Chapter VI: Chloe's Room


AN:

Hey there, Fan-fic-folks!

So, two Island Chapters, aren't y'all lucky? ?ᅡᅠSorry again that it's been so long. I'm not wholly happy with this story, it feels like I've vague-ified too many things. Like the Dinner, rather than going into detail about it, I just "The rest of the dinner was awkward"-ed it. Sorry 'bout that, I just didn't have time to write any more for those bits. I hope you like it anyways. Let me know if there's anything else I can improve, or if you agree with me 'bout the vague-ness.

Also, just in case you forgot since you read chapter 5, there' s no update next Wednesday. I have some assessment thing next Thursday that counts as 10% of my final grade, so I'm working on that instead. Sorry, folks, but I'll definitely have something done for the week after.

Thanks for reading and, as always, please review.


I headed down the long dorm corridor to my room. I walked over to the window, throwing my hoodie on my bed as I went. I opened the window and looked out onto the courtyard. There were students dotted about, some milling around in groups and others walked intently to wherever they went after classes were over.

The Hunters instincts screamed danger just before someone grabbed me. "Booyah!"

I reacted immediately, grabbing the two arms wrapping around me and tossing the person attached to them over my shoulder. I recognised the frantic "Oh fuck!" when I planted my foot on their chest. Chloe's panicked eyes looked up at me. I blinked at her, desperately holding back the Hunter's instincts.

"She's a friend!" I frantically thought, trying to stop The Hunter lashing out again. "A friend! Not a threat!"

The Hunter snarled as I pushed her back into my head, warring with those old instincts that kept me alive for so long, but have no use now. "There are no friends! No allies! Just me!"

"No! I have friends, I have allies! I don't need you anymore!" I'm basically shouting in my head right now, in some desperate attempt

I sigh. Dog, that was hard. But the Hunter was back in her cage. I look down into Chloe's concerned eyes. "Damn it Chloe. Don't do that ever again!"

She frowned, probably seeing the battle on my face. But then. she just grinned up at me. "Noted. No more surprises." I pulled her up and she dusted herself off. "Man, you flip hard for a tiny nerd. Grab your coat."

I frowned. "Why?"

"Snatch and grab rescue mission in enemy territory!" She laughed to herself. She stuck her hands in her pockets and shrugged. "Mom wants you over for dinner. Check how your first day went and all that shit."

I laughed. "How very daring, Chlo. Consider me rescued."

She threw her arm over my shoulder as we walked out. "Awesomesauce. So... how was your first day, anyway?"

I shrugged. "Meh. Kinda weird, actually."


*Flashback Ends*

She looked upon the cat, padding silently around the small cubby chamber they called home. She knew they needed the rest, but the search for the herd took priority.

She left the cat to her patrol and, after removing and replacing the rocks disguising the entrance to their home, headed into the larger chamber it was carefully hidden in. The Hunter moved across the cavern, quickly, silently. She hopped the five-foot wide stream running across the middle of the cavern with ease and continued moving to her destination.

There was a sudden raise halfway, ten feet high, dividing the cave into two levels. She took off at a run. The echoes of her footfalls invited the risk of further intrusion, but it was a necessary risk. She leaped up onto a particularly large stalagmite sitting opposite to her small cave home, wrapping her arms around it, but leaving her feet flat on it's surface.

After a brief moment listening for pursuit, The Hunter began to climb upwards. She slid, mostly. There was a rhythm to the activity, hands, left foot, right foot, hands again. Just before the tip, she shuffled her feet and pushed off, grabbing the ledge of the upper level. The Hunter scaled the ledge easily and pulled herself onto it.

A group of humanoid mushroom-men met her at the top. Some were shorter than her, but others towered above her, nearly double her height. They were scared. The monster had come into their cavern before her own, and the Myconid ruler had fallen. The fungus-men likely found her as disgusting as she found them, but they clearly understood she had killed the intruder and that bought The Hunter acceptance. As long as her weapon stayed sheathed, they would let her pass freely.

