The 20th chapter is here .o.!
Sorry, it's pretty late!
Writing, writing, writing... Yeah, I know, I really got to skip the romance and get to the plot ^ ^'
I'm trying! Uhuhuhuh.. But there's so many good side stories..
Gratitude/Comments:
Uhh... Let's see...
Cid Neha, thanks for reading and reviewing again c: And yus, yus, Ashy-boy has... well, had a girlfriend.
Kindness Over London, thanks for reviewing and reading! I'm glad you decided to start reading my story ^ ^! Maybe one day there will be a little Pokemon action, but we won't know unless the mystery of the Pokeball is revealed. Thanks, thanks, and I suppose I'll consider a yaoi with Paul and Lucas but I'm afraid I'll scare some people off. After all, I can write some pretty weird stuff... ehehuehu.
Thank you, thanks, Mr Squirtle6! I'm glad that you think what I'm doing is right ^-^!
Thanks for sticking around and reviewing again, MarronChestnut c:! There will definitely be more ships other than contest and hopefully there will be room for more ikari too! Maybe I'll shove contest to the side and focus on the main stuff, sounds good, right?
Hello, hello, Alpha The Loyalist ^ ^! I'm happy that you recognize Reddur as the top dog, uhuheuehu. Thanks again for you comments, reading, and reviewing. Yes, it's Ikari-shipping which is one of the best in my personal opinion. You'll get it eventually. Once last thing.. What the heck is a "Myer Briggs" personality profile ^-^'?
PolarDawn, thanks for making time for this fanfiction despite your schedule. Thanks again for your comments c: Sorry, sorry, the survival point got shoved into the corner again for Ash and Lucas' slight character development... I promise I'll get back to it, though! Trust me? . ?
Thank you for another great critique, BananaBomb! I've thought about, it and figured I really should include more characters. So this chapter, although I didn't dedicate a whole chapter to the characters hanging about the shadows, I had them help a little with Ash's section of the story... Since, you know, I think I'll take it slow and do character prospectives and stories one by one. Oh- and I promise that I'll really get things going. I'm sort of flailing around here you know, but thanks for everything! Staying on the survival aspect is sort of hard since there's so many options of things to write about. But, like I said before, I'm going to get back to it quickly!
Guest... I'm so glad that you like my first fanfic C:! I will always try to port even if my reviews aren't the greatest. After all, flames are what help one grow, yes?
Alright, I'm done. So I guess with that, we can move on. I think I'll start out with Leafy da Leaf and get back to the next part of the Red Ache... I'm sorry for short sections .
Onto the chapter!
Disclaimer:*
I don't own Pokemon.
Chapter 20:
'Found it.'
"Hm?" Shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants, Drew made his way over to where Leaf crouched. He followed her eyes to a long, curved wooden stick which was coated in mud and dirt. It looked well-sculpted despite the beaten up look it was given. The wood was a dull, dark musty color and seemed to be slowly rotting away. Stretching from the top all the way to the bottom was what looked like a nylon string. Eyes widening in surprise, he could only question what he already knew. "What... Is that?"
"A bow and arrow, of course.." Leaf murmured, picking up a small, thin twig and jabbing the side of the wood. Her eyes must be very sharp as the bow was half buried in the ground. How long had it been here? Were there any arrows? Did this mean that there were once others here? How long ago? Drew's head began to ache with all the curiosity overtaking his mindset.
"Should we pick it up...?" She slowly began to reach forward to grab the bow as she spoke. Suddenly, Drew's body began to move on it's own, shooting his hand out, he roughly grabbed her wrist. "Eh?"
"Something planted it there... And if I'm wrong, something is waiting to trap us." Drew pulled her behind him before letting go. Leaf began to rub her wrist, expression changing from surprise to deadly. Ignoring it, he sniffed and looked a bit more carefully around the bow. A slight lump in the leaves and grass around the bow was visible, slightly raising his suspicions. The air was dry and crisp, fitting the current weather and atmosphere. Wind whistled in his ears and blew at his hair as he stood. Leaf was completely silent, most likely waiting for him to say something else. Though, there was another scent which was very familiar. It was sickening and almost made his heart halt.
Blood. Again. Looking closer, the 'mud' which sprayed and covered almost half of the bow was darker and a bit redder than brown. Bloodied scents that filled his nose and caused it to wrinkle were stale. They were old, but probably couldn't be much older than a day or two old. How he knew that? It rained and filled the tarp two days ago. Afterwards, everyone was soaked and miserable until the rain slowed quickly to a drizzle and the sun came out to dry them. Rain would have washed it away so it must've been recent.
"It's more or less fresh." Drew sighed, bringing his hand up to his mouth and closing his eyes.
"Oh..? It is?" Leaf's voice was soft, but it didn't seem to shake at all. Scanning her with his eyes, he observed her physical features. Unlike May, she had a small, petite figure and a delicate-looking face. She resembled Dawn in many ways, but Dawn was a bit less careful and her features were those that could immediately made you swoon or put you in a good mood. Leaf, however, could calm you down and sort of put you into a daze. Being around her was a totally pacifying feeling compared to the upbeat, optimistic aura that came off of Dawn. It really surprised Drew that someone like Gary would fall for someone like Leaf. Although, given his personality, he may just be naturally like that. Honestly, Drew himself would rather prefer someone with a little bit of a sharp tongue. One that would fight back instead of cry about it as his last couple lovers had.
