Dionysus' Followers...
...or...
A Not-Quite Songfic
Yay for more obscure references! With almost-yaoi! And more fourth wall breaking!
The Bacchanal's Song is (C) CerberAsta, Bob's Dirge is (C) CerberAsta, Melreincarna
Woods...?
Eric walked through the woods, curiously examining the trees. He stepped gently through the forests, listening. Something was up with the forest. It seemed different from the forest that he was used to. There was something strange in the air, something mystical and strange.
He heard gentle singing ringing through the air...
Making merry everywhere
The most feral of the fair
Bacchanals, we three be
Devouring all that we see
Eric was so mesmerized by their voices that he didn't register the lyrics.
Nymphs of the flowing wine
Lovers of the growing vine
Dionysus is our king
Tis of he we three sing
Eric heard the voices getting ever closer, and the feral note under it. Fear began to creep through his body, until he saw the three women, naked and beautiful. Perfectly toned with flowing blond hair, they smiled great smiles as they rushed towards him.
Fellow, you must come along
Fellow, you must sing our song
Eric nodded and rushed to meet them. The women began to change, growing horrendous claws and teeth. Eric screamed as they overtook him, ripping him to pieces.
Now, die, our brother, feed us well
Flee to Hades, leave this hell!
Beach...
Covered in a terror-induced film of sweat, the blond sat up, without a sound. He looked around, half-frenzied, by his terrible nightmare. Shivering, he pulled his knees into his chest and wrapped his arms around them. He rocked back and forth, mumbling gently, but obviously scared. He sniffled, holding back tears as best as he could.
Shaking his head, Eric laid back down.
Abby and Jackson watched the blond, warily, for their own reasons. When it was clear that the father of both Abby's oncoming child and so much of Jackson's strife was fast asleep, the black haired teens rolled over and began to doze.
F29D
Nathan yawned and stretched, looking around. For a moment, he was disoriented by the plane's interior, until the memories came back to him. It reminded him of the first mornings at the island, when he so expected to wake up in his bed. Shaking his head and scattering leaves, Nathan looked over and saw Jackson groggily standing up, the dent in the patch of leaves indicating he had been sleeping by the doorway.
"Let's go," Jackson said, "I can't see Eric."
"Wha?"
More disorientation. Eric had come back to them last night. Why the hostility, though...?
"I don't trust him. Something happened out there, that those bastards aren't telling."
Nathan blinked, noting that Jackson really didn't curse often.
"Just like how you didn't tell us about the cave?"
"...Not the same."
Jackson walked out the doorway and towards the fire.
Campfire...
Eric stared at the fire he had started with the device he had created. The flames seemed so chaotic, yet beautiful. His mind was at peace, now, as it had temporarily forgotten everything that had happened, starting with the break.
He looked up at some of the incoming 29ers.
"Hey, guys," he said, cheerily enough.
"Hey... Eric," Daley said, confused.
"Hey, Tay," Eric said, smiling.
Taylor smiled lightly at him, then sat down beside him.
"You okay, Eric?" she asked.
"Of course he is. He's with me," Abby said, coldly, sitting down on the other side of Eric.
Eric's eyes slammed shut at Abby's voice, and he shuddered. His eyes opened again, now glazed over. The 29ers looked at him for a moment, disturbed by the strange moment, if not realizing what it meant.
The children ate breakfast, consisting entirely of fruit and seaweed, in a companionable manner, with nice chatting sprinkled throughout. Then, it came to business.
"Alright, guys," Daley said, "Time for chores."
"Taylor, you and Lex collect more fruit. Get it in a nearby stockpile... and don't hurt yourself. We need to get started on water. Eric, you lug the water jug to the fountain and back. Melissa, you get the fire started in the meantime. It may take longer due to the wet ground. Abby and Jackson, you two start gathering your own supplies, for when you guys and Eric go off to get Jory and Ian, in case you get lost," Daley said, "Nathan-"
"Now, wait just a minute. What are you trying to pull? I'm on water detail again? This is bullshit."
"Eric, shut the hell up," Jackson snapped, "You come into our home, with your problems, then you're going to work. Deal with it."
Eric snorted with rage, glaring at Jackson. The two locked eyes, and Jackson stared into the abyss. He had been there before, living out on the streets of nowhere. This was surprising, but hardly new to him. He was a Titan, and the abyss held nothing to him. He had been to Tartarus, as it were.
