The Unfortunates

One

    Jack woke up to the sound of heavy rain, and the silhouetted figure of a young girl sitting on his chest.
    "He's in tact!" She yelled, facing someone over to the left.
    Jack looked down and shrieked at the horrifying sight of his mutilated left leg.
    "Oh. Never mind!" The girl called out again.
    "Where am I?!" Jack asked, putting forth all that was left of his energy in order to speak. Just then, another figure walked over. All Jack could see of the figure was a pair of black boots and a cape.
    "Get off of him, Cass, he's probably horrified." The caped figure said. It was a boy. His voice was gruff and serious, and he spoke with an English accent. He was much older than the girl, who looked about eight or nine.
    The boy tugged hard on Jack's right leg—the one that was still in one piece—and yanked him over so he was facing him. The boy was crouched down in order to study Jack.
    The boy's face was horrifying, which is sad to say. He may actually be good looking if it wasn't for the horrible damage done to it. The bottom half of his face was covered by a black mask. More of a wrap, actually. It extended down his neck. What you could see of his face was badly scarred, the most noticeable one running across his right eye, which was completely glossed over and white, in a great contrast to the beautiful emerald green of the other. He was obviously blind in at least the one eye. His hair was all white and shaggy. He looked inhuman, honestly. And Jack assumed the rest of his body was as messed up as his face, because he was covered head to toe in various layers of dark clothing. Including his hands, which he had used to drag Jack slowly across concrete.
    Jack screamed again at the sight of the nameless boy, which he felt sorry for afterword. The boy was unphased by his reaction, though. He simply stared blankly at Jack.
    "Can you feel that?" The boy asked, pointing at what was left of Jack's leg. His voice was muffled under the mask, and he was hard to understand.
    Jack shook his head. He couldn't feel it. There was no pain, which he had always assumed would come with such a terrible injury. What he could feel, though, was fear. He was hyperventilating, and his heart was beating so fast he felt like you could see it through his chest. He quickly looked around. They were under a bridge. The same bridge Jack had last seen before everything went black.
    The boy, who was still very close to Jack, was soon being hugged from behind by the girl.
    "I'm Cassie!" The girl cheered, happily, climbing over the boy in order to be on top of Jack again.
    The boy stood up and picked up the girl in order to put her on his back. She hung on tight as they both walked over to a fold-out table, that was completely covered in a variety of gadgets and scraps.
    Jack sat up. Up until that point he was still laying on the cold concrete. His arms were covered in bandages that weren't there before. And he was bleeding through them. But again, he couldn't feel the pain.
    "Can we take him to see Harry?!" Cassie asked, excitedly, tugging on the boy's white hair.
    "Well he can't walk around on that thing." The boy said, looking back over at Jack. "Oh good." He paused. "You can move."
    "Who the fuck are you?!" Jack asked, angrily.
    "Language, man, come on!" The boy yelled back, setting the girl down and walking back over to him. "I'm Dianthus." He said, and held out his covered hand to shake Jack's. Jack quickly scooted away until he hit a concrete wall behind him. "Oh." The boy said. "Sorry about my appearance—I didn't mean to frighten you."
    "Where am I?!" Jack asked again.
    The boy, again, ignored his question. He instead walked over to Jack and sat beside him.
    "How did you die?" The boy asked.
    "What?"
    "You can see us, can't you?" The boy laughed.
    "Yeah..."
    "Well you're either dead, or you can talk to ghosts." He laughed again. "I'm kidding." He looked at Jack. "Ghosts aren't real."
    "You're—"
    "We all are." The boy cut him off. Despite not being able to see his mouth, you could tell he was smiling.
    "No no no no no no no..." Jack repeated, attempting to stand up. "This, this isn't how it was supposed to go!"
    "How what was supposed to go?" The boy asked.
    "This!" Jack screamed.
    "Death?"
    "Yes!" Jack screamed again, facing away from Dianthus. He couldn't stand to look at him any longer.
    "Don't worry." Cassie said, sweetly. Standing above Jack once again. "One day, we can all go to heaven!" She cheered.
