Chapter 1 - Stuck
She didn't know where she was. She felt sharp pain on back of her head and gust of wind that made her feel cold. She slowly opened her eyes to see only darkness around her. She tried to stand up, but her bones felt like they were burning. Then she noticed something; She had no idea how she ended up like this and even worst: She didn't even know who she was. There where should have been memories, was nothing, only black hole of darkness. Panic started to crawl inside of her. She started to scream for help, but the sound of her words died in her throat. Then she started crying and tried to think what was going on.
Then she saw bright white light, that shined above her. Suddenly the warm feeling surrounded her and all coldness were gone. Her bones didn't burn anymore, when she tried to move and she didn't feel any pain. She stood up and watched amazed, as the light started to take a form. It looked like some kind of a circle around her, like a shield. She had no idea what was going on, but somehow she knew, that anything could never hurt her, when she was inside of that beautiful light. She looked down to her hands. Her left hand had some weird circular marks on it and they were glowing brighter than that light what surrounded her. She had white top and little dust on that, black jeans and black boots. She moved her white curly hair off her face, wiped her tears from her cheeks and started to explore her surroundings. There was sand and dust. A lot sand and dust. She walked over to the wall. Well, she thought it was a wall. It was muddy and hardened sand. There was nothing else than that, it surrounded her. Se looked up and saw moon, that glowed far away. Then a realization hit her; she was in a hole. Literally.
"Fuck!" It was the only word what came out of her mouth. At least it reflected her feelings well enough. She didn't remember how she ended up there (Well she had her doubts, that she had fallen and you don't need to be that smart to figure that out. But we can think, that she hit her head during the fall.), she didn't even remember her name and now she was stuck in some freaking hole.
She sat down and cursed about her situation in her mind. Now she just had to wait until someone would find her. Long silence was making her insane. What if no one was coming? What if no one wasn't even looking for her? Thinking like that made her feel sick. She laid down and tried to sleep. It was hard, but after a while she slowly drifted into the dream.
She opened her eyes and saw blue sea next to her. She stood up and watched the water as it made little waves. It was beautiful. She was standing on an almost white and soft sand and her feet sinked bit on it. She could hear girly laugh somewhere far away. She moved slowly and tried to found that girl, but there was only sand and that beautiful sea. At that moment she felt so lonely.
All of a sudden she felt someone grabbing her wrist and let out a scream. She turned furiously, her heart pounding like crazy, and ready to fight what ever was against her. In front of her stood some black fuzzy figure. She was puzzled. Dark figure was so fuzzy so she couldn't see who or what it was. It was tall and maybe human. Her wrist was still on it hand.
"Who are you?" She asked calmly.
Figure didn't answer. It lowered its head, or it looked like that. She didn't know why, but it looked so sad.
She was going to say something, but then there was some weird sound. Like someone was speaking? She looked behind her but saw no one. Then, when she turned back that tall black figure was gone.
"Can you hear me?"
She opened her eyes and saw someone above her. It was .. Man? Suddenly she felt so mad. She would never know who or what that figure in her dream was.
"Ugh. Leave me alone, I'm trying to sleep", she muttered and closed her eyes again. How did that guy dare to interrupt my dream, She thought sleepily. Then she heard a little and soft laugh from a new guy. He shaked gently her shoulder, trying to wake her entirely.
"I bet, that ground ain't the most comfortable place to sleep." He said amused.
She opened her eyes again. Oh right, I'm HERE. She looked up to man and gazed him. He was cute. He had dark curly hear, chocolate-brown eyes, black leather jacket and under it was gray shirt, then he had blue jeans and black sneakers. He stretched out his hand to help her up. She took it and felt so embarrassed about how she had behaved.
"Um. Yeah, thanks. Uhm.. Sorry about that. I was.. Tired?" Her mind was a mess. She could feel, as her face was getting hotter. Fuck, that guy thinks im crazy, She thought.
Man smiled. He looked like he was having fun. She blushed even more, when she saw him laughing at her.
"Nah, its okay." He said. He walked over to the ladder that was leaning on the sandy wall. He started to climb up, but on a middle he stopped. He turned his head and looked down at her raising his eyebrows. She just stood there looking.. Maybe a little dumb.
"Are you coming or what?" He asked while continued rising.
Couple minutes later, they both were out of the hole. Now she looked little bit confused. She must have been very blind, when she fell in there. There was nothing to cover it. Not any bushes or stitches or what ever some hunters covered their traps.
"That hole is approximately maybe 14 feet deep and you didn't even hurt yourself. By the way name is Keith." He said and smiled. "And you are?"
She didn't answer. She didn't know who she was. She felt Keith's curious gaze and sighed. "I don't know." She said
Keith frowned. "Then what do you know?"
Uh, I might as well tell him, She thought. "Well, I don't have no idea about who I am, or where I am. I don't have any memories about my life. I just woke up laying down there." She pointed over the hole. She scratched her head. Her hair long white hair looked gray, when they were full of sand.
