Futuristic No Church in the Wilds

[ChristalynChaos]

No Church in the Wilds Lore ~

Citizens are finally fed up with the "Council" that governs their "Town" and revolt. May or may not be large scale. Currently planned for a single city that is on lockdown. No one gets in or out without special credentials. -- Deliveries for goods such as food, clothing, and other essentials are screened by the "council" first and the driver's are not allowed into the city. Goods will be transferred by council sanctioned individuals. Non-Essential items are not being accepted. There is a strong "military" presence on the streets during the day, increased at night. Citizens must keep their ID on hand at all times -- consequences of being caught without it include "Detention" -- lock up for 48 hours, "Isolation" -- solitary for 96 hours (up to three times), and finally "Deportation" -- transferal to a labor camp / prison. People act out often, though nothing major has happened yet. The council fears what may happen in the future due to the growing unrest. They are greedy assholes who care only for their station and power. The citizens are working class and should be treated as such. Even those that are a bit more well-to-do, are also having problems with the council requiring exuberant "protection" fees--40% of their monthly income. The working class pay 35% for their protection fees. Those who don't pay seem to experience.... unfortunate and COSTLY accidents -- such as a destroyed business, home invasions and robberies, along with wonton destruction, etc.

 

[little-alien]

Norman scoffed as he went to climb the never ending ladder. The ladder stretched all the way into the sky, leading to his watch tower. He had become very familiar with this place now, his own little sanctuary. From the cold metal bars to the tiny chair sitting at the top, it was the only thing he had that was his. His home for the past two years. After the council gave him a second chance, or more likely a deal, he was thankful to just be alive. The Council usually never made a deal like this, giving someone a second trial. Norman figured they were just short staffed at the prison and since he never did anything extremely criminal, they told him if he worked for them he could possibly get another chance for his freedom. However, Norman highly doubted he would ever be free. Even if he wasn’t at the prison, the Council own everyone and everything here.

With one more bar, Norman now reached the top of the tower with a pant. Even though he considered himself healthy and fit, he would never get used to this exhausting climb. Everyday, twice a day, for two years and he still struggled to catch his breath. As he wiped the beam of sweat off his forehead, he threw the heavy weaponry off his shoulder. Each tower had a box in it full with ammo, if anyone ever happen to need it. Each guard would be handed a rifle as soon as they arrived to the prison. However, Norman was different and they didn’t trust him with a gun at all times. He would receive his rifle at the beginning of his shift and had to return it as soon as he made it back down the ladder. He had no protection here from the staff or the prisoners when he wasn’t working. He knew no one cared about his safety or, or anyone’s, so he kept to himself as much as he could.

It was scorching hot in the tower that day, sun beaming down as the clock hit noon. Norman noticed only a few prisoners out in the fields that morning, none of them looking too eager to pull some stunt. He plopped himself down on the chair, positioning the rifle next to him for easy reach and let out a relaxing sigh. He never once had to use the rifle and he was very thankful for it. Honestly, he didn’t know what he would do if he had a runner. The thought of taking an innocent life disturbed him to his core. But these people weren’t innocent, right? They had to be in prison for something bad, right? Norman pondered as he pushed the thoughts away and turned his attention back to the fields. Just another day, he thought.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

It was hot. Too hot. Sweat poured down Arabella's face, dripping off her nose and sizzling upon the barren land of the Thorn Council's Detention Camp. Her hand was blistered and burned from days spent mining ore with a metal pick-axe heated by the sun. Her feet were also blistered because the Thorn Council took her shoes for talking back to the guards during a mandatory lock down. An odd punishment, but when the land was barren, burning hot, and filled with prickle weeds, it becomes a cruel and unusual method to break one's spirit. As Arabella swung her hammer, she vowed her hatred for the council was stronger than anything they could throw at her. Sweat began to drip into her eyes, blurring her vision. "At this rate, I will die before they release me from this hell-hole." She took another swing at the ore, bits of rock splattering out and kicking up dust around her. "If I die.... No, It's not an option. The people of Thorn City need me."

Arabella stopped for a moment, wiping her forehead sweat against her dirty, forearm. "Get back to work. It's not time for a break." She looked over to see one of the foreman staring directly at her. She rolled her eyes and went to spit on the ground. Her mouth was dry, however, and nothing came out. The foreman, however, didn't care. He was quickly closing the distance between them and the look in his eye made Arabella nervous. "You are really pushing your luck here, Girl." He grinned wickedly. "We've taken your shoes, your recreation hours, you're already stuck in isolation.... The only thing left is violence." He grabbed the club that was hanging from his belt loop. "I'll be careful not to damage that pretty face of yours."

"I don't think so. The Thorn Council thinks it can just walk all over us civvies, but I won't let them. Someone has to stop them." Arabella clenched her fists, her foot sliding along the dirt as she got into a fighting stance. The foreman only smiled as he went after her with his club. She avoided the first hit, managing to get a few punches in before he managed to get another swing in. She could feel the air leave her lungs as the club connected with her stomach. She soon after coughed up a little blood, falling to her knees as she wheezed. The world was blinding and she just wanted to sleep. Still, she managed to grab the club as the foreman went to hit her with it again, wrenching it from his hands and tossing it aside. "I am.... not going to die here." She grabbed the foreman and managed to get him into a stranglehold, slowly choking the air from him. Her goal wasn't to kill him, but to knock him out. As he slumped in her grip, she moved him to the shadows.

There were a few bonuses to being in Isolation. The first was that her work area outside was out of view of the main guard towers. She only had the foreman and a few other prisoners in isolation to contend with. Foreman out of the way, she looked towards the prisoners. They were life and broken, mining away without a thought in their empty heads. Arabella sighed. She hated to see her people like that. Some of the prisoners here were neighbors, classmates, and simply shop keeps. People she'd grown up with and people she had come to know in passing. With a grit of her teeth, she broke out into run, hopping her isolation fence and breaking into the open area. The guard towers surrounded her and she knew it all it would take was one shot. One kill order. But she was already dead if she didn't try. All that mattered was that she escaped. She had to take the fight to the council. She had to save her people.

