Thank you Wandering Letters for providing us with the next chapter, and by way of this some inspiration for the next chapter.
Scavengers
Chapter Three: Friendly Faces
Diary Log #3 Gemma Atherton
Diary Entry #16
August 21st 2013
I don't really know what to write down here anymore. It's difficult for me to believe that anyone will ever really read this besides me. I've not seen a single sign of life in one-hundred days, eight hours and five minutes at the time of writing and the fact that I can pin these figures down so precisely is driving me insane. I want to see someone, anyone and I don't care if it's the scumbags who ran Mitternacht or Alpha or a total stranger.
I miss them. Barely a day's gone by when I haven't thought about those two; Alpha before he went off the deep end and Omega who always seemed like he deserved so much more than what he went through.
Have to stop now, Hunters incoming.
(the rest of the excerpt is unintelligible scribbling, a speck of blood dots the worn paper)
Nick
Oliver left to go with the traders, leaving Nicole and me to do whatever we felt like.
"So what do you wanna do?" I asked her, scratching my head nervously.
"Sightseeing I guess?" she replied.
I shrugged as we walked down the road together, looking at the different stalls and shops. It was different from back home at Sylvan; there was a lot more variety in the goods here than there was back home which was mostly seafood or things made from the ocean and all it had to offer. I was thankful that Antoine gave us money to spend; it was a long time since I've had money to myself because 85% of my paycheck goes to my family. I examined some of the clothes stalls as a jacket caught my eye. Nicole seemed to have been drawn to a stall of her own, most likely to replace the raggedy clothes she wore and the jacket she had tied around her waist. I walked up to the stall and let my hand feel the material.
It was a denim jacket on the outside but it had a hood as well. The inside felt very soft and I enjoyed how good it felt against my fingertips. The denim was black and the hood was dark grey, just the way I like it. To my right I noticed a pair of running shoes that those parkour athletes in videos would run in and to its left was a matching pair, only in white instead of black. I then looked to my left to see a small sunglasses rack with a rack of necklaces beside it.
"Hi there honey! How can I help you today?" said a voice.
I turned to see a woman with a smile on her face, dressed in clothes that looked almost new. She wasn't bad looking either but something about her tone struck a nerve in my head that I didn't like.
"Yes ma'am, what's the damage for this jacket here along with those two pairs of sneakers," I asked.
She examined the items before gazing skyward for a few seconds.
"I'll let you have everything for fifty," she said.
"Can you throw in those shades and that necklace too?" I asked.
I pointed at the pair of black surfer shades and a necklace that had my Chinese zodiac sign as its pendant.
"Sixty-five and it's all yours honey," she said.
I smiled and happily handed her the money, giving her seventy on purpose.
"Hold on while I get your change," she said.
"Did you make these yourself?" I asked.
She turned back to face me.
"The jacket and sneakers were done by me, the shades and necklace are from my uncle," she replied.
"Keep the change and keep up the good work," I said as I took the bag full of clothes.
She looked shocked but nodded at me.
"Thank you sir...you're a very kind person," she said.
I smiled at her and put on my new shades as I walked over to Nicole's stall. I noticed two men on either side of her. She had already bought her stuff but the men blocked her exit.
"Where you going hot stuff?" said one of them.
"Leave me alone you sick pigs," said Nicole.
I walked up to them and casually shoved one of them aside as I took Nicole by the hand.
"Ready to go?" I asked.
She nodded at me but one of the men shoved me, breaking my hold on her hand and making me drop my bag and spilling its contents on the floor. I began to get angry as I quickly picked up everything and asked Nicole to hold them.
"Got a problem tough guy?" said one of the men.
His friend rejoined him after recovering from the shove I gave him earlier.
"She said leave her alone so get out of the way," I said coldly.
I was shoved again. Strike two. Nicole knew I was getting angrier by the second.
"Strike two... I'm going to ask one more time, get out of the way or I'll make you," I said.
I got my response when one of them threw a punch at me. I shifted aside, catching it with ease.
"Bad choice," I said.
