Greeting: Rachel's building or Leslie's journey. That's a question.
I'll go for Leslie, Rachel can wait for the next chapter. Leslie has to find a way across the Atlantic ocean.
Let's hope he'll find it. Enjoy!
( Leslie. By the ocean. Germany)
The seagulls had gone silent and the street had become barren and desolate.
Leslie had found himself a bike to ride and the journey had become a lot easier.
All the people, walking around the city, had died so the monsters weren't roaming everywhere.
Sometimes Leslie heard sounds or saw terrifying shadows but he managed to hide from the monsters. At least most of the time.
Thanks to Rage and Ornica's little gift, Leslie was still alive.
The monsters didn't pose much of a threat to him and he could focus on finding his way home.
Leslie was riding down a coast boulevard while looking around at the buildings. The morning breeze made his hair flutter behind his head.
It was cold since no light was there to warm up the breeze. Leslie hoped he could have seen rays or at least proper light.
The sun was still black and a day was barely a concept.
Leslie imagined watching the sun rise over the horizon.
Storm Jr. would be on his lap, giggling and petting his hair.
" She would love this place. If only I could take Storm Jr. on a trip around the world", thought Leslie.
He dodged a car that had been left to the middle of the road.
There was a skeleton inside it. That reminded him of his situation.
" Well, saving the world comes first. But before I can do that, I must get a boat", Leslie glanced at the beach.
" Boats make me seasick", said Fear in Leslie's head.
" Sea makes you seasick. That's why it's seasickness and not boatsickness, you dumbass!", corrected Rage.
" Knock it off", Leslie told them.
" I'll knock you off", replied Rage.
Leslie sighed.
" You guys can frustrate me but you can't help me find a boat", he shook his head.
Leslie reached the end of downhill. There was a long beach on his right side and fabulous houses on his left.
He saw that the beach was empty. Only sunshades had survived and even those were ripped.
Out in the ocean, there were a couple boats but those had been destroyed.
" The monsters have destroyed all boats so nobody can go to sea. The ocean might be a safe place to hide from them", Leslie thought, staring at the boats.
He moved on and kept on looking. The houses, on his left, were beautiful and old.
He couldn't help but admire the German architecture.
They would have looked prettier in light but even in the dark they were magnificent.
Leslie had to keep his head up though. Those houses looked like perfect cubbyholes for some unwanted friends.
Monsters could see Leslie on the road. Leslie wasn't hiding at all, he was easy to notice.
He hadn't faced a monster group in hours and was wondering how he had managed to get so far.
The monsters hadn't left, they were still in there.
Leslie presumed they were inside the houses having fun.
They would notice him sooner or later though and attack him.
Leslie didn't want to be caught off guard. Rage could defend him but Leslie still disliked the idea of being jumpscared.
He was keeping his eyes fixed on the beach most of the time. He kept on looking and looking.
" There has to be at least one boat", he muttered.
" The monsters have destroyed them all, Leslie. We have to find another way to the UK. Maybe we can like...swim across the channel", suggested Sadness.
" Swim? The channel is twenty miles wide even at the narrowest point. I'm not swimming across that. Plus, I would need to cycle to that point", said Leslie.
" What else could we do? All small boats have been destroyed. We need to find a big boat to get over the Atlantic, and those will be in London", asked Sadness.
Ornica joined the discussion.
" There might be boats left in here as well. We'll go to the UK for now and then figure out how to get further. One step at a time", she told them.
Leslie let out a deep sigh as he looked around the beach.
" Wait! I see something in the distance. It looks like a big building. It's on the beach", Leslie told them.
" It could be a hangar for boats. If you need a boat, you'll find one there. But also monsters quite possibly", Ornica told Leslie.
" Monsters? Now we're talking! Riding around on a crappy bike is so boring. Just let me kill stuff!", Rage sounded angry but happy.
" We can deal with them like they're ants. Let's go in", Happiness encouraged Leslie.
" I can deal with them, you can only be boring and frustrating", growled Rage.
Leslie ignored the grumpy fox and cycled forward. He could feel it in his bones, this was the one.
A way to the UK was in that hangar.
Leslie switched to a calmer mood now that he had found a possible exit. He let the speed make him feel like wind.
He would have wanted to stretch his arms but he couldn't ride without his hands.
When he had been cycling as a child, Shadow had been able to do all sorts of cool tricks. Leslie wished he had been there.
