Hey!
I'm back, here to put ur minds at ease and find out what happened
I know most of u believe Lukas fell for Jesse at that very moment (maybe he did ;) ) but it's a little more complicated than that.
I also have something very exciting to tell u.
The meeting begins officially next chapter! What? I need to do Jesse's side before we continue with Lukas.
That's the pattern.
Well, on with the story!
Jesse's POV
I stood there, possessed by the sight before me.
Buildings as high as trees surrounded us, lights glittered from every window, and every lamp. There was a sense of security, and working electricity. A strange, black object barrelled down the road, beside us. I watched it with fascination, and knew Olivia was as well.
When it turned around a corner, I saw a man inside, for just a split second, I could make out long, blackish hair. I finally came to the conclusion that it was a car. I'd seen wrecks around old ruins before, but to see this ancient technology in working order before my very eyes. Well, it was incredible.
As the sound of it's engine faded into the distance, I confronted my companions. Axel stood there in awe. As if unable to take it all in, he shook his head multiple times, blinking over and over. Olivia was in a similar state to Axel, though with a more calculating look, probably trying to figure out everything that presented itself.
I could definitely relate to what they were feeling right now. This was the best thing that had ever happened to them.
I grinned, for the first time after the incident, truly happy. "Isn't this just..." I trailed off, my eyes watching everything with vivid interest. "Yeah." Olivia breathed.
An oink sounded behind me. My head whipped to the origin of the noise, and I let out a groan. While knee deep in dazzlement, I had all but forgotten the little package of trouble. The pig.
He looked as amazed as we did, I mean, its rare for survivors to see something like this, but even rarer for an animal to come across it. I lifted an eyebrow as I watched him sniff around. It was when he was sniffing inside an abandoned box, and let out a sneeze that sent him flying into me, I thought how long exactly is he going to be staying with us?
I shoved him off of me, growling. "Is this gonna become a regular thing with you?" I picked myself up, sending a glare his way. "You knocking me down all the time?" All I got was an 'oink' in reply.
"So what now?" Axel's voice carried out eerily, throughout the empty street. I frowned at that. Empty? Why would it be empty? I thought this place was meant to be safe, yet, this place was as barren as a ghost town.
Upon stumbling across this revelation, I took a double take of the surrounding city. Yes, it was dazzling at first; running electricity, safe homes, lights on and bright and not a zombie in sight. Yet, still the citizens hid, fearing something that wasn't there. My mind stopped there.
Or...
Maybe something was there.
It was the dead of night, which at first confused me, we must have been down there for a day or two. "Where is everyone?" Axel scratched the back of his head, glancing down the silent street. I was still frozen. Where there's darkness, there Mobs. "Spawning!" I cried out accidently.
The three of them stared at me, startled, and a little spooked. I winced apologetically. "That's why no ones out. The Mobs must spawn their way in." I explained. Their eyes widened with understanding.
"Sooo... We're not safe after all?" Axel's voice turned mopey, and castes his eyes downwards. Olivia shook her head. "No, it all makes sense now. It is safe here, as long as you don't go out at night."
"But the monsters still manage to get in! They're all just trapped like rats!" Axel argued.
"No, no. The Mobs can still hurt, but they're much weaker here after spawning. Slow, dumb, oblivious." Olivia argued back.
Imagine that. Being able to walk down the street, tip your hat to a zombie or two, and strut off just as they notice there's someone else other than them. Though that confused me more. If a monster posed a threat, wouldn't the person simply be able to give it one stab and be on their way?
When I voiced this to the others, Olivia just shrugged. "These people don't live the way we do. They live in the ways of the old days, and, probably don't know how to fight." Her eyes gazed at the massive wall, hiding the city, and now, us. "And they've never been outside, they wouldn't know how much more dangerous the Mobs can get. Humans fear the unknown, and Mobs are unknown to them."
I rolled my eyes at her lecture. "When exactly did you become so up to date with Cities?" I scoffed, not believing they people could be so afraid of something that could be taken care of with the click of a finger. She gave me a bemused look. "I'm just trying to dissect the situation here. Which bring me to something else.." Axel and I shared a look, before urging her to continue.
"Whether we should make ourselves known or not."
I had to admit, that was a good question. "Yeah, we don't know how they'll react to seeing some, violent riff-raffs from outside their system." I agreed, slightly sarcastic.
"But wouldn't they like us then? I mean, we could be heroes to them! Gods! Protecters!" Axel cheered, punching an arm in the air. When nobody backed him up, he let his arm fall.
