The Proposed Prophecies
Chapter 24: THE PROPOSAL

“Welcome to our meeting.” A loud clap followed as Liv’s mother welcomed the soldiers and Alters working in the outside world on the depopulation process.

There were empty spots in the first row. As Liv had looked around while walking down she realized there were a lot more empty seats than before. She looked at Jake but he didn’t look back, only walked behind her looking at the screen which turned on.

Liv took a seat and watched Helena from up close as she put her glasses on and stood on the podium which was right in front of Liv. It was still strange to see her wearing an Alter uniform. Liv noticed that her mother’s hair had become greyer and she moved slower than before. She wondered how old Helena actually was. She was an Alter and that meant she could be one hundred or nearing five hundred. But she remembered in her grandfather’s diary that he had mentioned that they don’t age. Or at least that they aged slower than humans. So Helena surely couldn’t be close to five hundred years in age.

Liv watched each of her movements and listened to the sound of her voice each time Helena spoke. “The virus is moving slower. We found some traders in our groups who failed to release the virus in their designated area and provided fake pictures as a proof. This has put us behind but I am sure we can turn these numbers around now that we know who the traders were and which countries still need to be exposed to the virus.” She seemed distressed and her hands were shaking as she looked into the crowd.

Liv glanced wondered if Jake had something to do with the traders and the slower release of the virus as she glanced at him and saw his satisfied expression. He had a slight smile on his face before glancing at her. “We can stop this completely once Evan comes and you change his mind. There are still people outside that can be saved,” he whispered and looked back at the screen. It showed a ten percent decrease in the expected exposure of the virus.

“To stop it completely?” She felt herself smile. Suddenly she imagined herself walking again on the warm sand and touching the water in the blue ocean. She could smell the salty air already and for the first time in months she felt that there was a way out and a chance to live again. She looked over at Jake, whose knee touched hers. He stared at the screen showing the spread of the virus. She had spent every night with him over the course of the last two week. He made her feel loved just by being there, laying next to her until the morning came. She wondered what things would be like between them once Eve was dethroned and they had stopped the spread of the virus. She wondered if seeing Evan would change any of the feelings she felt towards Jake. She felt his hand on hers, a slight touch that suddenly made everything so clear. Nothing could change the way she felt around him, she thought.

She wondered whether he would stay on Earth with her. Perhaps he would travel the world with her and once they seen all the places on her checklist they would get married, buy a house in the suburbs and a golden retriever. She laughed louder than intended. Jake and Helena looked at her, rising their eyebrows. She stopped herself from laughing further by placing her hand on top of her mouth. “Stop it! Stop it, Liv!” she kept repeating inside her head but it was still funny. She realized she had never thought of settling down before and definitely not about a house in the suburbs but somehow she wouldn’t mind this happening with him, even if he was Amy’s husband. She wondered what Amy would say if she was still alive and could see her with Jake. Liv exhaled. “This wouldn’t be good karma for me,” she thought. But maybe if they could adopt Ashley and Tommy that would somehow make it more acceptable. Liv inhaled and exhaled right, reminding herself that she really needed to stop thinking this way.

Another loud clap interrupted her reverie. Everyone was getting up and Helena was walking towards her from the stage to her seat. Liv got up and was ready to hug her. But Helena didn’t look at her but at Jake. “I need to talk to you,” she said and Jake responded right away that he has a prisoner in care, meaning he was responsible for Liv and that he was unable to just let her walk on her own.

“I will take care of her.” It was Eve. The sound of her voice always made chills run down Liv’s back. She turned around and spotted Eve looking classy, as always.

“I will take her,” Jake said with an irritated voice. “Nonsense. I will take her. Don’t worry, I will make sure she gets to her zone safely,” said Eve, Liv looked at Jake and he shook his head to sign it was going to be alright and she can leave with Eve.

