Hey! This is my story named Runaways. Its about a runaway girl named Aislynn and a homeless autistic boy named Walt who have to escape from the crushing jaws of the futuristic technologic world. They run away to a nearby forest and find a fugitive camp of people who also had not been born with microchips pre-inplanted at birth. This is a romance/sci-fi/adventure novel.
Characters:
Walt Cooper: My own
Aislynn Roe: My own
Clove Woods: @Val
Florence Markov: @Boriiii
Drayton Tyler: @PepperPancake
Lillian Fishan: @Phenix
Caster Dusk: @Technoscrub - The MC Nerd
Ixion Crowndance: @Wolfy
Donovan Savage: @Fox
Areum Uniquecho: @~PugFluf~
Every time Ixion called, it made my ears ring. She called out for about 5 minutes until everyone was out. Everyone sits by the fire, and I can see everyone’s facial features clearly now. I glance over at Lily, her unusual eye color, her soft blonde hair. Her bent over stance as she’s eating clearly makes her want for isolation stand out. Drayton with his fairly long hair and seducing stare. He glances over at me and studies my eyes, then moves on to my face, my nose, my shoulders. He gets to my collarbone and stops, nodding. I feel invaded but in a good way. I feel free and mature. He looks back up at me to find me staring, and bores into my eyes with lust. Moving on, I'm still flustered from the silent even that took place. I never got to study Florence. Her orange hair making her stand out the most. Her stature is very stiff, and thin. I see her eyes, burning with a fear that can only make me think, how could someone possibly feel this scared? She just keeps eating without noticing me, or anyone for that matter. Everyone here knows she's only here for the comfort of being safe. Next is Clove, I dare not to look. Her features are soft, and tender up close. Her narrow eyes, piercingly straightforward yet embracing and made to make someone feel at home. She eats sloppily, having to wipe her mouth every two or three bites. Ixion is next to her.
Her outstretched position makes it obvious she is the open and helping type. I then glance over at Caster, his thin build looms over his food. He seems to be holding some sort of small device that’s crackling. I cock my head, watching intently. He bites down on his food and turns a small stick inside of the machine. It starts whirring and crackling. He smiles and throws it behind him, and it stands up on it own, scanning the area. I stand still, thinking it's bugging us out like Carly. The scan finishes and the device goes limp as if it took the data of the area and killed it along with itself. The reality is sad, but it's helpful. He scoops it up and crushes it, taking out the hard drive. It's burnt and crisp. Caster drops it and crushes it into the ground, turning it into dust. As soon as i realize I’m disinterested, I glance back at Donovan and Areu, who have gotten accustomed to sitting with each other. Areu glances over at me and waves, smiling. I subtly roll my eyes and look back at my own food. It has chunks of meat, veggies, and a thick broth. It smells delectable.
I pick up my spoon and blow on a bit of it, softly slurping the hot liquid. It fills me with a sense of comfort, like a warm blanket engulfing me. I take another bite, grinning. Walt looks over at me and laughs.
~
Soon it's time for bed, it's probably around 2:30. I check my iPod, and it's around 1:00 - 2:00. I wonder why we’re eating so late. Ixion rounds everyone up, three people a tent. Ixion, Clove, and Caster are in a tent together. Donovan, Areu and Lilly are in one together, and Drayton goes into one himself. I keep Walt out, waiting for a place to stay. Drayton motions us over to him, a smug smile on his face. I go I warily, hiding behind Walt.
“Cmon hun, I don't bite,” Drayton says, patting the spot next to him. I’m feeling rebellious and sit next to him, curling up in the blanket. I’m facing his chest, he’s already asleep. I watch his chest move slowly, his breath steady. I can feel his warmth from here. His clothes smell of fresh linen, Ixion must clean their clothes every day. I feel Walt shift beside me, breathing out heavily. Quickly, I turn back to face Walt as Drayton turns the other way. He has a smirk on his face as he does so.
“Dang you,” I mutter at him, laughing.
“You know you want some,” He says smugly. I flush, and turn back to Walt, falling asleep.
~
I wake up next to Walt’s face. His peaceful features moving slowly up and down as he breathes. I don't know what time it is, but everyone is still sleeping. I hop out of the tent, brushing my hands on my pants. I glance back at Drayton, thinking back to last night. Shaking my head, I walk out to wash my face in the lake. Soon after, I hear footsteps behind me. Must be everyone getting ready down here. I dry my face on my jacket sleeve and head down there. My head turns to Drayton, and he’s already looking over at me. I give him a questioning look, but he had already turned back to the group he was in. Walt tugs on my sleeve, indicating that he wants me to sit next to him. He’s in a new pair of tan jeans, and a wine red t-shirt. Damn he looks good in burgundy. The others greet me, almost in unison. They seem tired, so they probably just woke up. Rubbing the side of my arm, I sit in between Drayton and Walt. I’m leaning more towards Walt though. The following week is filled with training, and just basic survival. Being in a group helps. Not all of the work goes to a specific person and it's all distributed evenly.
After a few days of the same routine, and getting accustomed to the group, something changes. It begins out normal, us waking up with the sun and getting dressed. My iPod is beeping, in the voicemail app. At this point, my heart has stopped. I already know it's from Carly. I don’t know what to expect. With my hands shaking, i tap on the screen. It’s a 24 second voicemail. I hold it up to my ear and press play.
“Ais… It's bad. They have me in some sort of car. Im blindfolded by something. I-I’m bleeding, but i don’t know where. I can smell it. Im so scared. I’m sorry. I already know im not going to make it out of here alive.”
The distress and fear in her shaky voice is all i need to break down. I curl up, leaning against a tree. My head hits the tree hard, but i dont feel it over this adrenaline rush. Carly is my everything. She’s been there from day one. My heart aches and wails. I already know im overreacting, but all at once… I’m thinking too many things. Maybe she will get out, maybe she will be alright. But maybe she won’t. The cracking of the leaves behind the tree im leaning against snap me back into reality. These woods aren’t empty. I sit up, scanning my surroundings. The only sound I hear is my own heartbeat and an occasional sniffle.
On the way back, I feel uneasy. What would Walt say about me doing something like that… God i feel like a butt now. When we get to camp, everyone looks worried sick. Even Lily seems out of character. She’s sitting close to Donovan, watching him draw. Nobody is doing anything, it's like a ghost town. I plop down next to Walt and turn on my music. My earbuds are pretty dirty at this point, so I wipe them off on the hem of my shirt. Walt puts an earbud in and listens to the song. I rest my head against his shoulder and close my eyes. He leans against the log to get more comfortable. While he’s resting, I scroll through the songs, picking one I like. It’s a sappy romance song, but I don’t mind. I nod my head to the slow beat, relaxing. Once the song is over, another one plays. I’ve never heard this song before, it’s very upbeat and electronic.
This is where we are, me and Walt. Walt and I, just us. We sit there, only hearing the music and each other’s heartbeats, even though the whole group is outside. I only notice after opening my eyes that everyone is passing something around. It's blue, and is beeping. I take my earbud out and watch. Walt notices and does the same. The thing is passed to me, and i twirl it on my hands. Very light. It feels like air, and vibrates as it beeps. Caster must have made it.
Characters:
Walt Cooper: My own
Aislynn Roe: My own
Clove Woods: @Val
Florence Markov: @Boriiii
Drayton Tyler: @PepperPancake
Lillian Fishan: @Phenix
Caster Dusk: @Technoscrub - The MC Nerd
Ixion Crowndance: @Wolfy
Donovan Savage: @Fox
Areum Uniquecho: @~PugFluf~
Chapter one: Pilot
Let’s keep the intro short, sweet, simple, and understandable. My name is Aislynn Roe. I’m seventeen. I ran away from my abusive father at the age of 15. I live in the desolate part of our town in Seattle in the year 2023. Our generation has turned to the microchip implants instead of phones/handheld devices. My “housemate” Carly had one implanted at birth. She ran away due to stealing and selling illegal microchip accessories. She’s fourteen. Fourteen. We live in a tent made out of a tarp for more space. We make it by, but barely. Anything is better than being hit every time you do something wrong right? Our “house” is in an alleyway that Carly has bugged out of the map. We climb up a ladder to the top of this abandoned building, and that’s where we built Walt’s house. Walt is one of my best friends, and ill never let go of him. He’s 18, and the only time he has seen other people is when Carly and I took him to get diagnosed with autism. He was born into the homeless lifestyle. His mother was taken to work for Microcen. Microcen was the company that makes the microchips.
Me and Carly are heading up to Walt’s little shack right now. Walt’s father.... killed himself while his mother was pregnant with him. Walking up to his door, Walt flings the door open and hugs me,
“Aisy! Your five minutes late...” He frowns. Walt is very observant of the time.
“I'm sorry buddy, we were busy getting you something.” I smile and lean forward
“Close your eyes and hold out your hands~” He does so and he’s smiling. His smile could make even the grumpiest person alive melt. I drop a bag of watermelon candies in his hands,
“Open your eyes, Walt.” I say and smile. When he opens his eyes and is a little kid again. We haven't had candies in years. I saved up all my money to buy him the limited time ones. He hugs me so tight I cant breathe,
“You remembered!” He chuckles. Walt is forgetful sometimes too.
Walt always talks so fluently and his words are like water on the paper. It makes me question his speaking in real life sometimes. I pick up the paper and hold it out to Walt “I love it, Walt.” I smile and pull him into a hug. He wraps himself around me. He’s way taller than me so he’s like a big blanket. Outside we hear the sirens of the Heletroopers scanning the area. I always thank Carly in my head for glitching it out of the map for exactly this reason. They go right over us without noticing a thing. Perfect! I hug Walt, scared. I hate the sirens, they do something to my body but I can never tell what. My legs feel like jelly, ugh. Walt’s hugs always make me feel better. He never thinks about himself in these situations. He never thinks about himself at all, actually. That’s why I have to take care of him most of the time. I don’t mind, but I don’t want him to feel like I’m his mom.
“Do you like the candies, Walt?” I ask him and smile.
“Yeah!” he exclaims and takes one out, looking at it.
“Eat one!” I tell him and jump a little, I hope he likes them. He hesitates but then pops it in his mouth. His face literally lights up, like, literally. I didn’t know these candies glowed, especially since I got them for a dollar. He giggles like a little kid and pulls me into a hug.
“Thank you Aisy!” He says and pulls away. He hands Carly one, and she eats it, looking down at her glowing stomach. Then he hands me one.
I take it and eat it, its surprisingly good.
Let’s keep the intro short, sweet, simple, and understandable. My name is Aislynn Roe. I’m seventeen. I ran away from my abusive father at the age of 15. I live in the desolate part of our town in Seattle in the year 2023. Our generation has turned to the microchip implants instead of phones/handheld devices. My “housemate” Carly had one implanted at birth. She ran away due to stealing and selling illegal microchip accessories. She’s fourteen. Fourteen. We live in a tent made out of a tarp for more space. We make it by, but barely. Anything is better than being hit every time you do something wrong right? Our “house” is in an alleyway that Carly has bugged out of the map. We climb up a ladder to the top of this abandoned building, and that’s where we built Walt’s house. Walt is one of my best friends, and ill never let go of him. He’s 18, and the only time he has seen other people is when Carly and I took him to get diagnosed with autism. He was born into the homeless lifestyle. His mother was taken to work for Microcen. Microcen was the company that makes the microchips.
