Among Us

Chapter 23

I stared at him, eyes wide.

"Wh-what?"

"Barracks was the Boss, El." Jacks said, still on the floor with his eyes closed. "He was the one that got the idea to use the Atomic Bomb. He convinced our Superiors to change the goal of our mission, without even consulting us."

He raised his hands in an angry gesture. "Cain and I didn't sign up for that! We didn't want to be the reason Planet X was ruined!"

30 Seconds.

"Jacks, I don't care about any of that right now," I said, even though my mind was racing. I had the time to think about what he had said later.

But I only had 30 seconds left with Jacks.

He stood up weakly and made eye contact with me.

His eyes, for the first time, were scared. His eyes were wide like a child's as if they were searching for something, anything to calm him down. He was scared, and I wanted to cry, but I knew I couldn't. I had to be strong. For him.

"Listen, you're going to be alright, okay?" I managed. I sounded like a mom comforting her child, and I hated it. My voice reeked with lies, with desperation, and Jacks saw through them. But he smiled, and I knew that it wasn't just for him.

It was for me.

He wanted to assure me, because he knew that I would just suffer as soon as those doors opened. He knew I still I cared for him. Even though I knew what he had done, what his actions had led us to,  I loved him. Like he said, it hadn't been his fault, not really.

If anything, he and Cain's actions had led to the saving of Planet X.

Sure, I didn't agree with their methods. But they had worked, hadn't they?

I looked at Cain. He had been driven off the edge. He had tried to kill me.

But for now, I knew I didn't care about him. Just Jacks.

"I'll see you in Planet X, okay?" I said, and I felt a tear roll down my cheek as my composture faltered. "We'll start a new life together. I already have it all planned out."

Jacks laughed, but his own eye was watering. "Will it have a pool?"

"I was thinking a lake." I said. And I had thought of that. I had fantasized about our new life, several times. And a few days ago, it had seemed completely within reach.

I had imagined the warm, cool summers. I imagined me splashing Jacks as we ran into a lake, full of fish and funny little green frogs.  I had imagined Jacks laughing at my awe as I watched snowflakes drift down, the sign of our first winter. Maybe siting by the fire with mugs, my head on his shoulder as we looked into the fire place. 

And finally, the sight of spring flowers symbolizing our first year on the new planet.

But now, only one of us would live those moments.

Only one of us would reach Planet X.

"A shame you're going to get there first." He sniffed, putting a hand on mine. But the glass was keeping our skin from touching, reminding us how we would be separated from now on. 

Separated forever.

"When I get there, would you like going out to eat with me?" I said, as if there were restaurants on Planet X. As if everything was fine, and we were simply college students flirting and  leaving school. He smiled.

"Is that a date?" He said raising an eyebrow. I laughed.

"It is."I felt my face go red. "Don't bail on me, okay?"