 

[little-alien]

Norman, already getting bored of staring at nothing for two hours, turned his attention to the more secluded areas. He couldn't really see far into that section, but he heard a commotion going on. It was faint, but he was sure he heard a few struggling voices and he picked his rifle up with caution. He scanned the area through the scope, not seeing anything unusual at first. It was just a dirty area where people were mining, the rest blocked by a building in front. As soon as he was about to drop his gun, that's when he saw her. A younger girl bolting out of the isolation gate and heading to the main fields that trailed off for miles. Norman felt his heart race, his finger lightly wrapped around the trigger. He knew this day would come but he never felt so scared in his life.

It was like time slowed down, watching the girl as she placed one foot in front of the other, her face filled with fear or adrenaline. Each time her chest rose and fell, Norman could feel his heart beating out of his chest. He couldn't do this, he couldn't kill someone. Dragging him from his thoughts, the radio went off with a loud buzz, a messaging playing after.

Prisoner on the run from isolation, heading toward the south tower. Norman do you have her in your view?

Norman could feel the sweat dripping down his neck, his scope lined up with her perfectly as she moved.

Norman, repeat, do you have the shot? Take her down now.

"I see her, engaging now," he spoke in a shaky voice, not sure what to do at this point.

The council demanded over the radio, threatening Norman with words he blocked out. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, aiming just a tiny inch above the girl's head, and fired a warning shot. The fire echoed through the empty fields, gaining the attention of every other prisoner in the field. Some of them weren't phased by it, others running inside with screams.

Fuck, Fuck, Fuck! Norman thought to himself, seeing the girl not even hesitating. She was getting too close to the edge, knowing if she went much farther Norman wouldn't be able to reach her. He lined up the sight again, resting the small cross on the back of the girl's head. However, he cursed under his breath as he quickly threw the gun back on his shoulders. He quickly moved to the ladder, tightly wrapping his hands around the side as he slid down the ladder. He couldn't take the time to climb down this tower so he held on tight and hoped he make it to the bottom without a broken leg. Once his feet meet with the ground, landing safely and unharmed, he shouted to the lady with all of his voice.

"STOP RIGHT NOW. I WILL SHOOT YOU DOWN IF YOU KEEP MOVING, PLEASE." He almost pleaded, charging in the direction she went. If he couldn't kill her, he had to at least stop her. Every time his foot met the earth, it sent a pounding vibration in the dirt. He was very tall and physically healthy, moving like the speed of lighting. He could see the girl a few feet ahead now, only slowing down enough to fire another warning shot closer to her feet this time.

"THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE, STOP OR YOU WILL BE KILLED" He screamed again, begging she would listen to him. He thought about what he would say to the council, not killing the prisoners when they ran was a huge no-no. He could get killed himself for doing this; however, he planned to tell them his gun jammed and went to take care of with his own hands. Weather is was believable or not, at least he had a plan.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

The first shot rang in Arabella's ears. Adrenaline kept her from being frozen in fear. Her chest was burning as she continued to run. Her bare feet came down upon a rather sharp rock and she stumbled, cursing under her breath. Still, she caught herself and pushed through the pain, pressing every forward. She couldn't stop now. She had already signed her own death warrant. "STOP RIGHT NOW. I WILL SHOOT YOU DOWN IF YOU KEEP MOVING, PLEASE!" Arabella looked back to noticed one of the tower guards chasing her. His black hair obscured his face as he ran after but she could tell he was sweating just as much as she was in this heat. Regardless, he was in better shape than her and seemed to gaining on her quickly.

"THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE, STOP OR YOU WILL BE KILLED!"

Arabella's chest felt like it was on fire now and her legs were turning to jelly. The cut on her foot from the rock was bleeding and she was still in pain from her fight with the foreman. She felt like she was dead already. She knew the Council though, and this guard would sure be disciplined for letting a rebel of her caliber escape. Against her better judgement she stopped, doubling over and gripping her knees as she tried to catch her breath. If she could convince him to let her go, she had a chance, That was her only chance. She had to explain what was stake. He had to understand. It was obvious he wasn't a regular council thug, after all, he shot to warn not to kill. Perhaps he'd listen to her.

She continued to take several deep breaths before he was close for her to see his face. On the other hand, he could see hers. Her chocolate skin was colored with dirt and blood, her grey eyes weak but shining with defiance. Her crimson red hair, obviously dyed because her natural brown roots were showing, was tangled and matted from sweat. She was the poster girl for a dirty, disheveled, rebel. She stood to her full height of 5'6 and puffed out her chest, trying to seem bigger than she was. "Well, I stopped. What do you plan to do with me now?" Her nostrils flared as she waited for his answer. She'd give him his illusion of being in charge before she tried to persuade him to let her go.

 

[little-alien]

Fear was keeping Norman moving, the endless thoughts of what was going to happened to him frighten him to his core. He couldn't think clearly, his fear turning into a pure rage when he saw the woman slowing down. He couldn't die, he couldn't die, he had to follow orders. Even though the girl stopped, Norman was still running in full sprint with no intention to stop. He was going to take her down, with his body or his gun, he had to make a final decision. The closer he got the more he got to see of the shorter girl, her red hair blinding against the sun beaming down on it. She looked so exhausted, dirt covering her from head to toe and there was blood trailing around her ankle in a tiny pool.

