69 Sacrifice (1/2)
”What will happen tomorrow?” I asked.
”We will be going in.” she replied.
”Don't tell me... Are you suggesting that we should go down there, into the underground facility!?” I yelled.
”Yes, teacher; that is correct. You will bring me down there tomorrow.” she said.
”Are you mad?” I asked her. She was a bit too curious and brave.
”Is there a problem?” she calmly asked.
”I am not going down there ever again.” I said.
”Well, I am sorry to say that I will have to bring you down there too if I want to go.” she said.
”What do you mean?” I asked.
”I am trapped within you, teacher. Forgot about it already?” she said.
”No, Miss; but this is MY body. And I am not planning to put it into any unnecessary risks.” I told her.
”So... Perhaps there is a bit of truth in what The Community says. What Idil once said.” she said.
”What are you talking about? And how do you even know Idil? I never mentioned her.” I was getting more confused every second.
”You can't make risky sacrifices. Maybe it is not that you don't want to help... You just can't do it.” she said.
I didn't say anything for a while. I was really sleepy and tired, but I couldn't just evade this conversation.
”And, about Idil...” she continued. ”You ocassionally think about her.”
Another moment of silence.
”But... What if it doesn't work? Then we will have nothing left to sacrifice.” I finally said. ”It will be all for nothing.”
”If it doesn't work, then nothing will.” Cansu said. ”You see, many years... You couldn't bring an end to this madness by fighting The Community on the surface. It's because the real cause of problems are literally down below... Underground.”
I sighed.
”If you don't want to go down there, I can understand that. Really, I can. And I can't force you to do something that you are not willing to do. But, please remember... This time, if you don't do it, I will never forgive you. I will never forgive you for my death, and many others. And I will be silently judging you through your entire life as I watch you grow old and die with all the burden.”
What was going on with her? I've never seen her talking like that.
”What is so important about this facility anyway?” I asked. ”I mean... I've seen some of it myself, but I can't seem to understand what you are trying to do by getting in there.”
”Members of The Community usually avoid going down there.” she said. ”Do you know why?”
”Why?” I asked. ”And how do you even know that?”
”There are parts in your memory that you don't pay a lot of attention to. I'm only bringing them to surface, and you think I know a lot more than you do.” she said. ”Anyway, this 'why' part is what I'm wondering... We will go down there to discover and do something about it.”
”But I've encountered with The Voice when I was down in the facility.” I said.
”'Usually' doesn't mean 'always', you idiot. And, if you can remember clearly, it was more like a goodbye.” she said.
There was yet another moment of silence. I was taking my time trying to comprehend everything.
”Anyway, what will you do? We have a book, we know the way down there.” she said.
”There is one more cause of concern on my side...” I said. ”What if it is a trap? What if they noticed that I was now free of the implant's effects, and they wanted to lure me back there?”
”You found this book randomly laying around in a library. What is the big deal?” she said.
”Yeah, but... What if? What if it was not a simple coincidence?” I said. ”There was something disturbing about that so-called librarian.”
”Teacher, you know...” she couldn't say what she wanted to. ”Now you've got me thinking about it too.” she sighed. ”I would say you are just too sleepy and you couldn't think well, but you are right after all...”
- - -
I woke up in the kitchen, with my phone on my face. I must've fallen asleep very quickly. I looked around, and I saw the book open just by my side.
I got my phone off my face and got up.
”Good morning.”
”WHO SAID THAT!?” I shouted in panic and got a defensive posture with reflex.
”What? I can't even say a good morning?”