"Whoa-! What the hell are you doing?!" While he had been thinking, he had unconsciously began to stare into space. He hadn't noticed that Leaf had moved past him and closer to the tree. She was now crouched down beside the bow, but her movement halted as Drew had shouted out.
"I'm touching it, obviously." Leaf replied bluntly. The look on her face seemed to be mocking him as she raised an eyebrow.
"Don't do that!" Drew quickly rushed forward and smacked her hand away from the bloodied bow.
"... Why?"
"Why?! It should be obvious!" His attempt to drag her away failed as Leaf's feet shot out from beneath her and planted themselves in the ground. All the strength that she had built up in her legs took Drew back a bit as he released her and fell backwards into the grass. "Shit." He grumbled, arching his back and reaching back to touch it.
"Don't tell me what to do... Please don't touch me without my consent either, thank you." Leaf smiled slightly before offering him a hand up. Rolling his eyes, Drew took her hand and let her pull him to his feet. This girl was surprisingly like May. Although, May would've loomed over him and stomped on his stomach while he was already down. The thought of it made him laugh a little bit. Not that he was masochistic, of course.
"Do as you please, it's your fault if you see what shouldn't be seen." Drew waved his hand, leaning against a massive, dark brown tree. Like the big oak, it's roots sprouted and broke free of the earth while spiraling atop the surface. They were big enough to sit on, but it didn't exactly look very comfortable. Leaf said nothing else in response, only creeping closer towards the bow. He watched as a slightly disgusted expression spread across her face as she began to reach for the bow. His teeth found his tongue and began to dig into it as her hand came closer.
Suddenly, she pulled backwards and in a blur, Leaf's leg swung backwards before her foot connected with the lump of leaves surrounding the bow. Leaves flew up and around her as Drew stood up and slowly began to walk towards her. A thud of the skinny tree in front of them sounded out after a majority of the leaves settled to the ground. Focusing his eyes, he peered at the strange object before him. Emerald-green eyes widening, he roughly grabbed Leaf by the shoulders and pulled her back before slapping his hand over her own eyes.
"... Didn't I tell you not to touch me?" Her voice was slightly bitter, but held a certain amount of confusion to it as well.
"Sorry... Just, don't look. Gary will kill me if you do." Drew scowled slightly, making sure his hand completely blocked out her vision. Rose-red blood coated the grass which the leaves once covered. Some of it was dry and some of it was fresh, most likely because of Leaf's kick. Slumped against the tree was a severed hand. He felt like throwing up, but he couldn't do that just yet. The hand was slim and feminine, though it looked frozen in place now. It reached out, and it looked as if it's earlier position was desperately reaching for the bow. Too small to be a woman's, too slim to be a man's, too soft-looking to be a teenager's. This hand most certainly belonged to a young child. Shivering, he kept his hand over Leaf's eyes and slowly backed up and away from the hand and the bow.
It was not intentionally planted there, it was dropped there. What had happened to the body? How had such a young one gotten here in the first place? Eyes narrowing, he directed Leaf towards the larger, darker tree before taking a deep breath and wordlessly shuffling towards the thin tree.
"Drew..?" Leaf began to turn around.
"Stop!" Freezing, she slowly turned back around.
"Close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you to!" Drew snapped, voice filled with pity and stress. She seemed to jump in surprise almost as soon as he had said that. It seemed to surprise him too, as he had never had to use such a demanding tone with her. If he exposed and traumatized her, Gary would never forgive him.
"I see..." Leaf trailed off, closing her eyes and crossing her arms. Giving an exasperated sigh, Drew crouched in front of the hand and the bow. Of course, as much as he wanted to hold the small hand in his, nobody was there to feel is and the bugs were probably digging and eating away at the flesh. Shaking the thought away from his mind, a gentle expression crossed his face. What kind of person or creature would do such a thing? It had to be the work of what Paul described on the third day as, 'those cannibalistic savages.' Frowning, he reached out and grasped onto the smooth, cold wood of the bow.
"Forgive me." Drew muttered, tearing the bow from the ground and standing up. Having a good weapon would prove to be useful, especially since they don't have much material to work with. Any scrap metals from the plane would be hard to work with unless proper equipment was crafted. And as far as Drew knew, none of the survivors in the group had the gloves or talent to work with intense heat. The bow, which may or may not have belonged to the child, was special. At least, it was to him. Kicking leaves over the bloodied, lifeless hand, he made sure that it was completely concealed by the multicolored fronds.
"Leaf." His voice was louder and firmer this time. Running his fingers over the stained nylon string, he called out to her. With no arrows, the bow would be useless. But, surely Red or Paul could come up with something. After all, how hard could making an arrow be?
"May I open them?" Slowly, her right eye lid lifted, revealing her jade stare. Nodding, Drew slung the bow around his shoulder and tapped her shoulder.