He couldn't describe his anger right now, angry at everyone and everything that surrounded him. Before she had time to think, not responding to her words, Norman quickly charged at her and tackled her to the ground with a strong force. He was straddling her, easily pinning her fragile body down with the weight of his own. Once again, he brought his rifle up and right between her eyes, pressing it firmly against her skull. Come on Norman, you have to fucking do this. Don't chicken out, it's her or you. Come on you fucker! He thought to himself, staring into the helpless girl's eyes. She was so young, so innocent, just like he was. Norman didn't belong here, and neither did she. How could he kill someone when he was in the same boat as them?

"God DAMNIT. ARGH!" Norman yelled out in frustration, his hands shaking with his finger against the trigger. He stayed there for a moment longer before lowering the rifle. He couldn't do it, he'd rather take his own life than someone else's. He threw the gun to the side and rolled over off of her, cursing to himself over and over as he sat in the dirt. He couldn't believe what was happening, his heart beating too loud for him to think clearly. In a matter of minutes, they were both going to be a goner. It would only take a few minutes before the other guards came running out and killed them both. He turned his rage-filled glare to the woman, panting heavily trying to catch her breath.

"Why the fuck would you do this? Why couldn't you had just stayed! Now you killed us both you know that?" He spat out in a worried, but angry tone, slowly starting to catch his own breath. There was a small cloud of dirt that surrounded them due to the little scuffle, making it harder to breathe at the moment. He held his head in his hands as he rattled for an explanation, anything he could do right now.

"Why do I have to die too now!? Cause I'm not a killer. I'm not a fucking killer and now I'm going to get killed because of it," His words kept spilling out, his blood pressure rising as was his temper. He tried to rack his brain around a solution, almost ready to give up in defeat. He probably would have died here anyway, he pondered.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Arabella was not pleased to see that the man didn't stop running. Before she could prepare, the man tackled her to the ground. The force of him crashing into was another to take her breath away a second time in less than ten minutes. As they collapsed on the ground, her head struck the dirt. black spots began to obscure her vision and there was a ringing in her ears. Her head was pounding in pain as she lay there, the man straddling her, his gun aimed right between her eyes. When she could focus, she stared back at him defiantly. She always knew the price to pay when you went again the Council. She was ready to pay the price when the stranger screamed in frustration and rolled off of her, sitting in the dirt frustrated. She could feel the waves of heat radiating from his person as he fumed. After a moment, her turned his rage on her.

Why the fuck would you do this? She blinked in confusion. Was he serious? Why would she do this? She slowly sat up in the dirt, wiping her clothes down, not that it mattered. The fabric was dirty and torn. The wear and tear had seeped into the fabric and it was so thin it was barely working to cover her for modesty sake anymore. "Why did I do this," she asked him, interrupting his rant. She raised a hand to point where they had just run from. "That is why. Do you know who those people are? Shop keeps who refused to pay protection fees and challenged the Council. Young men who fought off the councils goons trying to protect their families. Those are normal people like me.... and like you," Arabella continued calmly. "These people are just trying to live on their own terms and the Council is afraid of that idea. Why do you think they are so harsh in terms of putting down rebellions.... I have to save these people."

She stood to her feet, wincing. "I am leaving this place or I will die trying. You want to stop me. Pull the damn trigger and let the council know they've won." Arabella turned on her heel, a rare breeze blowing past and whipping through her long, albeit matted hair. She inhaled and enjoyed the cool breeze for the split second it lasted. "I'm leaving now. Come with me, stay here, shoot me; I care not." She took a few steps forward, almost expecting to be shot. When nothing happened she took several more deliberate steps, slowly making her way for the edge of the detention camp. She could see the fence in view. All she had to do was climb it and she'd be free. "I must escape," she whispered, clenching her fist. She broke into a run, charging for the fence. As she grew closer, she noticed one small problem. The fence was covered in barbed wire. If she wanted to climb that fence, she was going to have to bleed to do so. The people of Thorn City were worth it. If she had to bleed for their freedom, she was prepared to do so.

 

[little-alien]

Norman listened to her speak with his head still in his hands, never looking up at her again. At that moment he was overwhelmed with emotions, embarrassed for not completing the task, feared for his life, confused at the guilt twisting his gut. He didn't know what to do and he was running out of time. He hardly noticed she was walking away until he glanced ahead of him, spotting a slight glare up from his watchtower. A glare he was way too familiar with. No. No No NO. Adrenaline fired up inside of him once again, turning to run for the girl. He turned his brain off and let the 6 months of Prison Guard Training take over him. He couldn't think, feel, or waste his time. He had to focus, look for exits, find all entry points, and find all enemies and be smart. His feet moved faster than ever had before, moving in a curvy line as one bullet flew beside him and exploded dirt in his face. Before the girl could get too far away, he reached out and gripped her arm toward him.

"If you want to escape, don't go for the most guarded fence in here. They are going to shoot us, keep up with me or I'll carry you," He stated quickly, charging in the complete opposite way they had come from with his hand tightly on her wrist. He knew the fields like the back of his mind, knowing every crevice, curve, valley and secret entrance. It was his job to sit here and stare at it all day every day. The only problem was, this was an open field for a mile before there was anywhere to hide. Norman knew he could run a mile easily, his quickest time was seven minutes and twenty-eight seconds. They just had to make it for seven minutes and twenty-eight seconds.

Using logic, Norman never went in a straight line making every curve and turn which sent burning pains up his thighs. Another line of fire shot toward them, spitting the dirt up in another cloud around them. He worried about the girl, remembering the blood on her foot from before and hoped she could keep up. He didn't want to yank her up in his arms, scared shed tried to fight back and just sent them tumbling down, so he waited for her to signal she needed help.

One minute down.

Norman's chest was on fire, the sun burning down on him as he sprinted for his life. He made a left, sharp right, left, sharp right, dodging the bullets by just seconds as they fired. He knew the guard's tactics, where they would shoot, and how they were trained. He still couldn't see anything but open field ahead, praying for the cliff wall to appear that knew was around somewhere.

