Sorry for the long wait. I hope it was worth it. With classes done for the year, updates should be more frequent… maybe.
"Words" Speaking
'words' Thoughts
"Words" Demon Speech
"Congratulations, you made it shelter B06-32. Must of come a long way…" the man in front of them said in a bored tone.
'Is this… William Minerva?' the children thought.
He looked to be in his twenties or thirties. The man's hair was black, with white streaks going horizontally. His face has hair stumbles as if he hadn't shaved in a few weeks. His clothes were dirty and unkempt. Overall, he looked like a bum.
"Are you, William Minerva?" Emma asked the man in front of her as he ate one of the cookies.
The man put down his teacup and half-eaten cookie to look at the girl.
"Nope. I ant William Minerva, sorry." the man said in a mocking tone.
"Then please call him over. We came all this way to see him," Ray told the man.
Eating another cookie with his mouth full, the man replied. "He ant here chumps."
Some of the younger kids started to panic, but Ray calmed them down quickly.
"It's clear that you know of him. Do you know where Minerva is?" Ray asked again.
Finishing another cookie, the man replied. "Don't know, never met him or anything like that."
"Then just who the hell are you? And what are you doing here?" Ray asked, his face darkening.
"Who am I?" the man repeated with a chuckle, reaching into his coat pocket. When his hand reemerged, he was holding a pen identical to the one the children had. "I'm your senior."
The children gasped in shock as the man stood up and started to lift the left of his shirt, showing a tattoo much like theirs on his lower left abdomen, ETR3M8.
"Yep, not from Grace Field like you, mines was called Glory Bell. I escaped 13 years ago with my buddies." the man told them. "All thanks to this pen."
'13 years ago… just like Krone said.' Emma thought.
"We came here looking for Minerva just like you," the man said, putting the pen back into his pocket.
He jumped onto the table and looked at the group of kids. As he crouched to their level, he let out a sigh. "However… When I finally reached this place, Minerva was nowhere to be seen. I've been here for 13 years and have not seen so much as a hair from the man, no doubt he was a lyin dirt-bag."
"I KNEW IT!" the five-year-olds yelled out, to which Ray bonked their hands to quiet them down.
"However…" the man continued. "I am grateful to him for making this shelter. There's tons of food, water, electricity, and lots of living space," the man tells them. "Everything is here. Even books and other info about this world, Hurrah for my man Minerva!" the man smiled.
Some of the children smiled at his words, realizing that even if he wasn't here, Minerva was looking out for them.
"So, where are your comrades?" Emma asked, wanting to meet other humans.
The man's smile did not fade as he looked Emma in the eye. "Dead, every single one of them. I'm the last survivor."
The children's faces transformed to shock and worry at the casual way the man stated his friend's deaths.
"Ah- come on! Don't get so down in the dumps! It was years and years ago!" he said, waving his hands.
Some of the five-year-olds gathered around Anna, wanting to be close to someone after hearing the sad news.
"Look, I gave up looking for Minerva years ago. I'm just relaxing and livin my life down here. But what about you guys? What kinda group are you?"
"We're…" Don tried to reply,
"Hold it!" the man stopped them. He held up his hand and counted as he told them "You're all from Grace Field, that much is clear based on this," The man said, pointing to his neck. "the fifteen of you escaped a week ago, and you took only kids age five and up." the man finished. "Those are things I already know. What I want to know is how on earth a group of brats like you survived this long without any of ya dying?"
"Huh?" Some of the kids said in confusion.
"Like I said, This shelter has everything one could need. However… supplies are limited ya' know?" He said as he smiled.
The group stared at him in shock at his declaration, unsure of what he means.
"I'm not letting a single one of you brats have a crumb of my stuff. I came here first. This is my home." he told them, "And besides, y'all are going to die sooner or later, I guaranty it. Cuz when push comes to shove, you're weak."
One of the five-year-olds jumps up from behind Emma with a scowl on his face, "We're Not!" he yells at the man.
"Are too," he replies. "Look at you, none of you been at the mercy of death's grip, haven't even gotten a hold of the basics. Frankly, it's a miracle you haven't lost someone yet, but you will. It's simply impossible to escape death in this world." the man tells them.
"That happened to your former colleagues, right?" Ray guesses.
Turning to the boy, the man smiled. "Right, died one after the other cuz they all were wimps. I was the last one, and the reason why? Cuz I found the trick, the way to live for longer than anyone else, Drop-dead weight. And I'm not talking about leaving behind resources. I'm talking about comrades, hope, caring, and sharing. All that shit will shorten your life." the man says, his smile turning to a scowl.
Emma had enough; slamming her hands on the table, she yelled, "You're Wrong!"
For a brief moment of silence, there was nothing till, very quietly, the man replied with, "Nope, afraid I'm right." before reaching behind his back and lunging for Emma. Before anyone could react, the man had Emma in a headlock with a pistol pointed to her head.
The children stood frozen at what had just occurred, not even being able to let out a screem.
"The worst kinda dead-weight is the troupe of clowns passing as buddies. Now, hand it over," The man ordered.
"Huh?" Don questioned.
"Your pen, dumbass, give it. I'll be keeping it, so there's no way for you to re-enter. I don't want any dead-weight near me, sorry, but iam asking you to leave." the man explains.
For a moment, Ray clutched the pen in his hand, it was their only hope of survival, and the man in front of them was going to just take it from them?
"If you don't, you meet your end right here, right now, starting with the antenna here." He explains, using his gun to point at Emma.
'Shit. Shit!' Ray thought. He knew some adults like Mama and Krone would be threats but never considered fellow escapees would try to harm them. Thoughts of living outside this safe haven flooded his mind, all boiling down to one sentence, 'outside, we'd die, in here, we'd have a chance to find Minerva and live.'
"Well? I'm not gonna wait all night," The man tells them, pressing the barrel of the gun more into Emma's head.
Suddenly, Emma raises her fist and swings down as hard as she can onto the man's crotch, causing a surprised and pained man to release her.
