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A World Without Him
Chapter 18
Tang barely had any time to process what the soldier said before she started moving away, managing to get further and further out of reach before he could even respond. He scrambled to catch up, tripping more times than he could count from the bumps and potholes in the road.
She said Zach woke up. If it was that fast, his injury must not have been that serious. I'm glad he's ok. Hopefully he'll be well enough to speak. Thoughts like this filled his head as he caught up to her. He was being taken down the main road, and the soldier, thankfully giving Tang's ankles and psyche some semblance of rest, eventually slowed her pace for him and didn't say anything else.
He took a minute to catch his breath next to her, holding a hand over his chest as they went past many people working for the day. He saw patrolling guards chatting with each other, workers transporting goods in wooden crates, and many other people cleaning buildings or reinforcing the barricade set up between the trees.
Wait, there's a barricade? Tang did a double take, staring at the giant wooden configuration behind all the greenhouses and work buildings. He… never noticed it before. It's no wonder why those officials were so uptight at my arrival. How did I get past that thing unnoticed?...
Squinting his eyes and looking closer beyond the camp, he could see the outline of a huge, wooden wall situated in the surrounding forest. It had almost twice the amount of soldiers patrolling it compared to the main area, and all of them wore strange masks on their faces unlike everyone inside. Each one had the exact same pattern: bright neon coloring with a complex symbol repeated over the dark fabric.
As soon as he saw them, Tang noticed his gut start to sink subconsciously. A feeling of something being just out of place burrowed into his head as he continued to stare at the masks. He just couldn't take his eyes off of them, and yet, looking at those things for too long was starting to make his skin crawl uncontrollably.
This feeling got so intense that he didn't even realize he had stopped walking. His eyes were hollow as his surroundings blurred, the initial fatigue and mission forgotten in the huge surge of unease. He probably would've stayed that way, too, if not for a hand landing violently onto his shoulder, bringing him back to reality.
He spun away sharply from the wooden border and toward the hand's source, blinking dumbly when he and the guide were face to face again. Her eyes narrowed at him, the strong grip on his shoulder grounding him in place.
“What are you doing?” She asked suspiciously, glancing to where he was staring so intently at.
Tang waved his hands in surrender, quickly trying to come up with an excuse. “Oh! Well, erm, I was just looking at all the new places and people here. Never a dull moment when everyone is constantly moving and doing something around this place. This is really the first time I've seen more of the area after all that lifeless busy work, so I guess I got a bit overwhelmed at the-”
“Ok, ok. Let's just get going. He doesn't like when people are late.” She interrupted, letting his shoulder go and turning back to the road. Tang decided to ignore that very ominous comment at the end for his own (fickle) sanity, now focussing on anything other than the barricade or whatever would be close to it. This apprehension eventually led him back to his guide.
Small details filled his brain as he observed, hands itching for his sketchbook to let his hands do something. From a quick once-over, the woman seemed to be no older than 30, with her silky black hair tied into a tight bun and her gray eyes filled with trained apathy, any of her thoughts or emotions hidden away from onlookers.
He also noticed she seemed highly ranked. She had a hat like the Head Soldier, and it was one that had more badges and stripes on it as well.
Looking away from the soldier in front of him, Tang let his legs rest while taking slow, careful steps. The soldier then stayed with his rhythm, never letting him get too far behind in his fluctuating pace. After a while of walking, he startled to fiddle with the bell on his wrist as his mind drifted from the guide, getting distracted by the surrounding area again. He didn't look past the buildings now.
Anyways, he saw in real time how the developed buildings thinned out as tents or dirt training grounds overtook the leftover space. The other soldiers on these grounds seem to have just started their afternoon drills, running laps, shooting guns at targets, and holding planks as the duo walked past.
They never did stop for any of these new settlements, though, just calmly walking further and further past them, with all of those places also eventually thinning out leaving only the forest and wooden barrier. Only after even the hum of shouted drills and stomping feet faded into the background, did the guide finally stop her pace and turn to face Tang.
“We're going to an undisclosed location for the meeting with your companion. Since it is located outside of this base, I'll need you to wear a blindfold for the rest of our trek. This is just a safety precaution, so please try not to struggle.” She said curtly while leading him aside and right onto the edge of the surrounding forest.
She then pulled a long piece of navy cloth out of one of her many pockets while Tang nervously took off his glasses and hung them on his uniform collar. He couldn't see anything clearly without them, and it wasn't like he could memorize the entire layout of the woods from one trip, but he was betting that the soldier wouldn't trust his words as far as she could throw him. (Well, he might have to rephrase that as from her arms alone, as she looks like she could definitely throw him at least a few feet if needed)
She quickly wrapped the cloth around his head, tying a knot in the back so tight that Tang couldn't see even the tiniest slivers of light coming through it. “Thank you for your cooperation. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but we don't have any leniency for leaks. I'll try my best to keep you from tripping or hitting anything on our way there.”
Her voice had the barest hint of emotion as she apologized. It was noticeable compared to her cold demeanor from when she first walked up to him: a small pang of sympathy in her tone. Tang just nodded his head, hopefully in her direction as he guessed from her previous apology.
She then, slowly and gently, grabbed his wrist and started to walk into the forest brush. It was a strong hold, but one that wasn't bruising or harsh against his raw skin. Tang was grateful for the small mercy as they continued.
They had a small stop at what Tang assumed was the barrier, his guide whispering with what was probably a guard before said guard opened up what sounded like a heavy door, based on how it dragged on the dirt floor, and let them through.
The sounds of the rustling leaves and the small chirps of birds were the only things Tang could make out clearly. The breeze that made the sound ruffled his clothes, blew dead leaves through the air, (with some smacking Tang straight in the face due to his loss of sight. One leaf even made it down his throat and he had to cough for a solid minute, hunched against a tree with the soldier patting his back hard to get it out) and left his loose wisps of hair to wave in the wind as he walked.
The guide didn't say or do much other than lead him through the forest, but she did mutter small warnings for roots to step over or branches to duck under (which he would be grateful for if not for her lack of warning for the flying leaves of all things. Maybe that was on him for almost dying to something as stupid as that, though). He didn't want another face full of dirt or whatever else there was in here.
But it's not like he's in a place where he can complain.
After being made to take too many nonsensical detours and sometimes even backtracking more times than he could count, the scenery around them finally started to change. The ground of dead leaves and dirt smoothed out into plain grass as he was apparently led out of the forest.
The guide then put a hand on his chest, signaling him to stop, and let go of his wrist, leaving Tang for a second before speaking up, now behind him. “We've arrived.” Was the only thing she said as she undid the blindfold.
His eyes were immediately overwhelmed at the harsh sunlight, leaving Tang squinting hard and blinking out the spots. Once his eyes adjusted, he reached for the glasses on his collar and put them on, readying himself for what he was about to see.
Tang's reaction was immediate. His eyes, initially slightly curious and tired, were now high sprung and alert, flicking from place to place as he looked over what was before him.
The area seemed as if it was flattened out, most of the ground being only flat grass with the trees circling around the cutout. That was except for two hills, one straight ahead and the other to Tang's left, and a lake, or what was left of it with the water being less than a foot deep, to the right.
On the left hill stood a dead willow tree, a bizarre sight as the surrounding wood was mostly pine. However, the center hill is what really caught his eye. It was big, at least 5 feet tall, and was more of a slope down as it took up half the cutout.
On top of it was a giant stone monastery with cracks, vines, and other signs of wear scattered around showing its age. It had a wide arch as an entrance, with dirt steps carved out of the hill it was atop leading up to it.
