Diary Entry 16th March I was beginning to think that it really was the end. That there really would be no more coffee mornings with Julia, no more scrambling through the forest of other commuters on the metro, no more searching through endless samples of moon rock and no more bedtime stories for Amy-Jo. That is, until today; I met a crude-looking man by the shallow, contaminated stream that ran through the centre of Fraup. He appeared aggravated, but not because of anyone else, not because he was alone, but because of himself; he said something about his "uncompleted contract". I didn't ask for any detail- I still, surprisingly, valued my life. Instead, I suggested something; to go- to leave Fraup. I had wanted to do this before- leave the village; everything about it revolted me- but I couldn't leave, not on my own, the dangers out there, in the wilderness, were unbearable for myself alone. But this man, he was the key, I couldn't let this opportunity just slip out of my grasp, and so I went for it- "Let us leave then." I suggested, "I need to find my-" I stopped dead; his scowl had its own suggestion and his eyes told me that he just didn't care.
He nodded, "Then we'll go." According to him, he was going to leave anyway- with or without myself. He then stood and shook my hand, prior to declaring his name. Nathan Jay Rowchild.
He was the first, but we needed more; well, I did anyway.
I carefully placed my diary underneath my pillow- where it would stay until the morning- and prepared myself for another long night, with no cuddling with Julia, and no bedtime stories for Amy-Jo.
The dark, dank and dull scrap-yard that I call home, for now, was silent. As it always is at this time of night. The simpletons here, all cosy in their beds, but not I; I was paradin'. As I always do at this time of night. Lootin' isn't my favorite past-time but these are harsh times. As I carefully wander I think back to Eli's proposal earlier on in the day. Eli appeared to be an intelligent individual and a warm-hearted fellow, but to me he is merely a pawn in my master board-game.
I stopped. This was the place; it was bigger than the rest, but still it was made of scrap metal. I wasn't sure whether it was empty or not- but i didn't care either way. The little ragtag band of townspeople are too interested in protectin' the border of Fraup, they have no idea of what is goin' on inside this scrap-yard. But I ain't complanin', the amount of rat tails I loot in one night could feed a family of four for a week, yes I did tell you times were harsh.
I placed the palm of my right hand on the door, it was cold and filthy, I gently pushed. It didn't move- it was locked or somehow barricaded- but there had to be another way in. There always is. At that, the rare sound of an owl hooted from the distance, I stiffly moved my head left- it startled me. However, this brought about great opportunity; I saw an openin' on the upper left-hand side of the metal shack. I made my way down the side. Damn- that useless owl had startled me again.
I heard footsteps, my time was runnn' out. I swiftly formulated a plan:
*Jump up and grasp the metal pipe stickin' out of the structure *Then swing across to the ledge, for a build up of momentum *Shimmy across to the openin' *Pull myself though the window, rollin' as I land
Sure enough, it worked. I landed cleanly and silently beside ruins of a bee-day. I was about to get up and see what I could find, when somethin' caught my attention- someone caught my attention. It was a young women, she was about 5'4 with a curvy figure and was wearin' an over sized graphic tee. From what I could make out her hair was the blondest of blonds and her eyes a piercin' electric blue. I wasn't sure, because I don't tend to village gossip, but from what I could gather in the black of night, this was Amoria, lookin' rather startled at my arrival.
There was a thump near the window and I turned to see a man staring. We were both silent for a moment as I tried to remember his name. Jay He must be Jay, he was tall and had a scar just as I recalled.
"I was just...."He began.
I cocked my eyebrow,"Jumping through my window in the middle of the night?" Jay, looked straggly and paranoid as if at any moment he was going to turn around, jump back through the window, and disappear.
Silently yet again, he stood there just staring at me with shock written on his face. Fine,let's play that game... I never liked not being answered. I darted to the window before he could mutter another word, slammed it shut, and turned to Jay.
"Now, seeing as you have no leave, I want the truth."
*Is that okay*
If I can impact one person, just one, with my writing before I die, then I've lived a great life
I knew that she wouldn't call the the ragtag chumps because she would have already, she was quite outspoken for her age, standin' up too a killer. "I admire your confidence, so bold, you do know who u are talkin' to?" I said with a sinister grin
"Yes I do Jay, so answer my question." she replied bravely as if she was stickin' up for herself.
