Souls Below

Chapter Ten

Hours passed while I lay on my back on the crates I managed to shuffle around, the hum of the City a slight vibration underneath me. I stared at the buzzing light on the ceiling, wondering where Krane was now. While my mind tried to stay on Jerard and Krane I couldn't help but think about Calian. I doubted I would be able to leave to check on him any time soon.

I'd be lucky if I was able to go back home at all. At least I'm alive.

I heard boots outside in the hallway, the door opening wide as Jerard stood there, his large frame filling the doorway. I sat up quickly, my arm protesting but I pushed the paid aside as I stared at the man that cared for me. I could see Krane standing just behind him in the hall, his eyes on the ground. Any converstation I had conjured up in my head was gone the moment I laid eyes on him, my eyes welling up as my emotions threatened to spill over, biting my lip to stop the tears

"Jerard..." I started, only to be caught off guard when he strode forward and pulled me into the biggest hug I had ever received, feeling his body shake as he cried himself "I'm sorry Jerard, I should have listened. You were right...about everything" I sobbed into his chest. He hushed me, sitting me back down on the crates and crouching in front of me, his head still coming level with my eyes

"Everyone makes mistakes Mira, we are all human" his deep voice was soft, as if comforting a child. That's exactly how I felt, like the day he found me, scared and broken "I have made many of my own in my life. But it's whether we learn from them and rise above that defines us" he let out a big sigh "I am sorry for calling you....for what I said, you were never her replacement. It was Déjà vu, she..." he paused for a moment "Serene, was your age when she got sick" I wiped the tears from my face

"What's Déjà vu?" Krane let out a laugh from out in the hall, Jerard echoing as we all ended up laughing

"Your damn curiosity..." Jerard chuckled, a phrase Calian used coming to mind

"Curiosity killed the rat" Jerard frowned, his smile still on his face but it dropped slightly

"cat" he corrected, holding up a hand before I even had a chance to ask "Don't ask" he chuckled again. He inspected my arm, turning back to Krane and accepting the bag he handed over. Without speaking he flushed and wrapped my arm, listening to my explaination of the weapon the guard had used

"it's called a gun. Us Lowers are not allowed such things, since the Uppers know it would be the only thing that would..." he shook his head, falling silent while contunuing to wrap my arm. I watched as his eyes flicked to my forearm and the medic wrap I already had. But as always, he said nothing, waiting for me to find my comfort enough to talk

"I didn't know your wife had a sister" I saw Krane's head whip in my direction, Jerard's hands faltering before continuing

"I haven't spoken to Meya since Klare disappeared. I felt....ashamed" I studied Jerard's face, hoping he continued; he had never opened up about his family to me directly before

"Why?" my voice was quiet

"I couldn't protect my family. I couldn't protect my daughter when she got sick, and I couldn't stop my wife from disappearing because she wanted things to change" that explained why he started protecting so many others afterwards

"is that why you protected me so much?" Jerard let out a sigh, finishing the medic wrap

"At first, maybe. I saw a broken, scared and helpless girl that needed a protector and thought I could make up for all my failures" I drew in a shakey breath at the revelation "But after a while, seeing the turmoil you went through whenever we came up empty from finding your parents, being the shoulder your cried on, the face you yelled at, the figure you looked up to, I realised you weren't giving me an opportunity to fix my failures, you were allowing me to heal by being the missing piece to my family" tears started pouring down my face again, I didn't know my real parents, but Jerard had been the closest thing to a father I could have hoped for

'You are my daughter Amira, a gift 'given from god'" I felt my eyebrows tug into a small frown at the same quote CAlian had used. "Whether born into my family or placed on my path, you are my daughter, until you don't want me anymore. Even after then" those words felt like the weight of the whole Upper City was removed from my shoulders.

I wrapped my arms around his large frame as much as I could, allowing my fear and anxiety roll off in waves while in the comfort of the man I knew would keep me safe no matter what. After a few minutes Jerard gently pulled me back, his large and soft brown eyes staring into mine

"Until I can convince the guards to move on, or forget about you completely, you need to stay put. No one knows this place exists, much like many parts of this City the knowledge and information has been lost to time" Krane stepped inside the door, eyes now glued to me

"We will take turns bringing you food and water. I packed a few of your clothes inside the bag, as well as a hot blanket and pillow to sleep at night" Krane explained, Jerard placing the bag beside me on the crates. The reality of my situation started to sink in, the understanding that I couldn't go home for a while dawning on me

"What about work?" the thought of them all struggling to eat themselves and provide for me caused my chest to tighten

"I will have someone take your place for a few days, Strem knows someone that is similar in your size that can manage the pipes long enough for us to figure out a solid plan" Jerard's rough voice held a tone I knew all to well "Do not leave this room without one of us, is that understood Mira?" I stared between Jerard and Krane, knowing how serious this now was. I was starting to regret helping that Upper at all.

"Yes" I squeaked.

"I will go and check the way is clear to head off, but I will be back tomorrow" Krane explained, eyes lingering on me a moment before leaving. I felt my heart sink; I had hoped he would stay a little longer to keep me company. Jerard was watching my face intently

"What's wrong pea?" I fiddled with my hands as I tried to soft my emotions into words.