Two minutes down.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Eyes on the fence, Arabella almost let out an audible scream as his hand closed around her arm, pulling her back. Before she could yank it free, his words made it to her ears. She had no reason to trust the man who was going to shoot her, but then again, she was still breathing. She nodded silently, following the pattern he ran in. It was odd to her and high disorienting. Left, sharp right, let, sharp right. She tried to keep up but she was growing almost too weak to keep moving. Stubborn, the girl pushed on, her lungs starting to burn once more. They ran for several minutes before she tripped over own feet, tumbling to the ground.

She quickly tried to hop back up to her feet, but the pain that shot up from her ankle was unbearable. A holler of pain escaped her lips as she fell back to the ground. The stranger still her arm so she looked up at him, her eyes fearful as she placed her trust in him completely. "I think I twisted my ankle, I can't.... I can't run anymore," she said through tears, crying in frustration. She hated depending on someone else but she couldn't afford to die here and he had offered his help to begin with. Weakly, she stood up on her good foot, keeping the sprained ankle lifted gently from the ground. "Please, I am trusting you," she whispered softly, hanging her head.

"Help me," she pleaded.

 

[little-alien]

Two Minutes Down.

Norman's paced never stopped, learning how to push through the firey feeling in his lungs and focused on his breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In through the nose, out through the mouth. He was slowly bringing his heart rate down enough to push his legs harder and faster again, keeping control over his breathing all the way.

Three Minutes Down.

In the far distance, the huge rock wall came into view, towered over the fence and everything around them. The fence stopped when it hit the rock wall, no need for a fence when nature provided them with one. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Four more minutes and they would make it. He tried to keep himself positive, if not for himself for the innocent girl behind him That was when he felt a quick jerk from his hand, the girl's arm sliding from his grip as she went down with a scream. He quickly glanced up, looking out for the glares of a rifle aiming at them before sliding his feet in the dirt to a stop. Shit. He cursed under his breath and he changed his direction, running over to the helpless girl. At one look, he could see her ankle was sprained, maybe even broken. With a quick motion, like the girl weighed no more than a feather, Norman swooped her up in his sweaty arms and continued his same speed heading for the wall. Being a guy, for the sightless moment, his eyes wandered to her clothes that were torn to shred, noticing very intriguing body parts. Not the time for that. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Even though he kept up the same speed, sprinting with loud stomps, his breath was coming out in heavy pants now.

Four Minutes Down.

The guards never gave up, sending rounds after rounds, each bullet getting closer to them. Norman couldn't help but start to slow down, not used to carrying the extra weight, no matter how light the girl was. It was different from him carrying his own weight and could possibly affect his time.

Five Minutes Down.

The last round of shots were way too close for comfort, hearing the guards shout obscurities to them. For a split moment, Norman didn't know if they would make it.

Six Minutes Down.

Not being as lucky, of course in his last minute of the mile, he heard the fire echo through the air as it planted itself firmly in Norman's left arm. He stumbled a bit, losing his grip on the girl before screaming through the pain, he couldn't lose now. The wall was so close and he saw the small cave in the distance. His arm was like a wildfire, pain sneaking its way in through his whole body. His lungs ached, his legs hardly held himself up and his arm was shaking in pain, ready to give out any moment. He gripped onto the smaller girl, pushing all of his weight down with each footstep, praying he could make it one more minute.

Seven Minutes Down.

As soon as he reached the small entrance of the cave, his legs gave out and he went tumbling down, losing his grip on the girl as she went down with him. His breath came out in loud, unsteady grunts as he gripped his arm. He felt his whole body shaking with fear, adrenaline, pain, he could hardly stay focused on anything at the moment. Find the wound. Check for an exit hole. If it's still in there, you have to act fast and get it out. Norman talked himself through the panic, using his right hand to scan for an exit wound. He could cry when he found nothing, only one entrance wound; the bullet was still in there.

"Fuck."

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Arabella's eyes widened as the man scooped her up. She tried to make herself a smaller target by curling up in his arms, resting her head on his chest. His heart was thundering. She bit her lower lip and her fists gripped his clothes gently, keeping a hold on him as he ran with her in his arms. Tears were still falling down her cheeks, but for once she had a chance to catch her breath since this whole escape began. As shots got closer, Arabella began to worry. Would they make it? Would they survive? Was there a chance he'd die while he tried to save her? It was a grisly thought, but a possibility none the less. Just as this thought crossed her mind, she heard the gunshot.

Her face frozen with fear as he blood splashed across her face. She could feel his grip loosen as his screams of pain echoed through the emptiness. Regardless, he pushed forward. Whether it was own sheer will to live or her impassioned speech hit a nerve, she didn't care. She prayed, for his sake, they made it wherever he was trying to reach. Her eyes closed, her grip on his shirt tightened. Maybe if she held on tight enough she could alleviate some of the pain from carrying her. Thankfully, they didn't have much farther to run. As they entered the cool mouth of the cave, he collapsed upon the stone floor, bringing her down with him. She rolled a little bit away from him due to the force of the collapse. Stale water rippled as her fingers found the edge of a small pool.

Slowly, she sat up, rubbing her head. "Fuck." She looked over to see the man gripping his wounded arm. He looked to be in a lot of pain and unhappy about something. She wanted to thank him. She wanted to express feelings she had no words for, but it seemed like a bad time. She bit her lip and turned to look at the stale water. OF course, it was not safe to drink, despite her parched throat, however it was perfectly safe for her to rinse her hands off in. The cool water was a godsend and she splashed it upon her face, washing some of the dirt and grime away. She shifted to get a good look at her feet. The cut from the rock was deep, but wouldn't need stitches. Her ankle was badly sprained but at the very least, not broken.

