The Phoenix Colony

"Pasha!" Raylene stands and puts a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think Britney meant any harm. Maybe this game is a bad idea. And as far as the knife goes, I'm willing to let him borrow it, but he has to be watched. We don't know him well enough yet. Remember, we still have Fox's gun. Lead beats blade! Please just calm down."

 

Pasha almost blushed as he realized what I big deal he had made out of it. He quickly apologized to the newcomer, and sitting down next to Viva shamefully.

He looked back at Raylene, giving her a nod. "Sorry..."

“Maybe I haven’t, but if you don’t mind, learn how to speak to someone. We’re not in jail anymore Britney.” He said, barely looking at her, the embarrassment still heavy on his face.

"We can continue.. I'll keep calm."

"Nice job." Yuri said sarcastically.

 

Juliano looked at this Pasha guy, he would have to be careful. In a volatile situation it certainly didnt help to have a person with an unstable mind. He kept a mental note to keep his eyes open.

"Ok Pasha, thanks for the apology. Raylene, thanks for the knife, you won't have any reason to worry. Just shout if you need me ok. Im just gonna go and sharpen this for a while. Ill make my staff tommorow."

 

Allen looked over at Ben, wondering if he had anywhere in mind to go. They had been walking all day with only the occasional break to rest and get a drink.

He chafed inside at having to rely on Ben. If he had even one hand that he could use, he would have abandoned Ben long since and struck off on his own. He still had people to kill.

 

Raylene heads to Fox, checks her quickly and scoops up the gun and the 2 clips. She gives Juliano the knife and makes sure he knows that he isn't trusted yet. She takes a new seat in the circle, with Juliano fully in view.

 

Viva sighed, rolling her eyes.
All I wanted was a playful, normal game of truth and dare.
"Guess what sunshine? You're grouped with crazy die hards, murderers, convicts and sick guards. Face it."
I've removed Reva from the murder list, but Britney is so on the top.
Viva then cleared her throat, cheering:
"Oh, okay! I think we've had enough fussing for one game. I'll sing a song...and then Raylene should answer a question!"
She stretched a fake smile across her face, somehow hoping it'd ease the strain.

"Last drop of heaven on my lips
As I finally smoothen my eyes
Now I can see, the true bliss
Something I never found

You never know
The light
Until it’s gone
When the seconds, glide
And grow into hours

The melody of screams moving in n’ out
The symphony so confused
Something I want to scream about
Someone I’ve finally lost

You never know
The light
Until it’s gone
When the seconds, glide
And grow into hours

In the face of reality I roll
With the deadliest juices of emotion
No one is ready to console
Something I could never realize!

You never know
The light
Until it’s gone
When the seconds, glide
And grow into hours

Now that I know
It hurts to live on
But when rainbows splash in my eyes
I realize
Rebound isn’t far
It will grow back in hours
It will grow back in hours."

As she finished, she took a deep breath, looking over to Raylene.
"Now, your turn. Truth or dare?"

 

Raylene decided to play it safe. She answered Viva without taking her eyes off of Juliano.

"Truth, please. If you don't mind."

 

Juliano sat with his back to the group, playing their little game. He knew they would be watching, he would in their position. A new guy, waltzing into camp and asking for a knife. They had every reason to be suspicious.

He grabbed the nearest rock and began sharpening the knife, the eerie sound echoing throughout the cave. One of the group turned to look but he ignored them. The sound was almost hypnotic, drawing him in.

"I have to get off this dump" he thought...........

 

Smith looked at the woven door way from the inside. The fire was burning and the smoke escaping from the top, where they had left an opening for that purpose. "This place is perfect." he said, the warmth of the fire being trapped better than it ever could have been outside, bouncing off of walls to keep all sides warm. They had finished the door during the morning and had spent the rest of the day gathering food and any usefull suplies they could find. Chrys sat in a corner of the cave, asleep already, one of her make shift blankets thrown over her. Smith wondered to himself about what had happened to Ben again.

Joey was tucked in her own little corner of the blanket smith was useing even though it really wasn't needed in the cave. It was more of a comfort thing than anything, like the rifle that even now was at his side. They had decided that they would still post a gaurd just incase some beast happened ot stumble upon them in the night, but the gaurd would stay inside the cave and look out a flap made just for that porpuse.

 

Viva giggled with a wink.
"Oh, alright. But I'm not a bad darer, I promise."
She felt guilty for have perhaps offended Britney, but ignored it.
"Let's see...what was the name of your favorite stuffed toy?"
"Priceless question!"
I don't believe in insulting people, unlike certain some.
"God, you might actually kill her."
Any doubt?

 

Raylene thought back to her childhood. Had she ever had a stuffed toy?

The walls were grayed with age and there was a cot on the floor. A simple burlap blanket was the only thing that kept the small girl warm. She was dirty and hungry. Her brothers all had beds, and clothing, and all the food they could eat. She was their cook and their maid. If she even thought about sneeking some food while she cooked, she'd get a belt across her backside. One day, while shopping in town with her father, they passed a toy store wih a beautiful teddy bear in the window. She lingered in front of the glass staring at the bear. She could feel his soft fur rubbing against her face. She wanted him so badly, but she knew that Papa would never buy it for her. At that moment, Papa snatched her up by the scruff of her shirt and shook her like a rag doll. "Don't even think about it Raylene. Toys aren't for servants." He dropped her on the ground and walked away from his only daughter.

Raylene lied. "His name was Russ." A tear silently slipped down her cheek.

She clears her throat and looks at Pasha. "Truth or Dare, Pasha?"

 

Britney sees the tear going down Raylene's cheek. "Let me guess, Viva asked the wrong question. Just great." thinks Britney.

She goes over and hugs Raylene, saying "What's the matter?"

