The Phoenix Colony

Chrys collapses to the ground, and hugs her knees, "Hell, hell on earth, that's where I live,where I've always lived." She mumbles, rocking herself back and forth.

 

Smith tried to take the rifle Ray offered and meet momentary resistance. He knew that they had little meat left and a full sized Doe could bring a lot of meat with it. He held the rifle and considered if he could carry it as weak as he had become from carrying Chrys while lossing blood. Not much blood, but enough to make him a bit dizzy. He figured he could if he had to, but he'd rather Fox was there to watch his back. He wouldn't go alone, he wasn't foolish, they needed him to be bait for the hunt, he couldn't risk his life yet.

 

Fox kneels down infront of Kat and holds onto Kat's shoulders. "Listen Kat, I need you to stay with me. Please don't retreate into your own little world. Trust me, it doesn't help." says Fox.

 

Raylene grabs Chads hand and decides for him. She pulls him into the cave. The others were skinning and gutting the fawn. There'd be food soon. She took him to a corner that wasn't occupied by anyone else and they sat down. She leaned her head against his rocky chest, completely exhasted by the days events.

 

Snippets of Fox's words reach Kat, she floats in limbo...too many lives...she's lived too many lives...she can't save herself..

 

The other two walk back into the cave. Fox shakes Kat a little. "Please....please stay with me. Don't lose to it. Don't let the monster take your humanity. You are better than that. You are too strong and have fought for too long to lose now." says Fox.

 

More words reach Chrys, the movement yanking her away...too many lives lead...too many left dead...

Chrys opens her eyes, meeting Fox's, "I'm scared, I've never been this scared. I don't think I can make this one. I killed, and tasted blood...Fox, I am sooo scared." She cries.

 

Smith wrapped an arm around Ray's shoulders, she was so much stronger than him, he may have been a rock on the outside, but to him she seemed strong. He gently moved some of her har away from her ear and frowned. He had went with them to protect them, and they had both ended up being hurt. Gifts or curse, what ever you decided to call it, it hadn't helped him protect the people he cared about. Chrys was like a sister to him, and he wasn't sure exactly what he felt about her, but her being their comforted him. He wouldn't let her get hurt again. He'd have to talk to her about staying out of the hunt, she wasn't a warrior, or a killer, she didn't need to be put in danger.

 

"You know I can hear you?" Raylene looks up at Chad and gives a weak smile. "I won't be left out of the fight against the beast. You think I'm not a killer," she pauses trying to figure out how she'll say the next part. "I killed my husband and a guard in the prison. I know what I did."

 

He belived she had killed but not that she was a killer. He had only seen her being gentle, he couldn't imagine how horrible her husband had to had been in order to push her that far. He had a habbit of forgetting that before coming here, he had an easy life. Now it seemed that he was being put into their shoes. His attention kept getting draw to her ear. A piece missing, all because he couldn't restrain one person. Some gaurd he was. He wondered about Chrys, he hoped she was doing well. He had failed her too, by letting her get to that raw carcus.

 

"It's not just your fault. I urged her to do it. I thought it would help her appease what was inside. I had no idea that it would get out of control like that." She thought about the other part, about her husband. How could she tell Chad. She didn't want sympathy from him, she wasn't sure exactly what she wanted, or what she could even get from a Rock. "Ask me about the other thing tomorrow. I'm too tired and don't want to have another nightmare."

 

"Kat, um...I mean Chrys, remember earlier when you asked if any of us had a good story. We'll let me tell you one. When I was around sixteen, I got captured by the police. The other members of the W.O.A. were trying to get to me but it was taking them awhile. The police had my hands cuffed behind my back, they figured that that was all they needed to do.

I was sitting there in the back of the station with three officers. One of them was asking why did they have to clean up the governments job, and that they should have just made sure I was dead when my father got arrested. I yelled at him to shut-up but he just backhanded me. When I felt it, I can't describe the feeling that came up inside of me.

I quickly head-butted him. When he fell to the floor, I bit into his neck as hard as I could and tore a chunk out of his neck. I can still remember how his blood tasted. I let the chunk of flesh fall out of my mouth. I turned my eyes to look at the other two as the blood ran down my jaw. I was smiling. I enjoyed killing him. I enjoyed hearing him scream in pain. The other two used their tazers, but it didn't even slow me down. My body was being fueled by pure hatred and bloodlust. I ramed one of them against the wall and bit into his neck also, killing him.

