The Encroacher's Trilogy: Dystopia (COMPLETED)

Chapter 5

A/N: Many apologies this chapter is a long one! There was so much to write about. Thank you for 3k!

The breeze seeped in from the ajar Steel Door and hugged me. I breathed it in, taking note of the freshness and freedom of the outside world. My body was rocking gently like a manger, but my hands were on a more ferocious level.

"It's okay to be nervous." Mother put a soft palm on my shoulder and I shuddered with warmth. Her palm then slipped to my fingers and she squeezed my hand lightly with reassurance.

Safe. I was safe. I had to remind myself that.

She opened the door and stepped out into the sunlight and embraced it. I followed suit. It was like feet on warm sand... well, what I could remember of anyway.

Rather rudely, the sun was in my eyes and so I stepped into the shade where my father stood. His eyes were to the floor and I looked forward to see his problem. I staggered backwards because it was... it was absurd. There was rubble. Rubble everywhere.

All I could see on the road before us was a small path for pedestrians to walk on... the rest was submerged in rubble.

"W-what happened?" Even thoughI didn't remember the world as a child, I knew it should not have looked like that.

"Now is not the time dear." Mother avoided my gaze. She was hiding something. She knew it and I knew it too.

We steadily walked down the pedestrian path, with mother in front and father behind, when I saw movement within the rubble. I heard a gasp and we quickened our pace. Father even grunted with what seemed disgust. What was their problem?

We were looming closer to the odd movement when mother suddenly moved to the furthest side of the path. She suddenly took interest in the sky while father gripped my shoulder and pulled me between the two of them. I became very afraid; they were scaring me. I accidentally made a noise of agony and it was only then he noticed my bandaged leg. The last thing I wanted was overprotection- I had had enough of that in the Lab.

He gave me a momentary look of concern but I returned it with reassurance that I was fine so he returned his gaze to the lump in the rubble. We idled past it with caution, side stepping in some places and trying to remain as silent as possible. The curiosity was overwhelming and I wanted nothing more than for someone to stand on a twig.

I stood on a twig.

The movement turned out to be a dishevelled form of a man with a torn jumpsuit, a stubble beard and scorch marks on his face. His teeth were yellow and his breath smelled like smoke. At the sight of me he reached out and grabbed my ankle.

"Valerie! Is it really you? My dear friend long time no see... you look so young! So beautiful! Had you forgotten about me?" His voice croaked with exhaustion. I shook the strange man off my leg and he grovelled on the ground. I then understood he was partially blind and felt almightily guilty. He scavenged again and felt my mother's boots.

"Alas! Your daughter I presume? A fine child she is, yet how can you bring her to a world like this? Have you no sanity?" He gripped onto her leg and used it to pull himself up, but father forcefully pushed him down and sounded repulsed.

"Stay away from us Peter. You will not last long in this world." How could he say that?

"Goodbye, Peter. Be safe." Mother was a little more respective but still sounded like she was going to throw up. She grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the man in the rubble.

"How dare he approach us? After what he did..." Father called over me,

"Eric, let it go. The past is done, he has his punishment. He is already blind he doesn't need anything else."