Genesis

A Question, or Maybe Two

     It only took a few seconds for something to interrupt the trance I was in, wandering back and forth between what was and what could have been.

     "QUINN?!"

     We all turned our heads towards the shout. The source was unmistakable.

     It was Lucius.

     "Shit!" Emerson whispered as I met his sky-blue eyes, "What if he comes this way looking for you?!"

     "WHERE THE HELL IS QUINN?!"

     This time his voice seemed closer. Emerson met my eyes. Within an instant, we knew what we needed to do.

     I bolted for the back of the tent, trying to find a place to hide, as Emerson dashed to Colt. He tied his wrists and ankles within mere moments as I spotted a tarp we used to skin the animals on and dashed underneath it, trying to ignore the smell of raw meat and the cold, fleshy feeling on my back.

     Suddenly, the noise of thunder crashed in through the open tent door, just as two angry boots landed inside. What I heard next, and what I didn't expect to hear, was the sound of silence.

     I waited a few seconds, eyes wide, before finally hearing soft, slow footsteps, wandering around the tent.

     "Has Quinn been in here?"

     "No, she hasn't," Emerson replied, "Why are you asking? Did she go missing?"

     Lucius paused for a moment.

     "She wasn't where she was supposed to be, so I thought she might be in here, trying to help this little dipshit escape."

     Emerson shuffled from foot to foot, "Why would she do that?"

     "It seems," Lucius started, "That this sorry excuse of a human being is manipulating her. Probably trying to get out of the consequences of his actions."

     Lucius paused for a moment.

     "But nevermind that."

     Some seconds passed.

     "Alright then, keep watching him as you have."

     I imagined that Emerson nodded. I heard Lucius's sneakers walking away, towards the door of the tent.

     THUD!

     The sound of a body hitting the floor. It was followed by a sharp gasp. A few seconds would pass before I would get any more clues as to what was going on.

     "I swear..." Lucius began, "I swear to God almighty... if you're lying to me and I find out, I'll cut off your balls and hang them around your neck. Do you understand me?"

     "Y-Yes!" Emerson exclaimed.

     "Now get out. I need to speak with the prisoner."

     With the sound of thundering rain, the door was open, and with the pitter-patter of Emerson's shoes, he was soon outside too. After that, the soundlessness returned, broken by the sound of shuffling, like Lucius had sat down on the ground below him.

     "What do you have to say for yourself, Colt?"

     Silence.

     Lucius sighed, "Seriously, nothing?"

     More silence.

     "You really do think you're better than me, don't you, dipshit?"

     "Don't take it so personally. I think I'm better than everyone in this camp."

     "Very funny. Too bad you can't see that the joke's on you. I caught you."

     "Okay, no. If I'm going to have to listen to you gloat, why don't we drop the shit? We both know that you didn't catch me, because I didn't do anything."

     Silence.

     "Not relevant. What's relevant is I've got you. I've got you by your teeth and nails."

     "How about this; seeing as I'm going to die tomorrow, how about I get one last wish?"

     "You mean like a last meal? Seems fair enough but we don't have the rations to spare for a dead man."

     "No, not a meal. Nothing like that. Just a question."

     "Just a question?"

     "One question, that you have to answer."

     Lucius paused for a few moments, perhaps contemplating before he gave his reply.

     "Alright, you can ask."

     "Why me? What is this all about?"

     "Now wait a second, that's two questions. I'll answer one, seeing as we're good old friends."

     There was a great silence then, as I imagined Colt thought about each choice before he responded.

     "Ok, here's my question; why me?"

     "Isn't it obvious? You're in my way."

     "In the way of what?"

     Lucius paused again.

     "A lot of things."

     "Is that why I have to die?"

     It was the strangest thing, the image that appeared in my mind when I tried to imagine Lucius in that moment; he was smirking. Not a mean smirk either. It was the smirk of a gleeful child, one who was smiling with a subdued joy, because he knew something you didn't, and could not wait to see your reaction as the events of the day would unfold.

     "Goodbye, Colt."

     And with that the sound of rain returned, Lucius's boots planting themselves into the mud outside. A few moments later, I heard someone else enter.

     "Quinn?" Emerson called out in a whisper.

     I crept out from the tarp I was hiding under.

     "Thank you," I told him.

     "It's alright, but you need to get out of here."

     "Wait, Quinn," Colt said suddenly.

     I turned to face him.

     "Did you hear?"

     I nodded.

     "Good. Then you know. Don't share any of it with anyone, except maybe Danny. Ask him to teach you how to defend yourself... I have a feeling that things are only going to get worse after tomorrow and you need to be prepared."

     I didn't have a chance to reply as I heard Lucius yell my name again, just before Emerson grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the tent.