Me and Carly are heading up to Walt’s little shack right now. Walt’s father.... killed himself while his mother was pregnant with him. Walking up to his door, Walt flings the door open and hugs me,
“Aisy! Your five minutes late...” He frowns. Walt is very observant of the time.
“I'm sorry buddy, we were busy getting you something.” I smile and lean forward
“Close your eyes and hold out your hands~” He does so and he’s smiling. His smile could make even the grumpiest person alive melt. I drop a bag of watermelon candies in his hands,
“Open your eyes, Walt.” I say and smile. When he opens his eyes and is a little kid again. We haven't had candies in years. I saved up all my money to buy him the limited time ones. He hugs me so tight I cant breathe,
“You remembered!” He chuckles. Walt is forgetful sometimes too.
Walt always talks so fluently and his words are like water on the paper. It makes me question his speaking in real life sometimes. I pick up the paper and hold it out to Walt “I love it, Walt.” I smile and pull him into a hug. He wraps himself around me. He’s way taller than me so he’s like a big blanket. Outside we hear the sirens of the Heletroopers scanning the area. I always thank Carly in my head for glitching it out of the map for exactly this reason. They go right over us without noticing a thing. Perfect! I hug Walt, scared. I hate the sirens, they do something to my body but I can never tell what. My legs feel like jelly, ugh. Walt’s hugs always make me feel better. He never thinks about himself in these situations. He never thinks about himself at all, actually. That’s why I have to take care of him most of the time. I don’t mind, but I don’t want him to feel like I’m his mom.
“Do you like the candies, Walt?” I ask him and smile.
“Yeah!” he exclaims and takes one out, looking at it.
“Eat one!” I tell him and jump a little, I hope he likes them. He hesitates but then pops it in his mouth. His face literally lights up, like, literally. I didn’t know these candies glowed, especially since I got them for a dollar. He giggles like a little kid and pulls me into a hug.
“Thank you Aisy!” He says and pulls away. He hands Carly one, and she eats it, looking down at her glowing stomach. Then he hands me one.
I take it and eat it, its surprisingly good.
We head outside to look out at the city. Everyone is walking in the digital world at this time for required count-up. Carly has made it so its like we’re dead. We don’t have an ID, a Code to get into The World, any traces that we live anywhere, or anything that makes it seem like we were actual people in the universe. Thank God for her. I look out on the city, Seattle sure has a nice view from here. The park below us has people in the benches and kids playing in The World. Theres ice cream parlors and food trucks along the edges. I wish I could see the foods they make there. Walt isn’t looking outside, but at the watch his dad gave him before he… you know. I put my hand on his and squeeze it. He looks up at me and smiles. I start to talk but Carly’s alarm for her pill goes off, Breaking the silence.
“Well, that’s my queue. Walt, meet up with me in about an hour.” She tells us and smiles at me before climbing down the ladder. We see her walking down to the park, she hasn’t been caught yet so her pill must be working. I turn to Walt and smile.
“How is everything going, in your feelings?” I ask him and he turns to me.
“I’m going well, how about you, Aisy? Are your feelings okay?” He asks me. We talk about our feelings every time Carly leaves. He doesn’t feel comfortable talking to her about them, I don’t know why, maybe it’s because of the microchip.
“You know, Carly isn’t bad in any way, Walt. She helps us with our lives.” I assure him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He breathes out and shakes his head.
“I still feel uneasy, uneasy is a synonym for not sure, or uncomfortable.” He tells me, and smiles, “But its okay, I just like talking about my feelings with you, Aisy” He puts his hand in his pocket and pulls out something.
“I got you something, I found it today when I went out with Carly.” He holds out an old iPod. I look at the iPod and back at him
“Walt, I cant accept that. I know how much you love music. That’s too much.” I tell him and push his hand back. He looks at me in a way that I cant say no,
“Please Aisy, I found it for you.” He pleads. I take it from his hands and look through the music, all of my favorite songs. Carly mustve put them in. “Gah, I love it Walt, thank you so much!” I jump up and hug him, he squeezes me back. I plug in my old earbuds and give one to Walt. We sit and listen, looking down at the town. I flip through a couple songs and choose one Walt likes.
“Ooo I love this one!” He says and starts humming along.
“Of course you do Walt, that’s why I chose it” I giggle and start humming along. The song ends and we can hear each other humming still.
“Oops.” I say and laugh, “I guess its over”. I switch to the next song and the volume is so loud it makes our ears buzz.
“Gah!” I yell and switch to the last song, “Sorry Walt, I didn’t know that would happen.”
“Its fine, I didn’t know either” He says and smiles. I pat his shoulder and step closer. He fixes his earbud and looks down at the park. The big digital clock under the fountain is two minutes 5, and everyone’s headsets are lighting down. I see blonde haired and fair skinned Carly walking back with a couple of bags, filled with who knows what. She climbs up the ladder and practically throws the bags at us, “I hope you like these, I worked hard for them.” She says, obviously annoyed. At this point our earbuds are on the ground and my iPod is in my pocket. Walt opens the bag and pulls out a happy meal, smiling like an idiot.
“Well, that’s my queue. Walt, meet up with me in about an hour.” She tells us and smiles at me before climbing down the ladder. We see her walking down to the park, she hasn’t been caught yet so her pill must be working. I turn to Walt and smile.
“How is everything going, in your feelings?” I ask him and he turns to me.
“I’m going well, how about you, Aisy? Are your feelings okay?” He asks me. We talk about our feelings every time Carly leaves. He doesn’t feel comfortable talking to her about them, I don’t know why, maybe it’s because of the microchip.
“You know, Carly isn’t bad in any way, Walt. She helps us with our lives.” I assure him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He breathes out and shakes his head.
“I still feel uneasy, uneasy is a synonym for not sure, or uncomfortable.” He tells me, and smiles, “But its okay, I just like talking about my feelings with you, Aisy” He puts his hand in his pocket and pulls out something.
“I got you something, I found it today when I went out with Carly.” He holds out an old iPod. I look at the iPod and back at him
“Walt, I cant accept that. I know how much you love music. That’s too much.” I tell him and push his hand back. He looks at me in a way that I cant say no,
“Please Aisy, I found it for you.” He pleads. I take it from his hands and look through the music, all of my favorite songs. Carly mustve put them in. “Gah, I love it Walt, thank you so much!” I jump up and hug him, he squeezes me back. I plug in my old earbuds and give one to Walt. We sit and listen, looking down at the town. I flip through a couple songs and choose one Walt likes.
“Ooo I love this one!” He says and starts humming along.
“Of course you do Walt, that’s why I chose it” I giggle and start humming along. The song ends and we can hear each other humming still.
“Oops.” I say and laugh, “I guess its over”. I switch to the next song and the volume is so loud it makes our ears buzz.
“Gah!” I yell and switch to the last song, “Sorry Walt, I didn’t know that would happen.”
“Its fine, I didn’t know either” He says and smiles. I pat his shoulder and step closer. He fixes his earbud and looks down at the park. The big digital clock under the fountain is two minutes 5, and everyone’s headsets are lighting down. I see blonde haired and fair skinned Carly walking back with a couple of bags, filled with who knows what. She climbs up the ladder and practically throws the bags at us, “I hope you like these, I worked hard for them.” She says, obviously annoyed. At this point our earbuds are on the ground and my iPod is in my pocket. Walt opens the bag and pulls out a happy meal, smiling like an idiot.
“How did you get these!?” I ask her and literally jump out of excitement.
“It’s a long story.” She laughs and pulls out her happy meal. We head into Walt’s little house and set up some stools. I pull out some plates, napkins, and cups. I set down Walt’s special plate he got from his mom, and I give Carly and I some paper plates and forks. I help Walt open his chicken nugget sauce. After helping him and patting his head, I open my own and sit down. I stare at my food, not hungry.
Walt is eating like a madman, its adorable. Carly looks at me and asks,
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah” I reply, picking up a nugget. I look at it, it smells like something a kid would eat. Well, I guess I am a kid until my birthday. I actually don’t remember what my birthday is, it’s around August or September. I take a small bite and immediately taste how salty it is. The only food I’ve eaten is bland, old bread and stuff we can buy for a couple nanochips. I take another bite and smile, opening a sauce packet.
“This is so good!” I giggle and say, “I haven’t had these since I was 12!” I cant help but smile. Walt is already done. I would’ve told him to eat them slower, but it’s a special occasion. I help with the dishes after, jamming out to the music on my iPod. Walt sits and watches me, smiling. I look at him and ask, “What?” and giggle embarrassed.
“Nothing, I just like to watch you dance” He says and laughs, leaning on one of his hands.
“Okay, then I will” I tell him, smirking. I turn back to the counter and start dancing again, glancing back at him a few times. Everytime I do, he’s smiling like an idiot. Hes way too cute.
Carly is outside checking the virus, and making sure its under control. She says if the bug gets too out of control then the heletroopers will get suspicious. I can hear her talking to herself. Well, not really herself, her microchip. She’s almost finished, thankfully. Once the song finishes on my iPod I strike a pose, and Walt claps. I laugh and look down to play the next song.
“Come dance with me Walt!” I pull his hand so he stands up. The song is upbeat and electronic. I start to dance, moving my feet and shaking my hips. Walt starts copying me but then starts his own… Walt dance. I giggle and twirl, hitting Walt with my hair. “Sorry! Haha” I apologize and laugh awkwardly.
“Its okay lol” He tells me. He says lol like el-oh-el. I look at him like what the hell?
“Its microtalk” He says while laughing. I giggle along with him.
“Did Carly teach you that?” I ask, still dancing a little. He takes my hands and sways them, concentrating on making them swing at the same time. He mumbles an mhm and smirks. I sway my arms with his and feel his fingers. They’re surprisingly soft.
Carly walks back in and says, “All in check! Looks like you guys are having fun.” She chews on her straw. I keep swaying his arms.
“Yup! I was just doing the dishes and dancing with Walt.” I tell her and giggle. Walt plays with my fingers and smirks. Carly shifts in her seat and says, “Why don’t you guys just date?” She laughs and winks. I smile and look down.
“Maybe” I say without thinking and my eyes go wide, “I mean n-no” I say, dang it im flustered.
“Aww Aisy, that’s adorable! Walt, are you seeing her face right now? Haha!” Carly is literally on the floor laughing at me. Walt is laughing nervously and I could feel his hands sweating a bit.
“Are you okay Walt?” My voice cracks as a whisper to him.
“Uh.. yeah” He nods his head and smiles. I drop Walt’s hands and rub my hands on my jeans awkwardly
“Well, I want to do something. Its almost seven so lets go out!” I suggest and throw on a hat, “Stylish hmm?” I inquire and giggle.
