Eschaton

Chapter 2: Jack

         The air was scorching hot Jack thought as the simple breeze from the bus window did nothing but blow warmer air into his face. The bus ride out west wasn't what he expected. He was under the impression that only wealthy people got to ride in cars and because of that, he thought the inside at least would be nice. This clearly wasn't the case. This bus definitely seen better days, as some of the seats were so broken there was no reason to have them there anymore, and yet there they were. Not to mention the coat of rust that pervaded through the entire length of the vehicle, inside and out.

"Why are we still here?" Jack turned to ask the man sharing a seat beside him.

"Because it's the only gas stop between civilization and your new home." The man smiled.

"More like my new prison." Jack said as he stared blankly out of the window. "Besides it's taking forever." The building he was staring at had seen better days. Then again most of the old buildings before the war did. This one seemed to have boards of wood up on the inside of the windows. Which was odd considering glass being expensive to bring out in the middle of nowhere. Jack let out a sigh. The bus and this dump deserve each other he thought.

"You have nobody to blame but yourself kid." The man stood up. "Nobody told you to go robbing people at gunpoint." He was tall with dark black hair that he had slicked back. His leather jacket was darker than his hair. He was square jawed and a little taller than jack, with eyes of a strangely silver color. The man lifted his arms above his head, stretching them out and making a grunt of approval. "You're here because you didn't follow the rules." He brought his arms down and gave them a little shake, then proceeded to take off his jacket and lay it on top of the seat. "The only reason you're here and not in a cell, is because I owed your mom a favor and put in a good word."

"Luther, was it?" Jack asked. "I didn't ask you to do me any favors, and that's not how it went down." He added.

"Well like I said, I owed your mom a favor." Luther reached out and put his hand on Jack. "And I don't care what you did or how it happened, you've got a second chance now so don't blow it." Luther said, trying to peer out the window. "Wait here I'm going to see what is taking so long." Luther gave Jack a steady shake on the shoulder.

Jack looked up at Luther and then at the hand on his shoulder. Jack raised his left hand and went to remove the unwanted weight. Luther quickly grabbed his arm and slung one end of a pair of handcuffs around his wrist.

"Is that really necessary?" Jack scoffed.

"Is it?" Luther said giving him a stern look.

"Well where do you think I would go? Am I supposed to run off towards where you're bringing me, which is the closest town, or am I supposed to walk all the way back towards actual civilization and go to jail?" Jack narrowed his eyes. "Provided I survive to even make it that far."

Luther laughed and pointed at the cuff that was on Jacks wrist. "Well let's just leave that one there as a reminder?"

With that, Jack watched Luther turn away and walk towards the front of the bus. Jack raised his arm to look at the dangling piece of metal attached to his wrist. It wasn't his fault he knew. He happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Nobody believed him, mostly because the actual person that committed the crime was a close friend of his who egged him on to join in. He didn't even draw his weapon. His friend had told the authorities it was his idea, throwing Jack under the bus, or in this case on one. Jack knew he shouldn't be here... but secretly didn't mind. He always thought of joining the ranger guild one day. No doubt his mother knew this and suggested it as a punishment instead of sitting in a ten by ten box. Some were given that choice, seldom were they though if weapons were involved in the offense. He was afraid if they found out that he wanted to be here they would've given him a different punishment. God forbid they would send him to do hard labor for the priesthood or something equally terrible.