Chapter 16: Tunnel Vision
The fire began to spread across the town at an alarming rate. The small buildings were the first to go, and it didn't take long for the rest to go down with them. Soon enough, the entire town burned horribly.
It was more than big enough to leave long-lasting scars-- not just physically for the unlucky ones but also for those on the opposite end of the spectrum, as no one would come out of there truly unscathed.
Cough!
Cough!
Cough!
Cough!
Two boys the age of children breathed in a dangerous smoke, their mouths open in fear. The danger they'd no doubt witnessed in terror had corroded their minds, leaving them unable to think properly.
It hadn't been long, but the effects were starting to take their toll. It became increasingly harder for them to breathe, and the smoke irritated their eyes. Unfortunately, there weren't any nearby buildings that could temporarily protect them, as they had already gone up in flames.
They were never taught what to do should they ever encounter such a situation, and seeing it all happen in person was unlike anything they could've ever predicted.
They were worried. They wanted to see their mother after their father went after the slaves minutes ago, but they couldn't find either of them anywhere, even if their search hadn't been long.
Cough!
Cough!
The boys were tempted to cry amidst their coughing, but they knew it was best to hold it all in. Papa didn't like weak boys who cried, and they were taught not to show weakness no matter what.
"Mama will... Cough... save us soon. I know it," one of them said, trembling as he held onto someone's arm.
"I-I'm scared," said the other brother.
"I know, Noah. I know."
Fewer people filled up the town now, including the children from before. It started looking more like a burning ghost town every minute. They could hear lots of shouting from earlier, but they could not tell who was doing what and where they were all going.
And unfortunately for them, no one seemed to want to save them. They were too busy looking after themselves and their children. Thankfully for the two brothers, their prayers were answered in the nick of time.
"Tom! Noah!" Someone shouted as they rushed at the boys with extended arms, with another person following right behind her.
"Mama!"
"Thank goodness you're all right!" Marissa said over a piece of cloth covering her mouth.
As she embraced the boys tightly, she struggled to let go. It seemed that, for a moment, she never would. Maybe not for a lifetime. Not even an eternity.
But she eventually relented. She came to them with the purpose of not only protecting them but providing them with unequal comfort.
"I need ya both to wear these!" Marissa yelled.
In her hands were thick pieces of cloth that looked no different from the one she was wearing. The boys didn't have the chance to take them from her, as Marissa kneeled and put the masks on just for them.
Unlike her boys, she seemed unaffected by the smoke's effects, as she did not exhibit any noticeable symptoms. The same could be said for Wylis.
Like a magic trick, the mask had rendered the smoke's effects mostly ineffective, as their coughs came to a near halt within moments. It didn't stop their eyes from hurting, and breathing was not made any easier either. But for now, it was good enough. It wasn't like they were going to stay there forever.
"I heard what sounded like coughing just a minute ago! And to think it was the two of you! I'm so sorry!" Marissa expressed.
"I was so worried! I thought I'd lost you both! I never should've left you!"
Holding on to the boys' shoulders, she quietly leaned in as if she had something important to say.
"Listen to me very carefully," Marissa murmured. The boys nodded silently.
"I want the two of you to go with Wylis and a group of other good kids like ya'll. Okay?" Marissa said as she glanced at Wylis, who had also been wearing a mask to cover his mouth.
"Ma--"
"But mama! W-what about pa!?" The eldest boy grumbled, unknowingly interrupting his only brother.
Marissa's heart skipped a beat over the mention of her husband, but this was only because of how her son uttered his words. There was this sense of urgency within them. Something that couldn't be glossed over like it was nothing.
"Your father? Hold on. Where is your father?" she asked as she looked around her environment, but the only thing she could see aside from the clouds of smoke in the air along with the raging fires were the people that couldn't hold a candle to her husband's size.
"Don't tell me... He's going after the slaves!?" Marissa's eyes flashed in horror as she suddenly remembered her earlier encounter with the hooded man. About how he had taken down and paralyzed a few of her men, all of whom were still somehow unconscious.
She then forced herself to calm down. Now wasn't the time to frighten her children more than they had already been.
"Wylis!" Marissa exclaimed as she rose from her kneel.
As if he had never been in a stupor, Wylis responded almost instantly. "Lady Marissa! What are your orders?" he asked, a grave expression having formed on his rotund cheeks.
"Take these two with you to where we've evacuated the others. And do it fast!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
As Marissa turned her gaze away from Wylis back to her children, she could only stare at them painfully.
"Boys, I'm sorry. I'll have to go after your father first. But I promise. I promise that we'll see each other soon."
Marissa found it difficult to say those words, but she knew they were necessary.
"Mama?" One of the boys muttered.
"Mama's right, Noah. We gotta go with Uncle Wylis. Mama said she'll promise us."
"But... but Mama..." A drop or two of tears finally emerged from his eyes, unable to escape onto the ground as his mask absorbed them unapologetically.
