I kneel next to Serika's corpse; once I'm closer to her face, I gently close her eyes with my hand. Her clothes are torn all over. She probably put up a fight before getting captured by her kidnappers. An odor seems to come from her; she has been dead long enough to decompose. Yet her body shows no signs of decomposition. It can't be insects, though; she's been inside a steel box under the sand, meaning insects haven't gotten to her either.
"Happens to the best of us." They could've at least let her use the bathroom before killing her. I'll have to remove her undergarments; I can't have her body wallow. I'll also have to fix up all the tears on her uniform. The blue text box from before appeared, hovering near me as I removed her soiled shorts. Huh, she went commando
[We have to do something!]
I ignore the box while attending to her. Luckily, she only urinated upon death, so that's good. I whip out my water bottle and hanky. I soak my hanky and clean her privates, hoping she can forgive me while she watches me from the afterlife. I changed my attention to her right hand, which didn't have a glove. But her left hand did; the best guess is the torturer took the right off. I look at her mangled right-hand fingers and straighten them back in place. Then, bind them together with adhesive medical tape to keep them straight. Her index also had a screw inside it which I fished out carefully. I set both her hands on her chest gently. I looked toward the box as it began to glow brighter.
[She could...]
"No, she isn't. She most likely died of Cerebral Hypoxia."
[What?]
"Brain death. No bringing her back."
[No! There has to be some way!]
"She is dead. Once your brain goes out, it's over."
[There has to be something!]
"There isn't. Wait, why am I even speaking to a hallucination caused by sleep deprivation?" What the hell is wrong with me? I have more important things to do!
I gently move her legs to a natural position. Then, I press the broken knee bones back into place within the muscle and skin. Her right leg had some band with a knee pad, which I had to remove. Her left is entirely barren. I take a spare hanky, makeshift splints, and triangular bandages from my inner pockets. I clean the legs as gently as possible with my water. Drying them slowly, I watch my poor hanky turn scarlet. After drying them, I put the splints in place to keep the legs locked. I finish by wrapping them in bandages.
It's a shame I can't clean the grime and blood off her body thoroughly. But it's probably safer to let a diener handle all of that. I have to make sure she gets to one intact. I look her over. I've ensured the broken bits stay intact, I've gotten off the soiled undergarments, and now I only have to put her into the jeep. Before I could, I was interrupted by the damn hallucination again.
[The card!] What the hell?
"No, I'm not hearing it." I try to pick her body up again, only for the box to brighten and get in my way by blinding me nearly.
[Ask Pandora about the Adult Card!] Ugh, of course, it knows about Pandora.
"Fine, I'll ask. After I do, I don't want to see you again." I sound like a lunatic right now.
[...ok] Geez, I never thought I'd feel slightly bad telling a hallucination to leave me be.
Pandora, you there? I feel a clawing from the depths of my mind. 'Yes, what do you require?'
What do you know about an Adult Card? 'What brings this up? One such as you wouldn't usually concern themselves with such things.' I'm curious, Pandora; humor me.
'Then first, take out your temporary card.' I fish my wallet out of my coat. When opening it, I grabbed the temporary card from before. It's charcoal black, which I hadn't noticed before. The only things not colored, like the card, are the chip and the word temporary. 'This is your adult card. Sadly, its strength is lackluster, as you just got this card. Thus, its existence is but a speck of dust.' Meaning? 'Similar to a credit card, time and commitment are required to build up its spending power. But your adult card is based on the time spent as an adult.'
Of course, it is, and I've only been an adult for about two years. So it's worthless, great. 'Indeed, however, your debit card works similarly.' That so? I put my temporary card away and fished out my debit card. I look it over and wonder how this could help poor Serika.
'The adult card can warp reality to an extent. How far that extent is, I don't know. But it will take time and life away. You'll have to pay it off like a credit card.' Ominous, so what's the difference? 'The debit is instant. You will suffer immediately upon use. Something will be taken from you, memories or body parts. But you have no control over it; the debit card will take something from you of equivalent value.'
Okay, they do the same thing; however, one is an instant consequence. Can the temporary card bring her back? 'Even if it could, I don't know how often you can use it. I also don't know the physical, mental, or emotional damage it can do to you.'
Can the debit card bring her back? 'Most certainly, sadly, I don't know what the card will take from you.' Both seem to be terrible options. 'Best to use them as a last resort, especially that unknown adult card...' I could hear a new emotion in Pandora's voice. Disgust at the idea of using that card. I stare down at Serika. Is she even worth pieces of myself?
[You have it out.]
The text box was back. I knew what it wanted; it wanted me to bring her back. But what's she worth to me? I don't even know her personally; for all I know, she could've been just as bad as the girl who tortured her.
"This isn't an adult card; this is a debit card."
[Can it bring her back?]
"It can, but I suffer immediately from using it."
[Like what?]
"I'll lose body parts and, if I'm unlucky, memories." I may have amnesia, but it's still possible to recover slowly. With proper treatment, maybe all of my memories will be restored.
