The Phoenix Colony

Chrys took the jerky, "Thanks," she said taking a large bit out of it....I don't like talking with my mouth full, so I hope you don't mind if I think this out...I'm not afraid of vulnerable becuase it's the only way anyone will ever understand who I am, I have to let them in, and somethings just can't be said, like this... Chrys closes her eyes for a moment, dredging up a long gone memmory...

As if in first person, playing throught the eyes like a camera,A woman comes into view, looking down and smiling, "Your father promised he'd be here, said he owed us dinner for missing breakfast." A worried look plays on her face, "One day you'll understand this, mommies can sometimes think into the future, and I wish I couldn't right now." SHe says as if thinking to herself.

-Mommy? Why are you upset, we're going to go out to dinner with daddy. DOn't you like to go out?

The sound of a car zooming up the street gets louder, and suddenly the sound of screeching tires as they come to a halt.

The woman wraps her arms around you, pushing you off of the bench you've been sitting on, "Diane! Not my baby!" You feel the sudden shock of the cruel ground on your back as gunfire explodes from the street.

Shells rain down like hail, which you see through the arms of your mother...

 

As Chrys told the story to Raylene, she could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. I can't imagine how my babies felt when I was taken to jail. I did something that I knew would get me taken from them, but I couldn't live like that anymore. I'm sorry you lost your Momma."

She took another bite of jerky and hugged Chrys as they walked. "I miss my kids. They are the only part of 'him' that I love." She became distracted with her thoughts when she noticed a cave in the side of the mountain. "Look over there." She pointed towards the entrance. "Let's see if anyone is in there."

 

"Okay." ...Oh, that's not when I lost Mom...that was the day I think my mother figured out why Dad was working odd hours and making friends with criminals...THat was the first time that happened, it would happen again...

Chrys and Raylene approached the cave, each watching in the opposite direction of each other...I'm confused by the scent coming from here. I'm not sure if it's an ally that has been pushed to murder or a predator that feels remorse for its last kill...

 

Raylene stepped cautiously into the cave and the smell of decay hit her full in the face. She backed out immediately. "Nothing in there is alive. No need to go in any farther."

They started to walk quickly to put distance between themselves and that smell. "How many do you think are still alive out here?"

 

Chrys started counting off on her fingers everyone she could rmember seeing, hearing, or talking to back by the ship and in the tribe...."About twenty-five that I've met before, but I know that a ship that size could have housed up to and maybe even more when needed, one thosand prisoners. So I know ffor sure that at least 100 are alive, otherwise, well..I don't want to think about it..."

 

Smith sat in his small corner of the cave wondering exactly how many the monster would take down with it. He was starring at the top of his hands, the plates more pronounced than ever, frowning at them even though they might be usefull if he really did comfront the beast.

 

Fox walks into the forest with Dereck behind her. After a few minutes they come upon a clearing. Most of the plants seem to be destroyed by fire, as if there was a large inferno recently. Pieces of ash swirl in the gentle wind. In the middle of the hole that was burned into the woods, lays a large, hart shaped rock.

"Um...Dereck, can we stop here for a second?" asks Fox. Dereck nods his head.

Fox searches nearby. She finds some dark violet flowers and breaks them off at the stem. She walks to the rock and lays the flower on top of it.

"Hey Brit. Sorry that I didn't visit yesterday, but I was trying to rest up my ribs. I really miss you and wish you were back here." says Fox.

 

Raylene and Chrys walk farther around the side of the mountain searching for more caves. Along the way they pick any fruit they come across in the bushes and trees and carry it in Raylene's bag.

"We've been walking forever. We aren't ever going to find anyone out here. I'm really tired. Can we sit and rest for a little bit?"

 

"I don't see why not, but i don't want to eat any of those berries. Do you have some jerky left?" Chrys asks as she uses two of her locks to tie the rest back.

"Okay, this is going to be an odd question, but I want to ask it of someone else because I was recently asked. Have you ever been in love?"

