Silence Falls

Onika, Natasha, Demitria and Alexis’s jaw dropped at the mention of guards detonating into flames!? Leaning forward in her seat at the giant tables in the buffet restaurant, she interrogated them further on this record just to be sure she was hearing it right. Her brown eyes darted between Connor and Cris. “Are you fucking serious? They burst into flames just like that on the spot!?”

“Something else happened later on that was eerie too.” Cris spoke up, completely disregarding Onika’s inquiry. He looked down at his plate in deep thought before commencing. “Bert, you and Bam and Otep voted to go off into the swamps to explore ahead and the rest of us stayed back at camp. We got ambushed by those soldiers with those sizable guns of theirs. They tried to kill us, and we sought to fight them off as best as we could with no weapons, but...it didn't make any sense how the fight concluded. We were all alive...and they were mercilessly slain.”

“Wait, goddamn minute! Did that seriously happen while we were gone and you just waited until now to tell me?!” Bert exclaimed in horror, glimpsing at the girls for answers and drawing eagered nods in support of Cris's account.

“It did happen, and I’m sorry for not alerting you about it at the time, but you know what? None of that even matters anymore, because we shouldn't even be here right now in the first place. We should all be lying dead out there in the swamps!” Cris’ voice started to ascend with sudden cognition.

“They had guns, and we had only rocks and sticks to defend ourselves.” Connor continued, his face becoming blanched as it began to unfold on him too that they shouldn’t be alive. “No four leaf clover in sight that day could have brought us that amount of luck that’s been granted to us since we broke out of that underground penitentiary.”

Silence broke out at the table, everyone had been done eating long ago it seemed and the ecstatic tranquilizing atmosphere they had been immersed in was now polluted with uncertainties, dismay and questions with irrational explanations. Raising up his glass to gulp down the last of his orange juice, Bert elected to enter in another marvel that just didn’t make any sense. “Oh, and another one is that Hermanni can speak full fucking English now. Who would have seen that coming?”

Otep shot him a look of perplexity before recalling that Hermani had indeed chatted in the most English she’s ever heard gush out of his perfect mouth. “And how the fuck does he speak English now all of a sudden? Fuck me, I thought I was experiencing a stroke or something this morning when he said good morning to me. I mean, he’s always communicated a little eccentric since we met him, but that's all I took notice of at the time with all the adversity going on. It didn’t take until much later for me to realize he didn’t convey it that well and that maybe it was his second language or something. He does have an accent after all.”

“Well, there’s a straightforward explanation for that. He’s been able to speak English entire time and has been misleading us!” Demitria resolved for them. Still, she was puzzled as to why he'd pretend to not speak much English in the first place. Maybe he was an introvert and wanted to forestall being snared up in long discussions with them, so he bluffed not speaking english?

“No, he insists that he didn't know English well when we met him. He told me this morning he mastered English last night while we were all asleep.” Bert explained, reaping more troubled looks. It was a hard pill to swallow, but Bert felt in his gut that Hermanni was telling him the truth. As preposterous as that was.

“Back up, are you trying to tell us he claims to have learned the ENTIRE English language in ONE night!?” Bam demanded with discernible mistrust. He scored himself a confirming nod.

Everyone felt the opposite of what they had been feeling now. It wasn’t just they weren't as cheerful and serene as before, but now it was more than just that. They were also afraid. So far, they were able to pinpoint that everything peculiar that had resulted throughout their expedition appeared after they met Hermanni, and whenever he was with them. No one was sure about their new foreign friend. Some of them felt that he must be more insane than them. Collectively, they knew two things now. One, that they needed to stick together from here on out, and two, they needed to figure out what to do about this mystifying Hermanni.

At the end of the day, the group was informed of their next plan. Everyone, except for Bert and Connor, would go take a hot relaxing shower before heading to bed tonight. The other two would handle Hermanni alone. Even though the four girls were receptive of the plan, they didn't exactly agree on it, but Bert persuaded them they wouldn’t harm Hermanni. He just wanted to keep him in a guarded area so they could confer to him about his past and figure out if he is a risk to them or not. Despite their censure they trusted Bert not to do anything irresponsible and left to go shower the swamp and sweat off themselves for what they counted on would be the last time.

Bert and Connor strode through the mall to locate their unusual friend, all the while speculating on what will result from the outcome of their visit. If Hermanni was threatening, how should they challenge him civilly? It's best not to go in with fists flying when it comes to mediating with deadly people, it's best to take it leisurely and tranquil, and communicate to him as if he was not a feasible risk to them. Bert let out a sigh as their ears picked up several voices, melodies, and other sounds overlapping one another up ahead. They wavered to share a puzzled look before gradually making their way to the origin of the sound. A whole store of just televisions of distinctive years and sizes were on exhibit on walls and shelves, each showing a different channel from the other and all the volumes turned up to their maximum. The words overlapped each other to where it resonated like a sea of people talking at once. The floor of the store was shrouded in books of different sizes and genres heaped superbly and reaching different elevations. In the very heart of the store was Hermanni on top of a mound of assorted pillows like a nest. He peered up from the book on his lap that he was no longer fixated on and smiled at his friend's appearance. Bouncing to his feet, he began to randomly pick up books from several stacked columns of literature and eagerly addressed Bert. “Bert, you came! I believe these novels will absolutely strike an interest in you, my friend. Would you care for some books too, Connor? Please feel free to browse around, and rummage through whatever you like. We are friends so anything that is in my custody is yours.”

“Okaaay.” Connor droned as he gave Hermanni a look due to his enthusiastic behavior and almost frenzied hospitality, but shrugged it off with the insight that Hermanni was also a major weirdo. Choosing to help himself to looking around the store, he left Bert to handle Hermanni by himself until he demanded some extra muscles.

Bert cleared his throat and gave Hermanni a bogus smile that he hoped looked genuine rather than forced. Hermanni knew better than to believe his phony smile, but went along with it instead as their leader opened his mouth. “Thank you very much, Hermanni, but...uh, this isn't why we came to see you. You see, a lot of us were talking during breakfast, which by the way we absolutely devoured in full gratitude!” Bert watched Hermanni smile in comfort that he could provide some help, and it made him feel lousy for what he was about to say. Lowering his voice, he began to rub the back of his neck, unclear if his next words would even make any sense. “...and we all discovered that we have survived this dangerous trial with some crazy out-of-this-world kind of luck. The kind of luck that, in all frankness...isn't exactly possible.”

Hermanni quit smiling and tilted his head. He could see the strife behind Bert's eyes to explain himself without upsetting his feelings in apprehension of how he might behave. Uneasiness and cautiousness were two emotions floating in the blue water of his irises. Hermanni did not like those emotions pervading his leader, but they undoubtedly were there and were going to extend onto the others unless Hermanni encouraged them he was no peril to them. Fortunately, this helped him make up his mind. “Bert, I can see you are having trouble opening up to me about what it is that really brought you down here. I did something that people would call ‘nice’ for you and our friends this morning, and I understand that you think other things about me that you are not quite sure is ‘nice’ to say. I promise you can tell me anything anytime you want, Bert and I won’t take offense. It is quite alright. You are my friend, after all, and friends listen to each other.”

Taken aback, Bert frowned as he peered into Hermanni's exotic eyes. His heart crashed down into his stomach with horror. “Wait...h-how did you know precisely what I’m feeling just now?”