Souls Below

Chapter Fifteen

Images flew past swiftly outside a pristine white framed window, to fast to make out any details. I looked down at my hands folded neatly in my lap, the fabric from my white dress glinted with pale gold patterns that seemed to swirl when I moved. I fiddled with the golden string that hung from the white and gold belt adorning my waist, pinching my sides when I moved wrong.

I was uncomfortable, and not just physically. My stomach twisted with anxiety, fluttering each time someone walked past my rather large and comfortable seat. What was I worried about? I grasped for some semblance of memory, but felt my mind slip away every time I came close. Was there something preventing me from remembering? Or was this simply a dream I had no memory to remember?

I felt the seat beside me move, my head snapping up to lock eyes with two bright green eyes of an older man, his beard well trimmed, suit well tailored and smile so friendly I couldn't help but return one. Seeing this man brought a sense of ease, my body relaxing while I slumped further into the comfortable chair. I heard as he chuckled, patting my hand that was still fidgeting in my fingers

"Be still my daughter."

.

I sat up quickly, hair cascading around my face, chest rising and falling rapidly as I struggled to take a deep enough breath. Panic started to set is, the dream replaying in my mind, parts already starting to fade, but those words rung in my ears as if I had just heard them. I placed a hand on my forehead, pushing the sheets from my legs when I felt how sticky I was from sweating.

I reached under my pillow and pulled out the little device, typing out a message to Krane and quickly hitting send before I could change my mind. He still hadn't replied from my previous eight, the silence and absence of his replies weighed heavy on my heart; I missed my friend. I almost regretted helping Calian in the first place, if I knew it meant losing Krane, I might have just simply walked away.

I jumped as a small tap came from my left, barely suppressing a squeal. But when my eyes fell on that white hair, locking with those bright green ones that always seemed to sparkle I felt myself sigh with relief. I quickly unlocked my window, allowing Krane to half crawl in, only to stop and look at my bedroom door,

"Get dressed" he instructed, withdrawing back onto the the little ledge that was outside my window. I quickly did as asked, pulling on my soft sole shoes so I wouldn't make a noise; they were mainly used for when I was walking along the pipes, the sole an extra thick, but extremely flexible rubber, allowing the most use of my feet. I climbed out the window, not watching what I was doing and coming face to face with Krane. I felt my cheeks flush, stomach flipping in excitement "Follow me" he whispered, pulling away and climbing over the roof to the right.

I waited a moment, trying to sort out the jumble of my mind that seemed to happen each time Krane and I were close. It couldn't mean what I thought it did...could it? I shook my head and followed.

A few minutes later we sat on the edge of the abandoned warehouse roof, the city seeming to fall away before us. We hadn't said anything since arriving, just resuming our normal spot, staring over the buildings through the haze as if nothing had changed the past few weeks. I didn't realise I started to lean into Krane until his shoulder bumped mine; I looked up in surprise, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth

"I thought you were angry at me" I confessed. Krane let out a heavy sigh

"I was" his reply felt like a slap, even if I had been expecting it. "I felt...betrayed, that you would keep something like that from me" he looked back over the city "we had told each other everything, promising not to keep secrets"

"I thought I could help get him out before anyone realised. it was my fault he ran that day in the markets" I fiddled with my fingers "if he left, then no one would figure out I helped, and those that I care about would be safe" I admitted. Krane didn't reply for a moment, the silence stretching between us.

"Yeah...I gathered that was the reason" I glanced up at my friend "I figured that out pretty quick. I was just to...hurt, at the time, to accept that as a good enough reason" he slid his hand into mine, interlocking our fingers "But I realised I probably would have done the same thing, i it meant keeping you safe" my heart beat seemed to flutter

"I sent messages" I whispered. Krane nodded

"I got them. I was fighting with wanting to be angry...and wanting to be with you" he whispered back "not talking to you, not seeing you, was worse than being mad. I felt like I was...sick, my heart feeling heavy when I decided not to reply" I chewed on the bottom of my lips as my adrenaline seemed to spike at those words

"You...you're not....sick...are you?" Krane let out a laugh at that question, catching me off guard

"Oh Mira, if I had a ration for every time you misunderstood a moment, I would be a very well off man" I frowned

"If that's another way to call me stupid, I will kick your ass into next week" my response causing him to laugh harder, and after a few moments I felt myself join in. He gave my hand a squeeze as our laughter died down, lapsing back into silence

"I don't like the Upper" he admitted after a few minutes "I feel like he's hiding something"