     Jack looked over at Dianthus, who shook his head sadly. 
    "How long have you been down here?" Jack asked him.
    He shrugged.
    "You never answered my question." Dianthus said. "How did you die?"
    "I don't know." Jack started.
    What you could see of Dianthus's face lit up with excitement. "You don't know either?!" He asked, happily.
     "Um...no. Well, I mean—I-I fell." Jack said, looking up at the bridge above them.
    "Oh." Dianthus said, dissapointed. "Well, we should be on our way." He stood up and brushed the dirt off his jeans. "Come on." He held his hand out to Jack again.
    Jack simply stared at him. Unsure of what to do.
    "Well you're not going to be able to walk on your own." He laughed. "C'mon, I won't bite."
    They grabbed each other's wrists and Dianthus helped him to stand. He couldn't. Instead he fell right back onto the ground. He knew Dianthus would be able to help him, but he was afraid to come into contact with him.
    "Very well then." He said, dusting off his gloves. "I'll just have to bring him to you."
    "Who's he?" Jack asked. Again attempting to stand up on his own.
    "Harry!" Cassie yelled. "He's the blacksmith!"
    "For your leg." Dianthus said, slowly putting several items from the table into a bag.
    "He'll make you a new one." Cassie said.
     "A—a new—"
    Dianthus, again, walked over to Jack and stared at him. His eyes darted across Jack's face.
    "Do you know what a prosthetic is?" He asked, taking off one of his black gloves.
    Jack nodded.
    Dianthus rolled up his left sleeve to reveal a stunning bronze arm. Beautifully metallic and mobile. "Dead or not, you still need to function." He said, putting his glove back on and rolling his sleeve back down.
     "What happened to you?" Jack asked, stunned.
     "No idea." He answered. "I can't remember."
    "Couldn't even 'member his name." Cassie said, sadly. "So I named him!"
    "A Dianthus is a flower." He said, shuffling Cassie's brown hair. "But I'll take what I can get."
    "Are you Cassie Berzinski?" Jack asked.
    "Mhm!"
    "I—I knew you. They had a charity for you last year. I was at your funeral."
    Cassie smiled. "I know. I saw you."
    "Cancer." Jack whispered.
    "You stay here and watch him." Dianthus said to Cassie, crouched down so they were the same height, pointing over at Jack. "I'll go get Harry."
     She nodded proudly.
    He gave her a hug and stood back up.
    "Watch her, please." He said to Jack. "She likes to get into trouble." And then he left. Walked right out into the rain.
    Jack nodded. He honestly didn't process a single thing Dianthus had said, he was in shock.
    The two of them both heard the faint sound of a dog barking. It scared Jack badly enough that he hit his head on the wall.
    "Sh!" Cassie yelled. "There's people coming."
    "I thought they can't see us!" Jack yelled.
    "The dog can!" She ran over to him and covered his mouth with her hands.
    Cassie was very small and thin. She wore over-all's. Her hair was messy and very short, and she could easily be mistaken for a boy. She wore red tennis shoes and a red shirt to match. Her front tooth was missing. And unlike Dianthus, she was perfectly in tact. No marks or missing limbs. No need for bandages or a mask.
    They both sat there for a minute, Cassie still covering Jack's mouth. She stared out into the rain and her eyes followed the sound of the dog.
    "They're gone." She said. "We're good."
    "Is he your brother or something?" Jack asked.
    "No." She said. "I wish he was, though. He's really cool."
    "What happened to him?" Jack said. Hoping Cassie would be able to answer a question he had already asked.
    "Not a clue!" She said. "He's been here a lot longer than me."
    "Where are we?"
    "This is where Dianthus lives." She said. "I live with everyone else in the apartment...but people don't seem to like him very much."
    "Apartment?"
    She nodded. "That's what we call it, at least. I think it was a hotel or something. But it's abandoned. We live there now."
    "Who's we?" Jack asked.
    She laughed. "Everyone! Well, who's dead, that is."
    "How old are you?"
    "You mean how old was I." She corrected him. "10. What about you?"
    "17..."
