flashed a smile at his question. "Two. But they all kinda were just using me so I guess that doesn't really count. So nope." I chuckled, crossing my arms.
I looked up at him, "Why?"
All you need is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie-dust!
I woke up late, looking around quickly as I always did these days, searching for some sort of threat. Many of the group were already up, preparing a small breakfast before we set out towards the road.
"Morning," I said, as cheerfully as I could regardless of my growing anticipation of walking the interstate, as I sat next to Ritika who had Claire on her lap.
"Hi Sam," she smiled. "How long are we settled here for?"
"We can only stay for about a few more minutes. We need to keep moving if we're going to beat winter." I had noticed the leaves slowly turning gold and realised that we had yet another thing to worry about.
"Sam, we're going to the road?" Dania asked me, clarifying.
"Yes, unfortunately our plans had to be altered."
"I've heard a rumor of people who have staked out the interstate. Apparently they've secured a nearby farm and use the interstate for...hunting." Dania, paused as if she were looking for the right way to say something.
"Hunting?" I asked her, "What can they hunt on the road that isn't already diseased?"
"They hunt humans Sam, they're running low on supplies.
I stared at her for a second, blinking to refocus. I'd heard stories like this, groups of kids desperate for food that they'd turn on each other, but I never wanted it this close to home.
"We're trapped. But we have a better chance of fending off these starving kids than a Sleeper, and we have to get west. Let's pull on out guys!" I yelled out to everyone.
Jeremy fell into step with and raised his eyebrow. "We're going to a highway infested with cannibals?" He asked bluntly, his distaste showing clearly on his face.
"The difference between a frying pan and a fire, though I'm not sure to which one we're headed," I told him honestly. "We can't stay here, we can't go back. We have to move forward."
Jeremy frowned to himself and I tried to ignore the looming sense of doubt that I suddenly felt about the decision. I didn't know if we could stretch our luck this far, but it was best we could do.
“One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes” ~ The Little Prince~
I ran foward to catch up with the group. "I heard something about...Cannibalism. Theres no way. We can't go there. I-It's too dangerous." I gave my opinion. "Are you sure, Sam..?" I asked.
Suddenly a storm picked up and lightning strikes. It startles me and it starts to get freezing out. I run to my tent and pick up my hoodie. I put it on and then put my leather jacket over it, using the hoodie from the rain. I grabbed my phone and put it in my jacket pocket and walked back out.
"Guys, We should hurry. The storms getting closer and They probrably know where we are."
All you need is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie-dust!
Any reason why you switched to present tense, Pixie?
Claire
I was sitting on a rock eating another piece of my chocolate. It was melted, because I guess chocolate doesn't like to be stuck in my pocket, but it still tasted good. I looked at the guy who had given it to me. He was funny looking, with his hair in his face. I wondered if he had soft hair, like Mason.
All the big kids were talking, and some of them seemed kind of mad. I saw my suitcase and went to change clothes, putting on my favorite blue shirt and yellow pants that my mom never liked. But my mom wasn't here anymore. Now Lorana and Ritika and Mason were supposed to take care of me. And Ali, but she didn't seem as big as the other big kids. She seemed scared all the time. And Jeremy, but he didn't smile very much, and he liked to bang on the ground with sticks when we weren't doing anything.
Suddenly I heard thunder, it was so loud, and I thought I could see shapes coming from the trees. There were just shadows, I think, but they scared me. I found a big rock and ran to hide behind it, holding my hands over my ears to keep out the booms and leaning over my bear to keep it from getting wet. The rain got harder, and pieces of ice kept hitting me. I started crying, and calling for help. "Mason! Riti!! Jeremy!" I felt someone touch me and I screamed, trying to hit them and run away. Then I realized it was just Jeremy, and I ran into his arms and kept crying.
"It's okay, Claire, it's just rain. We'll be alright." Then he saw something behind me, and picked me up and started running. "There's a T-Critter, Mason, get Claire, she's freaked out. Ritika and I can get this thing pretty easily, but not with Claire in the way." Mason picked me up and carried me towards the rest of the group, whispering that everything would be fine.
A non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity. -Kafka
Claire had hidden behind a rock, frightened out of her wits by the thunder. Ali looked scared too. Actually, everyone looks a bit freaked out, what with Dania's talk about the kids who had become so desperate they were hunting humans. Jeremy went to get Claire. Ritika could her him comforting her in the distance, behind her. "It's okay, Claire, it's just rain. We'll be alright."
