Chapter Two

Niamh unscrewed the cap off the water bottle and tilted it gently onto the rag that she grasped in her other hand, dampening the cloth. She placed the bottle on the floor and lifted her gaze to Taka’s face. He was a haunting sight with his short and spiky jet-black hair, pale skin and his eyes. His eyes were the most poignant: they were almost like deep endless oceans, ink-black oceans of sadness that pulled someone in the moment they locked with them. Streaks of dried blood and fragments of brain were splattered across Taka’s bone-white cheeks. There were clean trails through the blood and brain from the tears that he had shed earlier.

 

They had made it back to the hideout after scampering through the corridors of the office block that sat in the outskirts of London; sprinting past them, only resting for a few seconds to regain their breath and taking off again. They’d had to hammer on the door and scream before a wide eyed Oliver had yanked it open, revealing the barricaded information technology office within.

 

Taka sat on his sleeping bag, clutching the rough material between his fingers. He could hear them even from here: their howls and moans at the doors and windows, the banging and scraping as they prised and scratched at the planks nailed across the glass surfaces. They were going to yank away the boards and barriers, and flood in at any time now. He could see their gaping mouths, black shreds set in their rotting faces, and the putrid flesh and blood smeared across their broken teeth…

 

“Taka,”

 

Taka shook his head violently as if to shake the howls from his mind, and squeezed his eyes shut until he could see nothing but blackness in front of him. He clenched his fists tightly, digging his nails into the soft flesh of his palms.

 

"Taka?"

 

Niamh’s voice yanked Taka from his world, shattering the image of them though their moans echoed through his mind. Taka's eyes snapped open, breaking free of the darkness. Niamh's face had softened, her golden hair glowing radiantly even in the fragile light of the candle.

 

"Oh, Taka..." she whispered, her words dancing from the grasp of Taka’s ears. She reached up and gently pressed the damp cloth against Taka's cheek, the water icy cold against his skin as she began to wipe away the blood.

 

She was so pretty. Her blonde hair flowed down her back like molten gold and her snow white skin glimmered in the darkness. Her emerald eyes sparkled in the candlelight, rare gems of hope that could light up anyone’s world. For a fraction of a second, their eyes met, locking, before Taka dropped his gaze to the floor. An intense heat began to spread through Taka’s cheeks.

 

Glancing around the large office, obscured between desks and hidden from sight, were the other six faces of the tiny group that had managed to escape from the destruction of the disease: Lydia, a tiny girl who rarely spoke, with a heart shaped face and jet black hair that framed her face; Oliver, who had a razor thin body and gangly limbs but an intelligence that made up for it; there was Damir who was unusually skilled in using knives (he claimed that he had learned how to use knives whilst hunting in the mountains in Slovenia) but Taka couldn’t imagine Damir losing his temper at anyone; most likely sulking in a corner and scowling at the rest was Edgar. Taka’s stomach clenched at the thought of Edgar, the most violent member of the group, prone to outbursts of anger and cruel insults that had once reduced Lydia to tears. James was the calmest, rarely separated from Damir who seemed to be his closest friend from what Taka had observed so far. Somewhere in another room and hidden away from everyone else was Leon, the group leader and the most logical and tactical of all the members. Leon rarely left his room, seldom to eat with the others. He was quiet and dark, a loner compared to the others who preferred to huddle with one another.

 

The rag became more and more stained with blood each time it came away. Taka closed his eyes and the chase flashed before his eyes: the woman with her shattered ankles, the man with the one arm and wound that still dripped with blood, and the silent and chilling scream before the pain had ripped through Taka’s mind…

 

Taka slowly opened his eyes, realising that Niamh had stopped cleaning his face. She knelt in front of him, an angel from the skies.

 

“You’re all clean now,” Niamh took care to face him directly, allowing him to lip read her. He could see a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

 

Taka gave a slight nod of thanks.

 

Niamh…

 

Taka signed her sign name: the sign for “bright”. The gesture immediately caught her attention.

 

For behaviour my earlier, getting lost. Fault mine…I’m sorry�"

 

Niamh shook her head and gripped Taka’s hands, halting his signing. Taka’s eyes widened with surprise.

 

No sorry. Fault not yours. Fault mine.

 

A numbness �" shock �" had begun to spread through Taka’s mind at Niamh’s words. Why would Niamh be apologising? After all he was the one who one who managed to get himself separated from Niamh and James, and cornered by them in the first place, wasn’t he?

 

I should have kept better eye on you. Helped you better.

 

Taka shook his head violently, throwing back and denying Niamh’s words.

 

I need better control over emotions my, behaviour. I’m sorry, Niamh. I’m sorry…

 

He could feel the tears burning at his eyes, threatening to spill over as they blurred his vision and warped Niamh in front of him. Taka rubbed away at the tears before they could fall.

 

I’m a burden.

 

Not a burden! Niamh’s face contorted, filled with an emotion. Perhaps anger or disgust? Taka, you’re not a burden!

 

Taka’s eyes widened.

 

Now…I hug you?

 

Taka hesitated for a few moments, sucking in air. He gave a slight and brief nod. The corners of Niamh’s mouth lifted. Happiness, he had made her happy. She reached towards him, gently wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Taka closed his eyes and buried his face in the soft material of her jumper. An emotion washed over Taka, flowing through his veins. An indescribable emotion. What emotion was it?

 

Then it was over as quickly as it had begun.

 

He felt Niamh pull away from him and he opened his eyes, the spell shattered.