"...Nathan... you gather leaves for the plane. We'll meet back at...," Daley trailed off, looking at her watch, "My... my watch is dead."
"Mine died yesterday," Taylor said, looking at it for a moment.
Daley sighed.
"We may have to figure out a new way to tell time. Damn. For now, just rely on your shadow. When it's gone, I'll come call you," Daley said.
And with that, the teens set to work, a wide variety of emotions rippling through them.
Hotel Tango...
Jory sighed, standing up.
"I won't let him be there any longer. He needs to be buried," Jory said.
Ian looked over at the body of Bob, already being eaten at by flies and such. He nodded.
"I'm sorry I can't help."
Jory shrugged, "It's alright, really. But... do you know any funeral songs? I'd like it if you sung while I worked..."
Ian thought for a moment, "I don't rightly know any... but with Asta backing me up, I could improvise."
Jory smiled at him, not noticing the fourth wall breakage. She did a double-take a moment later, but shrugged. She dragged Bob's body over to the grave. Jory looked over at her, from beside the grave. Through much work, he had been taken out, for safety's sake.
Death in life
Peace in strife
The natural course
All for the worse
Jory nodded gently as she rolled Bob's body into the grave. It hit with a thud and Jory winced; her throat contracted and two tears dripped from her eyes into the grave. Ian's voice filled her ears and she steeled herself.
As the river flows
As the tree grows
It happens, sure
There is no cure
Jory drug up her Excalibur, her Ascalon, her Master Sword. She plunged her great weapon into the ground. With all her might, she brought it to bear. The dirt gave in to the shovel, and fell into the pit, with Bob. She winced, looking at him. Nothing to do about it.
Just keep going
Don't stop rowing
On this river of life
Float on through the strife
Jory let the words and melody consume her as she kept shoveling the dirt. The nice heaps around the pit were clustered together, usually to the side. It had been a good idea, as otherwise... they might have crushed them, or just been too big a barrier against them getting out. Now it was an extra obstacle to filling the hole. Still, she pushed on, through the dull minutes, as Ian's voice kept filling her mind with the strength needed.
No time to pause
To think about cause
We must move ahead
And leave the dead
Everything was becoming a blur. Ian's voice, digging, the dirt, the body, the grave, and so many other things. Jory didn't know how much time had passed. It may very well have been an hour. In truth, it had been a mere 20 minutes, as Ian had repeated the song and went into various humming intervals, before inspiration struck him one final time.
Death in life
Peace in strife
Tis a natural force
Filled with remorse
Jory smoothed out the ground and Ian's voice quieted down, the song done. The blanket of comfort was gone, but Jory felt, for the moment, hollow.
"Goodbye, Bob," she whispered.
The young girl, already aware of more pain in life than most adults, sat down by Ian, gently. She curled up next to him; he slid an arm around her and held her against him as best as he could. Gently, oh so gently, Jory laid there, crying.
Forest...
Lex stooped down to pick up a crushed mango. It couldn't be saved, so it was instead eaten immediately. A moment later, Lex started to stand up, heading into a cracked branch
"Lex, watch your head!" Taylor shrieked.
He stood up carefully, backing away from the tree. "Thanks, Tay." He tore the mango in two and presented half to the blond. "Here." She took it from him and sucked hungrily.
Lex hopped over another downed tree. "The destruction is awful. Our fruit supply has been cut very short, and the fish will be gone for a few days."
"Good" Taylor said automatically.
"Good?" Lex asked puzzled.
"No more killing," she explained.
"Ohhh...vegetarian... right. Why?"
"Just couldn't do it anymore. At home, it was always easier to find a reason. Already dead and cooked."
"But here we're making a conscious choice to kill."
Taylor nodded. She cast her eyes downward and squeezed the tight lump forming in her throat already. "It's just not right"
"But naturally we're the greatest predator. We're supposed to eat other animals.'
"Lex, try it without thinking from your mind, but from your heart." Taylor poked each body part appropriately.
"I think everyone feels a slight bit of guilt there." Lex frowned for a moment. "Yet, few have enough of it to do anything but ignore it or make fun of others to somehow make them seem more right."
"Yeah. Just what I need. Another reason to be disliked before people know me. As if being bi and rich wasn't enough."
"Just tell them you care about the environment."
"Huh?"
