Silence Falls

All fanciful ideation of Bam’s cancelled right there when he heard the recognizable flick of a lighter, and then the smell of the tantalizing smoke of a heavenly cigarette. Blue eyes magnified as soon as he inhaled the stirring smell of an addicting cigarette from his secluded perch on the roof of a storage shed. With his mouth watering, Bam tried to think back to the last time he smoked a cancer stick, but found his senses too distracted to center clearly on anything else. He watched as Hermanni sucked in the smoke to his lungs and blew it back out with the cognition of a seasoned smoker. Suddenly mystified by that, Bam began to speculate when Hermanni started smoking, but didn’t get far when he jumped at the sound of Hermanni’s voice

“It seems like forever since I have looked up into the night sky and taken the time to appreciate its glamor. I remember the darkness to be as depthless as it is now, but the stars have seemed to dwindle since. I do not believe I have ever taken the time to thank each of you for exonerating me from my confinements in that facility. I know it must have caused everyone a vast amount of strain to save me, and for that I am forever in your debts that you took that chance anyway. I thought my life was over down there, but now I know it is not. Not everyone gets a second chance to live again, but we did. What happened to us before we were pitched down into that pit does not have to dictate how we live again unless we let it. We can start over, meet new people, and love new people. Like everyone here, I have also had my fair share of hindrance before they confiscate me. Those people did not take my life from me like they hoped they did, I had already lost it before they found me. I had nothing to keep me striving for air anymore until I met you lot.” Hermanni steadily turned to stare straight into Bam’s blue eyes through the pitch darkness of his obscured spot, and flicked his cigarette elsewhere. “Brandon, I want to tell you a secret.”

Bam stiffened, taken aback that Hermanni had known he’d been there monitoring him all this time. He didn’t see how that was possible. He was well and truly hidden from sight.

“This second chance of life is something I do not want to lose, or have taken away from me ever again. I never got the chance to go out and live my life and see new things. Now I do, but I do not have to do it alone anymore. I want to see all the world has to offer, the history, the food, the cultures, the languages, and everything else in between, but only with my new family by my side. You all have been through so much and I know asking you to obliterate everything and move on from it is not always going to be the solution to your anguish. However, I am choosing to stand by you through those excruciating memories, your lowest moments, your ghastly decisions, and your dreadful losses. I want to help, not only for my self-centered reasons to keep you, but also for your own well beings. I will not help you to disregard your past if that is not what you want, but I can make it better by aiding you to work through it YOUR way.” Hermanni trekked a few steps forward before crouching to deposit the lighter and a packet of cigarettes in front of the storage shed door. “Goodnight Brandon, and please do not worry, the monster within you does not spook me like the others. In truth, I have encountered powerful ones before.”

Hermanni smiled before leaving Bam alone on the rooftops to consider what he had said. Much to his surprise, the more pliant Brandon Margera did exactly that before grudgingly descending down from the storage roof to head back inside to bed.
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The next few weeks went splendid for everyone as if the crisis they were tangled in before wasn’t a big deal anymore. Bam soon sucked up all his courage to apologize to Onika face to face for addressing her as a whore. She pretended to accept his apology, but in reality she knew he would only provoke more disorder again due to his brisk temper.

Meanwhile in these few weeks, Bert and Otep had donated hours in the manager’s office going over every painstaking detail of their ongoing situation and its surrounding district. Once they finally had everything covered, they were left with two primary options to choose from that would keep them harbored from the threats of outside. Otep and Bert were the leaders of the group, and whatever they voted on, everyone would impulsively do their part accordingly and with complete faith in their leaders. However, Otep and Bert had noted how the others have taken a strong affinity to residing in the mall, and they no longer felt that it should be their verdict alone as to whether they stayed or not. Instead, Otep and Bert decided to ask the others where they longed to go from here.

On the ground floor, the others were convened around a small smoothie café that Hermanni had started to try out lately. It turned out he had a flair for making smoothies among other things. The others were nosy about his tampering in the café when they came upon him, but then genially accepted the smoothies due to his supreme kindness. Shockingly, everyone loved them! The café had snug couches and an island tiki theme to it with its huge fake palm trees, tiki decors and some buried stereo systems playing island music with the sound of seagulls and ocean waves crashing in the background. Hermanni even went far as to craft those adorable little umbrellas for their drinks. The remarks they swapped among each other were chummy coupled with sizable smiles on their faces.

Bert was standing with Otep a few feet away observing everyone enjoying themselves like they were on vacation. The tranquil smiles were what slowed him in his tracks before he realized Hermanni was behind the bar blending drinks. Bert crossed his arms over his chest. “What is with that guy?”

“What do you mean?” Otep asked, arching a brow.

“What do you mean ‘what do I mean’? Look at everyone, they’re getting along with each other all of a sudden. Let’s be honest for a second, we both know Bam would never atone for anything and yet a week ago he apologized to Onika for dubbing her a whore?! Never mind that she accepted his apology because you saw that look on her face too. She obviously wasn’t buying it either. Look at all of them! There isn’t a sign of animosity between them. Remember when Bam and Connor nearly killed each other? Check it out, they’re both sitting next to each other with Cris and having drinks like buddies! I swear if I see them laugh-“ Bert was cut off when Hermanni leaned over the bar to whisper something to the discussed boys that made them all throw their heads back in laughter.

Otep wanted to laugh too from the look on Bert’s face. “I can see what you mean.”

“Fucking hell! What does this guy have, powers or something!?” Bert blurted to her. He wasn’t irate, but obstinate for answers. It was like seeing a magic trick and not understanding how it could be performed.

Bert didn’t see the startling look Otep shot him at his remark. For a second there, she almost thought he figured it all out, and for a moment, it almost felt peculiar that she wasn’t the only one who knew Hermanni did, in fact, have some kind of magic to him that wasn’t of this planet. But Bert was only kidding. Taking a calm breath, Otep took a step forward to enter the cafe with Bert.

The ladies looked up from their clustered position around Onika and hoisted their various selections of drinks as they hailed out a cheery hello to them. The men at the bar gandered over to also welcome them. Otep and Bert managed to nod their heads in greetings before abruptly receiving two drinks hustled in their hands, one purple and one red. “They are on the house.” Hermanni heartened them with a wink before heading back behind the bar.

Otep took a sip of her drink. She was dubious of what the exact flavor was but found it to be the finest smoothie that ever touched her taste buds. Bert's eyes enlarged in reverence as he slurped his, saluting a nod of respect and a thumbs up to Otep. She rolled her eyes at him before taking a seat on the couch and setting her drink down on the table. Clearing her throat, she announced. “Okay people, we have something important to discuss with you guys so listen up!”

Plunging into silence, everyone turned around in their chairs to face them. Bert began. “Otep and I have been talking for weeks about what our next move should be, and we both heeded how you guys took to living in this mall. From what we deduced, you seem content, unafraid, and at home here...which is something you probably haven’t felt in a long time.”

Otep went next. “And we’ve also grown to like it here. However, we can’t completely refute the feasible likelihood that something grim can happen. So Bert and I have devised two plans that we feel have to be voted on before ‘something’ comes for us faster than we realize.”