“Yeah lets go!” Walt jumps up and down, excited. Adorable. I start to laugh but get interrupted by Carly’s alarm, signaling that the virus is weakening. She walks out fast and starts to work. I feel bad, because it takes a lot of energy to do so. The microchip is like, entwined and wired into her nerves and body. I turn back to Walt,
“Im sorry Walt. I would never think about dating you or anything like that if you don’t want me to.” I assure him and look down, flustered.
Walt looks down at me, understanding. I bury my head in his chest and breathe, embarrassed. He wraps his arms around me and im covered in his warmth. Carly comes back in, I can hear from her step she’s disoriented. She gets close to my ear and says in urgency, “Outside, now.” It startles me, but I pull away from Walt and follow her out.
“It’s a long story.” She laughs and pulls out her happy meal. We head into Walt’s little house and set up some stools. I pull out some plates, napkins, and cups. I set down Walt’s special plate he got from his mom, and I give Carly and I some paper plates and forks. I help Walt open his chicken nugget sauce. After helping him and patting his head, I open my own and sit down. I stare at my food, not hungry.
Walt is eating like a madman, its adorable. Carly looks at me and asks,
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah” I reply, picking up a nugget. I look at it, it smells like something a kid would eat. Well, I guess I am a kid until my birthday. I actually don’t remember what my birthday is, it’s around August or September. I take a small bite and immediately taste how salty it is. The only food I’ve eaten is bland, old bread and stuff we can buy for a couple nanochips. I take another bite and smile, opening a sauce packet.
“This is so good!” I giggle and say, “I haven’t had these since I was 12!” I cant help but smile. Walt is already done. I would’ve told him to eat them slower, but it’s a special occasion. I help with the dishes after, jamming out to the music on my iPod. Walt sits and watches me, smiling. I look at him and ask, “What?” and giggle embarrassed.
“Nothing, I just like to watch you dance” He says and laughs, leaning on one of his hands.
“Okay, then I will” I tell him, smirking. I turn back to the counter and start dancing again, glancing back at him a few times. Everytime I do, he’s smiling like an idiot. Hes way too cute.
Carly is outside checking the virus, and making sure its under control. She says if the bug gets too out of control then the heletroopers will get suspicious. I can hear her talking to herself. Well, not really herself, her microchip. She’s almost finished, thankfully. Once the song finishes on my iPod I strike a pose, and Walt claps. I laugh and look down to play the next song.
“Come dance with me Walt!” I pull his hand so he stands up. The song is upbeat and electronic. I start to dance, moving my feet and shaking my hips. Walt starts copying me but then starts his own… Walt dance. I giggle and twirl, hitting Walt with my hair. “Sorry! Haha” I apologize and laugh awkwardly.
“Its okay lol” He tells me. He says lol like el-oh-el. I look at him like what the hell?
“Its microtalk” He says while laughing. I giggle along with him.
“Did Carly teach you that?” I ask, still dancing a little. He takes my hands and sways them, concentrating on making them swing at the same time. He mumbles an mhm and smirks. I sway my arms with his and feel his fingers. They’re surprisingly soft.
Carly walks back in and says, “All in check! Looks like you guys are having fun.” She chews on her straw. I keep swaying his arms.
“Yup! I was just doing the dishes and dancing with Walt.” I tell her and giggle. Walt plays with my fingers and smirks. Carly shifts in her seat and says, “Why don’t you guys just date?” She laughs and winks. I smile and look down.
“Maybe” I say without thinking and my eyes go wide, “I mean n-no” I say, dang it im flustered.
“Aww Aisy, that’s adorable! Walt, are you seeing her face right now? Haha!” Carly is literally on the floor laughing at me. Walt is laughing nervously and I could feel his hands sweating a bit.
“Are you okay Walt?” My voice cracks as a whisper to him.
“Uh.. yeah” He nods his head and smiles. I drop Walt’s hands and rub my hands on my jeans awkwardly
“Well, I want to do something. Its almost seven so lets go out!” I suggest and throw on a hat, “Stylish hmm?” I inquire and giggle.
“Yeah lets go!” Walt jumps up and down, excited. Adorable. I start to laugh but get interrupted by Carly’s alarm, signaling that the virus is weakening. She walks out fast and starts to work. I feel bad, because it takes a lot of energy to do so. The microchip is like, entwined and wired into her nerves and body. I turn back to Walt,
“Im sorry Walt. I would never think about dating you or anything like that if you don’t want me to.” I assure him and look down, flustered.
Walt looks down at me, understanding. I bury my head in his chest and breathe, embarrassed. He wraps his arms around me and im covered in his warmth. Carly comes back in, I can hear from her step she’s disoriented. She gets close to my ear and says in urgency, “Outside, now.” It startles me, but I pull away from Walt and follow her out.
Once we’re outside, Carly grabs my shoulders and looks me in my eyes. She looks worried and in shock. “What’s wrong Carly?” I ask, looking bewildered.
“The bug isn’t working.” She tells me, and buries her head in her hands, “I’m sorry, we have to move out.” I stand in shock, waiting for some miracle to happen and fix all of this.
“This means we’re on the radar… right?” I ask, my voice starting to shake. Carly nods her head.
“They’ve probably found us, or at least me, by now. We have to go.” Carly says and mumbles, “I can’t go, I have to stay so they don’t track me along with you.”
“No. You have to come with us. I can’t be alone.” I tell her, shaking my head. I step back, waiting for an answer. When she doesn’t give me one I run back inside and bury myself in Walt. Walt wraps himself around me and I cry into his arm. I can’t stop, and it’s embarrassing knowing he doesn’t know what’s going on. He whispers “It’s okay” to me over and over again like I do to him. Once I’m done, Walt’s jacket is practically soaked.
“What happened Aisy?” Walt asks me. He looks really worried.
“Nothing. C’mon, we’re going for a trip. Just you and me.” I tell him. He looks confused.
“Why isn’t Carly coming with us?” He asks me, and frowns a little. I shake my head,
“She has to watch and make sure the place is protected while were gone.” I try to sound as optimistic as possible. He shrugs, “Where are we going?” He asks me. I actually don’t know… I tell myself.
“Uh. A pretty nice place. We’re going to be there for a while so you got to pack everything.” I tell him, fake smiling.
He chuckles and picks up a hat. He smiles and nods his head, “Okay Aisy.” He tells me. We start to pack up his things, putting breakables in newspaper we found below. I don’t know where Carly is right now, but I really hope she’s alright. Once we’re done, I write a note to Carly, just in case she comes back.
Carly,
I really hope you’re alright. I took Walt to a desolate place.
We won’t be seen for a while. I’m going to miss you,
A lot. I hope we meet up along the way.
-Aislynn and Walt
I lay the note on the table, facedown so Walt can’t read it. I help him carry his bags out of the door. Here we go.
“The bug isn’t working.” She tells me, and buries her head in her hands, “I’m sorry, we have to move out.” I stand in shock, waiting for some miracle to happen and fix all of this.
“This means we’re on the radar… right?” I ask, my voice starting to shake. Carly nods her head.
“They’ve probably found us, or at least me, by now. We have to go.” Carly says and mumbles, “I can’t go, I have to stay so they don’t track me along with you.”
“No. You have to come with us. I can’t be alone.” I tell her, shaking my head. I step back, waiting for an answer. When she doesn’t give me one I run back inside and bury myself in Walt. Walt wraps himself around me and I cry into his arm. I can’t stop, and it’s embarrassing knowing he doesn’t know what’s going on. He whispers “It’s okay” to me over and over again like I do to him. Once I’m done, Walt’s jacket is practically soaked.
“What happened Aisy?” Walt asks me. He looks really worried.
“Nothing. C’mon, we’re going for a trip. Just you and me.” I tell him. He looks confused.
“Why isn’t Carly coming with us?” He asks me, and frowns a little. I shake my head,
“She has to watch and make sure the place is protected while were gone.” I try to sound as optimistic as possible. He shrugs, “Where are we going?” He asks me. I actually don’t know… I tell myself.
“Uh. A pretty nice place. We’re going to be there for a while so you got to pack everything.” I tell him, fake smiling.
He chuckles and picks up a hat. He smiles and nods his head, “Okay Aisy.” He tells me. We start to pack up his things, putting breakables in newspaper we found below. I don’t know where Carly is right now, but I really hope she’s alright. Once we’re done, I write a note to Carly, just in case she comes back.
Carly,
I really hope you’re alright. I took Walt to a desolate place.
We won’t be seen for a while. I’m going to miss you,
A lot. I hope we meet up along the way.
-Aislynn and Walt
I lay the note on the table, facedown so Walt can’t read it. I help him carry his bags out of the door. Here we go.
I help Walt climb down the ladder. It’s time to pack up my stuff. I head down to my tent, and Carly’s stuff is gone. I tell Walt to stay outside. He obliges with a groan. I neatly fold my few pairs of shirts, pants, and leggings. I stick my shoes in a box and throw it in the bag. I look over and see a note on Carly’s old bed. I stifle a cry as a read it.
Aisy... They found me already. It’s only been 5 minutes since then. I can’t write
Much but I wanted to say that I can send voice messages to your iPod, if I
Try. Tell Walt I’ll miss him so much. I’ll miss you too Aisy.
Don’t forget to remind Walt about his medicine, since I usually did it.
I don’t know where I’m going, but they will for sure know about the stuff I did.
-Carly, please be safe.
Her handwriting is rushed and sloppy. It’s the last thing I have of her. Other than a picture we took together. I wipe my nose and put the note in my bag. Oh, Walt’s meds! I curse at myself and finish packing up my lights. Once the lights are wound I throw them into a plastic bag.
“Stay here Walt, I need to go get your medication.” I say and pat his head, “Stay inside of the tent for cover.” He nods and get inside. Slowly, I climb up the ladder, and check for anyone or anything to be there. After I am sure, I turn a corner and slip into Walt’s shack. I look for any valuables that he forgot. I stuff the meds in my back pocket and grab some extra photos, memorabilia and such Walt forgot. I find a picture of his mom in-between his mattresses. I stuff it in my pocket and double-check. It seems he did a really good job of it. I step out, shutting the door quietly. Any sudden movement can set off the atmospheric sensors. I throw my jacket over me, to blend in better. I make my way over to the ladder space. I slowly put my jacket back on and slip down the ladder. Walt is waiting for me, sitting on his backpack.
“Yay! You made it back Aisy!” Walt jumps up and pulls me into a hug.
“Yep, now let’s go, we got to make it before its dark.” I say and hold his hand. He squeezes my hand and smiles. I melt
We make it to the highway and I tell Walt to walk slowly, to not make the sensors track you. He nods and walks like an astronaut. I try not to laugh. I help him keep a steady pace and hold his hand. I point to a rock and he nods at me. It’s a long process, but we make it. He’s breathing heavy, it is pretty hot here. I pull out a rag and hand him it. Sooner than I can spot, A car drives right past us, setting off the sensors. Crap Crap Crap! I think and pound my head against the rock.
