OKAY! let's begin the chapter RIGHT NOW!
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"I'm going to fucking kill you."
A bone chilling scream rocked me from my slumber.
It was sudden, and quick. But I was sure I had heard it. Isaac, who was still sitting against the wall, smirked. He knew who the yelp of pain had come from. He grinned when he saw me staring at him. "Serves her right."
"Serves who right?" I asked hurriedly, sitting up.
He motioned to the door. "See for yourself."
I watched him closely before standing up, grabbing my stone axe just in case. Pulling the door open, I gazed out into the night, my eyes straining to focus. At first all I saw were the endless hordes of monsters that dotted the night, crawling around in unrecognisable patterns. It took me a moment to notice the large group that was collected in a single place, they were chasing something...
And that's when I saw her. Any features were unrecognisable from this distance but the pure white hair that fell over her shoulders made my mind tick in recognition. White...
She was making for the mountains, undoubtedly looking for shelter, vaulting over obstacles as easily as Isaac had. She was fast, but so was the pack that tailed her. It was only now that I noticed her limp. It was subtle, but that was what allowed the mobs to continue gaining on her.
There was no way she was going to make it.
Without thinking I started down the cliff, fumbling half way and dropping to the earth beneath me. I winced at the sudden burst of pain. Isaac appeared above me. "Dude what the hell are you doing?"
"I can't just let her die!" I shouted back at him.
He rolled his eyes. "She's the one that tried to kill me. She'll kill you too idiot."
But I wasn't listening. Something told me I had to save her. There was no other option. Without a second thought I clutched my axe in both hands and set off into the night at a sprint. Isaac swore and dropped down behind me, soon catching up.
It didn't take us long to near her. All of the mobs within the vicinity were focused on the girl, so we didn't have to fight at all. But as we closed the gap I began to realise how treacherous this journey was. There were masses of enemies, more so than last night, and if we intervened they would all be fixated on us...
She was fast, but from here I could see the snapped off arrow shaft that dug into the back of her thigh. She was losing blood and slowly losing speed. My eyes widened in shock as her foot caught on an upturned stone. She yelped in surprise as she fell to the ground, skidding slightly on the dirt. The monsters didn't stop and neither did I.
Finally, I reached her but Isaac held back, wary. As I neared, I was taken aback. The girl that lay before me was nothing other than beautiful. Not cute, not hot... Just...
Beautiful.
Her skin was fine while only slightly tanned, beneath the cloth and leather clothes she wore was a well-proportioned and curved figure, almost as if it had been carved by hand. And yet it was obvious that she was strong. She held what I presumed to be a curved bow, which was snapped in half along its centre, the two pieces held together only by the now useless bowstring.
She rolled over to face the oncoming horde, pulling a thin blade from its sheath that was strapped to her back. This was when she saw me. She starred as I ran towards her, her eyes, a bright grey. Grey... Like the clouds of a formidable storm. I could almost see the bright flashes of lightening. She was scared... But her jaw was clenched in a determination that pushed through her pain.
Her will to survive was overwhelming. How? How was she not frozen in fear? How could she drive herself to live on? An oncoming arrow penetrated her shoulder, a yelp of agony escaped her lips. But instead of loosening, her grip tightened around the hilt of her blade.
As I moved to kneel down next to her, the tip of the weapon nicked at my neck, a small trail of blood escaping from my skin. She stared along the sharpened edge, straight into my eyes. To her, I was an enemy.
I could hear the noises of the mobs, they were close... So close. Any second now I expected to feel a piercing arrow or a tear of flesh. And yet I was calm as I gazed back at her. We were judging each other, assessing, looking for faults. A moment longer than any I had ever experienced, it felt like a lifetime of stillness.
The sword lowered.
I took a deep breath. "May I?" I said, gesturing my intentions.
Her eyebrows furrowed in anger or embarrassment, I wasn't sure which. "I can walk."
Her voice was wisping and forced, but it contained a sense of melody... As if it could become soft and caring, although the obvious amount of pain she was in made that impossible. I shook my head. "Walking is not an option."
Carefully, I reached under her legs, just above the arrow that inhibited her. My other arm supported her back. Her skin was warm and soft... I forced the thoughts out of my mind and stood up hurriedly. She winced at the sudden movement. "Sorry, can you endure for a little longer?"
"Stop pitying me and run." She replied, her head dropping into her chest as she braced herself.
The monsters were almost a meter away. Isaac was nowhere to be seen. Swearing, I pushed through the closing gap and ran, sprinting towards the only safe place we had. The mobs were terrifyingly quick and did not hesitate to chase us through the grass that thrashed against my movements.
I struggled to hold onto the girl in my arms. "Don't you dare say I'm heavy." She said, almost guessing my thoughts.
Somehow I grinned despite being chased by a deadly horde through the night. I stumbled as the ground dipped unexpectedly. There was no time to get my feet under me, we were going to fall.