“Come, my dear.” Eve turned around and Liv followed. As she walked up to the exit she looked back at Jake and Helena. Something wasn’t right. It was strange that Eve had suddenly appeared and knew Liv needed someone to take her back. They could have asked any other guard but it seemed that Eve had decided to do it on her own.

Eve’s high heels knocked on the floor so loudly that Liv thought that even if she would not be able to see her she could follow the knocking sound.

“I see you are doing well. You look better than you did at our last meeting, my dear. You must be happy to have your whole family there with you, except the little boy and girl of course.” Eve walked a little ahead and spoke without looking at her. Liv was surprised that after such a long time she still didn’t know Tommy and Ashley’s name.

Liv realized how much she missed them too. She wondered if they had grown a little more or if Ashley’s hair was longer now that she no longer had cancer. She wished she could see Tommy with his hazel eyes and chatty mouth that reminded Amy so much. Jake said he had someone watching over them and she was sure he wasn’t lying. He always looked like he loved them more than anything else.

They both walked through the hallway, passing some of the Alters and people that worked in the outside world. There was quiet until they got to the elevator and stepped in. Eve pushed the button for the third floor and the elevator started to move downwards.

“Don’t you think that I am not aware that I have traders among the Alters,” Eve said and paused. “But that won’t stop me from getting through the last sections of the proposal.” She looked back at her.

“I thought you hated the whole idea of the proposal.” Perhaps Liv should have been quiet but her mouth worked faster than she thought. “Well, I read in my grandfather’s diary that you hate the idea,” Liv added as she noticed Eve’s stare. Eve smiled. “I did hate it. I still do. I don’t believe people should have gotten a second chance but as always Axel made sure I followed his direction even after his death and as of right now I have no other choice than to go through with the plan.” Liv looked at the small screen that showed on which floor they were. It showed floor six. She thought that was where Ashley and Tommy were. “What happens if you don’t?“

Liv glanced back at Eve. “That’s a question you should ask your boyfriend,” she said and raised her eyebrow. Liv realized she was talking about Jake. Eve must have known he was going to Liv’s room each night, she thought. “Let me give you some advice, my dear. Life is a game, and if you don’t play it right, you will be outplayed.” Eve’s eyes were cold but her words were somehow honest. “What do you mean?” Liv asked as the elevator reached the third floor and the door opened. Eve’s confident walk somehow scared her. “Oh, my dear. Even though you are not a pure human you are just so naïve and predictable, just like the pure ones. It’s such a shame. I thought you were on my side.” She crossed her hands and stopped at the door. “Now, here’s your zone.” Liv looked at Eve. Her index finger pointed at the door, urging her to go in. Liv followed.

The red zone was crowded as always, with people thrusting each other. She looked up and saw the cameras blinking. She wondered if Eve had meant that Jake was playing her. Perhaps he was just using her. Maybe he didn’t love her. There was a gentle touch on her hand.

“Liv?” Becky’s voice sounded low. She looked around and then down to the floor. “What happened?” Liv placed her hands on Becky’s tiny bony shoulders. She looked at Liv. “I think something happened to Joann last night.” Becky started to play with her fingers, twisting them around.

“Becky! Spill it already!” Liv’s patience was wearing thin.

“Joann stayed over in Carmen’s bedroom last night and she was caught. I saw her being hand cuffed by a guard and taken early in the morning.” Liv placed her hand on her forehead. Worst case scenarios flashed through her mind. Perhaps that’s what Eve was talking around - the traders among Alters. She probably already knew everything. “Where is Carmen?” she asked Becky. “In the dining hall.”

Liv rushed to the dining room where she spotted Carmen. Her head was supported by her hand, her hair hanging on the side. She was tossing around the rice with her plastic fork. “Carmen I heard what happened to Joann.” Liv sat on the bench across from her and Carmen wiped her eyes and moved her hair back. “Yeah, we fell asleep and we woke up shortly after five. The cameras were on, blinking. By the time she got out of my room there was a guard waiting for her, putting the cuffs on.”