"We're going, alright?" Leaf's response was low, but it sounded a lot like an 'okay'. His throat felt very scratch and dry. Sooner or later, they'd have to look for another source of water. Relying on rain wouldn't work as there was not an abundant amount. They'd have to risk abandoning camp and the shelter of the big oak by going to the lake. The only problem is that the area around the lake is unexplored, and more creatures are likely to be hanging around the lake. At the beach, it was safe and at the clearing it was relaxing. Sand was itchy, but it felt good to feel as the sun warmed it up later in the day. Would moving camp to the lake really be worth it? Because of the random attacks, the forest could just barely be trusted. Could they really trust the trees and the plant-life to shelter them and bring them safety? Coughing, he cleared his mind. Mentha arvensis... Better known as wild mint or corn mint. A medical herb that is used to help coughs, digestion problems, aches, pains, and clearing out gall bladder problems. Knowing his parents, he flinched realizing how much they'd drilled into his mind.
"Let's go back for now." Drew decided aloud, putting his hand on her shoulder. Leaf quickly pulled away from him and sent him a glare.
"You just love touching me, don't you?" She sighed, walking ahead of him in the direction of the ocean. Even far away, the sound of the crashing waves were audible. Somehow, it was reassuring.
"Sorry." Jogging to catch up with her, Drew let his hand fall to his side. Taking one last glance over his shoulder to where the pile of leaves lay, he closed his eyes and smiled. There was no use dwelling on something that he was not even apart of. At the foot of the skinny tree, a child would rot away. A child would rot away from many peoples' memories and into the soil. However, a piece of that child would be forever in his memory and stuck to him. The bow. Running his fingers along the curved wood of the bow which rested on his shoulder, he looked forwards. For that child...
Move on.
"I wonder how my family's doing.."
"Don't worry, Mist! I'm sure they're fine!" Ash grinned at the ginger, feeling immense relaxation as the warmth of the fire engulfed him. It almost seemed to create a warm barrier which shielded him from the cold wind.
"Well, I know my family's fine since my dad's there. Hopefully my little brother is doing well." May sighed, fiddling with her dirty red bandana which was still securing her makeshift splint to her broken arm. At the moment, everyone was tired and even May had a worn out look on her face.
"My mom is pretty good at handling the family!" The raven haired boy couldn't help but smile at the thought of his mother running around, caring for both him and the house early in the morning. He missed being gently woken up by his mother and being pestered to clean up and get to school on time.
"Ash, what about your dad?" Misty questioned. She was currently laying on the third log which was just right of May, left of Lucas, and right in front of him. Paul and Dawn were still somehow sleeping, honestly, how late did they stay up and what on earth were they doing? And Red was trying to fish which was surprising as he didn't think that there'd be many opportunities to fish in the current weather. Everyone except for Gary who was sitting next to Lucas was split apart. Seemingly cautious faces were displayed opening when they first settled in that afternoon, but by now most of the wariness and tension had dissolved.
"'Dunno, he sort of ran off to get a cake for us a couple years back." Ash replied, scratching the back of his head.
"Cake?" Gary raised an eyebrow. His posture was very slack and bored-looking. For the past half hour or so he had been silently staring into the fire and having separate conversations with Lucas. In a way, it surprised Ash that he would actually partake in a conversation involving him and Misty.
"Yep! When he gets back, I'll get to eat a seven tier chocolate and strawberry cake!" A wide smile spread across Ash's face as he thought about it. Licking his lips, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine it right in front of him.
"Ash, what are you, two?" Misty snorted, rolling her eyes.
"Whoa, seven?! I'm super envious!" May leaned forward and jokingly pouted before laughing a little bit. Resting her broken arm back on her thigh, she sighed. It had been a little bit since she had broken it and yet the pain was still there. The medical treatments that Red and Drew tried to give her didn't seem to work at all. By now, the tears had stopped and she was used to the pain. Drew... That man-whore owed her big time for failing to catch her. Chuckling a little bit, May averted her gaze from her splint and settled it on Ash again.
"You don't have to be, I'll make sure to invite you all when I get it, May!" Tipping his cap upwards, Ash flashed them all a big grin which made Gary roll his eyes, Misty look away, and Lucas snort.
"Haha, really?" May returned the grin, running her fingers through her greasy hair. It had seemed like forever since she'd last washed it. A small sigh escaped her mouth.
"Yeah!"
"Ash, if it's been several years since your dad disappeared, don't you think that he's not coming back?" Misty directed the cake discussion back to the real topic. The ginger's eyes narrowed as she scanned Ash's care free-looking face. He seemed so innocent, but it wouldn't be long before someone like Lucas or Paul tainted it.
"Why would I think that? My mom assures me that he's going to come back with that big cake!" Ash stretched his arms out as if to emphasize the size of the cake.
"Oh... Haven't you lost hope yet?" She murmured quietly, shifting in her seat.
"Nope!"
"Why?" May curiously interjected. Her eyes met Misty's and sent her a look which begged the fiery teenage girl not to say anything. Misty inhaled before bringing her head down to rest in her hands. Feeling a bit drowsy, she tried her best to keep herself awake.
"Because even if he doesn't come back, I love him and I believe in him!" Ash looked a bit more serious now, but his smile was as genuine as ever. Inside, Misty felt a pang of pity for him.
"Ash..."
"Ha. You should just give up on him now." Lucas grumbled, with a slightly irritated expression on his face. Even though his tone was icy, somehow, he failed to kick the smile off of Ash's face. This woke Misty from her five second moment of rest. Something blazed through her veins, but she was clueless as to why.