"I don't think you'd go around telling the Uppers your life story just because one saved your life" I retorted, defending Calian. Krane gave me a sidewards glance

"He looks at you as if you are a prize to be won Mira" I gave him a funny look "Uppers don't think like us"

"That doesn't make him a bad person Krane"

"But it also doesn't mean he hasn't done bad things" I closed my mouth at that "Can you tell me you really believe he's told you everything about why he's here?" I didn't answer, not wanting to confirm the churning feeling in my stomach each time Calian avoided certain questions "Just" he gave my hand another squeeze "be careful with him, please?" I glanced up at Krane, giving a small nod in answer - he let out a long breath, as if expecting a fight

"What do you know about that agr..agrav...agric....the restricted sector" I finally said, frustrated at forgetting the word Calian had used for that place

"That my Pa went ballistic when he found out we were there" I gave a huff, not surprised " he said bad things happened there, and that it wasn't a safe place for us to be"

"Jerard destroyed the P.I.P card" Krane gave out an angry sound

"Of course he did" he shook his head, looked away "Paranoid old man" he mumbled

"Do they know something about that place we don't? Jerard didn't exactly seem...surprised about the green" I mused. Krane nodded without looking at me

"They were both around when that district was sealed off. I think they know what those noises we heard were, my Pa seemed to get really frightened when I told him what we heard" he looked down at me then

"Do you know about the Uppers...and the attack?" Krane jerked back slightly at the underlining accusation; that he had been keeping things from me to "you didn't seem surprised about a few things Calian said back in that room, you are Jerard seemed to understand most of his strange words"

"Over the past year Pa and Jerard have pulled me into their circle, trusting me with more information" I looked down at that, the sting of knowing Krane was more trusted than I hurt; He bumped my shoulder with his "don't be to upset, I believe it was because it meant protecting you more. If we weren't friends, I think I would be just as clueless as before" I raised an eyebrow

"And you're not clueless now?" he feigned shock

"At least I'm not a daydreamer" I chuckled in response "but I have been listening more than they think I do, when Jerard comes over late at night for meetings in Pa's workshop" I frowned at that information

"I've never heard him leave at night before?" that was news to me, I always heard Jerard's heavy footsteps down the hallway, even when I was sleeping. The only way he would be able to leave the house without my notice was if he had a separate exit in his room

"Well, he does. But I think I've understood why Jerard and Pa are so close" I blinked at Krane, waiting for the answer as he smirked at me

"Dramatic effect doesn't work so well Krane" I retorted dryly

"I think they are brothers"

"What?!" my surprised voice echoed around us, Krane hushed me "how can they be brothers and not say anything?" I asked angrily

"I think they are more like half brothers. Same Dad, different mum" that explained why they didn't look alike "but that's not the biggest piece of info" he paused again for effect, only causing me to groan out of irritation

"Gah, that's not funny Kr-"

"I think they left Jerard's daughter in the agriculture sector when it was sealed" I felt my heart drop at those words, world seeming to spin for a moment while my brain tried - and failed - to comprehend what Krane just said.

He wouldn't lock his daughter in that place, would he? Jerard had told me his daughter died because of the sickness...was that a lie to? Did he lock her in there when she got sick? questions flew through my mind, going over the moments he mentioned his daughter, noticing he refused to speak about her as if she were gone, always as if she was still here

"What are you saying Krane? That Jerard and Strem locked Serene in there while she was still..." my voice trailed off, unable to finish that question in fear it might make it real

"I'm saying, after not finding any bodies inside those hallways, and hearing those weird screams, I don't think she, or any of the other people that got sick, actually died. And if they did, it wasn't because of the sickness" my heart thudded against my chest, those ghastly and guttural screams that had rung through the halls still gave me the chills.

And then there was the creature that had lunged at the gap in the door, it's limbs thin and skeletal, scrambling on all fours, teeth bared and eyes sunken in a head that was covered in sores, thin whisps of hair flying around its head right before the door had closed

"I think...I think I saw one" Krane's head snapped to me, eyes wide "as you shut the door one of them...got close to getting out" Krane didn't speak, his chest now rising and falling rapidly "I think part of me didn't want to understand what I saw, but deep down another part did. I can't be sure unless I saw it again, and it looked like a skeleton, but I think...it was human" Krane looked over the city again, running a hand through his hair, a habit he did when he was either nervous, or thinking up a plan that would get us in trouble.

When he looked back down, his eyes glinting in that way that I loved, I knew it was the latter, his words resonating

"We need to get back in that sector" he smirked "we need to steal another P.I.P card"