Oh no. Was Tang’s only thought. It repeated over and over in his head as he was grabbed by his wrist yet again and was led toward the huge building. There were other smaller setups next to the building, but he didn't pay attention to them. The huge stone menace burned into his brain, invoking emotions deep down in his gut he thought he had long forgotten.
They had reached the dirt stairs in no time. Each step put a load onto Tang’s shoulders as he couldn't stop his emotions and thoughts from overflowing and filling his head with jumbled garbage he couldn't make any sense of. They just kept getting closer and closer, and he didn't want to know what would happen to him when he went past that entrance if this was his reaction to merely looking at it.
His stomach dropped as they reached the top. He craned his neck up to look at the intricate detailing lining the archway, moving his head away from what was past this point. He braced himself for what was to come, his hands clammy as he clenched his fists in anticipation.
They walked forward…
And then turned to the right.
Tang’s whiplash from deep dread to straight up confusion caused him to blink hard a few times to regain his bearings. Looking back up, they were still walking along the side of the monastery, not going inside as he had thought. He turned his head back behind him, seeing the archway getting farther and farther away.
A huge feeling of what seemed to be relief filled his senses, letting him focus back onto where they were actually going. Twisting his head back to the front, he saw that up ahead was one of the biggest tents he had ever seen in this camp.
It was almost triple the normal size compared to where he was being monitored, and had more workers surrounding as they ran in and out rapidly, delivering or taking many things at once. One even ran past them, almost bumping into him, and towards the entrance of the monastery with what seemed like a pile of used needles.
Tang already had a good idea of what this place was supposed to be even before being ushered into the tent. The inside was even crazier than the outside. Rows of beds lined the interior as people dressed in white ran around either preparing equipment or checking up on a current patient.
Countless grounds and cries echoed through the tent, though this noise was something Tang was used to by now. This didn't seem like the case for his guide, though, as she scrunched her brow and held onto his wrist a bit tight as she pulled him through the chaos.
Many different patients and injuries flew by him as they ran through. Burns, amputation, concussions, and major lacerations were the main things he could catch glimpses of through all the medical personnel. This made him wonder why these people were in such bad shape in the first place.
But he wasn't able to ask before he was suddenly pulled away and into a section near the back closed off by multiple white curtains. Soldiers were also situated right outside of the closed off area, giving away who was probably in the bed in front of him.
Zach looked worse for wear. His eyes were tired as he was surrounded by many more personnel, checking his vitals and IV as they asked him questions. Tang could barely hear his answers from how quiet they were, almost being drowned out from the other commotion surrounding them.
But almost as soon as he sat down next to the bed, all the personnel seemed to quicken up their pace, hushing each other as each one sprinted out of there in record time. The only people left by then were him, his guide standing next to him, and Zach, not including the soldiers stationed outside.
And awkward silence was cast among them. Tang really didn't know what to do here, as he's only known Zach for a day at most and didn't know how to comfort the kid. Luckily, he was saved the trouble as loud footsteps came close to the area, causing the guide to perk up and walk over to the entrance.
Hushed words were exchanged with whoever was on the other side, their body being obscured by the white curtains. The conversation seemed to go sour almost immediately, though, with his guide getting cut off at just one harsh command, leaving her quiet.
She came back in with her face schooled again, regaining her place next to Tang and putting her hands behind her back. Then the curtains parted yet again, revealing whoever she had been talking with.
To Tang's surprise, it was an elderly man, one who was wearing tan robes and held a wooden cane. He had a full head of white and gray hair, eyes a dark brown as he glanced at the guide. Looking away, he slowly walked over to an empty chair and plopped himself down across from Tang with Zach between them on the bed.
The old man kept his head down as he only glanced up, staring Tang down with a harsh look the scholar couldn't quite make sense of. He didn't really need to, as two other soldiers came in, one with a clipboard in hand.
Tang recognized the two as the ones from his own interrogation, Red Hair and Aggressive Guy whispering some nonsense to each other as he stared them down. Aggressive Guy then huffed and sat down as Red Hair walked up to Zach, exchanged a few words with the taxi driver, and then stood up next to the bed, readying her clipboard.
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I apologize for what I am going to say to you, but I have to. I am Ahmed from Gaza, married with two children. We live in the shadow of war and destruction. I lost my brother, my home, and most of my relatives. We have nothing left. I ask you to help, even a little, so that we can survive and protect my children. Any amount, even a small amount, will save our lives.
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A World Without Him
Chapter 17
Tang's shift went on routinely.
Grab from the basket. Try to scrub out the stains or top layers of grime. Throw the piece into the machine. Let it run along once it's full. Go until the baskets empty. Ignore the worker taking and refilling the basket. Rinse and repeat.
That's how everything went; no pleasant chatter or white noise to cover the rumbles of machinery or the whispers of the actual workers. Oh, yeah, he forgot to mention that apparently they weren't considered actual workers as they were under “tent arrest”, which was just a polite way of saying they were slaving away under the “official” workers’ scrutiny.
He was lucky to even be allowed his own station instead of being an errand boy, though, as he saw some running around delivering soap or baking soda to whatever worker yelled out the loudest. Maybe it was because he wasn't making a scene and seemed to be mild-mannered with just a little intimidation. It's not like they're wrong, though.
The staring had also gotten a bit worse from there, as they seemed to get over the shock of his presence and start to test his limits. After a bit, the soldiers patrolling and workers coming for the baskets were not very subtle with their discomfort around him anymore. They seemed to be waiting for him to slip up and make some kind of mistake as he continued those tedious patterns of scrubbing, throwing, and silently screaming in his head.
It was easier to zone out when Tang didn't have constant looks directed at him 24/7. His mind and body were tired from the constant stress now, and he thinks his ankles would give out any minute from how long he's been standing and shuffling in place.
He wanted nothing more than to yell screw you to this place, and fall asleep back in his apartment; he wanted to sink away from all these prying eyes.
Maybe this was why he started to disassociate more, letting the piercing stares and scrutiny fall into the background as he let muscle memory do most of the work. Maybe this was when his mind started to blank with his head then trying to fill in the space, subconsciously bringing back some old friends to fill the void.
‘Everything is going wrong. What are we even supposed to do against that thing!?’
Tang sighed internally as he was brought back to reality. He thought, since he now had Cian yapping into his ears whenever it wanted, he would be free from the other annoying voices. There was no such luck to be had, though.
‘______ is already on the problem. The setup is going through and ____ get everything back __ the way it was. ____ whining.’
‘Well I'm so _____ for being a bit worried that it's got some grubby mitts on ____ now. How ___ we even going to get the _______ back up again?’
‘Ughhhhh…’
They didn't stay for long and faded out soon after he noticed them. Tang relaxed a bit at their departure, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
He knew they had something to do with what was happening with his head (as Cian used to also be “just a voice”, and it turned out to be something way more than something like that) but he didn't want to try interacting with them yet. He knew they didn't look too kindly to him, and seemed anxious when he seemed to notice their existence.
He didn't want to know what would happen if they figured out he could hear them the entire time. It's especially risky to try and interact with them now since he knows they might be able to interact with the world like Cian did, maybe to even more serious degrees if they were more powerful.
Thinking this much about everything was starting to hurt his head. I don't even know where these stupid voices are coming from in the first place, less so why they're messing with my life! He thought, accidently ripping a piece off of a tent in his stupor.
He cringed at that, and then carefully put it into the wash for someone else to deal with. He really needed a nap, and maybe a good story to fill his mind with distractions. But almost no breaks are allowed in here. He had learned just how harsh this place was when there was a big commotion two rows down in front of him.