"Lucas!" Misty hissed, sitting up and clenching her fists. Her extreme hatred for him was beginning to surface as she locked eyes with him. Lucas simply ignored her warning, looking intensely at Ash while fixing the scarf around his neck.
"Lucas, stay out of it, it's not worth it." Gary muttered under his breath, gently elbowing him in the side. The spiky haired brunette's voice seemed almost as disinterested as Lucas'.
"Why should I give up on him?" Ash inquired, warm gaze not faltering. Even though he looked completely unfazed by Lucas' abrupt comment, it felt as if something sharp was poking at his heart. Uncomfortable, he fiddled with a loose piece of bark on the log he was sitting upon.
"Because if you don't...-"
"Shut the hell up, you bastard!" Misty roared, cutting the other black haired boy off. Lucas lifted his chin from the nook in his scarf in surprise. Her sudden outburst took everyone back, but he quickly let go of the feeling of tension building from within and slapped on his usual expression.
"Mist, stop!" Scowling, Ash shot a disapproving look towards her. From beside him, Gary was biting his tongue to prevent himself from saying anything to make the situation worse and laughing. Snorting, Lucas turned his head away from Gary before letting a small smile grace his lips. At least one person had his back.
"Ash, this sharp tongued retard doesn't know anythin-" This time, Misty was cut off by none other than Ash.
"Mist." He called her out, shaking his head. Gritting her teeth, the ginger mentally readied herself to snap back.
"Don't be so harsh on him!" May's eyebrows furrowed together as slight pity for Lucas hit her. A worry for both Lucas and her friend was rising in her chest and making her head hurt. Now was not the time to start fights with each other, especially with the weather getting colder and resources running low. Was she the only one who had survival as the main focus point in her head?
"Stay out of this, May!" Misty ordered, putting more awkward tension into the atmosphere.
"Misty, you don't have the right to be involved either!" Now shouting, Ash spoke the truth. Fed up with her current behavior, he slammed his foot into the sand, spraying the tiny, loose pieces of rock everywhere.
"..." Speechless, she shut her mouth in response. Her jaw clenched tightly as she fought the urge to yell back. Lowering her head, she looked towards the ocean. The once calm waves that brushed the seashore now crashed and beat at it. It was somehow fitting to the current situation.
"I'm sorry, Lucas, she's being a bit difficult." Ash apologized, smiling gently towards the black haired boy who hesitated before returning the friendly look.
"Oh? I thought you didn't like me?" A amused tone took his voice as he fixed his hair before crossing his arms.
"When did I say that?"
"It was hinted in your behavior." Lucas laughed light-heartedly, leaning backwards a bit. Remorse was evident in Ash's gaze, but Lucas decided to say nothing that could surely go unspoken. For a minute, everyone was silent as nobody dared add on or retort to his reply. Coughing, Ash rubbed the back of his neck before opening his mouth to speak.
"As you were saying..?" Shuffling his feet in the sand, it was clear that he was trying to break the strained aura that everyone, even Gary, was giving off. The other black haired boy was confused as to why Ash would even want to hear what else he had to say. Raising both eyebrows, he flashed a questioning look towards him. "I'm a little curious." He shrugged, snapping a strip of bark off of the log he was sitting on.
"You should give up on your dad." Lucas replied simply, a solemn look coated his face. Twiddling his thumbs, Ash noticed that his behavior was suddenly less confident. It looked as if he was actually nervous to say it, though he looked so emotionless and blunt earlier. Mentally laughing, Ash observed that his behavior and habits were almost exactly like Paul's. Strong at one moment, unsure at another.
"And why is that?" Ash smiled once more. Around him, nobody dared interrupt their current conversation. The words flowed and came smoothly out of Ash as he questioned Lucas. All eyes were on the two of them, but most of them held some sort of warning. Almost as if they were just waiting for Lucas to say the wrong thing. With suspense building up by the seconds, he could for some reason hear his own heartbeat. What was he so afraid of hearing? That his dad was never coming back again? Yeah, he knew that it was most likely that, but believing in his father was the only thing that could keep him sane in the cruel world in which they somehow live in.
"Because if you don't.."
"Go on, why are you hesitating?" Ash's eyes brows knitted together a little bit as he awaited Lucas' response. He flinched as a cold wave of air hit his back and the warmth of the campfire and sun grew. Looking around quickly, he tried to look at someone to rid himself of the strained feeling he was getting. May looked just as awkward and was looking away all together while Misty kept her head low, trying to pretend not to notice the current exchange between him and Lucas. And Gary had a look which implied that what was going on was practically entertainment for him. That guy confused him as he had an odd love for drama. Shaking the thoughts away, Ash focused his gaze back on Lucas. "Well?"
Taking a deep breath, whatever Lucas had to say seemed to be pushing him to the edge. Ash's skeptical look vanished and was now replaced with great confusion and frustration. Was nobody else uncomfortable and stressed with it? Or maybe everyone already knew what he was going to say? Not knowing something... Not knowing something that everyone knew... He hated it. It was the worst. Was it some sort of big secret? Why was he the only one that seemed genuinely confused?!
"Spit it out, damn it!" Ash nearly screeched.
"You'll cry for someone who never bothered to cry for you!"
...