And so for the rest of the walk Lex explained why world hunger would virtually cease if we stopped using so much grain for commercial livestock and much more water it takes to raise one cow than one plant. Taylor caught virtually nothing but Lex liked being listened to, and this new Taylor found she liked to listen.
Campfire...
Melissa should have found something to do, but instead she was alone again and thinking as the flame crackled and danced before her. If she listened carefully, even above the commotion around her, she could hear the ocean waves rolling up on the beach, gently caressing the sand's edge, like a perfect kiss. It was Abby, surprisingly enough, who had taught Melissa to compare the ocean to emotion. They spent many days off at the beach, and Abby would always tell her what the ocean was feeling. It stuck with Melissa in a profound way. Anger and sadness fell as rushing currents, slamming into the sides of her soul. The new Abby no longer held the tides of the ocean; now she was a fire, slowly eating herself away from the inside, burning all she touched.
Melissa heard the crunching of feet upon the grass; she turned and saw Eric walking towards her. His entire body seemed tightly strung, like it was wound too tight, and was ready to spring out. He dropped his water jug with a mild grunt and walked off.
"Thanks, Eric, for coming back."
He gave no indication that he had heard.
Melissa sighed. Abby had obviously changed, but in some ways it was good. Survival was necessary. Eric seemed... strange, however. She sighed again, deciding not to ponder over it, as she set to boiling more water.
Beach...
By the time the hour had actually struck noon, most of the group was already back. Abby faced away from the group, dismantling a large cricket-like insect with nauseating precision. Jackson had brought back the fish which Melissa had already set to frying.
"Nathan! Lex! Lunch!" Daley called.
"You should start without them, get more food for yourself," sneered Abby.
"That's unnecessary. There's more than enough for all of us." Daley replied, staring impatiently into the trees.
Abby reached into the the flame and withdrew the charcoaled fillet, barely wincing as the cooked flesh burned her now. "Now there isn't," she declared, cramming her mouth full to demonstrate.
Daley glared at her, but said nothing as Melissa started a new piece of fish. Nathan and Lex came trodding into camp.
"Aww, it's not even ready yet. I am starving," Nathan whined.
"Well, with how long you took we would have burned all the fish," Melissa teased.
Taylor walked over and grabbed a piece of fruit. "Wouldn't have mattered to me".
" Aww, how sweet the blond princess cares about the little fishies," Abby laughed darkly.
"Abby, of all of them you should understand."
Taylor tensed, looking almost ready to cry.
"You're right... I do understand. I understand how weak you are for putting an animal above your own survival."
Taylor began to sniffle and ran off. Lex got up and followed her.
Jackson stood up and knocked sand from his pants as he followed Taylor and Lex's path with his eyes, "Alright. Lunch over. Sounds like a good time to get Ian and Jory."
Abby nodded and Eric scrambled to follow. Nathan tucked a piece of fruit under his arm.
"Ready," Nathan smiled.
With that, the four set out and Melissa and Daley ate the remaining fish quietly. A few words were exchanged, all of them tense and without any sense of meaning. Too much shock.
Despite that the group was soon to be fully reunited it seemed they were more fractured than ever.
Hotel Tango...
Ian and Jory sat there, staring at the recently disturbed dirt.
"Well... he's finally buried..."
Ian nodded in agreement, "Yeah. Thanks."
"Thank you for the singing. It helped."
Jory looked up at Ian, still laying against his shoulder.
"And thank you... for putting up with me. You guys could've ditched me so many times in the woods, to fend for yourselves, without the chubby nerd-"
Ian put a finger to her lips, "Never considered it. Original Abby never did, either. Hell, Bob probably would've suggested to go on without him. You know how he was."
Jory nodded.
"Besides, you helped lighten the mood with your nerdy anime references," Ian said.
Jory smiled at him, then looked away, "About... yesterday."
Ian smiled at her, "Nothing to it. You're an awesome girl. I'm an awesome guy."
He brought his hand gently to her face and rubbed her cheek slowly with his thumb, as he brought her to look at him.
"Wanna go out?" he asked.
Jory smiled at him, nodding.
"How about a round two on that kiss? I'm feeling mildly uncomforta-"
Ian found his joke unfinished as Jory already had her lips against his. He also found that he didn't particularly care.
Campfire...
Melissa lugged in a jug of water and dropped it next to the fire. She noticed the youngest survivor sitting near the fire, and wondered what happened to make him leave Taylor behind. Melissa took off the pot of purified water, which she proceeded to pour into the water bottles. She then refilled the pot with the contaminated water, before finally sitting down next to Lex.
