The Ruins Part 3 (Series of The Ruins)

Chapter 23

The rest of the day was quiet. The kids went for a long walk with Lalon to bring in a few Bounty Hunters and their folks in the gates and Benny trailed along like a puppy. Max slouched around their old apartment- now Lugh and Alec's- and sat in the rooftop, looking beyond the walls of the Tradepost. He stared off to the sun, trying to wrap his brain around the idea that Kal was a Flyer Frontier, they still live, and how will he try to help.

He took a long, hot bath and listened to a voice speak to him from the shadows in his mind. For months now Max had heard that inner voice speaking as if it were a separate part of him. It wasn't the same as "hearing voices". No, this was different. To Max it felt like the inner voice he heard was his own future self whispering to him. The person he was going to become. A more evoked and mature Max, confident and wise, who had begun to emerge shortly after the events at the separation of Mal and her and the RK's guidance.

The current Max didn't always agree with the voice, and often wished it would shut up and let him just be fourteen.

After his soak, Max stood for a while peering into the mirror, wondering who he will be if he makes the decision that his inner voice tells her.

Save him, said the inner voice. Help and be his savior.

Max knew it was dangerous and it was uncertain on what the Ruins would do to them, and he hasn't gone past the north and come back.

He stared into his brown eyes and studied the doubt and fear that he there.

"I don't want trouble, but I have to do something," he said.

His mirror image and his inner voice repeated that truth, word for word. They were all in total agreement.

He got dressed and went downstairs and stood for a long time looking at the map of Wyoming and Nevada before finishing then goes to Lugh's shop and grabs a pair of rusted keys and goes outside.

Outside the gates are open; Alec and Lugh greet Queen Arnica, Little Tony with the big machine gun and the pegged arm that has a knife to it, Pastor Kellogg who is a priestly Bounty Hunter and has a rumor around him that the pages of the Bible he carries were stained with black blood because the pastor had been forced to use the Good Book to beat the head of Infected, and others he didn't get time to catch their faces.

He zoomed through the streets and kept his face hidden behind his Boston Bruins hat he always wears. He walked to the other side of the black market and came to a small wooden shed. Inside the shed it's bare, dust and mold filled the room and in the corner where metal bars block Max is Kal, sitting on a bench, shoulders slouched.

He stopped and perked his hat up for Kal to see his eyes. He takes the keys out of his pocket and unlocks the door. He stared at him.

"C'mon, let's go out for a walk."

They walk behind the black market in silence. Kal shunned his head down before Max tries to communicate with him.

"What's your story?" He asked.

"I don't have much of a story. Just that I love guns, hate bullies, and love to kick bad guys ass's."

"What about you as a Frontier? Or should I say Flyer Frontier? If they try to hidden from the world, they should really come up with a better name."

"I used to live in a community, Frontiers community is in Nevada. There is a system; the poor work and the Frontiers are the soldiers; new and some who were Flyer Frontiers. I was young and alone and they've taken me and others the same way. Once there, they've trained you to become a Frontier. To hunt, take, main, to kill, and to become cold, heartless for any weakness. To become a Frontier, we destroy other communities, force them to give their supplies every week, and if they don't, we destroy and take their community." He coughed in his throat, showing signs of trembling in his entire body. "They've hit us, threaten us. Sometimes even worse. Sometimes show us voices of people we loved being hurt or kill in front of us. You have to live by the rules. Love, sorrow, family, friends, are a sign of weakness." Kal's voice croaked and his eyes glitter in tears.