The Cull - The Past Intertwined

Photo by Sven Brandsma on Unsplash

Noor and I left the others behind and made our way back to the double-decker bus after half an hour. The bus stood in solitude, undisturbed by any wandering souls, which meant the three guys were still in the nearby forest.

We picked up the pace, our footsteps echoing through the silence of the dark forest until we decided to split up. Noor went right, disappearing into the shadows, while I ventured left.

I marked an x on the trunk of an oak tree with the dirk knife. An hour. We decided to meet in front of the oak tree in an hour.

It was a few minutes after our separation that I picked up on a peculiar and repugnant smell in the air, which left me unsettled.

I broke off and looked around myself, trying hard to pinpoint the source of the repulsive smell, when a clamour erupted to my left. I cowered behind a towering tree, the rough bark scratching against my back, and finally located the source of the putrid stench.

From behind some bushes, amidst a heap of burning cadavers turning to ash, came a haunting din. It was only then that I noticed a decrease in the number of corpses strewn across the hard ground.

So, this was what he meant, I reasoned, when he said they should finish what they started. It all made sense now. The plan was to set fire to the bodies and eradicate any evidence that could indicate foul play.

This confirmed to me that either help was on the way or that their plans hit a snag – otherwise, they wouldn’t be in such a rush to dispose of the bodies.

The bag I saw didn’t contain weapons; instead, it was filled with containers of gasoline. They had meticulously prepared all this in advance, leaving no room for unexpected mishaps.

I watched the cadavers burn, their charred remains crumbling and vanishing with each gust of wind. My misty eyes took in the heap of destruction before moving to the three murderers, who wore wide grins as they watched the morbid spectacle.

Although I had never subscribed to the notion of good and evil, God and Satan, I couldn’t deny that these three men were the embodiment of pure evil.

Startled, my eyes widened in surprise before I instinctively lowered my head. The guy in the white shirt, the one who punched Conrad, turned his head and locked eyes with me.

It happened so abruptly that it took me a while to register what had actually occurred. It dawned on me that he had been observing me all along, silently, long before our eyes actually met.

I sprinted with all my might. My heart raced in my chest, the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I sprinted towards the empty vehicle.

But I couldn’t just abandon Noor, not when I had given my word to Omar that I would keep her safe. I stopped short and found a hiding spot behind some wilted thicket of bushes near the towering oak tree we promised to meet at.

I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the weight of my escape lift off my shoulders as I realised no one had followed me. But it was short-lived.

Time flew by, and before I knew it, minutes turned into hours. There was no sign of Noor as if she had been swallowed up by the void, leaving no trace behind.

Panic surged through me, making my palms grow clammy with sweat. They couldn’t have found Noor, could they?

She went the other way and shouldn’t have run into anyone. But what if I was mistaken? They could’ve called for backup once they found out we called the police…

While I was contemplating what to do, a voice emerged from out of nowhere, causing my blood to curdle and my mind to go blank.

I raised my eyes and flinched. Stooping over the wilted bushes, the man in the white shirt observed me. I almost let out a scream.

“Looking for someone?”

His smile, with his lips curved into a grin, sent shivers down my spine. I rose to my feet, my heart pounding in my chest as I cautiously looked over my shoulder.

With each stride I made, he mirrored my movements, taking twice as many steps. I tightened my grip on the dirk knife, feeling the weight of it in my hand, ready to strike.

The guy halted in his steps as he noticed the dagger and maintained a safe distance from me. I directed it at him not long after, my heart pounding in my chest as I kept moving backwards, constantly checking behind me.

“Back off! I said, back off!”

“Put that thing down and let’s talk.” His voice was guttural, deeper than I thought it would be due to his soft features. “Don’t you want to see her?”

“W-what?”

“I helped her give birth and took her somewhere safe. The others don’t know. I can bring you to her.”

I frowned. Ali’s mum? Why? Why on earth would he do something like that? Didn’t these people bring us here to off us?

Something… something was off about this guy. Moreover, how did he know about the connection between me and her?

“How do you know? That I was looking for her.”

“I was returning to the bus when I saw you run off with the kid. I figured she’d convinced you to take him with you.”

“You left her there on purpose? Why?”

He took his time replying.

“Let’s just say it’s an occupational hazard and keep it at that. What about you? Why’d you let her talk you into it? Someone like you…”

“Someone like me?” I repeated. “Do I know you?”

“Just answer the question. Do you want to see her or not? If it’s the latter, then—”

“The infant. What happened to it?”

“It’s with her,” he said, adding nimbly upon seeing the doubt in my eyes. “I’m not lying. You don’t trust me?”

“Yeah, I think you’re full of it.”

He laughed, bemused from the look of it by the way I worded this sentence.

“Well, you’ll know for sure if you come with me – whether or not I’m lying.”

“Who the hell are you people, anyway? Why are you doing this to us?”

“We’re just doing what we are told. We’re all part of a pilot project overseen by the government.”

 “A project that’s meant to kill innocent people? Is that what you’re saying?”

“It’s for the greater good. Those people were gonna die, regardless. We just sped up things. Come on! You know that’s the truth! Those people don’t add anything to society, do they? They’re just burdens – all of them.”

“I don’t see the good in killing children.”

I couldn’t shake off the unsettling feeling as a knowing smile slowly spread across his face. He remained silent, not uttering a single word in response.

Then, like a sudden bolt of lightning, another realisation dawned on me. This guy knew me. I didn’t know him, I was sure, but he knew me. That was why he was smiling like this right now.

I dropped my head with a smirk. That bastard knew me, huh? How convenient.

“Take me to her,” I said as I looked up again, waving the dagger. “But only if I bring this along.”

“Sure. Follow me.”

