So I'm bored and watching documentaries. The one about Sudan's current genocides first, now one about Adolf Hitler, so now it's inspired this. Keep in mind I'm not going to explain everything until later. So welcome to...
Layton's War.
"Move, you idiot!" Clive yelled, shoving Luke down into the hole. The bomb tore through the building and Clive cried out as the flames burned his arm. He retracted it and scrambled away, falling down the hole with a screech. The landing took his breath away and he stared up at the billowing smoke above the hole.
"Clive!" Emmy shot over to him and dragged him across the rough ground, cursing as rocks and shrapnel tumbled down from the opening of the hole. She pulled Clive into a small room and threw him onto a torn-up mattress. Dr Skylar rushed over to Clive and shoved Emmy out.
"Emmy, go. I need peace and silence to take care of him," she snapped, then turned her attention to the injured Clive. "Clive? Can you hear me?" Emmy left the small hospital room and sighed deeply as she walked into what was considered the a 'living room' of the cave networks.
It was cramped and uncomfortable, and without seats. The best food they had were several crackers saved for breakfast and they could hear the roaring of bombs above them. Layton was sitting in the corner of the room. He was deathly pale, exaggerating the dark bags beneath his eyes. Half of Layton's face was disfigured. It had been destroyed by shrapnel six months ago.
Luke and Flora were curled up in the corner next to the dying sparks of a fire, with only themselves for heat. Other rebels were dotted around the room - a constantly sighing girl called Maysey and her older brother, a charming, handsome and muscular man named Nassau who never let anything get him down, even the war. They were sitting in the corner nibbling on something.
Emmy perched herself next to Nassau on a small boulder. "Whatcha' eating?" she asked rather casually.
"Since we managed to get some time Up-Top, I managed to grab some biscuit crumbs. The Professor doesn't think they're good enough to keep, so we're having them now. Want one?" Nassau extended a hand filled with tiny crumbs. Emmy took a few. They were enough to quell her hunger, just for a short while, at least.
"I'm not sure we'll be able to go Up-Top for a while now," Emmy sighed. "Those were some serious explosions up there. Maybe we should go and check up some other reb camps, maybe salvage some supplies..." Nassau looked grim.
"We might not be so lucky this time," he said darkly. "I don't hear much good of other camps when I'm roaming in the Tunnel." But he smiled again. "Though I might be making a mistake. Maybe some further out camps will have stuff." Emmy glanced up at the ceiling. It was covered in a slimy mold.
Dr Skylar walked in from the medical room. "Clive is going to need a lot of care and treatment. He's deteriorating badly right now, and it's highly likely without further resources, he'll die." She looked sad, her eyes bloodshot and groggy. "I'm sorry. You should check Up-Top when it's next clear, and try some other camps." Layton nodded and rose to his feet, suddenly alert.
"Nassau, Emmy. Let's go and search the other camps," he said, though he still sounded tired and exhausted.
"Hey!" Luke jumped to his feet. "Professor, you're tired! You should sleep! We'll go for you!"
"Nonsense," Layton replied half-heartedly. "I'll go..."
"Professor, you need sleep," Dr Skylar interrupted. "Let the kids go. There's no harm in it. Now sit down and sleep. Maysey, I'd like to give you a health check-up if you please." Maysey didn't speak at all, instead silently rising and walking over. Nassau quickly grabbed a jacket and slung it over Flora's shoulders, then the party started into the Tunnels.
They were dark and damp. Vision was limited and instead they navigated by feel. Each rebel camp was located somewhere in the complex of caves. Nassau, who traversed the Tunnels frequently, lead them to a few camps, but none of them had any medicine, food or general resources to spare for Nassau's group. As usual, Nassau simply smiled, nodded, thanked the camp and moved on.
Nothing could tell the Tunnel-walking group that it was nightfall, but they guessed it as they grew exhausted and tired. They had moved too far away to return to their camp within less than hours, so Nassau pulled off his shirt and lay it down as a blanket. Emmy threw her jacket down, and Flora used Nassau's. They slept closely together, to conserve their heat.
During the night, a figure clad in black approached the insomniac-ridden Nassau and whispered something into his ear, then there was a bang and Nassau fell to the ground, blood pooling around him.
You probably don't feel much for Nassau, do you? After all, he's just an OC that appeared randomly. Poor Nassau. :( Oh well, he'll see some more care in the next few chapters or so. But Clive, I bet you're all worried about Clive! Don't worry, Dr Skylar's taking good care of him. :)
Please comment! I want to hear your voices!
Ta,
FVKWY