Fate Chapter 2

~~ We continue ~~

“Niru, don’t do this..” Myeong was worried, but it was too late. 

“I’ll be right back.” Before he left. 

Kinoshita looked around, “Everyone use the buddy system, Massimo with Tocito, Sana and Toinette, Lupe and Myeoung, and Tumura, you come with me. We’ll follow behind.” 

Myeong and Lupe started silently gathering things they would need for their journey. It was starting an hour earlier than they’d liked, but it was now or never. 

Soon Nirupama was back, “Come, we have to be quick.” Before he started leading the first two groups out. 

The crawl space seemed smaller than it was on the way in to Sana, they were petrified, but not giving up now. They were going to make it out, all of them. 

“This way!” Nirupama led the groups quickly through the bushes which surrounded the crawl space, and they hid in the forest. Watching people come and go from the house. 

There was a moment of silence, relief from the group of getting out, before Nirupama cursed under his breath, “I have to go back.” 

Anxiety spiked in all of them, “What!? NO!” Yelled Kinoshita, but he was already making his way back, “Don’t do this!” They pleaded. But it was already too late, and they all had been spotted. 

“Get them!” Is the first thing Sana heard, and Toinette yelling “Come on, we need to go!” Was the last. They fainted from shock and fear. 

Toinette had grabbed them, realizing immediately what happened and picked them up, “Please be okay.” She whispered. Toinette ran carrying Sana with her, Massimo and Tocito not far behind, they made their way through the forest, “I hope Niru’s okay.” He said. 

“Yea, I hope he is too,” responded Toinette, not slowing down. Tumura, Kinoshita and Lupe were behind Massimo and Tocito, but Myeoug was nowhere to be seen. 

“Where’s Myeoug?!” Kinoshita asked Lupe, fearing the worst. Lupe paused, looking around, “I…, don’t know.” They choked out. Slowing, looking behind them. 

“No, don’t stop! Keep going!” Kinoshita yelled at her, even if they were way ahead, somebody could catch up with them any minute. 

… 

“Niru! Please!” Myeong yelled, pleading with him to come back. Nirupama yelled something which wasn’t translatable, and tossed something to Myeong, “I’m sorry!” He yelled. As a few people grabbed him, threatening him and his life. 

“Now get out of here!” Nirupama yelled, “I’m doing this for you, now, be safe.” He choked out, tears streaming down his dust covered face from the crawl space, “I love you guys, never forget that. You are my family.” By this point he had been pinned on the ground, giving up on fighting anymore, he laid down his life for the group, so they could be safe. “RUN!” Was his last word, the moment when Myeong finally did, shielding her eyes from the horrific sight behind her.

… 

The group had made it over a mile away, and nobody had chased them that far. They had stopped to take a break, to take care of those who had injuries from the sudden escape, and to find Myeong and Nirupama. 

“Myeong!” Silence. “Nirupama!” Lupe was yelling, rapidly losing hope that either of them were still alive. Kinoshita sat down beside Sana, she was the eldest so she willingly took the healer’s job in the group. 

“They’ll be alright, don’t worry too much Toinette.” Kinoshita assured Toinette who was pacing in torment. 

“Why can’t they just wake up now? This is so stressful, what if they have a concussion or anything? A broken bone?” 

“Hush Toinette, I can assure you they haven’t broken anything, and if they have a concussion I’d be thoroughly surprised, since you never let them hit the ground.” Kinoshita was just trying her best to make sure that they would be alright, while also trying to keep Toinette under control, “now sit down, you’re wasting your energy.”

“Fine.” Toinette responded, sitting down beside Sana, gently moving their hair out of their face, “Please be okay,” she whispered. 

“I need to go check on Tocito, tell me if they wake up, alright?” 

“Okay.” responded Toinette. Before Kinoshita got up leaving them alone. 

“How’s he doing?” Asked Kinoshita, walking up to Massimo, “He says he’s alright, but I’m not so sure, just check up on him alright?” 

“Can do.” She turned to Tocito, “sit up, I just need to check any cuts, make sure there’s no infections.” Tocito followed orders and sat up promptly, extending his arm where he had been hurt. While running with Massimo he had scratched himself horribly on a tree branch. Massimo winced seeing it, blood didn’t bother him, he just hated seeing his brother like that. 

“Oh my,” Whispered Kinoshita, examining his arm, pulling cleaning supplies out of the bag Lupe had gathered for her back at the house. 

Tocito winced in pain at the alcohol swab on his arm, and Massimo looked away, he couldn’t watch. Soon though, he noticed something, “Where’s Lupe?” He asked. Kinoshita didn’t look up, “I don’t know, they might’ve gone further in to look, I hope they're alright. The last thing we need is to lose someone else.”

“Yea,” Massimo whispered, clearly distracted. “Definitely.” 

Tumura had been searching with Lupe, but made their way over, “Where’s Lupe?” They asked Massimo, which concerned him. 

“I thought they were with you, you were searching together after all.” Massimo responded. Finally Kinoshita looked up, only half done with Tocito’s bandages, a look of worry plastered on her face. She cursed, “Why now? Why did everything go wrong when we were so close to getting out with any trouble at all?!” 