[...I see. Yeah, losing yourself or body parts would be horrible.]
"I'm mostly worried about the memories." I put my card back into my wallet and then into my coat. I pick up Serika and make my way to the jeep.
[So, will you bring her back?]
"No, maybe I...I don't know. I need time to think." I open the back door with my free hand and gently lay her body down in the back. Buckling it in so it doesn't fall. "For now, though, I need to get her and myself out of here. I also need to make a couple of calls."
[Alright, know I'm here if you need anything.]
"I'm good, but thanks for the offer." In all honesty, I need to stop acknowledging you. Don't know why I do.
'I noticed you have been talking to yourself quite a bit recently. Are you perhaps unwell?' I guess I haven't slept in five days. I'm starting to have hallucinations. 'Is that so? My intentional brain scans showed nominal performance. I'll check again.' Uh, thanks, I guess? Pandora didn't respond.
After my final checks over Serika's body, I back off and shut the door. I open the driver's door and settle into the car. I'm so happy that the mercenary left the key in the jeep. I don't want to start looting the dead.
Not yet, anyway.
I get the jeep moving towards the outer layer of the district. No roads lead into the outer layer; the sand swallowed everything. It doesn't help that we seem an unbelievable distance from the city. Good lord, we have to be a couple of thousand miles away. It would at least take two or three days to get there. Here's hoping I find somewhere to stop. The humming of the jeep will be my only company on this journey. Well, it's time to settle in, I guess.
The first hour so far isn't so bad. The stars in the sky are quite beautiful when not covered by the city lights. I also noticed rings in the sky, they unnerved me for some reason I can't explain. Besides those two things, the jeep has been doing okay with traversing the desert. The engine sounds like it is humming its death tune, but otherwise, it's smooth sailing. We passed by a couple of buildings swallowed by the sand. Some seemed to be old construction sites, hospitals, offices, and residential areas.
"Come on, there's gotta be somewhere we can stop." To think the desert has all but devoured every building out here. Some were even smashed to pieces like a massive beast had destroyed them. Perhaps even a battle transpired out here. Geez, they sure it's natural desertification. It looks like someone is intentionally causing it. I fail to see what they gain from destroying a section of the city, but what do I know? Actually I should stop treading into conspiracy theory territory. Who would purposefully destroy part of a city like this? It seems inefficient, well, unless you're trying to be stealthy. I'm still positive there are better methods, though.
I check the rearview mirror. Serika's body lay there motionless. Do I want to revive her? Is she worth reviving in the first place? What makes her so unique compared to the lives I took or those who die every day on the streets? It doesn't matter if she is someone I'm forced to look after. What right to a second chance at life does she deserve? She knew they were being harassed and attacked by a gang. Why wouldn't they try kidnapping one of them? No matter how you look at it, she was asking for it. She deserves this death for her negligence.
Why should I compromise my chances of going home?
I know, leaving her for dead ain't right. I can revive her, give her a second chance. I just don't know what it costs. Will I lose the me I know right now? Will I die? A life for a life sounds like a fair price. If I'm lucky, only a few memories I have will be sapped. Ones I haven't recalled yet. Perhaps I'll lose an arm or leg. I'll lose a little in the grand scheme of things, and she'll gain so much. But my way home will either get harder or vanish.
Surely, any life is worth more than going home?
Before I can entertain these thoughts further. That familiar clawing of Pandora comes back into my mind.
'I've completed my scan of the neurological structure in your brain.' Okay, so what's up? 'You appear completely fine. There are no misfiring neurons.' Good to know. I suppose, anything else? 'Yes, actually, I've scanned your body structure for irregularities. So far, there are several.' Excellent, well, let me hear it. I'd rather air out the bad news now. 'Your arm, for one. Specifically, the right arm, how is it?' Uh, I guess it works. I feel a phantom pain, but that's it. 'Your left eye now.' It's the same as the arm, even down to the phantom pain. 'I see. I'll continue monitoring both as well as your left lung, heart, and liver.' Pardon?!
I got no response. Growling, I refocus my attention on the road. I spot a building that seems to be in decent enough condition or not destroyed. Still, it's better than nothing. I pull into the slightly submerged parking lot. I feel my feet slightly sink into the sand as I step out of the jeep. To think it's this loose even two hours away from our original location. I go and retrieve Serika from the back seat and walk towards the building. As I get closer I make out an entryway boarded up. When I approached I noticed it was more than boarded up. It was practically reinforced to withstand explosives. I can't risk ramming the car into the door, here's hoping that maybe the hinges have deteriorated. Afterall my experience with Kivoto's structures have been less then stellar.
"Please go down," I utter while kicking the door. It trembles on the first kick. Guess I need a bit more force. The second kick instead of knocking it off the hinges causes it to fly off the hinges slamming into a wall. Walking inside I'm greeted to a dusty reception desk. I walk towards it, noticing three keys behind the desk. I nab one since they seem important. The key I grabbed had a number two on it. I'm pretty sure it's for a room.