"So, what's up? Taylor alright?" Melissa asked, hugging Lex against her side.
"Yeah. She calmed down after a bit. I told her that Abby's just a little weird right now... and then I thought of it... Something's off about yesterday... something said..."
Melissa looked at Lex for a moment, as she strained herself to remember what had been said. She flipped through the conversation in her mind, trying to notice the oddity.
"They never said anything about the captain...," she said, confused.
"That... that scream...," Lex choked out.
Melissa and Lex looked at one another, locking eyes. Melissa stared into a soul now haunted by two screams of death. Lex looked at an innocent soul that had recently been tainted by continual prodding.
"Captain Russell's... he's dead...," Melissa said, in the smallest of whispers.
Forest...
Leaves crunched beneath the feet of three teens, as the rescue party left out. Eric and Abby had been traversing the woods near the camp quite a bit lately, and so they knew the territory a good bit better now. The trek would just be long, but not nearly as confusing as it should've been.
"So, Jackson, how have things been?" Eric asked.
"Just fine."
"Taylor...?"
"She's fine."
"Did she... put any moves on anyone?"
Jackson looked at Eric for a moment, as did Abby.
"Why would you care?" Jackson asked.
Eric snorted, turning away.
"Well...?"
The sound of crunching leaves and a tense atmosphere answered him.
"Answer my question, Jackson!"
"No, she didn't. She messed with Melissa after telling us all she was bisexual, but she's done nothing else."
Eric tensed up as he kept moving. Jackson glared at the blond, as the adrenaline and fighting instinct pumped through his body. He balled up his fists, clearly ready for Eric to attack him. Abby looked at him with annoyance. Nathan lightly jabbed Jackson in a clear "chill" sort of fashion. Jackson nearly whirled around and decked him, but found himself narrowly able to control himself.
They kept walking through the woods, listening to the gentle whispering of the wind through the trees. The crunching leaves provided an ominous background music to it all. The searchers continued on what they called a path.
"You two need to chill out," Abby grumbled, moving ahead.
Jackson thought of so many responses. You two need to tell the rest of us what happened out there. You two need to help us out more. You two need to leave as soon as you find Jory and Ian.
He kept walking, trying to block one thought from his mind, but failing, as it was too prominent a wish to be denied.
You two need to go back to normal.
Beach...
Daley sighed as she picked up steadily more and more leaves, bunching them up into a large stack of leaves, which she encircled in her arms and carried to the plane. She splashed them across the rusting floors, already covered with so many leaves. She was deeply grateful that she had assigned Nathan to help her with the leaves earlier. He seemed to be bursting with energy this morning, in anticipation of going to get Jory, Ian, and Captain Russell. She smiled, thinking about the upcoming reunion, until she remembered Eric and Abby. What was wrong with them...? They were so strange, now. So morphed. Warped.
The red-haired leader sighed again as she leaned against the plane, staring at the sky. The sun was making its wayward dip towards the ground. It was probably 3 o' clock now. She looked at her watch, before remembering it was broken. Hnh. So many problems beforehand, and they had all been solved somehow. Teamwork, luck, love for their friends, quick thinking, something. Yet here was a mystery that they couldn't solve with all their brains, strength, or heart.
Daley was snapped out of her descending thoughts by the sound of feet hitting sand rapidly, as if they were running. She looked up to see Melissa and Lex running towards her, clearly scared or panicked or something.
"Daley! Daley! I figured it out!"
"What, Lex? Figured what out!?" Daley demanded, feeling panic welling up inside her, now, as well.
Melissa and Lex slowed down until they stopped, a few feet away from Daley. They stopped to suck in air, but started to talk anyways, in between deep breaths.
"The scream," Melissa gasped.
"It was Captain Russell! Russell's... dead...," Lex gasped, between breaths.
Daley felt a cold stone drop in her stomach. Dead...? The watches' death could be reversed when they returned. Bob's death... never.
What? He was dead. No. No way. No one can die. Surely not. But?
"How? What do you mean?"
"There was the scream a few days ago," Melissa said.
Daley didn't need to be reminded. She remembered that shriek, that god awful scream that haunted her dreams every so often.
"What else?"
"Eric and Abby never mentioned Captain Russell. And do you remember when we mentioned that scream? Eric flipped and started babbling about "not meaning to". Something serious happened out there, and I think the captain's death was involved. I think...," Lex stopped here, simply too afraid to go on with.
