James Miller
It was hell. This existence was complete hell. Ever since the nuclear apocalypse had ravaged Earth three weeks ago, the world I once called home was as foriegn as a space alien. Familiar streets and friendly neighbors turned into strange roads and hostile people.
I was living with my parents when it happened, the bright flashes and extreme heat cluing me into the beginning of the end. We managed to stay sane and alive, until a week into it until we were hit by bandits. My mother and three dogs were killed, but my father and I survived. I remember the last thing I said to the woman who birthed and raised me: I hate you. We decided to move to a close-by friend who was still in the area. That fact rooted itself in my mind. He was good with guns and had plenty. We met up with him and the three of us survived well together for another week, but when my father went out for a scavenging mission, he never came back. I assumed him dead, and when my friend, Gean, and I went looking for him the next day, we found his corpse in an abandoned supermarket. I cried for a while until Gean convinced me to keep moving.
It was that night that I came up with a plan. A place to go. A place shrouded in mystery. The Bermuda Triangle. Luckily we were just off the southern coast of the United States, so all we needed was a big enough boat and enough fuel to make the trip. So we set off, driving down the coast and grabbed the necessary supplies. It was all going great, we had barely encountered any raiders or bandits. We even were able to gather enough fuel for the boat, the only problem now was the boat. And now we were talking with a man who had no need for a long distance cruiser off the Florida Keys.
"So how much for the boat?" Gean asked as he lit a cigarette.
"Give me a cigarette, a pistol, and a single round," he replied.
"Sure!" Gean said as he offered up one of his spare sidearms with a single bullet. He then gave the man a cigarette, lighting it for the man. He handed over the keys and took a drag on the cigarette.
"So tell me… where are you two going to do with all those supplies and a boat like mine?" the old man asked as he exhaled, a cloud of smoke drifting out of his mouth.
"We're going to the Bermuda Triangle," Gean said with enthusiasm.
The man took another drag on his cigarette. "Why?"
"Because whatever's there, might just be better than here!" Gean laughed as we walked over to the boat, loading our supplies onto it.
The old man smiled as he waved "Well best of luck! Don't die out there!"
We started up the boat and waved back at the old man. Just as we were on our way, we saw a horde of raiders running towards the coast. The old man chambered the bullet and blew his own head off. The raiders callously dumped his body into the ocean and took aim at the two of us. We grabbed our hunting rifles, and began to fire at them. We managed to take out half of their forces until we started to take hits. I was grazed in the left leg and right arm, while Gean took the brunt of the attack, his feet taking multiple bullets, a few in the chest and one taking off his left ear.
I could see tears welling up under his eyes. "James, I don't think I'm going to make it man."
"No. you'll be fine! Come on let's get you all patched up," I said, trying to lift him to his feet. He shook his head.
"Please. All I ask is that you put me down. I'll just be wasting supplies. I know it'll be hard, but you can do it. Reach the Triangle, I know you can do it," he whispered as he handed me his favorite gun, his prized Winchester .45 Special.
"I'm sorry," I cried as I pulled the hammer back.
"Don't be. I'll be with you, like your guardian angel. So please… put me out of my misery!"
I pulled the trigger, the single gunshot echoing around in my ears. I collapsed to the floor as my thoughts and guilt began to overwhelm me. I just cried. It felt good to get it all out of my system, but I was still miserable. I pushed Gean's body off of the boat. It was just me now. All alone. Adrift in the sea. I closed my eyes and laid on my back, my tears running down the side of my face as I began to drift off into sleep.
I awoke as my throat was dry as all hell and my stomach gurgled in hunger. I got up and opened a bottle of water. It didn't taste like anything in particular, just water. I then opened a bag of BBQ chips and took a bite. It tasted so… dull. It was… tasteless. I finished the bag then moved on to a cooler that had some nice cold sandwiches. I ate two, still the same tastelessness from the chips. I walked up to the bridge, and saw that it was only a few hours until I would reach the Bermuda Triangle. How long had I been out? A day? A few hours? I didn't care though, so I grabbed a beer and leaned back in a soft seat. The taste of the beer wasn't as bad, the tastelessness helped in that regard as I downed as second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth can. I was well beyond drunk at this point so I went back to the deck, grabbing the water and food, storing it in the cabin. I then hooked up my phone to charge it. I opened the photo gallery app and flicked through it. Pictures of my friends and family rushed past. I closed it and played some music to calm me down.