One of the other workers (the one who refused to get up from the ground near the start of the day. Tang recognized the guy from the burn marks up the side of his face) was forcefully dragged out of the building when he tried to sleep on the floor. Wherever they were taking him, it didn't seem good as the guy knocked over baskets and other cleaning supplies, and Tang really didn't want to find out for himself.
He quickly woke himself up by slapping his cheeks and went back to his work after that instead of gawking any more at the scene. His body probably couldn't take another harrowing experience like that this week lest he collapse onto the ground. Maybe I would be brought to where they were keeping Zach if I collapsed.
Anyways, after what felt like hours of scrubbing and washing after that incident, the loud sound of a bell rang throughout the camp, signaling what Tang assumed was the lunch break. He was probably right based on the looks of relief that came over all the other peoples’ faces as they started moving away from their stations.
Tang quickly went with the crowd, moving with the wave of people trying to squeeze through the entrance doors with everyone else. His stomach had started growling an hour ago, and after he almost ate a detergent pod thinking it was another one of those gross breakfast bars, he really didn't want to wait any longer.
But before he could even get close to those doors, he was pulled out of the crowd by his sleeve and almost landed onto another station at the force. Looking up and about to argue with whoever stopped him, he realized it was the Head Soldier from earlier, and quickly bit back his retort.
The guy was gruff, obviously. He had a buzz cut and a 5 o'clock shadow that didn't help hide any of the guy’s wrinkles. He also had a branded military cap unlike anyone else in the building. Tang didn't look that closely at anything else though, mainly because the guy looked down at him with a snarl and furrowed brows before speaking up, too loudly in Tang’s opinion.
“Don't go wandering off now. You and the other low-lives eat in your tent away from the workers and soldiers. Wouldn't want you all to conspire or have fights to break out, would we?”
Tang didn't answer the rhetorical question, yanking his sleeve out of the guy’s hold as he looked away from his gaze. Seeing a small commune of people near the back of the building, he quickly walked away and started going towards them, seeing Carlson near the back which solidified that this was probably his group.
The Head Soldier slowly walked behind him until he was back with all of them near the back, and then clapped loudly to get everyone's attention.
“Go with your assigned team back to the tent and take your lunch break. Remember that it's only 25 minutes, and if you're late you'll have to report to me for appropriate punishment. Now shoo.” He waved a hand before walking out of the building's back door, leaving the group alone with the 3 chaperone soldiers.
They were almost immediately ushered out of the room by said soldiers, many of them having to speed walk back to the tent from how fast these guys were going. Tang quickly looked around the place, trying to see everything in a new light compared to yesterday.
All he could were groups of people sitting at picnic tables further away, digging into their bowls like dogs who haven't been fed in weeks. Their faces held many scars and bruises, but no emotion as they ate, scarfing down all the brown stuff they could around a fire before the next bell would ring out. One seemed to lock gazes with him, crazed eyes looking into ones of apprehension. But that was all he could see before getting forced back into the tent with a shove along with the others.
Many grunts of disapproval were let out before everyone slowly went back to their own devices. Tang swallowed heavily, standing in place for a bit after the rush, and then quietly went back to his bed while swerving away from the other inhabitants.
He just sat back down onto his cot after that, letting the white noise distract his head from anything else. He only stares at the ceiling, if you could call it that, not bothering to move even when hearing the tent flap open and the clinking of metal signaling the food is here. He didn't feel that hungry anymore.
He stayed that way for a bit, letting his situation finally sink in after the hectic time he's already had, and it's not even 1 o'clock yet. He squints his eyes, letting the world blur and refocus at his will. He flinched as a hand landed onto his shoulder, and it quickly retracted at his reaction. It was Rick, holding two bowls of whatever this place was serving to them.
Rick didn't seem that deterred by the reaction. “Woah there, didn't mean to scare you that badly, heh. You seemed all out of it, and your slop was getting cold, so I brought you a bowl.” He explained, setting down a bowl onto Tang's cot next to his hand.
Rick continued his speech as Tang took the bowl, smelling it carefully before taking small sips bit by bit. “I get why you're so high-strung. No one likes being put into time out, doing all these dumb errands while we get ordered around by those damned workers who think they're better than us. You were probably also interrogated, which is no one's favorite thing, and you seem to not know anything about this place or why everyone here is so weird. So scared and alone, I reckon.”
Tang slightly squinted his eyes at the last part, but he just nodded along anyway, finishing the bland soup(? all he knew was that sludge was in a bowl, but it might just be its own ecosystem by now judging by the weird slimy chunks here and there) and setting the bowl back onto the cot.
Rick sat a hand onto Tang's shoulder again after the scholar was finished, letting the lack of flinch be the acceptance he needed as he gripped the shoulder harder. “So~, I have decided to be your guiding light, your navigator, or whatever you want to call me throughout your camp experience! We'll never really be in the direct line of fire, by the way, as we're most likely going to be running around for the people working in the background. So I was thinking I could fill you in on this total mess we call an HQ, and you could stick by me when I need it! So, what do you think?”
Rick stared into Tang’s eyes, a sharp grin on his face as he waited for a response. Tang got a feeling of deja vu yet again. Why do I seem to be involved with more dubious deals than usual? This is starting to become a pattern. A very concerning pattern…
But before Tang could even try to think of a response, a hand dragged Rick’s own off of Tang’s shoulder.
“I think you should stop harassing us new guys. Nothing good will come from forcing us to be your personal errand boys like the workers do to us. A bit hypocritical, don't you think?” An unfamiliar voice spoke out. It seemed familiar to Tang, but he couldn't exactly pinpoint where he'd heard it from. He didn't think too hard about it anyway as Rick's eye twitched annoyance before he started to retort loudly.
“Hah! Please, I was just being friendly to our new member. He would obviously be eaten alive in here unless he had some help from a pro. I was just offering my help, like a good samaritan. Gotta get outta this tent someday, ya know?” He narrowed his eyes as his grin fell slightly.
“It's not like you can talk, either. I haven't seen you around before, so you don't know this place very well. Are you trying to act all heroic in a “noobs stick together” sort of way? ‘Cause that won't end well for you or him in this place, trust me.” Rick spoke with venom, his laid-back tone with Tang vanishing in an instant as he spat at the newcomer.
Now that Tang thinks about it, he hasn't seen this guy in the camp either. He definitely would have remembered this guy, mainly with how bright his eyes were. They were a light yellow, bordering white in some areas, with some wisps of pure black hair falling in front of them from his short, messy hairstyle. His voice was smooth, almost comparable to Cian with how he spoke. He held a grin like Rick, but it didn't seem as sharp as the other's was.
Maybe this guy was one that he had just missed in the chaos of the morning and last night? That was probably it, as Tang didn't remember Rick from the tent until he introduced himself in the bathrooms. Tang just shook his head at that and focussed back into the present when another bell went off throughout the camp, signaling the end of lunch and stopping the two's argument for now.
Rick laughed, but it was one without humor. “Well, I guess it's time for us to go back, huh? I'll let you have this one today, as I really don't want to be put back in the Pound when someone intriguing finally shows up in this tent. You better get moving though, those soldiers really don't like when they're put on Guard Duty, especially when it's just for bums like us.”
Rick waved a hand beside his head as he walked away and took his untouched bowl with him to dump into a trash can outside the tent, shoving the now empty bowl to whichever unsuspecting soldier was closest.
Tang looked away from where Rick had gone and looked to the guy beside him. The cold guy glanced at him for a second, something gleaming in his eyes the scholar couldn't decipher, before silently ignoring his presence and stepping out of the tent himself.
That was weird. What Tang’s only thought before readjusting his cracked glasses and carrying his bowl to the front. The guy with greasy hair stared at him from his own cot as the scholar walked out, his own bowl halfway finished and halfway on the floor. Tang just ignored him, again, and gave his bowl to the soldier beside the trash can.