The largest of the Myconids stepped forward. The Hunter tensed, but made no move. It was in both their interests to establish acceptance between the new king of the grove and herself. The allegiance between the two inhabitants had protected the cavern many times.

The Myconid puffed out, releasing a cloud of purplish-blue spores. The Hunter studied them briefly, in the few seconds she had before they settled over her and she breathed them in. These beings could emit many different types of spore, some highly dangerous. But The Hunter recognised these and accepted them, breathing in deeply.

"Old king dead. Me King." came the things thoughts through the mental bond created by the spore cloud.

"You are King. As it was?" She asked.

"Bottom for human, grove for Myconid." The thing returned.

The Hunter nodded. "Agreed."

"Grove for Myconid!" The mushroom-man thought again, emphasising each word in turn.

The Hunter silently dropped back off the ledge. She had accomplished her task. Neither of them wished to continue the meeting. Rather than heading back, The Hunter moved to the huge archway leading out of the Myconid Cavern.

Directly in front of the archway exit from the Myconid chamber stood their former king, once a twelve-foot giant, now nothing more than a stone ornament amongst the equally unmoving figures of The Hunter's petrified darkebeest.

The Hunter paused to regard it.

She had never learned the things name, and had never given it hers, but she supposed that it had been her ally at least, perhaps even a friend, or as close as one got down here. They had lived side-by-side since The Hunter came to this place, and both achieved some measure of security just by the others presence. An Oasis like theirs was rare and when predators inevitably found their way in, it was up to them both to defend it.

However, The Hunter felt no remorse at the sight of her petrified ally. In the dark caves they called home, only the strongest survived, and this time the Myconid king had not been strong enough. Here, failure allowed for no second chance.

Now, The Hunter would search for her lost herd.

*Flashback Ends*

Chloe's truck pulled up outside her house with an agonised shrieking of brakes that pulls me back to reality. I covered my ears. "Wowzers, Chloe. This thing is seriously rusty. It sounds like a tak-hound."

"Hey!" Chloe smirks, throwing the reference out with a drawl. "Don't diss the truck. She ain't nothin' flash, but my baby's got it where it counts, kid."

I rolled my eyes. Harrison Ford you are not, Chlo. She frowned. "Wait, what the fuck is a tak-hound?"

"Big dogs from the Island. Used to wail like a dying banshee at night."

She stared at me. I frowned back. "What?"

She shook her head, probably deciding I was kidding, then hopped out of the truck. "Nothin'. Come on, Maxie. Let's go see what Joyce is cooking. I'm hungry."

I laughed. "You're always hungry."

She shrugged. "Hella true."

We headed in to the house. Joyce was singing some old song in the kitchen. David was sitting on the sofa watching something on the TV. I followed Chloe into the kitchen. "Hey Mom."

"Evening Chloe." Joyce turned and smiled at me. "Hi Max, good to see you."

After a bit of catching up, Joyce shooed us out of the kitchen, with something about "being underfoot", so we headed upstairs.

Chloe ambled over to her desk and swung into the chair. I followed, sitting on the bed. "So, made any friends?"

I nodded. "A couple. You remember the girl you... uh, bumped into?"

Chloe snorted. "Be pretty hard to forget her. My knees still fucking hurt. What's her name?" She clicks her fingers, trying to dislodge the memory or something. I never understood why she did this. "Kylie? Cam? Cape? Fuck... I can't remember, what is it?"

I smirk. "Kate Marsh. She's in my class. She's nice."

Chloe nods, smiling. "Awesome. I..." She sighs, climbing up off the bed and shuffling around the room. "I was kinda worried. You were always hella shy, right? And they always say it's hella important to make friends and..."

I cut in. "Thanks, Chloe." I amble over and gently elbow her. "But you're enough for me, you know. The SS Pricefield only needs two crew."

We smile at each other for a few moments before Joyce's yell interrupts us. "Chloe! Max! Dinner's ready!"

Chloe grinned, grabbing my hand and nearly pulling my arm off as she dragged me to the door. "Come on, Max! I need Noms!"

