The raid was pretty awesome, I got to ask this though is Zack an OC?
Thanks. And no. Zack was the shipping guy in Mineral Town in the game, but now with the lack of shipments to the mainland and other islands, he took on the role of the lead guard. I figured he'd be good for that role since he's got that Schwarzenegger look.
As for the journal scene it's understandable why you didn't get to detailed.
I did actually, for the sake of realism (Jack is the kind of guy who wouldn't hold back in his journal.) Thing is, I didn't want to test the waters with an extremely graphic scene and possibly get my stuff deleted. I just don't want to up the rating just for a few graphic sex scenes, and I'm already going to be pushing the limit later on with various content. By the way, how graphic are we allowed to get? I just need to know my limits on this.
This version of Jack definitely makes me want to keep finding out more about him.
You do some pretty sharp character writing.
Thanks. I'm really glad he's coming across as a unique character rather than a generic emo kid, because I really didn't want that in this writing.
Also, are we allowed to make individual chapters rated M? That would actually be very cool if I can do that.
Journal Entry: October 26th 2010
I'm not going to lie: I'm horny. Really, really, horny. I just realized that the last time I had sex was when I was back in New York with Kassie. That was early 2007? It's been so long! I mean, I aside from the Karen dreams, I really haven't thought about sex all that much. In fact, with housemates like Kai and Popuri, I try not to. With all the work I have to do, it rarely have time to even sit down and yank it, let alone do it with an actual woman.
It's so strange. I wouldn't describe myself as a sex addict or anything, but I really want to get some, and the porn on my laptop isn't doing it. But really, who is there? I know there are so many women on this island now since this place is crawling with castaways, but none of them really stand out to me and I don't have time or willpower to court them. There is Lola, but that's not a road I want to go down. The chick is as sexy as hell, but I know anything between us would just be a one night stand at best, and I would rather get something more consistent. Julie has been trying to flirt with me, but I'm ignoring it. She's a pretty girl, but she's only fourteen. I don't know what the age of consent is here, but I know it's higher than that. And besides, I'm no pedo.
Needless to say, the Karen dreams really are not helping. Granted, I don't have them nearly as much as I used too, but I feel like I'm falling for her even more every time I wake up from one of those dreams. I could never say anything to her about them though. Rick may be a geek, but he's a good guy, and she loves him… for reasons I don't understand, and because of that, I'm not going to make things weird by spilling my emotions. Still, I wonder how she is in bed? Probably kinky. Of course, I'm not going to be asking her or Rick or anything.
I really miss sleeping with Kassie. I mean, that's not the only thing I miss about her of course, but the sex was great. She was a real freak in the sack. But I need to accept the fact that I'll never see her again and at this rate, I'll probably be dry for a long time.
Chapter Five: Purity's Touch
Date: July 20th 2011, Wednesday, 12:00 PM
The work week had been pretty easy for Jack thus far. With the doctor's orders not to do any strenuous work after getting shot, he was only doing easy work.
"Here piggy, piggy, piggy," he chanted as he helped the workers dump the last few buckets of slop into the pigs' feeding box. All of the hogs pushed and shoved each other to get to the slop. Jack didn't know much about raising pigs, so he left most of the swine management to Flint, but he would occasionally check up on the porkers on days like this when he couldn't plow the field.
"See you next Easter," he shouted as he left the pig enclosure. He felt bad that he couldn't pull his own weight today, but at least the workers wouldn't be suffering. For a summer day in July, it was pretty cool outside and it was a perfect day to hangout with Elli.
Once getting back to his house, Jack took a quick shower and put on the cleanest pair of jeans, white t-shirt, and button down over-shirt he could find. He didn't have a lot of good casual wear anymore, but a lot of people didn't now, since the clothes that were made on the island were made for necessity and not for looks.
He exited his room and walked over to the big mirror in the living room to give himself a look over. All things considered, he didn't look bad, except his hair was still a mess. He started to comb it when he noticed the grays mixed in with the brown.
"Damn it," he muttered to himself as he began to pick out individual hairs and yank them out of his scalp. The process was futile, but he did what he could to make himself look his age.