"Emma!" The children cried out, running to her as she humped away from the man.
"Gilda, Anna! get the kids into the other room!" Don ordered.
Gilda and Anna rushed the younger children into the hallway with a nod, leaving Ray, Don, Emma, Thoma, Lannon, and Nat in the room. The man crouched over in pain.
"Ack! Man, that hurt! He was crushing my neck so hard I thought I was gonna pass out!' Emma says, rubbing her neck.
"You Dumbass! What were you thinking?!" Ray yells out at the girl.
"Right, if he pulled the trigger!..." Don continued.
"No, he wasn't going to do that," Emma said in a calm voice, shocking the children.
"It was a bluff; he definitely wont kill anyone. He just wants us gone," Emma explained, still staring at the man in pain.
A second after she said that, a loud bang was heard coming from the man as he shot right past Emma's head, the bullet lodging itself into the wall.
"Oh hell no, I wasn't bluffing," The man says through gritted teeth.
"... See, he missed on purpose," Emma says, not deterred by the ringing in her ears. She continued to stare at the man in front of her, who continued to look angrier at her.
"You want us out of here, but you aren't willing to kill any of us to do that. So you're caught in a bind." Emma explains as the man sat up with burning rage.
"She's right. If he did want us here, he could have just killed us all when we entered. Moreover, if he were to kick us out, he'd be risking us selling him out to the demons." Nat deduces.
"Bull! Shit! I just don't want to have to clean up fifteen corpses!" the man yells at them, his hands shaking. He stands upon the table, still pointing his shaking gun at Emma. "I don't give a damn about you worthless brats! I'll do it! Next ones going right between your eyes if you don't get the hell out!"
"We refuse," Emma replies in a calm but firm manner. "We can't leave here knowing how safe it is, and we can't give up our pen either."
The man continues to point his gun at the girl, his face contorting and twisting in rage.
"And another thing! My family isn't dead weight!" Emma declares. "All the stuff you said about death and the stuff that weighs us down, hope, comrades, caring… they aren't weaknesses, their strengths!" She yells out as the children stand up straight behind her.
For a moment, there was pure silence. The man stared at the girl in disbelief. All his shaking stopped for a moment as he processed her words. But soon, his shaking returned. He clutched his head and started scratching uncontrollably.
"No, no, no, no! Stop it. Stop it! Your wrong, God damnit, God-fucking-Damnit!" he says.
Some of the children begin to back away in fear at the man having a panic attack of some sort. Then, the older ones start to approach, hoping to get the gun away from him.
"Shut the fuck up Lucas!" the man yells to nothing next to him, "Shut up! Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up!" Suddenly he stopped and looked next to him again. "They're… really… awful… ya know?"
After a moment of complete silence, the man then falls back onto the table, motionless.
The eldest children approach the man slowly, unsure if this is a trick or not. Finally, Emma reaches out to see if he's breathing or not.
"He must have knocked himself out with that panic attack… this isn't him acting, "She says.
"What was that about?" Don wondered out loud.
"And who was 'Lucas' and 'They'" Gilda askes.
"We will just have to wait till he wakes up to ask him," Emma says.
Ray quickly grabs the gun and starts to pat the unconscious man down, taking out his pen, a compass, a notebook, and some tape. "At any rate, we should explore more of this base and tie up our 'senior' here," Ray tells them.
Some of the children are a little apprehensive about Ray's casual nature but listen to him anyway.
"Minerva made this place for escapees like us, but he wasn't here like he said he would be. So we need to search this place from top to bottom for leads. Don, Lannion, and Nat, you two tie him up and make sure he doesn't do anything, everyone else split up and get the layout of the base memorized, Emma, and I will start by going to the library," Ray orders. The children all nod and start to disperse, forming three groups and going from room to room, looking for anything important.
Soon, Yvette, a short black-haired 6-year-old girl, stops in front of an open door in the dorm area. Anna notices this and walks up to her.
"Yvette? What's up? Did you find something?" Anna askes as she approaches the girl.
"Anna, look in here. I wonder why this room is so different?" Yvette asks.
What Anna saw caused her to almost vomit. The room was a mess, with paper and crayons all over the ground. The beds were unkempt and in disarray. Cracks were on the walls as if someone had punched them multiple times. Black mold grew in the corners of the room and filled the room with a musty stench. But, what was most disturbing were the markings, names, and tally marks all across the room.
"What is this?" Anna wondered as she stared into the room. Her eyes drifted to a big word written in a dark get as if it was finger paint.
"Poachers?" she reads out loud. "We shouldn't go in there. It's the only dorm that looks lived in, so it's probably that man's room," she tells Yvette, promptly closing the door.
Once the children had explored the entire facility, they reconvened in the room where they met "Mister" as they had started calling him. The three boys guarding him tied him to the table using a lot of their extra rope. Then, using the information they had gathered, they drew up a rough map of the shelter. The group then set their stuff down in one of the dorm rooms and made some dinner with the food they brought.
After eating, the kids got ready for bed for the first restful sleep they had had in a week.
The following day the group took hot baths and wore clean clothes, luxuries some of them had taken for granted before they left. After breakfast, the kids went into the lounge, which held an old record player and a piano.
"A piano…" Emma said as she brushed her hands across the white keys. Then, stopping at the center and playing one key, the sound reverberates around in her head, sparking memories of her listening to Spencer as he plays.
"I wish he taught me how to play…" Emma said under her breath.
"Well, I'm not as good as him, but I know a couple songs…" Nat said, pulling out a music sheet from the shelf.
For the next few minutes, the entire shelter was filled with the sound of music as Nat played a simple song. The children listened as they did the chores, reminded of the times Spencer would play for them.
"... I know you miss him, I do too. But we can't let that stop us from what he wanted us to do. We have to keep moving forward and survive." Ray said, patting Emma's shoulder.
"Yea, you're right," She said with a smile, "Right now, we have another thing to worry about, though." She continued.
"Right," Ray responded as they both started to walk down the hall to the dining hall with the other older kids.