I squeezed his knuckles hard, causing an audible cracking sound and forcing him to his knees in agony. His friend came at me and I released his hand to sidestep the hasty punch before I snapped my right leg up into his face, dropping him. I pivoted on my heel and lashed out with another kick at the groggy man in his stomach, sending him skidding across the floor. The second man came at me again but I easily caught his arm before giving him a hard elbow in his face before driving my knee into his stomach and finishing him with an uppercut. He crumpled to the floor, groaning in pain as the first man rose to his feet and picked up a bat.
"Stop! You're going to break everything!" shouted the shopkeeper, unable to quite keep the fear out of her voice.
I looked back at her before turning to the man and sighing. He swung the bat. Miss. Deciding I'd had enough, I grabbed his wrist and wrenched it sideways, causing him to drop the weapon. I then kicked him hard in the chest, sending him outside into the street.
"Don't come back or I'll make it permanent," I said, my voice hard as granite.
The two men scurried off, while the shopkeeper rejoiced.
"Those two have been terrorizing these streets for weeks now! I can't thank you enough," she said.
Nicole was still in awe at my display.
"Forgot to mention...I'm a 2nd decree blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do," I said with a chuckle.
She rolled her eyes.
"You protect your girlfriend well young man," said the shopkeeper.
I blushed profusely at her words. Nicole put a hood over her head.
"Thank you for everything ma'am," she said gratefully.
We left the store without a further word. We were met with a few people thanking me for taking down those two goons earlier. A man and a woman walked up to me.
"Are you Nick Wilson?" asked the girl.
"Yeah that's me," I replied.
She had a very attractive Spanish accent but her body... wow. To say she was curvy was one hell of an understatement. Forget any girl they had ever seen on the beach on Sylvan Island or on the pier taking casual dips in the ocean; this girl's body made all of them look like straight lines. She had dark brown hair as straight as straight could be that ran halfway down her back. She had large doe-like eyes that had an unmistakable emerald shine. Her face was sweet and innocent, a stark contrast to the stunning body she possessed. She was unmistakably Hispanic with her tan skin and dark hair.
"Heard you just took the two biggest bullies this side of the district and if I'm not mistaken, you're one of Antoine's crew aren't ya?" said her male companion.
"We're both on his crew," I said as I gestured to Nicole.
The girl held out a hand to me.
"Zamora Delgado," she said with a grin.
That accent of hers was making me heat up on the inside and I was sure Nicole felt a little jealous of her in some shape or fashion (probably shape now I thought about it). Nicole was definitely prettier than her... but Zamora definitely had a better body. I shook her hand and she did the same with Nicole.
"Royce Torres," said the man with a nod.
"You were from Boston," I said observantly.
"Man... is my accent that damn obvious?" he asked with a chuckle.
I smiled. Royce was lanky and light skinned and sported a black fauxhawk with some light stubble. He donned a black belstaff jacket and dark blue jeans with red Converse sneakers and had a messenger bag slung around his body.
"What's your name little lady?" asked Royce.
"Nicole Prester," she replied.
Royce nodded at her.
"Mr. Antoine asked me to show you guys around the place and seeing as I want to someday be a navigator, why not start with Horseshoe!" said Zamora with a giddy smile.
"I'm just passing through, heading for Canary at nightfall," said Royce.
"But you just couldn't let an old friend walk by could you Roy?" said Zamora with a smile.
Royce rolled his eyes and put at arm around her.
"This chick's like the little sister I never had," he said with a chuckle.
I smiled at them. Zamora handed me a brochure, detailing all the places of interest on Horseshoe Island. What surprised me was the fact that it was hand drawn.
"You drew this yourself?" I asked.
"Yep!" she said with a grin.
I felt my stomach rumble.
"How about food first?" I said with a nervous laugh.
"I know just the place," she said as she beckoned us to follow her.
She led us through the streets, swaying her hips either on purpose or because her figure put it on autopilot with every step. It was puzzling how effortlessly she had such a body and there was no evidence of physical activity.
Later That Evening
"Thanks for the great day!" I said.
"No problem," replied Zamora.
We spent nearly 8 hours with Zamora and Royce and I learned a lot about them.
"Well it's nearly time for my ship to head out for the Canaries so I gotta get going," said Royce.
His days as a messenger evidently instilled within him the importance of punctuality.