He didn't need to finish the thought. The others knew what he was about to say.
Eric killed Russell.
Hotel Tango...
It was a marvelous thing to find an old toy one had lost. It was a reunion of two things that never should have been separated to begin with, and it brought with it a euphoria. Nathan felt that euphoria as he looked inside the old building and saw Jory and Ian. He immediately rushed in, despite the exhaustion of rushing to keep up with Eric and Abby. When they entered the clearing with the so-called Hotel Tango, Eric and Abby slowed down, dramatically.
Jackson followed Nathan in, and a few moments later, Eric and Abby came in. Nathan knelt by Jory and Ian.
"Ah, man, it's been too long," Nathan said, high-fiving Ian, "Jory, what's up?"
"...Just survivin'."
"Cool, cool. Alright, let's get you guys to the beach," Nathan said, standing up.
"You guys just... stayed there?" Jory asked.
"Yeah. Pretty much. We've done pretty well... mostly," Nathan said.
"Alright. Nathan, you and I will help Ian get up and get back the beach. Jory, you stay ahead of us. Eric and Abby, keep a pace so that Jory is always in sight," Jackson said, in a deeply commanding tone.
Abby nodded, respectfully, with a sly grin on her face. Eric crossed his arms, clearly not liking his position as a follower to Jackson's leader. Jory stood up; Nathan and Jackson helped Ian to his feet.
Nathan felt the happiness of finding his friends all the way back to the beach. Their family was almost whole again.
Beach...
Everyone had congregated near the beach, as they just couldn't focus on their chores anymore. Daley had tried to raise a fuss, but even she gave up after a few minutes. A few times, they had gone off and gotten something done, but it was usually with all haste, and they immediately returned to the beach. Melissa constantly found herself worrying more about Jackson's safety than anything. A plethora of fatal incidents flew through her head, no matter how many times she shook them away.
There came a rustle in the bushes... a tremble in the trees. Mel heard the faint whisper and smelled the summer breeze. Jackson emerged from the bushes, with the vaguest of smiles on his face, yet with an extreme tenseness about his features.
They immediately noticed Ian's broken leg, as he was supported by Jory and Nathan. Jackson walked out in front of them, guiding the three over to the group. Nathan and Jory gently set Ian down. Abby and Eric emerged from the bushes a few moments later, as everyone gathered around Jory and Ian, excitedly. Only Abby, Eric, Nathan, and Jackson stayed away from them.
"So, you guys glad to be here?" Daley asked.
"We'll make sure you two are super comfortable," Taylor said.
"It may not be much, but it's home to us, for now, I mean," Melissa said, nervously.
"How did you guys survive out there?" Lex asked.
"Hey, hey, heyyyy... chill out... guys, guys, easy up on the questions. I've only got two ears and one mouth. I hear half of your questions and can't even answer those, jeez," Ian said, laughing.
Jory smiled at them; at least some of them hadn't changed.
"So, glad to be of service. Now, when's dinner? Jeez, I'm starved," Eric said.
"Is... is it true that Bob's dead?" Lex asked.
Jory and Ian blinked, then nodded slowly. Their wounds had healed, but not completely. Never completely. Merely a scar, fresh and painful. Eric, on the other hand, froze. Abby looked at him with interest, wondering what would happen now. The blond boy fell to his knees, scratching rabidly at his temples. Everyone looked at him with shock, aside from his mate.
"Eric... what...?" Taylor asked.
Eric looked up, feeling around for a large stick, which he firmly grasped. He looked at it, swinging it experimentally. The blond boy stood up, looking around him. He locked his gaze on Abby for a moment.
"Kitrina... stay there."
He looked towards Jackson, who was away from the rest of the group.
"A Ra'zac!" he hissed.
"Jackson, run!" Jory screeched, "He's hallucinating. Run!"
Jackson looked at her, confused. Then he looked back over to see Eric charge at him with the stick. His temper flared and his muscles tensed. Perfect chance.
"Jackson, no!" Melissa shouted.
Eric leaped forward, bringing the stick down towards Jackson's skull. In an impressive display, Jackson bull rushed Eric, completely negating Eric's momentum and slamming him down into the sand.
"Filth of Galbatorix! You'll pay!" Eric shouted, swinging his stick once more.
Jackson grabbed the stick and wrenched it out of Eric's hands.
