Fatal | The Second Life I [COMPLETED]

Chapter 37: Meeting

- E V A N -

     "Alright, it's time," Caden says, and Zach gets up. "Let's go."

     "Should we try to get Nick?" JP asks, standing up as well and going to the foyer.

     "Fuck him." I declare bluntly, walking towards JP and opening the door. There were many people heading to the center of the place, and I could see Colt and Nicole at a table along with some others.

     JP sighs as he walks outside, with Zach and Caden following. I ring up the rear, and I look back to see Nick looking through the window at us. He just looks angry and disappointed. Maybe I'd feel more of his side if he wasn't such a dick.

     Colt sees us and starts hitting a gavel. I could see some guards at the entrance we'd come in earlier, which had been built up a little more. We walk to the park, stepping in the grass. I nearly get flashbacks of Central Park, but I push them back.

     "Welcome, I believe everyone is in attendance," Colt says. "Everyone except the guards should be here, as they've been briefed already.

     "This is the Eastern Sanctuary, creates to sustain ourselves in the midst of the apocalypse brought upon us by the great god. We will not fall, and I'll tell you how we'll live here today.

     "For full disclosure, our government here is theocratic. This is the Circle of Vera, a panel of 5 with a President, me." I hear JP sigh and his face comforts to disgust.

     "You will not be forced to convert to our religion, but our policies will be based on its teachings and to be on the government. We're not dicks.

"Breakfast is at sunrise, lunch at noon, and dinner at sundown. We'll figure out what jobs if any, you'll have to do to keep your place later. This meeting is adjourned."

We get up, walking back towards the building we were staying at. Nick was no longer watching from the upstairs window, and I guessed that he had fallen asleep.

"That wasn't very reassuring," JP says, walking in front. "We're in a theocracy."

"Nick's gonna hate that," Zach says. He was right. Nick was already very religious, and there was no way he would leave Christianity. I didn't know about the others, but I wasn't that religious. I'd never asked Ronnie, but I assumed that like the rest of us, he was mildly Christian.

"Evan!" I hear from behind me. I turn around and see Colt. He's standing in the center, looking at me. "Could I have a word?"

"Uh.. sure?" I say, walking away from the group and toward Colt. The other three walk back to the house. "What's up?" I ask Colt.

"This is our bible, of sorts." He says, holding a semi-thick hardback book out. "I know you'll be bored for a bit because we don't have service. No tv or cell, I'm afraid."

"Um, ok," I say, grabbing the book. "I don't have to, though."

"Of course not." He says, almost offended. "We're not like that."

"Alright," I say, comforted. "Anything else?"

"Actually, yes." He says, pulling a bottle of champagne out from his bag. "Want a toast?"

"I've never even had it.." I start.

"Oh, come on! It's not like the police are gonna come and arrest you or anything." He interrupts, filling a glass and holding another to me. "It's good, really."

"Sure," I say, grabbing the drink and being slightly surprised by his insistence. I down it, and immediately am surprised. "Holy hell!"

"Woo!" Colt says, drinking his shot. "Good, right?"

"Yeah," I say, smiling. I hadn't had champagne before, and this was probably some of the better champagne.

"Alright, that is all," Colt says, and I feel my chest burning from the alcohol. "Good night."

"Night," I say, stumbling back towards the house.

- C O L T -

"Well, any new recruits?" Nicole asks as we sit down in the government building. I put the champagne behind us on the shelf, and look at her.

"Well, I got a couple of requests. I handed out at least five manifestos tonight." I say. "What about you?"

"10." She says. "None of them seemed interested, though. Did any of yours feel different?"

"No, but I have a feeling that one will be tomorrow," I say, leaving it at that. I didn't want to tell her my plan of adding caffeine to his drink. Evan would be up all night, and his only entertainment would be that manifesto.

"Alrighty." She says. "Wonderful."

"Tomorrow will be a good day," I say, walking out of the room.

- N I C K -

     "You have got to be kidding me," I exclaim, listening to JP recall the events of the meeting. "What the hell has Evan gotten us into?"

     "I don't quite know," JP says, visibly worried. "All I can confirm is that I have a bad feeling about this."

     "If it makes you feel any better," I begin, sitting up and rubbing my head. "You're not alone."

     "I get that this is a bad situation," JP says, sitting down next to me. "But whatever happens, we need to stick together."

     "And what if Evan doesn't want to?" I ask. "If he wants to continue sucking Colt off?"

     "I don't know." JP sighs. "Look, splitting up is worse than staying here. It may be shit, but the accommodations are pretty good."

     "How about this," I say. "Us two plan on leaving tomorrow. If Evan is the only one to stay, then we have to leave without him. We'll find a map and hopefully find Ronnie."

     "Yeah." JP sighs. "Sounds fine."