(WARNING: There are swear words in this novel! There is also blood, gore, and sexual content.)
Chapter One
As the wind blew dust and old scraps of paper around the ruined mini-city, two figures walked through the man street, stepping over large piles of rubble, comprised mostly of stones and wood, and weaving in between dead bodies, which seemed to rot where they lay. The first was a man of about twenty, wearing jeans that looked like they had been dragged over a bed of nails. He was entirely too pale, the white hair shaved much too close to his head, and his face in a small stubble was premature. The large wine stain, mixed with tattoo ink, that covered the upper left side of his face, encircling his eye, and creeping up close to the bridge of his nose had earned him the nickname 'Inky'.
The second was a female, who looked similar to Inky. She was wearing a skirt, a white blouse, and was slightly trailing behind him. "Watch where you step, you moron! If you get another cut, it could get infected!" She yelled, not afraid to attract the attention of the others around them, who looked just as dirty and malnourished. "Can it!" Inky barked back, jumping off a large stone, which seemed to have come from the blasted shell of a building which was to the left of him. He landed on his feet, and rose his arms in the air, like some sort of gymnast.
Rebecca, then young man's sister, rolled her eyes and kept walking, stepping over the body of a teenager. The smell in the air was one of decay, rubble, and urine. When she had first come here, it was enough to make her want to vomit. Glancing quickly over her shoulder, her eyes gleamed at the beauty of a setting sun. "We better find somewhere safe to sleep tonight. I got a little stubbed toe, and a enough blisters for the both of us!" Rebecca said, turning to catch up with Inky, who was sitting down, examining his cut and dirty feet. What she had said was code, stubbed toe meaning food, and blisters meaning water. If she had said what it really was aloud, she could attract unwanted attention, and get the good she had worked so hard getting, stolen from her.
Inky smiled. "Good job." He ducked into a wooden shed that had no roof, and sat on the floor. "Can we stay here? I don't really want to walk anymore." Sighing, the man began picking at the scabs which covered his feet. His hands were in a shape which was almost as bad as his feet, and he only had six fingernails to speak of. Rebecca closed what was left of the door, and pulled out the short rusty knife she always slept with. She sat down on the opposite wall, and leaned against it. Inky watched as the sun set, and thought about home, dozing off slowly.
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The sun was just beginning to drift behind a large hill in the distance, which meant it was time to find shelter. A woman, wearing a long and ragged green dress, stepped over the rotting body of a male, and made her way, barefoot, towards a shack in the distance. Her feet were bleeding from between the toes, and she limped on her left side because of a piece of glass stuck under the heel. She was silent, her expression hidden by a thick curtain of damp brown hair.
A young man appeared from behind another destroyed building and seemed to nod to the woman, following her gaze at the old shack, and waiting for her to walk beside him. When she caught up, they moved together in silence, not giving another smile, nod, or any gesture of friendliness. Damaged, lost prisoners watched them pass from broken windows, eying them suspiciously. They carried no food, or anything of value, so they were not given a second glance. Finally, the two were at the doorway to the broken structure. There was no door; there were none in this City, as all the shelters were missing them. As the older woman peered into the shadows from planks of wood that leaned against the walls, she could vaguely make out the silhouettes of two young people. She assumed they were just more starved bodies, and stepped in to remove them.
Her son came in and bent down to scoop up the female. His hands touched her wrist, and for a moment he thought she may be alive. His index finger pressed against her veins, and he waited, silent as he had been on the walk over. His deep, tired voice whispered to the woman, and they both helped carry the sleeping bodies out. Then they placed them several feet away from the shack, and went inside. The woman sat on the dirt floor and closed her eyes, hoping sleep would overcome her soon. The male took four planks of wood and leaned them against the doorway, then slipped through a crack between the planks. He crouched beside the resting people, staring at the woman for a while, before investigating them thoroughly. He slowly reached into their pockets, hoping not to awake them, and had fortunately found a small scrap of meat, feeling quite disappointed that the rest must have been consumed. Anyway, he stepped back inside, and ripped the tiny piece of food into two and shoved one in his mouth, the other in his mother's lap. It would be waiting for her when she awoke.