But before he could actually enter the building again, a soldier grabbed him by the shoulder, turning him around so they were face to face. “Are you Tang?” The woman deadpanned.
“Oh, uh, yes I am. What's the problem?” He answered, nervous he'd already done something to warrant this place’s wrath.
“Your friend finally woke up in the infirmary, and we have some questions we'd like to ask you when we arrive. Now, follow me, and don't go wandering off like some others in your tent; remember that we have eyes everywhere, so keep your hands and feet to yourself. Let's go.”
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Hello,
My name is Anas Al Burri. I am 17 years old, and I live in G*za. My sister has jaundice because she gave birth to her child in an unhygienic area during the war. She has no medication, and her condition is worsening, almost life-threatening. She is too ill to produce milk for her son, and we can't get milk from anywhere else. I have no medication for my diabetes! I am missing insulin, and my blood sugar is critically high, often above 180 and sometimes even 400. I suffer from hyperglycemia attacks and can't get to a hospital because we are in the northern part of G*za.
Three months ago, my 14-year-old brother Ahmad was searching for something to eat when he was sh*ot in the ch*est by sni*pers from a kilometer away. The bul*let went straight through his body. He was just a CHILD! We still can't believe it and keep thinking he will come back any moment. We didn't even have time to mourn him before the next family members were kill*ed.
The hardships my family and I face are beyond what words can describe. This is our last resort.
We are reaching out to you with a desperate plea. We need your help to survive. Your donation can provide us with the life-saving medications and food that we desperately need. Every act of kindness brings us closer to safety and restores a glimmer of hope in our hearts.
With your support, you can give us and many other families in G*za a chance to survive and rebuild our shattered lives. Help us survive and leave G*za so that the last of our family does not perish.
https://gofund.me/ecf94b00
Thank you for your empathy and kindness.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Anas Al-Burri and Family
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standing with us gives us hope in life we ask you to help us and look at us with a humane eye and you have all our love and respect
❤️Hello, my friends,
I am Yasmeen from Gaza, a mother of three children. We have been through unimaginable hardship due to the ongoing war, losing our home and everything we had. We are struggling to provide the basics like food, water, and shelter for our family. We desperately need your support to help us survive and rebuild our lives.🇵🇸😭
Your donations, no matter how small, can make a significant difference for us. Please consider sharing our story with your friends and family to raise awareness and extend help.🙏❤️
Thank you for standing with us during this critical time. Your kindness and generosity give us hope.🙏❤️
With gratitude,
Yasmeen
Hey !!
We are Amal and Fadi from Gaza ! we are couples.
This is our own donation page, we make it to collect money so we can evacuate from Gaza.
We are now living in difficult circumstances, we live in a tent and difficult circumstances, we live in the same circumstances every day, is horrible!!😭😭
Please help us!! Donate, share widely, support us to go to saftey !!
We can reach 1000$ soon !! We can make it together!!
A World Without Him
Chapter 16
Tang couldn't feel his legs. Or his arms. Or even his torso, for that matter. He couldn't feel anything. It felt wrong, like he wasn't connected to the world anymore. Like he couldn't even try to scream or yell or shout at his troubles when there isn't anything to hold onto in the first place… where did my throat go…?
He continued to float(? he couldn't really describe what he was feeling). Nothing changed; nothing burned his eyes out of his skull, nothing overloaded his hearing with whispers, nothing grabbed or scratched with such desperation. For some reason, this didn't feel like his void. It couldn't be. It just felt wrong…
But before he could ponder anymore, he felt a slight pull. It was yanking at what he assumed was his wrist, dragging his arm (which he could now feel, even if it was mainly just static) towards somewhere unknown.
He didn't react, though. Well, it was more like he couldn't. Everything just felt numb. Nothing he could try would affect anything here, even his differing emotions. And so he just silently swayed with little apprehension; the pull grew stronger and stronger, enveloping his body with heavy pressure that seemed to swallow him whole.
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He could feel his body again. Scratchy blood, thin sheets, a hard mattress, and a pounding headache all came in a rush, forcing Tang to stir at the sudden feeling. He sat up slowly, rubbing his temples as his ratty hair hung on his neck. He felt like he hadn't slept at all.
Blinking spots out of his eyes, he noticed he didn't seem to be the only one up at this time. He could hear someone mumbling to themself rapidly, someone chatting with another about boring topics such as supply routes and drills, and one that seemed to be meditating as they breathed loudly while sitting perfectly still on their bed.
He couldn't really see any of these people, though, as his glasses were still under his bed. Well, hopefully, that is. He had just started to lean over and under his bed when loud feedback drowned out any other noise and caused him to flinch, alerting everyone at the camp of an announcement.
“Attention all soldiers and workers! This is your daily wake up call! Soldiers, go to your respective training facilities and check in with your superiors. Workers, you should head out to your assigned buildings immediately! You have 30 minutes for hygiene before your time is up, and any late participants will be punished accordingly! That is all.”
The speakers clicked off and everyone around Tang started to rise, quickly gathering what seemed to be uniforms by the matching colors. They all left the beds messy and carelessly pushed the tent flaps aside as they walked out. Tang scrambled to grab his glasses, and when he had them on there were only 2 people still in the tent.
He quickly looked for his own uniform, finding it under his rickety bedside table. It was just a dark blue outfit of a t-shirt and long pants. He grabbed them and his boots harshly before sprinting to the front of the tent, which wasn't that fast considering his exhaustion.
Oddly, there was someone still in the tent when he got to the flaps. Through his harbored breath Tang saw that he was probably a punished soldier by the slight tanning and the ramrod posture the guy had. He was kind of skinny, with short brown hair that was greased back and piercing brown eyes as he stared him down.
Tang didn't know what the guy’s problem was, and he didn't want to find out as he threw the flaps out of the way and hurried to what he assumed was his group. They were standing together in front of the fountain, surrounded by other soldiers in their own green and brown uniforms.
He walked over nervously, shuffling to the back of the group as one of the soldiers around them spoke up. “Welcome back malingerers. Today you're doing something fairly simple: manual labor in building 6. You can thank the fresh meat for that one. He could barely stand syraight for more than half a second on arrival.” The soldier seemed smug as all the group turned to stare at him, causing Tang to start fidgeting nervously.
It was like they were seeing an interesting bug on the ground. Noticing how he moved, looked like, and seeing if he could be a threat or should just leave him be for natural selection to take its course. They seemed to deem him uninteresting, thankfully, with most of them turning their heads back to the front except one.
That one had greasy black hair going in all directions. His eyes seemed crazed as they were wide and bloodshot while he stared into the back of Tang’s head. Tang tried to ignore the clear wacko, turning his head back with the others. Of course I'm already being targeted by the insane character.
“You’ll start working with supervision from 8 AM until the soldier in charge, ME, signs you off and walks you back to your tent. The bathrooms are near the entrance, and is where I'll be leaving you all to change and shower if need be. Now follow along.” The soldier smirked as he started to walk back and towards a one-story brick building.
They all followed without much hassle, except for two of the guys near the front which everyone had to pass by. One was laying on the ground and refusing to move, even with threats of violence by the chaperones, and the other started to wander off and had to be dragged back multiple times. Both were being heavily chastised, but everything said to them seemed to go in one ear and then out the other.
Walking past those two while holding his clothes tightly to his chest, Tang hurried through the double glass doors. He was struck with the violent glow of fluorescent lights as he stumbled in, accidently knocking into the guy in front of him. The guy had no reaction other than staring ahead with a blank expression.