“Walt! Stay still!” I hiss at him. He literally turns into a rock. He makes a funny face and keeps it there. I try not to laugh. I watch the atmosphere turn back to clear and breathe a sigh of relief.
“It’s okay now buddy” I tell him, and he practically drops to the floor. I laugh and drop to the floor as well. We walk beneath the trees until we reach a clearing in the woods. I find an old barn to fix up. Walt helps me carry all of the old hay outside. We can make a fire with it. I sweep out the dirt and throw a blanket down as a little space for him. I take a place on the floor next to him. I set my pictures and stuff down, and hang up my “Walt and Aisy” paper garland on the peg above us. I set the fairy lights around us so they can be like stars. I carry in a few buckets of water and make a purifying system for them. Once we have an inadequate place to rest, I start a fire and set up our tin foil pans. I pour in some canned ravioli and simmer it until it actually tastes like tomatoes. I throw is some herbs and veggies I found in the run-down garden beside the barn. I already started to water them again. People haven’t been planting foods for years, I guess the plants just survived on their own. I throw some cheese in there from my backpack and stir it around. Walt is reading a book I brought. It’s about faeries and how they get overrun by the humans taking down the forest. He is so concentrated he’s frowning and his brows are creased. I giggle and turn back around to the food.
“When’re we going to eat, Aisy?” Walt asks and holds his rumbling stomach.
“Soon buddy, be patient” I assure him and stir the raviolis. I set up some plates and spoons on a bench and sit next to Walt.
“What are you reading, Walt?” I ask him and lean my head on his shoulder to read.
“It’s a cool book ‘bout faeries and stuff” He tells me and smiles. Adorable. I giggle and get up to get the food.
“That’s cool buddy.” I tell him and put the tin foil pots on the bench. I spoon some onto Walt’s special plate, and then pour what’s left onto mine. He looks at our portions and frowns.
“Why do I have so much more than you?” He asks me, and starts to put some onto my plate.
“Because you need to eat more Walt, you are getting skinny.” I say and put it back on his plate.
“But you’re skinnier than me…” He says and pours more onto my plate.
“You are more important than me though Walt” I say, and make a motion that says no more questions. He frowns and then nods, taking a spoonful and eating it. His face lights up and he looks down at his food,
“You made that?” He marvels and eats another big spoonful.
“Hah, I haven’t cooked since Carly wanted to every day.” I tell him, taking a bite of my own. It’s actually not that bad. I eat another spoonful, burning my mouth. I spit out the food and blow out, trying to cool my tongue off.
“Dang it!” I yell, drinking some water. Walt looks over at me and laughs.
“Don’t eat so fast, Aisy” He says and gives me his water. I take it and gulp down some of it. He laughs and pats my head. I giggle and put my hand on his, keeping it on my head. I smile up at him and he pets my head. I pick up my spoon and scoop up more food, then I hold it up to Walt’s mouth. He smiles and bites down on it.
“Yummy?” I ask him and giggle. He nods and rubs my head. I feed him another spoonful and then take a bite for myself. This’ll get him to eat as much as I want him to hehe. I laugh evilly and set down my spoon. I remove Walt’s hand, which was surprisingly hard to move, off of my head. He frowns, and then goes back to his own plate. I put my plate in the “sink” (which is just a big basin we found in the back) and rinse it out.
“Hurry up Walt, I got to change the water.” I tell him and set the plate out to dry. He nods and finishes his last bite. I walk over and pick up his plate.
“Did you like it?” I ask him. He nods his head again. Why isn’t he speaking? I ask myself and watch Walt intently. He goes to his little spot in the corner and pulls out his book again. Ah, of course.
Aisy... They found me already. It’s only been 5 minutes since then. I can’t write
Much but I wanted to say that I can send voice messages to your iPod, if I
Try. Tell Walt I’ll miss him so much. I’ll miss you too Aisy.
Don’t forget to remind Walt about his medicine, since I usually did it.
I don’t know where I’m going, but they will for sure know about the stuff I did.
-Carly, please be safe.
Her handwriting is rushed and sloppy. It’s the last thing I have of her. Other than a picture we took together. I wipe my nose and put the note in my bag. Oh, Walt’s meds! I curse at myself and finish packing up my lights. Once the lights are wound I throw them into a plastic bag.
“Stay here Walt, I need to go get your medication.” I say and pat his head, “Stay inside of the tent for cover.” He nods and get inside. Slowly, I climb up the ladder, and check for anyone or anything to be there. After I am sure, I turn a corner and slip into Walt’s shack. I look for any valuables that he forgot. I stuff the meds in my back pocket and grab some extra photos, memorabilia and such Walt forgot. I find a picture of his mom in-between his mattresses. I stuff it in my pocket and double-check. It seems he did a really good job of it. I step out, shutting the door quietly. Any sudden movement can set off the atmospheric sensors. I throw my jacket over me, to blend in better. I make my way over to the ladder space. I slowly put my jacket back on and slip down the ladder. Walt is waiting for me, sitting on his backpack.
“Yay! You made it back Aisy!” Walt jumps up and pulls me into a hug.
“Yep, now let’s go, we got to make it before its dark.” I say and hold his hand. He squeezes my hand and smiles. I melt
We make it to the highway and I tell Walt to walk slowly, to not make the sensors track you. He nods and walks like an astronaut. I try not to laugh. I help him keep a steady pace and hold his hand. I point to a rock and he nods at me. It’s a long process, but we make it. He’s breathing heavy, it is pretty hot here. I pull out a rag and hand him it. Sooner than I can spot, A car drives right past us, setting off the sensors. Crap Crap Crap! I think and pound my head against the rock.
“Walt! Stay still!” I hiss at him. He literally turns into a rock. He makes a funny face and keeps it there. I try not to laugh. I watch the atmosphere turn back to clear and breathe a sigh of relief.
“It’s okay now buddy” I tell him, and he practically drops to the floor. I laugh and drop to the floor as well. We walk beneath the trees until we reach a clearing in the woods. I find an old barn to fix up. Walt helps me carry all of the old hay outside. We can make a fire with it. I sweep out the dirt and throw a blanket down as a little space for him. I take a place on the floor next to him. I set my pictures and stuff down, and hang up my “Walt and Aisy” paper garland on the peg above us. I set the fairy lights around us so they can be like stars. I carry in a few buckets of water and make a purifying system for them. Once we have an inadequate place to rest, I start a fire and set up our tin foil pans. I pour in some canned ravioli and simmer it until it actually tastes like tomatoes. I throw is some herbs and veggies I found in the run-down garden beside the barn. I already started to water them again. People haven’t been planting foods for years, I guess the plants just survived on their own. I throw some cheese in there from my backpack and stir it around. Walt is reading a book I brought. It’s about faeries and how they get overrun by the humans taking down the forest. He is so concentrated he’s frowning and his brows are creased. I giggle and turn back around to the food.
“When’re we going to eat, Aisy?” Walt asks and holds his rumbling stomach.
“Soon buddy, be patient” I assure him and stir the raviolis. I set up some plates and spoons on a bench and sit next to Walt.
“What are you reading, Walt?” I ask him and lean my head on his shoulder to read.
“It’s a cool book ‘bout faeries and stuff” He tells me and smiles. Adorable. I giggle and get up to get the food.
“That’s cool buddy.” I tell him and put the tin foil pots on the bench. I spoon some onto Walt’s special plate, and then pour what’s left onto mine. He looks at our portions and frowns.
“Why do I have so much more than you?” He asks me, and starts to put some onto my plate.
“Because you need to eat more Walt, you are getting skinny.” I say and put it back on his plate.
“But you’re skinnier than me…” He says and pours more onto my plate.
“You are more important than me though Walt” I say, and make a motion that says no more questions. He frowns and then nods, taking a spoonful and eating it. His face lights up and he looks down at his food,
“You made that?” He marvels and eats another big spoonful.
“Hah, I haven’t cooked since Carly wanted to every day.” I tell him, taking a bite of my own. It’s actually not that bad. I eat another spoonful, burning my mouth. I spit out the food and blow out, trying to cool my tongue off.
“Dang it!” I yell, drinking some water. Walt looks over at me and laughs.
“Don’t eat so fast, Aisy” He says and gives me his water. I take it and gulp down some of it. He laughs and pats my head. I giggle and put my hand on his, keeping it on my head. I smile up at him and he pets my head. I pick up my spoon and scoop up more food, then I hold it up to Walt’s mouth. He smiles and bites down on it.
“Yummy?” I ask him and giggle. He nods and rubs my head. I feed him another spoonful and then take a bite for myself. This’ll get him to eat as much as I want him to hehe. I laugh evilly and set down my spoon. I remove Walt’s hand, which was surprisingly hard to move, off of my head. He frowns, and then goes back to his own plate. I put my plate in the “sink” (which is just a big basin we found in the back) and rinse it out.
“Hurry up Walt, I got to change the water.” I tell him and set the plate out to dry. He nods and finishes his last bite. I walk over and pick up his plate.
“Did you like it?” I ask him. He nods his head again. Why isn’t he speaking? I ask myself and watch Walt intently. He goes to his little spot in the corner and pulls out his book again. Ah, of course.
In my book, if you want to see a fairy, you must stay silent and watch closely for the slightest sparkle. The protagonist swore she could see one, I bet Ais believes so too. So here we sit. Outside in the garden, watching the sunset for the slightest sparkle, silent. Aislynn is so content and calm. Pretty. And you know what? I think I saw the slightest sparkle. I think Ais did too.
I don’t want to go alone. I’m too fricken chicken for that. I sigh and wake up Walt, startling him.
“Everything alright, Aisy?” Walt asks me and turns his head.
“Yup, get ready, were going for a walk.” I tell him and chuckle. He sits up and smiles. I grab Walts hand and step out onto the porch. I keep my iPod in my pocket. We hop onto the grass and I rub my toes into the soft pillowy grass. I smile a genuine smile for once and giggle. Walt pats my head and steps out too. We hold hands and look through the woods. I use my iPod as a flashlight and look for any stray atmosphere scanners. Walt is looking at rocks, even though its pitch black. There’s an opening in the trees where the moonlight pours through and shines on the wildflowers. I marvel at the scene. The last time I saw pure nature was the rotting old vegetables behind the shed. All of a sudden, I hear a rustling noise. And it’s a lot bigger than an animal. I reach for Walt’s hand, but grab nothing. Fear suddenly strikes through me as I look around with my iPod. No Walt. I start to hyperventilate.
“Walt!?” I scream, not thinking about the consequences. I hear another rustle in the leaves and I turn blindly and start to run, adrenaline building inside of my veins. I can’t lose Walt. Not right now. Not after I just lost Carly. Another rustle emerges and I turn my head. I chase the direction of the noise and breathe heavily. You don’t know what’s in this wood, but if its Walt I’m for sure taking that risk. I start to see a clearing of leaves in the dirt, kind of like a path. I breathe out with relief. He must have followed the path to get more rocks. I tell myself and take a moment to catch my breath. Following the worn dirt path, I see something in the distance. A blanket? Scarf? I guess in my head. My breath stops as I shine my flashlight on it. Walt’s basket… I hate to think it.