Her eyes drifted to the former guard once more. "You were shot, right?" Ignoring her injuries for a moment, she tore some fabric from her shirt, exposing her midriff. "I can help." Using the fabric, she created a tourniquet, tying it tightly about his arm just above the shot wound. The pressure was probably putting him in a lot of pain, but she knew that the bullet was still lodged in his flesh. She looked about the cave for something sharp, but could find nothing. "Do you have a blade I can use to take the bullet out? If not, I will have to press it out with my fingers.... It will hurt but...." She looked at the floor, unsure what to say. She wasn't even sure the man wanted or needed or help after what she had done. Her actions had changed the entire course of his life -- and so far not for the better.

 

[little-alien]

Norman groaned in pain, scooting himself across the rocky floor until he was out of the open and a little deeper in the cave, hoisting himself up in a sitting position against the cave wall. The damp and cool rock felt relaxing against his back, for a moment, releasing some of the tension in his body. However, he was starting to feel slightly dizzy, still finding it hard to catch his breath. He knew they needed to move deeper into the cave, the guards knew about this place too, but at this moment they had a bigger problem on their hands.

He wanted to push her away when she wrapped the shirt around him, not liking help from people, but the amount of pain he was in it didn't matter anymore. He knew what had to happen and boy, it was going to hurt like hell.

"Yes, I need you to dig in my boot, find," He paused, still panting heavily, "Find the small knife. I need you to get the bullet out, please." Norman asked, glancing around his surroundings once more to see if anyone had caught up to them. He rested his head against the cool rock, closing his eyes as he tried to steady his breath. Even though he had run that mile before in seven minutes, that was when he first joined the Prison Guards. That was the last time he ran that mile. Norman chuckled lightly at the thought, trying to find the light at this moment.

"You know, I haven't run like that since I joined, and now your stripping for me," He paused with a sarcastic chuckle, his breath slowly returning back to normal, "I never thought I'd be in this situation." Norman, despite being stubborn and cold-hearted sometimes, he couldn't give up an opportunity to be a sarcastic asshole. He always loved to crack a joke and now being stuck in a prison for two years, it turned him into The Sarcastic Asshole.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Arabella was not pleased she had to go digging in a boot -- she found feet to be vile and disgusting -- however, this was a situation in which she couldn't afford to be squeamish. As her fingers unthreaded his boot laces, he seemed to shift into a more lax position. It only took a moment for her to fish out the knife but she has to pause as his continued ramblings caught her attention. "Stripping? For you?" She scoffed. "Don't make me laugh...." Her voice trailed off as she looked down at the knife. He was in this situation because of her.

"I'm. I'm sorry you were the one that got dragged into this. I am sorry you had a heart and didn't shoot me. I am sorry you are bleeding from being shot in the cold little cave with me." She took the knife and carefully began to dig the tip into the gun wound. The bullet hadn't gone too terribly far into his arm thankfully and she could feel the tip of it with the knife. "This is going to smart." She pushed the knife under the bullet and pried it out. It fell onto the cave floor with a soft clink of metal on stone. she untied the tourniquet and used the same strip of cloth as a bandage, tying off the wound. "There you go. Should be good as new soon enough." refusing to test her luck standing up, she pulled herself across the stone floor to quietly take care of her own injuries. Ripping another strip from her top, she began to bandage the cut on her foot. She knew her ankle needed a splint but there wasn't really anything she could use to make one. Instead she tore some of the thicker fabric from her pants and simply wrapped it around her ankle tightly.

She looked to the pool of water and lay across the stone floor, dipping her fingers into and enjoying it's coolness. "I understand if this where we part ways," she began, unsure whether or not he was listening. She looked over to him from her spot on the ground. "I really appreciate what you did for me. I can't apologize anymore than I already have, nor can I ask anymore of you in good conscience." Arabella paused for a moment. "You know they will consider you an enemy to the council.... You could.... You could come with me. We could take the council down together." Another pause. "I realize I don't know what to call you. My name is Arabella. You are?"

 

[little-alien]

"That was the whole point, to make you la-" Norman's retort was cut off as an intense pain shot up his arm, causing him to groan out in pain. He tried to keep quiet as the knife dug around in his arm, biting his other hand to keep from yelling. For a slight moment, he thought he may faint in pain, his vision fading slightly before he heard the girl mumble something again.

"AHH, what the fuck!" Norman shouted out when he felt the knife shoved deeper in his arm, banging his fist against the wall of the cave. He heard the clink of the bullet fall out on the ground, blood splattering around it. His arm was shaking in pain, involuntary tears filling his eyes as the girl put the clothing tightly around the wound. He knew this would be okay for now, but he had to get it cleaned up or it would get infected. No matter how badly he didn't want to think about it, he would have to go back into the prison to get a med-kit. From the state of him and the look of the girl's ankle, they needed that med-kit.

"Look, you don't need to apologize. We don't have time for sorries at the moment, and I don't accept them." He stated with a weak grin, eyeing the girl's foot as she started to bandage herself up. "And don't be silly, you aren't going anywhere on that foot tonight. Not without a splint at least," He replied, keeping his head rested against the wall for a few more seconds before finally pushing himself into a standing position.

"Norman," He replied, trying his best to hold a smile for her and not let his eyes wander too far down. "Now, there is a smaller cave deeper down in here, the guards will be after us soon, so we need to try to make it up there. The only problem is, we have to climb up," He stated with a little bit of disappointment in his voice, motioning to his arm that it would be very painful to rock climb right now.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Norman. Norman? It wasn't the name she was expecting, but she enjoyed the sound of it all the same. His concern for her health was noted and logged in the back of her mind as she focused on the present concern. For a moment, Arabella thought she caught his eyes wandering, but she wasn't sure. Given the fact he probably saved her life she let it pass, her eyes shifting to the rock wall. Her arms were weak from swinging that pick axe in the sun, but at the same time they were also well toned from the muscles that required. An idea popped into her head. "It will be rough with my foot and ankle but what if I climb up first and find something to use like rope. Such as some vines or something. I am sure there are some form of plant fibers up there in the shade we can try and hoist you up with."

