Turn your ugly face, are you so surprised to see me?
Blue skies don't last forever. Sometimes, no matter how much people fight against it, the world turns gray. Rain will come and cover the land in an endless chill, with no thought of a sun. This was a day like that, and no matter how much Doug wished for the clouds to dissipate and return the world to warmth, the sky remained a cold slate.
Rain threatened to fall at any minute, yet instead of hiding away under some degree of shelter, Doug kept walking at a brisk pace, following behind the tall, imposing woman who took the lead. Distant thunder could be heard from behind, only maximizing Doug's fears at being out in the open field. For miles there was nothing; no trees, no buildings, no roads. Just an endless field of wheat.
This didn't last forever, thankfully, as the longer they walked eventually luck would have it that they came upon a dirt road, and after traveling that road for some time, a barn could be seen not far in the distance.
Thunder continued to howl, getting closer. An occasional drop of rain could be felt, signaling the arrival of more to come. Feeling unsure of his actions, and rather scared of the response he would get, Doug hoisted his pack higher up on his back and reached out his hand to gently tap the woman on the shoulder, jumping back immediately after.
It was smart of him to do so, as the woman immediately whipped around and made a threatening grab for him, missing the front of his shirt only by a hair. Doug immediately began to circle a closed fist around his chest, thumb sticking upward. He repeated this motion several times, hoping to get his point across. When the woman's eyes finally dulled their angry fire, he stopped the sign.
"Sorry," he mumbled, more for himself than for her. "It's going to storm soon," he said, pointing up at the sky and making an attempt at the sign for rain. He hugged his arms around his chest, shivering for emphasis, and then pointed off to the barn in the distance, hoping his poor attempt at signed communication wasn't a complete failure and that some of his meaning got across.
Chell looked at him for a moment, considering his proposition. Doug was by no means good at signing, and the small amount of lip reading she could do was useless against the thick beard that covered most of his face, but she understood his meaning well enough. Speaking with him was like trying to solve a difficult puzzle, and if there was one thing she was good at it was solving puzzles. Nodding, she turned and continued walking down the road, Doug limping after her.
Unfortunately, they didn't arrive at the barn before the rain hit. Chell immediately broke out into a run, only realizing once she had reached the awning of the barn that she left Doug behind. He tried his best to keep up, but with his leg in a poor state, the large pack on his back holding a small, yet heavy companion cube, and the ground growing slick with rain, running was impossible for him. She almost went back out after him, but decided to wait where she stood. What would she do to be of help, anyways? She wasn't going to carry him, that was for certain. Instead, she waited until he reached the awning, soaked all the way through and shivering uncontrollably.
The inside of the barn was dark, and smelled musty. The dust was thick, and there was a thin layer of hay and dirt on the floor. Still, it was better than outside, and for now made for a comfortable place to rest. Chell laid out on the floor, stretching out completely and making a contented noise. Doug, on the other hand, found the corner nearest to the door, set down his pack, and sat with his knees hugged tightly to his chest, trying to hold in whatever small amount of warmth he had left.
They remained inside that barn for the rest of the night, only leaving later the next morning once the rain had finally decided to let up. Doug's clothes were still damp, and the chill hadn't left him, but he at least wasn't dripping anymore. The sky was still gray, which only served to make the pair's moods of similar color.
It had been a day now since they met in the field, both lost and confused and exhausted beyond measure. When they fist saw each other, Chell's initial reaction was to attack. But seeing how Doug didn't fight back (not that he even had the strength to do so) she decided to reconsider. Getting any information out of each other was nearly impossible, as Chell couldn't speak and Doug knew very little sign, as well as was too scared to even look at her for the first few hours of their time together. But they managed to exchange names, and knew they both had just escaped from the same place and were looking for shelter. That was enough for them to decide to stick together and make their way in any direction that seemed fit.
It had been a day without food, the small amount of water that Doug had in his pack running out after only a few hours of travel, and it was beginning to show in their walking. Even Chell was going at a slower pace than her usual brisk speed. Doug was beginning to lag far behind, causing Chell to have to often stop and wait for him to catch up. Neither of them made any attempts at communication, both too exhausted to try and work that particular difficulty out for the time being. Instead, they pressed on in stillness, the only movement coming from their walking legs and occasional sway of their arms.
The sun was starting to get low in the sky, the end of a second day drawing near. Doug felt as if he couldn't walk any further, and subsequently, without any warning, fell over.
Chell kept walking for some time before turning and seeing that her companion wasn't standing on two feet anymore, let alone walking. Thinking he had probably died, she ran back to him to investigate the body, and was only mildly annoyed when she found he was still breathing.
She shoved at his side, trying to rouse him, but to no avail. He had passed out, and Chell was starting to wonder if he had hit his head on the way down. That could be troublesome. As much of a burden as his slow walking had been, it wouldn't be nice to be alone, so Chell continued to shove him, trying desperately now to wake him up. Still, no such luck.
For plenty of reasons other than being distracted (not being hearing, for starters), Chell was unaware of the fast approaching vehicle that was making it's way down the road ahead of her. It was only when the vehicle stopped not far from her that Chell looked up, surprised to suddenly see a large truck several feet away, and a tall man with gray hair and shotgun in hand step out from the cab.