"It's almost like I'm a daddy of nine." Grunting, Red threw all his strength and accuracy into the spear he was holding. Bringing it down, he just barely missed a fish that slipped and wiggled it's way across the ocean floor. He was sitting on the big rock just off of the sandbar which led to the drop off. Shivering, he ripped his spear from the sand and the water, bringing it up onto the surface of the big rock. Red set it down before sighing and clutching his sides tightly. His pants were cold, wet and stuck to his skin as he had to wade out just to get to the fishing spot.
"It's rough, I have to feed and protect all these mouths." The man complained to the sky, gazing upwards. Shaking his head, he looked to his left where two small fish lay, dead. They were small, but at least it was something, right? No. Those fish would never do... Groaning, Red picked up the spear and shifted back into a crouching position. There must be a bigger fish somewhere, and if he had to wait all day to catch it, then he'd suck it up and do so.
"Have you been listening to me? Have you been thinking of me? Have you been watching me?" Red muttered, scanning the water for signs of life. Icy wind blew and seemingly jabbed at his exposed flesh as he crouched. His face, wind burnt, was beginning to hurt him more than his head did. He felt miserable, but of course, there was no one he could complain to other than himself. Moving closer to the edge of the rock, Red waited. He waited. And he waited. For what seemed like minutes, hours, but in reality, only an hour and a half had passed.
"Damn." Sitting up, he turned to the two dead small fish before running his hand through his hair. He'd have to head back very soon before the fish spoiled. However since he had stuck the second spear into the cracks of the rocks and hung his hat from it, they were in a good amount of shade. In this weather, it was also almost impossible for it to spoil do to heat. If only he had ice, then they would be perfectly preserved. But, there was a big risk of the fish going bad. Quickly... Just fifteen more minutes. That was all he was going to give himself to catch a big fish.
Pursing his chapped lips, Red concentrated everything on the waters laying before him. His hair fell over his face as he leaned closer to the edge of the rock. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye he saw a black shadow shoot by. Scooting to the right, his heart leaped a little from inside. There was something real nice lurking in the shadows of the sea. Smiling to himself, he quickly looked up at the sky as it came into sight.
"Send me luck, honey." He whispered before pulling his arm back and throwing the spear towards the shadow. Much more spirited than before, he smiled as his fingertips left the spear and water sprayed up into the air. Red hopped off of the rock, now knee deep in the water. It was as cold as ever and sent chills down his spine. The spear he had thrown stuck up out of the water, tilted slightly downwards as he had thrown it at an angle. Making his was towards it, Red pulled his legs through. His feet felt like weights were tied to them and the fabric of his pants slowed his movement even more. A shiver crept up his spine again as he pried the spear out of the water and reached for the shadow.
Pulling the fish out of the water, he raised it above his head and inspected it. Frowning, he backed all the way up until his back was pressed against the big rock. Red let his arms sag, loosening his grip on the fish he had caught. Slumping, he picked up his things and tossed them onto the big rock before hoisting himself up onto it. The fish, a pompano which was on the smaller side of the scale. It could feed the ten of them a little bit, but wouldn't do much, considering the appetites of the adolescent children.
Red pulled his hat off of the spear and put it back on his head. Gathering the fish, he stuck them one by one on the first spear before picking up the second and hopping back down into the water. Even if he was lucky enough to catch something in general, Red couldn't help but be frustrated with the outcome of his time spent fishing. He tread through the water, not bothering to roll up the legs of his pants. Disappointment crept up and pried at his chest, but upon sight of the campfire and the teenagers sitting around it, he decided to shove the feeling aside.
The waters rippled and made soft sounds as he pulled through towards shore. Wind was as freezing as ever and continued to bite at his exposed flesh. Sunlight that once brought him warmth was no longer on him. Clouds coated the sky and the waves lapped at his legs. Soon enough, he was back on shore, hauling his body towards the fire where the others sat.
Gary looked over his shoulder as Red silently made his way to the cutting log. He seemed to be the only one that noticed him as the attention of the others were focused on Ash and Lucas. The atmosphere was uncomfortable and thick as he knelt and began to strip the first fish of it's scales. Leaf's now dulled fillet knife was beginning to become brittle. Soon it would need to be sharpened or re-crafted. Red had a bit of trouble cutting through the fish, but managed to make do with the tool. He sighed. If Dawn was awake then she could work and make a nice weapon or tool with her gloves. Those gloves were convenient as they would eventually need to work with hot metals left over from the plane but, it would be difficult to actually put them to use, especially since resources were a bit worry.
There were so many things to be done but there weren't enough supplies or tools to do much. The thought of his responsibilities and limited supplies made everything seem much worse. Rinsing his hands, with a little sea water, he cut through the fish's head and set it to the side.
"If you don't, you'll cry for someone who never bothered to cry for you!"
Red stopped, eyes wide he looked up to see Lucas with a bright red face and a stiff posture. What exactly was going on? His eyes narrowed as he halted his movements. Nobody said anything else, leaving Lucas' comment to linger. A sudden pang of sorrow and self-pity ran through Red. Closing his eyes, he stood up, leaving the half-filleted fish.
"Gary." He yawned, shoving his hands in the pockets of his pants.
"Oh?" Gary turned to face him. The man's voice attracted the attention of everyone sitting around the campfire. All eyes rested on him as they waited on him for a response. Taking off his hat, he ran his fingers through his straight black hair. Unlike Ash's, his hair was flatter, darker, and less wild.
