The Lightbreakers of Orpheus [7]
A Sci-fi flash fiction.
Previously [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
[7]
There were three of them. Mark could tell by their scents. One with strong arms who helped Mark sit up, usually smelled of motor oil and disinfection soap. Presumably a human male. The other one - quiet one, had a sweet scent. Never spoke to Mark but took care of him often. And then there was Anouk. Mark’s whole being lit up when he sensed the sweet smell of flowers near him. His vision wasn’t recovering at all, but at least he could hear within a small range from his ears. Her voice spoke into his ear. Her breath tickled his skin, she was soft, and near, and warm. Mark could listen to her forever. Anouk was her name. She spoke of his health state. Of herself. Of Gravediggers. Mark had never heard of them. She asked questions. He nodded or shook his head. Mark hated the sound of his own voice in his head. It was awkward, hoarse, and clumsy; he hadn’t been using his voice properly for a long while. He was a good soldier, and all that good soldiers needed to do was listen and obey.
Sometimes Mark felt the room vibrating from some external explosions. Anouk would hold his hand, and say he was safe. She was not an enemy, but Mark didn’t know what she was.
***
The three were walking to their house after a tiresome day gathering the fallen civilians and soldiers and burying them with dignity. A hard, unrewarded work. No gratitude or kind words. The dead couldn’t thank them, and there were hardly any left alive to thank the Gravediggers either. This pointless war was chewing up lives as long as Derek could remember. He sighed; will it ever end?!
“I’m going to check how’s Mark doing,” Anouk said as they came to the house. Suddenly a huge flash of light exploded not far behind.
“Down Anouk!” Derek pulled his stepdaughter, and his wife Sophie down.
“To the bunker, quick!” Sophie whispered. Gunshots rang through the air.
They crawled downstairs to the basement.
“No! We can’t leave Mark!” Anouk tried to escape Derek’s grip.
“No time, come on, Anouk!” He pulled her down, the three stumbled into the concrete basement, and Derek shut the metal door behind them. Just in time, he heard heavy footsteps banging on the floor of their house. The Lightbreaker soldiers always appeared near the photoflash bombs, killing every living creature not marked as their own. They had never come this close to Derek’s house before.
“No, Mark, no! They’ll kill him!” Anouk squealed, while Derek and Sophie held her in a tight embrace, and covered her mouth shut.