Mumbling out a short apology, Tang stepped back and looked up at his surroundings. It wasn't as big as he’d expected, but that's probably because of the washing machines lining the left and right walls. Foldable tables were scattered on the empty floor, with people in that same blue uniform milling about and scrubbing those brown and green uniforms.
This is depressing. He thought, seeing how everyone seemed dead inside or completely up in the clouds. After these short observations, he saw everyone headed towards the bathrooms, and he decided to do the same. This was mainly to clean himself up after that attack: the dried blood with the assorted dirt and leaves on him was starting to become unbearable.
Walking through the door with everyone else, Tang booked it towards the nearest sink. He set down his clothes between his feet and rolled up his dirty sleeves, taking off the guaz above his elbow and starting to scrub the hell out of his arms with the cheap hand soap provided. Ignoring the odd absence of the cut from the interrogation, he focussed on how the flakes of red and black slowly swirled down the drain. After that water finally became clear of either color, he grabbed an old wash cloth to dry off.
He heard some start to take showers, with the sounds of running water filling the bathroom. He thought of doing the same, but he wouldn't know where anything would be, probably leaving him naked in the middle of these people. Quickly discarding that idea, he turned to the mirror above his sink.
He saw the small scrapes and smudges that dotted across his face first, most likely from when he was “passed out” and Cian did whatever it did. The second Thing he noticed was his hair. It easily passed his shoulders now, and has some streaks that were lighter than the rest. It was matted from sleep and filled with grime from when he got here. He could only groan. This'll take at least most of the next paragraph to take care of.
He started picking out the big stuff, like dead grass, and brushing out what he could with his fingers. It hurt, obviously, but now it was only slightly bad to look at. He looked around and saw a small cupboard between a few sinks down, hopefully holding a hair brush. But then, when shuffling his feet, he caused his pile of clothes to fall over and the roll of gauze he got last night to roll a good couple of feet before bumping into a wall and falling pathetically.
Tang looked at it confused. He didn't remember picking it up. However, he doesn't remember much of anything to begin with, and he probably just packed it between the uniform by mistake. He picked his stuff up and walked over to the roll, picking it up too and heading to the cupboard. When he looked in it, all he could find was air freshener and some toilet paper packed into a corner.
Closing the cupboard, he turned around and almost immediately bumped into another person, causing Tang to stumble back and the guy to fall onto his butt. “Dang it… hey, are you okay?” Tang spoke slowly, holding onto his clothes a bit tighter.
The guy just nodded, pushing himself up and dusting off his clothes. He had medium length gray hair with messy bangs that covered his eyes. He looked pale, but Tang guessed that was how he normally looked based on how the guy wasn't thin in any way you put it. He looked like he could probably snap Tang’s neck in 5 seconds if he truly wanted to, which made it weird how easily he fell.
Awkward silence engulfed them, with Tang averting eye contact and the guy fidgeting his his hands. Suddenly, the guy went to pull something out of the cupboard behind Tang, making the scholar flinch away as the guy retrieved… a brush?
To be fair, it wasn't anything high quality, but a brush was a brush. Tang only had some shreds of dignity left, and he really didn't want to waste them begging some trouble maker for a pink plastic hair brush. But, thankfully, before he could give it up, the guy silently shoved the brush into Tang's chest.
After some slight shock at it being easily handed over, he noticed he notion felt oddly familiar. “Hey wait, weren't you the guy who gave me gauze last night?”
The guy nodded. “Oh. Thanks for that, I guess. There isn't even any scarring… Uhm, anyways, what's your name?”
The guy pointed to a name tag on his shirt. Well, the term name tag is being generous. It was really just a piece of duct tape on his chest. It read “Carlson F”.
“Well, n-nice to meet you. Thanks for the brush, by the way. How did you even find that? I didn't see anything other than-”
“It's ‘cause he stole it from the women's bathroom and hid it behind the toilet paper.” A cocky voice interrupted. Tang swerved his head towards the source; the guy was leaning against the wall with a small grin. He had short black hair, with small purple highlights throughout.
He took some steps forward towards the two. “You can call me Rick.” Rick held a hand out for Tang, and he shook it nervously. Rick raised an eyebrow at that.
“C'mon~ there's no reason to be so tense here! Is it because Carry here showed you you're stuck with a bunch of “lunatics”?” Rick’s grin grew sharp at the final word, staring Carlson down. Carlson responded with a glare back.
“Well, no. I, uh-” Tang tried fumbling for a coherent answer, but was saved the effort by a shout near the entrance of the bathroom.
“5 minutes, people! Every minute of work skipped is a lap around the camp!” The soldier in charge yelled out. Rick just rolled his eyes and let Tang's hand go, and Carlson left them both to head out of the bathroom.
Rick threw an arm around Tang's shoulders. “A word of advice. Carry only acts in his own self interest. He's in here because he tried to desert his post near where you popped up. He'll probably use you as a scape-goat if he tries to escape again, since you're the talk of the town right now. Don't trust him, or anyone here, for that matter; other than me of course.” Rick whispered with a wink before walking out of the bathroom himself.
Tang just grimaced, looking down at the hair brush he was given. He was obviously suspicious, and didn't know who he could rely on here. Pushing that problem off for another time, Tang quickly changed into his uniform with the combat boots.
He had wrangled his hair best he could, but there's only so much he could do in 3 minutes. His hair stuck out awkwardly in the braid he made, but he was happy with it and tied the end with some of the gauze he got from Carlson. He rushed to the door after he was finished, getting out only seconds before the head soldier blew his whistle.
“Alright. Y’all already know the drill down here. One of you, go help pipsqueak operate the machines correctly.” The soldier said absent-mindedly waving a hand at the group.
Tang got offended at the blatant insult. “I know how to work a washing machine-”
“No one here cares, noodle arms. Now, is anyone gonna volunteer, or do I have to- oh, Carlson. Didn't expect the lazy grunt to be up for more work. Well, that works for me I guess. Go to your stations and start doing something useful.” The soldier shoos away the group, leaving Carl and Tang standing next to each other.
And then, before the scholar could ask anything, Carl took Tang's arm and started to drag him between the tables, leading him to what he assumed would be his work station with all the other poor souls working for less than minimum wage.
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It had been a bit difficult learning which button does what and how to get rid of stains of all kinds with someone who doesn't talk, but it worked out in the end. Everyone here basically had to wash and dry uniforms, sheets, tents, etc, for a good chunk of the camp.
It's good that Tang is the best at zoning out during tedious work, or else he probably would've become brain dead at the repeating tasks. No one caused any trouble surprisingly, which Tang was thankful for, but he also wished that he wasn't even here. That he had free reign to read and discuss things with his old friends like he wanted to do in the first place.
His stomach cramped at the thought of having tea with his colleagues. They had breakfast bars handed out to them near the start of his work, but they were as bland and unfilling as soaked cardboard. He sighs, thinking back to Pigsy’s noodles and how he would probably kill just to taste them again, even if he was still stuck here.
He had just finished cleaning mud off some pants when he was knocked out of his thoughts by a slight tug on his wrist. Looking up, he saw Cian sitting on his table and looking at him with its head tilted in question.
‘What exactly are you doing?’
After throwing the pants into the machine to his left, he picked up a shirt with blood on the sleeves and started working on that. Manual labor. Stuff they make prisoners do while they're stuck.
Cian observed Tang’s expression, seeing the stress in the creases of the scholar's forehead. ‘I scoped the area out last night. The place we came in is now heavily guarded with at least 4 people actively patrolling around it.’
Tang finished scrubbing the blood on one sleeve, moving to the other. So we really can't leave?
‘I never said that. I just need time to recharge after getting you away from the earlier attack.’