Tocito flinched at her sudden yell, and she apologized immediately, he had always been the flinchy one right beside Sana, he was also the youngest of the group, only 19 while the rest were in their mid 20’s. 

Suddenly, Lupe came running out into the clearing of the forest, between breaths they yelled. “Myeong. Found. Quickly!” Tumura and Massimo rose immediately, “You guys stay here! We’ll be back as soon as possible.” Was heard before they all ran back into the forest for Myeong. 

… 

The three came upon her in a shocking horror for what they saw, Myeong laying by a rock completely paralyzed, tears strung down her clothes, in wide eyed horror, rips, tears and blood following the water’s path. “Myeong! What happened!?” Yelled Tumura, getting no response, not even the slightest movement. Taking action,  Massimo and Lupe both picked her up on either side draping her arms over their shoulders. Tumura took charge, leading everyone back to the clearing. 

By the time they got there everyone was waiting in anticipation, hoping she was alright, yet knowing she probably wouldn’t be. When they entered Tocito averted his eyes and newly woken up Sana hid in Toinette’s arms. She was laid down in front of Kinoshita, who got to work immediately. Cleaning scars, washing her face, giving her water and just hoping she’d survive. “Myeong-” She choked out quietly, “What happened?” 

Myeong’s dead seeming eyes flashed with large guilt, opening her mouth to speak, “He’s gone..” 

A foggy silence wrapped around the group, what they had feared happened, had actually happened. He was gone. Forever. 

Myeong’s eyes showed all the heartbreak one ever could, as she gently motioned to her pocket, “He..” She coughed hard, and flinched, her lungs could barely take it. “..left something..” 

“Hush, Hush, now child,” Kinoshita silenced her, grabbing the item in her pocket. A note, and something else, which Kinoshita pocketed before anyone saw it. “A note..” She whispered. 

Kinoshita read the note silently under her breath, exhaling deeply at the end, “If you are reading this, that means something has gone wrong with my escape. My name is Nirupama Grover, I am Hindu, or from India, I was born into a family of Dalit’s, also known as the untouchables. This social class is known as the lowest and most disrespected class in all of India, we work our days away and are segregated from the rest of the people there. Food can be hard to come by as a child of this way, especially since I can’t get a job, and my parents died of starvation long before I could remember them. Anyway, I have a plan to escape, to flee this country, I’ll go to Europe, start a new life, be my own person. Maybe own a cat. I've always wanted one, but was never able to have it. So in my journey I plan to make a friend or two, you’ll never know, but I’m relatively bad at making friends because people say I’m a street rat. I guess I am though, for once you are born into this life there is almost no way of escape. I learned how to write from cleaning in my owner’s house. I would sit outside the door or watch in through the window, I never was caught thankfully. 

Now I am 23, I have long escaped, I have friends who would do anything for me, and I would do anything for them, but I write this continually so that when my day comes you will know my journey.”

There was a large break in a line, before Kinoshita read the rest, saddening over Myeong.

“Dear Myeong, I know I seem like a bad person, someone you’d never want to be around, but I can swear to you that underneath I wasn’t all that bad, I wonder though, if you would’ve ever thought that. I guess, what I’m trying to say now is., Kinoshita paused again, choking on tears. “I love you.” 

The group looked on at Myeong, who looked like she was starting to give up, sadly, they knew she wouldn’t survive, more than one thing had been broken that day, her leg, her mind and her heart. She laid down her head, looking at the people who surrounded her, and whispered, “Thank you. Thank you all, for what a wonderful freedom you’ve given me, from my life where I used to live.” She forced a smile through her tears, “I’m sorry.” Before she closed her eyes, and gave in.

There was a great silence in the clearing, a known fact among them all which nobody wanted to admit. Kinoshita bowed her head, whispering a final phrase, taking her friends hands and crossing them gently at her hips. Carefully picking a flower from the forest and laying it on her chest. “Goodbye.” 

Kinoshita turned her head towards the group, eyes sad, but firm, “Come on, we need to go.” 

Everyone in mortified silence nodded their heads, readying themself to leave. Lupe went over to Myeong, exhaling deeply at the sight of her friend, “why you? Out of all of us. Why you..?”

“Lupe hurry we need to leave!” Toinette yelled across the clearing. “Yes, let’s go..” They whispered at Myeong, before turning away to head down the long path ahead of them. 

…

Arriving at the airport the group looked around, all were unsure where anything would be, Toinette and Sana led the pack since they had been there before, though Sana didn’t want to be in the front, they didn’t want to be there at all. They knew they’d have to eventually, but still wasn’t ready for it, they pushed through anyway. 

“Sana, are you alright?” Toinette asked, grabbing their hands in hers. “Fine, thank you.” Sana responded, only half listening, something about the airport had memories of their past flooding through their head. It took them only a moment of passing one gate, to realize they were in the same airport which they had been left in as a child. 

“Sana.?” Toinette was waving her hand in front of their face, “Saaannnaaa..” 

