Ascension

Lorelei

Alivia is being really annoying right now. I'm not kidding. She refuses to let us see her and I can tell that Indiana is getting fed up with it.

"Screw you Alivia." I yelled at her.

I walked away from the door and Elijah followed after me. Alivia is being awful right now and I can't deal with her.

"What are we going to do now?" Elijah asks me.

"Something. I don't know." I grab my forehead.

I have only been in this fallout room for our bunker for a couple hours and it has made me so claustrophobic. Strange, I know, because I lived on a ship for my entire life.

"Can we see if we can go back up to the bunker." I asked him.

"Sure. It's messing with my head being so close to everyone." Elijah groans a little.

"Tell me about." I mumble.

We walked over to the makeshift control center where America has retaken her position as leader. Everyone is crowding around her trying to get input for something they are working on.

Elijah and I elbow through the crowd and drag her away. Everyone probably hates us now.

"Is there a reason you pulled me away from my colleagues who needed my help?" America asks us.

"When are we going back up to the bunker?" I burst out.

"What do you think I'm doing?" America glares at me.

"Oh right." Elijah looks at his feet.

"Is there anything else you need?" America asks us.

"When is the bomb going to be done?" I asked quickly.

America looks questionly at us. I need this war to be over and if this Atomic Bomb is going to do it for us it better be soon.

"It should be built by the end of this week." America answers slowly.

Elijah looks nauseous. I decide to take him away from the crowd. Maybe that would help him a little. When we were away from everyone he leans over and whispers in my ear.

"I need to talk to you, Lorelei." He whispered softly.

"Okay." I respond as he drags me away.

We end up in the corner of the large room and he looks even more sick.

"Elijah are you okay?" I ask him.

I am half dreading his answer. Elijah wipes his palms on his pants before answering me.

"I'll be fine." He swallowed before talking again.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" I asked smoothly.

"Listen Lorelei. I'm sorry but I need to tell you this." He pleads with me to understand.

"What do you need to say?"

Elijah swallows hard and closes his eyes before answering me. He seemed to be convincing himself to tell me.

"Alexandra reached out to me on Orion A." He answers me in a shaky voice.

"Your Mom? What did she want?" I asked him.

Obviously something important or else he wouldn't be having such a hard time telling me this.

"She threatened you and the whole colony." He had his head down.

"What? Why would she do this?" I asked a little panicked.

I had seen in person just what those Brights could do and it wasn't pretty.

"She wanted me to come back to her. She said she would enslave you if I came back and she said she would kill you if I didn't." He hung his head in shame.

"I have never been more happy that we have an atomic bomb." I sighed.

"Right."

"Elijah. You don't have to worry. Just stall her until the bomb is built and then all will be fine." I placed one of my hands on his shoulder trying to comfort him.

Elijah was still troubled by this. I could tell.

"So do you have your answer." I asked him.

"Yea." He winced.

"It's the right one, right?" I asked.

"Yep. Door number three." He responded.

"Listen, Elijah I'm sorry you have to go through this." I sympathize with him.

"Yeah, It's just my life." He sighs miserably.

I can tell it's still bugging him but who wouldn't be bugged by that? Alexandra raised him for goodness sakes.

"Elijah, you need to sleep." I tell him.

He is practically sleeping on my shoulder. I doubt he has gotten much sleep since we left Orion A. I grab his hand and direct him to the bunk bed he sleeps on. When I finally, after multiple tries, get him onto his bed. I go wandering.

I feel like I can't stay inside any longer. Orion A spoiled me. I could go outside whenever I felt like it but here it seems like I am forever living in darkness.

Before I left for Orion A that was fine with me because I had known no other way but now I just can't picture living without the sun. I just hope that I will see again one day. Maybe Elijah will take me when this awful chapter of our lives is finally over.

I end up wandering to the exit. When I walk out it is hard to even recognize the landscape anymore. It has been bombed more times than any other place in the war. It kind of gives it a timeless look though. If Elijah was here he would probably say something artsy and pull out his sketch pad.

When we were in Orion A Elijah had drawn so much but mostly sunsets over the watery horizon. It kind of looked like the ocean could stretch on forever. It was so pretty and I loved ogling at his unique ability to capture the colors that danced across the water so carefully and so precisely.

He definitely had a talent for that.