MCSM Stories

Trek (6)

Finally, Jess spoke up. "Petra?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm... I'm really sorry about what I said earlier. I knew I shouldn't have said it... And I did anyway."

Jess looked down at the floor, wiping back tears. "I'm really sorry."

She flinched at the feel of Petra's hand on her shoulder.

"It's fine. I... Know how it feels to lose someone really close to you. I knew you and Jesse since we were kids, you know."

"I know," Jess sniffed.

Petra paused for a moment. "Look, if Jesse's alive out there, he will try to come back. He's a fighter.. ...And I should say sorry too. If I went with Jesse to scout the area, things would've been different."

"It wasn't your fault." Jesse murmured. "Maybe if I didn't get sick, then-"

"Slow down." Petra said. "It wasn't your fault either, okay?"

Jess paused for a moment, and looked up at Petra, wiping tears away from her face. "Okay."

There was yet another period of quietness. Both women kept their eyes on the TV, watching as several characters were defeated by a villain before the main character took them out effortlessly with a single punch.

"What season is this?" Petra asked after a while.

"It's just season one. We didn't get ahold of season 2 yet." Jess answered.

"Huh." Petra muttered before asking, "Hey, we've been thinking of doing something fun tomorrow. Like... Maybe going out to eat or going to that hiking trail. Do you wanna come?"

"I like hiking."

"Okay. Lukas wanted to hike too, and I think Axel and Olivia will like it. It's been a while since we went on a non-adventure trip."

"Yeah."

"We should probably get to bed, though." Petra checked the clock under the TV.

"But I want to see what happens next." Jess kept her eyes on the screen as she picked up the remote to select the next episode.

"Okay then. One more episode?"

"One more episode."

----------

"Demon!" The woman hissed at Jesse.

Jesse flinched at the word. He knew that he shouldn't be surprised. He knew that he looked like some otherworldly monster. But he didn't need to be reminded. He took a few steps back as she stepped forward, brandishing her knife.

"W-wait, mom, wait!" Radar put his hands up. "Don't hurt him, please! He's friendly!"

"You summoned a demon!" She pointed the knife at the kid. Jesse let out a hiss at the woman.

"He's not a monster!" Radar protested.

Before Radar or Jesse had any time to react, the lady grabbed Radar by the wrist, shoving to the ground, holding him at knife point.

"You traitor! Sinful, dirty traitor!"

Radar cried out, attempting to shove his mother off of him. Jesse was frozen in place, only able to watch in horror as the woman (more like psychopath, in Jesse's opinion) held Radar down, her knife scarily close to his neck, shouting a variety of curses at him. The child was crying now, struggling to break free, only for his own mother to hit him, making him recoil.

Jesse needed to take action.

Without thinking, Jesse lunged at the lady, kicking her off of Radar. She hit a nearby tree back-first, letting out a shrill yelp as she fell into the snow. Jesse was breathing heavily now, legs trembling, ears flattened. He glanced at the child. Radar was curled into a ball on thr ground, sobbing quietly. He shifted his attention back to Radar's mother as she struggled to get up.

"Y-you..."

She picked up her knife.

"You freak!"

In that instant, she hurled the knife, as if she's done it a thousand times, straight towards Jesse. It burrowed itself within Jesse's torso before he could even move. He staggered back, letting out a loud hiss. He fell back, confusion flooding his mind and pain flooding his body. He just got stabbed. He just got stabbed. He just got freaking stabbed.

"JESSE!" Radar screamed out.

Jesse was breathing heavily as his knees began to feel weak. He could only stare at the woman as her frown turned into a sadistic smirk.

"Die, you horrendous beast." She murmured, watching as Jesse's breathing became irregular.

Confusion was gone from Jesse's mind now, replaced with different emotions. Fear. Helplessness. But stronger than all of them, rage. Without thinking anything of it, Jesse focused on the knife embedded into his torso, effortlessly pulling it out with nothing but his mind. Glaring back up at the woman, he turned it, and thrust it right back at the woman.

It didn't hit her, but it was pretty close to making its home straight in her eye. It cut through the dark of the spruce tree merely inches from her face. The woman stood there, frozen solid, as Jesse collapsed to his knees. He looked up at her, letting out a sharp hiss.

Finally, the woman took the warning. Without hesitation, she turned, running away from him as fast as she could. Jesse watched as she disappeared into the woods before turning to Radar, trudging over to him as he sat up.

"She.... She's gone." Radar sniffed.

Jesse knelt down next to the child, feeling sympathy for him. He wanted to tell him everything was going to be okay, and that he was safe. If only he were able to speak.

Without warning, Radar pulled Jesse into a hug, letting out loud sobs as he trembled. Jesse took it. A minute passed, and then another. Then another. Soon enough, Radar's sobs subsided, but he still clinged onto Jesse's bloodied cloth.

"I... I don't have anywhere to go," The child murmured.

Jesse couldn't think of a solution. Just taking the child would be, well, child abduction. But then again, since Radar "summoned a demon", there had to be no way that his mom would accept him now. Especially since she held him at knife point. Jesse's ears flattened just at there mere thought of what could have happened if he didn't intervene.

Finally, the child let go, staring at his hands.

"Th.. Thank you, so much." He murmured. Jesse gave Radar a nod before standing up.

Radar stood up as well. After a moment of silence, Radar looked up at him.

"Is... Is this goodbye, then?"

Jesse started to walk away. He walked for a few feet, before looking back at Radar. He motioned for the child to follow. At first, Radar was confused, but his face lit up.

"W-wait, I can come with you!?"

Jesse gave him a nod.

"Thank you! Oh notch, thank you thank you thank you!"

Radar ran to Jesse, giving him a tight hug. Letting go, he asked:

"So we're going right now?"

Jesse nodded again.

"O-okay! Wow!"

Jesse started to walk again.

Eventually, a few spruce trees passing turned into dozens. Jesse had to stop to let Radar catch up numerous times to let him catch up. By what had to be the seventh time, Jesse had an idea. Without warning, he picked up Radar, putting him on his shoulders (or where her shoulder were supposed to be), letting his scarf be used as support for the child.

"H-huh?" Radar yelped as he was sat in place.

But Radar didn't protest as Jesse started to walk again, this time carrying Radar.

Finally, he was continuing his journey back home.