“I am sure Jake would never let anything happen to her.” Liv wasn’t sure if this was true but she wanted to say it anyway. She thought of Eve’s words and wondered if she was outplayed, just like Eve had said. “It’s going to be alright.” She added. This seemed the right thing to say in this moment. She placed her hand on Carmen’s. “Alright? How is this going to be alright, Liv?” Carmen started to raise her voice. Liv exhaled. “Well, I guess I can’t promise that. But we at least have to try to believe it will be alright.” Carmen smiled ironically and tossed her fork into the plate. “Right, because the whole time you’ve had things going on with Jake, Evan, your monthly meetings, diaries, your Alter mother… did you think in all those situations that everything is going to be alright?” Carmen was right, Liv thought. She had never felt as if anything would be alright. Carmen grabbed her tray and got up. “Wait… I am sorry for what happened to Joann. Really.” Carmen looked down at her tray again and then walked away. Her walk was not to the same as it used to be. Carmen wasn’t the carefree woman anymore. Life in the bunker broke even the strongest souls. The lights, the cameras, the lack of food and the agony. Liv exhaled.

Jake did not show up that night and Liv could not even close her eyes. She kept listening to the ticking noise on her wrist watch. Each second felt longer, the ticking noise slower. She stared at the light above her head. She realized her eyes were not watering anymore as she was staring into it all night. The cameras never stopped blinking, not even after midnight. Liv wondered what could have happened. Eve must have found out.

She got up at six that morning and took a cold shower. No one had wanted to share a shower head with her since the incident in the shower when she nearly killed the woman by punching her and she was quite happy with this. Carmen didn’t show up for breakfast. “She will be ok. She probably just needs some time,” Becky said. Liv hoped she was right

She was taken by the guard with the other three female writers into the office. Like every day, she received a brief on what to write. That day it was specifically about the selfishness of human kind. Liv thought that at least this wasn’t so out of context.

She still thought of Carmen and how she hasn’t showed up for breakfast. Liv realized that they had never fought before. It hadn’t felt like they’d fought the day before, but perhaps Carmen had seen things differently.

“Eve wants to see you,” said the female Alter who normally brought the outlines, shortly after Liv had started to write. She prompted her to take the laptop, outline and all the relevant papers to her writing. Liv gathered everything and spotted the concerned eyes of the three women from her zone. She wondered if this was something bad. She was sure she had done what they asked her to and she hadn’t felt worried about what she was writing. The two remaining men from the green zone didn’t even look at her as she exited the room. She glanced at the wall behind them; it wasn’t as white as it used to be. Four people had been shot in that room and feint pink blood stains were still there despite the walls being cleaned multiple times.

Liv got into the spacious elevator, holding on to the laptop and her writing papers. They felt heavy as she hadn’t eaten that morning and had no energy left. Once the elevator door opened for the top floor she realized it wasn’t as bright as she expected it to be. The top floor was dark from the storm brushing through the island that day. The blue ocean seemed dark and angry as the waves were splashing along the shores. The rain was hitting the windows hard and the trees were moving left and right from the high wind. She could hear her own pulse as she walked behind the bold guard and approached Eve’s office.

Without saying a word, Eve grabbed Liv’s writing papers and laptop out of her hands as soon as she entered her office. Liv’s body was shivering as she stood in front of the desk while Eve glanced through her work. There was a bookshelf behind her desk and it reminded Liv of the day she saw it for the first time and thought of Evan. Eve was loudly and angrily flicking between pages. Her reading glasses slid down on top of her nose, just like Evan’s used to.

“Humans had too many choices which made them make a lot of mistakes. There will be no choices in the new world, only order and discipline.” Eve opened the drawer and took out a document that looked like some kind of report long.

“Do you know what this is?” She handed Liv the document. It was titled ‘The Proposal’ and seemed to be signed by the governments of most of the countries; this was the step by step process mentioned in her grandfather’s diaries.