She slowly stood to her feet, wobbling in pain as her eyes watered. She took a tender step forward. The bandages wrapped tightly around her ankle were doing their job for the moment. She took another few steps forward, lining herself up with a good foothold to try and make her way up. "Unless you want to be the big macho man and attempt to climb up their with your wounded arm." Arabella stole a glance at him with a mischievous smile. "If so, I will gladly hold onto you and ride up the wall on your back." To assert the fact she was joking, she carefully began to scale the wall, giggling to herself as she did.

Her feminine frame seemed to accentuate itself as she climbed. Her hips swayed in a subtle manner as she tried to shimmy up the wall, her female curves revealing themselves with each little she made to reach a ledge just out of reach. Finally, she reached the top, collapsing with a heavy pant. After a moment, she shifted to see if he was fallowing or if she needed to gather something to help pull him up.

 

[little-alien]

Even though the pain, Norman cracked a smile as she started her way up the wall. He tried to bark in stop her, telling her it would not help her ankle, but she had already started her ascension. Worry picked him apart inside, looking from the old field behind them to Arabella struggling up the wall. No matter what happened, he really didn't think there was a way for him to get up there. From the looks of Arabelle, Norman slightly studying her body as she climbed, she was toned but not enough to pull a 200-pound man of pure muscle up this wall.

"For your information, I am the Macho Man. I got shot for you, ya know?" He replied, hoping she wouldn't take it badly and blame herself, that was defiantly not the reaction he was going for. Before he could respond again a vicious cough came from the back of his throat, guessing some of the dirt clouds found a new home in his lungs. He finally got himself up on two legs, holding his left arm tightly to his chest as he looked back at Arabella. He couldn't help but notice the slight movement of her hips, seeing each curve strain as she moved higher and higher. From where he was standing, and due to her now crop-top, he could faintly see the back of a bra strap against her skin.

After that, he quickly turned away, feeling as it was too intruding for him to see this of a stranger and turned his attention to the small pond of water. He bent down and with his right hand, splashed some of the water against his face. He had already planned out what he was going to do next, knowing Arabella would not be a fan of it, but he had no other choice.

"Arabella," he called out softly, glancing back up once she was at the top, "I, I don't think I can make it up there right now, and you aren't going to be able to make it on that foot. Neither will I with this arm, it will get infected. Now there is a med-kit back at my watchtower, I think I can make it back there once night falls, but you have to stay there." He finished with a slight sorrow smile.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Arabella watched with veiled interest as Norman splashed water on his face. The water clung to bits of his dark hair, obscuring the eyes she had only briefly been able to actually look into. As he turned back to her, she looked away nonchalantly, only returning her gaze when he called out her name. She didn't like why. "Wait, what. No. You want to go back.... You want to leave me here alone and go back. No, that's ridiculous. I won't allow it." She huffed angrily, knowing full well there was no way she could stop him, especially if he really wanted to. She rolled on the stone floor, managing to sit up without hurting her ankle.

Norman was a stranger, no doubt about that, but after a year of isolation, she dreaded being alone again. She looked down at her hands folded in her lap and sighed quietly. "I understand. If that is what you must do, that is what you must do." She pulled her knees to her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. Not from any physical, but the wound in heart as looked forward to being alone again. "I will wait here," she said through the tears, trying to hide the fact she was crying. "Not like I have anywhere else to go."

Arabella curled into herself more, holding her own body tightly. There, there, she imagined her grand-father saying. Everything will be alright my child. I know your great-great grandfather got us into this mess, and I know your great-grandfather may have killed your father. But we Thorn's are survivors. We will make it out of this. We will set our people free. She lowered her head and sat in the shadow silence, blocking out the world as she cried silently, the burned on her shoulders too great for handle amidst all the pain from her escape attempt.

 

[little-alien]

Norman stared up at her for a second, seeing her facial expression change immediately at his response. At first, he was a little shocked that she would be so upset or worried about his well being, they hardly knew each other. But then he felt the sadness through her words, thinking back to where she had run from; isolation. She had been alone for god knows how long. That was his plan, however, to begin with, get her to climb up the wall so she couldn't come down or try to follow him, she couldn't try to stop him. He felt the pain throbbing through his arm and he knew he had to do this if they were going to run for it, he had to be smart about it.

"I'm not going to leave you, I promise. It will just be a couple of hours and I can run faster on my own, I know these guards," He spoke softly trying to reassure the worried girl. After that, he quickly left the cave, not wanting to see or feel the sorrow on his face. He would be fine. He could do this. He told himself over and over as he inched out into the sunset fields without a second glance back. The sun was starting to go down, faint lights hardly lighting up the sky, and he scanned the area while crouched behind one of the rocks in the entranceway.

There was one watchtower to the north of him, seeing at least three men up the with rifles ready. Two guards had small flashlights pacing along the fence, hardly visible to Norman, where Arabella had tried to make her way too. He sighed in frustration, knowing it was going to be a hard and long journey to his own watchtower. When he found the right moment, throwing his shoes off to help him be quieter, he sprinted off behind the safety of the cave.

Now that he only had himself to worry about, he was moving at a fast but steady speed, wanting to keep his energy up for the hike back. The dirt felt cold against his callused feet, the night breeze feeling amazing as he swayed through the open field. Norman was making incredible time, seeing his tower not too far from him now, but stopping abruptly when he spotted them.

Shit.

There was one guard in his tower, fully alert and ready to take down a bull. He had to think quickly, standing there like a deer in headlights as he racked his brain for an answer. He turned into a sprint, heading straight for his tower as his plan formed in his head. The guard was focused on the gate in the distance, keeping an eye out on his squad that was searching with the flashlights. This was his time to shine, not hesitating anymore. He would either be killed trying or be killed standing there, he had to take a chance.