    "Oh." She started. "Don't tell Dianthus how you died. It will make him sad." She looked up at the bridge again.
    Jack nodded.
    "How old was Dianthus?" He asked.
    She shrugged. "Young...probably like 18 or something." She was standing over at that same table.
     "Why does he wear bandages?" Jack asked. He was very curious about Dianthus for some reason. Something about how horribly he must have been killed, maybe. When someone your age dies, the first thing you wanna know is how.
    Her eyes widened. "I hope you never have to find out."
    The two sat and talked for hours. About absolute nonsense, most of the time. They talked about Cassie's mom and dad and her house and her pets. They talked about how Cassie always wanted to be an astronaut. And they talked about how she was sick. None of the conversation was about Jack, actually. By the time the sun had set they heard footsteps in the mud.
    "Dia's back!" Cassie yelled, running into the rain to give him a hug.
    Dianthus was accompanied by another person. A man, older than the three of them. Mid-twenties maybe. He wore a black apron and gloves. And he had one of those masks you wear when welding resting on his head. In his hand was another beautiful bronze limb, which he held up and shook in order to show Jack what he brought him.
    They both walked under the bridge, soaking wet and muddy.
    "'Ello!" Harry said, happily. With more cockney in his accent than Dianthus. He definitely was not from this century. Early 1900s at most. "What's your name?" He asked.
    "Jack."
    The man crouched down as Dianthus had before. His brown curly hair dripping onto Jack's red sweatshirt. "Well, Jack. Seems you sure got yourself into a bit of a mess, 'ere."
    "Thanks for helping us out, Harry." Dianthus said.
    "Oh, you know I'd do anything to help you out, Dia!" Harry laughed. "How's the arm, kid?" He looked over at Dianthus with sympathy.
    He lifted his arm and opened and closed his fist with ease. He smiled again. A smile you could only see from his eyes.
    "Wonderful!" He said.
    "How much for the leg, Harry?" Dianthus asked.
    "Ah, it's on the house, kid." He said. "Long as you stop by the apartment tomorrow, okay?"
    Dianthus nodded reluctantly.
    Harry fit the leg perfectly on what was left of Jack's, and used black bandages to secure it. The same black bandages that covered most of Dianthus.
    "'Er we go!" Harry said, proudly. "Take this." He handed jack a wooden cane. "You'll need it for a while."
    "Thank you, Harry." Dianthus said.
    "A'course!"
    After they talked for a while, Harry took Cassie's hand a led her home. Home being the apartment, apparently. Then it was just Jack and Dianthus, who didn't talk much.
    Dianthus stood up and gathered several sheets and pieces of clothing. He laid them out neatly until they covered a small square of the concrete.
    "What are you doing?" Jack asked, still attempting to stand up without his help.
    "Do you want to sleep on concrete?" Dianthus asked, still shuffling bits of fabric. "Don't worry. It's as far away from mine as possible."
    "How do you eat?" Jack asked. "With uh...with that mask on."
    "Don't have to." He answered, trying not to get annoyed with Jack's stupid questions.
    "Why do you wear all that stuff?"
    "Fashion." He joked.
    "When did you die?"
    Dia shrugged. "Ten...15 years ago, maybe? I stopped keeping track."
    "Why do you live out here? And not with the others?"
     "They uh...well, it's complicated." Dianthus sat down across from Jack. "You gotta last name, Jack?"
     "Albatross."
    "Huh." He smiled again. "Like the bird."
     "What about you?"
     Dianthus shook his head. "What do you think, kid?"
     "Right. You don't remember."
     "You got a family?" Dia asked.
     Jack nodded. "I got a dad."
    "No mom?"
    "Uh...no."
    "She dead?"
    Jack nodded. "But um...she lived way out in California. She wouldn't be here."
    "Maybe one day." Dianthus said.
    "Where are you from?" Jack asked. "Your accent."
     "Jack." He sighed. "I don't know why I can't get this through your head—I. Don't. Remember."
     "Sorry." Jack stammered. "I'm just trying to understand."
