three to five stories high, better roadways, nice pavements and the rest. Also had about three wings for each building. My dad was a security officer, a chief one for the fourth sector of the settlement. Luckily for us, my family and I were ranked Tier 3, just three steps up from the lower ranks, with the lowest being six. That meant, we had access to privileges lower ranks didn't." Peter paused to gauge his audience's reaction, but this time, his pause was greatly noticed and shunned due to how intriguing his story was becoming.

"However, there came a day everyone was fully aware would come, but prayed and wished earnestly it wouldn't materialize." He heaved heavily. "But notwithstanding, this day wound up on our door steps the day we weren't expecting. That day, I was on the third story if a building with my younger and only sibling, my sister. I wasn't prepared for anything, the only thing I knew was that the building was rumbling. It seemed to be the building, but it wasn't. It was the entire surrounding. Heavy artillery, deadly Aca-tech users were having a serious 'argument' with rebel operatives who had actually been running a base in the settlement..... I'm not sure you've ever been in a war zone. But when you are, you'll understand that when there is a threat of great significance, that needs to be dealt with, lives of civilians outside of the Academy hardly matters.

My sister clinged to me tightly, as I tried to find my way out of the building, but the number of people rushing frantically was too pressuring. I had almost given up hope, that was until I heard a familiar voice say:

____

"Warrior, don't worry, I'm hear now." the voice sounded.

"Dad?"

DAD!

'My parents called me warrior then because of my attitude.' Peter exposed.

"Warrior, grab onto your sister...no give her to me, hold my hand tightly and follow me."

'My dad grabbed my sister and carried her, grabbed my arm and pulled me along. I tried to ask him how he got to us, bit the pandemonium prevented it.'

Peter, his sister and his dad kept moving and his dad kept shouting; "Keep moving!' Soon, they had arrived at a wall that seemed to signify the end of their run. However, Peter's dad kept placing his hand allover the door and finally grabbed what looked like a door knob. And with force, he pulled it, causing the wall to move way like a door. Several others forced their way through the door, but Peter, his sister and his dad had made it in. The door closed locking those who could not make it in outside.

___

"In there, we met my mother who had been taken in by my father before he came for us. In the dimly lit room, there were several others waiting for something, and sturdy males at the front guarding the entrance to a somewhere else. A much as the crowd was, no one tried to bypass these guys. Why? They held deadly weapons and had proven what these weapons could do." Peter paused, but not to gauge any reaction, but to breathe heavily. The story seemed to have taken a toll on him.

"My father pulled myself and my my sibling and walked towards these guys. He showed them something, but as they warned him to get back, a man in suit, the senior settlement operative came and met my father. He muttered something to his hearing and my dad stayed behind. He soon left, but my dad waited. After moments of waiting, the room began to flash red and shake. We had been tricked. My dad told me so.

___

"Fuck Walker, fuck him!" Peter's father screamed.

"What is it?"

"We've been deceived. They've gone, leaving us to die. Follow me.

He lead the way still holding on to Peter and his sister and exited the room. The family ran evading falling pieces of blocks, until a large chunk of block fell on Peter's mother. Other fell subsequently. Peter's father ran to lift her, but she dissuaded him.

"Save them first, then you can come back for me." she said.

After much persuasion, Peter's father lifted both Peter and his sister on his sturdy body and ran as fast as he could. He went to the upper floor despise the collapsing structure and made it.

____

"My dad opened a strange window, and what looked like a curved part of the building opened up. He placed us in it and said.."

___

"Wait here! I'll go get your mum. Wait here!"

He placed a small button in my hands and said; "If I don't come out soon, press this and you'll be transported out of the he building to safety."

With that, he kissed the two children and left.

___

"He ran back into the building to get mother, but no sooner had he done that, than some group of five rushed into the escape pod. I couldn't push them out, but they didn't want to wait."

"Do you want to die?" they shouted.

"The building was collapsing fast, and the others kept persuading me to take us out of there. How they knew I could, I had no idea. Even my sister kept crying loudly. I couldn't hear it, and I pressed the button. The elevator began to descend and once it had reached a considerable level, I saw my father approaching with my mom his hands. They stopped away from the edge of where the elevator was and my father stared at the elevator. I tried frantically to reverse the action by pressing the button repeatedly. Soon, the floor my parents were on, collapsed with them. I had killed them." Peter concluded.

Even after telling the story, he did not look sorry or much concerned. And he did not show signs of pain.

"You did not." Jim managed to say.

"Why do you say that?" Peter retorted. "I was the one who pressed the button. If I had waited, I would have saved them. I blamed those who pressured me at first, but I understood, it was not them, but my fear that made me press that button. From that day, I vowed to get rid of fear and take care of my sister. If at all my parents can forgive me for what I did. I could see a smile on my father's face before he died, but I knew when was disappointed. And if I may say proudly, I've gotten rid of my fear."

Beep beep

Peter's wrist watch beeped and he proceeded to leave the duo.

"I'm sorry guys, I gotta go. Tomorrow, if you so choose, meet me here. I'll be here, any time. Turn to your navigation guide and don't forget to secure an accomodation." With that, he had run off leaving Jim and Jeff alone.

"Nice meeting you" Jeff said and walked away.

"Just like Kay" Jim muttered looking at the direction Peter had left in. He put on his phone and sighed deeply when he turned on his navigation guiding system.

'Would you like to secure an accomodation?'

CENTRAL IMMIGRATION CONTROL CENTRE

ACADEMY__

SEGMENT 4

SECTOR 3

10: 35 PM GMT

22: 35 PM GMT

____

Peter had run of and taken the the elevator to the sixth floor. Once he had done that, he took took a detour to an open space. There he waited, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Good"

He turned back with a startle to see the person who had said that.

"Sir" he said

"Change of plans" the sir said. "You're moving to the institution."

"What!..I mean yes Sir."