Subject A7

Chapter Twenty

Avery's POV

I couldn't believe I told Dylan what was going through my mind, all day through the scorching hot desert it was all I could think about to keep away from how thirsty and hot I was.

I did not like Colin, I really did not like him.

"Look, I was questioning it myself Avery but honestly after everything I've seen, if he is one of them... I just don't see them sending someone like him... he is unusual but c'mon, a guy like him?" Dylan gives me a look to see if I was joking, I wasn't.

"You never know..." I tell him just as Colin returns back into the room.
Dylan looks at Colin, he waited until Colin went back into the bathroom before leaning over to whisper 'look, let's just wait until we get to the camp, we'll talk to Vincent about it and see what he thinks. As you said... you never know," he quickly leans away.
Colin was dressed in a pair of jeans and a black shirt. I got up and have a look in the drawers grabbing some jeans as well and a nice black singlet top. I went into the bathroom shutting the door before I finally relaxed.
"Stupid," I muttered under my breath. "Stupid Colin..."
I stripped down and jumped into the shower making sure it was nice and hot. I loved my showers but this was one shower I could not enjoy so pretty soon I was turning it off and stepping out. I wiped the mirror seeing my reflection, it has been a while since I've seen my reflection and could definitely see a major change.
Back at Arcane, I always looked clean, hair was neatly tied in a side braid, and happy and looked as if I had a very good night's sleep but right now, this girl before me ... the familiar stranger looking back at me looked tired, unclean even though I just had a shower, my blond hair was messy and full of knots.
I looked through the drawers and found a brush, I took out the messy braid and began to brush my hair. I winced at how many knots I did have and how hard I had to pull but eventually it got there and was looking a lot better. I decided to leave it down and put the hair tie around my wrist. I quickly dried myself off and put on the clothes, the clothes smelled like they were in the drawers for some time but least they were clean.
I exited the bathroom, Dylan had a bundle of clothes in his lap waiting.
"Finished," I announced.
Dylan nods, gets up and makes his way over to the bathroom. Once the door was shut I glanced over at Colin, he was laying on the bed staring up at the ceiling. I walked over to my bed to lay on it. I scooted over enough so that when Dylan was ready, he could just lay beside me.
"What's going to happen to us?" Colin asks.

I look over at him, he continued to stare up at the ceiling. Instead of telling him the full truth because as I said to Dylan, I don't trust him.
"Not quite sure yet," I tell him. "Hopefully they'll cook us a nice hot meal."
"That would be nice..." he shifts his position and from the corner of my eye, I could see that he was laying on his side facing me. "Once Dylan gets out, we need to get something to eat and to drink. Then we can sleep."
"Sounds like a good plan," I agreed. My stomach growled at the thought of food and my mouth began to water.

We laid in silence waiting for Dylan to finished, I was fully aware that Colin was still staring at me.
"You've got a problem?" I ask him finally looking at him.
"No?"
"Great, stop staring at me" I said glaring at him.
"Sorry," he mutters. "It's just that... I was thinking about my time at Arcane and I remember seeing you there with Noah."
Noah...
"I remember you being so happy and yet scary when you beaten up some Arcane guards but I always found you to be quite interesting."
"And?"
My thoughts were now revolving around my friend, I felt guilty that I hadn't thought of him. I wonder if he was okay and that someone attended to his leg, there was so much blood. But he was shot by at Arcane guard which makes me hate Arcane even more.
"How can I say this... Avery, you are amazing and I wish I was more like you, being brave and doing things to help others when you yourself are terrified."
"One day I'll write a book about it and you can keep it, maybe next time you'll help instead of shouting," I tell him.
Colin bites his lip. "Look, I am really sorry about that... I wasn't in the right state of mind, I was scared. But next time... next time I will do better. I promise."
"Don't make promises you cannot keep," I tell him.
The door opens and Dylan emerges from the bathroom, he was wearing a pair of jeans as well and a nice black shirt, he really looked handsome.
"Great, let's go!" Colin says leaping from his bed.
"Huh?"
I roll my eyes getting up from the bed as well. "We're starving and I bet you are as well. Let's get something to eat and drink."