…  

“What’s your name little one?” Asked by someone Sana didn’t recognize, they backed off, “It’s nothing, I’m just looking for my parents.” 

“Awe, where are they? Do you want me to help?” The stranger responded with false sympathy, so bad even 14 year old Sana could see it. 

They felt it odd somebody in a Romanian airport could randomly speak perfect English, something didn’t feel right. “No thanks, I’m good,” 

The person’s happy face turned cloudy at the response, “I’m the only one who can translate what you're saying to people, you should come with me.” 

“No!” Sana yelled, starting to attract the attention of nearby travelers. Sana backed up more than a few big strides before running into someone, “Sorry!” they yelled before turning around to try and leave. 

A hand had caught them though, “HEY! Let go of me!” They struggled at the two people surrounding them, both trying to contain them. 

“Let go of them!” Sana heard from another person just slightly bigger than themselves, the same original build it seemed, but they were more street roughed, more accustomed to the life in Romania. This new person shoved one of the people off of Sana, and Sana only hesitated a moment before slamming somebody in the jaw. Taking off running with the person who had just helped. They knew it probably wasn’t the best idea, but they had no other option, it was that or disappear. 

Once they had settled down somewhere hidden, Sana asked, “What’s your name.?” rather skittishly, they still didn’t know where they were or what they were doing. 

“Ah, I never told you, I’m Toinette, and you?” Toinette responded, she was confident in her ability and seemed to know what she was doing, even if they were hiding in an off limits room of an airport. 

“Sana.. I would say ‘it’s a pleasure’ but I don’t really know if it is at the moment..” Sana smiled friendly at Toinette, starting to trust her. 

“Yea, that’s fine.” Toinette smiled back, forbidding a laugh. “How did you get here? And I take it you’re alone, so why is that?” 

Sana sat in silence, trying to recollect what had exactly happened, long before looking at Toinette with a sigh, they replied, “We were rushing to get on one of our flights, the next one out to be exact, when I was separated from my parents in the crowd, I kept going in the direction where we were heading but ultimately got lost, I tried to talk to security but they don’t understand English, so I got stuck, and they had already left.” They paused, “But, I do wonder if they ever even noticed until they sat down on the plane.” 

Toinette took a long look at Sana, remembering how she had gotten there herself, “Would it make you feel any better if I told you how I got here? I’m French, so not from here, I was originally raised in France by my moms.”

Sana paused, intrigued, “Your, ..moms?” 

“Yea,” Toinette looked softly at Sana, “I don’t really have any better of a story of getting here though, are you sure you want to hear it.?” 

“Yea, I would.” Responded Sana. 

“Alright,” Toinette sighed, “As you already know, I grew up in France, in a little village on the outskirts, near the border, my mothers were both wonderful people and I grew up loved, I never regretted a day I was with them, but one day, I was in the library looking through books, it was my favorite place at the time, and my mom’s trusted I would be safe there, so I went there one day after school, I ran into somebody there, who started talking to me, he seemed nice at the time, and I had picked out my books, we left the building together. I was only 11 at the time, so I wasn’t the strongest, and as soon as we turned the corner, he overpowered me, I was taken from my home, I was brought to the Romanian border, by Moldova, before I had gotten out, I crossed the border, hidden in a car heading that way, and ended up finding the airport, I set up a camp near it, hoping I would earn enough money to get home in any way possible, then, I found you., and maybe.., we could work together to get home?” 

… 

“SANA!” 

Sana groaned, looking up from the memory, “What., happened..?” 

“Oh thank god.” Toinette breathed a heavy sigh of relief, “You’re alright, thank god you're alright.” Hugging Sana, still confused about what had happened. “You fainted again, I just barely caught you, are you alright? You’re sure you’re not coming down with anything, that’s twice in an hour…..” Toinette rambled on, checking Sana to make sure they would be okay. 

“I’m fine, I think,” said Sana, rubbing their eyes, “where are we.?” 

“We’re at the terminal, they have very low security so we brought you right in, even if you weren’t awake, the plane leaves next, we’ll board soon, alright?” Toinette responded. 

“Okay.” Sana said being met with a loud speaker turning on, “Now boarding, flight 53 to Japan, departing in 20 minutes.” 

“Well, we’d better go then.” Kinoshita told the group, now only 7, they boarded the plane and sat down, getting ready for a 10 hour flight. 

…

“You alright Sana?” Asked Lupe, knowing very well what had happened to Sana in the past. “Yea, I should be just fine., I’m just.., anxious, that’s all.” They paused, catching their breath “You guys won’t leave me.. right..?” 

“No, Of course not, we would never.” Lupe assured them, and both him and Toinette gave them a hug from either side. The moment was interrupted by a ding on the plane, turbulence, Sana flinched at the sudden sound. 

“This is your pilot reporting major turbulence, please buckle your seatbelts, we may have to make an emergency landing.” 

“It’s only been an hour, why now!?” Yelled Massimo. 

“What a day..” Lupe sighed, buckling herself in for the long ride ahead of them, whether it be one that ends in tragedy, fear, since this long journey seemed to be their fate.