Once there, Emma and Ray waited for the others to join, them being Don, Gilda, Nat, Anna, Thoma, and Lannion.
"Okay, so we've acquired a safe place to stay for now. The next thing to do is figure out our next goal." Ray said, starting the conversation. "How are we going to break back into Grace Field and escape with everyone else, then cross over to the human world?" He questioned.
"We have 3 years to gather the supplies and information. But first, we need a plan." Emma said.
"I can't think of anything… I was hoping Mr. Minerva would give us guidance…" Gilda said, looking down.
"Well, let's start with what we know. Did you guys find anything in the library?" Lannion asked.
"Lots of stuff, we haven't even scratched the surface of the knowledge in there. But what we know right now is the general locations of the other main plantations, their classifications, and the kinds of identification mark there are."
"Identification?… oh right," Nat said, touching his ID on his neck.
"Yes, the four main plantations have unique tattoos for each child in specific locations, Grace Field has them on the neck, Glory Bell has them on the belly, Grand Valley has theirs on their upper chest, and Goodwill Ridge has them on their right shoulder blade," Ray explained.
"So that means that anyone who knows about these marks will know exactly what farm we came from…" Gilda summarized.
"Exactly, all the intelligent demons know these marks for sure." Emma theorized.
"We also found books about the Promise and major demon settlements. We found a couple about the human world but there from the yearly 2000s, and we can't find anything newer." Ray told them.
"We also found encyclopedias and novels about the demon world along with books about demons in general, but they're very old," Emma told them.
"Most of the other books are dated before 2015, but the books on the demons look like they should be in a museum," Ray said, taking out a dusty book.
"Wait, then how does that man know so much about us?" Don asked.
"Right. He has no newspaper or such to learn that info. My guess is he has a radio or television of some sort, probably in the monitor room." Ray tells him.
"Did you find anything about how to cross to the human world?" Thoma asked.
Emma sighed. "No, nothing. We're just gonna have to find Mr. Minerva." She replied.
"Speaking of him, I did find this in one of the books," Ray says bringing out a letter.
He handed it to Gilda, who opened it and read the paper it contained outloud.
"Congratulations on successfully in making it this far. I sincerely apologize for not being able to celebrate with you personally. This shelter was made for you. However, should you desire more than this small shelter, use your pen and head here. Sincerely William Minerva A08-63"
There was a moment of silence as the children absorbed the contents of the letter.
"By "should you desire more than this small shelter" could he mean a way of getting to the human world?" Gilda states.
"Quite possibly. That is why after we look through more of the library material, Emma and I will be going to that location." Ray says, pointing to the letter.
"Wait, what about us?!" Nat asked in confusion.
"That letter seems to be rather old, so we don't know if it is safe anymore. We want you guys to stay here and keep everyone else safe." Emma explains.
"That's not the only thing we need you to do." Ray begins.
"Hold on!" Don interrupted.
Holding up his hand for Don to stop, Ray continues. "It's best if this mission is conducted with as few people as possible," Ray explained.
"... the poachers…" Anna says.
"Yea, this shelter is safe, that man said he was here for 13 years, and there's no evidence the demons know of its existence. But that man lost everything somehow, most likely from these "poachers." He said he went looking for Mr. Minerva, right?" Emma told them.
"Therefore, it would be best if was just Emma and I going on this mission. That way we won't lose anyone if things go downhill," Ray tells them.
"But, if something happens to you and Emma!" Don yells.
"Of course, it's going to be dangerous going just the two of us, but I'm not planning on dying. Besides its not like the two of us want to risk it going alone. We're "naive brats who know nothing." We're gonna get some help from someone with experience. "Ray tells him.
"Experience? You don't mean?" Don asked but was cut off but the doors swinging open.
What stood at the door was a very pissed-off-looking Mister looking down at the kids that stood by him.
"Yo." was all he said.
With a smile, Emma walked toward him.
"Good, you're here. I was hoping you'd show up soon. Good morning Mister! Let's make a deal!" Emma said with outstretched arms.
"No. get out," he told her, looking down with a blank look.
"Let's start over. My name is Emma. what's yours?" Emma asked.
"... Get the hell out of here. I don't have to tell ya my name, and I don't wanna," he said, staring at the girl.
Still smiling, Emma grabs two chairs from the table, placing one close to the man facing her and the other a few meters away facing him. "Come on, Have a seat. Gilda? If you would?" Emma says as she sits down.
"Right," Gilda responded by rushing into the kitchen.
"So, how are you feeling?" Emma asks as the man continues to stand.
"I'm in a bad mood." He replies with a slight smirk.
"I can tell. I'm very sorry about having to tie you down and about the cookies. You know how kids are." Emma said with sincerity. She could hear the door to the kitchen open as Gilda entered, holding a bowl of soup. "You must be hungry. Here, have some soup we made for breakfast, don't worry, it's not poisonous." taking the soup from Gilda and taking a spoon from the table, and having a sip of the soup. "See?"
Emma then handed it to the man who took the bowl in one hand. Bringing it up to his face, he took a quick sniff before putting the bowl on the table.
"Ohh, but we got the temperature just right for you…" Emma said, disappointed. "Just so you know, we made this soup with ingredients we brought ourselves. We didn't take anything from your food supply."
"Don't worry, from now on, we will be self-sustaining, not taking any food from you. As for water, energy, and space, we can keep that to a minimum." Emma told him.
"You think I'm gonna share my shelter with you? Hell no, get out." the man told her.
"No, that's not it. I'm just nice by telling you how things will be, so we have no animosity with you. I mean, you're not really worried about a lack of resources, right?"
There was a moment where the man just looked at the girl as the other children in the room moved behind Emma, looking back at him.
Emma got up from the seat and started to walk towards him. "So let me get to the point. We're going to see Minerva, and we'd like you to be our guide and bodyguard."
The man's face changes from neutral to a frustrated look, "guide and bodyguard?" He repeats.