"I will be truthful, but only too you, I was doin' my last bit of lootin' before I leave this god forsaken scrap-yard." I was lookin' at the door, about to make a run for it until
"Your leaving" she said with a smile growin' on her face "Could I tag along? You won't know I'm even there"
"Well I don't see why not..."
"Thank you, thank you" she said wrappin' her arms around me before swiftly backin' away.
"Well I best be goin', nice to meet you Amoria" I said as she opened the door, I then moved away thinkin' phew that was close.
The morning arrived, and boy was I glad of it. The sunrise signified the end of night, and when you sleep less and less every night, well, night's not that good at all, in actual fact, it's depressing; just still in bed, counting the seconds as they pass slowly, counting and waiting for the sunrise. For me, getting to sleep is no problem at all. I 'nod off' at 22:00 precisely every night, however, the problem arises when I wake- it just gets earlier and earlier every single night- I woke at 06:46 this morning. Despite feeling extremely tired for a couple of hours after I wake, I feel fine for the rest of the day, just fine, no more- and luckily no less.
I carried out my usual morning regime: yawn; rub my eyes twice; stroke my ferociously overgrown stubble; yawn once more; arise from my bed and slouch for a moment, maybe two; make my way to the hole I call the 'lav' to empty whatever I could; make my way to my stale pool of water that was probably radiated excessively- but it was all the water I had- and clean the best I could; get dressed into my only pair of clothes- a year and a half old suit (that had now degraded into a torn, greasy shirt with no buttons, dust-covered trousers that had acquired a rather large tear in the pocket and my shoes, the left shoe had lost its laces and the right had developed a lengthy crease that was now slowly tearing); then go under my pillow, take my diary, small 'passport' size photograph of Julia and Amy-Jo and place them into my shirt pocket, then I take my remaining 9 tissues, a chocolate bar of which I had bought from the small corner-shop before the nuclear accident, my small, high-tech, pocket-size telescope- which had surprisingly survived and was in good condition, and my packet of 'puri tablets' I would then stuff it all in my one remaining trouser pocket before leaving my one room, metal shack to brave another depressing day in Fraup. However, today was different- I wouldn't be returning to my shack, I would be leaving the village forever.
The morning breeze wasn't gentle, it was viscous. It hit me immediately and only concentrated one slapping me round my face, if it wasn't for my stubble- my face would have been permanently red and purple. But today wasn't about moaning- it was about getting out of here- and that is what I was going to do; I just needed to find Jay, and for my own personal comfort, some more able and willing people, and there he was, Nikolas. I had never spoken to him, but he had always intrigued me- and what's more, he was New Asian; and I had only ever met one other New Asian in my whole, entire life- and, well, he was the nicest man I ever met, his culture intrigued me. Maybe Nikolas would be similar, and more, maybe he would join us. I decided to approach him...
Ivy walked alongside the dirt road, her eyes on the dull, overcast sky. Ivy had fallen into the habit of waking early and taking walks. At first it had served to calm Ivy, but now Ivy only felt trapped within the drab metal huts of Fraup.
Ivy heard voices from around the corner. She paused, listening. She couldn't make out the words, but the hushed tone of the speakers told her that she was interfering with a secret conversation.
Ivy's first impulse was to run, but then one word made itself clear among they whispered nonsense.
Escape.
Ivy stepped out from behind a hut. She cleared her throat. In front of her stood two men. Ivy recognized them by sight. One was New Asian. Ivy stared at his face, fascinated. Something about the way it was formed made him so distinctly different than the faces she was used to. Not that that was a bad thing. Ivy liked change. The other man seemed to be from Europa. He held himself like one whose former glory still affected his manner, although most Europian people tried to stifle that instinct.
The two men stared back at her. Ivy suddenly realized how much older they were than her. She blushed furiously.
"S - Sorry," said Ivy nervously. "But did you say something about an, an escape?"