“Everything alright, Aisy?” Walt asks me and turns his head.
“Yup, get ready, were going for a walk.” I tell him and chuckle. He sits up and smiles. I grab Walts hand and step out onto the porch. I keep my iPod in my pocket. We hop onto the grass and I rub my toes into the soft pillowy grass. I smile a genuine smile for once and giggle. Walt pats my head and steps out too. We hold hands and look through the woods. I use my iPod as a flashlight and look for any stray atmosphere scanners. Walt is looking at rocks, even though its pitch black. There’s an opening in the trees where the moonlight pours through and shines on the wildflowers. I marvel at the scene. The last time I saw pure nature was the rotting old vegetables behind the shed. All of a sudden, I hear a rustling noise. And it’s a lot bigger than an animal. I reach for Walt’s hand, but grab nothing. Fear suddenly strikes through me as I look around with my iPod. No Walt. I start to hyperventilate.
“Walt!?” I scream, not thinking about the consequences. I hear another rustle in the leaves and I turn blindly and start to run, adrenaline building inside of my veins. I can’t lose Walt. Not right now. Not after I just lost Carly. Another rustle emerges and I turn my head. I chase the direction of the noise and breathe heavily. You don’t know what’s in this wood, but if its Walt I’m for sure taking that risk. I start to see a clearing of leaves in the dirt, kind of like a path. I breathe out with relief. He must have followed the path to get more rocks. I tell myself and take a moment to catch my breath. Following the worn dirt path, I see something in the distance. A blanket? Scarf? I guess in my head. My breath stops as I shine my flashlight on it. Walt’s basket… I hate to think it.
I stagger over to the basket, filled with fear. Its silent and pitch black, I feel numb and in the void. The thing that wakes me up out of this reality is the painful stab of a stone in my knee. I jerk up and look around, paranoid. I jerk my head and my iPod fast enough to see a glimpse of white and black hair duck into the trees. I already know that they’ve been watching Walt and I this whole time. Chasing him, ducking under the trees. I spot another glimpse of white and trail it down, listening to the leaves crunch under their heavy feet. I stopped to catch my breath, and take a look around. The trees are denser and heavier. No moonlight shows through. My eye catches a small, almost invisible light coming from ahead. I slowly walk up to it, just to be sure. As I get closer, I realize it’s a campfire. I duck behind a tree and watch, seeing Walt eating with a young woman, looking around 18, but still noticeably older. You can still see those distinctive features you get as you get older. I then see the white spot I was following. It was a young boy with black and white streaked hair, looking as if he was a child. He was built like a teenager though. The woman sitting next to Walt is passing food out to everyone. She calls out and a girl, around her teenage years I think, comes out. She pushes her reddish orange hair out of her eyes before taking the plate, thanking the woman, and going back inside.
Walt is eating furiously. A man, strikingly built, comes and sits down next to Walt, cautious. He holds out his hand to shake Walt’s, and he shakes it happily. Sitting by a tree, is a young girl, with blonde hair, smooth pale skin and interesting eye color. She is drawing the landscape, looks most like. Throwing open the tent cover, A gorgeous woman comes out and serves herself. The woman passing out the food makes way for her before politely nodding her head. The beautiful woman then goes back inside the tent and I’m guessing is eating. I hear Walt talking to the woman. She is listening intently and nodding her head. If I get close enough, I can hear what theyre talking about. I step out, tiptoeing to a nearby stick pile.
“…and you lost her, Walt?” The woman asks kindly, but worried.
“Yes… she’s my best friend… my Aislynn” Walt tells her and shakes his head, putting down his food. The woman pats his back and nods.
“It’s okay, we can find her.” The woman assures him.
“Thanks, Ix!” Walt says and hugs her.
“No problem!” She exclaims and hugs him. So now I know her name. Ix.
“Hey Cas!” Ix yells and he comes over.
“Yeah Ix?” He asks and scratches his arm.
“Were gonna need you to help Walt here find his friend. Maybe she can stay with us!” Ix tell him, and smiles.
“Sure thing.” Caster agrees and sits next to Walt. The blonde girl looks up at Walt and smiles warmly at him. I get a pang of jealousy. She doesn’t even know him. I tell myself. My brain agrees. I breathe for a few minutes before stepping slowly out from the trees. The blonde girl shrieks and hides behind her sketchbook. Caster has his weapon already pointed at me. I raise my hands and look at Walt.
“Why did you leave!?” I yell at him, he looks down.
“I thought I saw a fairy… sorry..” He mumbles and moves closer to Ix. The blonde girl sits up and glares at me.
“Leave him alone, he can do whatever he wants!” She yells at me. I roll my eyes at her and step towards Walt
“Buddy, where’d you go?” Taking a step towards him, “I was so scared..” I say and start shaking.
“Im sorry Ais…” Walt says and stands up, hugging me. I hug him back and tear up. I pull away and look at the group of people around us.
“Are they… bugged?” I ask, backing away a little bit.
“No! They’re good. This is Ixion,” Pointing to the nice woman handing out food, “Caster, but call him Cas” Pointing to the black-and-white-haired boy, “Clove…” He says, not pointing.
“She’s kinda… the leader, so be nice” He warns me. “Lily,” He says pointing to the blonde girl, “Florence” He points to the red headed girl peeking her head out of the tent, “And Drayton” he points to the boy that was talking to him earlier.
“How do you know they aren’t bugged!?” Clove exclaims at us. We back off a little bit.
“If they were, our sensor would be going off!” Cas yells back, gesturing to the red dots around their camp. Clove rubs her temple and groans, “Ixion, how did this happen?” She glares at Ix.
“He stumbled in, saying he found a fairy” She pats Walt’s head and looks over at me, “And you’re the “Pretty Aislynn” Walt has been telling me about hmm?” She chuckles and nudges me. I flush and look away. She starts to laugh with Walt, and I join them. Clove turns and walks back into the tent.
“We need to go hunting soon.” She informs us, “And the newbies are coming with me.”
Walt is eating furiously. A man, strikingly built, comes and sits down next to Walt, cautious. He holds out his hand to shake Walt’s, and he shakes it happily. Sitting by a tree, is a young girl, with blonde hair, smooth pale skin and interesting eye color. She is drawing the landscape, looks most like. Throwing open the tent cover, A gorgeous woman comes out and serves herself. The woman passing out the food makes way for her before politely nodding her head. The beautiful woman then goes back inside the tent and I’m guessing is eating. I hear Walt talking to the woman. She is listening intently and nodding her head. If I get close enough, I can hear what theyre talking about. I step out, tiptoeing to a nearby stick pile.
“…and you lost her, Walt?” The woman asks kindly, but worried.
“Yes… she’s my best friend… my Aislynn” Walt tells her and shakes his head, putting down his food. The woman pats his back and nods.
“It’s okay, we can find her.” The woman assures him.
“Thanks, Ix!” Walt says and hugs her.
“No problem!” She exclaims and hugs him. So now I know her name. Ix.
“Hey Cas!” Ix yells and he comes over.
“Yeah Ix?” He asks and scratches his arm.
“Were gonna need you to help Walt here find his friend. Maybe she can stay with us!” Ix tell him, and smiles.
“Sure thing.” Caster agrees and sits next to Walt. The blonde girl looks up at Walt and smiles warmly at him. I get a pang of jealousy. She doesn’t even know him. I tell myself. My brain agrees. I breathe for a few minutes before stepping slowly out from the trees. The blonde girl shrieks and hides behind her sketchbook. Caster has his weapon already pointed at me. I raise my hands and look at Walt.
“Why did you leave!?” I yell at him, he looks down.
“I thought I saw a fairy… sorry..” He mumbles and moves closer to Ix. The blonde girl sits up and glares at me.
“Leave him alone, he can do whatever he wants!” She yells at me. I roll my eyes at her and step towards Walt
“Buddy, where’d you go?” Taking a step towards him, “I was so scared..” I say and start shaking.
“Im sorry Ais…” Walt says and stands up, hugging me. I hug him back and tear up. I pull away and look at the group of people around us.
“Are they… bugged?” I ask, backing away a little bit.
“No! They’re good. This is Ixion,” Pointing to the nice woman handing out food, “Caster, but call him Cas” Pointing to the black-and-white-haired boy, “Clove…” He says, not pointing.
“She’s kinda… the leader, so be nice” He warns me. “Lily,” He says pointing to the blonde girl, “Florence” He points to the red headed girl peeking her head out of the tent, “And Drayton” he points to the boy that was talking to him earlier.
“How do you know they aren’t bugged!?” Clove exclaims at us. We back off a little bit.
“If they were, our sensor would be going off!” Cas yells back, gesturing to the red dots around their camp. Clove rubs her temple and groans, “Ixion, how did this happen?” She glares at Ix.
“He stumbled in, saying he found a fairy” She pats Walt’s head and looks over at me, “And you’re the “Pretty Aislynn” Walt has been telling me about hmm?” She chuckles and nudges me. I flush and look away. She starts to laugh with Walt, and I join them. Clove turns and walks back into the tent.
“We need to go hunting soon.” She informs us, “And the newbies are coming with me.”
The whole way to the hunting spot Clove keeps glaring at us the whole way.
“Are you sure you aren’t bugged?” She asks.
“Yeah… Im seventeen, Walt is eighteen” I tell her, grasping Walt’s hand. He squeezes it and mumbles, “Shes nicer than she seems. Promise.”
“Okay…” I say and nod my head. Clove picks up a few sticks from off the ground as we walk. I want to ask her why, but she’d probably snap at me. I spot a couple animals as we go; a family of rabbits, a few Robins, and a lot of squirrels. I wonder why we aren’t hunting for those. I sling the stained pillowcase over my shoulder, I’m guessing were putting our kill in there. She suddenly stops and scares Walt and I. She raises her bow and arrow silently and shoots it. It hits a giant squirrel right in the head. I cover Walt’s eyes. She goes to pick it up and throw it in the sack. She still stays silent.
“So…” I say, encouraging some sort of conversation. She huffs, like shes laughing. .She obviously got the hint, because soon after she asks me a question
“How’d you guys get away? From the heletroopers I mean.” She asks, actually curious.
“My… friend bugged the place we were living in, so we weren’t noticed.” I say, looking down. She looks over at us.
“Was she bugged?” She asks.
“Yes… But she was a ‘super hacker’ she calls herself. She made it so she was dead to the digital world.” I reply, saddened. Clove looks over at me, with actual emotion.
“What really?” She asks, stopping. “Not even Caster can hack something that big.”
“Yeah… She was really something.” I say, laughing under my breath.