"Hey Jack, are those sandwiches in the fridge for us?" Popuri asked in her eternal whine.
"No, they're for me and… you know," he answered annoyed as he kept trying to grab individual hairs.
"What are you doing?" the pink haired girl asked. Jack rolled his eyes.
"I'm picking the gray hairs out so I look my age," he explained.
"You're worrying too much Jack. I highly doubt Elli is going out with you because of your looks." Jack shot her a dirty look in the mirror's reflection.
"Yeah, I'm gonna give you a freebie and pretend you didn't just say that," Jack muttered as he continued to pick at his scalp.
"Oh come on Jack, it's Elli for goddess's sake. She's the epitome of Sunday school girl. She probably only likes people for what they have on the inside or whatever. Then again, it's not like you have a lot going on their either."
"Okay, don't you have some work to do? Or do you really have time to stand there and insult me all day?" Jack asked in frustration. Popuri was already getting on his last nerve.
"So what are you two even doing?" she asked as she ignored his questions.
"She's meeting me here and we're going down to the Deer Lookout for lunch," he answered.
"She's meeting you here?" Popuri asked skeptically. "You're not picking her up at her house?"
"Is that really a problem?" Jack questioned in annoyance. By this point, he had given up looking for grays. "The Deer Lookout is closer to my house so it saves us some time."
"Whatever Jack. I'm just saying I would never like a guy who didn't pick me up," Popuri stated before she walked out the door.
"That's probably why I never liked you either," he muttered.
"You should kill her."
"You know, that's the first reasonable thing you've ever said to me," Jack sighed at the voice's words. He just hoped that it wouldn't bother him while he was out.
Several minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Taking in a deep breath, Jack left the mirror and walked over a few steps to open it. He was left breathless with who he saw standing there. Elli was wearing a beautiful white sundress with red flower designs on it. His eyes then drifted to her face. He could tell she was wearing some light makeup. Altogether, she looked stunning to him.
"Hey Jack," she greeted with sweet voice to match her lovely smile.
"He… hey," he stuttered nervously. "You look great." That was an understatement.
"Aw, thanks. You ready to go?" she asked.
"Sure, I'm just going to go get the food out of the fridge," he replied. As he walked over to the fridge and began loading up the food, the image of Elli in that dress kept flashing through his mind. Maybe it was shallow of him to think so, but just seeing her like this had jump started various emotions in his mind.
"I haven't been in these woods since I was a kid," Elli breathed as the two walked on the old forest trail. The walk had been about twenty minutes so far, but Elli didn't seem to mind since she was bathing in nostalgia. "Do you come here a lot?"
"Every so often," Jack answered. "Me, Gotz, and sometimes Cliff will come down here to hunt deer. Gotz says we should come more often to thin out the population since the wolves haven't done very well down here."
"Are there really wolves on this island?" Elli asked skeptically. "I've never seen one."
"I haven't in awhile," Jack replied. "They mostly live on the northern part of the island though, so the deer population down here is getting pretty thick. I suggested at a town meeting once that we try to introduce wolves down here, but I was shot down pretty quickly."
"Oh, that's too bad," Elli said, giving condolence. "But then again, I can see why they wouldn't want to do that."
"Yeah, it is kind of dangerous. Still, I was thinking about this islands future, because it could get pretty bad if the deer overpopulate down here… And here we are!" The two finally arrived at the top of the small hill with the nook below. Elli was in awe.
"Wow, it's so pretty," she gasped. "I never knew this was here!"
"Yup, it's a pretty nice view," Jack agreed. "It's also where the orchids grow."
"Oh, well where are they?" Elli asked. She was getting excited.
"They're down there near that giant rock," Jack replied, pointing at the oversized boulder below. "You can go pick some if you want."
"Yes, I think I will," she said happily as she left his side to make her way down the hill. Jack put the picnic basket and blanket down next to the tree on the hill and followed her. Seeing the breeze push against her dress and hair as she walked made her look heavenly. Jack felt as though his stomach had just done a flip. It had been awhile since he felt like that.
"Wow, there are so many!" Elli exclaimed as she knelt down and began to pick the orchids. "Do they only grow here?"