With his shoes off, the ladder didn't creak or groan underneath the weight of him. He was inching up the long ladder in dead silence, struggling to get his arm above him with each prong, praying the guard wouldn't change his attention to below him. As Norman crept up to the top of the ladder, his head hardly peaking above to see the familiar face in front of him. He knew the guard, had worked many shifts with him but bit back the guilt of what he was about to do. In one steady and quick motion, he hopped up on the platform behind the man. Without any hesitation, Norman wrapped his lean arms around the guy's throat and pulled back with an intense snap. The guard fell down to the cold metal, his limp body thudding against the floor. He was dead. Norman had killed him.

Before he could let emotion or reality hit in, Norman started to search his tower from top to bottom. He grabbed the small bag, filling it up with all the emergency stashes in the towers; water bottles, a med-kit, protein bars, and lastly, a pistol. Before he went to descend, Norman looked at the lifeless eyes of his fellow friend. Even though he knew the Council was corrupted, they were murders, he had caused this. He ended someone's life. Norman was a guard here too, what if Jake, the guy on the ground, had the same deal that he had? Norman pushed the thought away, tears betraying his vision as he left the cold body there, alone.

He tried to slide down the ladder like he once did before, backpack wrapped around his shoulders tightly, but a sharp pain interrupted him as he fell. His head crashed against the rough surface, almost knocking him out into complete darkness. Arabella. Cave. Guards. Jake. These thoughts pulled norman from his trance, groggily getting up on his two feet. His whole body ached and he didn't know how long he was laying for, but he at get up. Come on, get up. He groaned in pain as he became aware of his surroundings, looking for the wall in the distance. Once again, he started his seven-minute count.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

The cave was quiet; mostly. The only sound was the soft sound of Arabella breathing as she slept on the cave floor. The woman was curled up into a ball, trying to conserve her body heat. A shiver ran down her spine and she rolled over. This was her pattern for ten minutes before she sat up. It had only been thirty minutes since Norman left the cave but Arabella was almost sure that he should be back soon. She yawned and carefully crawled to the edge of the cave wall, peeking down. All that met her gaze was darkness. Her fingers curled tightly around the edge in worry.

"Norman, where are you," she whispered into the nothingness. It was a bad time for it. A beam of light flashed into the cave and she quickly shrunk back into the shadows. "I could have sworn I heard a voice just now." Arabella held her breath, waiting for the beam of light to disappear. Footsteps followed shortly after, sadly into the cave, not out. Arabella clenched her fists, still holding her breath. The footsteps stopped. She swallowed a lump of air, taking a slow breath in. "I know you are in here, Girl.... Make this easy on yourself.... You know we don't want to kill you." Arabella bit down on her lower lip so hard it began to bleed.

"How dare you taunt me," she said, shaking with anger. "You people killed my father.... You cursed my grandfather to his dying breath! You are NOT my family." Weakly she stood onto her sprained ankle, looking down at the guard. He whistled up at her form in the darkness as he flashed the light in her direction. "The Thorn Council will learn to take me seriously." Despite the pain she was feeling, she sprinted off the edge of the rock wall, leaping into the air. The guards eyes widened as he saw her sailing through the the air. She crashed right on top of him, knocking him to the ground where they began to fight. Her fist plowed into his face and in return he grabbed her by the hair as he slapped her firmly across the face. Arabella dug her nails into his skin and he howled in pain, Throwing her into the nearby rock wall. As she hit the wall the air left her lungs and she wheezed out in pain, the guard standing to his feet. He moved over to her slowly, resting his foot on her chest as he looked down at her. "Tough Break Princess," he muttered slowly.

 

[little-alien]

After ten minutes had passed, Norman saw the entrance of the cave ahead of him. It had taken him a lot longer to run the mile the last time, his body aching with every movement. He knew he would be incredibly sore tomorrow, but he waited to deal with that when it came. The faint sounds of a fight interrupted his thoughts, hearing yells and banging echoing from inside of the cave. His heart fell directly into his stomach, the fear of what was ahead of him clouding his mind. Norman hoped she would stay silent, hid away on top of the rock, but her voice echoed out loudly and crushed his hopes.

"You are NOT my family." He heard her voice trailing through the air, Norman picking up the pace to get to the cave as quickly as possible. With every step his legs threatened to give out from under him, every strain of his muscles begged him to stop. However, all of that was forgotten when he saw the man with a firm foot down on Arabella's chest. She was defeated and in a matter of moments, she would be dead. Norman dug in the bookbag with haste, his hands fumbling until he felt the cold object in his hand; the pistol. Without a single shred of guilt or hesitation, as something had taken over Norman's brain, he aimed the gun directly for the guard's head and fired. The perfect aim sent the bullet flying through the night, piercing the back of the guys head and blood splattered on the wall in front of him. Norman dropped the pistol from his steady hands, charging up to the panting girl on the ground. The guard had fallen lifeless ontop of Arabella, Norman quickly shoving his body off of her in a painful grunt, his arm screaming at him to stop, as he went to her side.

"Are you okay? Did you get shot? How did you get down from there, I told you to stay up there!" He stated in a worried but slightly demanding tone at first, he only cared about her getting hurt so he was irritated that she would risk her life. He couldn't protect her if she kept throwing herself out in the open, Norman always feeling it was his responsibility for other people's safety.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Arabella was struggling under the man's foot when she saw Norman coming into view. As he saw the situation, there was no hesitation as he pulled the gun from his bag and pulled the trigger. The shot echoed in the cave. The mans blood splattered against the cave wall as his body dropped lifeless on top of her. She could feel blood still oozing from the wound, covering her in his sticky crimson. It was unpleasant and the dead weight was making it impossible to breathe. Luckily, Norman wasted no time pushing the dead body off of her, kneeling at her side. "Are you okay? Did you get shot? How did you get down from there, I told you to stay up there!" His tone made her flinch at first but a heavy sigh escaped her lips.