*I did want to create a character, but I don't think I have any time with all these projects my teachers piled on me. Vet, you can go ahead and take my spot *
-kittykat
Our happiness here is all vain glory,
This false world is but transitory,
The flesh is weak, the Fiend is slee
Timor mortis conturbat me.
--William Dunbar
For someone born in the borderlands of Europa and New Asia, where the land was so cold that people dressed for winter in the middle of summer, a crisp, European morning wasn't considered very cold. This was how mornings were for Nikolas. Many of the other citizens called him a showoff for not wearing a greatcoat at this time of year, but in truth, he knew that it was because of his nationality that they singled him out. There were Europeans who'd been born in his area here, and they chose to forgo such coats. Nikolas had noticed they didn't get it pointed out to them.
Something, or rather, someone moved at the edge of his vision, gravel crunching as their footsteps came closer. Nikolas turned around to see Professor Eli Travis approaching him. He gave the man a nod, saying pleasantly enough, "Morning, Eli."
"Good morning, Nikolas." The professor said, shaking his hand, "Have anything planned for today?"
Nikolas gave a dry laughed and held his arms wide, gesturing at the half-built town around them, "Are you joking? Plans in this scrap heap?"
Eli smiled as well, "That's what I thought. Well, myself and someone else, and maybe a few others, were thinking that we might escape this place today."
At that moment, a young girl stepped out from behind one of the huts. She looked to be a few years younger than Nikolas. She cleared her throat and blushed furiously. Both Eli and Nikolas gave her an encouraging smile, and she managed to speak after another awkward moment.
"S - Sorry," she said, "But did you say something about an, an escape?"
Nikolas looked at Eli and then nodded, "Yeah...except I'd disagree with the wording. We're going to leave town. D'you want to join us?"
He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt. - Yossarian, Catch-22
Wide-eyed stupid.
If you're gonna rule the world, you've gotta get up early! - Joel S. Dickens
'The strength of the wolf is the pack, the strength of the pack is the wolf'...Well, 'pparently not.
So Jay thinks he's gonna lead them to the Promised Land...
But it was inevitable, Jay or not. They've already decided in their heart to escape long ago...once they started seeing fat on their bellies again, once they started B*tchin' about whose decayed, molded clothes had the best texture, or which pine needle spices cost most Euro coins, or gossipin' about who was hoarding what, about who was in control. *smiles*
But that's just folks bein folks; hell, gettin' restless is probably a good sign, shows we're happy enough to have hope and bravado and laughter. But Fraup's gotten too happy. Three nights ago, while I was off in the woods defending their asses, they drew lots to see who got to sleep with Fraup's elegible daughters in the barn. Said it was to "give Fraup a new family, a gneration for tomorrow..." *chuckles.*
The good Mayor Peire was helpless to stop it. Good man...But the naive and the gentle were always the first to die in the war and from what I heard, he got scared, didn't do a thing to stop it. Yeah, the girls giggled coyly when Jay did it, Jay always gets them to giggle, but I think it was still rape.
I thought Fraup could make it, thought we'd survive. THRIVE. But the way it looks, soon, I'll be back at square one, alone. But Amoria, Eli...they're not warriors, they're like my freakin' kids, my brothers and sisters. And Jay will lead them to their slaughter, out there in the wastelands. Out there in the...ashes....where Freya is... *He pockets a wedding ring without emotion. It's too shiny. It could give away his position. Very untactical*
Dean Jackson sat crosslegged, alone in a corrugated steel shack. A magnetic rail sniper weapon, formidable even in its 27 pieces, lay dissembled in front of him on a rag. Nice and lubed, charged, the parts in remarkable order. Suddenly he heard a slight rise in the voices outside and smelt the faintest hint of diesel [just shy of... three hundred feet downrange, faint wind, from about 270 degrees...] Before his brain was conscious of the action, he had already reassembled the weapon, slid in a magazine of ten bolts, and was working on the bayonet.
So that's what war does to you.
