Chapter-19

It was a gloomy and windy day. The weather wearing the same sadness as the relatives bade a goodbye to their loved ones with a painful smile and blury eyes. Faint sound of sobs filling the air. Among all this pained people I witnessed the same what they did. The only difference was that I did not cry. I don't have any tears left, only salt, which now burns my eyes. I sat their like a soulless body looking at my feet. Then I tried to remember, do I have any loved one? I had. But I left her. She must be so happy now. Without me.

Suddenly I felt Zach's voice calling my name from far away. I shrugged it off thinking it as my hallucination. Then I heard small tapping sound on window which got louder by time.

'Adam! Adam!'

I immediately looked at the window hearing a familiar voice I have been longing to hear for so many years. My eyes got widened to see her after so long. She became more beautiful and elegant. She got more mature but still holding the innocence of her face. My eyes welled up seeing her. Tears are threatening to escape from my eyes as I looked away trying to hide them.

'Adam! Adam! Talk to me! Please come back alive. You have to come back alive! Adam! Answer me. Adam!'

I heard her broken and shaky voice through the window as she broke down at the place. My heart clenched at the moment. I felt like someone stabbing me with a knife. She kept begging me to talk to her but my stubborn mind not listening to me. It kept repeating the same rhyme. What's the point of meeting her? It will hurt both of us more. What if I don't survive till the end? She will have to suffer because of me. And an angel like her don't deserve a broken person like me.

I wiped my tears trying to be as cold as possible but failed when I felt the train started moving. Then the realization hit me. What am I doing now? Hurting her. I'm repeating the same mistake again I did several years ago. I heard how she broke down that time. She stopped eating and became like a living skeleton. I wanted to come back until one day her dad came to me and told me to stay away from her, reminding me that I don't deserve her. I did what he said as I also thought the same.

I rushed towards the door with my red eyes. I don't have any reason to hide them anymore. I saw her running towards the door. The train already started moving.

'Jessica!'

'Adam!'

She kept running with the train and Zach running behind her back. I saw her placing her hand behind her neck and pulled out that Necklace. She handed me the necklace while crying hard.

'Take care. Remember you have to come alive! Got it?'

'Adam come back alive!'

'Adam you have to come back. For me. P..please come b..ba..back.'

Jessica's broken voice was the last thing I heard. I looked at the necklace and planted a kiss on it. How can I forget it? How did I returned back my love just like that?

~~~~~

I squeezed my eyes shut. All I can feel is the smoke in front my eyes and the groaning sound. I rubbed my eyes to lessen the burning sensation and hold the rifle more tightly while firing. I can hear a lot of familiar sound, groaning while counting their last breath. It hurts my heart to think that they also have a family who are waiting for them to come back. I shrugged off my thoughts and tried to be emotionless.

I looked at my left side and saw Roma putting bullets in his gun. He looked at me and winked while smirking. I smiled looking at him. He reminds me of Zach a lot. He became my one of the best friends in these past few days. He will always make silly jokes to make me laugh just like Zach used to do. I really miss that bastard so much.

I looked at the necklace to gather some strength and started firing again. It was almost an end. There were three helicopters standing at the back of the forest for the soldiers to take in. Some of us took the injured ones and some of them left earlier trying to save their life. I can see the opposite force coming closer slowly. I am still firing fighting for my people.

Suddenly I felt someones shaky hand tapping my arms. I looked at the direction and saw Roma lying beside me while shaking. He grabbed my collar with his last force. I panicked at the sight. He got shot in his abdomen. His clothes are red with blood. All I can see is blood. The flashback of Zach hanging from the ceiling started flashing in my mind and I became traumatized. That same unknown fear of loosing someone so closed to me was killing me inside.

'Medic! Medic!'

I started screaming for help. I held him more tight in my arms as he was loosening his grip from me. I suddenly felt he stopped moving his muscles and became numb in my arms. I panicked more. My breath hitched at the sight. Is he also going to leave me? I slapped his face several times to wake him up.

'Hold on! Hold on! Breath! Breath!'

I am unable to think straight. His eyes are fixed and he stopped breathing. Tears leaking from the corner of my eyes. Suddenly I felt a force pulling me backwards harshly.

'Stop it! He's dead! Get going, you bastard!'

Ayan said while dragging me with him. He dragged me a little far when I saw a bomb blasted near Roma where I was sitting. I let out a shaky breath. From far I can see his body under a fire burning my soul along with it. Ayan still holding my tight like if he let me go I will run away. We ran though the forest non stop. Helicopters are standing there according to plans. Ayan let go my hand and pushed me towards our other team mate. I saw soulless bodies of our other team mates. I started feeling heavy in my chest. Why the world has to be so cruel?

I automatically trailed my hand onto my chest searching for the necklace to calm me down. But my heart dropped when I found nothing. It stared beating rapidly. Did I lost it?

I didn't think twice and started running toward the forest.

'Adam, you bastard! Where are you going? Come back!'

I heard panicked voice of Ayan but didn't cared. I ran and ran until I reached Roma. I saw his hand balling a fist. I opened it and found the necklace. My body got back it's life. I looked at Roma. The air holding a burning smell of flesh. His eyes are opened but his face got destroyed by the fire. I hold my breath. He is laying here and will rot here without anyone noticing and caring about him. Where he sacrificed his life for his own people and should be buried with proper respect. My heart felt that familiar pain again for thousand times.

I bitted the necklace and carried Roma's body on my shoulder. I ran with all my strength. My body wanted to collapse and give up everything but my mind didn't. Soon I reached the end and saw Ayan waiting with a force for me. He moved his hand up on the air telling others not to fire. He started coming to me running. I am so tired of all of these. All I wanted is to erase the tiredness.

But I tripped over and stepped on something and heard a click sound. I know what it is. I already knew it's a end for me. I jumped a little along with the body on my shoulder before Ayan could reach us and heard a huge blast.

I can smell death closer and closer. I don't know when is my turn. I lay on the ground unable to move my body. I can't feel my muscles anymore. I smiled thinking that it's an end for me. End of my colorless life. I smiled again flashing my life in front of me. It's beautiful. Beautifully painted with pain and sorrow. I want to die while smiling. I don't want to return back to the cruel world of mine. Then suddenly Jessica's voice echoed in my mind.

'Take care. Remember you have to come alive! Got it? Adam you have to come back. For me. P..please come b..ba..back.'