"I don't want to sleep with you
I don't want the passion too.
I don't want a stormy affair
To make me feel my life is heading somewhere.
All I want is the comfort and care,
Just to know that woman gives me sweet
Mother love"
I began to cry as I thought of my mother, the last thing I said to her. My guilt began to build as I peeked out of the cabin. I saw storm clouds approaching, so I ducked back into the cabin.
"-and they say that I'm strong,
But my heart is heavy, and my hope is gone."
I huddled into myself as I grabbed another beer, slowly sipping into it. 'Goddamnit! Why?! Why did this happen?! Why did the world just blow the fuck up!?'
"Out in the city, in the cold world outside
I don't want pity, just a safe place to hide
Mama please, let me back inside."
I listened as Freddie Mercury continued to sing my favorite song. This world is poisoned, with radiation and with greed. If I die in the Triangle, then so be it. At least I will be rid of this awful fucking world. It took my family, it took my friend, so fuck it, it can take me too.
"I don't want to make no waves
But you can give me all the love that I crave
I can't take it if you see me cry
I long for peace before I die."
I grabbed my rifle and chambered a round. I looked down the barrel with longing. I slowly opened my mouth putting the business end of the weapon into it.
"All I want is to know that you're there
You're gonna give me all your sweet
Mother love"
"My body's aching, but I can't sleep
My dreams are all the company I keep
Got such a feeling as the sun goes down
I'm coming home to my sweet
Mother love."
My finger shook as it hovered over the trigger. My entire body began to shake. I let the rifle slip out of my hands as it fell to the floor.
"Why?" I sobbed. "Why do I have to suffer?" but there was no response. I chugged the last of my beer, passing out in the cabin.
I heard a soft crash, like the boat hitting sand, as I heard screams from outside my cabin. I just sat where I was. 'So this is hell, huh? Well it's about time.'
I heard footsteps from the deck, and unlocked the door for my newly found guests. I sat back down only to be wrapped in some sort of string, pulling me out of the cabin, a beautiful woman with pink hair wearing a colorful bikini and who had a nice body.
"Who are you?!" she demanded.
"James Miller, what about you?" I asked nonchalantly. "Any chance I could have another beer? I'm kind of in bad space right now," I explained. Another woman came into view, she had long, dark red hair and a cheery face.
"Hey Noelle, It looks like Vanessa found the captain!" the young lady shouted.
I heard new footsteps. A young woman with silver twintails and an irritated look on her face appeared. "Well what should we do with the invader?" Noelle asked.
"We should turn him in to the Wizard King. He's already ruined our day at the beach," Vanessa said as she took a swig of wine.
"I want to ask him some questions first!" the dark red haired woman said.
"That's not a bad idea, Kahono," Noelle said. "But we should move him, where should we take him?"
"Our hotel room would be a good idea," Vanessa said with a smile as Noelle and Kahono took my things.
AN: So, I hope you all liked the first chapter of Lost Adrift! So I always wondered why people never used the Bermuda Triangle for an isekai sorta story so I decided to use it! Also I really like Vanessa as a character and would love to see how she would be as a significant other. Originally this was going to be a Finral x Vanessa fic but then cannoncially it seems he's going to get with Finesse so eh. I also always wondered how the world of Black Clover would react to the introduction of firearms. Granted pistols and submachine guns might not be so useful, LMGs, sniper rifles, carbines, and RPGs would be quite useful. But you'll have to keep reading for something like that to take root, but I do intend to see that through.
As for James, yea he's definitely depressed and this is going to be interesting trying to get out of this.
The song was Mother Love by Queen
