Chapter One: The Van.
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The van radio blasted like a cannon throughout the vehicle, some shit about comets and love , I'd normally try and switch the radio but...well, who the fuck am I to judge? And, in a way, it was soothing, if nothing else. I sigh'd, the wing-mirror taunted me as I glared into it...,long face, big-ass Greek nose, pale lips,tan skin, messy hair, and most importantly that cold, emotionless glare. Yep, still the same piece o' shit face of mine, in a way, it was reassuring nothing changed since before the coma...in a way.
Suddenly, a cough was heard from across the car, "Hey...kiddo? Are you alright?...you've been staring at the mirror since we left 'empire." said...erm, his name was Greg I believe, a fellow who is barely dodging middle age, with hair so long it's be an insult to call it a mullet, and a face rounder than a tire, yet strangely rougher than one.
"O-oh!...yeah, just curious...I've never actually seen, or been near the coast before...just a bit overwhelming is all." I replied, trying to sound as casual as I possibly could...which isn't a lot honestly.
"Pfft, you think you're surprised? I remember when I went back to this old dump, I barely even remembered it existed, back in the good ol' days when it was just me, my van, and whoever came with me against the world...now, y'see here, Miss Lazuli-" And there he goes again...this is, what? The fourth time today he went on about his 'glory days'?
As he rambled I sigh'd, looking back out the window... outside of it was the open field...it was beautiful, long, flowing grass as far as the eye can see, deserted rock formations, old, long and dead, and whatever you could even imagine might be here. It was astounding, I could almost feel the city lights in the distance casting light upon the meadows of grass an-
"Jesus christ!" I yelled, as the van suddenly stopped, dead in its tracks, a loud thump was heard in the glass as the windshields cracked, I held onto the door handle as fucking tight as I possibly could, my breathing becoming heavy and fast as my head turns in every direction to see what the hell was going on
"W-what...what the hell..." Greg says gasping, appearing to be in the same situation, " T-There was some...white...drone thing?! " Greg, was now clearly trying to comprehend what had just happened, as I hastily and slowly got out of the van, almost falling over on my way out...w-what even was that thing...
I go look at it...a...drone? The fuck is a drone doing out here...in the middle of-... "Oh fuck." I thought aloud.
"Hey! Miss Lazuli! Are you alright? What even was that thing?!" Greg yells, getting out of the car and keeping his distance for, what I guess, are anxiety reasons.
" Just a drone! " I yell back, kicking it, as my body tenses...this wasn't just a fuckin' drone. I turn it around, the drone was white, the front two propellers were broken, and the camera was destroyed in impact...and than there was a symbol, a simple symbol, four rhombus' forming to make one bigger rhombus, each one color coded, White, Yellow, Blue, and Pink. It was at least twenty years old by the branding alone, and judging by the bulk of the drone it added up...the Authority wouldn't send high tech gear on some runaway anyways, and you have to feel bad for the poor bastard who crashed this thing...well, maybe not that bad.
Anxiety builds up inside me, I know the Authority couldn't track me that quickly but...to have drones this far away? No. I won't allow myself to get caught up with the Authority ever again, I can't. My ear rings, and than I hear music...another one of Greg's songs.
"...But let me drive my van into your heart!~" Greg basically yells as he bumps his fist against the carwheel like drums.
"Erm...you doing alright?" I ask, walking back into the van, Greg just turns the music up.
"Yeah! Just a stress reliever...now if you excuse me I'm going to start driving before the seventeen year old play-boy who owns this thing finds out we hit it..." He laughs nervously, before staring worryingly at the road, and like magic, the car starts again.
The ride was silence for a while...I sigh, closing my eyes, getting as much sleep as I could. To be honest this trip involved the most sleep I've ever gotten for days, and it's only been a few hours...my dreams are bombarded by the drone...than when the memory of the symbol on the drone plays back...it cuts.
I panic, I'm not sure what is real or fake, it felt so real, the buildings of the Authorities capital burn and burn, news spread out 'mere hours earlier of Pink Diamonds assassination, everyone was running, screaming, anything they could have done was now out of there hands, the soldiers were protecting the border and the civilians were being killed, everywhere I looked I saw rebels, there was no escape. I ran, ran. Running, that was all I could think about, than, I saw her. A Bismuth, a simple builder, in her eyes were innocence in a way, she thought what she did was right...in her hands a hammer, before I could even react I-I...
"Kiddo! Kiddo!" Greg yelled, pulling on my shoulder as I groaned, sleep was exhausting as I got up.
"Where are we..." I moaned, as I looked around.
"Beach city, remember...your destination?" He said, unbuckling his seatbelt with a familiar 'click' as he got out of the van.
"Oh...right." I say, shrugging, as I begin to fade back into the land of the living and regain consciousness from Death's younger cousin.
"Y'know kiddo, it feels like just yesterday I met you in the city when you asked me to take you to this place." Greg says with a sense of pride.
I blink. "It was yesterday I asked you that."
"Oh." He says blatantly. "Well, you did mention back than it was urgent you got here...why was that?..."
"Eh, no reason honestly...well, it's been fun Greg but...I gotta go." I shrug, as I walk away, swinging my backpack onto me. It's best not to get into big detail about my...situation, mostly for safety, his safety atleast.
Greg stops me, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Wait! Are you sure you'll be fine on your own...it's a big place an-..."
I slap his hand away. "Thanks for the help, but I'll. Be. Fine." Why can't he just let go, He should have already forgotten I existed by now, judging my the attention span of people who help hitchhikers.
He sighs "Well...I know it's not my choice but...be safe kiddo." He says, as he goes back to his van, waving me off.
Well, beach city, huh? Can't be that bad of a place to hide out in for a month or two...'least I hope not. With one step at a time, I go along my way.