"Ok, so we lay long for a couple days. Observe them, see how everything runs." I decided. "Just blend in."
"Does that mean we have to find new clothes?" Axel complained.
I glanced at my torn, tattered, stained shirt. It was once a nice red, with long sleeves and a turtle neck (which I ripped off the moment I noticed it, leaving an oddly torn neckline). Now, it was dusty, and tatty. A while sleeve missing, and bits and pieces missing from a round the edges. My brown jeans were still ok, but definitely as filthy as the shirt.
"Yeah." I muttered, looking from my clothing, to theirs. "Probably."
"And, we'll have to hide our weapons. I don't think these people are used to seeing swords, cross-bows and dynamite." Olivia advised. I nodded, while Axel just groaned, but kept quiet.
"Now we just need a place to bunk down."
I hadn't noticed it before, but the city wasn't all it was cracked up to be. While stunning you at your first look, the next wasn't as amazing. Yes, there were lights everywhere, vehicles, buildings, and streets, but they definitely weren't in good condition.
More cars had passed while walking down the cracked pathway. They were old, and loud, with dirty marks and dents in them. Moss and weeds grew between the cracks of the roads and buildings, leaving trails of green.
There were rubbish and trash everywhere, including abandoned belongings, as though once upon a time, this place was being evacuated, and decided it didn't need to take these things.
Overall, the City was just a larger, cleaner, sparklier version of the ruins we'd pass on our travels.
I scanned the looming towers of homes, trying to find a suitable hangout. I couldn't spot one that wasn't occupied however, and grinted my teeth in frustration. "You hear that?" Frowning, I turned to look at Axel who had paused. Olivia too, stopped, and raised an eyebrow. "Hear what?"
"That."
"What?" Axel pointed a finger into the distance. I walked on next to him, trying to hear what he heard. I held my breath...nothing. That is, I didn't hear anything, but I certainly saw something.
It must have been hidden by the mass of structures in our way, for not being able to notice it before seemed almost impossible. A large, tall beam of colours reached out for the sky, shining it's brilliance for miles.
I remembered the dancing array of rainbow in the sewers, the sign that had shown me the manhole in the first place. It must have been just a petty reflection of this magnificence.
"What is that?" I was struck by awe all over again, but this time, I knew it wasn't some illusion. I heard Olivia gasp behind me. "A beacon.." She gazed at it with as much awe as I. "A rainbow beacon."
I took a step closer in the direction of the beacon. I had a feeling there was more than just a pretty light there. I certainly didn't see that before entering the city, and I knew I would have if it were there.
Sure enough, as we hurried down the broken street, the yellow glow radiated from the bottom of the beacon. I heard distant laughing, and music. When we finally made it, my heart stopped.
I'd never seen so many people in my life.
It must have been a festival of some sort, all the colours, music, the stalls, the heat, the laughter. It only made sense. "Whoa. Looks like we're gonna be crashing one major party."
I warily stepped entered the grounds, which seemed to be full of life. Everyone was happy, and enjoying themselves. No sigh. Of fear, regret or loss. I suddenly felt a wave of jealousy wash over me. These people never had to experience the pain I have...
People around us gave us odd looks, but went on their way, not bothered to be bothered at the moment. "We're sticking out like a creeper in a herd of sheep." I sighed, worriedly. Tucking my hair behind my ear, I looked upwards, a plan coming to mind. "Follow me." I murmured, signally to the tarp on top of the stand.
Giving the current area a quick once over, to make sure no one was watching, I grabbed the pole of a stand, and heaved my way up, shimmering up. I gripped the pole tightly with one hand once reaching the top, and with my other, brought it over the stand's tarp, swinging my legs over and hauling myself up.
Letting out a breath, I peered over the edge to see Axel boasting Olivia up, and I smiled knowingly. I took Olivia's arms once she was as high as Axel could get her, and dragged her up next to me. Axel was a bit more difficult, as he was unable to climb to pole, and we certainly couldn't lift him.
He ended up just jumping off the counter of a neighbouring stand, and pulled himself up, after wildly grabbing for the edge.
"You...think..a-anyone..saw?" Axel asked while letting out a series of deep breaths. I peered once more over the edge, to see the crowds rushing along enjoying themselves. "If they did, they don't seem to care." I answered, standing up.
"So, we're just gonna watch people from up here?" Olivia inquired, doubtful. I nodded.
"And you don't find that creepy at all?"