He finished the other sleeves, chucking the shirt into the machine and picking up another shirt, but now covered in what seemed to be ketchup. And this is why I need to learn my own abilities. I have bubble shields I've used before! Can you show me how to enhance that, or at least use it on command?
‘That power is one I'm… unfamiliar with. I never seemed to have needed a shield in my life, so I never needed to activate it. I can't help you with that one.’
The ketchup on the shirt refused to go away, no matter how much scrubbing or chemicals Tang threw at it. He grumbled angrily and shoved it harshly into the machine, adding detergent before closing the door and starting it up. ...How long do you need?
‘At least a week. I'm sorry, but you'll have to be stuck in this place for a good long while.’
Tang just yelled into the air, smashing his head against his station table. Many people looked in his direction before going back to their own jobs, pitying the new soul trapped in the same cycle as them all.
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Update
Sorry for another late update. I wanted to get it done by tonight, but I was kept away from my writing for longer than I thought I would be. I'll update tomorrow as I have most of it done. Thank you for your patience!
A World Without Him
Chapter 15
The ground was covered in dust and dead grass; it scratched against Tang's face as he tried to block everything out. I just had to get attacked back there. Just had to be the only one conscious. I just had to stumble back to this place after all of my efforts.
His hair had been released from the hair tie for a while now, which made his hair cascade in front of his face and back. It worked like a buffer from him and the crowd, but it was uncomfortable to have it get tangled with the dead brush beneath him. He groaned as he banged his head into the ground with what little strength he had left, causing guns to clink together as the crowd flinched.
After a few seconds, the whispers and steps of the crowd suddenly started to get louder, like they were parting for something to get through. Although, Tang could care less at the moment as he was completely exhausted from basically everything. The blood on his arms and upper lip have dried to a point where it started to flake and crack on his skin. He really didn't like the feeling.
He couldn't even lift his head as heavy footsteps approached him and Zach’s bodies, the crowd of people around them quieting down as they grew closer to them. A large, calloused hand hauled him off the ground by his left arm, forcing Tang onto his wobbly feet.
His legs almost immediately gave out from beneath him, but the guy who picked him up quickly caught him by the shoulders. With his head falling forward, Tang’s hair fell in front of his face, full of dust and dead grass as it obscured his vision along with his cracked lense. It seemed longer than he remembered…
“This is gonna cause something awful…” The guy holding him up grumbled to himself before carefully grabbing Tang’s wrists and tying a long piece of rough rope around them. He left a long piece of rope between Tang’s wrists, maybe for better mobility or something to grab onto if he tried to run (he doubted he would get even 2 feet in his current state, even without the rope). It scratched against the dried blood uncomfortably.
Tang almost collapsed again after the ordeal was over, but he was caught yet again and had his right arm thrown over the guy’s back as they started to move. Tang's feet dragged across the ground as the guy walked slowly to somewhere he couldn't guess. He heard someone else walk over and presumably grab Zach as he heard the dead grass rustle and more heavy steps join and start to walk beside them.
Looking out of the small slivers of light between his hair, he could see Zach's head facing the sky as he was held princess style by a built soldier, if he were to guess by the heavily defined arms and uniform the person was wearing. However, he couldn't look long as the campfires around them died down and left most of the area in darkness.
Tang closed his eyes, letting his head drop fully, hoping that wherever these people were taking him would be far, far away from that demon.
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Orange filled his vision; a familiar color from his last dream. But now he no longer floated, laying face first on a cold hard floor similar to concrete. He sighed heavily.
‘What have you gotten yourself into already, little cicada?’
Tang didn't bother looking up. “Cian…” He mumbled with distaste. Silence overcame the void. Then, a small hum was all he heard before soft footsteps approached him. A thin hand soon grabbed his shirt and lifted him up with ease, making them face to face. It held a cocky grin as it looked down on him.
‘Now what’s with that tone? I think I deserve some recognition for getting you out safe and sound.’ It said as its grin grew wider.
It seemed taller than him now, at least a good couple of inches. Tang ignored this and pushed its hand away, stumbling only slightly as he landed. “W-What's happening? Why am I here again? Why did you save us? Probably to get something from me. What did you do while I was out?” He rambled on accusingly, pointing his index finger into its chest.
Its expression never wavered. ‘And to think I thought you would have been thankful, groveling at my feet for saving your cowardly self and the dead weight you brought along.’ It sarcastically replied, grabbing Tang's hand off its chest and pulling him closer by the wrist with the bell.
A cold sweat went down Tang’s neck. “I-I know you have ulterior motives! Just w-what do you want with me to make a deal for? And how did we even get away from that demon in the first place?” He lost a bit of steam as he continued, pushing himself away from Cian as he grit his teeth nervously.
This got a reaction, with Cian's eye twitching in annoyance. ‘Don't worry about the semantics. All that matters is that this deal we made has me protecting your feeble body to the best of my ability.’
This didn't comfort him one bit. Tang nervously picked at the end of his stained scarf. “And what does that exactly entail? I've read enough stories with the warnings and consequences of taking those types of vague deals at face value. N-Now I ask again, what do you want with me, really?” He asked, a bit unsure of himself.
It only sighed, letting its grin finally fall as its voice started to grate. ‘Why are you still questioning me? I explained our deal. It's not like I can hurt you in any meaningful way.’ It started to walk closer, the color underneath them rippling from its steps.
‘I know you need me. You know you need me. And now that you've been dragged back into this place? You'll need my assistance now more than ever.’ Now it's only a foot away from him, yet it didn't feel overwhelming. Like it was purposely keeping itself in check.
Tang's brow creased in thought, thinking over what he should say next. “Well, y-your right. I do need your help here, especially since I don't have my friends around to protect me anymore… Maybe that's a good thing. Uh… hey wait!” He suddenly shouted, stars appearing in his eyes as he tried to push down his dread.
“Can't you teach me how to harness my powers like what you did back in the forest? I don't exactly know what you did in the first place, but some protection while your not around would be-”
‘NO.' It growled immediately, squinting its eyes as the ground shook and its clothes and hair flew in all sorts of directions. 'The pure power that's inside you would tear your body to shreds before you could even try to cast anything useful. Even if you now possess my abilities like they're your own, you’d have to face over 15 years of body conditioning to harness even a tenth of it effectively.’
It spoke with wavering conviction, turning its head to the side as if to avoid Tang's gaze. The sudden reaction from Cian shook him up a bit, but he couldn't even reply before Cian decided to speak up again.
‘Our deal is set. I'll do everything I can to protect your body, so I'll try my best to strengthen myself now that we're bound. I will be there to protect you from anything coming your way, so you don't need to give away years of your life for something as simple as glamor or similar cowardly tricks.’ It leaned down over him as it spoke, making sure Tang couldn't ignore what it said.
He could only nod quickly at Cian's words, letting it lean away from him once more. Tang let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, then looked back to Cian, too tired for anymore banter. “Can you at least tell me when you're going to show up, or basically do whatever you did back at the road? I would just like some clarification-”
All of a sudden, the air felt like it was knocked out of his lungs. He clutched his stomach as he dropped to his knees, trying to gulp for air as Cian gasped at his display. He coughed as slivers of air were finally gifted to him before being drawn back out by an unknown force, his vision blinking in and out from his dream.
‘What the hell are those mortals doing!? Th__ m__t be g__ng ___!’ He could barely hear Cian's shocked remarks as the cycle continued. Bits of air entered his lungs before they were taken away violently, taking longer and longer in giving him release. He could barely hold himself up before he fell to the ground with Cian standing over him as the last thing he saw before blacking out… weird that this could happen in a dream…
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His eyes shot open. Gray walls, metal table and chair with his wrists tied to a ring on the table, a hand holding his head harshly. Those were the things he could make out before starting to violently cough over everything, heaving as he bent over his stomach and gasped in all the air he could.
