2 A Grey Day

Alma sits on the couch of her living room. Her eyes are blank, her cheeks wet with tears that she doesn't bother to wipe. Alma still can't believe what happened with her parents, but no matter how many times she denies the truth still the same. They have left this world, leaving Alma and her brother behind.

'Right, brother!' Alma awakens from her stupor after remember about her brother.

'Where is he? Is he still at the laboratory?' Unlike Alma, her brother Eddie is already working in the laboratory.

Alma picks her phone and called her brother swiftly.

"RIIING" Alma snaps her head towards the source of the voice, she sees her brother standing in the door still wearing his lab coat.

"Brother! Mom and Dad are… they are…" Alma can't complete her sentence. She can't say it. Because when she says it, that means she acknowledges her parents already gone from this world. Something that Alma still can't accept.

"I know," her brother replied shortly. He walked and sat beside Alma.

"I'm sorry I was late," he said while hugging Alma and putting her head in his chest.

Alma can't help but cry again. She hugged her brother tightly while sobbing.

"Brother… I can't believe this. How could that happen? Why they can't even retrieve their body? What should we do from now on?" Alma asked between her sobbing.

"It's okay Alma, I will be there with you. It's okay…" her brother whispered to her while caressing her hair, like what he did in the past when Alma had a nightmare.

But Alma can feel the sadness from her brother, and the tears that fell on her hair. Alma just hugged her brother tighter hoping all of this is just a dream.

***

Alma wakes up with a headache, for a moment she can't remember why she feels that way. After that, the memories of yesterday come crashing in. Alma sighed, trying to keep her tears from falling again. She gets up and goes to the bathroom while grabbing a black trouser and black long sleeve shirt, her clothes funeral.

Even though her parent's bodies can't be found, they are still going to hold a funeral for them. It is the same way with other people whose bodies can't be retrieved. This is not the first time Alma attending a funeral, but she never thought that she would attend her parent's funeral so soon.

After taking a bath and wearing her clothes, Alma comes to their living room once again. Alma still remembers how she is used to hanging together in this room with her family, just having a good time together. Something that can't happen again. A few minutes later, Eddie stood in front of Alma wearing similar funeral clothes. He also brings their parent's photos in a black picture frame.

"Are you ready?" asked Eddie with a hoarse voice. Alma can see the sadness in her brother's face, but he keeps it for her.

"Yeah," Alma replied shortly. She isn't sure if she can talk longer without tearing up again.

"Let's go," Eddie said while holding Alma's hand. The siblings walked toward the family cemetery in silence.

***

Alma sits facing her brother in their dining room. The funeral has ended one hour ago, but both of them just stay silent all this time and busy with their mind.

"Alma," Eddie said, breaking their silence. – "I know this is hard for both of us, but we have to move on," he grabbed Alma's hand and stared at her eyes.

"Yeah…What should we do now brother?" Alma asked. She knows her brother is right, they can't keep mourning forever.

"You will stay with uncle Kai. I can't leave you alone in our home when I work."

"But I can take care of myself brother. I don't need a babysitter," Alma rejected. She doesn't like their uncle Kai. Somehow Alma feels something off with that man.

"We don't have any other choice. I can't leave you alone. Can you do that for me Alma? I promise I will be back every holiday I have."

"Fine," Alma relents after seeing her brother's face. She knows that her brother is worried about her since he only has a holiday every two weeks.

"Good, you better pack some clothes and anything you need in your case. We will go there tomorrow."

"Do we have to go tomorrow?"

"Yes, the lab already called me. We have an important experiment. I am lucky they let me go to the funeral," Eddie sighed while running his hand in his hair.

"Alright then, I'm going to pack now."

"Alma."

"Yes, brother?"

"We will survive and passed this," Eddie said with a determined voice.

"Yes, we will."

***

Five months passed since the day of the funeral. Alma still trying to keep her normal lives going as normal as they can be. After that event Alma and Eddie become closer than before, they spend time together every time Eddie has a holiday. They also texted each other periodically, even it's just asking about their day or talking about small things. Alma is grateful at least she has her brother. Otherwise, she can't imagine how she still can go on.

But lately, Alma feels worried, because her brother rarely answers her text in the past two months. The last text they have is two weeks ago, her brother said to her that the experiment almost at the last stage. Alma never knows what kind of experiment her brother did, and Eddie never told her either. She feels that her brother is reluctant to tell her about his job in the laboratory. Her brother said it's because of the confidentiality agreement, but Alma feels there is more than that.

Alma sits in front of her house, waiting for her brother to come back home. She always waits there whenever it's time for Eddie to be back. Alma still doesn't like her uncle, Kai. Sometimes Alma can see her uncle watching her with a weird look that she can't describe. Fortunately, nothing has happened so far.

Alma glanced at her watch she has been waiting for five hours. Her heart full of worry and her mind already think of something negative. Eddie has never been late to come back home before and even if he can't come Alma sure he will inform her first. Alma tries to call her brother for the tenth time today, but just like the previous call, no one answered it.

Suddenly, a man walked towards Alma. He has a big body, a tidy mustache, and a beard. Alma unconsciously tensed her body after she saw the man.

"Alma," her uncle Kai said after he arrived in front of Alma.

"What is it, uncle? Why are you here?" Alma asked with trepidation. She rarely talked with her uncle despite staying under the same roof.

"Let's go back. You don't have to wait anymore, Eddie won't come."

"What do you mean by that? What happened with my brother?" Alma asked with panic. She is afraid that her brother will leave her just like her parents.

"Eddie betrayed the family. He fled while bringing the confidential information from the lab. Now the tracker is searching for him. You do know what will happen if he is found, right?" Kai said with a blank face. He doesn't look worried at all about his nephew's life.

"What? That's impossible! My brother isn't someone like that! He will never betray anyone! There must be a mistake, or he has a reason for doing that!"

"Whether he has a reason or not, it is the fact that he broke the rules. Now, let's go back. The officers want to ask you a couple of questions. You don't want to make them wait," Kai walked away leaving Alma behind.

Alma still standing in front of her house with a shocked expression, she can't believe this is happening. Why her brother did that? He should know the consequences of betrayal. If they find him, he is going to be killed. No! Alma can't let that happens, she has to find her brother before those trackers did. But how she is going to do that? She can't even get out from the base unless she is on a mission, which is impossible because she still a student.

"Damn it! Brother… where are you?" Alma whispered.