diff --git a/book-1/10.tex b/book-1/10.tex index 8910fc9..43fe18e 100644 --- a/book-1/10.tex +++ b/book-1/10.tex @@ -276,6 +276,98 @@ how would you know that it wasn't all just nonsense anyway?'', asked Andrew. ``How should I know? I would have to remember what I had said.'' - +He regretted his rough tone before he was even done speaking them. +``Sorry. +But I really can't remember.'' +He searched through his memory but the result was just a more confusing mess. +He wasn't even sure which parts of what he remembered were real +and which parts were a nightmare that was following him after he woke. + +``I'm not surprised'', said Katt. +``You almost died. +You're the first one that got the sickness and didn't die.'' + +``What sickness?'' +``\textit{The Sickness}'', answered Katt. +``Anybody that isn't from here gets it. +Anybody from outside.'' + +``Like the men in the black suits?'' +Suddenly at least one of the terrible memories that he had made sense, +even though it was terrible through and through. +``Is that why they killed their own comrade?'' + +``They don't take anyone with them if their suit was damaged'', said Katt. +That wasn't necessarily an answer to his question, +but Andrew was still too confused to pay attention to that amount of detail. +``Some of them kill themselves. +The others die from the sickness.'' + +``All of them?'' + +``I don't know'', said Katt with a shrug. +``It is said two of them were brought here, +but they already had the sickness and died without waking up again.'' + +``It is said?'' + +``I wasn't here then'', answered Katt. +``It was a long time ago. +Maybe it isn't actually true. +Its a really long time ago you know? +Even all the old ones didn't see it themselves, +they just heard it from their parents. +That's why a lot of them don't believe that you're from outside. +But I knew it.'' + +The words were spoken with the utmost earnest, +but something about them didn't feel right to Andrew. +She believed him so it wasn't that. +But the way in which she believed him and had taken him under her wing against the others +(whoever that might be) +filled him with unease. +Little by little the feeling that Katt considered him to be one of her belongings crept over him. +Something that she had found and didn't want to give back. + +``Your sister'', he asked. ``Ratt, is she \dots'' +He nervously flicked his tongue across his lips and had to start over. +`` Is she really your sister?'' + +``Of course'', answered Katt. +``Don't you have siblings?'' + +``Nope'', answered Andrew. +``And if I had any they wouldn't look like that.'' + +``Not like \textit{what}?'' Katt said sharply. + +``Not like you'', explained Andrew carefully. +``Not so \dots different.'' + +He had done something wrong. +Katt was silent for quite a while before she continued, +and her voice was noticeably colder but definitely more inquisitive than before. +``Does everyone where you're from look like you?'' + +``Like me?'' +\textit{No hybrids between girls and rats? +Nope, definitely not.} + +Katt looked at him expectingly, +but pulled her had off his leg and scooted a little bit further away. +``You don't want to talk about it'', she stated. + +``No, that's not it'', said Andrew hastily. +He started to reach out to her, +but didn't dare touch her. +Odd, when they were running for their lives she had seemed like a pretty good friend. +Now that they were alone and in relative safety it felt like they had just met. + +``What is it then?'', asked Katt. + +``I don't know.'', answered Andrew distressed. +``I \dots'' +He shook his head helplessly. +Everything was spinning around him.