Status: Redo of my old story

Silence Falls

Chapter 67: Gesturing the Truth

“Ladies! What are you all doing down here!?” A voice signaled out to the band of girls clustered before the sealed Electronic store. Everyone bounded to their feet and twirled to identify Cris with his arms crossed over his chest, a demeanor of impatience woven with dissatisfaction depicted across his face. “You should be heading to bed, not hanging around chatting with Hermanni!”

“Jesus, you scared us!” Onika cried out with irritation, a delicate hand pressed over her racing heart.

Cris gave her an remorseful look for alarming her. He hadn’t meant to emerge like a phantom behind them. “I'm sorry, Onika, startling you wasn’t my plan. But it's getting late and we're all about to turn in upstairs. I'm sure Hermanni would like some rest too. He must be fatigued from all that cooking he did earlier.”

The girls faltered and looked to Hermanni for his input. He looked anything but drained at the moment. But Hermanni, however, understood that what Cris really wished was to speak with him privately without anyone present and that included the ladies. Electing to bestow him this desired dialogue, Hermanni nodded to the ladies in compliance. “Cris is right, it is very late. Though if you ask me, I do not believe you ladies need any more beauty rest than you already have. You would bring us all to our knees if you sleep another wink.” Receiving several blushes and giggles in return, Hermanni shifted to persuade them next. “I will be here tomorrow if you care to talk again.”

“Okay...in that case we’ll see you then.” Alexis nodded along with her friends. Backtracking back towards the stairs, she gave the boys a wave goodbye. “Goodnight, you two.”

Cris and Hermanni waved back, but as soon as they were out of view Cris stepped forward to take a seat where they had previously sat, his blue eyes scouring Hermanni like he was an exotic animal at the zoo. Oh god, what am I doing here, Cris weighed to himself, and why in the world do I wanna know the truth ALONE by myself! Why hadn’t he requested anyone else to come with him?

“If you think you will find the tenacity to ask me these crucial inquiries that are tumbling within your mind right now, you will not. Tonight or any other night.” Hermanni expressed gently, having waited meekly for Cris to speak first though he knew he wouldn’t. “It is alright, Cristofer, you do not have to be frightened of me. I will not make it onerous to answer your questions, in fact, I will not speak a word of authenticity to you at all. I will only shake my head for no, and nod for yes to keep it clean. I can see that you do not feel comfortable knowing the details behind my answers, so I will not explain it to you. To be the only one to know the truth can be a daunting experience.”

Cris sucked in his breath, flabbergasted. How did Hermanni do that? Recite his mind, that is. Yes, it was true that Cris's inquisitiveness was biting at him like a ravenous lion and that’s why he strayed down here at this late time, but at the same time he didn’t think he could harbor gaining the hideous truth that may confirm that Hermanni was too deadly for their safety after all. From the beginning, just like the rest of them Hermanni has been through a lot. To think that he was not a part of the prime risk at the time, but could still be a risk to them was staggering to consider. Damnit, Cris couldn't make up his mind on what to conclude with the little intelligence he knew now! He wanted to get this obstruction over and done with, after all that's what got him out of bed tonight, but at the same time it's also what's imploring him to go back to bed. “How did you know that just now? How did you know what I was thinking?”

“It is displayed clearly on your face. You were apprehensive then inquisitive, then became fearful, and lastly contrite. You are exhibiting a lot of emotions, it is actually quite intriguing to behold.” Hermanni flashed him a warmhearted smile as his brilliant green and blue eyes browsed over his features.

“Well, I came here to…” Cris began before halting. He wasn’t sure how to word this exactly and so he cleared his throat and tried again. “I wanted to ask you some questions about...the things that happened earlier.” Getting a supportive nod from Hermanni, Cris ventured on after licking his dry lips. “Um, d-did you know how to speak English when we first met you back in the facility?”

Hermanni gave him a nod and a shrug, motioning that he kind of did.

“Then how do you speak it so well now?” Cris spouted before realizing it wasn’t a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ kind of question. Hermanni told him he wouldn’t speak, and would only gesture as an answer. “I mean, did you learn it by simply talking to us over the period of time you were with us?”

Hermanni shook his head slowly, dropping his eyes to the floor before him. Cris was getting closer to the answers he didn’t want to give him, but would have to. Honesty was the key in relationships. How could he expect them to trust him if their bond is built on distortion?

Cris frowned with confusion until his eyes skimmed over the store Hermanni was sealed in. The blue orbs viewed the many spires of stacked books congesting the store and all the TV's that were turned up to people chatting, laughing, crying, and yelling. Those book titles were all in English. Those channels were all in English. Could that be...no that’s preposterous, Cris concluded in his head, and yet he caught himself blurting out. “Did you learn English from all these TV's and books?!”

Hermanni was studying at the wall nearest to him on his left now as he nodded. He knew Cris's queries before they were delivered, and he knew he was getting perturbed by the steady resonance in Cris's voice waning and becoming a whisper. He was becoming terrified, and that wasn't good for Hermanni. He could easily end this, he knew he could. He could make Cris forget everything and return back upstairs to doze with an eased mind...but for some reason the concept of manipulation on that degree didn't seem like something humans would appreciate. The more cable Hermanni researched, the more he began to comprehend how distinctive he was from his family. The people on the TV that had powers too drove him feel relieved that he was not the only one out there that was like him...that was until he devised afterwards that they didn’t actually possess those powers in reality, only on the TV. Hermanni was swiftly grasping that he wasn't very human-like after all, that what he could do were things humans couldn’t do. Humans will shun him if they ever knew. His family could possibly shun him very soon as well. He needed to be...normal. He needed to be human.

“Do you remember back at the facility...” Cris began softly, his eyes filled with sorrow. “When we were all trying to get out of Solitary Confinement?”

Hermanni nodded with clear remembrance.

“We were snagged by those giants in that chapel. One came for you when you were alone sheltering in the elevator. When those doors closed and then opened again only seconds later that man no longer had a head. How did that happen, Hermanni? Was that..because of you? Did you...remove his head?”

Hermanni grimaced and nodded.

Cris's blue eyes enlarged, his body shook slightly in disgust as sweat began to develop on his forehead. Hermanni was conceding to the impossible, and yet fear was streaming through Cris’s system as if he believed his every admission. It took only a minute for him to realize it was because he did in fact believe that Hermanni was gesturing the truth. But how could that be? Well, there was only one way to find out. “But how!? How did you-” He was hindered by Hermanni planting a finger to his lips to remind him that he would only gesture to his answers, not convey a word. “Oh right, you won't talk...well then, what about the other guy that almost went right through the ceiling? Was that your doing too?”

Hermanni nodded, biting his lower lip. He no longer wanted to be a part of this interrogation. He had no idea if his answers were the applicable ones or not, and it was making him restless. But Cris wasn’t nowhere near done.