You: Hey, Shawna what is you excuse for posting late this time?Me: Um....I know, I know, I was supposed to have this up almost 3 weeks ago but I had some technical difficulties...and then I got lazy. But in other news I'm currently writing Chapter 23. She's BackI have to say I'm taking the high road and saying that atleast it hasn't been a year since I last posted. This post is basically going to be one big recap of the last few chapters. I've also changed a few things about the serial that I'll mention at the end of the chapter.
The RecapAlex Haley picks the wrong night to go out with his brother Harlow. He and his friends Felix and Marco are arrested for stealing and sent to Camp Harmony, a prison work camp for the Republic Liberation Army that is controlled by Sgt. Kenneth Maxwell. Maxwell decides Haley shouldn't be at the camp and tells him to leave--only he won't go.
But this isn't Haley and Maxwell's first collision (ahem, Sundays aside) Haley visited Maxwell while he was in the hospital after a bad military operation. It's a moment Haley doesn't remember and Maxwell never forgot.
He’s walking along the row of beds across from mine, shyly handing roses to the wounded soldiers or, laying them on the beds of those who aren’t awake. When the boy gets to me, he glances at me for barely a second. His colorless eyes are almost too large for his face.
I start another coughing fit; bringing up water and bloody phlegm before the fit ends. A handkerchief is at my mouth, wiping away the mess and I'm burning. I take the handkerchief from him because I am atleast healthy enough to clean myself up.
“Are you okay ?,” he says so softly I don’t make it out at first.
“Yes-,” I respond.
Before I can say thank you the nurse comes up behind him and starts scolding me for standing up. The boy quickly moves on, seemingly terrified of her wrath.
(By the way, that nurse is Audrina--who is married to Pascal from Vice.)
When Harloe tries to escape the prison camp he is shot by an over eager corporal and the bullet lodges in Haley's abdomen. Now Maxwell is scrambling to cover up the murder. Lucky for him Haley is knocked out on pain killers and, the next of kin, their sister Isla, despises Harlow so Maxwell has the body cremated and officially call the murder a suicide. The cover up would be fine except...
Maxwell had to convince Haley to sign a false affadavit saying he witnessed Harlow kill himself. In exchange for lying Maxwell takes Haley to see his brother's body before it is cremated and also gives him a job to finish off his 9 month prison sentence. But they are late to the crematoruim because rain triggers Maxwell's PTSD:
I order a large cup of an imported blend. I don’t offer to Haley and he doesn’t ask.
As I stir in some cream, I hear a soft pitter against the shop window. I watch a thin trail of rain brush against the glass and as it slides down it turns to dark blood.
I'm slipping.
Because they are late the body is cremated before Haley can see it and that doesn't go well
“There is no body. I've had enough of this, we're going back now.” I say, but he doesn’t move.
I take Haley’s arm to pull him out of the room and he jerks away from me.
I reach for him again and he throws the porcelain container on the tile floor. It smashes and the human remains scatter across the floor. Some of it dusts up and falls on my pants
I step back immediately, Mr. Hill seems mildly amused but not horrified.
My patience snaps and now I'm pissed.
And then there is this, which will come up later:
Mr. Hill’s eyes shift nervously and he looks up at me accusingly.
“You told me he wanted to visit with him. I didn’t know you meant the body---to be frank, after the hack job your nurse did on the body to ship it here you are better off not seeing--,”
"Watch how you speak about my staff," I warn Mr. Hill
Maxwell wants to help Haley, but he also thinks he is hiding something.
“The Corporals told me Harlow’s last words to you were. Something about going to hell. Is that's why you are so concerned with praying over his body? Because you believe he’s gone to hell and you're next ?."
I can see the terror in his eyes, new tears start falling from the corners.
“That’s why you wanted to stay at camp,” I tell him. “ You figure if you do your time here it will somehow make up for whatever happened. It’s probably why you let your psycho brother torture you, you will just take anything. It’s all just some accumulating pain tithe for whatever you did. Am I right ?”
Maxwell is also kind of attracted to Haley and really failing at keeping it professional...
I move to let go of his face, but some impulse I've been keeping inside takes over. I bring his face closer, my fingers curling around his stray strands of his hair.
Carefully, I cover his mouth with my own, it’s barely a touch and lasts only a second, but I feel the whisper of his breath on my face. As I pull away I feel his entire body shaking violently beneath my grip.
"What if I’m another thing sent by Satan to punish you ?," I ask.
And maybe I am.
Because a voice in my head is telling me to take whatever I want because I deserve it for all the personal hell I’ve been through......
“Haley,” I say. “Tell me. What did you do ? I can protect you. I will help you.”
Haley leans his head against the window and I watch him close his eyes and pretend to be asleep. I know I could interrogate him and intimidate him to get my answer in a matter of hours, but I sense the entire train watching me.
I have the rest of this war to figure out what he is hiding, because as far I’m concerned he isn’t leaving until I find out.
Chapter 13CHAPTER 13PLAYLIST-1- The Light by The Album Leaf (If I could use this song for all these parts I would)-2- My Body is A Cage