His flickering eyes betrayed his distress as we ventured deeper into the forest. I tightened my grip around the shaft, feeling the rough texture against my palm, as I scanned the area for any sudden movements.

He was hiding something under his shirt. From what I could make out, it looked like a handgun.

If only I could overpower him and seize whatever he was hiding, perhaps we could level the playing field against these bastards.

He came to a standstill and turned around. Not even a single muscle on his face twitched.

I tightened my grip around the shaft, ready to strike whatever stood in my path, when he finally broke the silence.

“We’re here.”

I frowned. My grip on the dagger loosened as I looked around and spotted a carefully arranged bed of leaves to the right. My mind went blank with horror as the shrill cry of an infant pierced the air not long after.

I rushed to the bed of leaves and I picked up the bloody thing. It shivered from the frigid weather and had turned purple.

As I stood up with the infant clutched tightly in my embrace, the cold tip of the dagger pressed against the nape of my neck.

That was when I noticed that I had let go of it amidst the chaos. I didn’t turn around to face him.

“Where’s she? The woman.”

“She didn’t make it.”

“You lied,” I said as I cradled the infant against my chest, feeling its tiny heartbeat, to keep it warm. “You fucking bastard.”

“You’re not like what they told me.”

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye as he said this. Who the hell were ‘they’?

“People change.”

“Not you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’ll know when the time’s right.”

“Who the fuck are you? I don’t know you. But it sounds like you do.”

“You weren’t supposed to be here. You know that, right? If I hadn’t noticed it was you, you’d probably be dead by now. I saved you.”

I looked away, smirking. “Is that so? Should I thank you or what? Just cut to the fucking chase and tell me what’s going on.”

He shifted his focus to the infant.

“It’s just a matter of time before that thing bites the dust. Why not save your questions for later?”

Deep down, I knew he was right, even if I didn’t want to admit it. Its body temperature dropped significantly and showed no signs of warming up.

I tucked it snugly under my gown, feeling its tiny body against my chest. I didn’t do this out of kindness, but rather out of necessity.

I may have made mistakes in the past – mistakes that would never be forgiven – but I was not a bad person, not innately at least.

“So what do you suggest?”

“Stay here until sunrise. That’s how you’ll stay alive. That thing too.”

“There are people out there who need me. I can’t just stay here and save my own skin, can I?”

“I can’t let you leave…”

“Why’s that? Come on. Don’t I at least deserve to know why?”

“Because the person responsible for this project tells me to. Is that enough for you?”

I rubbed my hardened face, frustration building up in every fibre of my body.

“And who’s that, huh? The person responsible for this sick project?”

“Someone you know very well.”

“Oh, someone I know? Of course, it is…” I paused, trying to choose my words right. “What’s that bastard’s name, then?”

“Why don’t you try and figure it out for yourself?”

“Is this some fucking joke?” I said, no longer able to hide the anger in my voice. “Huh? Is it fun? Killing a bunch of helpless people just for the kick?” I dropped my head, the thoughts racing through my disoriented mind. “Just like how you did back in October 2023? You fucking pieces of shits!”

“I know this is hard to accept right now. But I need you to stay calm and keep your voice down, okay?”

“Why… why are you doing this?”

“I told you. I’m just following orders.”

“Not that. You said you saved my life. Why? Because that person, the one responsible for this death sentence, told you?”

“Yeah, more or less. He didn’t know you’d be here. How did you end up like this?”

“How did I end up like this?” I repeated for myself. “I don’t know, I…” I paused as a realisation hit me. “He? It’s a guy.” I averted my gaze. “A… guy?”

“He tells me you know each other very well.”

“He tells you? How funny. It’s almost like you’re…” I bore my eyes into the guy’s blue eyes as a thought crossed my mind. “You’re… not human?”

A knowing smile played on his lips. “That should be the least of your concerns right now. Those people you risked your life for? You can’t save them.”

“What? Why not?”

“One of us is with them as we speak. Our customers don’t like it when things are too easy, you see. It’s all part of the project, although a live audience wasn’t exactly part of the original plan. But you already know that.”

“Who is it? The rat—”

“I can’t tell you that—hey, where you going? Hey! I told you! You can’t save them! It’s over! Do you hear me? It’s over!”

“Shut it and mind your own business! And tell that person he can fuck off too! Whoever he is!”

I brushed past him without a second thought, knowing very well that he couldn’t hurt me. The only thought in my mind was to return to the cave and tell the others about the rat among us. The only problem was that I didn’t know who it was.

It could be anyone, really. But who? I hadn’t seen Amina ever since I returned from the watchtower, Noor risked her life to help me get there, and none of the other survivors had done anything remotely suspicious that would expose their betrayal.

Moreover, I didn’t know whether Noor made it back to the hideout or got caught in the forest and was set on fire. How was I going to face Omar if I showed up all by myself?

As I was having these thoughts, I finally made it back to the double-decker bus. The number of cadavers was almost half now and the stench of singed flesh hung heavy in the air.

I put the sleeping infant at the top of the slope and climbed up myself shortly after. When I looked over my shoulder right before venturing deeper into the forested vicinity, I locked eyes with the guy in the white shirt.

I couldn’t tell if he was a friend or foe. But if he was really telling the truth, it meant the others were in danger. I had to expose the mole and alert the others. But how? Who could I trust?

As if these questions weren’t taking their toll on me already, my mind played yet another trick on me, taking me back in time.

I broke off.

The hungry infant bellowed, eagerly sucking at my chest. Gasping for air, I collapsed onto the hard ground, the image of my mother’s distorted face haunted me.

I attempted to stand up, but my legs buckled beneath me.

And the forest faded away…

Continue.