Before I could answer, a booming voice rung out, stopping everyone in their tracks. "Helllooo, citizens of Skye-Hills! I am very pleased to announce that tours around our winning creation, The Beacon by the Ocelots, will begin in an hours time! Thank you for listening! Enjoy your time at Endercon"
In answer of our baffled, and spooked expressions, Olivia pointed to an odd looking cone, hanging from one of the stands. "It's called a speaker, people usually use them to gain attention, or make announcements." She explained, seeming excited to see one in person.
"They were quite common before the Turning." I looked at it with wonder for a few moments, before I was interrupted by an oink.
Instincivly, I raised my arms in a defensive position, scanning the area for a possible pig attack. Luckily, the pig didn't seem to be falling on top of me out of nowhere for once.
I paused, thinking, before bending over the edge, to see the pig jumping up and down, unable to get up. I smiled manically. "Ha! How about that Pork Chop! Oh well, guess this is where we part." The pig whined, and oinked angrily, not wanting to be left out.
The other shook their heads in disapproval. I shrugged. "What? It's not like we're taking him with us anyway! He the one wh-"
"We know what he did Jesse, please don't go off on another rant." Axel's face blanched, remembering what happened in the Sewers.
"Come on Jess, we can't just leave him out on his own." Olivia reasoned, and bent down, failing to reach the pig. She looked at me with pleading eyes. "I can't reach him..."I grumbled in response.
My eyes wandered down, and I regretted it instantly. The pig looked at me with equally big, round, pleading, doe eyes..."Argh!" I flopped onto my stomach and slid dangerously far, causing Axel to grip my ankles.
Knowing he wouldn't let me fall, I reached as far as I dared, and grabbed the pig around it's waist.
Axel tugged me back up, sending me tumbling across the tarp. "Oops." I grumbled again, and shoved the weight off my chest that I assumed was the pig. "Get. Off. Of. Me."
The pig, now happy it was being included, rested at my ankles, content. I froze for a moment, before deciding to ignore it. "That was a one time only thing Bacon." I warned him, though it seemed as if he were ignoring me too.
"You know, I've been thinking." Axel began, watching the pig. "Maybe we should give him a name, and not one of your little nicknames." I huffed.
"No, naming him, means you become attached, and soon, your best buddies and will fight a whole pack of Mobs for him." I stared at Axel hard. "And you don't want that."
"Come on Jess, he's already taken a liking to you."
"Notch knows how.." Olivia muttered under her breath.
I moaned. I didn't want the thing to like me! I don't even know why, it liked me! I've hated it ever since we first met! Which was it, knocking me over. "Fine, but I want no part in it." I turned around, crossing my arms.
We began hopping across the stand roofs, exploring the 'Endercon', while they talked it out.
As they were discussing the name, I tried to nudge, the pig away, but it just didn't seem to leave me alone. "Go away." I hissed at it, wanting my leg free. The pig just oinked, and what looked like grinning at me. I gasped. It knew what it was doing! The foul beast, I'm gonna.. "Reuben."
Slowly, I turned back to the other two, upon hearing that name I tried so hard to forget. "What?" They shared a nervous glance, before Olivia spoke up saying, "We just thought that...well, erm..maybe we could n-name him in Reuben's h-honour?"
"Because you know he loved pigs!" Axel continued hurriedly. I gave them both my best death glare.
"It is not being named after...him. That thing doesn't deserve it. That pig cannot replace him!" I yelled at them, stopping in my tracks.
"Of course not Jesse. He could never replace him, that's not what we're trying to do." Olivia calmed me, trying to fix the situation.
"How about just half his name? Rue? Or maybe Ben?" Olivia shook her head in exasperation.
"First off Axel, isn't Rue a girl's name? And second, not, helping."
"Nah, it's not actually a name, but can be used as one!"
Their bickering only fuelled the rage I felt at that moment. I took a threatening step forward, eyes blazing. That froze terrified, but not willing to leave without calming me down. I took another step, my fists clenched. Suddenly, there was a sickening snap, and the world turned upside down for a moment.
I felt myself going straight through the delicate tarp of a stand, and saw a flash of black and yellow.
And I fell.
And we still don't know what happens after those words *sighs*
Well, I do, but you don't. Mawhaha
Anyway, I'm giving you guys the chance to vote for what name the pig gets.
Rue? Or Ben? Or, if u come up with a better name that I like.
U have two more chapters to decide.
Vote, Comment and Enjoy!
Till next time!