"Amnesia?"
"Maybe."
They started walking. She didn't know where they were going, but still she followed him. Then suddenly Keith stopped and his face looked like he had realized something. "Did you happen to take a look in your pockets?" He asked
She watched confused at him. "No?" And then the expression on her face looked exactly the same than on Keith's face earlier. She stuffed her hands in her pockets of jeans. Then she felt something in her hand and took her hand out. It was paper.
"What is it?" Keith asked excited.
It was white little paper and on that was only one word; Alice.
"So.. Are you Alice?"
She glared the paper. She felt so dumb. "Okay. Can I ask, who the hell carries a tag where is only a NAME?"
Keith chuckled. "Maybe somehow you knew, that you're going to fall in a hole and made yourself a note."
She glared at him. Great. Well maybe it was her name. Who knows? "Okay. From now on my name is Alice. It's better, than being nameless."
They had walked for almost an hour. She had slept maybe four hours and felt tired. Sun burned her skin and made her sweat. She looked her surroundings. There was more dust, sand and cliffs.
"Where are we?"
"In Lynchwood. We are almost there."
Lynchwood? That doesn't sound familiar. Uh, how it even could sound familiar, I don't have any memories, duh. Where are we even going?
"This place looks like.. I don't know.. Dead?"
"Well this is Pandora. I think this is wasteland, but someone could call this home", Keith said and smiled sadly.
"You aren't from here, right?"
"Yeah. I come from planet, called Dionysus." He answered "I moved a few years ago and opened bar in Gunslinger's Corner. It's place where travellers like to bunk."
Finally they had reached their destination. Gunslinger's Corner was dusty street at the end of a mine tunnel near Main Street. A number of tightly packed buildings (One of the buildings was Keith's bar) line the street on each side, and an elevator at the end opens access to higher ground. Outside were only few grumpy looking men and one sad-looking woman, but otherwise it seemed kind of deserted. Above the Keith's door were a big sign with words: Bar & Motel. They went inside and Keith locked the door behind him. He walked over the bar and went other side.
"Are you hungry?" He asked while he took two bottles of beer off the shelf.
Alice nodded. At the same time her stomach made loud sound. Keith laughed and put one of beers to the table next to him. He kept the another one and went to the kitchen. Alice walked over the bar and took her beer. Then she tasted and tasted awful. She looked the label, what was side of the bottle. Rakk Ale? Ugh..
Keith's bar/motel looked very nice. Walls looked like they were made from mahogany. There was maybe 10 round tables. In corner there was 2 big leather sofas. Everything else (even a bar) was made from wood. Next to the bar were stairs to the upper floor. Sleeping area might be there. On the other side of the bar was door to the kitchen. She walked over there and opened the wooden door. Kitchen was a bit tiny. Other side of the room was sink, dish drying cabinet etc. Other side was fridge and table and couple of chairs. There was one big window too. She sat down on the other chair and watched as Keith brought her meal on the table. Mashed potatoes and sausages. As soon as she got the fork in her hand, she began to gobble her food.
"Try not to choke to your sausages." Keith laughed.
Alice felt like she hadn't eaten for a years. She pointed over him. "Outside. It looked like desert. There was only 3 guys and one girl. Why?" She asked curiously, after she had swallowed her food.
"Yeah.. Well last year this place was swarming bandits and maurauders. Now here is a new sheriff in town, who tries to populate Lynchwood." Keith went to the window and looked outside. "However, it appears to be escalating rather slowly."
He turned around and pointed to Alice's left hand "You know you are a siren, right?"
She looked down to her hand. Earlier in that hole it had glowed white light. Now there was blue circulas marks, like tattoos on it.
"I was just on a walk and saw some weird light coming from inside that hole. Then I quickly ran back here and took ladders with me." Keith started laughing, when he remembered how dumb that girl had been. He started to laugh even more when he saw bright red color on her face.
After Alice had finished, Keith showed her room to her. It was small, but she didn't care. There was small bed on the corner and other side was one big closet, and desk was in front of the window. It was enough for her. Then he showed her the showers. She felt excited. Finally she could wash all that freaking dirt and dust off her. She thanked him, but then she remembered something what she wanted to ask earlier.
"What happened to the first Sheriff of Lynchwood?"
"She died. Don't feel sorry for her, she was cruel bitch. I think she was a bit insane. Well she was Handsome Jack's girlfriend, so she had to be insane." He laughed again a little. "Now they both are finally gone."
She started to feel curious. Handsome Jack? That name sounds so dumb.. She thought.
"What happened?"
"Vault Hunters. They killed them. Thank god. Let's leave that story for tomorrow, we both need to rest."
"Wait!" He was about to leave, but Alice crabbed his hand and stopped him. She was too curious to leave that conversation to die like that.
"Who are the Vault Hunters?"
Keith was looking at somewhere far away, where she couldn't see and made a genuine smile.
"They are Heros."