"You're strong. You must be to have survived for 13 years by yourself. You also must know a lot about the world outside this bunker."
"Huh? How can you tell?" Dominic questioned.
"His shoes were very worn down," Ray replied. "His body is also quite well-toned, fit even. And the fresh fruit in the pantry means he must have a source. There is a field in here, but they couldn't have been grown there. So he must have gone outside to get them, probably the forest or waterside." Ray concludes.
"The water!" Lannon and Thoma said it at the same time.
"You are not a sucker, that's for sure. And you have lots of experience hunting for Minerva." Emma said to the man. Emma then reached into her pocket, pulling out the envelope from Minerva.
"You know what this letter means, right? We found it opened, meaning you must have read it and went looking for him. Though I guess you never found him." Emma explained. "Ray and I want to go looking, but we're going to need your strength and experience if we want to succeed."
"Heh, in your dreams, sucker! What makes you think I care? Get the hell out of my shelter." the man told her.
"Oh, we'd leave. Once we find Minerva and return safely, all of us will leave you to your shelter." Emma told him, hoping he'd agree to the deal.
"Sigh, that's your deal? With a crappy offer like this, you expect me to risk my life to protect a couple of dumbass brats? Don't make me laugh." the man said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Well, you want us to leave, don't you?" Emma countered.
"Yeah, but it is a lot easier to kill y'all right here," he said, pointing the knife in his hand at Emma.
"AHHHHHH!" Some of the kids screamed at the threat.
"Are you really capable of killing children?" Emma asked.
"Yep, yer going down, sorry not sorry. When I make up my mind, I won't back down," he said, getting closer to Emma.
Suddenly Ray reached behind him and pulled out the pistol the man had before, pointing it at him.
The man looked at the gun and smirked. "You sure about that? If you shoot me, you lose your only bodyguard. Dontcha need me?" the man asked.
"I'm not going to kill you," Ray said. "I'm returning what's yours." Ray put the gun on the table and slid it over to the man.
"Wait! Is it loaded?" Don asked in alarm.
"Nah, we removed the bullets," Ray told him as he reveals a small device in his hand.
The man's face goes pale as he sees what's in Ray's hand.
"That's right, Mister, it's not just your life on the line. We found that last night in the archives. Seems like a last resort if demons were to find this shelter." Emma explained.
"I didn't get much sleep last night. You did quite the number on this thing, didn't you? But now, the emergency self-destruct system is back online." Ray said with a smirk.
"Now that you know the stakes, let's make a deal, mister, or else will blow this whole shelter up," Emma said with her arms stretched wide.
The man's face scrunched and contorted in anger.
"This place is important for you, right? Not just for keeping you alive. You know that if we destroy this place, you won't be able to have your no tea-tea parties." Emma said.
The man looks on in anger and confusion. 'These kids, they have to be bluffing. Theres no way they kill themselves! But, wait, what's this feeling, the feeling I'm getting from her? Sincerity, she's really gonna do it!' the man thought.
"If you're gonna kill us, we'd rather blow ourselves up," Emma said, smiling.
There was a moment while the man thought about his options, his angered face relaxed to that of content.
"Fine, if y'all want to die, so be it. I'll lead you." the man said.
"But.. you can't let them die! That was part of the deal!" Yvette said, grabbing Ray's arm.
"Shut up!" the man yelled at the girl. "I'll lead you to the place you want to go. But, that's it, I ain't gonna take a bullet for you kids." the man explained.
"That's fine. We can take care of ourselves," Emma replied. "So, what's your name?" Emma asked again.
"I told you before, I don't want to tell you, Antenna." the man said as he walked out the door.
"A-Antenna?" Emma parroted as she stood up.
"Don't get it twisted. I want nothing to do with you, brats. Stay out of my sight, got it? I don't want to see your stupid faces." the man told them.
"Well, pleasure doing business with you, Mister man with no name," Emma said as the man walked out of the room.
The following 4 days were spent with the eldest children getting ready for departure. Emma and Ray were studying in the library, absorbing the new fountain of knowledge they had access to. Anna and Gilda were packing supplies into the bags for the two. Don and Nat were in charge of looking after the kids and making sure none of them pissed off Mister.
One day before departure, Emma and Ray were still in the library studying when Mister came from the door.
"Yo Antenna, Sleepy Cyclops, follow me, now." That was all he said as he walked back out the door.
In a bit of shock, the two children quickly dropped the books they were reading and followed Mister.
MIster led them to the room with the piano, where he walked up to it.
A little confused, the two children watched as the man climbed up onto the stool and opened the top. Mister then shoved a closed umbrella inside and rummaged around until there was an audible Click. He then jumped back as the piano slid to the left, revealing a doorway.
"This holds the last thing we need before we leave." the man said as he walked to the dark doorway.
The man starts to climb down a ladder. When he is out of sight, the kids follow, stepping into the dark. After a moment of their eyes getting adjusted, they see the room filled with weapons of all kinds.
"Time to go find Minerva ey? To get there, we were going to go through hell." the man says to them as he steps onto the ground.
"An armory!" Emma exclaimed.
"Yep, my man Minerva gave us cattle all the stuff we need to protect ourselves," Mister said as he walked down the aisle. "Pick whatever ya like."
Mister walked up to a shelf and looked at the guns, seemingly debating with himself.
"We are going into enemy territory, well more than we already are. If you thought the forest was bad, then you are in for a wake-up call. If they come for you, weapons won't really save you, but they give you a slim chance of getting out. I'm not gonna babysit you. Pick something you think will help you live." the man explained. Picking up what looked like an assault rifle.
Mister walked over to Emma and dropped the rifle. Quickly Emma reached out to catch it, faltering a little at its weight.
"Well, what do you think?" Ray asked.
"... this is too heavy and will weigh me down. Sonju and Mujika taught us the best way to survive is to run away. So we'll have to choose small guns that we can carry," Emma explained.
"Right," Ray replied.
Mister walked over to another shelf and picked up a large gun, as well as several ammo magazines.