It started with mentioning the chosen ones, the exact requirements of what they needed to be in order for a family to get onto the list for the new world. The criteria for eligibility took up a whole page. She was sure that the only reason she had been selected was because of Helena being an Alter since, she surely didn’t meet some of the requirements. She surely didn’t have a perfect medical record, she hadn’t been able to finish school and she didn’t have any special skills.

“You and your family are here because your grandfather made a deal with me.” It was like Eve knew what Liv was thinking. Eve stood up from her chair and walked to the window. The storm was still strong and Liv could barely see outside from the heavy rain. “What deal?” Liv asked and Eve turned around. “I ordered your grandfather Jason to make Axel choose me as the next in line to be commander in exchange for keeping his family safe and making sure you all made it to the new world. And I do keep my promises. Your whole family is here. Well, except Amy, but it was her choice to end her life and there was nothing I could have done. I could have cured her from the virus but not from the bullet in her head.” Liv realized how different everything would have been if Amy hadn’t killed herself. She could have been here with them. “There is a cure?” Liv had been sure there was no way back from the virus. At least, the diaries never mentioned anything about a cure. Eve smiled. “There is always a cure, my dear, no matter what sickness or virus it is. How do you think Amy’s daughter Ashley recovered from cancer? Please don’t tell me you truly believed it was a miracle.” Liv didn’t respond. She hadn’t known that there was a cure for cancer. She remembered Joann saying it was a miracle but she must have known that it wasn’t. Eve walked back to her seat and sat down.

“I want you to see the next page,” she said, and Liv turned the page on the document that described the bunkers. “There were hundred bunkers proposed around the world holding three hundred and fifty thousand people each. Each of them handpicked after researching their whole family tree.” Liv browsed through the map of the bunkers and the sketches. “Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Eve said but Liv didn’t reply. She felt like the bunkers were far from perfect. There wasn’t enough food and people were starving, and it wasn’t even the end of the first year there. Also she remembered Joann saying that the bunker would collapse eventually as they hadn’t finished building it because in the Proposal, everything was scheduled for 2020.

“Many people welcomed the economic downfall and the end of social difference yet for many people, this new way of living was hell. We lost many chosen ones when the government started manipulating the numbers of the stock markets and slowly sinking the bank chains.” Eve grabbed Liv’s laptop and turned it on. She continued reading but didn’t look at Liv. “People started to commit suicide over the loss of their possessions and money. People had been so easily manipulated by the lure of money that they had no idea how to cope without it. There will be no currency in the new world. Everyone will be equal and there will be no unnecessary mind games.” Eve typed something into the laptop and looked like she was reading through Liv’s documents. Liv sort of liked the idea of being equal but it just sounded strange coming from Eve’s mouth. Perhaps this wasn’t really what Eve wanted.

She turned the next few pages. They described the virus and its three stages. “The virus is my favorite.” Liv looked at Eve, who continued to stare at the laptop whilst giving a small smile. “I haven’t seen so much live action, even during the war. The bleeding eyes and nose, the hunger to attack everything that came in their way. You did pretty well to keep yourself from being killed.”

“How do you know …? Eve interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. “I have Alters everywhere.” The only Alter Liv could think of, was Joann. She was the only one in the house. “Your rewriting is good. Very good,” Eve added, as she continued to read.

“What are you planning to do after the cleanup of the bodies and after you release everyone?” Liv asked. Per the proposal the Alters were supposed to appoint the next leader of the new world and leave Earth to return to their own planet and monitor the progress of people through artificial intelligence.

Eve looked up again and took her glasses off. She played with them in her hands, opening and closing the frame.

“It depends on the outcome of my plan, which I am not going to discuss with you for now. Look at the last page of the proposal and tell me what you read.” Liv opened the last page. “Signatures.” There was a long list of signatures crowded underneath each other. “Exactly. Do you think the governments cared about their people? I can assure you that they were just a bunch of cowards trying to save their own selves.” Eve closed the laptop and placed her glasses on the table then got up. “Do you still want to save the rest of the people that aren’t infected and stop the proposal from being completed? Think about it, Liv. All these people in the bunker were handpicked. Those outside aren’t. They might be just another bunch of cowards who want to rule the world and make choices that benefit only them. Or you might just save another killer or a pedophile or who knows who else.” Liv looked at her. She had a point.