*~*
After hunting, my feet are already tired and Walt is obviously bored out of his mind. I’m carrying a pillowcase full of dead meat. Its real heavy. Following the path back, I study my surroundings. There are a couple rocks that are marked, probably for whoever was here before us. Once we get back to the base, its still dark, meaning we weren’t gone for long. Ixion greets us and takes the bag, bringing it over to a big bucket. Its whirring and she has a pedal on the bottom that makes something inside of it spin. Walt and I watch curiously, wondering what such a machine is for.
“Are you sure you aren’t bugged?” She asks.
“Yeah… Im seventeen, Walt is eighteen” I tell her, grasping Walt’s hand. He squeezes it and mumbles, “Shes nicer than she seems. Promise.”
“Okay…” I say and nod my head. Clove picks up a few sticks from off the ground as we walk. I want to ask her why, but she’d probably snap at me. I spot a couple animals as we go; a family of rabbits, a few Robins, and a lot of squirrels. I wonder why we aren’t hunting for those. I sling the stained pillowcase over my shoulder, I’m guessing were putting our kill in there. She suddenly stops and scares Walt and I. She raises her bow and arrow silently and shoots it. It hits a giant squirrel right in the head. I cover Walt’s eyes. She goes to pick it up and throw it in the sack. She still stays silent.
“So…” I say, encouraging some sort of conversation. She huffs, like shes laughing. .She obviously got the hint, because soon after she asks me a question
“How’d you guys get away? From the heletroopers I mean.” She asks, actually curious.
“My… friend bugged the place we were living in, so we weren’t noticed.” I say, looking down. She looks over at us.
“Was she bugged?” She asks.
“Yes… But she was a ‘super hacker’ she calls herself. She made it so she was dead to the digital world.” I reply, saddened. Clove looks over at me, with actual emotion.
“What really?” She asks, stopping. “Not even Caster can hack something that big.”
“Yeah… She was really something.” I say, laughing under my breath.
*~*
After hunting, my feet are already tired and Walt is obviously bored out of his mind. I’m carrying a pillowcase full of dead meat. Its real heavy. Following the path back, I study my surroundings. There are a couple rocks that are marked, probably for whoever was here before us. Once we get back to the base, its still dark, meaning we weren’t gone for long. Ixion greets us and takes the bag, bringing it over to a big bucket. Its whirring and she has a pedal on the bottom that makes something inside of it spin. Walt and I watch curiously, wondering what such a machine is for.
I look over at the girls wearing skimpy outfits, flirting. Pathetic. I used to want to be one of them. But I realize that nobody wants to be with me, and that’s totally fine. I touch my back, wincing. Sometimes you get beaten for being you. I snicker, thinking of how many lives I “hurt” by wanting to be alone. I put my hands in my pockets and walk away from my old friends.
Ixion takes the rabbit’s, squirrels, and birds into the bucket. She puts her foot on the pedal and pushes it a few times. The barrel inside starts to spin, whirring the animals around. Weird.
Clove starts to walk back to the tent, focused on something… I turn to Walt.
“I think we might have to stay here for a while, bud.” I tell him and shrug. He smiles and nods.
“Okay Ais.” He says and smiles. While Ixion is working, we walk back to the camp and sit down. Looking around, it seems like everyone just does whatever, while Clove and Ix keep everyone tied together. Not literally. Suddenly, a small boom comes from behind the tent. Soon after, Caster emerges with two other persons, a boy and a girl both with two different colored eyes. Maybe they’re related I think, glancing at them. The boy seems to tell the girl something, and she laughs. Ixion greets them and then looks over at us, motioning us over.
We sit next to the boy and the girl. Walt looks over and smiles.
“I’m Walt, and this is my Aislynn.” He says, smiling. I wave and nudge Walt a little bit.
“This is Areu, and I’m Donovan, but you can call me Fox” He says motioning to Areu. She smiles and grabs my arm. I get surprised and snatch it away. She gets the hint and nods.
“You are so pretty!” She exclaims.
“Haha thank you…” I say. I glance over at Donovan and see him holding a pencil.
“You draw?” I ask, motioning to the pencil.
“Yeah… I get bored.” Donovan says and shrugs. I look over at Lily and make a connection.
“You should talk to Lily then, Fox, she draws too!” I exclaim, pointing to her. She looks up when her name is said, but digs her head deeper into her sketchbook. Donovan shrugs and looks over.
“Maybe.” He says, smiling. I glance over at Walt and take his hand. He squeezes it and smiles.
“You okay, Ais?” Walt mumbles to me. I nod and look down, suddenly feeling a heavy dread. He pulls me into his arms and softly holds me.
I hug him back, breathing in deep and releasing after five seconds. Drayton comes out after some time and sits next to Donovan.
“Hey Fox, watcha up to?” Drayton asks. Donovan turns to him and nods.
“Just talking to Ais and Walt, I guess.” He replies, motioning to us.
“Oh… The newbies?” Drayton asks, grinning at us.
“Already hunting on our first day!” I exclaim sarcastically, grinning. Walt agrees, not taking the sarcastic hint, obviously. I laugh into his chest and he chuckles. We go back to silence, watching the wilderness. By the campfire, I see Clove, Ixion, and Caster writing on something. Lily has been sitting by the tree all day. Florence has joined her, watching her draw. I sigh, leaning my head on Walt’s shoulder. He pats my head and grins. Donovan and Areu are talking about what they were going ot do before this nanochip crap happened. I listen in, hearing in.
“…family died before this, I had to… orphanage” Areu says, looking down.
“I’m sorry.” Donovan says, putting his hand on her shoulder.
Ixion shouts out, “Dinner’s ready!” And everyone moves to the campfire.
“Yussssss” Donovan says, rubbing his stomach. Walt, Areu, and I laugh.
Clove starts to walk back to the tent, focused on something… I turn to Walt.
“I think we might have to stay here for a while, bud.” I tell him and shrug. He smiles and nods.
“Okay Ais.” He says and smiles. While Ixion is working, we walk back to the camp and sit down. Looking around, it seems like everyone just does whatever, while Clove and Ix keep everyone tied together. Not literally. Suddenly, a small boom comes from behind the tent. Soon after, Caster emerges with two other persons, a boy and a girl both with two different colored eyes. Maybe they’re related I think, glancing at them. The boy seems to tell the girl something, and she laughs. Ixion greets them and then looks over at us, motioning us over.
We sit next to the boy and the girl. Walt looks over and smiles.
“I’m Walt, and this is my Aislynn.” He says, smiling. I wave and nudge Walt a little bit.
“This is Areu, and I’m Donovan, but you can call me Fox” He says motioning to Areu. She smiles and grabs my arm. I get surprised and snatch it away. She gets the hint and nods.
“You are so pretty!” She exclaims.
“Haha thank you…” I say. I glance over at Donovan and see him holding a pencil.
“You draw?” I ask, motioning to the pencil.
“Yeah… I get bored.” Donovan says and shrugs. I look over at Lily and make a connection.
“You should talk to Lily then, Fox, she draws too!” I exclaim, pointing to her. She looks up when her name is said, but digs her head deeper into her sketchbook. Donovan shrugs and looks over.
“Maybe.” He says, smiling. I glance over at Walt and take his hand. He squeezes it and smiles.
“You okay, Ais?” Walt mumbles to me. I nod and look down, suddenly feeling a heavy dread. He pulls me into his arms and softly holds me.
I hug him back, breathing in deep and releasing after five seconds. Drayton comes out after some time and sits next to Donovan.
“Hey Fox, watcha up to?” Drayton asks. Donovan turns to him and nods.
“Just talking to Ais and Walt, I guess.” He replies, motioning to us.
“Oh… The newbies?” Drayton asks, grinning at us.
“Already hunting on our first day!” I exclaim sarcastically, grinning. Walt agrees, not taking the sarcastic hint, obviously. I laugh into his chest and he chuckles. We go back to silence, watching the wilderness. By the campfire, I see Clove, Ixion, and Caster writing on something. Lily has been sitting by the tree all day. Florence has joined her, watching her draw. I sigh, leaning my head on Walt’s shoulder. He pats my head and grins. Donovan and Areu are talking about what they were going ot do before this nanochip crap happened. I listen in, hearing in.
“…family died before this, I had to… orphanage” Areu says, looking down.
“I’m sorry.” Donovan says, putting his hand on her shoulder.
Ixion shouts out, “Dinner’s ready!” And everyone moves to the campfire.
“Yussssss” Donovan says, rubbing his stomach. Walt, Areu, and I laugh.
Every time Ixion called, it made my ears ring. She called out for about 5 minutes until everyone was out. Everyone sits by the fire, and I can see everyone’s facial features clearly now. I glance over at Lily, her unusual eye color, her soft blonde hair. Her bent over stance as she’s eating clearly makes her want for isolation stand out. Drayton with his fairly long hair and seducing stare. He glances over at me and studies my eyes, then moves on to my face, my nose, my shoulders. He gets to my collarbone and stops, nodding. I feel invaded but in a good way. I feel free and mature. He looks back up at me to find me staring, and bores into my eyes with lust. Moving on, I'm still flustered from the silent even that took place. I never got to study Florence. Her orange hair making her stand out the most. Her stature is very stiff, and thin. I see her eyes, burning with a fear that can only make me think, how could someone possibly feel this scared? She just keeps eating without noticing me, or anyone for that matter. Everyone here knows she's only here for the comfort of being safe. Next is Clove, I dare not to look. Her features are soft, and tender up close. Her narrow eyes, piercingly straightforward yet embracing and made to make someone feel at home. She eats sloppily, having to wipe her mouth every two or three bites. Ixion is next to her.
Her outstretched position makes it obvious she is the open and helping type. I then glance over at Caster, his thin build looms over his food. He seems to be holding some sort of small device that’s crackling. I cock my head, watching intently. He bites down on his food and turns a small stick inside of the machine. It starts whirring and crackling. He smiles and throws it behind him, and it stands up on it own, scanning the area. I stand still, thinking it's bugging us out like Carly. The scan finishes and the device goes limp as if it took the data of the area and killed it along with itself. The reality is sad, but it's helpful. He scoops it up and crushes it, taking out the hard drive. It's burnt and crisp. Caster drops it and crushes it into the ground, turning it into dust. As soon as i realize I’m disinterested, I glance back at Donovan and Areu, who have gotten accustomed to sitting with each other. Areu glances over at me and waves, smiling. I subtly roll my eyes and look back at my own food. It has chunks of meat, veggies, and a thick broth. It smells delectable.
I pick up my spoon and blow on a bit of it, softly slurping the hot liquid. It fills me with a sense of comfort, like a warm blanket engulfing me. I take another bite, grinning. Walt looks over at me and laughs.
~
Soon it's time for bed, it's probably around 2:30. I check my iPod, and it's around 1:00 - 2:00. I wonder why we’re eating so late. Ixion rounds everyone up, three people a tent. Ixion, Clove, and Caster are in a tent together. Donovan, Areu and Lilly are in one together, and Drayton goes into one himself. I keep Walt out, waiting for a place to stay. Drayton motions us over to him, a smug smile on his face. I go I warily, hiding behind Walt.