"Come now, boys," said Wylis softly.
"F-fine," the boy named Noah sniffed. He tried to hold back his tears. He had already told papa that he wouldn't show weakness, but it was too much to bear.
Wylis took the boys by his arms and fleeted along with them somewhere far from the fire. Somewhere most of the children had been holed up, but before they could go any further, Marissa yelled out, "Wait!"
She was looking at the weapons her boys held onto. It seemed as though she had something else she wanted to say, but seeing as the boys were well-equipped for the time being, she swiftly gave up and simply said.
"Wylis... Please them keep safe for me."
"Yes, ma'am. Ya don't gotta worry about them," Wylis reassured her.
"Good. I trust you," Marissa smiled. "Now go."
A promise was a promise, and failure wasn't an option.
With the boys disappearing into the distance and with more and more townsfolk being evacuated away from their burning houses and scampering off to somewhere safer, Marissa thought that the situation had been handled better than she had anticipated. It surprised her.
And now, there was only one more thing left to do.
"I'll follow you just as you once followed me. I'll be there soon, Richard!"
Marissa ran up to the barn and took with her a horse. Almost all of the horses were already gone aside from one other horse, which was the one she had used. But before she left, she found what appeared to be a corpse of a hooded figure with a small hole in his chest.
She was relieved at first, believing the body belonged to an enemy. That is until she realized it wasn't that other slave's body.
"So it's just like the old days. You've killed someone with your spear," her eyes flickered in shock.
"That can't be good. You better be safe and sound as soon as I see you!"
As Marissa rode the horse off into the distance, she followed the trail where her husband must've gone. Her senses were exceptionally sharp, and his smell was very distinct from other people.
"Hyah!" her voice echoed as the horse galloped, following a gentle nudge from her foot.
It would take her less than half an hour to find him.
***
As the young man stepped inside the tunnel, he couldn't help but finally admit to himself about something that had been at the back of his mind.
"It could just be me, but somehow I have a feeling it was destiny that brought us to this tunnel. As... well as him. How utterly convenient."
He only took note of it now, but it was indeed strange how everything seemed to be going their way as soon as that 'slave' had introduced himself.
The original plan hadn't been about burning the buildings but their most sacred artifacts instead. It was still somewhat of a complex procedure since it involved his family and the slaves, but to think such an underground system would exist.
Because of it, he could ultimately change how his plan worked. From burning artifacts to the whole town itself... Even so, it was risky. And he didn't know if things would go by flawlessly. But for now, he wasn't worried about such details. He wasn't going to deny the freedom of the slave who had helped him the most this past week.
Standing inside the tunnel with rocky but sturdy walls, the young man held a bright torch he had planted on a sconce to his left. In the distance were a dozen figures, the front of the lot holding torches. They were each wearing masks that covered half of their faces.
The young man's mother appeared before the group and walked up to her son, hugging him with open arms along with the rest of his family.
"I'm sure you all have done your jobs, correct?" he questioned everyone.
"Yes indeed, m-master," said a familiar voice.
The whole pack of slaves were quite the reticent bunch, and none of them could read and write in any such capacity, save for a few of them.
The young man sighed heavily, but it wasn't at the person who had called him "master."
He then spoke, "Well, I regretfully inform you that our enemies might now have a clue as to who I am despite my disguise. Even with all the preparations, it seems that this was still inevitable," the young man frowned for a moment before curling his lips slightly upwards.
"Now, this will be the very final part of the scheme. If I remember correctly, almost all of you know how to ride horses, yes? If not, don't fret. You can just ride with the ones who can. My family being an example."
As he turned his back away from them, the whole group went momentarily silent. He remembered all about his many experiences in the past. How to protect himself, how to utilize his combat skills, along with his latent abilities, or what was left of them.
However, it had been a while since he practiced-- ever since he became a full-fledged pacifist. At first, he wasn't even sure if he should carry on with the act of burning everything down. There was no way to control who would and wouldn't survive entirely. The chances were far more arbitrary than he could hope for, and things were different now. He couldn't rely on his talents as much as he used to anymore.
It was even because of this that someone had seemingly figured him out-- something that had never happened before. But whether this was due to Marissa being cleverer than he expected or as a result of his diminished abilities, it still didn't change the fact that he needed to keep moving forward.
Whatever happens, happens. It was already too late to turn back, anyway. Besides, the young man wasn't necessarily killing anyone under his own hands. Still, it was a huge cause for concern.
As the leader of the new group of underground rebels turned to the ceiling ahead of him, a sudden thought arose. 'Hmm... Thirty to forty individuals. About as many as last time. That's good. It means that everyone is outside their houses now. In that case...'
"I think it's time we readied ourselves," the young man said as he slid his mask upwards to hide his identity like he did earlier.
"And remember. Our only goal is to escape here with each other, and that's it. I will not tolerate direct killings of anyone else. Got it?"