David was still reading his paper when we got downstairs, so we just sat at the table, waiting for food. Chloe got bored quickly. She lounged back in her seat. "Come on, Mom! I need noms! You wouldn't wanna be responsible for me starving to death here at the table, would ya?"

Joyce didn't even look up from whatever she was doing. "Patience, Chloe. A little wait before you eat won't kill you."

"But how do you know? I could be hella wasting away right here and you'd never know because you'd still be in the kitchen!"

I smiled at her antics. Chloe always did have the biggest appetite I'd ever seen. She could work her way through whole piles of pancakes in one sitting and never gain a pound. One hell of a metabolism.

When we'd all taken our seats, and Chloe had finally been 'rescued from the brink of starvation' (Her words, not mine.), Joyce looked over at me.

"So, how was your first day, Max?"

I smiled back over at her. "It was good. I got invited to a party this weekend."

Chloe suddenly chirped up, food falling out of her mouth. "Hey, me and Rach are going to that! This is gonna be hella awesome."

"Chloe!" Joyce shouted. I giggled as Chloe shrugged indignantly. "What?"

Joyce and I shared a look as David pointedly kept reading his paper. She shook her head and smiled. "Chloe never could resist a shindig. Just, be careful, Max. Kids round here party pretty hard."

I nodded. "So I hear. I'll be careful, Joyce."

"You worry too much, Mom. Me and Rach'll be there to kick anyone's ass if they mess with Max."

Joyce nodded, looking approvingly at Chloe. Even David looked pleased to hear that. Wow. Am I the Price-Madsen family project or something? "Good." She looked back at me again. "So, how were classes?"

The rest of dinner was awkward, but surprisingly civil. I guess after last time, they were working not to argue around me again. I wasn't complaining, the last time was seriously awkward.

When everything was cleared away, Chloe and I headed upstairs. Chloe wandered over to the bed and flung herself backwards onto it. I took the desk chair. "Hey, Max?"

I looked over at Chloe. She'd gotten a little ashtray out. "I need to bake. Can you put some music on?"

"Sure, Chlo." I got up and walked to the little player sat in the corner. I clicked the on button and it lit up. I started flicking through Chloe's CD collection. I was curious what my old first mate was into nowadays. From the hair I was expecting something metal, but her collection was pretty indie. I picked something at random and stuck it in.

Chloe grinned. "Hella good choice, Max."

We sat and listened to the music for a minute before Chloe offered me the blunt. I think I surprised her when I took it. She stared at me, slackjawed as I took a drag. "Woah, Maxie. You really are full of fucking surprises, aren't you?"

I shrug and grin. "Yep."

We hear footsteps coming up the stairs and hide the pot. I'm pretty sure Joyce and Step-douche wouldn't like us smoking pot up here. We'd both just gotten settled again when the door opened and Chloe's friend poked her head in. Rachel, I think her name was. "Hey, Chloe."

Chloe grinned, probably relieved she wasn't gonna have to fight with David again. Getting those two in a room was pretty much guaranteeing some sort of conflict. "Look what the cat dragged in! Hey Rach."

Rachel slipped in the door, closing it behind her and leaning back in front of it, hand going straight to her hip. Dog, she's so graceful. It's like watching a marine who used to be a ballet dancer. Every movement is perfectly economical, effortless and simple, but with a sort of natural grace to her that even the most talented martial arts master couldn't hope to imitate. "Hey Chlo." She smiles a mischievous little smile. "Hey Max. Nice to see you again. I hear you're going to this weekend's Vortex Bash, huh?"

I nod. "Dana invited me. I think she was trying to be friendly."

Rachel nods. "That is Dana's style. She's like a mother hen, taking all the new chicks under her wing." She clicks her fingers. "Oh, and before I forget!" She reaches into a little satchel at her side. "I wasn't really sure what to do with these, so here." She hands me the box of Polaroids I showed to her, Dana and Juliet.

"Thanks, Rachel. I'm sorry I..." I trail off, not really sure how to explain what happened yesterday.