"I should've checked the signs outside." Actually, I doubt anything out there really survived without proper upkeep. I turn to scan the room. Noticing a couple of chairs, magazine racks and a television stand missing the t.v. I spot a hallway and walk down it eventually turning at a bend. When I round the bend a hallway of sand is in front of me. Looking up there's a hole in the roof. Hopefully the room is all right. I proceed down the hallway until I find room two.
I fumble with the key for a second before unlocking and opening the door. A broken dresser, worn bed, gaudy chair, filthy floor and single cracked window is within. I walk towards the bed and check it over to see if any pests are crawling all over it. Thankfully I didn't find any but it's better to be safe than sorry. I lay Serika down for a second then remove my coat. I separate the two pieces. I pick Serika back up and lay the pieces down so the body has something to lay on. I adjust the body into the most comfortable position. After that I step back and pull my wallet out, sliding my debit card into the open air. I look at it for a second, to think this small plastic card can restore a life.
[You seem lost in thought.] The blue glow of the text box agates my eyes.
"Why are you bugging me again?" The box vanishes before reappearing above Serika.
[I want to help you.] Its blue glow was rather gentle.
"You can't help me." It vanishes from above Serika then reappears next to me again.
[I can.]
"Then tell me how to get home."
[...]
"I thought as much. You can't help me." It's a sad fact. "Besides, that doesn't cover the current issue." I look over Serikas body, while I have my main gripe of bringing her back there's still a slew of other issues. Would her body fully heal, how would the other girls react to me bringing her back, the trauma of being kidnapped and tortured. The biggest one is Serika herself.
[What's that?]
"If I bring her back will she be herself or what I believe her to be?"
[What do you mean?]
"What if I bring her back but her personality is based on my perception of her. Cause I will be honest, my current impression of her is grouchy and gullible as can be."
[I feel like you're being harsh, you barely know her!]
"Don't get it wrong. I'm sure she has good qualities, but I've only seen the bad ones. So any thoughts?"
[I think she's kind and a hard worker.]
"Really?" I can only snicker a little at that.
[Yup, I'm a master at understanding people.]
"Welp I guess I got the traits I should probably focus on." I look at Serikas body. "Hopefully I don't need to know everything she did before I met here." One person running around with amnesia is bad enough.
[Then we just hope for the best!]
"You do that, I'll prepare for the worst." I aim the card at her.
[Thank you for giving her a second chance.]
"I'm not doing it for her. I'm doing it 'cause it'll make me feel better about myself."
I focus on Sekira for a second and feel a tug come from the debit card. It glows a tannish green. Slowly tendrils of light come from it ebbing towards her body. Each one connects to a different limb. Slowly, steadily I feel a numbness take my arms. As the tendrils glow brighter I feel said numbness begin to extend to my torso. My mind starts to get cloudy as well. Like a thick fog is consuming my mind. Soon the light from the tendrils becomes blinding. And then nothing but sharp pain in my arms, torso, and head. I bite my tongue to keep myself from screaming and to focus on something else. A feeling of weakness overcomes my being. As the process continues I feel the pain become more pinpoint.
The feeling of skin melting from my arms. A tearing sensation in my torso. My mind is pounding while feeling lost in a haze. I feel bile slowly come up in my throat. My body trembling, screaming to get away from the pain. I can't let go now, I've already committed to the path. I feel warm liquid on my chest and a sense of lightheadedness, my legs almost buckle.
Thankfully the blinding light from the card faded and so did all the pain. I feel like a total mess, looking at my arms I saw a plethora of scars. My right forearm is covered in laceration scars, some deep enough to see black muscle, others shallow. There are also bullet wounds littering it all the way up to the bicep. The flesh is absolutely horrid. I'm surprised my right arm can even move at all. My right hand has callous scarring all over the knuckles. Near my thumb palm side is a gash that's deep enough to see scared black muscle. One thing that stands out about my hand is that I'm missing my ring finger. It seems to have been broken off with great effort. The jagged bone jutting out of the fleshy tear.
My left arm was nothing more than severe burn marks and shallow laceration scars. Occasionally a bullet wound appears here and there. My hand is completely melted. The flesh singed black melding with the bone on the back. Yet unlike the other hand, I have all my fingers so that's a plus. Bits of exposed muscle dot my palm. What's concerning me about my arms and hands is the look of the wounds. Like I've had them for years, especially with how the muscle looks rather dark. But a second thought surfaced: what does my torso look like? I felt pain there just like how I did my arms.
I'm afraid to look.
"Mmm." I hear Serika hum in her sleep. I walk over to her to check her, gently I place my index and middle finger on her neck. Her pulse isn't weak, in fact it's quite strong and steady. A good sign to be sure. I move my hand from her neck and go for my coat pocket just next to her waist. I whip my phone out and walk to sit on the goady couch. My body sinks comfortably in it, my mind enjoying the feeling. I look at my phone contacts and stop at Knife Ears (Boss). Before I press it I feel a presence rouse from my mind.