As we make our way, I took better care in noticing my surroundings. When we first arrived here, I was lost in my own thoughts. Thinking about Arcane, what happened at the river, at that abandoned house with the infected, the notebook which was still safely tucked in my pants as well as Colin. Even now glancing at him, he still made my blood boil, he just did not sit right with me.
We reached the end of the stairs, I looked around seeing a lot of people in here, was crowded as it was when we came in but these people, they looked somewhat clean but at the same time they looked dirty. Dylan led the way, I could not help but stare. People were talking and laughing, the music was blaring; it was just blasting random noises which was quite annoying.
"Hey Kaiden," Dylan walks up to the bar and orders us some food. He sits down at one of the chairs so I did the same thing, Colin on the other side of me. I spun around in the chair looking, how are these people so full of life when the world we are living in is so filled with bad things, it was making no sense.
"Confused?"

"Yes," I turn to Dylan. I had to shout my answer.
"These people are like this because even though the world is shit, does not mean they need to stop living their lives," Dylan practically shouts over the music. "You can't live your life in fear."
"But what about the infected?" I shout.
"People here are protected by Brandon's men, they watch and will kill an infected on sight... we're safe so long as they protect us."
Brandon, the man we met earlier that hugged Dylan? He did seem like a nice guy but his friend, the red-haired man brought a whole new emotion to the field, I did not like the look of him nor do I trust him.
"ORDER UP!" the guy Dylan called Kaiden shouts handing us plates of food.
My mouth watered at the sight of mashed potatoes, carrots and peas, was not as grand as Arcane's food but food was food and I was not about to start complaining. I grabbed the fork and began to blow my food, Kaiden put a drink next the plate.
"Thank you!" I shout at him.
He winks in response and turns to another person who was ordering.
The food was not overly great, the carrot needed to be cooked more and the mashed potatoes felt hard, the peas had a slight coldness to it but over all, I did enjoy the meal. I took a sip of the water Kaiden had left for me. Tasted a little dull.
Brandon comes up to Dylan and whispers something in his ear, Dylan replies back to him.
"Avery, I'll be gone for about two minutes. Don't move from here, understand?"
I nod and watched him go, I turn to Colin and said that Dylan would be back in a few minutes. Colin nods and returns to talking to another person on his right. I look around to appear busy when I caught the attention of that red-haired man... Angus I think.
He smirked at me, I looked away pretending I did not see him. I spun around sipping more of the water and I noticed something, it did not taste as dull as it first did. I took another sip, it was actually quite delicious so I found myself sculling it down and shouted for Kaiden to give me another one.
"Sure you want more water?" he shouts when he came over.
"You have other things?" I ask.
"Sure, I'll get you something a little stronger than water," he winks again and goes away.
I smile, my head started to feeling a little funny.
Kaiden returns with something darker.
I took a sip, it tasted disgusting.
"Never had this stuff before?" Kaiden asks.
"No? What is it?"
Kaiden laughs. "It's actually Rickon's special drink... I have no idea what he puts in it, it tastes like crap but damn, it makes you feel good."
Kaiden goes away again. I took another sip and gagged. I decided to pinch my nose and just drink it all in one hit... was not my best choice ever, I coughed sticking my tongue out at the taste. The music was turned up and someone shouted "PARTY TIME", I spun around in the chair feeling some weird effect of the drink. I almost fell out of the chair. I giggled and continued to follow people who were now dancing to the music, the lights went off and the room was dark with the exception of different coloured lights moving around the room. People were dancing, some were dancing on one another, I moved around avoiding them, one person put their arms around my stomach and pulled me back.
"What?" my words were lost in the noise, I turned as the guy thrusted in my butt. My mouth dropped as I moved away from him but he did not even appear to notice or care as he moves away to get another girl. I look around and spotted Dylan standing back where we were sitting, he looks around and stops when he spots me.
It felt as if something else was taking over me as I waved with a grin on my face. He makes his way over towards me not looking thrilled.
"Dylan!" I screamed as he reached me.
"Avery," I could not hear him but I could understand what he said.
"Dance with me," I said. I grabbed his hands and began to sway to the music, was completely offbeat but I did not care anymore.
"What are you doing?" he shouts.
"We say that too much," I shout back. "Just dance!"