Ray and Emma looked at him for a moment before splitting up and looking at the various weapons on the shelves.
Mister then walked back to the ladder and looked at the two kids. "Pick whatever ya like and climb back up. Just play anything on the piano to put the piano back," he told them before walking out the doorway.
"... he's gone," Emma stated.
"He's not gonna help us like Sonju and Mujika did, huh?" Ray questioned himself.
"Hey Ray, I think I want to take this," Emma said, taking hold of a massive rocket launcher that was taller than herself. "It looks powerful, but it's also cumbersome. I probably shouldn't even try."
"Yeah…" Ray replied.
"I think using the Bow and Arrows is still our best bet. We know how to use them, it's very light, and we can reuse the arrows." Emma explained, putting the launcher back.
"And if we bring a knife, we can make more arrows." Ray pointed out. "However, If where we are going is more dangerous than the forest, a bow may not be enough. If we get cornered, I want a gun. So I'll take this." Ray said, picking up a light automatic rifle.
"Just one?" Emma asked.
"Yeah, We shouldn't need anything more than this and a couple extra rounds of ammo. And you should take something like this." Ray said to point to a pistol with four barrels.
"A Pistol?" Emma wondered.
"Yes. I found it back on one of the back shelves. It has four different methods of fire, a flashbang, tear gas, net shot, and smokescreen. It could be useful." Ray explained.
"But it can't do any damage, wouldn't that mean it's not that useful at all? Mister didn't get anything like this…" Emma said with apprehension.
"I don't think so. Those shots can be useful for escape, which will be our top priority. Furthermore, I have the L.A.R, and we have the bows we can use if we want to kill anything. Now let's get some ammo and knives before we leave and get our route to A08-63." Ray told the girl.
"Right," Emma said with a nod.
Later, once they got all the supplies they needed, Ray and Emma returned to the Archives, getting out a map to plan their route.
"Okay, so when we leave, we will run due east, out of the wastelands. Once we get to the forest, the journey to A08-63 will begin." Ray states.
"This map shows the coordinates the pen will display, the center being Grace field," Emma says, pointing to the 00-00 point on the map. "We are about here, in the wastelands." Emma continued, pointing to their location. "So A08-63 must be around here…" Emma said, pointing to a point labeled Goldy Pond.
All around the map were small black x's. On the side of the map, an index showed that black x's meant not safe settlements.
"Not safe settlements must mean demon settlements." Emma deduced.
"Goldy Pond… will Minerva even be there? The wastelands seem dangerous. The route from Grace field to here must be a playground compared to the way there…" Ray said.
"But there is something there!" Emma said with a smile. "Mr. Minerva made this shelter for us cattle children to inform us and keep us safe. So A08-63 must have something for us as well!"
"... "Should you desire more than this small shelter…" That must mean there is a clue of how to get to the human world," Ray told Emma his theory.
"Then let's go! that alone makes it worth the danger," Emma said, patting Ray's shoulder.
The next day, they were ready. The supplies had been packed, the knowledge gained, and the skills learned.
The three explorers stood at the entrance to the shelter with all the children there to say their farewells.
"Don't worry, guys, we will be back soon," Emma says with a smile.
There was a moment of silence while before all the younger children jump towards, the elder girl.
"Emmaaaaa!" They cried into a hug.
"Please be careful! It's scary out there!" Yvette said into Emma's shoulder.
"You to Ray! If you run into any danger, be a good boy and run away!" Alicia said to the black-haired boy.
"Roger," Ray replied.
As the younger children said their goodbyes, Gilda walked up to Mister.
"Listen here, Mister. You better bring them back safely. I know it's hazardous out there for you and them. So if something does happen, you must bring at least one back alive." Gilda says, looking directly into Mister's eyes.
The Mister lazily looks back into her eyes. "Is that a request? Sorry Four-eyes, but just because you say something doesn't mean-" Mister replied before being cut off by Gilda.
"No, it's an order. If you don't return with at least one alive, I will personally blow this shelter sky high." She says with absolute sincerity.
There was a moment of silence as the two stair each other down before Mister closed his eyes and nodded with a sigh.
Nodding with approvement, Gilda focuses her attention on Ray and Emma. Leaping into a hug.
"Come back safely, you hear! I won't forgive you if something happened!" Gilda said with watery eyes.
"Yea, we will, I promise," Emma said, hugging the girl back.
The three adventures turn towards the ladder leading to the outside. Taking a look through the cameras revealed the coast was clear. And with a nod of confirmation, the three climbed out of the shelter.
Immediately after they left, Mister started sprinting. The two children were surprised at his speed despite him carrying a large gun. They then started running, desperate to catch up to him.
"Pick up the pace, will ya?" Mister shouted as he looked back.
"I guess adults are on another level," Emma said as she gasped for breath.
"Haha! Kids suck at this!" Mister taunted.
"He sure acts like a spoiled brat, though!" Ray yelled indignantly.
Mister was indeed surprised when he looked back to see the kids were still in sight, not too far behind even. 'Even if they can keep up. It won't be enough once we reach the place.' He thought.
Now frowning, Mister then yelled, "We gotta clear this area as fast as we can. Go as fast as you can. First, we'll head straight east and leave this wasteland. The journey to A 08-63 really starts when we get to that forest."
Emma narrowed her eyes to determination. 'Even if it's super dangerous, I'll do it! And even if there's nothing in the end, I want to see it.'
``We got the guy to come with us,' Ray thought. 'We gotta play smart, though. We can't allow him to kill us or lower our guard. He may have the advantage, but we'll win! With him as a guide, we will reach A 08-63 alive!'
'"We have to do this for the sake of our family!"... is what they're probably thinking,' Mister sneered. 'Poor kids. I Gotta hand it to them though, they aren't messing around. They're manipulating me by putting their lives as bait. It's gonna take a lot to shake them off. Dispatching them is way easier out here. I don't even have to do it myself. So, should I just kill them? I kinda wanted to see their reactions to the real world. That four-eye brat is a pain in the ass. I suppose I should just take them to the real thing and let them deal with that. So, which of you will die out there?'