If we fell like this, she would hit the ground first, hurting her even more... Quickly, I used the last of my balance to rotate around her, my back now facing the hard surface beneath us. I hit the bare dirt with a dull thud. How many times had this happened in the last two days? It was as if the ground held a permanent grudge against me.
She lay at an odd angle on top of me, still hurt, but not as much as she would have been. She looked down at me in confusion. "Why? Why are you helping me?"
I stood once more, ignoring her question because even I did not know the answer. We were close, from here the warm glow of torchlight was visible atop our lonesome hill. This is where Isaac had escaped to. He knelt on the edge, hastily fiddling with something. What the hell was he doing? Couldn't he see we needed help?
It was only now that the most important dilemma became so blatantly obvious. How in god's name was I going to get a seriously injured girl up the cliff face, in the middle of the night, under arrow fire? I could hardly get up myself, I doubted even Isaac could perform this feat. I saw something fall from the edge, bouncing a few times against the stone wall before settling.
Isaac you fucking genius.
But despite having a rope ladder, was there still enough time to begin climbing before the mobs reached us? It was a miracle that we had made it this far at all. Furthermore... I needed at least one free hand to climb said ladder...
I twitched slightly. "Uhh... Um..."
The girl looked up at me, a little worried at my words, or lack thereof at this point. "What?"
The ladder was only a few steps away now, I didn't have time to waste on being delicate. "Forgive me!" With a little effort, I flipped the girl onto my shoulder. I couldn't hold onto her legs like I had before or I would worsen her injury, and if I held anywhere else she wouldn't stay put for long... There was only one option.
Hesitating for only I second, my hand moved to hold onto her... Ass. She went still. Deadly still. Terrifyingly still. The horrors that trailed behind us held nothing against the silence that resonated from her. She was too still...
"I'm going to fucking kill you."
There was no doubt. No hint of a lie. She really was plotting murder. I swallowed nervously as I stepped onto the first wooden rung, climbing as quickly as my limbs would allow. But on the third step something snagged at my pant leg. Fearing the worst, I glanced down to find the rotten figure of a zombie clutching onto me. I tried to kick it away but it was no use, despite its lack of any real flesh, it was incredibly strong.
"Live!" I heard Isaac shout from the top.
Live? Live what? A short red stick fell from above, landing but a few meters away. Was he insane! I didn't have to be a demolitionist to know that from this distance the explosive was lethal. He's trying to kill us! I held onto the injured girl tighter as I braced for the explosion.
The ground shook beneath us as the tool did its job, a ringing in my ears made me want to throw up. I was disorientated and dizzy. It took every ounce of my willpower to keep us from falling back to the ground.
Still tipsy, I looked down to see the remains of what had been chasing us. A bloody mess covered every inch of grass. Unrecognisable body parts were strewn around the blast radius like confetti. I gagged at the sight. The hand of the now obliterated zombie that had restrained me still clung to my jeans. The hand was still there, but it ended abruptly where it should have connected to the wrist, a jagged chunk of bone and green mince in its place.
The stench of death was overpowering, almost unbearable. I shakily climbed the remaining length to the top. Collapsing to the ground, only just managing to lower the one I protected from my shoulder and cushion her as she followed me to the earth. My palms pressed to my forehead in an attempt to stop the spinning. I could still feel her head resting against my chest which lead me to believe she was in a similar state.
"Isaac..." I groaned. His response was garbled and unrecognisable, but I continued anyway. "Never do that again..."
A blurry replica of his cocky laughter was the last thing I heard before my dizziness finally won me over.
Perspective Change: Raven
"Why does everything have to be black!? Choose some different colours for god's sake." I ranted at the girl standing before me, who shrunk back a little at my frustration.
"But I like black." She retorted.
I sighed. It wasn't that she didn't look good in the clothes, she did. But everything we had bought so far was the same darkened shade. At the moment she was admiring a knitted beanie in the mirror. It suited her, like every other thing had. It was almost as if she had the perfect figure and most natural features. I was a little jealous of the way every guy we passed turned to stare at her, they practically followed us around the mall. None of them were brave enough to say anything though.
I suppose it couldn't be helped. She was unfathomably adorable. The Endergirl seemed content with the item that sat on her head and turned to me. "I- Is this okay?"
I nodded. "Mm, it looks great on you."
The way her eyes closed and crinkled when she smiled made my heart flutter.
Perspective Change: David
By the time I awoke it was already morning. The first rays of sunlight streamed through the few gaps that dotted the walls. Something was crackling from outside, whatever it was gave off a fragrance that made my mouth water. I sat up and instantly regretted it. My head spun and threatened to send me spiralling back to the ground. It took me a moment to stabilize myself but eventually I made it onto my feet.
Why was I so disorientated? Why did I fee- My memories snapped back into place, providing me with a detailed report as to last night's mission. Although, I didn't remember dragging myself inside... Isaac must have carried me in. I looked for the unknown girl that was the reason I had gone through so much, only to find that she was not with me. Had she recovered already? It wouldn't surprise me.