Rebecca's eyes fluttered open with a start, and she suddenly felt a little bit bewildered. She was outside. Her brother was beside her, sleeping like a log. Sitting up and wiping her eyes, accidentally smearing some dirt on her face, she felt around for her knife, which was still here. Rebecca slowly stood up, looking at the shack they had fallen sleep in, then looking back at her brother, who was murmuring about food in his sleep. "Inky! Get up!" She said sternly, nudging him with her toe. He didn't respond, and she began to grow cross. "Jake, get your ass up! Someone carried us outside or something, unless it was you..." Her anger at the situation leaking into her usually calm and cool voice. Inky looked up at her, opening his eyes, and lifting up his body groggily. "What the fuck?" He asked, then stood up. Rebecca grimaced, and nodded toward the shack. "Looks like we were removed, and I think someone stole the meat that was in my pocket." Glancing at her brother with a frown, then back towards the wooden structure. "We're lucky we weren't eaten. Sleeping out in the open is more than dangerous."
"No shit." Inky said sarcastically, as he ripped off his thumbnail, and popped it in his mouth. Chewing it over, he rolled his shoulders back and entered the shack, removing the boards that blocked the doorway. "Hey, people...um...we were kind of sleeping here...my sister and I...and one of our meat pieces is gone...so I'm going to have to ask that you people in here get out...and give us our meat back, if possible." Inky spoke carefully, with not a single trace of harshness in his tone. Rebecca stormed in, completely dissatisfied with her brother's requests. "Get your asses up. Get out of OUR shack, and give us back OUR meat, or I swear, I'll fuck you both up myself." Unlike Inky, Rebecca said this in a cool, let deadly way. Inky looked at her, smirking. "Wait to be tactful, sis."
The young man's eyes were the first to open. Above him, towered the female he had removed earlier. His arm slowly extended out and nudged his mother's side. Her lids carefully lifted up, and she yawn as she sat up, taking the meat in her lap and chewing it cautiously. "I apologize," The woman's voice said, barely over a whisper. "There were few other places available, where we, my son and I, could spend the night. We had been planning to stay here days previous, and when we arrived we found your bodies fast asleep. At first we assumed you were two starved siblings, until my son discovered that you still had a pulse...we had no choice but to remove you from this place. It was getting dark, and as I stated before, there were few other shelters vacant. Perhaps we could share this place for the rest of the night?"
The man still stayed silent, squinting to see through cracks in the splintered planks in the doorway. Dim light squeezed its way into the tiny shack. He presumed that the four people would not be able to all fit into this one small space, and by the look in the intimidating woman's eyes, they would be staying no longer than another fifteen minutes here. "And I, too, apologize for taking your meat. As you know, there's little food around. I failed in my patrols today...and I am not a skilled hunter. I'll repay you if you wish." The man's eyes could no longer hold on the woman's, and he sheepishly looked away, trying his best to fake a guilty gaze.
Rebecca looked at the man, her eyes hardening. "Do not steal from me. Ever. Next time you do it, death will befall you." She said coolly. Inky only laughed. "Are you fucking off your rocker? There is no way four people could fit in here." He squinted, seeing the cut from the glass in the woman's foot. "Lady, I would try to wash that soon. Just as many people die from infection here, as starvation. A wound like that could mean a death sentence." He added, his voice turning a little bit remorseful. He itched the side of his face, and looked up at the ceiling.
"And, stop trying to fake like you're sorry. Because you obviously aren't." Rebecca said, as she stepped out of the doorway. "Get the fuck out of here. The both of you." She said, flashing her knife in the moonlight. Inky only scowled, then his face turned to it's usual happy demeanor. "Rebecca....don't be so mean." He said, chuckling. "People...um....I apologize for my sister. She's just an over protective, over bearing bitch. Don't take it personal. Don't worry about the meat, we're in pretty good shape as of now, and I'm sure going another day without eating won't be to bad." Glancing between the two uninvited visitor, he flashed them a charming smile. "By the way, my name is Jake. Most people call me Inky." After he introduced himself, Inky extended his hand in a more formal greeting. From the doorway, Rebecca scowled at him and shook her head. "You are so immature."
