8_Dark

There were good days, there were bad days and there were worst days. Today was one of those worst days.

Apparently, my genes are already disintegrating gradually, it will only be a matter of days till I finally become dust.

Doctor Tucker said I actually had two weeks to live, but I've lived longer than that because John found a drug which he injects into my system daily to contain the poison.

Today I felt like crap. The burning feeling was back again. The death grip felt tighter. I felt like I could here every animal talking in the whole universe . My brain was crowded. Death right now would be a very welcoming option.

Carlo was by my side rubbing my hand slowly, he looked like he was holding back tears. John was running around trying to get the drug to inject into me. We only just discovered this morning that we ran out.

The drive to the place of supply was really far since we were staying in a very secluded area. So till he returns, I am stuck with this pain.

"You'll be fine. Look at me"

Carlo whispered still rubbing my hand.

"No. Please just go away. I don't want you to see me like this"

I groaned. The pain was just so unbearable. I felt like my insides were being ripped apart, which technically they were.

"Look at me. Keturah Please"

That was the first time he was calling me by my full name, I turned to look at him. He looked torn, so torn as if he was the one bearing the pain.

I felt my heart stop.

"The dark days are always better when you're together with people that care about you. You'll never feel alone"

Those words were so deep. They made tears slide down my face. I cried heavily. I've not cried like this in a very long while. I thought about everything, Ma, the gas, my possible death.

The world just didn't make sense again.

Carlo pulled me closer into his arms and wrapped them around me. I cried more.

I could see the dark clouds over the both of us, but we always found ways to comfort each other and today that's what he tried to do. For the first time since I lost Ma, I felt loved.

"I wish there was a time machine that can take us back to the past before the gas was built and we'll find a way to stop it. I mean the world was already messed up, why add to it" I whispered.

He chuckled softly.

As we stayed there holding on to each other, the pain felt so reduced, like it was being rolled away.

I closed my eyes and fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

I woke up to an empty room. I could hear voices just outside the door. I felt better. The pain was not totally gone but it was much bearable.

I stood up slowly and walked towards the door.

I could hear the conversations clearly.

Stacey's voice sounded so broken as if she had been crying.

"...it's over"

"No it's not, we should not give up now. She needs us now more than ever"

John's voice was strained

I pushed the door opened slowly and walked out, my hand on my stomach 'cause it still burnt a little bit.

"Kay"

Carlos said running up to me and enveloping me in a tight hug.

I groaned in pain and he let go of me.

"Sorry. You need to go lay down, you're not strong enough"

I waved him aside and walked over to Stacey. I looked her in the eye, sure enough her eyes wer puffy and swollen from hours of crying.

I gave her a weak smile and wrapped my arms around her.

"Everything is going to be fine"

I whispered.

As soon as those words left my mouth, I felt the dampness on my cheeks as tears began to flow down uncontrollably.

I stood holding her for what felt like a long time then I let go of her and smiled at her again.

Wiping my tears, I looked back at Carlo, he had tears in his eyes.

I walked up to him looked him in the eyes then I wrapped my arms around him too. He wasted no time wrapping his arms around me too.

"I love you" I whispered.

I'm sure he didn't hear me.

When I pulled out of the hug, he looked me straight in the eye, I knew he had something to say but he was holding back.

"Just say it"

I whispered

He hesitated then he said the words I was dreading the day we turned in the water for testing.

"The water is useless. We couldn't find anything that could prompt the making of the antidote"

I saw my life flash before my eyes. I knew it was already over.

Hope dashed, no antidotes, nothing to hold onto. We were hanging on a thread of hope with the water. Now the thread has snapped and we were back to the ground.

The dark clouds were back and they were heavier.

The World: 1

Keturah: -1

============

The darkness in the room was thick. It's claws buried deep into our hearts.

Our heads were buried in our hands. Hope shattered, the determination we felt earlier burned up in flames, the dark smoke choking us, till we couldn't breath.

Cathy was sniffing, I know she must have been crying. I made her sad, it was so unfair of me to make her a part of my messed up world.

"Cathy quit it. You're fine. Just live your life, you don't have to be entangled in all this"

I said walking over to her, placing my hand on her back and rubbing slowly.

"It's my business now so don't tell me to back off. I need that cure too"

She whispered looking up at me with sad eyes.

I didn't respond to that so she continued.

"My Dad got the poison. I've been hiding him in a save place when Katherine decide it would be a good idea to use the mutants as lab rats. I'm afraid that in a few years if the antidote is not discovered, he will fizzle away and become just a memory"

She ended with tears still streaming down her face.

"So No. I'm not leaving you to fight this battle alone. It's also my business"

She stood up and wiped her eyes angrily.

"It's not over, we'll find a way to make that antidote. And if getting those documents is the only way to do that, we'll find them. And if we don't, we'll find a way to make Katherine tell us exactly where they are"

She paused and looked up at me.

"We can't give up now. We've come this far, we can't let go of everything now. We've been here for more than eleven years, enduring everything, watching people die. Giving up now is telling the world that it has finally won. We..."

I didn't let her finish. I threw my arms around her.

She wrapped hers around me. We stood there crying into each others arms and for the first time today, I saw Keturah's face clearly in my mind and she was smiling up at me.

That was all I needed.