“People are always living in the past and worrying about the future, obsessed over having each question answered. I need you to stop worrying for a second and trust me.” Liv wanted to laugh. “To trust you?” Liv shook her head in incredulity that Eve had even said such a thing.

“Do you know why psychics talk in riddles and are never straightforward?” Liv shook her head. “Because people unconsciously follow every single prediction. Many of them would never have come true if they hadn’t subconsciously initiated it. People are predictable and Alters know it, the psychics know it, even the government knows it. Each government made it seem as if certain prophecies foretold by psychics were coming true. This deflected suspicion from them. And you would have been none the wiser too, just like everyone else. You are naïve Liv and so was Axel and that’s why he is dead.”

A look of sadness crossed her face each time Eve mentioned Axel, but Liv was sure she had killed him. The diary clearly said she wanted Jason to get rid of him.

“All he had to do was to believe me and he would still be alive.”

She paused for a minute and glanced at something behind Liv. The glass door slid open and two guards walked in holding Jake by his arms. His hands were in cuffs. Liv’s eyes opened wide and fear brushed through her body. Joann walked in right afterwards. Her hands were not in cuffs, she could walk freely, and she had a gun attached to her belt. She was wearing a uniform, just like Jake and rest of the guards.

“One day you will thank me for this,” Eve said and her words were followed by another crash of thunder.

Liv’s tears rolled one after another. Something bad was going to happen. The rain outside appeared even heavier than before and the window made a squeaky noise from the wind from outside. The bold guard pulled her back as she attempted to walk to Jake. She looked at Joann, who continued to stare at Eve. She was the traitor. Joann’s eyes were cold and appeared lifeless as she stared in Eve’s direction.

Jake looked down the whole time, he didn’t look at Liv once. She wondered if he had known what was coming and that’s why he wasn’t looking at her at all. Her heart cried along with her eyes. Eve sat down in the chair by her desk and opened a drawer. She pulled out a gun. The clicked off the safety catch. It was the most awful sound. Somehow, any gun reminded her of Amy and the day she shot herself and of the gun Liv had to carry around while shooting the infected people. Now there was a gun was aimed at Jake. Suddenly she felt like this was all her fault. If she hadn’t started a relationship with Jake this of all wouldn’t have happened. Perhaps Joann would be just a regular Alter and Jake would never have been sent to keep her safe, which would have meant that Joann would never have started a relationship with Carmen and then become a spy.

Joann forced Jake onto his knees by pushing him down by his shoulders and Eve walked up to him, pointing her gun. Liv couldn’t stop crying and begged Eve not to shoot him, offering herself instead. But Eve didn’t seem interested at all.

“I see through you and I will be always one step ahead of you. Never forget that!” Eve said, whilst looking at Jake. She was about to pull the trigger when Joann raised her voice.

“Wait,” she said and Liv watched her take her own gun out. She thought perhaps Joann was about to shoot Eve and maybe she had it figured out all wrong. Liv’s eyes met with Joann’s. “I will gladly do this for you,” Joann said suddenly and turned to Eve.

“What are you doing? You were supposed to be on his side.” Liv’s desperate voice was interrupted by Eve. “Alright then” Eve put down her own gun and moved back to her desk, signaling for Joann to do the work.

“Last words?” Liv heard Eve’s voice and Jake’s eyes finally met hers. Liv felt as if all she could do was to cry. She tried to pull herself out of the guard’s arms but he held on to her stronger than ever.

“I love you and I always will, no matter what happens in the future and despite what happened in the past. I just want you to always remember that.” His words felt heavy, hurtful but good at the same time. She remembered Joann telling her he had feelings for her but that it was hard for him to show them. But not this time. He was on his knees, and his life was about to end. Joann stood behind him, aiming her gun. It looked huge in her small hands. She was staring at him and her hands started to shake.

