God and the State

[Nuru Askari]

"They have done a lot of work on it. I am impressed with how its come along. We have rooms here. You can take your pick."

[Thomas]

"Really?"

He asks wondering if the rooms here were the same size as the ones at the other base.

[Nuru Askari]

"There is still a lot of constuction, but some rooms are ready. I will show you."

I lead him to some of the rooms, which are not very big and smell like paint. But they are efficient and serve their purpose.

[Thomas]

"I think ill take that one."

He said softly and he looked at the door.

[Zinn]

Zinn wraps her arms around Antero and starts crying. She hasn't felt this free in years. Losing all hope is freedom. She read that somewhere. She doesn't try to cry quietly this time. She doesn't try to supress anything. She just cries. Antero is a skeleton too. Two skeletons, two dead things holding each other.

Apathy is living death, and right now, Zinn is praying for rigor mortis. Praying to a god she doesn't believe in. Praying like she hasn't prayed since before her parents died, and they would stand around that braided candle, with the aroma of cloves and cinammon in the air, and look at the shadows in their hands. Those secret ceremonies for a nothing that cost them their lives. But she remembers that for a few minutes, while singing those ancient words in a dead language, that she had felt something. She wishes she could feel it again. But she can only feel nothingness, and emptiness.

She remembers holding Petra like this, but when Petra was bleeding to death in her arms, before the operatives took her to the Ministry of Terror. Petra was a skeleton too.

Zinn cries harder.

[Ichiro Sazuki]

After a few hours or so, Ichiro had cleared and cleaned the one story greyish brown building. He had also set up a row by row desk and seat scheme so that students could sit.

Now to post up signs...

It made Ichiro feel good, to help others. He quickly made some flyers and walked around posting them almost everywhere. The flyer read,

Hello all, A new school, near the rebel base has been formed. Qualified teachers needed. If interested to teach or enrole, please write your name on the poster on the front door of the school.

Thankyou
Ichiro Sazuki, Rebel

Ichiro figured at least a few people in each village could read english and translate it to the others.

[H-008]

"You know precious, I've always wanted to play with a religious rebel. We're going to have soooo much fun. My record for keeping someone concious while in excruciating pain is three weeks. I'm going to try to break that record."

Then, Seven takes out a circular saw. It doesn't cut Simona though. It cuts the wooden table she is on into the shape of a cross. It tightens the leather straps so they are more uncomfortable, and it uses a remote control so the table is vertical.

Seven gets out some nails.

[Antero Black]

I don't know what to do. I sit there so stupid and weak. I just hold her tighter and start crying too.

I convulse with pain. I don't know why. I just do. So it makes me cling tighter. I don't understand why she is doing this. She will regret it. I am a disease.

I want to say something. But there is nothing to say. I just feel idiotic, and in this weak and idiotic state I want to hold her.

[Nuru Askari]

"Good, I will visit you later. I just wanted to meet some of the other rebels. Bye."
I leave Thomas and the base in search of the other rebels I will be working with.

[Simona Weil]

I have a high tolerance for pain, I know this, since I can be very detached from this world and from my sufferings. I am not afraid of what it will do to me.

I happen to notice that the table is in the shape of a cross. Christianity is not something I was born into. It was a choice. This will test how far I've come from my agnostic youth.

[Zinn]

Zinn knows she shouldn't be doing this. Projecting her emotional nuts on anyone. Especially not Antero. This is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong... It's like a mantra in her head. She should just go get drunk, bottle it up, not hurt anyone else...

Then Zinn kisses Antero's neck.

[H-008]

Seven puts the nails down on another table. Then Seven asks Simona a question.

"Did you know we videotape everything that goes on down here?"

[Antero Black]

It is all strange and frightening, She is above this. She is not like the rest of us. Just an intellectual girl. I could push her away or something, but I really don't mind. In fact I love it. I love attention. And since she is always so cold towards me, it makes it all the better.

I run my hands up her back, I take off her glasses and kiss her by her ear.

I am no longer crying.

[Simona Weil]

"I was not aware of that. What do you do with the tapes?" I ask very calmly.

[Zinn]

Zinn holds onto Antero. She kisses Antero's neck again, and then kisses Antero's adam's apple.

She is still crying.