'I see you brought back the young one.' Yeah, I did. 'Getting home will be far harder now.' Well I couldn't just leave her could I? 'That was a choice only you could've made.' So now what? 'Only you can decide. But I hold my stance in letting them fall. However, if you wish to spare them I will follow you until the end.' Thanks, I guess. 'My purpose is to aid you and you alone.'
I press on Knife Ear's info and it rings for a bit before someone picks up.
"Hello this is the-" I cut the soft voice off before she can finish.
"Hey Iwa-bit-su it's me Vagues I need to talk to Rin desperately."
"O-o-oh of course one moment please." I hear the generic hold music play for a couple of seconds before Long Knife Ears picks up.
"Hello Substitute, has your investigation brought anything up?" Oh Knife Ears you poor thing.
"Yeah, and I hope you're ready to hear it. Cause you need to hear this information now." She doesn't respond for a second before I hear a soft sigh from over the phone.
"How bad is the problem?"
(Serika POV)
It's so dark and cold. The pain is gone... but I'm so weak. I can't feel my legs or hands. I'm so scared, the girl was right, no one is coming to save me. I'll be tortured and killed off. At least everyone else will be safe...
For some reason, I feel light. Like gentle sunshine. Am I going to the afterlife? I'm not ready yet! I don't want to go! I want to stay a bit longer, I want to see everyone again! I still want to help them...
The light gently wraps around me. Like a soft touch, it feels like it's giving me strength. I can feel my legs again and my hands. Not the pain that monster did to me. But tender care, like it's trying so hard not to harm me in the slightest while healing me.
"Open your eyes." A soft voice echoes from the terrifying darkness around me. No, it feels like it's coming from the light that's holding me. I'm scared, what if I don't wake up and see everyone. What if I wake up to another nightmare? "You won't, I'm here, right next to you." But what if I'm alone? "You won't be."
I breathe deeply. The light is probably right, I'll wake up safe and sound. So why not take the risk. I decided to open my eyes as wide as I can.
When I slowly open my eyes I'm in a dingy room.
"That's the gist of it Knife Ears. Luckily I got her somewhere safe. Although it'll take a bit to make it back to the city." I know that voice. It's that horrible adult, but why is he here? Did everyone decide to go to him for help? To think Hoshino Senpai would allow herself or anyone else to.
"No, but I've got a thumb drive with some data on it. So until then stay safe and happy trails." I finally spotted him looking out of a broken window. Staring out at the desert. "Man, we're really behind the eight-ball." Behind the eight ball? "Oh well, I'll make it work." I watch him stretch his bare arms. I have to keep myself from vomiting when I notice them. They're so mangled. I can only look away from them, sadly I make contact with his sea-blue eye.
"So you gonna say something or you gonna keep staring at me?" He turns to face me, his eyes still leak indifference. But now I can see his frame without the jacket. His arms while a twisted mangled mess are very muscular. Like the type of muscle, you would expect someone who's survived harsh conditions. Almost like a wild animal's muscles. "Wanna talk or what?" He takes a seat on the very bright chair in the room. He gets comfortable unbelievably fast.
"So...is it just us?" He nods his head to answer my question. "Oh...is everyone else looking for me?"
"Of course they are. I'm just the one that found you." His voice had a softness to it.
"I thought you said you wouldn't help us if we asked." He nods his head.
"Shiroko said the same thing. As I told her, I'll tell you, me offering help and you asking are two separate things." He slides his phone back into his pants pocket. Then clasps hands together. That's when I notice just like his arms his hands are sickenly mangled. But when I saw them the last two times they seemed completely fine. "My I would've thought my arms would have your attention not my hands."
"Sorry...it's just."
"Disgusting."
"No! That's not it! Your hands last time were fine."
"Oh yes, they were. But hey things happen." How can he brush off the wounds so easily? As if they are nothing more than an annoyance.
"Did it hurt to get them?" He seemed confused by my question for a second before speaking.
"Course they hurt, but the pain did eventually fade." He crossed his legs further sinking into the chair. He made it seem like what I asked was a stupid question. "Now then, let me ask. Are you okay?"
"No...my legs hurt and so does my hand." When I look down toward my legs they're bandaged together with splints in place as well. I raised my right hand up, it was bandaged to.
"Sorry about the crappy job, I'm no professional." I look back at him. Despite his face, his voice did sound sorry.
"It's alright, I'm just happy it's been treated somewhat." After that short back and forth we sat in silence for a bit. I could only look out the broken window. Sometimes I would occasionally stare at him. His face never once changed as we sat in silence. His eyes didn't even make it seem like he was thinking, just waiting for something to happen. I would occasionally glance at his ruined arms and hands. It's obvious to me that he probably had his hands damaged rescuing me. His arms could've been damaged the whole time just hidden beneath his coat. It would also make sense why he didn't seem concerned about his hands.
"I get I look pretty but staring is rude." My eyes snap back to his face, the shit eating grin he had when I first met him. "Let me guess, curious about my old wounds, right?" He raised both of his arms, almost making me vomit seeing the wounds on full display.
"Ew! Not all! Why would I want to know about it!" He raises an eyebrow.