The man looked up again, this time standing, and shook Inky's hand in response. "I am Niami Deveroux, and this is my mother, Meliva Deveroux. It's a pleasure to meet you," He said, with a hint of scorn, his eyes staring straight into those of the sister. Meliva stepped forward and nodded, also shaking the young brother's hand. "I would appreciate if you didn't think so highly of yourself. " Niami was speaking directly at Rebecca now. "My mother and I are also fighting for survival, and we intend to win this battle. Mel was so generous as to suggest an alliance, and yet you immediately turned it down with such hostility. Now, I wouldn't waste a moment to kill either of you if you decided to put you threats into action. So I suggest you speak to both of us with more respect, ma'am." The male's voice was bitter and cold, as he eyed the siblings.
Meliva took a step back and placed one hand on her son's shoulder, and the other on the handle of the knife that was hanging out of the zipper section of her dress. She had always hid it just barely sticking out of the back of her bra, the only one she owned. It was in an odd, hard to reach place, but with the dress being her only clothing left, the others having been torn up so badly, it was the only sufficient place to put it. It was either there, or in her underwear. Inky looked up, giving a brief smile. "You guys should really chill out. Look, I'm sure we can all get along or...whatever. Don't mind Rebecca, she's just on her special time of month, and is being a total bitch to everyone. Even me. So, uh....yeah. And Niami, if you could please keep the obvious scorn you harbor towards my sister out of your voice, it would be appreciated. Thanks."
Rebecca smacked the back of Inky's shaved head in response, her eyes drilling into his. "Do not give out my personal information like that, you dick with ears!" She yelled. Inky raised an eyebrow, looking at Mel and Niami. "See? No need to get into killing each other, because odds tell me, that most of us will probably be dead before we see next year, from environmental causes. Murdering each other is still wrong, whether we are left in a city to die, or not." Letting his optimistic ways slip for a moment, Jake let his gaze linger between the mother and son. Rebecca looked to her brother, taken aback, as she muttered an apology to Niami and Mel. She began to scale the wall of the shack, and rooted around in the dry wall, until her hand seized upon something. It was a water skin, with no more than a quart of water in it. She took a small sip, and passed it to her brother, who took another slightly larger sip. She snatched it away from him, and replaced it. "That was why I was so apprehensive about people staying here. I worked hard to get clean water, and I didn't want it going down the throats of two people who could very well be cannibals."
Inky looked up. "Sister, you have to learn how to trust people. If these people were cannibals, don't you think they would be a little less skinny? Hmm?" He was getting a little annoyed with the situation, and slid down the wall, sitting on the floor with a thud. Niami quickly shook his hand and wiped it on the side of its pants, as if the siblings had some contagious disease that would kill you if you came in contact with their dirtied hands. His face scrunched up a bit, and he went outside the shack, rubbing his temples as a splitting headache pierced through his skull.
Inside, Meliva took a seat a few feet away from the people, obviously nervous around the hostile sister. "How long have the two of you been around here? I mean, in here? In the City?" As she spoke, she pulled at the shard of glass in her heel, finally managing to cope with the pain and tug it out. Some puss squeezed out of her skin, as well as a fair amount of blood, but she didn't seem to mind. Mel wiped it off with the edge of her dress, and rubbing her growling stomach, still waiting for a reply from the pair across the room. Niami paced around for another five minutes, and slowly started to wander away from the shelter. When he realized he was getting further and further away, he stopped, and made his way back to the doorway. Finally, the headache started to fade, and the male leaned halfway in and listened.