Chell immediately went into defensive mode, moving so that she stood between Doug and the new stranger, having nothing to fight against him with but her fists, and holding them up proudly.
The man began to speak, holding up his free hand in a gesture of peace, and in his other holding the shotgun so that it was pointed not at her but towards the sky. Though the man had no beard to hide his lips, Chell still couldn't read what he was saying very clearly, and didn't leave her defensive position.
The man continued to talk, taking a few steps closer. Chell bared her teeth, bending her knees lower, as if she were a tiger ready to pounce. She didn't know who this person was, but she decided that she didn't like him, nor did she trust him. Especially considering he was armed, and she wasn't.
He took a couple of steps back at her response, his expression clearly showing how unsettled he felt. Slowly, he bent down to the ground, laying down his gun and holding up both hands in surrender. He continued to speak (god did he ever quit?), and Chell's patience finally running out she pointed harshly at her ear, and adding a thumbs down for extra emphasis. The man seemed confused and continued to talk, and Chell unceremoniously interrupted him, pointing again at her ear and waving her hand across it, trying once again to get her point across.
Realization finally seemed to hit the man's face. Of course, he continued to talk, probably asking for some sort of confirmation of what he believed she was saying, and then a few sentences of berating himself for trying to speak to her again when clearly that wasn't a viable option. Realizing this was getting them nowhere, he turned back to his truck, scrambling into the cab, and returned a moment later with a notepad and pencil. After scribbling on it for a while, he handed the notepad to Chell, who took it cautiously.
The name's Algernon. You two look like you're lost out here. Need a ride into town?
His handwriting was barely legible, and Chell had to read the note a few times over before understanding his meaning and writing her response. She handed the notepad back to him after writing a simple 'no'.
The man seemed to chuckle at that, writing down another message and handing it back to Chell.
Your friend don't look too good. I'd suggest letting me give you a ride. Looks like you could use some help.
Chell looked down at Doug, who still lay unconscious on the ground at her feet, his pack a strewn mess at his side. She didn't like the idea of taking a ride from some stranger, but she also understood that if she didn't get her companion some help it could end poorly for him.
Looking back up at the man standing before her, Chell nodded slowly. A smile came across the man's face as he clapped his hands together, bending down to pick up his shotgun and return it safely to his truck. A moment later he came back to Chell, taking a step forward to help her lift the unconscious Doug, but one look from Chell told him that if he tried he would lose a finger. Chell lifted Doug with relative ease, carrying him to the truck and, after the man opened the back door for her, carefully laid him down in the back seat. She then retrieved his pack, having to put all of his random items and cube back inside, and set it down on the floor of the back seat.
The man waited patiently the whole time, watching Chell with a careful eye. Once Chell had gotten Doug situated, she turned back to the man, gave him one hard glare and made her way over to the front passenger seat of his truck.
The man, Algernon as he called himself, got into the driver's seat and set off down the road. Several times he tried making conversation with Chell, only to remember that it was fruitless. Instead, they sat in relative silence, the only sound coming from the wind blowing outside and a faint tune playing from the radio.
The silence lasted for several miles before it was suddenly broken by hoarse screaming coming from the back seat. Doug had awoken, and was none too pleased with waking in an unfamiliar place, strapped down by seat belts and barely able to move. Algernon nearly swerved off the road before getting control of the truck and coming to a stop.
Chell and Algernon both turned to look in the back seat, seeing a very startled, very frightened looking Doug, trying his hardest to get out of the seat belts that held him in place. Chell had fastened them for protection in case of an accident, not meaning to tie him down so tightly. Part of her found his struggling amusing, but the more sensible part of her felt pity and immediately got out of the truck to get to the back seat and help free him.
It took several moments to get Doug to calm down, and Chell had to resist the urge to take a whack at him. Luckily, she remained calm and undid the seat belts in as much of an orderly time as Doug's panicked movements would allow her. When it was all said and done, Doug finally calmed down enough to sit up straight and stop his nervous twitching (to a degree).
"Are we ready to get back on the road, then?" Algernon asked, looking at the pair of them through his rear view mirror.
"Who are you?" Doug asked. It would have sounded accusing, if it weren't for the fearful tremor in his voice. "And where are we going?"
"That's right, I never introduced myself to you, seeing as you were out cold a moment ago," Algernon stated with a laugh. "Name's Algernon, but you can call me Algie if you like. Found you two on the side of the road and thought I'd give you a ride into town. That's alright with you I take it?"
Doug looked at Chell questioningly, but she only shrugged, not catching any of the conversation happening between the two. Doug signed a quick sorry, and looked back up to the man sitting in front of him.
"Why are you helping us?" he pressed, feeling reasonably suspicious. He was thankful to know there were indeed other people around, but why they would help two ragged strangers on the side of the road was beyond him.
Algernon shrugged. "Felt like the thing to do," he answered simply. "No offense, but you two look like you've been through hell and back. Seems only right to give you a lift."
