Diamond
She hit the bottom of the can, scraping the last pit of mandarin orange stuck in a small crevice almost invisible to the eye, but her constantly cramping stomach allowed her to have a keen eye. She licked the spoon clean, savoring the citrus intermingled with the metallic taste of the utensil.
Diamond sighed and rose from her seat. She stretched in her white tank top and green cargo pants, the only style of clothes she'd worn in the last three months. As she passed by the ever-pensive Rocio, she also scooped up her can and spoon, which she finished sooner than Diamond.
"I could have done that," she muttered, though made no movement whatsoever in her chair.
Diamond shook her head, not bothering to entertain the comment Rocio must have said a thousand times, and continued on her path toward the kitchen sink. She placed the empty cans off to the side and quickly washed the two spoons.
She eyed the door which led to the pantry, and the selfish part of her said another can wouldn't hurt, just for tonight. But it would.
After Renata and Balam and Keone and Tahoma disappeared, after the attack that left several more dead, some of Balam's guards understandably jumped ship, seeking refuge somewhere, anywhere away from here. By the end of it all, only five others remained, two of them being Balam's most loyal guards, and three of them having nowhere else to go. After sitting down, surveying the damage and remaining supplies of the bunker, they had another two years
By then, they were mostly accustomed to their light meals. This can-of-fruit dinner ensured, among other precautions, that the seven of them could hide in this bunker for the next five years.
Five years.
Diamond stopped beside Rocio, leaned over and wrapped her arms around her. She placed a kiss on her brown, pronounced cheek. "You're quiet. Is it your leg?"
"No! Well, yes." She leaned her head against Diamond and embraced her back as much as she could from her position. "It's been too long."
Diamond crouched and began massaging Rocio's tense neck. "I know."
Rocio didn't say anything for a long time. "Where did they go?"
"I wish I had answers." They'd had this conversation a thousand times. "But they're alive."
"How do you know?"
"I just do."
"I don't know, Blue, it's been too long." She hiccuped. "I miss Tahoma. I miss my sister."
Diamond's heart broke when she heard the name she avoided at all costs. Her own throat tightened with devastation. "I miss her too. It's going to be okay, we're going to get through this, and we're going to see them again."
"I've been trying to think about how we can find them," her voice turned frustrated, "but I don't even know where to start. How can someone just disappear like that? Where the hell did they go?"
"I wish I knew. I just hope they're fixing this all." Wherever they were, Diamond had a sneaking suspicion they were in grave danger.
"It doesn't matter," Rocio argued. "The world's fucked. It won't ever be the same." Her shoulders slumped in defeat.
Diamond paused, enjoying the warmth of Rocio's skin, using it as her own comfort, her own opportunituty to calm down from her own more concerning thoughts. "Maybe it's not supposed to be." It wasn't a good enough or satisfying response and they both knew it.
Rocio said nothing in return.
"Ready for bed?"
Rocio nodded.
Diamond went and grabbed the makeshift crutches and helped Rocio out of her chair. It was still awkward, working together, but they managed. "I'm fine," Rocio snapped once she had the crutches secure in her armits. Diamond tried to hide her recoil, but Rocio's face turned regretful. "I'm sorry."
Diamond leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek. "It's okay. Let's go."
That night, after their nightly cries, when they were both in bed, Diamond stared up at the ceiling, imagining the night sky above itâthough there was who-knew-how-much dirt between her and the brilliantly blue darkness.
**********
Diamond chased after Rocio as she continued her determined steps forward. "Wait!" Diamond's voice echoed through the halls, reminding them how empty this bunker was. "Rocio, will you stop to think? I know this had been hard on you, but it's been hard on everyoneâ"
"You're not listening," Rocio snapped without looking back. "I can't stay here another night. I will not do another six months in this tomb."
They were getting closer and closer to the entrance, which led to a world they were blind to at this point. They had received any radio transmissions in a long while and the outside cameras went out during the initial attack. Diamond was beginning to believe she didn't remember the sun or the clouds or the sound of the wind sifting through the treesâbut she didn't share these things with Rocio, and considering what she was doing now, it was for good reason.
"This tomb is probably the safest place in the world right now," Diamond tried to reason, finally catching up with her fast pace. "If you go up, you could die."
Rocio slowed and finally showed Diamond her tear-streaked face. "I just can't do it anymore. I'm going to suffocate. I can't breathe in here!"
Diamond took Rocio into her arms as she balanced on her crutches. "I know, I know."
"I mean it, I can't do it anymore," she cried into her shoulder. "I can't live like this, I just can't. I thought I could, but I'm losing my mind here."
Diamond was terrified of leaving, but Rocio was voicing the very relatable fear of staying. "Okay," Diamond sighed, "okay, we'll go, but not like this."
She breathed in deeply and some clarity flooded her gaze. "Thank you." She smiled softly, reminding her of Renata, breaking her heart all over again for that very reason. "And you're right, we should get prepared, take what we can. Besides, if it doesn't work, we can come back."
Diamond laughed. "If we live to do such a thing."
They leaned their foreheads together. "To hell, we go, right?"
"Together," Diamond whispered, pressing her lips to hers.
They didn't leave till the next morning, leaving behind the other three, who decided to wait things out. They had to walk the entire way up past the rails and unlock everything manually.
Diamond's heartbeat raced faster and faster the closer they got to the last set of stairs and doors. She remembered the last time she was here, except she was descending the stairs with Renata, Tahoma, Keone, and of course, Rocio, flanking her. She was scared out of her mind. Scared they would all die. Scared to enter a place she would never leave again. Scared to lose Renata. Scared to lose Rocio.
She remembered how much of a mess things were six months ago once Renata realized the truth, something Diamond regretted not coming clean with first ever since. Though, this was the tip of the iceberg regarding her sincere mistakes.
How much she wished Renata was here, whether it was hating her or not. It didn't matter as long as she was here and alive.
She is alive. She has to be.
Rocio stood back as Diamond reached the doors. She saw the beginnings of daylight glowing edges of the metal doors. She did as instructed by the manuals they found in the bunkers. At first, all that responded was the sound of Diamond's grunting.
"Stuck?" Rocio asked anxiously.
"I don't know." She examined the door with a tiny but bright flashlight. "Wait, I missed the lock at the bottom." She unlatched it. "Hopefully that works." She tried again and pressed both handles. Once again, there was resistance, but she could tell she was making progress this time around. So, she kept at it.
"C'mon, Blue."
"I'm trying." She decided to focus on opening one door, and this did the trick. It popped open, making her stumble forward.
The sun rays burned against her eyes.
"Blue!" She heard the sound of Rocio's steps and the clicking of her crutches. "Blue."
"I'm okay," Diamond groaned as she looked around. For the first time, she took in a real, deep breath. The fresh air made her come to life in a way she hadn't realized she needed and craved all this time.
They both took the time to take in the air.
Tall trees. Dark brown bark. Twittering birds. Small squirrels scurrying upward and downward and jumping among the branches. Small crickets chirping here and there. The sound of trickling water in the distance. Yellow light filtering between the leaves, also piercing through them and making the green brighter.
Diamond whipped her head side to side, waiting for the boogeyman to jump out at them.
"Don't worry, the stragglers won't be out right nowâthe light will burn them."
"If they're still out there."
Rocio finally looked around with similar suspicion. "They're out there." She leaned over to take Diamond's hand. "We'll find shelter, we will...let's just...take it in."
"Then, we walk?"
"Then, we walk."