A second later, when she turned, however, she saw something in the clouds. A massive shape. Jeremy had noticed too, as he looked over Claire's head. He picked her up and started running. "There's a T-Critter, Mason, get Claire, she's freaked out. Ritika and I can get this thing pretty easily, but not with Claire in the way." Ritika nodded and added, "Sam, you'll need to get Ali out of here as well. She's not too good with this either. Dania, Lorana, could you guys cover them from either side? Just in case. We'll get this thing. Whatever it is." The girls nodded and moved to take their place on either side of Ali and Mason, who was still carrying Claire, while Sam took the front, his crossbow in hand. She slid out the cartridge and reinserted it, locking a fresh load of bullets in. The group moved forward, but Jeremy and Ritika walked away from it, towards the T-Critter. It stepped out, and they were finally able to make out it's shape. "A lion of all things." Ritika breathed. "Why couldn't it have been a spider? Or a rabbit? Easier to deal with." Next to her, Jeremy chuckled, both surprising and startling her. "You're one weird chick, you know?" he asked. She grinned. "Yeah, but there's no fun in being normal, is there?"
"Married to music - 'nuff said." "Freedom is everything to me."
"Have you any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?" "I shall futterwacken vigorously" ~ Tarrant Hightop, Alice in Wonderland.
I covered my face, but peeked out through my fingers to watch Jeremy and Ritika fighting. "They make a good pair," Mason murmured to Lorana. She nodded, stepping closer to him.
"I hope there's only one T-Critter. I really like this dress, and don't want it to get ruined by fighting." She laughed, but Mason was still serious.
"You can always stay here with Claire and Ali. Someone needs to protect them." She made a face that I knew meant she didn't want to babysit me. I saw she wasn't serious about the dress, and would go fight if any more T-Critters showed up. I tried to be brave and say that I could take care of myself, but then another thunder boomed and I screamed.
"Yeah, I'm sure you can take care of yourself, cutie." Mason laughed and moved over even more, so that he and Lorana were brushing arms. "Move over, Mas!" Lorana snapped.
"Make me," was Mason's answer, and I waited for Lorana to punch him or something. Instead she just stuck her tongue out and stayed where she was.
A non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity. -Kafka
Mas keeps moving closer to me and I don't have a choice but to stay there, because Ali was on the other side of me. I put a ringlet behind my ear, when he moves as close as we could get.
"Move over, Mas!" I snap at him.
he grins and looks at me. "Make me."
I roll my eyes and stick my tongue out at him. I fix my mini dress when lightning cracks again and it startles me. I flinch, hating it so much.
Me and Mas' Hands touched for a breif second and I swallowed, trying to look away. Suddenly I feel a sharp pain in my torso, near my hip. I set my hand on it, then release it, seeing blood. I turned around to see te T-Critter. I swallowed and stopped, everyone turning around. It walks towards me and I stay frozen, screaming inside.
I slowly reach for my dagger in my boot and it growls. I swallow again and start to feel dizzy from loss of blood, the T-Critter sees my dagger and runs into the woods. Everything goes blurry and I drop to the ground on one knee. I try to compose myself from the pain in my side. I weakly stand, and my face turns pale white.
I turn to the group and slip on my jacket. I let my hair fall loose, the curls bouncing back on my shoulders. I keep my hand on my torso. I rip the bottom peice of my dress off and wrap it around my stomach, to stop the bleeding. I took a deep breath and put my hand on my forehead.
All you need is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie-dust!
As soon as we all heard from Sam that we were taking the roads, a bad storm came in, making a bad sound. Lorana hurried over to her tent and came out, wearing a hoodie. I heard little Claire screaming, out my name.
"Mason! Riti! Jeremy!" Claire said.
I ran over to her. Jeremy was already there, comforting her.
"There's a T-Critter, Mason, get Claire, she's freaked out. Ritika and I can get this thing pretty easily, but not with Claire in the way." He said.
I nodded towards him, and Claire took hold of my long legs. She was hugging them. I hugged her and covered her ears from hearing the storm. I saw Ritika and Jeremy, fighting bravely.
"They make a good couple." I said and, Lorana stepped beside me, nodding. Claire looked at us, with one of her eyes frowning at us. I laughed.
"Don't worry. I've got you." I said to her and she smiled.
I kept moving next to Lorana. I don't what made me do it, but I just did. Our hands touched for a second, and my face went pale for just that second.
"Move over, Mas!" Lorana said.