She shrugs, dismissive yet with an oddly understanding look. "Don't sweat it, Max. Not everyone's comfortable with social situations."

I smiled, probably looking pathetically grateful for her understanding. Chloe chirps up again "Yeah, Max. Not everybody can be social wizards like me and Rach!"

Rachel arches one elegant brow and peers over at Chloe. "Social Wizard?" She smirks. "Pretty sure that's the dorkiest thing anyone's ever said, Chlo."

Chloe snorts. "Can it, Rach."

She laughs, ambling over to the bed. "Come on, pass one over."

Chloe hands her a joint. Rachel takes a long drag and looks over at me. "So, Max-Flash. I hear you've got some sort of super-speed?"

Chloe looks between us, confusion open on her face. "What?"

Rachel beams. "She caught this paper ball Taylor threw at that girl Kate without even looking."

Chloe stares at me. "Seriously?"

I shrug, sheepishly. "It was just instinct."

She blinks. "Wow."

Rachel takes another drag, a curious tilt to her head as she asks "So, how'd you learn to do that?"

Chloe elbows Rachel and hisses "Dude! I told you to leave that shit alone!"

I drift out while they're bickering, gently breathing in the smoke and finding myself fading away into memories...

*flashback begins*

The Hunter sighed. Darkebeest were cowardly creatures, easily panicked, and they had run far. She found brief traces in the surrounding tunnels, following their trail. It was unlikely many had survived, but a stable food source was rare in these tunnels, and The Hunter had to try.

It was her second day in the tunnels when she and the Panther began to close in on a group of the lost beasts. She had hoped that the herd would stay together, but she found only a half-dozen in the area. Six were better than none, and The Hunter set the Panther to aiding her in herding the darkebeest back to the cave. They were both exhausted by the time the Darkebeest were returned to grazing comfortably by the cavern stream.

After only a short rest, the hunt called to them again. Frightened Darkebeest could stampede over an incredible distance, and in the maze of caverns and tunnels, The Hunter knew that many days would pass before she found more of the lost beasts. Starting the hunt again

They spent nearly three days in the search, scavenging for food as they went, before they gave up. Though the Darkebeest could run far, they were meek and timid creatures. It was doubtful they had survived even this long, but a food source like that was not easily given up on. Eventually though, after travelling far from the cavern, The Hunter accepted the loss of her herd and started the return home. She picked a new route, but one that should take her straight home, albeit from the opposite direction.

Around halfway there, a strange noise caught The Hunters attention. She pressed her head to the stone, feeling the rhythmical vibrations. Something close by was banging on the stone in measures. Tap. Pause. Tap. Pause. Tap.

The Hunter drew her sword and motioned to the Panther to follow. They crept along, using the vibrations to guide them.

The flickering torchlight from down the tunnel dropped her into an alert crouch, but she did not flee, drawn by the presence of other intelligent beings. It was possible, likely even, that the stranger was a threat, but she hoped for something more.

Then she spotted them, two figures chipping away at the stone with crafted pickaxes, another collecting their finds in a wheelbarrow and two more standing guard. She knew there would be far more guards in the tunnels around her, she had likely penetrated their defences without ever seeing them. She motioned the Panther to follow her and climbed the walls, heading for a high rise hidden in shadow.

They were all different creatures. One was a tall feathered thing with a quarter-hinged beak, each quarter of it opening outwards like an insects mandibles. Another looked like a reverse-jointed lemur. The two guards were short and squat, grey skinned with no hair on their bodies at all. They were all laughing and joking as they worked. The Hunter wanted to retreat from those words, flee back into the quiet corridors and wilds she had found herself in, but another voice, smaller and nearly forgotten, urged her to stay.

A smile not inspired by victory found its way onto the Hunter's face for the first time in long memory as the creatures scrambled about, tossing huge chunks of rock into wheelbarrows. When they filled every wheelbarrow, they moved into a column and started off into a tunnel on the opposite side of the cavern. The Hunter knew the prudent act would be to let them leave, then slip out and return to her home but, acting against the logic that guided her solely by survival, she found she could not so easily let the voices get away. She picked her way down the wall and fell into pace behind the caravan, wondering where the first sentient beings she'd seen since she came here could possibly have come from.