"How do you know if you...like...someone" Jerard raised an eyebrow

"Is this about Krane?" I thought for a moment how I had been feeling, my thoughts then drifting to how I reacted to Calian, and how my thoughts kept wondering back to him. I shook my head. Both eyebrows raised at that

"what if it was a...stranger?" Jerard sighed, sitting back

"Another boy to chase off?" he chuckled, a smile pulling at my mouth. The possibility of Jerard throwing Calian off the top of the disctrict wall was higher than Krane. But he was my friend, the thought of feeling more than that meant I could lose him completely if he didn't feel the same. I had already begun to brush off the odd feelings and sensations as being worried for him

"How was it with you and Klare?" Jerard's chuckle echoed out into the hallway, his eyes glazing over as long forgotten memories came back

"She strongly disliked my presence. I pursued her to no end though. She enthralled my senses in a way I had never experienced" Jerard's tone changed, the way he spoke similar to Calian the first day we met. "and by god did she have a brilliant right swing. Klare made her point clear how she viewed myself, never conceding to my advances" he chuckled to himself at the memory "but that's what made me fall more in love with her"

"So, if she hated you, how did you two end up together?" his eyes refocused on my face, pausing a moment and clearing his throat as he thought about the question, realising where he was caused that wall he held against everyone around him, myself included, to go back up. Questions about how much I knew this man started to form in my head.

"That's for another time. It's a long and...emotional story" he gently placed his hand on my cheek "We have time, and I promise to tell you about it. I have realised I was hiding from my pain, using the excuse I was protecting you. But really I was protecting myself" Jerard stood, brushing his hands together "It's time I stopped treating you like a fragile object, and like the strong daughter I know you are" Krane appeared in the doorway, eyes flicking between myself and Jerard

"laneway's clear, we need to move now if we want to avoid the patrol" Jerard nodded, taking one more look at me before turning and leaving. Krane lingered in the doorway a moment longer, I had hoped he would stay, but with the guards on a rampage I knew he needed to return to his home with his dad.

"I messed up big time, didn't I?" the looked that crossed his face was between a grimace and sympathy.

"the device is in the bag, use it if you are in trouble...or need someone to talk to" he replied instead. I nodded, feeling the guilt weigh me down - everyone I cared for was now in danger. Krane closed the door, leaving me alone in the small and depressing room. I let out a huge sigh. This was a better consequence than execution, but still sucked. I lay back down on the crates; this was going to be a long few days.

~*~

My god, I wish it was only a few days.

Krane, Jerard and Strem had all been by at least once a day. For nine days! I was kept in the loop on what was happening with the guards. They thought that by running I knew about the Upper, so far they hadn't put any pieces together that I might not have an ID. I pretended like that was a relief, but deep down I felt horrible, since the reason I had been out late that night was because I knew about the Upper.

I kept those emotions to myself.

Krane came by less than Jerard and Strem, his demeanor more closed off than normal - something about the way he acted gave an inkling Jerard had said something about how I felt. I wasn't even sure that's how I felt. I was curious if they were the correct feelings I had experiences. A small voice in the back of my head kept nagging that he was upset because I hadn't spoken to him first. He was my best friend. My only friend. As far as he was aware I hadn't met anyone else.

I knew I would have to apologise for keeping that from him, but how when it involved revealing Calian?

I stood on top of the pipes just outside the room, trying to reach a small section on the roof that looked like it opened to somewhere above. Again I didn't listen to Jerard and stay inside the room at all times, but after a few days I couldn't take the same four walls for hours on end. I convinced myself that just outside the room was almost the same as inside, as long as I didn't go any further.

I was so lost in figuring out the little latch I didn't hear Krane walking down the hall until his voice broke the silence

"Having fun?" I let out a surprised yelp, losing my footing and falling to the ground. Krane gave a shout of panic, dropping the bag he had, and caught me in his arms, the shock of the sudden drop pulling us both to the ground. We lay there, a small groan escaping my mouth as Krane started laughing

"We had a bet on how long before you started venturing outside the room" I sat up and turned my shock gaze to my friend "Jerard has more faith in you than I thought" Krane sat up shortly after

"How long did he think I'd last?"

"seven days" I felt my mouth drop in surprise

'And you?" he gave an apologetic smile

"...five?" my mouth dropped further, Krane held his hands up defensively "Hey, you were grounded for five last time before you stopped listening"

"I blame you" I sniffed "you are a bad influence" Krane feigned shock at the accusation, only to start laughing again; he knew I was right. He dragged the bag he had been carrying over, helping me stand and hoisting it back onto his shoulder

"I brought you some things" I groaned, shoulders slumping

"This place sucks, it wouldn't be so bad if I could explore this tunnels" Krane didn't say anything as we stood outside the room "Do they look like they are giving up the search yet?" he made a face that told me it was a no - I groaned again

"They are pretty persistent this time for some reason. Jerard is trying to find out why" he paused for a moment, glancing down the hall "he's is having a hard time with some of the people in the Makers sector, and Dad said the Mech sector is starting to become ticked off with how long the Guards have been lurking in the City" my ears perked up at that "Both are worried it's going to start another rebellion we aren't ready for"

"Maybe it's something the City needs if we want to be free" I mumbled "Maybe the rebels aren't so bad for wanting to bring the Uppers to our level" Krane glanced at me, not answering. We had our diferent views on the rebels, his not as gracious as mine. He saw them as cowardly bandits, not the liberators seeking vengeance for the Lowers.

"So" I started, changing the subject "what gloating session awaits me today on how I'm stuck here because I'm a daydreamer?" I mocked, shoving my hands under my armpits and rocking back on my heels. Krane didn't answer, he simply held the P.I.P card in front of my face. I let out a gasp, noticing then that the backpack he had on was the one I had thrown over the pipes nine days ago while running from the guards

"Want to go on an adventure?"