"This is the only place I've seen them," Jack admitted. "You could probably ask Basil though. He knows everything about where everything grows on this island."
"I might do that," Elli said as she continued to pick the flowers. "I should try growing these back home."
"But then you wouldn't need me anymore," Jack pretended to pout.
"You're right. You've served your purpose Jack. You are no longer of use to me," she giggled.
"Gee, thanks," Jack sighed, but he smiled too. "You want to go eat?"
"Sure!" She stood up with an arm full of flowers and the two began to make their way up the hill.
"So why do they call this the Deer Lookout?" Elli asked.
"Well, Gotz found it awhile back, and he uses it to hunt deer since they often come through the clearing we were just in, and we have a good shot from the hill without being seen by them first. It's pretty convenient." The two reached the top of the hill and Jack spread the blanket for them to sit on. "I haven't been hunting here in a few weeks though. Got a buck the last time though."
"Oh, that's nice," Elli said. "I don't know much about hunting though. I don't think I'd be good at killing something."
"I wasn't either until my dad took me as a kid. It's something you just get used to. Here, let's eat," he suggested as he opened the basket and took out some sandwiches for him and Elli. As they ate and chat, he thought about all the raiders he had shot over the last few years. The first time he ever shot an attacker, he felt incredibly guilty about it, but like shooting animals, it no longer bothered him. It was scary how desensitized he had become.
"These sandwiches taste pretty good," Elli commented. "What's on them?"
"Ham and cheese, both from the farm," Jack answered.
"The cheese is really good," Elli continued. "I've never remembered it tasting like this."
"You must not eat goat cheese a lot then," Jack said in realization. "I didn't have any regular cheese left, so I used that instead."
"No, it's fine. Great really."
"Okay, thanks," Jack said as he took another bite. "I wish we could have one of those cooking festival things again. I could probably win at one of those now that I'm a better cook."
"Oh yeah, I miss those," Elli sighed. Suddenly, she started giggling. "Remember that guy who used judge those competitions?"
"Who?" Jack asked before he started laughing too. "Oh yeah. Gourmet Guy, or something. I can't remember his real name, but that guy just looked ridiculous. It wasn't even the fact of how fat he was more than it being him wearing that ridiculous purple suit and hat. Still, he probably had the best job on Earth. Traveling around the world and eating food all day sounds like the life to me."
"Yeah… I wonder what happened to him…" Elli said as her voice trailed off.
"Elli," Jack started seriously. "The world was destroyed by a massive nuclear holocaust in almost every country on Earth. I think it's pretty obvious what happened to the Gourmet Guy." There was a silence before Jack got a goofy looking grin on his face. "Clogged arteries."
"Jack," Elli said as she punched his good arm. Her voice was serious, but he could tell she was trying not to laugh. "You know, I think you're corrupting me, because normally, I wouldn't be finding humor in somebody's death… even if it's probably true."
"Well, sometimes you just need to find a reason to laugh," he looked away. "God knows, that's the reason I'm still alive," he thought to himself.
"Yeah, that's true. I don't get a lot of laughs anymore. Everything is so serious where I work. I mean, the other doctors and nurses are friendly, but I can never really talk with them. That's why I'm really glad you invited me here today. It gets lonely being a nurse sometimes."
"Actually, that reminds me. I've been meaning to ask you something," Jack stated. "You were a nurse when I first came here, but you were only fifteen. How is that even possible? I had a friend who was a nursing major in college, and she had to go to years of school for that."
"You're not the first non-native to ask me this," Elli began. "A lot of the castaway doctors asked me this too. All I can say is that it's different out here. Nursing is viewed more as a trade, like being a blacksmith. My grandmother prepared me for the job and I started when I was fifteen because we needed income."
"Wow, that's rough," Jack responded. "I didn't even know what I wanted to do with my life when I was fifteen."
"Yes, it was difficult to learn everything, but I love helping people. It's in my blood I guess. I just hope it's in Stu's blood too since he's going to start shadowing Doctor Tim next year."
"Oh, he's thirteen now?" Jack asked. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he talked to Stu. "How's he doing?"