"Then why are you staring so intently?" Crap of course he noticed, it's not like a lot of things can draw his attention.
"I was just wondering if they were like that when we first met back a couple of days ago." He hums acknowledgment, not even answering with words. Causing us to return to uncomfortable silence. Well uncomfortable for me I'm not sure what's going through his head.
"You want me to leave the room?" Huh?
"Where's that coming from." He just rolls his eyes.
"You seem like you're uncomfortable. I can move to a different room if you want." I look down at my legs for a moment. I do feel a bit uncomfortable, especially because of where we are and him.
"Yes, I'd like to try that." He nods. Getting up, he walks to the door. Before he opens it to leave, he looks back at me.
"The wall behind you; I'll be on the other side. Knock on the wall once, and I'll knock back to tell you I'm still here. Knock twice if you want me to come into the room, okay." He leaves the room before I can say anything.
Soon, the silence sets in, the howling of the wind outside being the only sound. All I can do is explore my thoughts by closing my eyes. But every time I do...I find myself back in that room, bound to the chair with that monster. I don't care what that thing said; it wasn't the same age as me. I can still hear her mocking laughter whenever she heard me cry. The dark room doesn't help me in the slightest. I feel myself trembling.
"I'm...safe now. She isn't here." I can't sleep. The dark isn't peaceful to me. It only reminds me of the time I spent with her. The only difference between this darkness and the one from that room is that there isn't a cloth bag over my head. The one saving grace is the coat beneath me. The Substitute's ratty torn coat. Despite its rough appearance, it's very soft and smells nice. Like oak trees and what I think is hibiscus. The smell makes me think about when I went to Futaba Park with my friends. We had decided to visit the park after Shiroko's constant badgering. She said it was for us to have a nice group outing; I'm sure we all had our doubts. It was quite enjoyable when we went until she was caught planning a bank heist.
I hear something collapse in the next room. "Really?! Why did you break?" Then, the muffled cry of despair from the Substitute follows. To think my only company was someone Hoshino told us not to contact. I expected him to enjoy toying with others in our brief encounters. The horrible nickname he gave me, locking Shiroko and me in the cooler, then that atrocious detailing of kidnapping someone. Yet the feeling from him so far makes him feel soft with a hint of dispassion. I'll give it to him; he's definitely a confusing guy. Soon, my thoughts calmed down, causing me to get drowsy slowly. My legs despite being wrapped feel colder than my upper half, but I notice an article of clothing under my legs. I guess his coat was a two-piece. I wrap my legs in it, and I feel the same softness as the main article when touching it. I notice that just like his outer piece, the inner part seems to have matching tears, all over the sleeves and midsection.
Yet somehow, despite the tears, both give me warmth. As I prepare to sleep, I reach toward the wall and knock. A couple of seconds pass, and then a soft knock responds. I expected a loud thud, not a gentle tap. It's somewhat comforting to know that he's in the other room. My eyes grow heavy and soon I fall asleep.
When I wake up, I feel my hands constrained by a rope behind something metallic. My body in a sitting posture. No,no,no,no! I was free I wasn't here anymore.
"You seemed to be having quite the pleasant dream my toy. What was it about?" A snicker escapes the voice after saying that. I feel the cloth bag again on my head. Please, god no! Don't tell me it was all in my head. I can feel my eyes water and I have to catch myself from sobbing. It would only excite her.
"Well, I'm sure whatever you were dreaming wasn't as good as our game." I feel an unbelievable pain in my right hand, the feeling of my pinky shattering. "This little piggy went to the shop." Next, my ring was bent harshly until it snapped, and then I felt cold metal breaking it the rest of the way. "This little piggy went to the laundry mat." I feel my middle get forcibly bent sideways until it snaps. I bite my tongue, knowing what will happen if I let out a cry. "This little piggy went to the department store." I let out a cry of pain as I feel my bones break and then what feels like a nail or screw get jammed in my index finger. "Oooooooh so close to making it to the end without screaming you know what that means!' I suddenly feel something strike my right knee. "One!" The first strike causes me to bawl. "Two!" I feel my leg numb from the second. "Three!" My muscle feels like it is tearing. "Four!" Something rips through skin and muscle. Soon, my weeping was the only thing that reverberated in the room. "Wow, you got a tough right leg, huh? Let's see if the left is just as durable!" I brace myself for the inevitable blow. Before I feel the sensation of pain, light floods my vision.
My eyes darted around the rundown roof, only to see the substitute's face. There was actual concern in his eyes. "Are you alright, Serika? You were screaming an—" I could only hug him tightly, burying my face in the crook of his neck, happy that what I had just gone through was just a nightmare. Eventually, I feel him pat my back though awkwardly. "Hey now, you're safe. I'll get you back home okay." I eventually back off of him seeing the wet spot I left on his neck.
"Sorry." He gently ruffles my hair.
