Chapter 1: The Survival
Lucas
Their voices began fading away as I silently snaked further into the dense jungle. Once I was sure I was out of their view I heaved myself up onto my feet. Thick, warm blood oozed from the two bullet wounds she had left me. How could she have betrayed me for him, the great Commander Taylor? Sure he had been like a father to her, but I had been a brother. I'd looked out for her and her mother, cared for her; even let that stupid Shannon boy live for her. And what had she done for me? Betrayed me God knows how many times and then shot me...twice. I had liked her, even had some ounce of respect for her. But now, now! I despised her along with the others. She was nothing to me; no longer my dear little sister, my Bucket. She'd chosen what side she was on, I only hoped she'd come to regret it.
I could hear the water crashing down at Snakehead Falls. I planned to stop there, get some water and clean out my wounds. I continued stumbling through the trees, and then I could see it; the fresh blue water sparkling under the setting sun. I fell to my knees, unable to keep myself standing any longer, and dragged myself over to the water's edge. I splashed water up onto my face, instantly feeling the boiling rage cool down.
My eyes flicked down to the more serious of the two wounds. The surrounding fabric was drenched in black blood. I carefully removed my shirt and studied the wound. It looked pretty deep. Problem was I couldn't feel an exit wound, meaning the bullet was lodged deep in my chest somewhere. Great...
I leant back onto the rocks, looking up at the darkening sky. It would be easier if I just gave up. Let myself die. I didn't fear death. In fact I was kind of looking forward to the peaceful serenity I hoped death would bring. I didn't believe in any of that religious crap. When we die, we're dead, that's it, end of story...though a small part of me, a shadow of my former innocent, younger self, still hoped that maybe he would be reunited with his mother in some form or another.
For the first time I'm glad you're mother's dead, she'd be so ashamed of what you've become. My father's words echoed through my mind, over and over again. She'd be so ashamed...so ashamed. I dug my fingernails into the palm of my hand, the pain bringing me comfort. I glanced back down at the hole in my chest. Without proper medical attention I knew I was a gonna. If the bullet had exited then maybe I could have done something, but I could not get the bullet out on my own. Normally if I was this banged up I'd temporarily swallow my pride and seek out the Sixers, but logic told me they'd be well on their way to the Badlands by now.
I guessed my time was up. I put my hands under my head and looked up at the stars. The stars were all different in this time than back in my own time, so I took great pleasure from studying the new patterns. A few meteors dashed across the blackness. I'd forgotten that there was supposed to be a meteor shower tonight.
Numbness washed over me, dulling the pain. The beating of my heart began slowing and I drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness. I was engulfed in memories of my childhood. My mother's melodic laugh rang in my ears and I could smell that god awful floral perfume that my father had bought her. I recalled that time, when the air was still clear enough, playing catch in a field with my father whilst my mother had read a book on the picnic blanket. I remember the time I climbed high up in a tree, fell out and broke my wrist. My mother had fought back tears, hating to see me in pain, as my father had carried me into the hospital. The most prominent memory though was when I was five years old. I was running around the house with a bucket on my head pretending to be an astronaut. My mother had picked me up, swinging me around the room, pretending I was driving my own rocket.
Against my wishes my mind went back to her. I had loved hearing the story behind her nickname; it had made me feel connected to her. Whenever I called her by it, it had reminded me of that connection; it reminded me of a happier point in my life. But not anymore. I hope she rots, rots with the rest of that disgusting colony. I had been wrong before, she and the Shannon boy were the perfect match. They deserved one another.
I flinched from the sudden pain in my chest. I tried to refocus my mind back at the spectacular meteor display above me.
My ears suddenly detected a revving sound. I craned my head in the direction and saw headlights in the trees. I was blinded by the bright light and completely vulnerable lying out in the open. Three rovers screeched to a halt a few metres back from where I was lying. I heard voices and footsteps but could not tell who they were. My vision began blurring again and I could feel I was fading away. A tall, dark figure loomed above me. The figure crouched down, her braided black hair falling around her face.
"You look like shit Lucas."
She always said it how it was. I respected her for that. The anger and frustration, I'm guessing from the fact we were now cut off from 2149, was etched all over her face. Her eyes were tinted pink as if she had been crying; presumably from the realisation that she would never see her daughter again.
"Mira."
She nodded to some of the others surrounding her, and I was roughly lifted to my feet. Carter and another Sixer I could not remember the name of helped me into the back of a rover. Mira got in with me, along with a couple others. We then sped away.
