The Island

33. Memento Mori

Jordyn

The room around us stops shaking a few moments after Sam wakes up. Yet, none of us move from under the ledge. Ezra watches the screen until it finally goes black, and then, he plays with the holograph controls in his hand, careful not to project them.

"Are you alright?" I ask Samson, helping him into a more comfortable position. His head rests against my thigh like a pillow, and he blinks up at me in stunned confusion. Blood has dried down the side of his face from the head wound, plastering brown hair against his scalp.

"I think so," he mumbles, reaching up to touch his head.

"Don't," I say quickly, and he pulls back. "You got knocked around pretty bad."

"I feel like I got kicked by a horse."

"Not quite," I laugh. "Just one angry Neil."

"What happened after I blacked out?"

I recount the events in the hallway to him, leaving out the bloody scene of Neil spread out like a gutted fish. It's impossible to erase the memory from my mind, but he doesn't have to know.

"You killed him?" Sam asks, brows furrowing deeply.

"I had to," I say. "He was going to hurt us." Quoting Ezra feels like the safest bet. I wasn't being malicious, right? That is my job--protecting people.

"I don't doubt that," Sam whispers, rubbing his cheek. "You think that stuff he said about turning us in was true?"

I nod.

"What reason would he have to lie? Plus, Ezra would have told us if he was lying."

Ezra glances back at us. Our eyes meet, and he smiles faintly before turning back around. He would definitely tell me if Neil had been lying.

"Someone's coming," I tell Sam, still staring at the back of Ezra's hair. It's a nest of blonde curls with bits of concrete dust lodged in it. His bare back and shoulders shine with sweat. Otherwise, the skin is blemishless--no freckles, scars, or anything. I can see the edge of a scratch on his upper arm, just below the shoulder, and it looks recent but healed. I wonder what happened.

"Murano?" Sam asks.

"We aren't sure," Ezra blurts, turning to face us. He catches me staring at him, and his eyebrows raise slightly. I scowl at him, and he laughs.

"How are we not sure?" Sam continues.

"Well, I couldn't really ask for their names when we locked ourselves in this death hole."

Sam sighs.

"Any other signs of alliance? Clothes or badges or something?"

"Now that you mention it, I think one of them might have been wearing a little pink bow in their hair. That's gotta mean they're in the girl scouts. I bet the troops have come to rescue us."

"Ezra," I warn. "Stop."

He shoots me a look, one of anger but resolution. After nodding to me, he shakes his head.

"No, Samson. No signs of alliance. I didn't recognize any faces, either. They're wearing masks."

"Do you think they'll find us?" I ask. Ezra shrugs.

"I mean, we aren't going anywhere. They'll search The Island for signs of life using heat traces. The mechanical animals and such won't show up. You left the tunnel door open, didn't you, Sam?"

"Yeah, why?"

Sam pushes himself up into a sitting position, ignoring the pressing of my hands against him.