"Hey, no need to apologize. Whatever you went through must've been hellish." He stands up and walks away from the bed I'm in, towards the window. "Looks like dawn is about to break, good time to hit the dusty trail." From where I'm sitting, I can only see the orangish purple sky of early morning. He looks back at me. "Want me to pick you up so you can see?" When he asked me that I could only look at my legs, I didn't feel any pain from them; they also didn't feel like they were broken.
"I get you want to walk. But it may be for the best to let me lift you." He walked back towards me. Taking a knee so he could pick me up.
"I want to try to walk." He looks at me perplexed.
"No offense but I don't think you should right now. Even if you could, it may cause more damage." When I glare at him after that statement he throws his hands up in surrender. "Alright fine I'll loosen the splints and wrap a little. But I want you to realize you chose this path, got it."
"Of course I know, I'm not an idiot." He rolls his eyes
"Yeah right miss almost got scammed." He grumbled.
"Excuse you!" He just looks at me after I shout.
"You heard me." He states while loosening both my legs splints. "Alright, they're loose enough to allow you to walk. But that's only as loose as I'll make them." He stands up and moves away a little to give me space. I angle my legs to bend over the bed, no pain yet. Then I tried to get up but I must've done it too fast since I began to fall. "Woah, I've got you." He caught me before I fell. "Okay, how abo-"
"Shut it! I almost have it." He sighs but lets me use him as a support until I'm standing. My legs are a little shaky but no pain. "See. I'm fine!" He only stared at me blankly, then took one step forward. He stopped and didn't move, I realized he wanted me to step forward too. So we walk in step with each other slowly. A little too slow in all honesty.
"Don't be grumpy because you're not walking that fast. Be happy you can walk at all." I can only frown at him when he speaks. Even if he has a point, he doesn't need to point out how pathetic my legs are right now. When we got close enough to the window he let me go the rest of the way. I may have struggled a little but I made it.
Looking out the window I was greeted by the beautiful orangish-purple sky. The orangish-red hew the sand took as well during these early hours. While the destroyed and sinking buildings damped the scene a little. They made it seem like one of those pictures artists would draw in exhibits.
"Pretty in a melancholy kind of way huh?" He stands next to me. Gazing out the window as well.
"Yeah, I wonder if Abydos will ever completely recover." I hope one day to experience the Abydos of the past.
"It will, just not in this lifetime. That's okay though it just means those who come after can enjoy it. The people of today just have to make sure it happens." I wanted to ask what pathetic adult he heard that from. I decided against it though, as to not ruin the moment.
"I hope you're right."
"I think I am. After all, you five are keeping that school afloat. I've also seen shops fighting to stay alive. The wills there." I smile a little when he says that. I guess even if we're hanging on by thread we still are here trying. "But enough of that, we gotta get moving." He breaks away from the window walking towards the door. Stopping by the bed to pick up his two piece coat. "So, you want me to carry you out to the car or do you want to walk out there yourself." I turn to face him and try to walk forwards.
"I think I can manage walking out there." I really hate how his face has that shit-eating grin on it again. Especially because it feels like a 'yeah, sure you can.' face. I walk steadily for a couple of steps at first. I wobbled some and used the chair to help move further. When I looked up, I saw him still waiting by the door. The bed was the only piece of furniture to help me make it. I very slowly and carefully make my way towards the bed. Then use it to help close the gap between me and the door. I stop at the edge of the bed, noticing about five steps between me and the door. I tremble a little at the thought of moving that far without support.
"Want me to help you?" He asked me. I would rather do this myself. But I know making it to the door would be difficult. Making it to the car itself would be a nightmare.
"I can make it myself, though you helping me would make it go faster." He rolls his eyes and walks over to me, offering himself as a support. I hold tight to his arm as we proceed out. Step by step, just as slowly as when we first did it. Right out the door to the sandy hallway. As we proceeded through, I occasionally slipped or tripped. If it weren't for him, I would've fallen into a face full of sand. After the long walk through the hallway, we're inside a dusty old waiting room. The carpet is a murky brown, and the wallpaper is checkered. The chairs are in pretty bad condition; the reception desk looks like it's about to crumble. Once outside, I see a jeep that has seen better days.
"Do you want to get into the backseat or passenger seat?"
"The passenger seat. I'd rather make sure you're going the right way."
He cackled at my comment and helped me into the passenger seat. The seat itself is fine; I just wish there was more leg space. As he rounded the car to get in the driver's seat, I looked for the release lever to move the seat back. I looked toward the bottom of the seat near the console and noticed the release lever was torn off. Almost like someone in a fit of rage had ripped it clean off. I feel the car rock as Substitute enters the driver's side, I look over to him as he starts the car up. The engine sputters up and sounds like it desperately needs repairs. Yet he didn't seem bothered, almost like he accepted it might die on this journey, like he was prepared to walk an unbelievable distance. The engine eventually calmed down when it did he began driving back towards the city.
"It's going to be a long trip. Are you ready for it?" He asked, not looking at me, to ensure we didn't get stuck in a deep sand dune.
"Of course I am! Also don't think for a second I won't let you stray from the path." He nods his head at my statement.