The third one just ran out of the room in fear. That's when my allies found me. Standing there, blood running down my mouth. I began to cry when I realized what I just did.

You're not the only one with a monster inside of you. Even today I still feel it inside of me. I've had a lot of practice in dealing with inner demons, so please don't hesitate to ever ask for my help. I promise you, I won't let your demon defeat you." says Fox. She then hugs Kat as tears begin to fall from her eyes.

 

Chrys can't belive what she's heard....This must be how Chad feels, everytime your life hits rock bottom, you discover that somebody else's is looking for the rock above them... Chrys smiled inwardly at herself, then returned the hug, "Thanks." She said weakly.

 

Smith pulled her tight with the arm he had wrapped around her. His thoughts causeing her even more trouble. It wasn't his right to know her past, he should learn to mind his own busseness. He seemed to have done nothing but caused trouble for everyone since the tribes had murged. Maybe he was one of those members who the tribe was better without. He had promised to stay and would until everyone else realized that how much trouble he was. He knew that she was going to disagree with what he thought but that was why he enjoyed her company, he couldn't hide anything from her, and wouldn't want to anyways. Thanks for being here. He thought as his eye lids began feeling heavy.

 

"I won't ever want you to leave us. And I'm not hiding my past. I'm just too tired tonight." She sighed heavily, content in Chad's arms. The meat smelled heavenly as it cooked, but she was even too tired to eat. She closed her eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.

 

He had know she was going to say that. Ha this mind reading thing ain't so hard he thought as he joked with himself. He leaned his had back against the wall, and allowed his heavy eyelids to shut. He hoped Chrys was better in the morning.

 

Fox stands and wipes the tears from her eyes. "Is there anything you want to talk about?" asks Fox.

 

Chrys looks up, past Fox, and into the darkening sky, "I wish I could talk about home, but I'm forgetting it already. Do you realize we've been here a week? Only a week. In seven days, I became half beast, and turned a year older. I'd love to say that these were my first experiences with death. But, I'm a bad liar."

Chrys pulls herself up against the wall. "Home, I don't want to go home anymore. I have no home...This has become home, and I don't want to lose it."

She kicked a rock, "Yeah, no home. And I don't care like I used to."

 

"Kat, the people here care about you. As long as you're surrounded by the people that love you, you are home. And please don't feel too bad about your body changing. We're all mutants. Hell, we even have a living rock inside of the cave." says Fox with a smile.

 

Chrys looked at Fox, "That may be true, but...I'm not so sure everybody here necesarily wants to be here. And there are quite a few I doubt have love for anyone else. There are some selfish twits here. I'd love to knock them in the head, but that would help nothing." She picked up some strands of grass and began to work at weaving them together.

 

"You're right, there are people that don't want to be here. I sure as hell don't want to stay here. I still plan on going back to Earth somehow. I have too much unfinished business back there to give up on it so quickly. Its been a long day, we should go back inside and try to rest. It will probably do you mind some good." says Fox.

 

Chrys let the grass fal out of her hands, "So would death, but then I'd have to deal with Mom." She staggered into the cave, finding herelf a dark crevice to curl up in. "So would death." She said to herself as her eyes closed.

 

Fox walks into the cave and lays next to Kat. "Check out the love birds. Don't make the same mistake me and Brit did guys, tell each other how you feel before its too late." whispers Fox as she looks at Chad and Raylene cuddled in the back of the cave.

 

Raylene woke, still being held by Chad. She touched her ear tenderly. It had stopped bleeding and formed a thick scab. The ointment in the pod sure was magical stuff. She stood and went outside to relieve herself. She passed the 2 night watch guards and said a friendly good morning. She walked a distance from the cave for a bit of privacy and proceded to do what she needed to do. A small rodent scurried out of the bushes near her, followed by a rabbit. That's strange, she thought.

 

Smith awoke by hisself. He streatched back and let out a long yawn, before realizing that the face plate must have moved back in his sleep. "Hey I can talk again." he said and was about to try and smile but stopped himself he didn't know what muscles would trigger it back into place. He looked around the cave, most everyone was still sleeping, but Ray was no where to be seen, he hoped she hadn't gone to far, as he stood up and grabbed a fruit for breakfast. Joey was laying fast asleep with the food. She didn't move around much anymore. He scratched her head and she opened her eyes chirped at him and then went back to sleep.