Child Of The Future

Episode 12: Take Away The Lie

               When I came out here, the ominous open arms of night ready to swallow me into this world I thought was going to be a walk in the park to go through, I didn't expect humanity to be so low in presence.

               The only person that's shown any sign of actually being a human is...well, Jesse.

               Jesse and...Carl.

               Ok, fine, a lot of them are actually turning out to be pretty fvcking decent-ish, save for a few quirks but, I can swallow the fact that I was wrong about them being barbarians. They're not that bad. Just, unorthodox survivors.

               Or rather, they're just not what I expected. Definitely different. I expected them to be just like the families stuck back at the mall. Smiling, being friendly, having this system to work in between communities. Instead it's way different. It's like...I Am Legend out here, except it's not a city and, the monsters are a little different.

               "Hey." Carl's deep voiced mumble alerts me to him walking next to my stride.

               Well, I guess we're talking today. After last night's little 'let's fumble around and see if we land a dance move' game, I'd be surprised if he still ignored me.

               "Hi." I turn and cheese my fvcking head off...because...why?

               Sh1t, did I just...grin?

               Why did I just grin?

               Well, it never hurts to be friendly, even though I didn't know I was about to be so friendly that I'd shine my pearly whites at I guy I've pretty much just met but...okay.

               "You're just gonna use your sword?" Carl glances at my weapon of choice before moving up to my face. "If you'd learn to shoot you wouldn't have to."

               "Yeah. Maybe." Geez. "Let's face it, you're a sh1tty teacher."

               "Ha? Or maybe you're just a willful student?" I catch the playfulness in his, really fvcking deep voice and turn to raise my eyebrows and scoff at his sentence.

               "Oh really? If I'd have a real teacher I could respect," I tilt my head and pat Carl's gun strapped to his leg, which pretty much scares the sh1t out of him that he jolts a foot away from me. "I'd be shooting better than you. I mean I doubt you can even lift that thing properly let alone hit your target." I say more in jest than serious belief. Or well, I don't really know what to think about Carl right now.

               At this point all I can say is...he's nice? Well, when he doesn't have a feisty attitude about him he's nice. Actually, he's only been nice once to me. And that was last night. Or was it? Oh heIl, I don't know. Why am I wasting my time thinking about him?

               Hmm...I wonder what he thinks about me. Does he hate me? Does he...like me? As a friend? Or, as a human at least?

               Tch. I don't care if he likes me or not. Fvck that. I've admitted that he's not some random guy, but that only means that I've never met anyone else like him. Doesn't mean there aren't others like him. Right?

               "Think what you want. I happen to know that you could have 10 swords!" He exclaims with a movement of his arm. "I only need one gun and your down." He shrugs.

               "Oooooh really?" I feel my hand begging to grip around my handle to pull out the surprisingly dangerous weapon and take him by surprise, but I stop, close in my tracks, when he turns around, smirks at me, then nods.