Inky shrugged, and looked up, biting his lip. "Err.....maybe about five months or so? Yeah that sounds about right." He said, as he looked at the pus excreting from the woman's foot. He cracked his neck, and looked up at his sister. Rebecca looked at him. "It seems longer than that though....time sort of goes fuzzy when you are here. It seems like there is only day...and night...and then it repeats. Honestly, I don't even know the day of the week right now. When time slips, it seems like soon your sanity might follow. Yesterday, I saw a man run naked up the street, and rip out his own eyes, screaming that he had some crops to get back to. I had talked to him a little while back, and he said he had grown up in a city. Some crazy shit goes on here, and it seems infectious."
Inky nodded. "Right you are." Yawning, he took out a piece of stale bread from the pocket, and nibbled on it a bit, finishing it. Hunger pinged in his stomach, a constant reminder that he had not eaten a good meal in five months or so. He used to have a good build, but now, his body had destroyed itself, because of hunger. He had given up on escaping months ago, when he witnessed a failed attempt. that ended the lives of six people. His was defeated, but kept up the facade of optimism, so his sister would not worry. Day in and day out, he feared for her sanity, and now, he knew that Rebecca's time amongst the clear minded was almost up.
"We have only been here for several weeks," The man's shadowed face peered in through the gaps in the wall. "You two are quite lucky to still be alive. My mother and I feared that we wouldn't last more than a couple days. The stories we heard about this place...they were much worse then it actually is." He took another glance towards the woman, then at his mother. "If it weren't for the child we met on the first day, things would be different then they are now. Thankfully...I hope I can repay if, if I ever see her again."
Meliva slowly nodded in agreement and exchanged looks of sorrow with her son. Then she turned her head back at the siblings, and forced herself to smile. "Actually, I'm very glad to have found more sane people! Many a time we have tried to form alliances! We even ran across somewhat of a maniac once. But that's a long, harsh story..." She smiled, and gently stroked her left foot. "But, please, do tell us...how did the two of you come to find yourselves here?"
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It was too dark up ahead to see. A pair of violet eyes stood out against a forest green background. In the distance, a couple walked. They were starving, and a ragged bag around the girl's shoulder was sure to hold something on value inside it. Many different faces watched from shattered windows and empty doorways, some rushing out to get their hands on whatever the girl kept at her side. They didn't even seem to notice, as about twenty figures crept behind them in the shadows.
A cry. They all turned. Light reflected of a knife, for a split second, then it flew to the ground, covered in thick red blood. Everyone stood, and watched the young girl fall to the littered ground. Her body added to the rest, and now her bag was in the hands of another female. A boy, about the same age as the girl, stared in horror at the corpse on his left. The remaining scavengers fled, and returned to their shelters.
Slowly, the young teenager bent down and lift the knife up by her waist. She twisted around, and grinned at the boy. In a matter of seconds, his body was beside his friend's. They were still holding hands, naked. The killer walked away from them, their tattered clothing hanging out of the bag which held enough food for two.
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Inky only looked a little distant, staring at the corner of the shack in reply to Mel's question. He did not like to remember what had happened. He itched the side of his face, and sucked on his teeth for an instant, looking to his sister to explain.
Rebecca looked at him, then back at the other people in the shack. "Well, we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. My brother and I are both lieutenants in the military, and we had started to uncover a scandal of sorts, involving the higher ups. They knew we were digging, and sent us here, so what they were doing would never get out." She finished, hiding all the details, and other facts. There was a short silence after the siblings' response, before Mel lifted her head and sighed. "That's terrible...Injustice seems to be common around these parts...The cities and towns outside this ruin. My son and I..." The woman seemed lost, and unable to finish her sentence. Niami took over. "My mother was accused of killing her brother. He was murdered in his own home, and somehow they found my mother's fingerprints on the body. Neither us know how they got there...As for me, I knew Meliva couldn't survive alone. Someone had to take care of her, and she had no family left. So I admitted to being an accomplice, and was thrown is here as well. "But, I just have one other question. I know you haven't been here very long, but...do you have any idea as to when anyone here will leave?"
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