Aftermath

~Naome~

My convulsions were slowing, the horrid memories fading away. I had left them all to die, and so I deserved to die. I deserved to relive every horrible thing I'd ever done. Nothing could take that guilt away. Coughing, I tried to steady my muscles, but I still didn't have any control. It was as if I was watching from someplace deep inside myself. I felt almost no pain, only twinges of the knowledge that my skin was starting to rip itself. It would hurt later, but I also deserved that.

Finally, my convuslionis ceased, though I was shaking as if I were a plate of Jello in an earthquake. The man who had brought the horrid memories into place had a strange look on his face. No, it wasn't strange, just weird that he was looking at me with a hungry look, like he was starting at a sizzling steak or something.

Crap. He's going to eat me.

"I deserved no less than that," I said, spitting out sand, "but the only people I will allow to give me such judgement, like say, that I deserve to be eaten, will be those kids." If they are alive.

Arrow


Arrow smiled, watching her as the convulsions slowed and her strength slowly came back, her hand immediately reached over to the staff and she clutched it tightly to herself. She was far from the best she had looked.

Drool seeped out of his mouth, imagining the delicate flavouring of her flesh.

"You've made a mistake there, guilty one. I am not to judge you. I'm just hungry." there was slight amusement to his dark tone which sent shivers down her spine.

Naome was now desperately trying to claw her way away from Arrow, who was growing ever close. His pace never changing once, watching her in amusement as she scrambled away.

"I said, I deserved all that, but I'll only accept judgement by the children I've forsaken." she replied, drawing backwards, her hands sinking into the sand as she tried to claw her way back.

"And I've already told you, I'm not saying it again. Anyway, you shouldn't play with your food." he smiled back to her, his toothy grin alarming in the sense that this actually seemed like something he enjoyed.

Naome, finally feeling in more control, harboured her thoughts and pulled herself upwards by the staff in her hands, planting it firmly into the ground and then exerting herself to end in an upright position.

Arrow began to clap, "Fi, I really am surprised. Not many people can take that much of a shaming and still be able to stand. I didn't want to waste my energy on food. Though, I suppose, food does need a little tendering."

The grin on his face widened and Naome, still reeling for his previous shame out, tried to shamble away. Her attempted escape made him smile. He could use a slave with that amount of will power. And in her defenceless state, he could probably blackmail her into it.

He paused and let her shamble away then as she noticed he was no longer following, snapped around quickly, "What do you want?"

"For your life, and services, I promise you your life. I won't eat you, and probably won't attack you anytime soon. As long as you serve me." he pointed sharply at himself and bowed.

"So, little Fi, up for life or death? God knows I'm hungry and little sister can't bug me now." a little chuckle escaped his lips. Oh, yes the little was now forever gone.

"Fi? With the i and not the e. Why haven't you answered yet?" his voice was cruel and harsh with contempt and anger. The smirk on his face was over arrogant and yet, Naome could feel something off about him.

Like this wasn't as he always was. Almost as if this were a shadow of what he once had been. Maybe that smile of his had once been warm. Maybe that laughter full of happiness. She remembered trying to stand straight the memories of the children and thoughts of them filled her mind.

Maybe, there was something to salvage in this lost soul. For hadn't she sworn to help all those that needed help?

Arrow's laughter grated on her nerves, but it was also inevitable to note, that even though her body was basically superhuman, it was not able to cope with the shaming out of Arrow's power. For if the mind is weakened the will to control it's very own body is beyond reach.

"What'll it be?" he asked, his voice icy cold, and yet however masking a feeling he did not allow himself to openly feel. Hope. Hope that maybe, that somehow this person would break the demon inside him.

Arrow stared at her and Naome stared right back, but because her mind was still groggy she could not make proper eye contact.

*lols, your decision ^^*

~Naome~

Choices:

1.Get eaten.

2.Become a slave.

3.Beat him over the head with my bo staff.

Three would have been the preferred option, but I barely had my body in control right now so it would result in option one. And, though I didn't deserve to live, being eaten wasn't the best way to go.

"I'll do it." I said quietly, looking down. All of my weight was on my staff, which I really wanted to hit his head in with. For some reason, he was showing me mercy even though he was starving. And calling me Fi...what was up that? My name had nothing to do with the letter F. It never has. There is no F in Naome, however you look at it.

The man grinned at me, quite obviously satisfied.

“I just request one more thing, other than that you don’t eat me or attack me.” I looked at him, but didn’t give him a chance to speak, “Never touch my skin. You’ll regret it. Especially when I’m emotionally unsound. I will, quite accidentally, rip your memories from you. They won’t go away for forever, but the feeling of every memory, even the ones that you were supposed to forget, like being born, for instance. It isn’t pleasant for either me or the idiot that touch me. NOT, that I'm implying any idiocy on your part."

Penny

Things were looking grim, but I tried not to let it get to me. I patted Rocky's head, ruffling his grey wiry fur in encouragement. He panted heavily, his thick wolf like coat overheating him as we walked endlessly through the desert fallout area. Around us broken homes sank dejectedly into the cracked ground and doors hanging off their hinges creaked.

"Want a rest, boy?" I said to him with a smile. He turned his great wolfish face to me, his eyes sorrowful and tired, not full of their usual bounce.

"Come on, let's go," I smiled at him, tugging him by the ear and directing him towards some shade. He collapsed on the dirt, panting heavily as I took a seat beside him, dwarfed by the sheer size of him. I reached into my bag, searching through it with my hand. Behind the cool, slender snout of my rifle was my last remaining water bottle. I pulled it out, as Rocky gazed at the cool liquid with longing.

I concentrated on the liquid, using my power to cool the substance down. Rocky was now frantic for the icy water, pawing at it with his big bear like paws.
Twisting the cap, I let the precious liquid flow into his jaws as he snapped it up thirstily.
"What a waste..."

I jumped to my feet in fright and immediately Rocky shifted into attack mode, making himself look even more fierce by raising his hackles and baring his finger sized teeth.
I held out a hand to tell him not to attack, but now savage snarls flew from his jaws at the stranger.

*anyone can jump in. Rocky is an Irish Wolfhound by the way.*

Riley-

"Do you here something?" Leo asked.

"What is it?" asked Emily. There was snarling near. I heard it too and looked around. Was there a dog somewhere? Or was it a different, more terrible creature.

"No! Sit!"

"Someone's in trouble," I said soflty and jogged towards the snarling. There was a girl face to face with a dog that looked mad. What should I do? What should I do?

I took a deep breath and snuck around the back of the dog, quietly removing my gloves to reveal my green hands. I really hoped this worked.

I touched the back of the dog and absorbed its energy. Not till it died, just enough energy to knock it out. The dog fell limp and collapsed to the ground. I looked up at the girl who now looked furious.

"What did you do?" she asked angrily.

"Saved you?"