"Could you possibly finish this?" Red pointed to the fish. As soon as the boy nodded, he smiled and took off towards the beach in a hurried walk. Back turned, he let the warm smile slip off his face and form a slight scowl. He rushed off towards the far end of the beach to think. Sand sprayed up from beneath his feet and his hair blew in the wind. His face was as wind burnt and dry as ever while his eyes carried bags from fatigue. Making sure he could still smell and see the smoke, Red flopped down on the sand.
The young man reached up and pulled at his scalp in discontent. Tossing his head back, he howled and roaring in rage. Red released all of his pent up stress and anger while furiously beating the sand with his fists. Like a child throwing a temper tantrum, Red wailed over the wind as loud as his vocals would let him go. His lovely fiancé was somewhere doing god knows what while he simply sits around and babysits a couple of teenagers. He felt urges to childishly complain but of course, nobody was around to hear him. His mother was not there to hold him while he rested his head on her shoulder and his fiancé was not there to comfort him either.
"Fuck it all!" He cried, taking fistfuls of sand and chucking it into the water in front of him. Was she watching? Was she thinking? Had she cried for him? Because he certainly cried for her. Red thrashed around wildly before yelling out one last time and falling backwards onto the soft, embracing sand. There, he lay on his back, looking up at the cloud covered sky.
Regaining composure, Red sighed before letting his right hand fall to cover his eyes. He shut his eyes and yawned again, shuffling his legs to feel the grains of sand running along his skin. Everyday he'd somehow find himself thinking about her. There was no escape for him and it was only days until they'd all drop dead. Sounds of creatures that sounded an awful lot like bird Pokemon screeched and tweeted, their voices ringing as they called out to him.
"I love you." He muttered, lifting his hands from his eyes and slowly sliding his black and silver ring from his finger. She was still wearing her ring, right? Even if the wedding had been called off, it still meant a lot to her, right? That thought continuously pounded in his head and there was not a second where it did not go unnoticed. Red held his engagement ring up to the sunlight. It gleamed and sparkled in his eyes as he took a moment to simply gaze at it and calm himself down.
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you." The man whispered over and over repeatedly. Red sat up, slipping his ring back onto his finger and shaking the sand from his hat and hair. His heart ached as he looked up to see the ocean with it's waves tumbling and crashing upon contact with the beach. Their wedding was supposed to be near the sea during the day where the sunlight would shine down on them. Being bound to her for all eternity was one of the very few things he dreamt of since the day he met her. But, no, a certain plane just had to crash the day before he'd claim her for himself. "I miss you..."
Now done with his sulking, Red stood, shaking the hot tears that he'd accidentally let fall from his eyes away. A sigh passed through his lips as he pat himself down, ridding his clothes of the sand which clung to him. Leaf... He wanted very badly to see the girl who slightly resembled his fiancé. Stumbling into a smooth, relaxed walk, Red headed back to the camp. His once lazy, sad wander turned back to a quick, confident stride. Pushing all of his emotions aside, the campfire came into view.
"Red!"
Leaf, who was originally crouching beside Gary at the cutting log and trying to lecture him on how she would fillet a fish, stood up. Her face lit up as soon as her eyes caught his. The smile on his face was a bit pained as he saw the clear resemblance between his fiancé and the teenager standing before him. However, he pushed the thought out of his mind to concentrate on the current moment.
"Oof!" Red grunted as the small girl practically threw herself at him. A shocked expression crossed his face for a split moment before his usual friendly smile took over. Reaching up, he gently stroked the top of her head with his right hand. Unconsciously, his hand found it's way to the back of her head. Leaf's face was soft and about as delicate as his fiancé's. There were times if he wondered whether or not his daughter in the future would look like her. He felt a lock of her hair trail through his fingers. It was a bit tangled and greasy as to be expected. Suddenly, the repetitive, quick thuds of the fillet knife cutting through fish and hitting the log stopped.
"Old man, you aren't a pedophile or something, right?" Gary grumbled. His hand was frozen in the hair, about to snatch at Red's wrist. However, knowing his place, the younger stepped back and let his arm fall to his side. He averted his eyes, a light pink color dusting his cheeks. Whether it was due to embarrassment or wind burns, Red didn't know. Had that boy always acted like that? The thought of a confident child acting so protective and cold yet sincere made him smile. Brushing off the fact that he had called him a pedophile, Red laughed lightly.
"Of course he's not!" Leaf scoffed, pulling away from Red. She easily seized the fillet knife from Gary's hand before walking off towards the cutting log which was now even more beat up than before because of Gary. Her eyes were sharp and focused now as she continued cutting up the fish, not saying a single word as she worked.
"You sure..?" The spiky haired brunette stared up at him with a skeptical expression displayed on his face.
"Sure of what?" Drew walked up behind them, an irritated look on his face. Red raised an eyebrow and looked straight into Gary's eyes. It didn't take much to turn the group's trust away from him. If that happened, then chaos would follow after and no one would listen to his orders. Rubbing the back of his head, Gary laughed a little bit before looking away from his leader and towards Drew.
"...Sure that we should let Paul and Dawn rest for another hour or two?" Gary replied smoothly, shoving his hands into the pocket of his dark green overcoat. From the corner of his eye, he saw the teenager flash him a small smile which turned from friendly to apologetic.