Semper Fidelis
"If I became a philosopher, if I have so keenly sought this fame for which I'm still waiting, it's all been to seduce women basically. "
Ivy. Miss Ivy Kenneth. The youngest girl I know of to survive the nuclear accident, and she was older than Amy-Jo, much older. That made me anxious. It made me feel like I was just about to try to find something that was long gone. It made me tremble. But still, eventhough the sight of her made me feel anxious, in a strange sort of way, it also made me happy, just happy; she reminded me of Amy-Jo, despite the age-gap. Her sweet, caring, friendly attitude to situations were just like hers- Amy-Jo's.
I also admired her, probably more than any other inhabitant of Fraup; she was 15, with no family, and yet, still lived reasonably happily, and more importantly- safely. Fraup was safer than the wasteland surrounding it, but it was corrupt and no woman of any age completely safe. Ivy, however, seemed fine and safe. She was sensible; from what I had previously observed, she stayed around decent people in the day and locked herself away at night.
As I expected, Nikolas was friendly indeed, he greeted me and shook my hand. We seemed to hit it off quite well. Then a young girl interuppted.
It was Ivy. Miss Ivy Kenneth. She was such a young woman- the youngest person I know of to have survived the nuclear accident. That made me tremble- she was young but she was much older than Amy-Jo. I tried not to think about it. She may have made me tremble, but that was only because she reminded me of my daughter, and I feared for Amy-Jo and her mother. Despite the age gap, Ivy was very much like Amy-Jo; she had a sweet, caring and friendly attitude to situations and people.
I admired her greatly, probably more than any other inhabitant of Fraup. She was 15, had lost her family in the accident and so she lived on her own, yet, she was fine, she was as healthy as one could be in Fraup, she was coping reasonably well but more importantly, she was safe; even though Fraup was much safer than the surrounding wasteland, it was corrupt and any woman 15-40 years of age living here wasn't safe, not completely. However, Ivy was sensible- she stayed amongst decent, honest people in the daytime, and locked herself up at night, and boy was night the time to be locked up. The only folk that ventured around Fraup at night were the homeless, the perverted old men, the pimps, the looters and the prostitutes. I have no time for the like- I call them 'night dwellers' because they are the ones that lock themselves up in the daytime, for fear of discrimination. It made me happy that Ivy had not gone down that long, awful path into being a night dweller as most of them had- lonely teenagers. It would have hurt me very much to think that Ivy would have even considered it, mainly, that was due to how much she resemble Amy-Jo. The thought made my stomach turn and my knees numb.
I was delighted that Nikolas was going to accompany myself and Jay in leaving Fraup, but I wasn't sure about Nikolas' proposal to Ivy; he offered her too to join us. She just seemed far too young, and she was doing fine in Fraup. The wilderness that surrounded the village just seemed like no place for a 15 year old girl, but I guess she was with us, we would keep her safe- we would try our best. Oh, but her little legs, she would slow us down- I couldn't do with being slowed down, I just wanted to run the whole way without stopping- believe me when I say, I have the energy. Love can make you invincible if need be. I knew that because Julia was my life-long partner, I met her when I was 16, she was also 16, we've been together ever since, and my daughter, Amy-Jo, a father's love for his daughter could transform the weakest, ageing man into a Zeus-like figure.
She may stand on little legs, but she has a good heart, and she deserves to leave Fraup if she wishes and I would prefer her leaving with us today, than on her own another day.
Ivy took a deep, shuddering breath. Her face cracked into a small smile. "Yes," Ivy breathed, and the sigh seemed to release an age of stress and worry, of concern and sorrow from her body. She had been pent up in Fraup for too long. She had been alone for too long. To leave, finally?
Ivy glanced at the man she knew to be the former Professor Travis. Ivy saw something in his eyes that went beyond acceptance. The man was wallowing in his far-off memories, perhaps of his past life and family. Ivy knew the look well. Ivy met his gaze.
"That is," Ivy continued reluctantly. "If it is okay with you?"
The Professor swallowed. "Of course," he said seriously.
"I - I know that I'll be expected to carry my own weight," said Ivy quickly, reassuringly. "And I can do it. But I've got to leave. I've got too."
The Professor gave a small smile. "Understandably."
Ivy glanced from man to man. "So - When should I be ready to leave?"
The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education. — Martin Luther King, Jr.
.
*