"Make me." I replied, grinning at her. She laughed to it, but little did I know, that the next minute, she was attacked by the T-Critter. She touched her hips, to find her blood gushing out. I could see the panic in her face, I wanted to let Sam know, but not now. Not when everyone's already panicking! I saw Lorana, ripping off a part of the dress and tying it around her hips. Claire looked at me, waiting for me to do something.
"Mason! Don't just stand there. She's collapse at anytime! Help her!" Claire said to me. I can't believe a little girl was actually giving me instructions. But it did help me.
"Oh no. Now, I really have to get my clothes spoiled." I said, groaning. "But I can't put Lorana's life to risk."
I saw the T-Critter running towards Lora. I pushed her out of the way, and cut the skin of its leg with me Swiss Knife that I kept in my pocket for emergency. I grabbed some stones and a broke a branch out of a tree.
"What are you doing?" Dania asked me.
"If I could just make this branch a little more sharper, I can kill that thing." I replied to her.
"Nice thinking!" she said, giving me a thumbs up.
I rubbed the stones on the branch till it got sharper. It didn't take too long, before it did get sharper. When it was ready, I aimed at it, and threw it. Not before long, the branch hit the middle body of the T-Critter. It screamed in pain thus, falling down.
I hurried over to Lorana, who was trying her best to not let her show her pain. I looked at Sam. With my hands, I told him to hurry over to us. He came running towards us, and looked at Lorana with horrid eyes.
"Oh my God! She's hurt!" Sam said.
"We need to do something. Call some female member over here." I said, giving Sam some advice.
Sam nodded, and went on to call someone and I took care of Lorana.
"Its okay. You'll be alright." I said.
I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.
I saw Mason just standing there, and started yelling at him to do something. "Mason! Don't just stand there. She'll collapse at anytime! Help her!" Mason nodded, and looked scared. Big kids could be so dumb sometimes. He set me down and grabbed Lorana to keep her from falling all the way over. He set her down and tried to find Sam. I ran over to Dania, pointing out the T-Critter, which was still half alive. She nodded, ran up to it, and twisted its neck. I screamed, but Dania didn't notice. "Mason..." Lorana was trying to be big and brave, but she had watery eyes, like what I get when I'm sad.
"It's okay, Lorana." I said, holding her hand. "It was just a T-Critter. So since it wasn't a sleeper you're going to be okay. Don't worry." Ali saw the blood, and turned and started throwing up. I plugged my ears and scrunched up my face, and Sam came over and sat with Ali, trying to tell her to calm down.
Dania and Ritika came to try and help Lorana, but there was so much blood. I stood there, trying not to be in the way, until Dania came and picked me up. She took me over to a rock and sat down. "No more T-Critters." I looked down at her arm and saw a big scratch.
"What happened? Did you get hurt, too?"
"No, I'm okay." She pulled down her sleeve and frowned. "It's probably just some of Lorana's blood." I didn't say anything, but I knew it wasn't just blood. After a few minutes I wriggled away from her and stood by myself watching Lorana being carried over to the stream to wash out the wound.
A non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity. -Kafka
Mason Carried me over to the river and set me down next to it. I took deep breaths, not crying. I never cry. I had a tank top and short-shorts under my dress so I took my dress off and it left me with the tank top and shorts. I forced water onto my hip and closed my eyes, the pain getting better. I was pale, like a ghost from loosing so much blood, but my lips were still the deep red.
Once the gash was cleaned I ripped off the bottom part of my tank top and wrapped it around my hips, leaving my tan belly button showing.
I fell, backwards into the grass and put my hands over my face, trying to compose myself. I manned up and stood, walking back into my tent and came out looking like this-
When I came back out everybody was looking at me. "I'm fine." I muttered. I suddenly felt embarassed and I walked away towards the river, and sat down, dipping my toes in the water.
Last edited by PixieStix on Sat Apr 07, 2012 8:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
All you need is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie-dust!
The violence started, then the shouting and arguing, then the blood... It took one glance of the red liquid to send Ali's stomach churning. Blurry and rushed images flooded her head and the scene around her spun. She took ahold of her head in an attempt to calm down, her breath racing and shallow, but the stillness did nothing but send bile climbing her throat.
She turned away from the others and dropped to the ground, throwing up everything she'd eaten earlier. Fear and fragility overwhelmed her, sending her jumping when Sam approached to console her. She scurrieds away and climbed another tree, a tear slowly making its way down her cheek. She held back her sobs, maintaining some form of dignity.
I'm never what I like I'm double sided And I just can't hide I kind of like it When I make you cry 'Cause I'm twisted up, twisted up Inside