"I'll come visit another time Zammie," he said as he hugged his 'little sister'.
"I'm gonna miss you Roy," she said.
He released her before waving at Nicole and I.
"I guess I should let you two get to your ship for departure now," she said.
"Why not come with us?" I asked.
I had no idea where that line came from; she must've made a lasting impression for me to say something like that. I also aimed that line at Royce for some reason I couldn't fathom.
"We do need a good navigator in case Fred gets sick and you really seem to have everything down. I guess Antoine wouldn't mind a pair of fast legs onboard for errands either," I said.
"You really think Antoine would let me aboard?" she said in disbelief.
"Yeah would he?" asked Royce, his tone betrayed his thoughts on the idea.
I nodded at them. I felt a piercing gaze from Nicole, presumably because I asked Zamora to join us but I ignored it; we likely wouldn't see them for months and who knows what could happen in all that time in this hellhole of a world.
"Well... I guess I could come with you two but I'd need to get my stuff," she said.
"Meet us at the Longhorn by the pier," I said.
They nodded and ran off.
"Where'd that sudden kindness come from?" asked Nicole.
"I guess we should hang onto friends as much as we can in these bad times," I said shrugging.
"I don't mind them... but I didn't expect you to be the one to pop the question on them," she said honestly.
I shrugged.
"Oliver's at the Longhorn with the crew so I guess we'd better not keep em waiting," I said.
She nodded in agreement as we walked towards the bar.
Twenty Minutes Later
We all joined Oliver around the table inside the slightly crowded bar. He sighed slightly.
"Alright Nicky boy... so tell me about your day," he said tiredly.
He eyed the two new friends we brought with us and I took a deep breath as I began to tell him everything about our day together.
Oliver
I had to say I was not expecting Nick to bring friends. Don't get me wrong I was hoping Nicole would at least accompany him on his leave on Horseshoe (and it seemed as though she had), but for him to bring more people back was near unheard of.
I listened to his tale, failing entirely to hide the smirk that played upon my lips as he told me about his handling of the small gang of thugs following their harassment of Nicole. I gave her an encouraging smile and a subtle thumbs up, though that still didn't stop her casting the odd glare at the Spanish girl, Zamora. Was she jealous? Certainly the young girl was packing an absolutely rocking figure but I wouldn't have imagined Nick would go for that kind of thing when Nicole was flashing all kinds of signals that she dug him. Would he?
Finally he reached the end of his story; where he'd extended the hand of friendship and asked Zamora and Royce – the big guy – to join us on our trip to the Canaries.
"Well…" I began when he finished, swirling my bottle, watching the way the alcohol moved, "sounds like you've been up to a lot then."
I glanced at the newcomers.
"Well, let's get this introduction over with then; long past its due."
I held out my hand to Royce.
"Name's Oliver Faraday, nice to meet you," the big guy took my hand in a firm grip. That was certainly promising.
"Royce Torres. Likewise partner," his accent was distinct. Boston? Interesting… Boston was one of the last bastions of humanity to have been evacuated as the dead had risen up across the world.
Royce released my hand and I turned to Zamora.
"And you?" I asked.
She watched me guardedly at length, and only took my hand after a moment's scrutiny (even then I felt her reluctance practically bleeding off her).
"Zamora Delgado," her reply was concise and short. An awkward atmosphere settled over the table as she gingerly released my hand, glancing to her hand as if making sure all her extremities were still attached. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little offended.
"Don't fret I'm not poisonous," I sighed. The young Spaniard sent a worried glance my way.
"Oh I didn't mean–"
"I'm sure you didn't," I interrupted, dryly. I suddenly lost my will to stay here much longer and got myself up from my seat.
"Well, I suppose we got to get you guys sorted out with Antoine. Come on Nick; let's get 'em back to the ship." I said, downing the last of my beer and setting it down with a decisive 'clink' of the glass.
One Hour Later
Nick
"Of course they can come with us! I've actually been looking for a pair of legs to run errands for me and Zammie my girl you should've joined me months ago," said Antoine.
"See, what did I tell you?" I whispered to the two newcomers, not quite able to hide my smug tone.