Shadow would have kept him company, just like always. Or maybe Bonnie or Scarlett could have been there with him. Freddy too.
Perhaps Toy bonnie and Toy freddy would have made him feel better.
Leslie was lonely despite the emotions in his head. They were pretty hilarious sometimes but Leslie wanted to have someone in there with him.
Travelling alone was boring and sad but it was Leslie's burden.
He had to survive for the sake of his friends.
Scarlett, Marionette, Storm Jr., Fang, Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, Crystal and many others.
They needed him right then.
The animatronics could hold on but they would never win the war.
Leslie started cycling faster and faster when he held that thought in his head.
" Here I come my friends. Don't worry. I will die rather than ever stop trying to get to you", he said to himself.
" Let's hope they don't die before you reach them. It could happen", said a voice in his head.
" Thanks, Fear. I gotta keep that in mind", Leslie rolled his eyes.
Fear could get frustrating every once in a while but Leslie found it okay. Fear represented Leslie's doubt and fear.
Leslie was scared for his friends. The animatronics were strong but still just animatronics.
They were in physical bodies and they could feel pain.
They were not immortal, the monsters would tear them apart sooner or later.
Leslie did not have an infinite amount of time to get home.
" Let's certainly hope there's a fast boat in there", Leslie grinned at the building.
He had already wasted days on cycling through the country.
He was staring at the building, in front of him. He was going to go inside despite all the monsters, in there.
" Are you absolutely sure about this? We could die", asked Fear.
" Of course I am. We are always in danger. It's the end of the world. Once I get out to the sea, I'll have time to relax", answered Leslie, a tiny bit angry.
" Go, boy. Show those monsters who they tried to stop by destroying boats", cheered Sadness.
All emotions were on Leslie's side. He was filled with courage and determination.
He cycled inside and looked around.
Leslie saw tons of unfinished boats as well as cranes, machinery and such. Leslie was surrounded by movable platforms and other machinery.
The place was dark but some light was shining through the skylights.
The ceiling was filled with them and the skylights formed a heart.
" Sweet. Me hearty's dockyard", Leslie read the building's name.
It was painted, in German, onto a pink wall that was at the back. The hall was huge and open.
There was a pit in the middle of the hall. A couple bridges stretched across the chasm.
There were no monsters in there or they were hiding, there were definitely places to hide in. It was still fairly open though.
The open space helped Leslie calm down. The building had two halls and the entrance led to the bigger one.
The two halls were separated by an enormous metal door. It looked like it was made out of some hard metal.
It wasn't iron, tungsten maybe.
It filled the side wall completely. With the press of a button, the door could be opened and the two halls would join.
Usually the two halls would have been joined but not then.
" If these guys left in a hurry, how did they have time to close the door?", wondered Leslie.
" They didn't", answered Ornica.
" The door was closed later", she told Leslie.
" Later? But who on earth would close it? There's no one here", asked Leslie.
" Scary", Leslie heard Fear.
" Scary but not worth being concerned about", Leslie told him.
Fear was not agreeing with him.
" I don't know, Leslie. My senses are saying that this is a trap. If not...Watch out, Leslie!", Fear screamed.
Leslie panicked and looked to his left. His senses had felt it too. Fear had sensed it much faster.
If he had been in control, Leslie would have been able to dodge in time.
A big, metallic, column came at him really fast. The column was attached to the ceiling with chains.
It was horizontal so Leslie needed to duck. His reflexes did not work and he came face to face with it.
The column hit him in the face, right under his forehead.
It would have killed him as a human but he was made of something else. Leslie felt pain and his vision went blurry.
The impact launched him and he flew against a pillar.
He had triggered a trap that had been made for the monsters.
At least Leslie hoped it had been made for them.
He tried to get up but he was hurt. His forehead was bleeding alongside his back.
" That hurt. Please tell me this was made by survivors", he thought by himself.
Leslie stumbled up but then he was hit again.
" Stay on the ground, god dammit!", a guy told him in German.
He was right on top of Leslie.
The guy, in his twenties, had come out of nowhere. He was speaking German but his accent was very Italian.
Leslie opened his eyes and saw a guy with a crowbar in his hand. He was alerted and wanted to hit Leslie.
" Stay on the ground, punk. Don't try to get up", the guy hit Leslie again.
It hurt.
" I'm not even moving, what's he talking about", thought Leslie.