“Cmon hun, I don't bite,” Drayton says, patting the spot next to him. I’m feeling rebellious and sit next to him, curling up in the blanket. I’m facing his chest, he’s already asleep. I watch his chest move slowly, his breath steady. I can feel his warmth from here. His clothes smell of fresh linen, Ixion must clean their clothes every day. I feel Walt shift beside me, breathing out heavily. Quickly, I turn back to face Walt as Drayton turns the other way. He has a smirk on his face as he does so.
“Dang you,” I mutter at him, laughing.
“You know you want some,” He says smugly. I flush, and turn back to Walt, falling asleep.
~
I wake up next to Walt’s face. His peaceful features moving slowly up and down as he breathes. I don't know what time it is, but everyone is still sleeping. I hop out of the tent, brushing my hands on my pants. I glance back at Drayton, thinking back to last night. Shaking my head, I walk out to wash my face in the lake. Soon after, I hear footsteps behind me. Must be everyone getting ready down here. I dry my face on my jacket sleeve and head down there. My head turns to Drayton, and he’s already looking over at me. I give him a questioning look, but he had already turned back to the group he was in. Walt tugs on my sleeve, indicating that he wants me to sit next to him. He’s in a new pair of tan jeans, and a wine red t-shirt. Damn he looks good in burgundy. The others greet me, almost in unison. They seem tired, so they probably just woke up. Rubbing the side of my arm, I sit in between Drayton and Walt. I’m leaning more towards Walt though. The following week is filled with training, and just basic survival. Being in a group helps. Not all of the work goes to a specific person and it's all distributed evenly.
After a few days of the same routine, and getting accustomed to the group, something changes. It begins out normal, us waking up with the sun and getting dressed. My iPod is beeping, in the voicemail app. At this point, my heart has stopped. I already know it's from Carly. I don’t know what to expect. With my hands shaking, i tap on the screen. It’s a 24 second voicemail. I hold it up to my ear and press play.
“Ais… It's bad. They have me in some sort of car. Im blindfolded by something. I-I’m bleeding, but i don’t know where. I can smell it. Im so scared. I’m sorry. I already know im not going to make it out of here alive.”
The distress and fear in her shaky voice is all i need to break down. I curl up, leaning against a tree. My head hits the tree hard, but i dont feel it over this adrenaline rush. Carly is my everything. She’s been there from day one. My heart aches and wails. I already know im overreacting, but all at once… I’m thinking too many things. Maybe she will get out, maybe she will be alright. But maybe she won’t. The cracking of the leaves behind the tree im leaning against snap me back into reality. These woods aren’t empty. I sit up, scanning my surroundings. The only sound I hear is my own heartbeat and an occasional sniffle.
On the way back, I feel uneasy. What would Walt say about me doing something like that… God i feel like a butt now. When we get to camp, everyone looks worried sick. Even Lily seems out of character. She’s sitting close to Donovan, watching him draw. Nobody is doing anything, it's like a ghost town. I plop down next to Walt and turn on my music. My earbuds are pretty dirty at this point, so I wipe them off on the hem of my shirt. Walt puts an earbud in and listens to the song. I rest my head against his shoulder and close my eyes. He leans against the log to get more comfortable. While he’s resting, I scroll through the songs, picking one I like. It’s a sappy romance song, but I don’t mind. I nod my head to the slow beat, relaxing. Once the song is over, another one plays. I’ve never heard this song before, it’s very upbeat and electronic.
This is where we are, me and Walt. Walt and I, just us. We sit there, only hearing the music and each other’s heartbeats, even though the whole group is outside. I only notice after opening my eyes that everyone is passing something around. It's blue, and is beeping. I take my earbud out and watch. Walt notices and does the same. The thing is passed to me, and i twirl it on my hands. Very light. It feels like air, and vibrates as it beeps. Caster must have made it.
Ix and I look at it, pressing buttons. I press one, and it plays a small melody. It’s very calming. My head Iout of instinct turns to a noise in the trees. There’s a bunch of footsteps, all in unsion, walking in the forest. We all look over at Caster’s device. It’s still beeping and vibrating.
“Caster… What is that supposed to be?” I ask, trembling. Everyone else is worried, and a few people are starting to cry already. They must’ve been in this situation before.
“I-It's an EMP…” He says. He then realizes his mistake. We already knocked our place out of the map, but another EMP would cancel out, and theyd both die out. The one that scanned the area was a small EMP, so the bigger one he made today targetted the EMP from before, killing it and itself. That means whoever is coming for us… knows where and who we are.
Clove silently curses to herself and Caster. They’ve surely found us by now. And she knows that. Still, she pours water onto the fire and ushers everyone into a tent.
“Cmon everyone, inside.” She commands in a whisper. Everyone gets up, but i stop them.
“Clove… you and I both know they’ve already found us.” I say, calmy.
Footsteps getting closer.
“Aislynn. You will listen to me while you are in this camp, understood?” She says, a little too loudly. She turns back to the tent, then I see she has a weapon. A gun. Walt and I squeeze into the tent with everyone else. He’s breathing heavy. The room is silent, other than his breathing. I clap my hand over his mouth. He looks at me and nods. When my hand releases, he’s perfectly calm. One of the troops, im presuming, yells.
“Hey guys! I found a campfire over here, I think it's them.” He yells, his footsteps clump heavily against the ground. Another troop comes in, and he starts checking the tents, shooting before opening the flaps. When the gunshot is heard, Florence yelps, scared. Im praying it wasnt loud enough for them to hear. We see the shadow of a troop in front of our tent, loading his gun. Clove shoots first. She hits the troop in the gut, making him fall. The group of men come toward us. There’s about six or seven people left. A woman, older than Ix by a lot, with gray hair and glistening blue eyes. The guy Clove shot, which was around his teen years, eleven or twelve. A group of men which look the same except for hairstyle and eye colour. The older woman wails, and jumps to the little boys side. I put my hand to my mouth, and tear up as well. Clove is staring at the ground, her eyes wide. She hadnt realized she had just killed a child, i presume. It then comes to realization that the woman and her grandchild, i think, werent here because they signed up for it. They were forced to do this. Walt slowly moves to the old woman, touching her back.
“I-It’s okay ma’am, I’m so sorry he had to go this way.” Walt says, crying. The woman looks up at him, her face stained with tears. She nods and stands up.
“It was a brave death, ma’am. Very brave. He was strong, and fearless. I think that would be how he wanted to go, by protecting his family.” Walt assures her, rubbing her back. She pulls Walt into a hug, and cries. I notice a movement from the men, they have their guns up. They have someone on their walkie talkies. I hear the faint voice of someone saying, “Her too”. My mouth releases a scream and a wail, running towards the old woman. Right before i get there, one of the men shoot, hitting her in the back of the head. Florence, Lilly, and I scream. Walt looks completely pale and his eyes are wide. He lays the old woman down, and cries. I think back to the voice in the radio, and remember what they said. My head turns to the boy, and my eyes study his wound. He was shot from the back, not the front.
I look up in horror, hearing the voice in the radio once again. He says, “Bring me Aislynn Roe, and whoever her associates are.” My body freezes. The voice in the radio is my fathers.
I’m still in shock by how many events are going on. First, I thought Clove killed this young boy, but it turns out if was part of the plan. Then, these guys killed his grandmother, or close relative, because the boy died. Now, we’re probably going to be taken to Microcen, meet my father, and die. The men come up behind us and grab our hands. I swat them away, but they hit mey side, making me fall. I hear Florence and Lilly struggling. They try and wiggle their way out of the guards hands, but fail. “Still fighting? Kill them.” My father says without a care. I cant stop them. So many people dying… so little time. Lilly is thrown to the ground, her eyes are wide and glistening. Florence’s face is puffy and red from crying. She tries to stand up and run, and the guards let her.
Two or three trees into the distance, one of the men shoot her. The body goes down with a groan. I turn away. They tricked her.. they made her feel like she was free… the bastards… Why Florence? Why the sweet, precious and insecure Florence? I felt like i was actually relating to her for a while. I stare at the ground, thinking. My mind is blank though, and my eyes are getting blurry. I feel as if im floating, but my legs are made of jelly. The noise that brings me back to reality is a gunshot, close. My head turns to Lilly, seeing if it was her. I watch her face as she falls, she’s staring at me. Her eyes are filled with fear, and asking. Asking for help. She targetted the help at me. Her body falls, with the thud of dead weight. Choked on blood oozes from her mouth, pooling under her head and shoulders. Donovan cries out and slumps over. I wish i could comfort him, or hug him.
“Lillian!” Clove screams, her face streaming with tears. Ixion has her eyes closed, but she’s crying. I can probably guess she’s trying to stay as calm and collective as she can. The worst part of it all, is that i know they’re leaving the bodies here. Until the atmosphere disposes of them. The noise that comes out of Walt’s mouth is what you dont want to hear in the situation. Blood hits my arm, staining my jacket. My head turns, and I see a bullet wound in his arm. Then all I see is black.
I wake up in a car, tied to everyone who is alive. Theres Clove, Ixion, Drayton, Castor, Don and Areu, and Walt. Caster is unconcious, but breathing. Clove is holding a piece of cloth on Walt’s arm, keeping the blood steady. Ixion, Don, Areu and Drayton are exchanging looks. Either comforting or assuring. Drayton is to my left, and Clove to my right. Walt is right behind me, our heads touching. I grab Drayton’s hand, conforting him. He squeezes it and breathes slowly.
“9006. Caster Dusk. Age 12. Last known sighting was in the device warehouse down the street, on September 9th, 2020.” One of the guards say, writing notes. She then continues with the rest of us.
“0702. Drayton Tyler. Age 17. Last known sighting was in the birth wing of Sarliem Hospital, on October 6th, 2006.”
Her pen scratches on the notepad.
“1074. Walter Cain. Age 18. Last known sighting was in the birth wing of Sarliem Hospital as well, on August 2nd, 2005.
Click, scratch, scratch, scratch, click.
“8985. Aislynn Roe. Age 17. Last known sighting was in the house of General McCormick Roe, on January 19th, 2021.”
Click, pause, scratch, scratch, pause, scratch, click.
“5487. Clove Woods. Age 17. Last known sighting was, on December 18th, 2019.”
Click, scratch, click.
“0863. Ixion Crowndance. Age 28, Last known sighting was, on December 18th, 2019.”
Click, pause, click, click, scratch, click.
“2568. Donovan Savage. Age 19, last known sighting was on February 24th, in Kobermans Therapy.”
“5897. Areum Uniquecho. Age 16, last known sighting was with Lillian Fishan, deceased, on October 6th, 2009.”
She sets down her notebook, studying our faces. Her eyes are prolonged on mine, looking for any trace i am actually my fathers. My eyes meet hers, and we stay that way. She breaks it off first, clearing her throat and turning to the guard sitting next to her. Walt’s face is deathly white.
“Excuse me, he needs help.” I say, calmly and motion to Walt. A trooper a few feet away glances at him and snorts.