"I think another hour or two of peace and quiet would be nice." The chartreuse haired boy shrugged, picking dirt and sand from the nails on his left hand. Red rolled his eyes, adjusting his cap a little bit as Gary snorted and nodded.
"I don't think Lucas will hold out for that long. Ash and Misty are still having troubles making sure he stays put." May shoved Drew to the side with her good arm. She swung her way around and in front of him before crossing her arms.
"Hey.." He grunted, shoving her back just as hard. She frowned and stumbled a little, good arm shooting out to try and prevent herself from falling. May held her splint close to her chest until she regain her balance. Once she had a good grip on her balance and control, May dug her foot into Drew's heels, causing him to fall forward.
"Haha, he's a big boy. I'm sure sharing won't kill him." Gary winked, moving back until he was standing beside Red as Drew fell onto his hands and knees. As he watched the two, Red felt that aching burn in his chest return. Was it wrong to be jealous of a couple of teenagers? Yeah... It didn't seem right or mature at all in his own eyes.
"Let them be for a while now. Oh- and did you find anything?" The man rubbed his eyes, glancing in Drew's direction. It was then when he noticed the bow slung around the boy's shoulder. Gary seemed to notice it too as he leaned forward and poked it a little bit. Dried blood was visible as the sunlight beat down on them, giving them a more clear sight of the dark wood.
"Don't touch that!" Drew hissed upon Gary's contact with the bow. He grabbed his wrist with his right hand and roughly twisted it, eyes ablaze.
"Drew!" May exclaimed with a sharp tone.
"Dude, what's your problem?!" The brunette shouted, green eyes widening. Again and again, he flailed his arm about in an attempt to get away from Drew. At the moment, the other teenager's eyes were icy and almost deadly looking. Pain was evident on the boy's face. "He's crushing my wrist!" He could only let out slight choking sounds as Drew swiftly wrapped his left hand around his neck. Gary himself was startled to have been assaulted by a friend and his body was currently weak due to fatigue and lack of food. His thrashing began to slow.
"That's enoug-!" Just as Red moved to restrain Drew, a small blur flew in front of him. Hair flew up and trailed behind the figure as it rushed by. It moved so quickly that a rush of wind, colder than the air hit him like a wave. May looked just as shocked as she was frozen in place, lips still parted open. Hair. Lots of it. Brown hair belonging to none other than Leaf glided through the air like ribbons.
He could only watch as the petite female drew her fist back and slammed her fist down Drew's right shoulder with force. She had applied so much force that Drew, overtaken by surprise, loosened his grip on Gary. Quickly, Leaf moved and let her foot connect with his chest. Releasing Gary, Drew fell backwards onto the sand with a grunt. As soon as he sat up, she was at it, soundlessly lunging forward. Leaf grabbed fistfuls of his shirt before straddling him.
"Leaf!" Red barked, seizing her arm as she made an attempt to punch Drew. A strong, disapproving look appeared on his face as he shook his head. His grip was a little too strong as she winced and began to grit her teeth in pain. Staring straight into her eyes, Red gave her a cold, disciplinary gaze. However, the angered expression faded as her eyes grew glossy and sparkled before several tears slipped out and down her face. Guilt overwhelming him, the man freed her and stumbled backwards. All eyes were now on him.
Meanwhile, Gary sat on his knees in the sand, coughing violently and clutching his neck. May was cautious and a bit hesitant, but she crouched beside Drew and gently rubbed his back with her right hand. Any worry of being seen or misunderstood was clearly out of her head as the current moment was too serious to take sides or argue about it. Leaf stood in front of him with her head hung, rubbing the spot on her arm where he had grabbed her. A bright red mark was visible, making the guilt Red felt worse. Gulping, Red took a deep breath and fixed his slacked posture to a more stiff one.
"You three. Get over here now." He muttered, beckoning Lucas, Ash, and Misty over with a finger.
"Uh... Oh!" They stumbled over their feet, tossing sand and kicking up dirt as they hurried to join the others. Their postures were also stiff and they gave off nervous, slightly terrified auras. Red's eyes narrowed as he had them all group in front of him on the ground. Stepping back, he moved onto a medium-height fat, rugged rock. It was a dusty red color with gray-brown specks scattered upon it. Now receiving their full attention, Red ripping his hat off of his head and glared down at them with stern eyes.
"This... Is beyond chaotic." He scowled at them all. Fear, a look that he never thought he'd have to see on their faces was evident. Pushing emotions away, Red knew that he had to get the point across without making an emotional speech.
"What do you all have to say for yourselves? Drew, what on earth were you thinking? And Leaf, couldn't you have handled that without violence?" Both averted their eyes from him to the ground. Red frowned, tightening his fists. "Don't you dare look away from me, you two, this is serious!" From where he stood, the man watched as their jaws tightened and their lips began to purse.
"I understand that given the situation, your emotions are for whatever reason all out of whack. Believe me, mine are too." He looked down, sending a stiff gaze towards Drew. "Drew, you could have killed him... For something as simple as touching that bow. I'd like to know what happened in the woods and why."
Drew was silent, holding the bow tightly to his chest. Nobody dared say a word for fear that he would lash out at them. The friendliest people were always the scariest when provoked.
"Now, please." Red demanded, crossing his arms.