The guy was in panic. He tried to hit Leslie in the stomach with his crowbar's sharp end.
Leslie grabbed it and kicked the guy in the leg.
He stumbled back in pain and Leslie got up.
" I don't want to hurt a human but I must survive", thought Leslie.
" I'll kill you!", shouted the guy.
He drew a gun. Leslie dodged to the left and the bullet missed him.
He went straight for the guy after that. Leslie punched him in the face and grabbed his arm.
He yanked the arm and it hurt the guy as well as made him drop the gun.
The guy kicked Leslie a couple times but he was too fast.
" I don't want to harm you but you give me no other choice", said Leslie.
" I'll kill you", screamed the guy.
He was quite a warrior. Leslie was fast due to his little helpers.
Ornica was fighting alongside him. Leslie felt like a ninja.
It was like Ornica was telling him what to do and he did that. The guy had chosen to fight to death.
Leslie grabbed the crowbar from the floor and was about to hit the guy.
" You don't give me a choice, man", Leslie shook his head.
" Come on! Get me, sucker!", taunted the guy.
" Stop immediately!", a loud shout was heard.
Both the guy and Leslie stopped in place. They glanced at Leslie's right.
There was a man in his fifties standing on a platform staring at them.
" Klaus! Help me, quickly. We must kill him fast", the aggressive guy told the older man.
" Shut up, Alessandro. He's a normal human, can't you see, dummy?", asked the man.
" What? But he entered our place. He even attacked me. I need to defend the people", complained Alessandro.
The man named Klaus was really disappointed.
" Dude! You say I even attacked you. You attacked me first! I said I didn't want to hurt you", Leslie told Alessandro.
He snapped at Leslie.
" Stay silent, intruder. You're finished once Klaus gets down here", threatened Alessandro.
" I already am", Klaus said behind him.
Alessandro turned around and saw him. Klaus had jumped down.
" Someone is finished, you are no longer a guard, boy", Klaus told him.
Klaus slapped Alessandro and gave him a good cuff on the ear.
" We already have too few people. Now that we finally find a survivor, you'll kill him? Go to your sister or whoever she was again!", Klaus pushed Alessandro away.
The Italian guy snorted and left.
Leslie looked after him and then at Klaus.
" Sorry about that, young one. Alessandro gets too excited when he's patrolling. He'll kill anything on his sight", apologized Klaus.
Leslie was pretty shocked and could not say a word. He wasn't sure if he could even trust this random man that had come to him.
His friend had tried to kill Leslie and he had a gun in his back pocket.
" Answer him, Leslie. He seems nice", recommended Happiness.
Klaus was not an old, threatening man. He had a long beard and puffy legs, he looked like a fisherman or a lumberjack.
" It's okay. I just got a bit scared. He was a human but he attacked me. I didn't expect to face human foes", explained Leslie.
Klaus chuckled and his beard moved with his breath.
" Humans are unpredictable, always get ready for human foes. There are no human foes in here though.
Just one stressed boy", Klaus patted Leslie on the back.
Happiness was right, Klaus seemed friendly.
Leslie chose to trust the old guy and let him take Leslie to other people. Klaus gestured him to follow.
" Come. We don't bite. The others want to see you, we have not met anyone else since this started", he said.
" Be careful. Get ready for anything. Do not let your guard down", ordered Ornica.
She knew that as a warrior.
" I'll have my magic ready", Leslie promised her.
He followed Klaus towards the second hall. Leslie presumed that they had closed the door.
" So! What is your name, young man? I'm Klaus but you heard that already, didn't you?", asked Klaus while they were walking.
Leslie nodded to him.
" I'm Leslie. I'm an American like my name reveals. But please don't ask how I got here", Leslie explained.
Klaus was interested.
" No, no. I don't dig too deep into other people's business. But your accent astonishes me. For an American, your German is almost flawless", said Klaus.
" Well thank you. I had a lot of spare time when I was a child. What a better way to waste it than learning new languages", explained Leslie.
Klaus agreed with him.
" What a better way", Klaus repeated and laughed.
When Klaus laughed like that, he was like Santa. Leslie let him lead him to the second hall.
" Are there monsters in here? I doubt this place is completely safe", asked Leslie when they arrived at the door.
" No, there are not", Klaus shook his head.
" This door keeps them away. We also try to keep the atmosphere bright. It prevents us from turning into those things", he added.
