Thanks to redheadgirl1996 for her review! Just as a bit of a response, the name comes in this chapter! If you're attentive, you will find out her name! I never truly include the names in the first chapter just 'cause I like to "meditate" upon the names before using them. It gives me time to look at names, name meanings and things like that. :)
Btw, most of what I write is creepy... Most people learn to get used to it and even expect it when I write... xD
Again, the plot bunny contest is still up! If you can think of a character from PJO (an original, Rick Riordan character) that is MALE, does NOT have a girlfriend already and it CANNOT be Nico DeAngelo. Sorry guys, Nico's out.
Clarifying, the winner get's a character ALL TO THEIR OWN in my story. This means you MAKE YOUR OWN character and you get to decided what relationship they have to my MC. They cannot, however, be siblings. Sorry 'bout that too!
ENJOY!
Fainting. Dying. Struggling to breathe.
All of this occurring at once, killing me from the inside, destroying my soul.
I run forward because running back is not an option. Running back means returning to my mother. Running back means returning to my old life. This is something I refuse to do.
Although on the streets, life is better here than it was at home. I've practically been living off of food scraps that I find in dumpsters behind restaurants. The food isn't good but its food. If it's keeping me alive then it's good enough.
But is that what I really want? Do I really want to live?
Yes. I have some sort of purpose, no matter what it may be.
I drag myself over to the Mc Donald's dumpster. I feel around for food, anything at all to kill the pain in my stomach. My hand brushes by some old cheeseburger and I grasp at it suddenly. Fishing it out with my hand, I find that it is still in its wrapper. I unwrap it slowly. The burger is perfect.
I begin to eat it hungrily before I spot someone else. I crouch behind the dumpster, eyeing the visitor wearily from behind it.
A young blonde boy, barely six or seven years old, reaches in just as I did, searching for food. He finds nothing. Just as he is about to walk away, I notice his figure. He's thin, stick thin, as if he hasn't eaten in days. His clothes are tattered and bloody. His hand is bent at a strange angle, as if it had been snapped backwards.
A sob of pity enters my throat and I attempt to swallow it back down. I know what I have to do.
Tightening my grip on my bag and food, I make my way towards the boy. I place my hand gingerly on his shoulder and he whirls around, ready to attack in some kind of stance.
"Please, don't hurt me," I beg the boy. "I just wanted to give you this."
I hand him half of the burger and he eyes it wearily. Then he looks up at me, his eyes unblinking and mouth silent. He opens the burger slightly as if checking for some kind of poison. What was with him?
"Here," I say, taking a bite out of my half. I swallow it quickly before responding. "It's okay. I haven't done anything to it."
He inhales the burger, not even stopping to breathe.
"I-I'm Kayla," I stammer, still surprised at how fast the child could eat.
"Marcus," he responds once he's done.
He seems quiet, taking shelter behind the trash bin as if he's scared of me.
"It's okay, I don't bite," I chuckle slightly.
He seems to cringe at the word bite. It's as if he actually were expecting me to attack him.
But I don't blame him. I've seen some strange things these past few days. Strange, monster-like creatures have been flocking to me. They seem to try to attack me but it's as if they were held back by something. A fear of sorts.
I still hadn't sorted that out. These strange mutant dogs tried to attack me yesterday but when they saw me, they ran away, whimpering.
I turn back to the boy and a look of realization hits me.
"You've seen them too," I whisper, a slight sound of shock visible in my voice. "The creatures. They've attacked you too."
He nods slightly, eyes glued to the floor.
I remember his blood-stained clothes and I risk a question.
"What did they do to you?" I ask, taking the poor boy's hand in mine.
He shows me the claw-mark in his side. The gaping wound still red and bloody from the cut. It's maybe eight inches long and about an inch deep. His skin is hot to the touch, as if he's gotten some sort of fever due to the wound.
I pull out a small emergency kit from my bag and get a water bottle and some gauze.
"Sit still," I say to him as I uncap the bottle.
I pour a bit of cold water onto the wound and he cringes at the pain. I take a paper napkin from my bag and pat it down slightly, attempting to clean it. I've never done this before and I hope I'm not hurting him now.
I throw the bloody napkin into the trash and wrap the gauze around him, covering the wound and clipping it into place with a bobby pin.
It doesn't look good but it will have to do for now.
"Thanks," he says under his breath.
"You're welcome."
IMAGINARY COOKIES AND REAL RESPONSES TO ALL REVIEWERS! :D
(: :) - Cookies are freshly baked! xD