Doug didn't trust it at all. The man's words sounded too trained, as if he'd rehearsed them. How many people had he done this for? What happened to those people? Did he lure them into his truck and take them out in the middle of nowhere to kill them? They were already out in the middle of nowhere, did that mean he was going to kill them soon? No, that couldn't be right. He wasn't thinking rationally. Doug tried to calm his mind down, but only then noticed something sitting in the front seat.
It was the shotgun.
Doug immediately tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. Was it locked? He tried to find a lock but couldn't see one anywhere. It was hidden, it had to be. The man was going to kill them. Doug could feel the panic welling up as he continued to try and open the door, heart beginning to pound in his ears. Someone was speaking to him but the words didn't register. He just kept trying to open the door, but the damn thing was resilient.
It was Chell who pulled him out of his frenzy, grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him so that he faced her. She scooted closer to him, putting both hands on the side of his face and staring directly at his eyes. Slowly, she breathed in, held her breath for a few seconds, and released. She did this a few times, intending for Doug to do the same. It was then that he realized his breathing had become rapid, and he immediately tried to follow Chell's guidance and slow it down.
"You alright back there?" Algernon asked, turning his head slightly to try and look behind him, but not wanting to take his eyes off the road.
"Fine," Doug said between gritted teeth, feeling anything but fine at all. He held up his hand for Chell to see and made the sign of a gun, then pointing towards the front seat as discretely as he could.
Chell nodded, understanding him perfectly fine and clearly not fazed by it at all. She pointed towards Algernon, and then signed the word 'old', hoping Doug would understand. He gave Chell a quizzical look, finger spelling out the word to make sure he had gotten it correct. His finger spelling was slow and sloppy, but otherwise intelligible. Chell nodded in affirmation.
It's true, the man was old, and if it came down to it Doug had no doubt Chell could take him. But that didn't mean someone couldn't get hurt in the process. Still, there was nothing he could do other than to hope that his fears were incorrect, and that the man's intentions to them were of pure nature.
They sat in silence for the rest of the ride, Algernon occasionally attempting conversation with Doug, but not once did Doug respond. Not only did he not like the thought of leaving Chell out of the conversation, but he also because he didn't want to interact with the man any more than was necessary.
The drive took only half an hour before the endless fields began to give way to small bundles of building, which slowly formed into larger, more organized bundles that lined the now paved road. Before they knew it they were driving through a small town, complete with sidewalks and street lights. People walked down the streets, strolling hand in hand and standing in groups, laughing at some unheard joke. Doug was perplexed. The world seemed so . . . normal. He wasn't sure how much time had gone by since he'd been in Aperture, and he had no idea how the outside world responded to the disappearance of thousands of workers in a large scientific facility. Part of him was glad the outside world had stayed away; it was better for everyone that way. But part of him felt almost neglected, like his life and the lives of all of his coworkers hadn't mattered. Had no one really bothered to go looking for them, after all?
The truck finally came to a stop in front of a small building with gloomy brick walls. Algernon pulled out a very small, very flat looking phone from his pocket and began speaking into what Doug assumed was the receiver.
"Yeah, I'm right outside. Got 'em both here in the back. Alright, will do," and with that he ended the call.
That was enough to set Doug off again, and he returned to hysterically trying to open the door. This time, the door opened with ease and Doug tumbled out of the truck, landing hard on the pavement.
Before he got the chance to collect himself, a shadow came over him. Looking up, Doug came face to face with the barrel of a gun, held in the hands of a very tall man in what looked like a police uniform.
"I'd calm down if I were you," the man commanded, not sounding particularly vengeful, but stern enough to set Doug's nerves on edge. Or maybe it was the gun. It was definitely the gun.
"Alright missy, get out the truck, nice and slow," the officer said to Chell, looking away from Doug for only a moment to direct his statement at her. Doug could hear Chell moving in the back seat and the door on the opposite side opening up. When she emerged from around the back of the truck he saw that another officer stood behind her, gun pointed at the back of her head. Her expression was full of such hatred Doug wished he could simply evaporate into the ground rather than have to be in her presence.
They were set up. Doug knew it. He knew he wasn't being paranoid, or if he was that it was well founded. The old man probably called ahead as soon as he saw them on the side of the road. Of course he wouldn't trust a couple of scraggly strangers and give them a ride like everything in the world was peachy. It was too good to be true.
"Inside, both of you," the officer standing before Doug commanded, grabbing Doug by the arm and roughly pulling him up. Doug turned to grab for his bag but was pulled away. No, he wasn't being separated from it. He tried again to pull away from the officer that had a tight grip on his shoulder, squirming and twisting to try and get his hand to release, but to no luck.
"If you don't stand still I will shoot you," the officer snapped, his threat only sounding halfway true.
But Doug wasn't having any of it. He made one final twist and broke away from the officer's grip, diving back to the truck and grabbing an armful of his pack, the companion cube secured safely inside.
He could feel the cube through the back, its warmth seeping into him and filling him with an unexpected calm. But it only lasted for a moment. Just as he was about to take the pack and make a run for it, he felt a hard crack on the back of his head, and subsequently fell to the ground, knowing no more.