“He’s fine. Leave him.” The guard says. I grumble and turn red from anger. It comes to me that my father wants us dead or alive, and that scares me.
“Caster… What is that supposed to be?” I ask, trembling. Everyone else is worried, and a few people are starting to cry already. They must’ve been in this situation before.
“I-It's an EMP…” He says. He then realizes his mistake. We already knocked our place out of the map, but another EMP would cancel out, and theyd both die out. The one that scanned the area was a small EMP, so the bigger one he made today targetted the EMP from before, killing it and itself. That means whoever is coming for us… knows where and who we are.
Clove silently curses to herself and Caster. They’ve surely found us by now. And she knows that. Still, she pours water onto the fire and ushers everyone into a tent.
“Cmon everyone, inside.” She commands in a whisper. Everyone gets up, but i stop them.
“Clove… you and I both know they’ve already found us.” I say, calmy.
Footsteps getting closer.
“Aislynn. You will listen to me while you are in this camp, understood?” She says, a little too loudly. She turns back to the tent, then I see she has a weapon. A gun. Walt and I squeeze into the tent with everyone else. He’s breathing heavy. The room is silent, other than his breathing. I clap my hand over his mouth. He looks at me and nods. When my hand releases, he’s perfectly calm. One of the troops, im presuming, yells.
“Hey guys! I found a campfire over here, I think it's them.” He yells, his footsteps clump heavily against the ground. Another troop comes in, and he starts checking the tents, shooting before opening the flaps. When the gunshot is heard, Florence yelps, scared. Im praying it wasnt loud enough for them to hear. We see the shadow of a troop in front of our tent, loading his gun. Clove shoots first. She hits the troop in the gut, making him fall. The group of men come toward us. There’s about six or seven people left. A woman, older than Ix by a lot, with gray hair and glistening blue eyes. The guy Clove shot, which was around his teen years, eleven or twelve. A group of men which look the same except for hairstyle and eye colour. The older woman wails, and jumps to the little boys side. I put my hand to my mouth, and tear up as well. Clove is staring at the ground, her eyes wide. She hadnt realized she had just killed a child, i presume. It then comes to realization that the woman and her grandchild, i think, werent here because they signed up for it. They were forced to do this. Walt slowly moves to the old woman, touching her back.
“I-It’s okay ma’am, I’m so sorry he had to go this way.” Walt says, crying. The woman looks up at him, her face stained with tears. She nods and stands up.
“It was a brave death, ma’am. Very brave. He was strong, and fearless. I think that would be how he wanted to go, by protecting his family.” Walt assures her, rubbing her back. She pulls Walt into a hug, and cries. I notice a movement from the men, they have their guns up. They have someone on their walkie talkies. I hear the faint voice of someone saying, “Her too”. My mouth releases a scream and a wail, running towards the old woman. Right before i get there, one of the men shoot, hitting her in the back of the head. Florence, Lilly, and I scream. Walt looks completely pale and his eyes are wide. He lays the old woman down, and cries. I think back to the voice in the radio, and remember what they said. My head turns to the boy, and my eyes study his wound. He was shot from the back, not the front.
I look up in horror, hearing the voice in the radio once again. He says, “Bring me Aislynn Roe, and whoever her associates are.” My body freezes. The voice in the radio is my fathers.
I’m still in shock by how many events are going on. First, I thought Clove killed this young boy, but it turns out if was part of the plan. Then, these guys killed his grandmother, or close relative, because the boy died. Now, we’re probably going to be taken to Microcen, meet my father, and die. The men come up behind us and grab our hands. I swat them away, but they hit mey side, making me fall. I hear Florence and Lilly struggling. They try and wiggle their way out of the guards hands, but fail. “Still fighting? Kill them.” My father says without a care. I cant stop them. So many people dying… so little time. Lilly is thrown to the ground, her eyes are wide and glistening. Florence’s face is puffy and red from crying. She tries to stand up and run, and the guards let her.
Two or three trees into the distance, one of the men shoot her. The body goes down with a groan. I turn away. They tricked her.. they made her feel like she was free… the bastards… Why Florence? Why the sweet, precious and insecure Florence? I felt like i was actually relating to her for a while. I stare at the ground, thinking. My mind is blank though, and my eyes are getting blurry. I feel as if im floating, but my legs are made of jelly. The noise that brings me back to reality is a gunshot, close. My head turns to Lilly, seeing if it was her. I watch her face as she falls, she’s staring at me. Her eyes are filled with fear, and asking. Asking for help. She targetted the help at me. Her body falls, with the thud of dead weight. Choked on blood oozes from her mouth, pooling under her head and shoulders. Donovan cries out and slumps over. I wish i could comfort him, or hug him.
“Lillian!” Clove screams, her face streaming with tears. Ixion has her eyes closed, but she’s crying. I can probably guess she’s trying to stay as calm and collective as she can. The worst part of it all, is that i know they’re leaving the bodies here. Until the atmosphere disposes of them. The noise that comes out of Walt’s mouth is what you dont want to hear in the situation. Blood hits my arm, staining my jacket. My head turns, and I see a bullet wound in his arm. Then all I see is black.
I wake up in a car, tied to everyone who is alive. Theres Clove, Ixion, Drayton, Castor, Don and Areu, and Walt. Caster is unconcious, but breathing. Clove is holding a piece of cloth on Walt’s arm, keeping the blood steady. Ixion, Don, Areu and Drayton are exchanging looks. Either comforting or assuring. Drayton is to my left, and Clove to my right. Walt is right behind me, our heads touching. I grab Drayton’s hand, conforting him. He squeezes it and breathes slowly.
“9006. Caster Dusk. Age 12. Last known sighting was in the device warehouse down the street, on September 9th, 2020.” One of the guards say, writing notes. She then continues with the rest of us.
“0702. Drayton Tyler. Age 17. Last known sighting was in the birth wing of Sarliem Hospital, on October 6th, 2006.”
Her pen scratches on the notepad.
“1074. Walter Cain. Age 18. Last known sighting was in the birth wing of Sarliem Hospital as well, on August 2nd, 2005.
Click, scratch, scratch, scratch, click.
“8985. Aislynn Roe. Age 17. Last known sighting was in the house of General McCormick Roe, on January 19th, 2021.”
Click, pause, scratch, scratch, pause, scratch, click.
“5487. Clove Woods. Age 17. Last known sighting was, on December 18th, 2019.”
Click, scratch, click.
“0863. Ixion Crowndance. Age 28, Last known sighting was, on December 18th, 2019.”
Click, pause, click, click, scratch, click.
“2568. Donovan Savage. Age 19, last known sighting was on February 24th, in Kobermans Therapy.”
“5897. Areum Uniquecho. Age 16, last known sighting was with Lillian Fishan, deceased, on October 6th, 2009.”
She sets down her notebook, studying our faces. Her eyes are prolonged on mine, looking for any trace i am actually my fathers. My eyes meet hers, and we stay that way. She breaks it off first, clearing her throat and turning to the guard sitting next to her. Walt’s face is deathly white.
“Excuse me, he needs help.” I say, calmly and motion to Walt. A trooper a few feet away glances at him and snorts.
“He’s fine. Leave him.” The guard says. I grumble and turn red from anger. It comes to me that my father wants us dead or alive, and that scares me.
We bump along the road for a good hour or so, in total silence. Some guy keeps making rude remarks about us. Something in my pocket is pressing against me, must’ve been for a while now, because I can feel it cutting into my skin. Thinking back, I remember its Walt’s pills. He hasn’t had them for at least an hour or so over the time limit. I curse to myself. I try and pry it out of my pants, wincing as it rubs over the cut. I nudge Clove in the side and she turns slightly, trying to be discrete. I place the pills in her hand and motion towards Walt. She nods and moves it to Ix, which reads it under her palm. She glances at me and opens to bottle, touching Walt. He jerks back, making us shake. Ixion hands him a pill and he swallows it, he’s having trouble without water or some liquid though. I sigh a breath of relief. Ixion puts the pills back in my pocket, surprising me. There’s a small window, probably for light, across the room. I look through and I see the giant glass building, people bustling around. A big sign is on the building that reads “Microcen”. My heart leaps from my chest, sending spirals of fear into my nerves. I thought we were going to some weird warehouse to be killed. I turn away from the window, not wanting to see any more. We pull up to the building, around evening, and get sent in. We are greeted by workers dressed in blue suits, screens on in front of them. I’m guessing they never turn off. What a way to live.
We’re in a bunch, surrounded by guards. Clove in the front, Ixion by her side, Caster behind, Walt and I by him, and Donovan, Areu, and Drayton are behind us. I grab Walt’s hand, shaking. My vision is getting blurry and I’m hyperventilating. All I hear are the footsteps on the ground, so I try to focus on that as some sort of white noise. Of course, it doesn’t help. We reach an elevator, and one of the guards presses a button. It’s crowded in the elevator, but I can still make out what button the guards press. Thirteenth floor. The whirring of the elevator is the only sound in here. After a few minutes, I notice my breathing. It’s heavy, and dry. My mouth feels like sandpaper. I breath through my nose to calm myself down. The elevator door opens, and my father is surrounded by people, all in blue suits. Even the women are in suits. They all look so professional, but all of their eyes are glassed over.
“Here they are, sir.” One of the people in front of us say. My father nods and waves his hand, motioning to a heavy door.
“Take the others to the questioning room.” He says, and walks closer. “Keep Aislynn here.” I look at Walt, and squeeze his hand tighter. The guards start to pull us away, and I make the biggest mistake of my life by letting go. Walt’s face as he’s taken away makes my blood run cold. He can’t be alone… I can’t leave him… Not like before. When I found Walt, about two years ago, he was alone.
We’re in a bunch, surrounded by guards. Clove in the front, Ixion by her side, Caster behind, Walt and I by him, and Donovan, Areu, and Drayton are behind us. I grab Walt’s hand, shaking. My vision is getting blurry and I’m hyperventilating. All I hear are the footsteps on the ground, so I try to focus on that as some sort of white noise. Of course, it doesn’t help. We reach an elevator, and one of the guards presses a button. It’s crowded in the elevator, but I can still make out what button the guards press. Thirteenth floor. The whirring of the elevator is the only sound in here. After a few minutes, I notice my breathing. It’s heavy, and dry. My mouth feels like sandpaper. I breath through my nose to calm myself down. The elevator door opens, and my father is surrounded by people, all in blue suits. Even the women are in suits. They all look so professional, but all of their eyes are glassed over.
“Here they are, sir.” One of the people in front of us say. My father nods and waves his hand, motioning to a heavy door.
“Take the others to the questioning room.” He says, and walks closer. “Keep Aislynn here.” I look at Walt, and squeeze his hand tighter. The guards start to pull us away, and I make the biggest mistake of my life by letting go. Walt’s face as he’s taken away makes my blood run cold. He can’t be alone… I can’t leave him… Not like before. When I found Walt, about two years ago, he was alone.
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