No one answered with a word. Most of them only nodded with their heads.
His mother's facial features had grown incomparably serious, and his siblings had stiffened themselves in preparation for what was to come. Everyone in the room looked more tense than usual.
"Of course, m-master..."
"Sigh. Some things just never change," the young man grumbled.
"Anyhow, our last part of the plan is coming very soon. Everyone prepare yourselves!" he yelled.
And as soon as he said those words, everyone walked towards the entrance.
***
"Damn. Did you have to go and stop there?" I asked the old man again.
"I'm afraid so, yeah. It's too late now, and my shop's gon' close real soon."
I looked at the time on my phone.
[8:15 P.M.]
'Well, shit. Looks like he was right. It said 8:30 P.M. on the closing time, and we only have fifteen minutes left. Oh well.'
"What a damn shame. I'm surprised you could tell this story to a bunch of young men like me. Must've taken you only 4 hours. You know how short that is?" I jokingly asked.
"I never did tell most of them about the young man's backstory, actually," he chuckled.
"Oh really? I mean, shouldn't it still take a couple of hours even without it?" I asked.
"Ye. You could say that. And ya wanna know why I always take so long?"
The old man's smile disappeared before speaking, "It's cause I'm telling ya everything I know."
"No shit, Sherlock. You've said that like three or more times already!" I complained.
"There's a saying about history that my co-workers from my old job would say all the time," he said softly.
"Which is?"
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
"Can you tell me what that means?" I looked at the old man for a few seconds before asking.
"It means if you don't want more young men like you to die, then ya gotta inform them of the old days."
I paused again. I pondered what he said to me before coming up with a quick conclusion.
"Ooooooooh. I see. I see. So this isn't just about me saving young men from The Silent Train either..." I said as if I had figured out what he was trying to tell me this whole time.
"Haha. Ya really do catch on pretty quick. I'm surprised it took this long for me to find you."
"Yeah, whatever. Anyways, the restaurant is closing up. Are you gonna finish up the story for me tomorrow, then? I mean, I don't have work tomorrow, but I'm not sure about the little guy over here," I said as I pointed to my right.
But to my surprise, the young boy was already gone.
"What in the? Where the hell did he go?"
I looked everywhere for him until I realized that the entire restaurant had already been emptied, and no other customers were coming in any longer.
The employees were still there, but it was only the guy named Eduardo. I had no idea about the others.
"Man, oh man. Ya still got a lot of work to do. Well... We'll see each other tomorrow. It was very nice talking with ya, young man. I'm sorry I couldn't finish my story in time."
"What the? You still haven't told me where he left off to..."
"You was too bothered to even notice. Sorry for not telling ya earlier. I figured ya didn't give it much thought when he left from under the table," the old man said.
"Sigh. You know what, you're right. I really should leave soon. I'm already getting tired. Your story was interesting, though. Never heard of anything this crazy until now. But about the young guy. Do you think he went home to his parents if he had any?"
"I've said before that I didn't know him very well, but he did have parents. They went and came outside to pick him up," he said.
"Really? And he didn't say a thing about that either? Oh well. I hope he's doing alright," I said as I stood up from the bench.
"Anyways, I'm going back home. I guess we'll see each other tomorrow, grandpa figure," I yawned. I was finally beginning to feel how tired I had truly been.
"Hahaha. You always come up with the strangest of names. See ya too, boy. Have a good night!" The old man waved at me as I walked away, that same grin from earlier returning to his wrinkly face.
"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled.
But before I could step out of the restaurant, I had remembered to ask something important. "Hold on. When are we gonna meet tomorrow?" was my question as I stared back at the old man before I could touch the door handle.
I was hoping he would not only hear but also answer my question with certainty. He did both of those things, though he didn't do the second part in the way that I expected.
"You'll know when I see ya. Just remember to come here whenever you feel like it, okay? But don't come after three o' clock, ya hear!"
"Okay, fine. I'll see you soon, then."
I didn't wave at him or smile, but he did what I couldn't do. He seemed happy to converse with me at any chance he was given.
Finally, I stepped outside the restaurant and opened the glass door.
'About time I got some fresh air.'
I then rechecked my phone.
[8:22 P.M.]
Looking up at the night sky, I was immediately taken back to an older sight. It reminded me of when times were more challenging but also more straightforward.
The streets were much quieter compared to a few hours ago, albeit there were still many people doing who knows what downtown.
Streetlights permeated every corner of the block, and I could see quite a few neon signs turned on. Some businesses were still... well, busy serving customers. A few were busy closing up.
I was somewhat tempted to go to the arcade at that point to refresh my mind, but I didn't want to spend my money for the time being. The arcade was already closing in a few hours anyways.
Needless to say, I walked with my head held high. I decided I would leave my thoughts about what happened today for a different time.
'Silent Train, huh? What a weird old guy. And that kid.'
That night had been the first time I'd ever gotten a good night's sleep.