For many days, she and the Panther followed the caravan. Every instinct in her body warred against her actions, but she overrode The Hunter and forced herself on. For the first time, she overruled the instincts of her more primal self. She needed to hear the voices of these beings far more than she ever needed the simple necessities of survival.

The corridors became more worked, less natural, around her, and she knew she was approaching whatever place these people called home. Again the instincts in her screamed the dangers, and again she dismissed them. She sped her steps until the caravan was directly in sight, suspecting they would have traps scattered about their home like she did.

The caravan quickly began curving their path, taking care to avoid certain areas. She was right. She carefully mimicked their movements and smiled when she noticed assorted loose stones and tripwires dotted around. The Hunter's instincts were useful.

Eventually, the mining caravan came to a long, wide stairway. To the side of the stairway was a tiny hole, barely higher and wider than the wheelbarrows they had. This turned out to be for a reason, as she watched them move the wheelbarrows to the hole and attach them to a chain. A series of taps on the stone sent a signal to some unseen operator and the wheelbarrows suddenly began to move into the hole.

Seeing her chance, she waited for the miners to turn their backs or leave, then ran for the hole, making it just before the last cart. The chain pulled the line of carts along, up a steep incline, then a level surface, then another steep incline. She followed them along, trapped between two carts. She couldn't see anything ahead of her, as the tunnel was designed to perfectly fit the height and width of the tunnel. The instincts of The Hunter stretched out, trying to sense any nearby foes and ensuring she could not ignore the danger around her now.

After several minutes, the tunnel levelled out again, widening into a full room. There was another of the little grey men there, turning a crank that worked the machine hauling the wheelbarrows along. He was totally immersed in his work and never saw The Hunter slip from the line and dart through the open door behind him.

The Hunter sensed a dozen or more other beings around her, heard their voices, as soon as she opened the door. But she continued ahead, as she had nowhere else to go, creeping forward until she found herself on a narrow ledge. She caught sight of the miners again, milling about on a landing at the top of the huge stairway.

At the back of the landing, through two immense and slightly ajar metal-cast doors, she could see a city! Huge towering stone buildings, carved with intricate patterns she couldn't make out at the long distance, took up most of the view. She couldn't see how large the cavern was, but she thought it to be expansive.

She longed to go in, to jump up and present herself to these people as a friend, hoping they would see her and welcome her. But The Hunter warred within her still. The Hunter could not move from the ledge, could not take the chance of giving herself over in hopes of civilised mercy. As she watched, the miners headed over to the doors.

It was her last chance! She had to go now, had to spring up and follow them through the doorway, or be lost forever. But The Hunter prevailed and the massive stone doors closed. After a long and tormented moment, The Hunter dropped from the ledge onto the landing at the top of the stairs. Her primal instincts sensed the guards before she saw them, enabling her to avoid them with ease. With an agile leap, she flew over the startled guards milling about the stairway and fled back into the wilds of the caverns she called home. As she moved further and further out, The Hunter took full command, denying any further thoughts of the city.

*Flashback Ends*

"Hey, Max" A hand waves in front of my face.

I blink and take a swipe at it, suddenly looking into two concerned faces. "Hey Max. You alright?"

I close my eyes and shake my head about like a rattle, feeling the fog ease away. There are some advantages of my time on the Island. I open my eyes and look back at them. "Yep. I'm good."

Chloe frowns. "Uhuh... Sorry, Mad Max, you're cut off for tonight."

We spend the rest of the evening laughing and joking around, just getting to know each other. Rachel is... interesting. She's elegant and graceful in everything she does, even in conversation. Every smile, every joke just comes as naturally to her as breathing does to us mere mortals.

I check my watch. "Hey, Chloe. I need to get home."

Chloe hops to her feet. "Sure, Max. You comin', Rach?"

Rachel shakes her head and rises up. "Nah. I've brought my own ride."