    "It's alright." Dia laughed. "You should probably get some sleep. We've got a lot of walking to do tomorrow."
    Jack nodded. He managed to scoot over to the make-shift bed and laid down.
    "Do we need to sleep?" Jack asked.
    "Not really. But it's nice."
    He couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned for what felt like an eternity. He looked over at Dia, who was still standing at that table, removing layers of bandages.
    Holy shit, his arms. Covered in scars and cuts.
    Dianthus turned back around to face Jack, who quickly shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep. Damn it! He missed his chance—he could've seen Dia's face!
    "I know your not sleeping." Dianthus said, wrapping his arm back up. He had his hood on so he still couldn't see his face.
    "You're much easier to understand without it." Jack said. "Still pretty difficult, though."
    He said nothing. He just turned back around and continued to wrap himself back up.
    He turned around to face Jack again, this time his face was once again covered. He held a small wallet-sized photo.
    "This your girlfriend?" He asked. "I found it in the water."
    Jack sat up quickly. "Gimme that." He said, holding his hand out.
    Dianthus handed him the picture, and Jack pulled it out of his hand fast so he didn't have to touch him.
    "Ex-girlfriend." He looked at the picture. A beautiful, dark-haired girl with big, bright smile.
    "Pretty." Dia said, still standing at the table, polishing the prosthetic arm. "What happened?"
    Jack laughed awkwardly. "She uh...she cheated on me, actually."
    "I'm sorry." Dia said, putting the arm back on and making a fist. "That's rough."
    Jack folded the paper and put it in his pocket. "I know."
    "There was a ton of stuff in the water, actually." Dia said.
    Jack tried to stand up once again. And failed. Dia walked over to help him. He stood over him and watched him struggle for a while, waiting for Jack to admit he needed help.
    "Your cane." Dia said, handing him the wooden pole.
    "Thanks." Jack took it quickly. Again, avoiding contact with Dianthus. He was scared of him. Disgusted by his appearance, though he would never admit it.
    He managed to stand. Barely, though. He limped over to the table, Dianthus following close behind to make sure he didn't fall.
    The table was sectioned off in different piles. One pile in the corner was all Jack's belongings he had in a little backpack.
    "A lot of people end up here." Dia said behind him. "I always try to help them out, but they usually don't want it. Scared of me, I assume."
    "What are these papers?" Jack asked, pointing at a neat pile of crincled stationary.
    "Notes." Dianthus said, sadly. "It's a popular spot to bite the dust."
     Jack picked up one of the papers.
    "That one was with you." Dia said. "So uh...if you want your family to have it."
    "It's not mine." Jack lied. "I fell, remember?"
    "Right." Dianthus said. "My mistake."
    "You draw?" Jack asked, holding up another pile of papers. Every single one had an amazing charcoal sketch on it. He held up a drawing of a girl to Dia. "This your girlfriend?" He mocked.
    "No." He took the paper. "Of course not."
    "What's her name?"
    "...Amber." He said. "You might meet her tomorrow—she lives near the apartment."
    "She's beautiful." Jack said.
    Dianthus smiled and nodded, taking the drawings and putting them neatly back on the table.
    "You're very clean." Jack said, picking up a teddy bear that was sitting on the table.
    "I like order."
    "How did you end up here?" Jack looked around.
    "I wanted to live in the apartment." He said. "But uh...they wouldn't let me."
    "Who's they?" Jack asked. 
    Dia's voice was shaking. "Everyone." He said, taking off his gloves and cape.
    The sun began to rise, you could see it over the hill that hid the bridge from the rest of the world.
    Jack hopped over to where the grass touched the concrete. The edges were lined with little white and purple flowers.
     "Dianthus Caryophyllus." Dia said, standing behind Jack, startling him. "The flowers, I mean. And uh...those are Vincas." He pointed at more flowers.
     "Dianthus Caryophyllus." Jack repeated, picking one of the flowers and twirling it in his hand. "Nice."
    "We leave as soon as it stops raining." Dia said, rewrapping his hands.
    "How far of a walk is it?" Jack asked.
    "Far enough that they don't have to deal with me."