 

At first Derek didn't understand why Fox had stopped. But when he heard her mention Britney, he knew exactly where they were and decided to let her have her time alone. He tore his eyes away from her and looked off into the woods, keeping an eye out for movement.

 

Raylene handed Chrys the rest of the jerky and thought about her question. "I was married to a man who abused me everyday. I definately didn't love him and I didn't ever have the chance to be around any other man that I wasn't related to. I love my kids, but that's different, so I'd have to say no. I've never been in love. Honestly, I don't know if I ever want to be in love."

 

Fox bends down and draws a pentacle into the dirt with her knife. "I hope the gods smile upon your soul." She stands back up and walks over to Derek. "Ok, lets go." says Fox.

After walking for a few minutes, Fox asks Derek, "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question? Um..have you ever been in love?" asks Fox.

 

Chrys took the jerky, very happy to not have to touch on of those berries. She chewed on a pice and mulled over somethings for a bit, finding it odd to have met two peopl who never fell in love, yet lived pretty full lives. "Maybe love is futile." She concluded aloud.

 

((*** Please see GM Announcement in the discussion thread. Thanks! ~F. ))

 

Derek put his head down and blushed a bit. He gave an awkward smile and said "I think I...might be. Why do you ask?"

 

"Well, you see, me and Brit got a chance to speak right before she died. She kissed me and told me that she loved me. Don't laugh, but that was my very first kiss. I never thought of Britney as anything other than a fellow tribe member until then, but when she kissed me, time seemed to freeze, and I felt like this spark of electricity go through my body. In that little bit of time right before she died, it was like everything just felt right. I want to know if what I felt was love or not." says Fox.

 

"Not sure some young kid is the one to ask," Derek smiled. "What the hell are we lookin' for anyway? I don't see any other groups anywhere. Probably won't find 'em in the woods." Derek glanced around and noticed some movement to the side, it disappeared quickly. "We're being followed." Derek stopped walking and fixed his grip on the javelin.

 

Fox closes her eyes and concentrates. There are two of them. Their movement if familar.

She opens her eyes and says, "Get up into the tree right now!" With lightning quick relfexes, Fox quickly climbs up the nearest tree.

 

Instinctively, Derek jumps up into the tree, flying through the air and landing on a branch stomach first, knocking the wind out of him. "What the...guess I got jumpin' as my perk. Kinda' wish I had steel ribs," he groaned, climbing up on top of the branch slowly.

 

Right after Derek jumps up, a couple of ceaders come out and start clawing at the tree. Fox looks over at Derek, "Well, jumping will probably come in handy quite often. Look I don't want to waste ammo, and since you only have one spear, lets just try to wait them out. With my busted ribs, and your messed up arm, we probably can't beat them in hand to hand combat."

 

Derek was now relaxed on the branch, leaning against the tree. "Sounds like a plan. Don't hesitate to shoot if they start climbin' though." I wonder how long it'll take for them to leave he thought.

 

"Don't worry, from the looks of things I don't think they can climb that well. I think they primarily hunt out in the grasslands, so they're aren't that good at dealing with trees. I just wonder how long they're going to stay here. So to kill time, how did you end up getting thrown in prison? You don't seem that dangerous." says Fox.

 

"F**kin' narcs," Derek spat down at the ceaders, hitting one and making it angry. "I was sellin' some MJ to the wrong guy and I got arrested. What about you? You actually do seem a bit dangerous." He smiled.

 

"That's because I am. I have probably killed more people than most of the serial killers that were on that ship, though unlike them, I don't kill for the fun of it. I fight against the government. I am second in command of the rebel faction known as Warriors of Ares. We're the ones that blew up the White House a couple of years ago. Hell, the government is still probably pissed off about that." says Fox with a smile.

 

Derek couldn't help but laugh. "That was you?" He laughed some more. "I threw a party that weekend to commemorate that event." He looked down. The ceaders were still clawing at the tree and making odd grunting noises. "Hey, you wanna toss me a branch? I'll sharpen another one and just start tossin' 'em down."