As Mister ran ahead, the trailing children began to talk to each other quietly to not alert him.
"After Gilda proclaimed her ultimatum, I think now he's planning to just kill one of us," Emma guessed.
"Yeah, or rather, he's gonna let one of us die," Ray corrected. "I think he can kill if it comes to it but would prefer not to. Deep down, I think he's a good guy. He's in pain, though, and it's clouding his faith."
'Our main goal is to get to A 08-63 and find Minerva. But I also want to get to know this guy,' Emma thought.
The two of them had finally crossed the wasteland and into the forest.
"Not a bad pace," Mister commented. "The real challenge starts now, though. We're aiming for a four-day trip. Our destination is Goldy Pond. You could also go through this super long path that takes about three weeks but is much safer. But we aren't gonna fool around with that, out of the question. Get some water down your throats. This forest is filled with man-eater nests. They see you. You die. Now, let's go to this place."
They drank some water and walked into the giant forest. The trees looked as though they were made of stone. Felt like it too.
"There's no end to those man-eaters. These guys are actually smart enough to be in packs. When you see one, there's more of them. On top of that, all variants are very aggressive. They can call for more, and they will share you as their feast, crunching your bones and licking your last drop of blood." Mister smirked at their reactions of tension and wariness.
He then put the finger on his chin in a thinking gesture. "I can think of one way you can survive them. Shoot the hell out of them. But with twerps like you? Not a chance. So, don't be spotted, don't let them come close, and advance. We can sleep when we're away from their nests at night."
"How long do we have until dark?" Emma asked Ray.
"About two hours," he replied, checking his pocket watch.
Glancing back at them, Mister thought, 'What's up with these kids? They learn fast. Way too fast, actually. They're total newbies, that's for sure, but they already are walking without making noise. They're watching and copying me?'
He pointed to the right. "This way."
"The footprints are new on this side," Ray noticed.
"Really, right?" Emma asked.
"Nope. Left," Mister replied.
'Damn you!' Ray scowled.
"Nice catch, Ray!" Emma smiled.
"Thanks," Ray said.
'Got it,' Mister smirked. Antenna's the guide. Cyclops here is the wits. Antenna's more troublesome, Sleepy Cyclops is the one that lends a hand in the background, I wonder… which one will shut up more if they see one of them dead?'
Mister decided to spice things up a bit. It was far too dull. With a smirk, he cocked his sniper rifle.
"Emma!" Ray shouted, pulling her away.
A large beast jumped out of the darkness and lunged for Emma, who was frozen in place, not even able to move.
After Ray pulled her away, Ray took out her hunter rifle and aimed it. He hesitated, though, when he imagined Emma's head being bitten off by the thing.
Mister aimed his sniper rifle and shot the ugly beast in the face multiple times, making it fall down.
Ray ran to Emma and shook her. "Emma!"
"Huh?" Emma got out of her stupor. "I-I'm alive?!"
"You would have died if I hadn't done anything," Mister smirked. "Didn't even pull the trigger in time. But man! That was hilarious! Guess you never thought they could come down from the trees, huh? Well, I did! By the way, that was your one freebee. I'm not gonna waist anymore bullets on you."
"Damn you!" Ray yelled.
"Thanks for saving me, though!" Emma smiled.
Mister sneered. "I didn't save anyone anyways. Man-eaters don't die that easily."
"Huh?" They turned around to see the man-eater slowly get up.
"They rise again very fast. It'll call on its friends now."
The beast roared loudly. Immediately, they turn around and run for their lives.
"You bastard, if it's not dead, say something!" Ray yelled.
"I did it on purpose," Mister said cheekily.
"What?!"
"Looks like you two are in a pinch, aren't ya?" Mister commented casually. They climbed up the stone trees.
Turning around, they saw multiple man-eaters right behind them.
"Well then, let's see how you kids survive this. See ya! I'll come to rescue the last one alive!" He left without another word.
"Jackass!" Ray yelled before he could stop himself.
"Mister-!" Emma shouted.
"Forget it," Ray scowled. "He said he's gonna be close by, so we still have our guide. Right now, we need to deal with these guys!"
"They're climbing up!" Emma yelled.
"This way!" They ran along the branches that connected the trees together.
Turning back, Ray shot the branches above the man-eaters, making them topple on them.
"Emma!" Ray yelled. "Use that pistol!"
"Right!" Emma took out a small pistol with four barrels. "Which bullet?"
"The green one!"
Loading it up, Emma shot it right at them. The bullet exploded, wrapping a group of them up in a giant net.
"All right!" Emma cheered as they ran away.
'So, that's their plan,' Mister thought, hiding in a tree nearby. 'That pistol is the one with all the trick shots—four different bullets. Flashbang, tear gas, smoke screen, and that capture net. They deliberately chose that. The rifle isn't so that they can hunt the man-eaters either. Their strategy from the beginning was to escape. Smart thinking.'
Emma looked back to see a horrifying scene. One of the trapped man-eaters was being eaten by its own kind.
"They're free! We need to run!" Emma screamed.
Ray shot his rifle at them as they ran. It practically did nothing, though.
'No point in doing that,' Mister commented in his mind. 'You're just wasting bullets. It doesn't matter how fit you are. If you can't kill them, you can't beat them.'
'Dammit! I've used about 48 bullets out of 100,' Ray cursed. 'At this rate, I'll just run out! Not only do they regenerate, but their bodies morph as well. Just what are they? Immortal monsters? No.' He realized. 'The one they killed was proof. And not only that, Sonju said that humans hunted demons as well, and they had even less technology at the time. So what is it?'
'Think!' Ray sweated. 'What? I saw it at that time. When Sonju rescued me, he did something to kill them. I was losing consciousness, though. How did he-?' An image of Sonju stabbing the middle eye of a demon flashed through his eyes. 'I see, they use their masks to-'
'Annnnd they're dead,' Mister thought.