"Well... Sir, you see.." He bit his lip and closed his eyes, refusing to cry. "When Leaf and I went into the woods, we found the bow in a mound of leaves. Leaf went up and kicked the mound and the leaves revealed a severed hand of a child!"
Drew spoke quickly, shooting out word after word. The man sighed, rubbing his temples before hopping off of the rock.
"So you felt obligated to keep and protect the bow in honor of that child...?" Questions flooded through his head, side by side with terror. These creatures... They were always popping out of nowhere at the worst of times.
"Yes, sir." Drew muttered, lowering his head once more. Red sighed, leaning back and sitting on the rock.
"I see... But I'd like you to get your emotions under check to the best of your ability. Strangling Gary was uncalled for, even if it was an action done on a whim."
"O-of course!" The boy stammered, nervously shuffling his feet in the sand.
"Good. I'll speak with you later about the details of your... discovery later." A small smile appeared on his face. It showed compassion and forgiveness. Though, it disappeared as Red got back to the bigger topic. "We need to maintain order. You all have to get everything under control. Remind yourselves of it every second you've got. I'm sure your parents and friends back home would be very disappointed to see you make rash decisions that could potentially result in the death of another. We are all friends now, right? And if not, we will become companions at the least. We need hunters... But there is no time or resources for those with killer-intents directed towards what could be the people you die next to."
"I will not be punishing anybody this time. I also have much more to say, but those words can be spoken another time. If you have any problems, please come speak to me about it." Silence. Once again, nobody dared to speak against him. It hurt Red on the inside that he had to use fear to instill law into them, but he knew it had to be done.
"Alright, we're done. Thank you for your time. Drew, I'd like to see you." He nodded, smiling as gently as he usually did. Slowly, the group began to break itself apart, still shocked from the recent events. Gary, claiming to want to have a moment alone wandered off to the far corner of the clearing, away from the big oak where Paul and Dawn slept. Leaf must have gone after him, because she kept her head down and mouth shut as she brushed past Red, heading in the direction Gary was walking in. Ash and Misty, clearly as startled as Lucas was made their way back to the campfire with May who looked about as shook up as Drew.
"Red..?" Drew murmured, sitting down in the sand in front of the rock Red was sitting on.
"So you found a severed hand belonging to a child?" He looked down at his hands which were folded neatly in his lap.
"Yes."
"Were there any other things that should be mentioned?"
"No... But the hand seemed to be reaching for the bow." The chartreuse haired boy ran his finger along the wood of the bow.
"Was it... rotting away?"
"No, it was actually quite fresh looking. The blood was pretty recent-looking too." Red's eyes widened. Looking up, he locked eyes with the boy.
"You're serious?"
"Yes." Drew twiddled his thumbs, setting the bow down beside him. It sunk just barely into the string. The afternoon sun that beat down on them was what made him take notice of the nylon string on the bow.
"We'll keep our eyes out... Were there any arrows?" Red kept his voice down a little so that the others would not be able to hear.
"No, I was thinking maybe you or Paul could make some." He replied, taking fistfuls of sand and watching it spill off his palm and onto the beach. Soon enough, the young man found his eyes trained on the grains of sand. Shaking himself into focus again, he began to think about any other important details. Not coming up with anything else, Red sighed.
"You can g-"
"There's something out there." Drew interrupted, eyes narrowed. Clenching his fists, the load of sand he had just grabbed made a loud crunch as he tightened his hold on it. Nodding, Red did not say anything, only closing his eyes and agreeing. Without another word, Drew stood up and limped over towards to campfire to sit down. But, not before picking up his beloved bow.
Letting out a quiet exasperated sigh, Red put his hat back on his head and adjusted it so that it shielded his eyes from the sun once more. He made his way over to the cutting log and sat down, cutting fish, picking bones, and sticking chunks of it on the makeshift wood rotisserie stick. Finishing up Leaf and Gary's work was the least he could do for making the girl cry and causing a big fuss. Over the fire was a second stick that must've had the two small fish he'd caught. Looking over his shoulder, he sighed in relief upon sight of May turning the fish. At first he figured that the fish was burnt without Paul or Gary tending to it. The thought of his hard work and patience being ruined in just seconds made Red flinch.
He continued to pick bones and skewer fish, preparing them for the cooking process. Sighing, he closed his eyes, pausing for a brief moment. So many things to be done. So many things to be handled. So much emotional agony..
"Wish me luck, sweetheart."
Chapter 20 was special so I spent a bit more time on it!
It's over!
Yep yep!
Next chapter will go into depth of both Paul and Dawn's scene along with what happened with Gary and Leaf.
Emotions are besting everyone and making them act insanely? Just how much more can they take?
What happened this chapter?
Drew and Leaf found a freshly severed hand of a child.
So maybe there were other people? Maybe? At some point in time? Uhuhuhu?
Drew obtained a useful weapon
He went on a rampage as soon as Gary touched it
Leafy Leaf came to Gary's rescue
Red just gave a strict lecture
Resources are incredibly hard to come by
Red has begun to see closer resemblances between his fiancé and Leaf
That's about it...
Eheh.
I SMELL AN OLDRIVALSHIPPING CHAPTER UHUHUHUH
And Dawn and Paul will be forced awake next chapter, eheheh.
Welp... I don't have much else to say.
Until next time!
Feel free to leave a little review c:!
Thanks!
Bear!