"You wanna go, Eric?" Jackson growled, before he snapped the stick over his leg, "Fine. To be honest, you've been a dagger pointed at my family's heart for too long. I've been itching to dull you down a bit."
The others watched the display in horror. Melissa watched as her beloved behaved like such a... monster. Jackson tossed away the pieces of the stick, watching Eric get back up.
"You killed my friends, you insectoid freak!" Eric raged, getting up.
For a moment, Eric froze, looking in a daze, as before his eyes appeared a man in a toga. His cheeks were rosy and he had black hair. Vines wrapped around his body, and the man held a wineglass firmly in his hand. He snickered.
"Well, my boy... you're facing a Titan. What will you do...?"
Eric's eyes widened for a moment as the man dispersed from his vision and his eyes focused on the vision of a Ra'zac which blurred into the form of Jackson. All the same, he glared at his foe. A Titan. He gritted his teeth, before rushing forward, his fists balled up. He smashed into Jackson and they fell onto their backs, Eric pummeling him the whole way. Jackson and Eric tumbled across the beach.
Melissa rushed forward, but Abby stood in front of her.
"Leave it. They've been building up to this since chapter one," Abby hissed.
"Abby, outta my way," Melissa said, struggling as Abby encircled her with her arms.
"No chance, softy," Abby hissed.
Jackson kicked Eric hard and the blond teen fell to the side. Jackson straddled Eric violently and began pummelling Eric, visions of every jerk he'd ever met flooding through his head. Eric struggled against him, punching, scratching and biting. Yet as Dionysus was torn apart every winter by a Titan, Eric was overtaken by Jackson and was suffering dearly for the grave error he made.
Melissa struggled against Abby, but by this point the others had completely gotten over their shock. Nathan and Daley bolted forward, while Lex and Jory stayed behind. Nathan and Daley pulled at Jackson, until the renegade was off of Eric and on his beach. Eric tried to get up, with such ill intent in his motions that Nathan immediately stomped on his chest, thought not enough to bruise.
"Eric, chill out, man!"
Eric looked up at Nathan, hotly, burning with anger and embarrassment. Jackson struggled for a second, then laid there, still. He glared at Daley, "get off me". Daley stood up and backed away, as Jackson did the same. Melissa rushed over to him and grabbed him in a tight hug, sobbing gently.
"Please don't do that... please...," she whispered.
Jackson put his head against Melissa's, his eyes closed, as he felt his heart sink with the guilt of scaring Melissa.
"I'm sorry..."
Daley looked around at the group. She saw Abby tending to Eric with her removed shirt by dabbing at the blood, trying her best to prevent some form of infection; Nathan was looking to her, his chest rising and falling rapidly with the adrenaline of it all. She saw Jackson and Melissa huddled together. Lex and Taylor had stayed behind with Ian and Jory; all four appeared terrified. It was time to take action.
"There are so many things wrong here right now, and I just can't deal with it right at this second. We need to... cool off. Mel... look after Eric. I'll take over water. Nathan, stay with Mel, and make sure he doesn't lose it again. Lex, Taylor, stay with Ian and Jory. Help them get situated."
She looked at Jackson and Abby; one had kept the fight going and the other had prevented the fight from being stopped sooner. Perpetrators of chaos. They deserved it bad.
"You two!" she stopped, pointing to Abby and Jackson, "Just go take a walk in seperate parts of the jungle, bring back some fruit if you can manage that without killing each other."
Abby took note of the challenge in Daley's eyes, besides she needed some time alone.
Jackson agreed immediately, ''Glad to.''
Forest...
Jackson and Abby walked casually enough through the forest, both of them looking through the foliage. Jackson did so for something to occupy his mind and help him ignore his minor wounds. Abby did so to find a thin, flexible stick.
She bent over and picked up one, straightened up, and waved the stick experimentally. Her body tensed as it did as she hoped. Mentally, she twinged at how much this would probably hurt. Oh well. She had to kill to survive...
Abby looked at Jackson, "Do you have a knife?"
Jackson handed her his, "Seems I keep having to lend that out."
Abby ignored him and began sharpening the flexible stick. When it was sharpened to her liking, she handed him his knife. They continued on their errand, separating quickly after that. For several minutes, they walked about through the forest, staying to themselves, but within range. Abby found a large tree and stood behind it, where Jackson couldn't see her. With a deep sigh and a mental walling, she dropped her pants. She examined the stick, preparing for pain.