"Emma!" Ray yelled. "It's the eyes! Shoot the one in the middle of the face! Emma, use your bow!"
Mister's eyes widened. 'How did he..?'
"Right!" Emma loaded an arrow on her bow and shot the closest one in the eye. The demon yelled in agony and fell to the ground.
"Nice!" Ray complimented. "But don't get too close to them!"
"Let's attack at a minimum!" Emma suggested. "Mister said that there were different variants of these guys! He implied that if two species were to clash with each other, they'd focus on the other instead! We need to take advantage of that!"
"Good idea!" Ray yelled back.
At last, they were able to stop the demons from pursuing them. They collapsed on the ground, taking deep gulps of breath and water.
"Good work!" Mister yelled, coming down from his tree. Inside, he was cursing. "I honestly didn't expect either of you to survive that!"
"Chumps or not, we're still alive and kicking!" Emma grinned.
"... Right."
'Four days to get there, with one day finished. And four days to get back. If we stay for less then a day that's seven days. And I only have 33 bullets left. But, we found out about their weaknesses! Bring it on!' Ray smirked.
It was the third day out here.
Mister seemed just fine. He actually seemed pleased with their conditions. No surprise there, though.
"Hop to it!" Mister grinned cheekily.
The demons had raided them in the middle of the night—precisely one. Mister had acted like he had nothing to do with it, but the facial expression gave it away.
'The way he stealthily moves, the way he can sense danger, how he handles the demons, and how he shoots shows his capabilities,' Ray thought. 'We need to observe and copy!'
'We're starting to get better at saving ammunition and escaping the demons,' Emma thought. 'We can do this!'
It was the same thing. Sneakily go through the forest, encounter some demons, kill or escape from them, take a small break to recuperate, and repeat.
'Their bodies may be tired, but I still see that damned determination in their eyes,' Mister sneered. 'I'm impressed at how fast they adapted. They can't be older than 12. How old was I when I went through here? 15? 16? This won't do.' He covered his mouth in disgust. 'I feel like throwing up. Was it because of that dream? This will be done soon. I just need to pick up the pace. Tomorrow, at Goldy Pond, I'll kill you.'
They took a break for the night. Emma opened the pen to look at their coordinates. "Look! We're closer to A 08-63 than we thought! We'll probably reach it by noon tomorrow!"
"Can't wait," Ray grumbled. 'It's been two days, and that man hasn't really been pulling anything on us since the first day. There's no way he gave up, though. He's planning something. I'm betting it's when we reach Goldy Pond. No doubt has he been there before. He knows two different paths and knows all the tricks to this place. What's waiting for us there? And what made that man change? What's he gonna do when we get there?'
Mister was currently keeping watch away from them.
"Ta-da!" Emma cheered, showing Ray a bunch of grapes. "I think I got the hang of finding food in this place!"
How do we do Gupta for a lizard?" Emma asked out loud.
"I read how to in an old book, here, cut the lizard-like this," Ray instructed.
Emma looks up to the starry night sky and smiles. "Even if it's hard for us right now, everyone else is safe and sound." She says.
"Hmm?" Ray vocalizes.
"Gilda, Don and the others at the shelter, Phil and the kids that stayed at Grace field, they're all safe."
Ray looks at the girl as she monologues. Keeping a straight face as he also continues to stoke the fire.
"Before we left, Mister asked me if we were making the right decision, even if he didn't have to make me aware of it. From the very moment I found the truth, I was terrified, not of death, but of all that I've come to love dying in front of me. Every decision I've made since then has been motivated by that fear, but is it right? Will it backfire at some point? Was going to Goldy Pond alone a good idea? Leaving Phil and the others at Grace field? Letting Spencer and Norman… I know looking behind me will only cause me to trip on the road ahead. If I lose myself to doubts of the past, I will lose everything, but… what if the decisions I've made are wrong. Mister knows what that feels like, that utter terror and despair of making the wrong choice and causing everything he holds dear to die in front of him. In his room, Mister wrote the word 'HELP' over and over… trying to find out what it means, but now I know." Emma says, getting up.
Emma walks over to where Mister is standing as he looks out into the forest. Hearing her approach, he turns to her.
There was a moment of silence as they, too, look at each other before Emma speaks.
"I'm going to save you!" Emma announced to the adult.
"Say what now?" Mister replied. "You're gonna… save me?"
"Yup!"
'"Is this girl crazy? The hell is she on about?"... is what he's probably thinking,' Ray guessed.
"The more I thought about it, the more I realized that there's no need for us to be enemies," Emma continued. "We're all escapees here. We can help and understand each other. And it would be beneficial to both parties, so let's work together! Now spill your guts, and let's talk!"
'Emma, what are you doing!' Ray screamed on the inside.
"Annoying bitch," Mister snarled. "Who do you think you are?! You wanna save me?! Quit fucking around, you ginger antenna bitch! I hate you! All of you! I ain't tellin' you shit! Now back off!"
Emma looked taken aback by the outburst. But then she shouted back just as furiously, "NO!"
Ray just sweat dropped at this, smiling in amusement.
"I don't care if we're hated or killed! But I wanna take care of this!" Emma yelled. "Let's stop all of this! Let's stop hiding! It's useless, and nothing will be solved if you keep running away from it!"
"What?!" Mister shouted indignantly.
"It was painful, wasn't it?" Emma asked more calmly.
Mister's eyes widened slightly.
"You had a good family, didn't you? And you loved all of them, right? But then you lost them and became sad, frustrated, and hateful. You suffered so much on your own for so many years. You felt like you were being torn apart by those feelings, right?"
"T-the hell you think you know about-"
"I don't," she interjected. "I'm just guessing. You're an older man who's lost all of his comrades. It would be insulting to say that I know how you feel. But the thing is, I do know. We're exactly alike, aren't we? The current me and the old you. Our family and your comrades. And that's why you felt pain whenever you saw us, right?"
Mister looked at her darkly.