 

"Don't worry about it Brit. I'm ok." She wipes the tear away and looks at Pasha again. "Truth or Dare?"

 

Viva felt a slap on her head. It wasn't real - but she so wished someone would slap her.
"Great. You made her cry."
It was harmless question?
"Not for her. Not everyone has a happy childhood, you know."
Viva guiltily bit her lower-lip, but when Raylene moved on she tried to push past the remorse. It was Pasha's turn.
"Boy I sure hope she asks a sensible one."

 

Pasha gave no emotion at the tears on her face. He was used to seeing far worse things, so emotion was hard to bring when he didn’t care. He frowned, knowing he should care.

“You’re changing, see Pasha?”

He ignored Yuri, and looked at the fire as it danced. He knew he couldn’t say dare, he wouldn’t stand if they asked him to strip. He definitely wouldn’t do that. He only had one choice.

“Truth.”

 

Ok, truth. Oh geeze, what do you ask a psychotic killer? How many people have you killed? NO! She didn't want to know. Have you ever worn someone's skin while driving through 10 states? Funny, but too gruesome. Ok, here's an innocent one.

"What was your mother's name?"

 

The game had descended into what it always did thought Juliano, a farce, a tearfest.

Better to not get involved.

After a few minutes he realised that the knife didnt really need sharpening, it was already a brutal weapon. He slid it slowly along the top of his thumb, drawing a small line of blood. It was ready.

 

Pasha was on the swing, his legs moved him back and forward as his mother sat on the wooden table. It was a beautiful Russian summer, and he was 9 at the time. He could feel the excitement as they waited for his father to get home, but he didn’t make it home that night. Though, they were told his father got stuck in Austria, he knew it wasn’t true. He knew his father was out with one of those other women.

In a sudden transition he was in the dining room, it was winter this time. Outside it was blizzarding, the sound of the wind scaring his little sisters. The fire was burning hot, and he sat next to it. He had a tendency even then to hurt himself, though his parents never found out. He could hear the sobbing from his mother.

“Tatyana… I’m sorry! I’ll break it off, how can I make this up to you?” his father begged. Just like he would beg for his life 3 years later. Just like he would see his mothers tear-streamed face as the screams came out at her last breath.

He snapped out of it, and looked back up at them, his face was pale.

“Tatyana, that was her name.” He muttered. He backed off from the group and leaned against the fence, looking out at the dark night through one of the holes.

"Maybe we should call it a night." he said, his voice void of emotion. He held his knife tightly in his hands.

"Don't even start that again." he heard a familiar voice say.

 

Raylene stood. She walked over to Juliano. "Since you aren't going to make that staff until tomorrow, I'd like the knife back while we sleep. I'll give it back at sunrise." Not really giving him a choice, she takes the knife and stows it with her things. "I'm really tired and going to get some sleep. I'll take watch in about 5 hours if whomever is on watch will wake me." She takes one of the cloaks and puts her head firmly on the bag where the knife is safely inside and covers herself with the furry side of the makeshift blanket.

 

Juliano certainly wasnt tired, he seemed to enjoy the night now, it made him feel alive. He decided to go and take watch himself. He wanted to do something. He started to walk towards the exit, ready to go outside into the night.

 

The world swam back to Reva slowly, voices a distant babble. Her stomach gave a lurch like it had dropped out from a roller coaster ride and she opened her eyes, quelling the nausea.

“Ungh.” She said, and licked her parched lips.

She lay there for a few minutes, ignoring her surroundings and waiting to feel better.

Eventually she felt much more normal and eased herself up on one elbow, taking stock.

Fox lay not far from her, white and still. Reva was shocked to see her look so helpless. The fire painted the cave with the dancing shadows of the people around it. Raising up a little more she saw that there was no light at the mouth of the cave.

“Holy crap!” She said in a clear voice, “I was out all DAY?”

 

“Pasha! Who’s that?” Yuri cried out. Pasha shook his head, bringing his head to his knees and putting his hands over his hears.

“Pasha… dear.” The familiar voice said again. He could feel his heart beating faster, it didn’t make sense.

“God damnit, who is that Pasha?” Yuri growled, the irritability finally taking over, “Is she one of those voices that was mumbling?”

Pasha could see his mothers black hair, it had been where he had gotten is dark locks. He could see her green eyes, something he had always wanted… and something he had gotten either way. Most of all, he could imagine her voice. That gentle voice with the slight Russian accent. There was no doubt that the intruder in his mind was his mother.

“What?” Yuri yelled, “What are you doing here?”

His mother didn’t answer, only silence. Pasha sighed and looked behind him at the others.

He tried to relax his body as he gently let the tip of the blade slip into his flesh. The blood came down in a large droplet on the cave flood, he felt himself relax just a little better.

He looked at the newcomer, and quickly put his hand on the gate.

“No one leaves, it’s too dangerous.”

He turned around and looked at Reva, and smiled a little bit. He found it odd that he was relieved she was all right, and quickly shrugged it off. He quickly rolled her the spear without a word.

 

"I can take care of myself," said Juliano, pushing past Pasha. "I can keep watch, no problem. Take care of your toys." he said gleering at the spear on the floor. He reached for the gate, and looked back at Pasha, almost willing him to strike him.

 

Britney sat back down beside Fox. She looks over at Reva. "Well, look who is finally awake. If you're hungry after sleeping for that long, I'm afraid you're out of luck. We don't have any food left." says Britney, she points at the map on the wall "By the way, for now on, if you find any new landmarks, would you please put them on the wall?"

 

Pasha growled, but quickly turned around. He wasn’t in the mood for a conflict. He sighed and looked back at the man.

“Fine, go out in the night, but you’ll have no weapon of ours.” He snarled. He quickly looked away, and grabbed the piece of wood he had been working on and started carving the little slivers off.