Slipping her underwear down, gently, she kept assaulting herself with questions.
Can I do this?
Should I do this?
How can I?
Why?
She shook herself.
Yes, I can.
Yes, I should.
Stab the embryo.
Because I have a stronger father in mind...
She opened her eyes and prepared herself once more. Gently, she slid the stick inside herself. When she had sex with Eric, it had stretched her out to where the size of the stick didn't bother her as much. Other facts, though: it had no lubrication, it was abrasive, and it was very sharp. Abby screamed in agony, pulling the stick back out. The girl fell over, writhing in the pain of having her most sensitive body part violated so painfully.
Jackson stood over her a second later.
"Abby!? What hap-"
Jackson stopped, staring at her exposed lower half and the stick.
"ABBY!? WHAT THE HELL!?"
Abby laid there, crying for several more moments, before she calmed herself. Panic and anger swarmed through her. Jackson knew. She had been too weak to do what she had to. Damn it all.
"Abby!? What the fuck are you trying to do?"
"Need a fucking... coat hanger..."
Jackson's eyes widened, "Holy shit. What the hell is wrong with you? Did you-?"
"I fucked him two nights ago, towards the end of the storm."
"Eric?"
Abby cringed, sobbing again as she touched for a moment. Her fingers came back with blood on them.
"Yeah..."
"Abby... are you that fucking stupid? Did you expect to not get pregnant?"
"Count... ahhh... on it..."
"You wanted to...?"
Abby stood up, or tried to, before collapsing again. The tears kept streaming, as the blood started to clot. She was lucky. She had only a few minor cuts.
"Wanted to. To survive."
"Uhhh..."
At this point, Jackson's mind had been too blasted with weirdness, unexpected occurrences, and outright insanity to work right anymore.
"Have to... survive," Abby said, standing up.
She stayed standing, this time. Jackson continued to keep his eyes away from her lower regions as she covered them. She doubled over as a final twinge of crippling pain washed over her.
"Fuck..."
"Abby... you're insane... You're completely and totally insane."
Abby Fujimoto looked up at Jackson, her nostrils flaring, her eyes narrowed in anger.
"I intended for you to be the father, but I can see you're too weak, now. Eric will persevere, I know it."
"Abby... you need help. I'll tell the others..."
Abby grabbed his throat in an incredibly quick motion. Before she could blink, Jackson held his knife against her stomach.
"Survival's difficult when you're staring at your intestines. Let go," Jackson said, with rage he had never unleashed to any of the others.
"Kill me? Wanna explain that one?" Abby hissed.
"Do you?"
Abby let go, and Jackson took away his knife. Abby kept her gaze on her opponent, never breaking eye contact.
"Now then, you've got a choice, Jackson," Abby said, "You tell them what happened here... and you will be the father."
Jackson tilted his head in confusion and anger, "What?"
"We've been out here for thirty minutes. Plenty of time for us to do it."
Jackson flinched from the words. What the hell? It wasn't obscene. She didn't say "for us to fuck". Just "do it", like back in 6th grade. Yet those two words hit him harder than a truck.
"Why'd they believe you?"
"You were never keen to this, but I expressed to Melissa that I had a... deep infatuation for you, before we left on the trip. I made a friendly bet with Taylor that I'd be dating you by the end of the trip. Everyone knows I have a motive. Everyone may think you'll be banging Melissa soon, but it won't take much to convince them that you've done an about-face. Teenagers do it all the time. I wonder how much your family will like that," Abby said, in a complete and total predatory dead-pan.
Jackson felt a wave of nausea wash over himself. He had lost his family once before, and he never wanted to do so again.
"In the relationship between the king and his horse, roles can switch. I'm the king, now."
Jackson fell to his knees, "I won't say a word."
"Good," Abby said, before pulling his face to look up at hers, "Don't even dare to attempt to escape from my grip, or my staff will come down on your skull with all the vengeance of a pissed off monarch. You will not survive."
Jackson only nodded complacently, completely broken by Abby's words. His spirit had been reigned in, and now he was completely helpless.
Campfire...
Eric sat there, numbly, but obviously agitated. Melissa slowly wound a bandage around his arm; he winced and she loosened it a bit, until he no longer winced. She tied the bandage off and looked at it, testing it a bit. Eric grunted something like "thanks" and laid down on his side.
"You okay, Eric?" Melissa asked.
He didn't respond in the least.