"You even felt the need to pull a gun on us, right? But what you wanted to disappear from your life wasn't us, right? It was your old self. If you kill us, Mister, it might serve as a temporary distraction, but it doesn't change anything in the end! You'll still suffer! And that's not good, so let's change that!"
"And how?" Mister looked almost somber for the first time. "How the hell do you suggest we do that? There's nothing you can do about it. No matter how much you regret it, you can't take back the past. My dead comrades ain't coming back. Your face… It disgusts me. Yeah, you look just like how the old me looked. You can't save them. You can't escape this hellish reality. So what the hell do you think you can really do?"
"We can live on. Together." Emma says her face determined.
"Ehe?" Mister questions in shock.
"Mister." Emma looked at him with determined eyes. "We can live on. We're gonna go back to Grace Field and save everyone there. And bring them to the human world. So help us! We can go there together! Let's go to the world that our friends wanted to see!"
'What? These kids just keep on getting more and more crazy!' Mister exclaimed internally.
"We lost people dear to us as well," Emma shook, looking down. "Their names were Spencer and Norman. They were irreplaceable and good friends of ours. Members of our family. But they died. Shipped like the rest of our family. I bet they wanted to be here more than anyone else here combined. But now they can't. Both of them entrusted everything to Ray and I. That's why I pushed forward. So that I can make their dreams come true! So live with your comrades' dreams too!"
'Their dreams…?'
"Even if you're alone, you can still do that much for them! Your comrades don't wish for you to give up, and neither do you!" Emma yelled.
'Nicholas… John...Dinah… Lucas... Everyone… even Makoto... they all wanted me to live. But why? Why are you letting these brats move you? Weren't you gonna kill that antenna girl?'
"Look," Mister said. His eyes grew dark. "Turn back now."
"Eh?" Emma squeaked.
"That place. It's dangerous. By morning, those guys will have-"
"Emma!" Ray shouted.
Vines suddenly circled around her and dragged her away before the two boys could do anything.
"Stop!" Mister grabbed Ray and pulled him back. "It's too late! You'll be taken too!"
"Let me go!" Ray shouted. 'Dammit! I was supposed to be looking out!'
"The fact that you managed to react in time is plenty impressive," Mister scowled in frustration as he ran.
"Will you tell me what's going on?!" Ray demanded. "Taken? By who? Is she alive?"
"she is for now. It probably hasn't started yet…" Mister trailed off.
'Started?' "Were they kidnapped by the demons?"
"Correct. Specifically, the poachers. One of their factions. I lured them in… to get rid of you two."
"You can't be!" Ray stated. 'The first day?'
"I shot a lot of them with holes—more than necessary. You kids hit them quite a bit as well. If you kill them, their pack will get rid of them. But leaving them alive and riddled with holes will get the attention of the poachers. That's how my friends and I were caught. The lot of you are from Grace Field, a high-grade plantation. I figured they'd be on the lookout for you."
"Tsk," Ray scowled. "I'm gonna rescue her."
"Give up," Mister advised. "We're not nearly strong enough to beat them."
"You bastard, this was your plan-!"
"And I'm sorry. I don't wanna cause you guys any more trouble. The best thing I can do is bring you back in one piece. So we gotta hurry back."
"I said I'm bringing her back!" Ray shouted. "I'm not leaving her behind! She wouldn't, so I'm gonna return the favor! So tell me! Where is she?!"
"... Shes in A 08-63 now. Goldy Pond," Mister finally responded.
With Emma
'Ugh… what happened?' Emma thought groggily. She slowly sat up from her position on the ground. 'It's morning? But… ugh, what happened? Weren't we talking to Mister? Where am I?'
As she became more awake, she noticed the surroundings around her were not familiar.
"Where am I?" she said out loud.
Looking around, she could see houses and light poles, but their design was like that of a fairy tale.
"Ray! Mister! Anyone!" Emma yelled out.
For the next few minutes, Emma walked around the strange town, trying to find signs of life.
Emma noticed someone running.
"Hey!" Emma called out as she started chasing the kid.
For a few moments, she kept running in the direction of the figure. However, she lost sight soon and stopped. She noticed something written on her hand.
"Use your Pen?" Emma read out loud.
When she opened the pen, the screen popped up and showed her at A 08-63.
"So this… this is Goldy Pond?" Emma clarified.
Looking around once again, Emma notices a sign with a clown picture on it. Going up closer, she reads what's on the sign out loud.
"Rules:
Music
Monsters
Survive…"
Suddenly a loud, distorted and creepy version of the classical piece "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg. Emma recognized it as one Spencer never liked, calling it "the song for creepy clowns."
"The Monsters are coming," A monotone voice behind Emma says. "You should run and hide." turning around, Emma sees the figure she was chasing before, now in full view. It was a girl, a little older than her, with long pink hair that had a teal hair bow in it, matching her teal eyes. The girl was holding a wooden baseball bat with nails driven into it. She wore a black sports bra covering her chest under a white hoodie that sleeves were rolled up to her elbows. Her short jeans skirt was seemingly longer but ripped to go around her mid-thighs. The girl looked at Emma with a monotone expression.
"This is Goldy Pond, a place made for plantation children to live in freedom, that was turned into a playground for man-hunters. A park for them to turn back the clock and do something forbidden for thousands of years. A top-secret human hunting ground." The Pinkett tells Emma.
Chapter End.
AND FINALLY FINISHED. The longest one yet! Took me so long, but you know how university and work can get. I want to say that this is a side hobby, an idea, and an experiment I wanted to try out. One more thing, I recently played OMORI, and I tried to implement some of those characters here. You'll see them later. It would be as if they were all born into the same orphanage in this world. Whether Omori's story comes to play in this story is yet to be seen. The next chapter will be some of the Goldy Pond arc, the best arc of the series, in my opinion. I hope to change it up by adding more characterization to the resistance and demons. I've also been focusing on making character sheets for future OCs for my original arc that will come after this one. that said.
Stay healthy, stay safe, get vaccinated.