Lunar Virus ✔️

Chapter Twenty: Elodie

“Dungworth, let us go out for ice cream.”

That’s how Jayne decides to approach the delicate situation. We are all crowded into Dungworth’s office, which is small, but surprisingly cozy, with cream walls and little plants and scented candles lining shelves, along with a couple books, which are rare finds nowadays. We’d all agreed before going to Dungworth that we needed to go out and find out where Lombard’s Pit was located. It’s now our only hope of finding out how to stop the spread of the virus.

I can barely comprehend it. The lives of billions of people depended on the clues we might find at this pit.

“Excuse me, young lady?” Dungworth’s harsh tone snaps me out of my thoughts, “Why in the world would I let you go out for ice cream? We have ice cream right here.”

Jayne’s eyebrows raise, and before she can say anything destructive, Sheila buts in, realizing that our former plan to go outside using the excuse of ice cream wasn’t going to work. “Sir, we need to go find a pit--Lombard’s Pit. We think it’ll help in trying to understand the virus more. Elie had a--”

I tug on her arm before she can say anything. I don’t fully trust Dungworth yet. What if Dungworth decides to kill Elie because he’s technically infected, even if he isn’t contagious?

“Why do you think I would let you go out and risk your lives just to go and look at a puny pit? I brought you here because that facility I rescued you from is still searching for you. If they find you--guess what?” he snorts, “It’d be you who’s in a pit.”

“We would be careful,” Dev begins meekly, “And . . . it’s a pretty big pit. I’m sure if we did some research, we would be able to get an exact location.”

“No,” he growls. The force with which he uses to say his response jars me, and we all look up in surprise. His icy eyes stare down at us menacingly, and I realize the implication of his response.

“Wait, does this mean you aren’t ever going to let us out of here? We’re trapped here until you figure this out on your own?”

“What a sharp intuition,” he states dryly, “I’m keeping you here for your own good. I’m feeding you. And all for free. You should be grateful.”

I stare at him for a while before the full weight of what he said settles in. A hard knot forms in my throat, making it hard for me to swallow. When would I be able to feel the sun again? And the heavy air, before it rains? The prickles of cool grass against my back as I stare at swirling clouds? All I would get is the chill of a stale bedsheet as I stare at a still gray ceiling.

“Grateful?” I despise the quiver in my voice and the shiver in my heart as I say this, “Sure, maybe,” I try to smooth over the desperation in my tone, “But you took us away from our families. And now you’re taking away our freedom. I don’t know if I can just sit here and do nothing when people out there are dying. I don’t even know if my family is okay. What if they think I’m dead?”

“Your families should be fine.”

Sheila and I exchange glances. She gives me a little nod and I continue, “Are you going to at least send someone else to see the pit?”

“No. Waste of resources. There’s no way a pit can help us. You are dismissed,” he looks down at his desk and starts straightening and old-fashioned fountain pen collection in the corner of his desk.

I’m not ready to give up, but I see Sheila, Dev, and Jayne getting up from their chairs in the corner of my eye, and I rise from my seat, feeling our chances of getting out dwindling. My eyes automatically are drawn to Elie, who is still seated. Our eyes meet, and I see it--that glint. His eyes are filled with fiery resolve, ringed in red from a lack of sleep, but still sharp. Focused. They sparkle. Is it possible for eyes to sparkle? I know I’d never seen it happen until now.

I feel a little flutter in my heart. And hope. I feel hope. We can do this. We are going to get to that goddamn pit. Elie stands too, and strides closer to Dungworth’s desk. “You don’t really need us, do you?”

“What?” Dungworth does a double take at Elie’s question.

“I mean, we truly have no value to you. All the information we could give you about the facility--we gave to you--therefore we have lost our value. If you send us to the pit, you wouldn’t lose anything if we never come back. However, if we do come back, our information could potentially be of use. Either way, you wouldn’t be losing resources--and right now, that’s all that matters.”

Dungworth frowns in disgust. “You ungrateful little--” he stops himself and exhales angrily, “Fine. You are permitted one backpack. Whatever fits in the backpack, you can take, but that is it.” I feel my heart swell with relief, while my stomach clenches with nerves--we are going to be on our own for the first time.

Elie raises his eyebrows, “We can take anything as long as it fits?”

Dungworth narrows his eyes, “Yes.”

Elie smiles a sunny smile, and after studying some of the fountain pens in Dungworth’s collection, pockets the most elaborate looking one. A vein protrudes from Dungworth’s forehead and his face turns an interesting shade of m&m-red.

He takes a deep breath. “One more thing,” Dungworth levels us with a look full of malice, “Don’t bother coming back when you find out that this pit has nothing to offer.”

He violently rises from his chair and empties a burlap backpack that had been sitting next to him, onto his desk. He slams the empty pack in front of me.

“Now get out.”

I slowly take the backpack, but not before examining the items strewn on his desk. I take the wad of money, a nice looking watch, and a bag of trail mix (it’s the good stuff--organic). My eyes meet Elie’s eyes again, and I’m met with a smile, but this time, his eyes hold apprehension. He’s nervous too. I try for a reassuring nod, trying to give him the strength that he had given me just a few minutes before. We have to do this. We have to go to the pit. We have to figure this out. A person like Dungworth, who’s not able to take the input of others, is never going to be able to do anything. The fate of billions are depending on us.

This pit better be worth it.

***

Author's Note:

Whoo, they're leaving! Anyone think they made a mistake?

Sorry for the late update :( I should really get on top of this! Also, sorry for any typos. I'm kinda half-asleep right now.

Anyway, thank you for reading despite my inconsistency. You all are the best!

♥️♥️♥️