His top half was soaked with what he hoped was water and his face and arms felt sore as he continued to cough; the hand on his head never moved, as to make sure he couldn't even move on his own. After what seemed like hours, Tang could finally breathe again, his body shaking as he tried to make sure he didn't hyperventilate or throw up.
“Good. You're finally awake filth.” A harsh voice sounded from behind him, most likely male from how deep it was. His hair was soaked as it hung over his eyes and obscured his vision, so he couldn't look at the guy as he let go of his head and walked to the other side of the table.
After another moment to catch his breath, Tang slowly brought his hands to his face, parting the hair and throwing it over his shoulders. A dim room met him, with two people sitting in front of him across the table. He couldn't Make much out of them, but he could see a bucket of water on the table. He's interrupted before he could see any more.
“Now, let's let go of the pleasantries. You are in Human territory, and we don't know how our blind spots have been leaked to someone like you. If you tell us your source, we will keep you prisoner and won't execute you after this interrogation.” A different voice, one more feminine but holds more authority and wrath than the other.
“W… what?” Tang asked slowly, tilting his head to one side to make sure it didn't fall forward from his exhaustion. A very bright light suddenly shot into his eyes, causing him to flinch back.
“We know this place is secure on all sides. How did you enter camp without our scouts detecting you? Tell us how your side got this information and we won't put your head on a spike out in town square. Those demon bastards really thought they could send a spy into our camp? HA! Do they really think that low of the Bellfield troop!?” The guy cackles out, clearly not in the best head space if Tang had to guess.
“Calm down, lieutenant. We still need what it has to offer. Now, who gave you the information on how to sneak in here? Even if you did a rather shoddy job at the stuff after the infiltration, you must be pretty high up the food chain if you got delivered this kind of info.”
Tang suddenly shot up in his chair. “Wait what?! Who do you think I am!? Me and Zach got attacked on the way here by a demon with red eyes a-and this was the closest place I could remember to go!”
The light tilted away from his eyes, letting him see the faces of his captors. One had long, straight red hair tied in a ponytail and sat right across from Tang. She had sharp eyes and was probably the one who’s in charge. The other was a guy with short loss and a big snarl on his face. He seemed aggressive towards Tang for whatever they think he is and stood next to Red Hair, leaning on one hand over the table.
“And why do you think we'll believe you? You showed up out of nowhere, got past all of our defenses, have an unconscious body over you and are covered in demon blood.” Red Hair said in a cool tone, staring into Tang's eyes as he shrunk back.
“Then why would I put in all that work just to get captured?! That’s not even my blood anyways! I don't know who you people are, but if I really was whatever you say I am, why would I let myself be taken? That would just be a big waste of time and energy on your part. I couldn't even stand!” Tang was starting to get annoyed at how little they seemed to trust him. He leaned back in his chair and started looking away from those people to steel his nerves and control how much he was already shaking.
They shared a look before Aggressive Guy stood up straight and took a pocket knife out of his uniform pocket. Tang paled at the notion as the guy walked towards him. “WAIT! Hey, I'm innocent! Just check my story with Zach’s and it'll all make sense since I don't have anything on me and Zach is just a guy I met today on complete accident! Please you gotta believe me I'm not who you think I am and OW!”
The guy aggressively took Tang’s arm, rolled up the sleeve and sliced just above the elbow. Tang screamed at the attack, seeing the blood drip out and onto the floor. Red Hair brought over a cup of something to gather the blood, shining UV light over the mix before sitting back down with Aggressive Guy following.
“You're not a demon.” She said matter-of-factly.
“Yes?! I told you we got attacked on the back road by a demon!” He answered incredulously.
The two across from shared another look. “We will have to talk with the other person you brought here to confirm. We have had human spies before, and it's a bit too convenient for you to have wandered in here effortlessly like that, especially covered in demon blood.” Aggressive Guy spoke up, walking up next to Tang again, making the scholar brace for whatever the guy would do next.
“But, you don't seem to be a threat at the moment, given you are unarmed, dehydrated, and sleep deprived. You probably couldn't lift a water bottle if we asked you to right now. So, we'll have to keep an eye on you.” Aggressive Guy leaned down and untied the rope against his wrists, letting them fall to Tang's sides.
Red Hair spoke up after the guy finished and went back to her side. “We will put you with the cleaners near the river. You will work in the laundry tent for the food and bed that we will assign you. You aren't allowed to go anywhere without a chaperone, and we will summon you whenever we need your presence and after your friend wakes up. Remember that if you are lying about anything, you will have your cold body be thrown to the livestock. We have eyes everywhere.”
Tang felt as if he was drowning in the tension; he nodded quickly after Red Hair finished talking. She gestured for him to stand, and after he did, Aggressive Guy harshly grabbed his shoulder and led him out of the interrogation room behind Red Hair.
Outside, it was early dawn as the sun started to rise over the trees, giving Tang a better view than when he was dragged through here before. The houses all seemed rough on the outside, with big vehicles and tents scattered around every corner.
Red Hair led them through the main road they were on, going towards what seemed to be the heart of the town as they passed more and more people whispering as they got close. Looking closer, she and Aggressive Guy both wore the same brown and green uniforms, along with combat boots and guns plus knives strapped all over their bodies.
He was glad they didn't resort to using those on him, even if the place above his elbow still hurt and he could feel it start to scab.
They stopped in front of an empty fountain surrounded by supply stands, greenhouses and other buildings with people setting up for the new day. Red Hair turned to him. “Your sleeping quarters will be right behind me in tent 12. This is where we keep low level safety hazards or misbehaving soldiers. It is guarded 24/7, so don't try to think you can get out of this like how you got in. Wake up at the bell and head to building 6 beside greenhouse 2. This is where you'll work while we investigate your claims. You’ll be given a longer briefing tomorrow, as I have better things to do than list everything off to a prisoner.”
Tang’s eye twitched at that, with Aggressive Guy finally letting go of his shoulder. He was about to walk right into the tent to get away from them, but he hesitated before turning back to Red Hair. “Where is Zach being kept then? I assume he hasn't woken up yet based on what you said. Is he alright?”
Red Hair seemed annoyed at the question. “Yes, yes, your friend is fine. He's in infirmary 3 as he's recovering from some bruised ribs and other stuff. Happy?”
“Yep. Thank you.” Tang replied with a dry tone. He started to walk to his tent after that, lifting the flap and stepping inside and away from those crazies. There were about 10 single beds in there with one table each, and it seemed like no one woke up as he stepped inside. Four beds were empty, but there was one with undone sheets, so he whittled the available beds to 3.
He took the one farthest right in the back and laid down after taking his boots, scarf, and coat off. He tried to scratch the dried blood off his arms, but that only irritated his skin. He sighed quietly, putting his excess clothing and glasses under his bed in case someone tried to take them while he was asleep.
He stiffened when he heard someone sit up in their bed. They continued as they stood up from their bed and seemed to walk over to Tang from what he could hear and barely see. They stopped in front of him, silently handing him what seemed to be… a roll of gauze? Tang took it and rolled it in his hands. Yep. This is definitely gauze.
He mumbled out a thank you to the stranger, and they silently went back to bed and left Tang to his own devices. That was a little weird, but the scholar wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He quickly wrapped a bit of it over his new cut and then thought about what happened to his forearm from that demon.
He ran a hand over his right forearm, but he couldn't feel anything wrong, not even a scab. He grimaced at this. I know the slash was real from the hole in my jacket, so why can't I feel it?