Chloe nods and sticks out her hands to help me up. I take her hands and she pulls me to my feet.

We head downstairs to find Joyce standing in the Kitchen. She looks at me, shoulders sagged, the house-phone still hanging loosely in her hand. "I'm sorry, Max. Something's happened, and I need Chloe along too. Will you be alright gettin' back to Blackwell?"

Rachel chips in. "I can take her, Mrs P. I'm heading back there now anyway."

She grins and throws me a little bow.

"I'll meet you outside. Get that cute butt in gear." With a smirk and a wave, Rachel twirls and saunters outside. Chloe glances back at me, then follows her out.

I turn to Joyce. "Thanks for having me, Joyce."

She grins and hugs me. I try not to tense up. "Anytime, Kid. You're a calming influence on Chloe and anythin' that calms her is always welcome in my house."

I raise an eyebrow. "Even..?" We both know what I mean.

She puts up a hand. "That... we just pretend we don't know about."

I say goodbye and follow Rachel outside. Chloe is dozing in the passenger seat of Joyce's car. Rachel waves me over from the end of the drive, edges aside to show me our ride. "So, this is my baby."

Wow. Rachel has a motorcycle. It's some classic thing, all leather and metal. Looks like Marlon Brando should be riding it in a leather jacket or something. I always loved these old bikes. My dad... My dad had one he was always tinkering with. I loved sitting in the garage, spending long afternoons and sometimes evenings watching him play around with it.

Rachel fiddles with her feather earring and kneels, stowing it in one of the saddlebags. She brings out a jet-black helmet with the same blue feather earring spray-painted on the side and pulls it on. Cute. She throws a leg over and mounts the bike, turning to fiddle with the other saddlebag. I just stand next to the bike, lost in memories again.

She turns back to me and holds out the pinkest bike helmet I have ever seen. "And you get to wear the dorky helmet." She laughs delightedly when I put it on. "Oh my gosh, you are so cute! Chloe said it'd suit you. I guess I owe her five bucks."

I flush and she laughs again. "Come on, Max. Hop on."

I climb on the back and hold on to the sides of the bike. Rachel looks back at me, taps her hips. I tilt my head quizzically. What?

She taps her hips more emphatically, so I shrug. She takes my hands and wraps them around her hips. "Hold on!"

I tighten my arms, pulling us closer together. I can feel her, warm against me. It's weirdly exhilarating. And we haven't even started moving yet. She looks back at me, the most serious I've ever seen her. "Really, hold on tight, Max."

I nod and the grinning, jovial personality slides back into play as she revs the engine.

Woah.

She eases her way off the drive and guns the engine when we hit road. We hit fifty easily, gliding around corners with ease. A quarter of a mile goes by fast on a Harley, but I wanted, no, needed something faster. I could almost feel... something. Something from the Island.

I lean in, yell into her ear. "Can this thing go any faster?"

Rachel glances back at me and grins. She stomped a foot down onto something, twisted her wrist and the Harley suddenly jumped forward, like the fifty it'd been doing before was nothing. We roared off down the streets of Arcadia. If I was more rebellious, I'd probably say we were tearing up concrete or something Kerouac-ian like that. Beat Poetry was never my thing.

But this? Wowzers, this was awesome. I wooped as we banked hard around a corner, darting in and out of what few cars were on the road at this hour. Rachel laughed delightedly, probably enjoying me enjoying the ride as much as I was enjoying it, if that makes sense.

We took another corner, harder than the last and the Harley purred. This was its element and it had a driver that knew it. We roared past house after house until we hit the main street. Rachel had to slow down a little to avoid us splatting onto the windshield of some family's sedan, but she sped right back up again afterwards.

I start to recognise more roads now. We're on the road to the school. Rachel banks hard, swerving suddenly into the Blackwell Lot and rolls to a smooth stop at the bottom of the stairs. I hop off the bike and hand her the helmet.

"So?" She asks, teasing grin on her face. "Have fun?"

I grin and nod. "Hella."

She laughs. "Hella? Man, Chloe is a terrible influence."