I dragged my feet to the door and pulled it open. The first thing I noticed was Isaac sitting next to a small fire, roasting bits of what appeared to be pork. So that's what the smell was. The second thing I noticed was the light mist of oncoming rain, it was hardly noticeable but still provided reason for the overcast sky. The third thing I noticed was a shivering girl, rolled up in a ball on the grass.
Right where I had left her.
"Why didn't you move her inside!?" I shouted at the cook as I ran to her.
He shrugged, as if the matter was of no concern. "I was hoping she'd die."
My gaze snapped to the hooded boy, glaring at him intensely. He stared back for a moment, but soon shifted uncomfortably and returned his eyes to the flames. Looking back to her, it was amazing how many features became visible in the sunlight.
Her face was angular, portraying hints of cheek bones underneath the perfectly toned skin. She was dressed in a basic, Caribbean style tunic that hung just below her shoulders. It was covered by a tight fitting leather vest. By the way it was scratched and torn in places it was obvious that fashion wasn't its primary purpose. Furthermore, and somewhat surprisingly, she wore denim short shorts. Like something you'd see at a popular beach in summer... If I ever went to a beach in summer.
But why? She didn't strike me as someone who would forsake armour for appearance... My mind flashed back to the ease of which she had moved last night, despite taking an arrow to the kne- Thigh, rather. She sacrificed the opportunity of protection and instead favoured speed and flexibility in movement.
Despite noticing all of this, she was still shivering on the ground, shrouded in the unsympathetic spray of the heavens above. As I moved to shift her, I noticed a pool of dry blood on the grass that supported the broken form. Two arrows, one in her shoulder, another in her leg. I tried to focus on one problem at a time and carefully rolled her onto her back, supporting her injured limb to avoid pain. She shifted slightly, but did not wake.
It was now, as she lay face up, that I noticed the scar. It ran diagonally through her left eye, starting on her brow and ending opposite her lips. It was long and prominent, a clear fault on the otherwise perfect surface. What had she suffered through that left such an enduring wound?
But it was no time for debate. As strong as she seemed, she had lost a lot of blood and most likely caught a cold. Gently, I picked her up, supporting her as I had before. Carrying the girl through the open doorway, I lay her down on the soft grass inside, safe from the elements. The torches were still burning, close to depleted, but still burning. I took one from the wall and planted it in the ground next to her. It wasn't much, but it would provide some warmth.
If I really wanted to help her though, I would need bandages and something similar to a blanket. Disinfectant would help, but I reasoned the resource impossible around here. Recalling a certain animal from the game, I didn't have to think for long in order to come to a decision. I grabbed my faithful axe that had been leant against the wall, and ventured into the bleak weather outside again, shutting the door behind me.
Isaac looked up from the still sizzling meal. Two portions had been set out on small planks of wood. "Here." He said, gesturing to one of them.
My stomach gargled. I had barely eaten anything for the past three days... It was a struggle to restrain myself from scoffing down more than a few pieces. The meat was salty and crisp, like something you'd expect to find at an old American dinner. Still, I managed to leave half of my portion the way it was.
Isaac sighed. "Why are you trying to save her? She's practically dead already."
"Why are you trying to kill her?" I retorted.
He shrugged. "I've never really liked skeletons."
Skeletons... She was, a hybrid? Another hybrid... How many of them are there! What are the chances of meeting three in a single week?
The creeper seemed to notice my thoughts. "She's been following me for the past few days. I thought I'd lost her, but I guess not."
I shook my head. "Well like it or not, we're going to help her recover. You can go back to killing each other after that."
An intense staring competition proceeded for the next minute, before he finally caved in.
"Fiiiiiine." He muttered, before sulking over his breakfast. I glanced back at my plate, swallowing as I saw the crisp strips of bacon that I was about to part with... Maybe one mor- Isaac shifted the wooden board away from me. "These are for her."
Snapping out of my trance, I grinned at him and began descending the cliff face yet again. Interestingly, the blood that had been shed the night before was nowhere to be seen. All that remained was clean and crisp green grass, sparkling with dew. Perhaps the rain had rinsed it away? Or had the sun disintegrated the monsters remains as it did every dawn?
There was no way of knowing, so I discarded the thought. Looking out upon the subtlety slopping planes I began walking.
There were other things to worry about after all...
Perspective Change: Raven
I groaned as an ear shattering wolf whistle pierced the air behind us. There had been a small group tailing our movements for the last few minutes and it seemed at least one of them had enough courage to announce it.
Key turned around in confusion.
I let go an exasperated sigh. This was going to be interesting.
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"B-but Gregory! The combines are heading straight to the pizzaplex!"
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I have no words today so...stay tune for the next chapter and remember :
"When there's smoke, they pinch back"
-Hotel mario