" A bright atmosphere? How do you do that?", asked Leslie.
He and Klaus walked to a smaller door that was inside the big one.
" See for yourself", Klaus opened it with a key, in his back pocket.
Leslie went in and saw the second hall.
There were lights all around the hall, it was open and there were people everywhere.
There weren't many but they had spread out.
Leslie and Klaus were on a high platform, above the pit, so Leslie could see all the people below.
The hall was smaller but still amazing.
" Wow! People used to work here? How did this place become so happy?", Leslie was astonished.
" This place was always happy. Work isn't all about being dark. We Germans work but we work happily", explained Klaus.
Leslie nodded to him. There were more people in there than Leslie had even dared to imagine.
They had set up tents and stored food. Leslie was merely hungry and he needed to eat.
There were carrots, vegetables, fruit, fish, meat and wheat products.
Leslie could not figure out how they had managed to get so much food.
" This is beautiful. I haven't seen light, this bright, for at least a week. I haven't seen this much food nor this many people for a week.
My dream came true", adored Leslie.
Klaus was happy to see Leslie smile. He had known that Leslie would be amazed.
" You must be hungry, Leslie. I'd imagine a boy, like you, has found nothing to eat. We have tons of it. Let's go down", Klaus told him.
" I like the sound of that. I have never been this hungry in my life", Leslie revealed to him.
" Then why are you still here? Run down, boy! Food is waiting for you", encouraged Klaus.
Leslie did not have to be persuaded at all. He ran down the stairs with pictures of carrots in his eyes.
There was a woman waiting at the bottom. She was pretty confused when she saw Leslie coming.
" What?", the woman asked in French.
" Fiona! We found a survivor. Give this poor guy something to eat", Klaus shouted from the top of the stairs.
Klaus had spoken in very bad English but Fiona understood it.
" Oh dear. He must be starving", muttered Fiona in French.
She did not know which language Leslie spoke but luckily Leslie could speak many.
" Yes! Please, I need food", Leslie told her in French.
Fiona filled Leslie's plate with every kind of food. She had a food tent which she was taking care of.
There was an improvised hospital on its left side and someone's tent on the right.
Leslie would have no trouble sleeping there, Salazar's factory had been pretty much the same.
Except that in the dockyard, Leslie did not have to watch slaves work and be whipped.
Fiona was nice and talked to him.
Alessandro came to the tent and took food as well. He noticed Leslie and sat down next to him.
Leslie glanced at him while devouring his meal.
" Look, dude. I acted stupidly. I shouldn't have attacked you. We should be grateful that you found us.
What I'm really trying to say here is...I'm sorry, okay. We're good?", Alessandro raised his hand for a hand shake.
Leslie could not say anything since his mouth was full of food. He raised his hand anyway.
Alessandro waited for him to swallow some of the food so he could speak.
" We're good, Alessandro", Leslie answered him in Italian.
Those words made Alessandro happy. Leslie wasn't sure if it was since he had said them in Italian or since they meant Leslie had forgiven him.
Anyway, Alessandro began to chat with Leslie while he was eating. Alessandro explained many things.
" One thing I don't get. Why are we here? We can't just stay here for the rest of eternity", asked Leslie.
Alessandro laughed.
" Some of us are on the ship. It's a couple miles away from here. We'll use it to get to safety if plan A fails. You know, out of here", answered Alessandro.
" You'll get out of here on a ship?", Leslie was interested.
" Well actually no. The ship won't take us anywhere if we are lucky.
Klaus has said that we need to get people across the Atlantic to the United States fairly quickly", Alessandro looked stressed.
" You'll go to the United States? You can take me home. I've been looking for a boat to get home, that's how I found you", Leslie was happy.
" A boat? You'll never get home by boat", replied Alessandro.
" Well how do you expect me to get there?", asked Leslie.
Alessandro smirked.
" Use our way. Because we are going there by plane. That is plan A", he answered Leslie.
" What? You have a working plane?", Leslie asked with his mouth so open that his food fell out.
He had no doubt about it anymore. He had found a way home.
Farewell: This was a calm chapter for the most part. It was all describing.
Now, Leslie knows what he must do now. Good luck, Leslie!
We'll follow his story too, guys. Rachel and Doug's adventure is in the spotlight currently but Leslie's story will be there too.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! THE ONLY WAY TO LIVE IS TO WRITE.