"If you feel threatened by me, feel free to shoot me in the head. There's a pistol in the glove box." He points at the box. When I opened it up, I saw that he was telling the truth. It was a magnum, when I checked the cylinder it had only three shots out of its seven. It seemed to be .44 caliber, but I've never seen this manufacturer before. My head focuses on his first words after I got the revolver out.
"Are you crazy I'm not going to shoot you in the head; you'll die!" What is this idiot thinking!?
"Look, when you find a threat to yourself, you terminate it. You make sure there is no chance it can come back." The way he makes it sound like a fact of life is horrifying.
"No, I couldn't, and I won't. If I feel threatened, I'll take the car and leave you behind." He nods at my comment and then seems to completely focus back on driving. Causing a heavy silence to come over us. I do watch him flick on the radio.
"Have I ever told you about those bygone days? Those days we used to laze away. The type of days you could sleep soundly through~" The song that came on was very old-timey. Kinda like something my parents would listen to. There's gotta be something better on the radio. I reach for the radio and start flipping through the channels.
"You know why they call-"
"The forecast for central-"
"You ever wonder where stars-"
I stopped flipping through the channels and put it back to the first one. To think that channel was going to be the only one playing music. I even went to the radio station Shiroko says she listens to. But it just talked about new biking routes and the latest in biking gear. I even waited a bit for music to play on the station but it never came. It was just a biking podcast.
"Nothing good huh?" I don't have the energy to respond to him. However, I watch his hand move to the dial. The station rapidly changes until landing on a station I rarely go to.
"Team Dropbox is heading in the ninth ahead by two points. But team Explores has all the bases loaded, meaning with a good hit they can catch up and win the game!"
He goes quiet again leaving me to listen to the ball game.
"Kane is up to bat, so far in his career he's hit multiple game winning home runs. But he's in for a tough time against Layton. She's the best pitcher in the league."
Okay, maybe this will be a little interesting to listen to.
"Layton is preparing to throw the ball. She releases and Kane misses the first swing. An excellent slider by Layton to throw Kane off immediately."
Strike one.
"The second pitch is out and Kane hits the ball but it's a foul ball. The fast ball, while thrown spectacularly by Layton, didn't get the strike she wanted; but a foul ball is still grand!"
Strike two.
"Third pitch is out and it's a ball. Layton's curve ball was just a bit out of the box. But Kane almost swung!"
One ball and two strikes. Come on strike him out.
"Fourth pitch is a stunning 80kph fastball and tipped into the foul zone again!"
I clench my fists.
"Fifth Pitch is another very close strike only to be a ball at the last second."
My ears flatten on my head.
"Sixth pitch and it's a strike! Kane is out of here. Meaning Layton has won the game for Team Dropbox of the Abydos District!"
"Yes! They won!" Take that Millennium District
"Yes, they did. But I don't think you should be screaming when next to someone." I hear him grumble next to me.
"I was just a little excited, that's all. Since a team from my district won the championship." I look away from him.
"Yes, a little excitement involves screaming with joy and your cat ears flicking like crazy." I feel heat build in my cheeks as he begins to cackle. "Besides that though I didn't take you as the sports type."
"Well...I just like showing support for my district teams sometimes." He nods his head.
"Nothing wrong with a little bit of pride in your hometown." He reaches into his pants pocket and takes out his phone. I watch him scroll then start typing a message out.
"You know you shouldn't text and drive right." He stops for a second then quickly sends the message.
"Fair point here you go." He hands me his phone. It's just as mangy and beaten up as him.
"Um, why?" I can only look at his phone quizzically.
"Well I'm sure you want to call someone. No reason they'll pick up though." He keeps it out but eventually I take it. He has sound reasoning after all. I type in Ayina's number first, no answer. Then I tried Nonomi's, no answer. Finally I tried Shiroko's no answer. I don't really bother with Hoshino's number because she'll probably block the unknown number for interrupting her sleep. "No dice, no matter, there's always later." He says while scanning the environment.
"I know." I can only really sit there and watch as we continue through the sand dunes. Getting ever closer to the city. I saw ruined old vechiles, rundown buildings and even railroads shutdown. There was even a train that was almost completely buried in sand. I watched it slowly vanish into the distance. Along with everything else until a new batch of ruined things take their place. To think I probably would've joined everything out here.
"Got any hobbies?" I look towards him after the sudden question.
"What brought this up?" He shrugs.
"Just small talk to pass the time. You don't have to answer if you don't want to." I thought about it for a bit before I decided to answer.
"My hobbies are saving money and working part-time." I hear him snicker a little. "What's so funny!"
"Nothing, it's just those are things normal people just do. But if you have fun doing it and love it I guess anything can be a hobby." He utters after he's done snickering.
"Yeah well what's your hobbies? I bet they're dumb." I watched him rub his chin for a bit.
"Don't have any." What?
"So you're laughing at my hobbies but don't have any of your own?" I bet he does, he's just not telling me
"Yup." My eye twitches a little at his answer. The absolute nerve of this guy. "Now don't get mad. I'm sorry, I had no right to laugh at your hobbies." I huff after that final bit he said.