We boarded the ship for departure to Canary Island and I took Royce and Zamora to him for approval.
"Royce you're gonna have to share a bunk with Wesley below deck, I trust there won't be a problem since you two are friends?" Royce shook his head, Antoine beamed at him before turning to Nicole, "Would you mind sharing your room with Zamora, Nicole?" asked Antoine.
"Not at all sir," she replied.
"Splendid! Welcome aboard!" he said, his delight all too apparent.
Zamora and Royce left the room with Nicole and Antoine put a brotherly arm around my shoulder.
"Couldn't resist the eye candy could ya lad?" he teased.
I chuckled.
"She's really good with maps and Royce is pretty quick so I figured you could use em," I said.
"That's my boy! Still glad I hired you and Oliver to this day! You two kids have been great to me these past times and I still can't thank you enough," he said.
Antoine was a humble man, grateful for our presence and dedication. It went both ways; I owed a lot to him for giving me a job to support Lisa and mom, and also for having been able to meet Oliver.
"Well you better get some rest, we've got a long day ahead of us once we dock at Canary," he said.
"Aye aye skipper," I replied without hesitation.
He chuckled heartily as I left the room.
Oliver
I hadn't bothered going to introduce the newbies with Nick; they were his friends and he and Antoine were almost as close as I was. Being some of the only people who stuck with him when he was going through a rough period had helped immensely in that regard. Besides, I hadn't liked the look that the Hispanic girl had been giving me; it made me uneasy and no amount of charm I'd put on had been able to entirely dispel it.
A member of the crew burst in, leading a woman. A heavy make-out session started as they edged towards an empty cot before one of them became aware of my presence as I pretended to be asleep. Hushed voices followed, half-embarrassed and half-frustrated. Presumably they hadn't been able to find a place to be alone. Then they left.
I felt a grin come to my face.
Good on you man.
You go girl!
As I watched them leave out of the corner of my eye I felt a strange yearning in my chest I'd not felt for a long time. As far as I was aware there'd only ever been one who was both the cause, and the cure.
Gamma.
I wondered if she was still alive. Maybe I'd seen her in a dream, unable to remember it. Not for the first and certainly not the last time I cursed the blood pumping through my veins. It made me something more than human, but I'd not asked for it, nor would I wish it on anyone. No matter how much I laughed and joked and charmed with Nick and the other members of the crew, I'd always feel like an outsider. Someone living this life on borrowed time and someone would come to collect sooner or later.
I eased myself out of that depressing train of thought and turned on my side, eventually drifting off to sleep, where blonde hair and horrible visions awaited me.
-X-
The pack drifted slowly towards the trader vessel, the vibrations caused by the ship's movement ringing through their twisted bodies, sending shivers of primal excitement throughout. The creatures closing in had once been turtles, but the virus had taken hold and twisted them beyond any recognisable form. Vicious, barbed claws extended from a scaly, diamond-hard back, and their elongated heads were lined with dark, pulsing veins, eyes as deep and black as midnight, and a wide shark's maw lined with thin and brittle, but sharp teeth.
The first of the pack hooked its claws onto the side of the ship and began to ascend, the other eight beasts followed suit. The first of them clambered on deck, standing just over half the height of a man, glistening wet. They could smell the flesh, practically taste it. One caught sight of flesh on deck; it was entirely unaware, leaning on the barrier, a small, smoking stick in its hand. The flesh raised the stick to its mouth and took a lengthy drag–
–and the creature leapt.
The creature had chosen its moment immaculately. Just as the flesh had released its breath – a small cloud of smoke that stung and irritated the creature – the monster was upon it, rending and tearing until little more remained of the flesh than a bloody mess. The flesh had no time to even consider raising the alarm.
The creature hissed, beckoning the rest of the pack forward, and they began to feed, swallowing meat, bone and cartilage with hungry abandon. Eventually all that remained of the flesh was a couple of fingers and a pool of blood. The creature's sniffed the air before an unspoken signal passed between each of them, and the pack split up.
There was prey yet to hunt.
-X-
Still got four more slots open. As of now it's three guys and three gals, sorry if I sound like a broken record but me and Wandering Letters would still prefer it if we could equalise.
zips out.