"Leave him be, Mel...," Ian advised.
Melissa glanced at him, then shuffled closer to them. She saw how Ian and Jory huddled close together, hugging a little. It made her smile at how cute they were together, then it made her wish she could be that close to Jackson. She didn't suppose he was the huggling kind. She sighed, exasperated.
"Why is he like this?" Melissa asked.
"It's man pride. He fought, he lost. His man pride has been hurt, and he has to be attended to by a girl. More man pride damage," Ian said.
"Seems... silly. I mean, you got your leg broken and have been helped by Jory and Abby, but you're not all sulled up," Melissa said.
"Different men have different levels of man pride. Just so happens that I quickly took note of the advantages of being attended by this lovely lady," Ian said, with a quick show of teeth.
Jory smiled and chuckled. Melissa gave a light grin at the display, before casting a glance at Eric, who remained curled up, radiating depression. She looked down, with a frown.
If only I could help him...
Shallow Water...
"I just don't understand it," said Taylor, who was pacing and clearly stressed out.
"What?" asked Lex, from his place on the ground
"Why did he go and do that?"
"Why did who do what?" asked Lex, clearly confused.
"Jackson. He just attacked Eric for like nothing."
"Taylor-" Lex started.
"No, no, don't even start. It wasn't Eric's fault."
Lex tried again, "Jackson was only protecting us. Eric was angry."
"The only one we need protection from is Jackson. Eric couldn't hurt anyone." Taylor's eyebrows furled and she squeezed her eyes shut.
"If only you knew what I knew. You...you saw how Eric's changed. Someone had to do something and Jackson did."
"I can't believe you're defending him!" she shrieked, tears starting to trickle slowly from her eyes.
"Tay, I didn't mean to-"
"I've lost my only friend on this stupid island!"
"That's not true, Tay. I'm your friend, right?"
She stopped then and turned towards Lex.
He was right.
"Of course you are."
And they hugged and for the moment, everything seemed like it could be alright.
Spring...
"I just don't understand it," said Daley who was pacing and clearly angry.
"What?" asked Nathan from his place on a stump.
"Why did he go and do that?"
"Why did who do what?" asked Nathan clearly confused.
"Eric. Coming back and messing everything up."
"Daley-"
"No. Don't even tell me he's not well. I don't care. He disrupted our home. He deserved what he got."
Nathan tried again. "Eric was hallucinating. He's snapped. Jackson can't just jump all over him."
"I can't believe you're defending him!"
"I am not. Just my main priorities are you and Lex. I don't want to see anyone I love getting hurt.
He loves me.
"I love you too Nathan."
And they kissed and for the moment, everything seemed like it could be alright.
Beach...
Dusk has approached and most of survivors had collected together. Jackson and Abby were still absent, having been gone almost an hour, had only added to the previous tension.
"Should we start?" Lex asked staring down at his meal.
"We'll wait five more minutes," Daley said and the topic was closed.
Abby came through the trees first. She approached the camp and sat immediately, avoiding all eye contact. Snagging a leaf from the ground, she tried futilely to to wipe off what any girl would recognize as the red brown stain of blood. Growling with annoyance she rose and strode quickly but evenly to the nearby ocean as the others watched her swish her hands so vigorously it looked as if she was clawing at her skin.
As Abby walked back towards camp, strolling more confidently now, Jackson crashed through the trees. His back bent, head down with his eyes burning a hole in the sand at a forty-five degree angle in front of him. Common street posture through a bad neighborhood. Or though a good one when you had something. Every few steps, he sort of jerked forward as if he were being yanked on an invisible chain. Though only one of them knew how close that was to the truth.
Daley stood, hands on hips. "Jackson, you're late."
"Dinner," Melissa's voice. Sweet, caring, concerned.
"Going to bed," Jackson announced to no one in particular.
"What's wrong?" Lex asked. Curious, confused.
Jackson stopped at the doorway to the plane. He took a deep breath in and out then did something he did well.
Lied.
"Nothing. Just tired. I think we all could use sleep." He cast a quick annoyed glance at Abby.
"Especially you. After all you've done today," Abby said threateningly.
Nathan didn't like where this was going, "Jackson's right. It's been a long day. We should all head to bed. The others muttered in agreement and drifted to their sleeping places, while Taylor doused the day's flame.
No matter where they lay,
or what reassurances they say.
One thing was clear,
Nothing was fine here.
End of Chapter Ten