"You don't sound sorry." I hear him breathe deeply suddenly.
"You're right I'm not." This bastard. "However I do feel a little bad, but only a little." I glare at him after that last bit.
"You're a jerk, you know that!" He looks at me with that grin again.
"Yup, I am who I am and I won't change for anybody." I'm silent a little at his statement. Talk about being a jerk with pride.
We return back to silence once again. I tried finding a different radio station. Sadly not a single one had any decent music. Just news, advertising, or podcasts, not a single decent music station. So I turned the station back to that oldies music station and a new song was playing. One I just let play in the background of my mind. The white noise helps make the travel even faster. The view doesn't really change besides buildings getting less destroyed. Still buried in sand though.
We did eventually end up on a solid road again. The sand no longer covers up the ground. I've started to get a little hungry and thirsty. But I haven't said anything to him. I doubt he has any food or water on him right now. Though I should ask just in case.
"Hey, ummm, do you have any food or water?" I watch him reach into his coat pocket near his waist and pull out a protein bar wrapped in plastic? He holds it out for me but he quickly reels it back. Was he about to mess with me again!
"Are you allergic to peanuts, chocolate, coconut or dairy?" I blink for a second before shaking my head no. He holds the bar out for me to take so I take it from him. Then I watch him go into the inner part of his coat and pull out a water bottle. He sets it in a cup holder. As he focused back on driving I unwrapped the bar then took a bite. It wasn't half bad in the slightest, a kinda chocolatey coconut flavor. With a small aftertaste of peanut butter. It was also decently cool. It could be a lot better, if it wasn't so dry. I grab the water bottle and take a swig out of it. The water was pretty cold despite being in his coat. Actually, now that I think about it.
"Was that water bottle always in your coat?"
"Yup."
"Was this bar I'm eating in your coat?"
"Yup."
I can only look at both things. How did I not feel either one when I slept? Actually, how does the water bottle not stick out like a sore thumb? I can only stare at his mangy coat. The checkered red, yellow, and gray design is really ugly. The tears on it add to its ugliness. It's also really faded like it's been worn for years. The coat is the only thing that really sticks out to me. It fits his mangy appearance. When my gaze travels down the sleeves I see his mangled hands again. Disgusting like he said is the only way to talk about them. I wonder if they would never have looked that way if-
"Hey, I have a question for you." He speaks suddenly again. I hope it doesn't become a trend.
"What if I don't want to answer? Especially after you laughed at me earlier." He thinks it over a little.
"Then don't answer if you don't want to." I glare at him. "But I'm curious, do your cat ears work simultaneously with your human ears? Or can you turn one off and turn the other on?" I decided not to answer.
The constant returning to silence will probably be the the thing we do most. I focus on the engine sometimes when it does a sputter. Occasionally I focused back onto the radio, sadly it wasn't anything interesting, go figure me. I could try calling everyone again with his phone. Though it may be best to wait a day so they don't think I'm a scam caller. Hmm now that I think of it I do have his phone. I wonder if he has anything on it to help pass the time.
"Hey, do you have anything on your phone to pass the time?" I see his eyebrow raise.
"Why? Do you want to play a game or watch a video on my phone?" His eyes scan the environment, as if he's looking for something interesting.
"No, I'm just curious if you have any apps." His brow raises higher.
"You mean softs?" I looked at him confused.
"Softs?" He nods his head after I speak.
"Yeah, you know software that becomes part of your phone." I blink once at his statement.
"Yeah an application or as it's called an app." I watched his one-eye roll.
"Yeah sure 'apps'. Yeah, I got a couple in some folders." I decided to ignore the way he said apps. I go to flick up on the screen to close the phone app. Only to not exit it. So I tried again, then again and again. Nothing, besides scrolling through his contacts. A lot of strange names like Knife Ears (Boss) , The Three Musketeers and Si-fit. After a bit, I tried some other options. There's no physical home button on his phone. I pressed the larger button on the side of the phone but it just shut his phone down. I'm still for a couple of seconds until I reach the phone towards him.
"Uuuuuh what are you doing?" Even though I refuse to look at him I can feel his gaze on me. When I don't answer him I feel the phone leave my hand. Then I feel it come right back. "You know, you don't have to be embarrassed about shutting off my phone right?" I look at him.
"I'm not embarrassed." He only hummed at my words in a way that says he doesn't believe me. I looked back at his phone, noticing the background immediately. It was a monochrome background of a destroyed building with plants growing all over it. Two apps weren't in folders, Transmissions and Direct Messenger. Those are some weird names. I do find two folders one says ROMS the other says Games. Guess he wanted to split the two up for some reason.
The ROM folder had a couple of games I've never heard of before or seen. Armored Core Nexus and Silent Line, Monster Hunter Tri and Generations Ultimate, finally Pokemon Black and White. I guess I'll try some of these Roms before going to the actual game folder he has. I'm sure they won't be too bad. I try an get comfortable in the seat I'm in, roll down the window next to me and tap Armored Core Nexus first.