 

You tired?

 

Taka slowly nodded. His eyelids felt heavy and his eyes ached with exhaustion as he fought to stay awake.

 

You want to sleep?

 

Niamh laughed, a small chuckle when Taka sleepily nodded.

 

You look very tired!

 

Sleep…

 

I take off your gloves?

 

Taka shook his head violently, letting his hair fall into his eyes. They were his gloves and his gloves only. No one else’s to take.

 

A shadow fell across the floor, ripping Taka from his thoughts. Taka looked up, his heart leaping into his throat.

 

“Did you cry again, Taka?” Edgar’s voice had a sharp edge to it, like a knife slicing through soft butter. The words cut through the air, even through the suffocating barrier of his deafness. “Did you cry when you saw them?”

 

Taka could feel the fear rising and his throat closing up. There was no way he could speak now.

 

“Of course you did,” Edgar shook his head, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. “Because you always cry…”

 

“Back off, Edgar,” Taka tore his gaze from Edgar’s imposing figure, his eyes landing on Niamh. She was facing away now, her sight fixed upon Edgar who stood at her side.

 

Niamh is defending me?

 

Edgar clenched his fists, his lips curling back and exposing the whites of his teeth.

 

“He’s useless. All he does is sit there and cry. He hates being touched. He won’t talk. He hates it if we invade his personal space but he doesn’t care if he invades ours.”

 

“Tell me, Edgar…” Niamh’s voice became too muffled and faint for Taka’s ears to grasp.

 

Why are you defending me, Niamh?

 

Taka could feel a lump swelling in his throat. He’d never had a friend like Niamh before; someone who defended him from the bullies and tried to help him. He closed his eyes, embracing himself in Edgar and Niamh’s muffled yells, letting them wash over him and make no sense. Although she wasn’t the first. Hayato had been there before her, supporting him, helping him to pull through the hysteria and confusion, the disorder and chaos. Calming him down when he got worked up into a panic or into a meltdown when his routine was disrupted.

 

Hayato…

 

“Taka is a f*****g retard. That’s what he is. A massive f*****g retard.”

 

The words were a stinging blow across the face, yanking Taka from his thoughts and sending him crashing into reality once more. Taka opened his eyes.

 

“Taka’s not a ‘retard’! He’s deaf. Who do you think you are, Edgar? You strut around like you’re the king and you do nothing to help us! At least Taka wants to help unlike you. He’s so sweet but you…you’re so cruel. Making Lydia cry, angering James and taunting Damir. You make me sick…”

 

Niamh was on her feet. Her fists were clenched too, Taka noticed.

 

Are they going to fight?

 

Edgar shook his head once more. Disgust, anger maybe? Taka had seen Fa pull the same facial expression before, sometimes when they had watched the news before. He could remember watching the news about little Daniel Pelka with the frustratingly inaccurate subtitles switched on, and Fa shaking his head. “Evil b******s,” he had whispered as he’d shook his head.

 

“That’s right, Edgar. You run. Go away. Leave us alone,” Niamh’s voice had lost its familiar gentle softness.

 

Edgar took a few steps backwards, closing his eyes and still shaking his head. Then he paused in his tracks and glanced over at Taka, his dark eyes piercing even in this faint light.

 

“And stop using your deafness as an excuse to get special treatment,”

 

This time, the words were more than a stinging slap. They burned at Taka’s skin, eating away at his flesh like a corrosive acid.

 

“Is this what this is about, Edgar? Who gets special treatment? Is this why you’re bullying Taka day and night then?”

 

Taka shot his hand out, grabbing the sleeve of Niamh’s jumper before she could take any further steps towards Edgar. She looked down at Taka, her eyes wide as she froze in her tracks. Taka could see the grin on Edgar’s face out of the corner of his eye. He had achieved what he had wanted in the first place: attention.

 

Don’t fight him, Niamh. It’s not worth it! The words screamed through Taka’s mind, but his lips moved soundlessly without a trace of noise or vibrations.

 

Taka jerked at her sleeve, shaking his head frantically.

 

Please, Niamh, don’t do it…

 

Taka squeezed his eyes shut, willing the darkness to consume him and swallow him whole…

 

“Taka,”

 

Niamh.

 

“Taka, it’s alright, I’m not going to fight if that’s what you think I’m about to do. I promise.”

 

Taka slowly opened his eyes. She knelt in front of him, watching him. He nodded.

 

Stay with me until I fall asleep?

 

He heard Edgar snort somewhere in the background and the fading vibrations of his boots as he stormed away �" a hurricane ready to wreak havoc on another unfortunate member.

 

Of course.

 

Taka slid into his sleeping bag, immersing himself in the soft and velvety material, and closing his eyes. He had gotten used to the hardness of the floor beneath him over the past few weeks, and the recurrent thumps from them outside and the footsteps as the others padded around the room. He missed his bed and his home: his life. He missed his family most of all: Hayato’s laughter and his parents’ kindness and comforting words.

 

He had to find them again.

 

Taka closed his eyes, pressing the soft leather of his �" no, Hayato’s �" gloves against his cheeks. He would find them again and reunite with them.

 

Sleep, Taka.

 

Taka pushed the thoughts from his mind. He would worry about them tomorrow. He had to rest before he could worry. Taka turned onto his left side, positioning himself in the sleeping same position as he had done ever since he could remember.

 

It was then Taka realised the emotion he had felt when Niamh had hugged him. It had been safety.