"He's fine. He really grew up ever since… well, in the last four years," Elli answered, trying not to mention the nuclear strikes. "I don't get to see him as often since I live at the clinic and he's now living with Dr. Keller and his wife and kids."
"Oh yeah," Jack remembered. "The dentist. Well, I'm sure he'll do well. He's a smart kid."
"Yeah, you're right. He'll be fine. I just worry about him. He's such a free spirit and all, and I'm afraid he's not going to like being a doctor." She had a troubled look on her face. "I mean, the hours are awful, and you never get to go out much, or wear anything nice. I haven't worn this dress in over a year."
"Well that's a shame. You look really nice in it."
"Thanks Jack." A cute smile came back on her face as she looked down at her sundress. "It's been sitting in my closet forever, and I never get a chance to wear it. I'm always afraid it'll get ruined, and I would hate that so much. They don't make dresses like these anymore."
"No they don't," Jack replied. As Elli began to look off the hill into the distance, he began to look at her body as she leaned back on her hands. She was pretty slender and had a nice body. He had never been able to tell before since she was always wearing that nursing gown. As the sun reflected off her short brown hair, he began to melt inside. He had never noticed until recently how good she looked. Years ago, doing so would have made him feel like a pedophile, but now that she was an adult, he didn't feel bad for thinking so.
"Jack, look," Elli whispered as she pointed into the clearing. A handsome stag had walked into the clearing and began to nibble at some of the foliage.
Jack moved closer to Elli to look at the deer below. He had the urge to try and shoot the buck, but he only had his revolver with him, and he knew nothing would ruin an afternoon like this like killing a stag that the girl he was with had spotted. Instead he looked back at Elli who was observing the stag in awe. Instincts told him that he should capitalize on this moment. He slowly placed his hand on top of hers. He felt her shiver as she turned her head to look at him, but then she began to blush and she turned her head away. Jack had noticed a small smile had emerged on her face again.
"She's so cute," he thought to himself. Something about Elli seemed so perfect. She was mature, and yet, she seemed to have a childlike innocence about her. The combination was beautiful.
"Well, it was really nice spending time with you today," Jack said as he and Elli were standing near his house. It was still in the afternoon, and the workers were out finishing the crop watering.
"You're welcome," Elli thanked. "I think I'll head back now. I need to get something to drink. That walk back was tiring."
"Hey, how about you come inside then," Jack suggested. "I have orange juice."
"Wow, okay. That sounds nice," Elli exclaimed. She followed him into the house.
"Sorry, the place is kind of a wreck. I don't usually entertain guests anymore," Jack admitted. It was now in his habit to be out of the house as much as possible so he wouldn't have to spend a lot of time with his housemates.
"That's okay," she replied as she looked around the living room. "I don't think I've ever been here before."
"Yeah, you may not have." He walked over into the kitchen to get the orange juice only to find that he didn't have any clean cups. "Ugh, my roommates are disgusting," he thought to himself. He picked two cups out of the sink and began to wash them.
"Is that the deer you said you shot?" Elli asked. She was looking at the head that Doug had stuffed for him.
"Yeah, I just had that done," Jack commented as he continued to wash the cups. "Can you do me a favor and turn on the radio? It should be set to the right channel."
"Sure thing," she answered. She found the radio and turned it on. A slightly static-ridden channel buzzed in with some jazz music. "What channel is this?"
"Poter city has their own radio station for their people. Even though they won't let us in their territory, we can still reach their station. It's the only place I can really connect with anymore, but they give a little bit of world news and they play all this old music, so it's okay."
"Oh, that's nice then," Elli said. As the piano music buzzed in the background, she began to walk around the room looking at the various things in the room. When Jack returned with the orange juice, he found Elli looking at some of the framed photographs that were hanging on the wall.
"Here's your juice," he offered. She nodded in thanks and went back to looking at the pictures on the wall. The one she was focused in on was one of a slightly younger Jack and a girl his age with a long blonde pixie cut hanging on his back. They were both laughing in the picture.
"Who is that with you?" she asked curiously.