“That’s enough. Finish him,” Eve ordered but Joann wasn’t firing yet. Liv wondered if Joann was perhaps changing her mind. “I said finish him.” Eve raised her voice and Liv saw Joann’s eyes closing. She fired the gun. Jake fell onto the concrete floor and blood started to leak all around him as Joann shot him in his back three times.

Liv screamed but she couldn’t hear her own voice, only the energy she had put into it. Her arms were held by the bold guard and her hands bled slightly as she moved them around, still shackled by the handcuffs.

She looked at Joann as she placed her gun back into her gun holder on her pants and wiped her eyes.

Eve walked up to Jake’s body. “Take him,” she said, though Liv could barely hear her. She could barely hear anything other than the beeping sound of the aftermath of the gun shot. She was forced to watch the guards placing a white sheet over him, which soaked up the blood straight away. Joann looked at Liv with her cold eyes and walked out of the office. Jake’s body was still laying there on the cold concrete floor. There was another loud rumbled of thunder, breaking her reverie.. She could hear her own voice screaming.

“Take her to the cell,” said Eve, who was still standing next to Jake’s body. Liv dropped to the floor. Blood was spreading towards Eve’s high heels but Eve moved her foot before it touched her.

The bold guard started pulling Liv away. She didn’t care if he hit her or hurt her. Her body felt numb. She felt down onto the floor again, like a bad child that misbehaves in a store after not getting what it wanted. All Liv wanted was to hug Jakes lifeless body and lay next to him until the pain went away. But the guard’s strength was stronger and was able to pull her away, closer to the door.

“Jake wasn’t a good one. You think you knew him but you didn’t. He is worse than me.” Eve’s words meant nothing to Liv who just wanted to kill her.

“You had better kill me because once I get back up, I’ll come for you and I will kill you with my bare hands. I’ll destroy you and slowly take everything you have,” she yelled. Eve appeared to smile at her but her smile seemed fake.

“You silly little girl” she added before the guard took Liv to the elevator. Liv felt as if her soul had shattered into small pieces. She didn’t even question what had Eve meant when she had requested Liv was taken to her cell. But even through the tears she noticed the guard pushing a button on the elevator for the first floor. He let her drop to the floor as she could not hold her own body weight. Once the elevator stopped he forced her up by grabbing her arm again and thrusting her out of the elevator. There was a narrow hallway in front of her with steps at the end. It was dark and cold there. It was strange to see such darkness after months living in the excessive brightness of the bunker lights.

“Welcome to your new home,” the guard said once her foot stepped onto the even floor again after walking down the steps. She couldn’t see anything. It was darker than the night. He pushed her forward and she fell onto the ground right away. She remained on the floor and slowly closed her eyes. She didn’t even care it was cold and smelled like blood and human feces. The darkness was everywhere including her mind. She pulled her knees to her upper body and stayed in this ball, slowly closing her eyes.

When she opened her eyes again she couldn’t tell how long she had been down there. Perhaps a minute, maybe a day, she thought. It felt like it had only been a second but the left side of her hair was soaked wet and she could feel some water reaching her body. It was quiet and she could hear a dripping sound. The bunker must have been penetrated, she thought. The water must have found its way inside. It wouldn’t be able to last long unless this issue was fixed.

The smell of rotten flesh and blood made her want to vomit. She looked around but there was only the darkness everywhere. It was hard to say if there were any human bodies around but the smell suggested there had been. She couldn’t hear anything else other than the noise from the dripping water. She imagined the ocean around the island was about to break in. She couldn’t hold it any longer and vomited from the smell, over and over again. She wished she had been attacked from the infected man in Amy’s house. Letting herself be killed would be a preferable way to die rather than being trapped underneath the ground in the darkness, waiting for the ocean to swallow and crush the bunker along with her.

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