"I'm fine. We just got into a little fist fight.... I.... I jumped from the top and landed on him. He wanted to.... He wanted to take me back.... I won't go. I won't go back. not to the Detention Camp, not to the Council pretending they are my family.... I have to save my people.... I mean, the people." She coughed and quickly rubbed the back of her neck, hoping he would overlook that slip of the tongue. The last thing she needed right now was to try and explain the stake she had in all of this. How she fit into the puzzle.

"What about you. How did your mission to gather supplies go?"

 

[little-alien]

Norman hadn't heard much of the argument before he got this, whatever Arabella was saying was less important than her health right now. She seemed fine enough, despite the exhausting in her eyes and her red-stained clothing. Two, he told himself, two people, dead, because of me. Norman hated the thought of it, couldn't stand himself with that feeling pulsing through him. He had never taken anyone's life before, that he could remember, and he never planned on it. The next words out of Arabella's mouth drew his attention away, raising a brow up to her as he studied her expression.

"Wait, why? Why would they take you back there? We — the guards — don't take runners back to camp, they are shot dead." He spoke, correcting himself as his curiosity run wild in his head. He knew the Councils code like the back of his hand, every runner was to be shot down immediately with no hesitation. Why was she different? He pandered to her face, covered in dirt and fresh blood as he tried to find a reason. She didn't look familiar, or anyone of importance to the Council. However, Norman also knew nothing about her other than her name. Arabella.

He couldn't focus on her other question at the time, a quick flash of seeing Jake laying on the ground crossed his eyes before he spoke again. "Is there something you're not telling me, Arabella? I know without a doubt you'd be dead for running, there were no exceptions on that rule. Why are you different?" He asked again, his tone slowly turning more concerned than it was nice. His body slouched down on the cave floor again, feeling as if he had been punched in every different direction. His only goal for the night was to make that climb, follow the small cave above them into the one place he knew no one else would find him, and rest.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Arabella didn't want to answer. As he slouched on the cave floor, she shifted into a more comfortable sitting position. "I am.... I am the last living member of the Thorn family.... My great-great grandfather and a few of his wealthy friends formed the Thorn council. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely. He wanted to get back to the times of Kings, Queens, and nobles. We owed the land that Thorn city was founded on. We have a large manor in the northern part of town." A heavy sigh escaped her lips. "My grandfather was the first to rebel against the Council.... He rebelled against his father. My great-grandfather refused to kill his son. Regrettably, that choice didn't extend to my father. He was killed when I was little. MY grandfather raised me. He told me that we had to save the people from our families mistakes."

Tears were streaming down her face as she spoke. "When my grandfather died, the Thorn Council thought they could bring me into the fold and wipe his influence. I am the only way they can truly claim to rule. I refused. They are squatting in my home. My birthright. The papers that prove I am the true leader of the council are locked away. They hid them.... If they won't go peacefully, then I have no choice but to fight." She turned to look at Norman. "Do you understand. They don't want to kill me because I am the last Thorn. How can you have a Thorn Council with no Thorn? IF not willingly, they'd be more than happy to use me as a puppet. But even a puppet needs to broken so that it can be controlled."

She pulled her legs to her chest. "They took everything from me. I am going to return the favor."

 

[little-alien]

Norman sat quietly as he listened to her, never interrupting her and giving her space to talk. It was hard to process everything she was saying, always hearing lore about the Thorn family but he wasn't sure if he ever believed it — until now. His first instance was to argue, hearing the word Capitol and wasn't sure if he could trust her. She could easily be lying to him, but from the tears filling her eyes, he doubted that she was.

He stayed silent for a little, thinking about his response before he opened his mouth. He didn't want to say something to upset her, worry her, or scare her.

"I'm sorry, I promise I won't leave you. We need to get out though, we can talk more when we are safe, okay?" He spoke softly, a gentle grin across his face as he pulled her into a tight hug. He hoped he didn't come off sharp or harsh, but they honestly had to move. Before they made that climb again, he thought they would take advantage of the small pond in front of them. Trying to lighten up the mood, in the little time they had, he got up and stripped the dirty shirt off of his chest, wincing when it touched his arm.

"First you need a bath, you kina look like shit," he stated with a smirk, turning to sit in the slight clear watch, starting to wash off all the sins of what he had down. For the slightest second, his face dropped. Jake ran across his mind, his fearful eyes staring up at him. He was cold, so cold. His face was frozen in fear, for infinity now.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

As Arabella sat there, the weight of her confession filling the cave, the pain she carried in her heart seemed to ease. It felt good to admit the truth to someone. She had tried when she was just a fledgling rebel and all the people wanted to do was string her up by her toes and heat her with baseball bats. She wore the bruises of her stupidity for a year before she decided to just keep the fact to herself. Still, it was nice to tell someone again. "I won't leave you." The man had said more, but those words echoed in her ears as he pulled her close. She was silent, frozen in fear at his proximity. After a moment he moved. She watched as he stripped off his dirty shirt, noticing the wince as he did so. Norman glance back at her before and smirked. "First you need a bath, you kinda look like shit."

Arabella wanted to be offended, but she knew she looked bad. The woman had definitely seen better days. She followed him with her eyes as he stepped into the pool of water, washing himself off. She glanced down at remained of her prison clothes and then back to him in the water. "I can't exactly do that....." She crossed her arms over her chest, a blush creeping upon her dark cheeks. "As much as I would love to bathe, decency forbids it." She cleared her throat and instead moved to the water side, rubbing the water into her arms, washing the dirt off that way. This was going to have to do.