"That… That's Kassie. She was my girlfriend at the time. I think we were twenty or so when we took that," he said as he reminisced about the day the picture was taken.
"She's really pretty," Elli commented. "Do you know what happ…" Her voice trailed off. It was pretty obvious what happened to her.
"It's strange," Jack began. "She was actually going to visit me during my second year on the farm, but the strikes happened a week before her plane left." He paused. "Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if she would have scheduled to visit a few weeks earlier."
"I'm sorry, that's pretty brutal," she said quietly. Her eyes were drawn over to another photograph. It was of Jack, his parents, and his younger sister. The photo was taken in a park and they were all wearing nice clothes. "Is this your family?"
"Yeah, that's my father, mother, and little sister Olivia," he answered. "We took this not long after she graduated high school."
"You look an awful lot like your dad," she said. She was right. Jack's father looked like an older version of him with wrinkles and more gray hairs.
"That's a compliment, right?" Jack asked with a chuckle.
"Why would I say it if it wasn't a compliment?" Elli asked with a small laugh. "Yes, you both look really handsome."
"Take THAT Popuri," he thought to himself. "Thanks, I think so too."
"Do you know what happened to them?" she asked, not holding back this time.
"Well… my parents were in New York City when the strikes occurred. I've tried to email them after the event, but they never responded, so I can only assume…" He paused. "Same with my friends and Kassie… My sister was actually visiting some friends in Buffalo at the time, and they weren't hit directly, so I figured maybe she would have been okay, but she never emailed me back." Another pause. "I did get an email from my uncle in Maine asking if I was okay, but he never replied after I responded… I'm just really glad I brought these photos with me when I moved here."
"I'm so sorry Jack," Elli whispered.
"Don't be. I'm not trying to get pity or anything. It all happened a long time ago."
"Even so, I can't imagine how you feel. Losing everybody you knew from your old life…" She stopped herself. "Look, I'm sorry. I just can't understand how you must feel."
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Jack told her. "I'm sure you're able to understand some because…" he paused. He was about to mention how she lost her parents, but he figured that would be a wrong direction to go.
"Because of my parents?" she asked.
"No, I didn't mean that-"
"It's okay," she stated. "Thing is, my mother died when I was eight and my father…" she stopped as bitter memories passed through her mind. "I've lived for a decade without my parents. I've grown used to it. I had to grow up fast."
The conversation had taken such a dark turn from the fun and jokes they were having earlier. Everything had become so serious. The song that was playing on the radio ended. A new jazz song began that was backed by a crazy saxophone player.
"Well, I guess we have a lot in common," he said quietly.
"Yes… I feel so comfortable with you Jack. You're just so… so…"
"Studly?" Jack interjected in an attempt to lighten the mood. Elli giggled.
"Sure, I'll go with that," she said. "But you seem so understanding. I'm really glad we could spend time together today."
"So am I," he replied softly. She moved forward and hugged him, which took him by surprise for a second. He embraced her too, and part of his hand touched her upper back. It amazed him how soft her skin was. As the two separated, her hands fell into his and he looked deep into her brown eyes.
"I could get lost in your eyes," he murmured to her. The line sounded sappy as hell to him, but he didn't care. She looked as though she wanted to say something, but the words weren't coming to her. Suddenly, without thinking, he leaned forward and kissed her. Her lips were even softer than her skin. But in the moment, she had not attempted to kiss him back. As he slowly pulled away, he noticed that the expression on her face was of shock, as if she had not seen it coming. Her cheeks began to redden again.
"I have to go," she said suddenly as she took her hands from his and walked out quickly to leave his house. Jack just stood in place, staring into space where she had been standing. What had just happened?
"Great, I was probably moving too fast for her," he thought to himself.
"I could have told you this would happen."
"Leave me alone," he muttered. He suddenly ran over and opened the door. "Elli!" he shouted. No response. She was already gone. He didn't understand it. Everything that day had gone so well. Why had she run out?
"I probably scared her away," he thought. "Damn, what the hell is wrong with me?"
Meh, I have writers block with the next chapter right now. I hope I can figure out what I want to do with it. Send in the reviews and stuff!