He could only sigh again, knowing that he wouldn't get anywhere stewing by himself at dawn. So, he finally laid down on his bed and looked at the tent ceiling. He could hear the snores of his tent-mates and cicadas chirping from the nearby forest. The small talk of people outside and the wind blowing through the branches outside. He let the white noise guide him into sleep and then finally let himself succumb to unconsciousness as all the noise floated away.
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Update for A World Without Him:
Im sorry for the late chapter this week. I've been slumped with school and extracurriculars recently, which hasn't really given me much free time to write. I'll try to get the chapter in on Sunday at the latest, as I already have what I want planned out. Again, I apologize for the late update.
Hello dear friends! ❤🤍🖤💚
🍉I am Mahmoud Ayyad, a Palestinian from the besieged and destroyed Gaza 😭😭, coming from an extended family of young children, women and elderly people ❤❤ who have been suffering😭😭 for 300 difficult days from an aggressive war.
Our lives are harsh because we lack all the basic necessities of life. Everything has become scarce and unattainable. There is no food, no water, no medicine.
So, I ask you to help me keep my family safe and alive, especially after we had lost all our sources of livelihood.Please do not leave my family to struggle and suffer these difficult days alone. You can support my campaign by donating whatever you can or by sharing my posts to reach others who can help us survive the war to safety and peace. You are helping the lives of many people with your small contribution. Every donation makes a difference in our very difficult lives. But this is a legitimate campaign and has been checked by 90-ghost.
https://gofund.me/31c5cbe3
Hello everyone 🤍❤️💚🖤
I am Majed from Gaza, from the north of the Strip.
My family and I were displaced to the south. After 188 days of exhaustion, constant fear, and losing everything we owned, we were displaced to Egypt and paid a large sum, but some of my family and all our loved ones are still suffering in Gaza💔. We don't have residency here, so that's what makes it complicated. I also set a goal of 6,000, which is a short-term goal
Of the total specified amount.
Your donation, no matter how small, will make a big difference in my life and the lives of my children 🙏🏼🇵🇸🍉
https://gofund.me/f489e577
Help my family to get out and sea for what is left of life. The war is devastating. Death is approachin every person and destruction is everywhere. We hope that there is hope before it is too late.
Hello my friend, 👋 👋
My name is Ahmed from Gaza, and I have a small child. Unfortunately, our house in Khan Yunis has been destroyed by the war, and we are currently experiencing difficult living conditions in a displacement tent in Deir al-Balah. We are in dire need of a safe and suitable shelter. If you want to help us, you can donate through the following fundraising campaign link:
https://gofund.me/665fbb6c.
verified by bees and watermelon No.171.
Every contribution makes a difference. Thank you for your support.
I am Ehab Ayyad ❤ a palestinian youngman from Gaza🍉🇵🇸, seeking to find safety and peace ☝️for my family if twenty members. We have been ❤🇵🇸🍉passing through all forms of torture and pain for almost ten months because of the war on Gaza.
Life is very miserable and tragic❤🇵🇸 as we are now deprived ❤🇵🇸🍉of all means of living. Drink water, healthy food health care and medicine❤🇵🇸 have become things 🇵🇸🍉❤of the past. We are dying dear friends. That is why I am asking you to help us break through this tough situation.Life in hot tents is incredibly sad and miserable. We are now experiencing the worst circumstances we have ever had in our life. The war has stolen happiness and life from us.
Please don't leave us alone in such dire times. Your kind contribution either through donating whatever you can or sharing my posts will be highly appreciated and valued.❤🇵🇸🍉
Hello my dears! I, Asmaa, ask you to support my campaign to help me reach my goal. 🙏 I am now in desperate need of your support to help me stay alive and safe. Gaza is a very dangerous place, both in terms of living standards and souls. I need your financial support so that I can get the basic needs of my family. Please help a family survive through your small donations or through your shares to others. And reblog. The campaign is going very slowly. 🙏🍉💔
🙏😞Please help me I want to provide for my
family's needs in Gaza🇵🇸🍉
Maybe 10€ makes a difference to us.🙏
⭕️Donation link:
https://gofund.me/d6837bc0
⭕️Pinned post:
https://www.tumblr.com/aboodalqedra/760369398918840320/please-dont-skip
Hello 👋 my ❤ friends !
I am asking you to support my newly created campaign to help my family survive the gruesome war over Gaza to safety and ✌️ peace.
Life has become incredibly harsh, tough and full of hardship and painful suffering. We lack all he basic living essentials and necessities such as food, water , medicine and other needs.
The war has made our life hopeless and desperate. My six-member family has been going through the hardest days they have ever experience for almost eleven months due to the disastrous war.
The war has taken every beautiful thing from us, leaving us homeless, displaced and jobless.
The rising prices of all necessary items of life has complicated our living conditions especially when all our savings were spent over the least necessities and needs.
So I am now asking you to lessen and minimize our burdens and loads of life through your contribution. You can help my family survive through donating whatever you can or reposting my messages.
Yours
Rewaa
https://gofund.me/07f652e2
Hello !!🍉🍉
I am Ahmed from Gaza. I used to have a pharmacy in the north of the Strip, but unfortunately, I lost it due to the bombing. Under difficult circumstances, I had to move with my family from the north to the south, and we settled in Deir al-Balah.
Despite the challenges, I tried to rebuild my life, so I opened a simple pharmacy in a tent. This pharmacy contains some basic medicines, but it is far from meeting the needs of the people here.
I am now in dire need of support to secure my needs and the needs of my children. My first goal is to raise $1,000 to continue providing health services in these difficult circumstances.
I hope that everyone will donate and contribute to supporting this humanitarian project. Every support, no matter how small, will have a great impact in improving the lives of my family and providing health care to the community here.
You can donate through this link 🇵🇸🇵🇸: https://gofund.me/2a408c6f
Thank you very much🙏🏻❤️❤️
Hello🤍,
My name is Sami, and I am a father of two daughters. We were displaced from Gaza 🇵🇸due to the war, and we lost our home, car, and all our belongings. We are currently living in a tent without shelter or basic necessities. We are waiting for the border to open so we can escape the war, but for now, we urgently need your help to secure food, water, medicine, and to find a safe place for my daughters.Any donation, no matter how small, will help us through these difficult times and give us hope. Thank you to everyone supporting us. May God bless you. 🤲❤️
https://gofund.me/107a8322
Hello dear
I am from the Baalousha family from Gaza.. 🇵🇸🍉
I hope you are well .
I write to you with a heart full of hope and faith, and I ask for your urgent help. My family is in great danger due to the war, and I am running a fundraising campaign to save them. My father and mother suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure. Help me secure them
Please, can you reblog my campaign post on my account? Every participation can make a difference in my family's life.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for any help you can provide. 🇵🇸🇵🇸
The campaign was documented by @90-ghost
Hi, 🌹
I hope you are well.
I am writing to you with a heavy heart and an urgent request for help.
My family is in a very dangerous situation due to the war that has destroyed everything we own, and I have launched a GoFundMe campaign to save them.
I would like you to help us and share the link on social media,
from the bottom of my heart I would like to thank you in advance for all your support and kindness.🙏
Charity Work Under Genocide Please Donate to Us ❤️🇵🇸
I am nurse reham from gaza Please help us by sharing . Reblog the last post me on your page so that we can collect donations and get out of the war. You are our hope. I will be very grateful to you . I lost my brother and I don't want to lose anyone else in my family please Donate 10$\ 20$ enough the change my life Please it will save my family from death❤️🙏🏼🇵🇸 Verified by : @90-ghost @soon-palestine https://gofund.me/a08653d7
