Inhumanity

Chapter 4

I wake up to someone kissing my forehead, I glance up "morning" I say cheerfully. He smirks down at me "wakey wakey" he says. I sit up and stretch "what time is it" I ask rubbing my eyes. He glances to my clock "it's 8 o'clock, my shift starts at 9, what about you" he asks. I smile softly "today and tomorrow are my monthly day off" I state. He stands up and starts to get dressed "well I'm sorry to dash off like this but work calls" he says. I start getting dressed myself "I'll walk with you back to 3rd, maybe we could grab some breakfast before your shift starts" I offer. He nods "that'd be nice". We walk hand in hand down the corridor, I lean my head on his shoulder and he smiles down at me. "How about we meet for dinner in three days time, the noodle bar serves the best noodles on the entire train" he says. I nod "sounds good, I've been meaning to try them out" i respond. The borders between 2nd and 3rd are heavily guarded and it takes us a while to get through "must still be annoyed over the riot" he says. I snort "probably"

We grab some toast from a vendor and he leads me to his area. He live in a chopped up shipping container like most of third. It's a little cramped but he's made it his own through decorating. There's a lantern hanging from the ceiling which he switches on.

I notice a photo of him and I assume his sister based on the fact they have the same face shape and green eyes. Smiling I pick it up to inspect the photo further "when was this taken" I ask. He smiles weakly "my 16th birthday, my house" he says. I nod and put it back down where I found it "cute". I take a seat as we finish our breakfast and I get to know him a little more and he asks me a few questions as well. I lean against the wall "do you have any family on board?" I ask curiously. He shakes his head "I had a sister but she died 2 years in, accident whilst she was working bellow. What about you? Any protective brothers in need to worry about?" He asks. I shrug "none, I have a few close friends and we've kinda formed our own family" I explain thinking back to everyone in the engine room. He nods "yeah my friends are kind of like family too, that's how we survive isn't it" he takes a sip of water "what about before all this" he questions casually. I smile brightly but the mention of the past makes my stomach twist painfully "my family always has had a strange sense of family ties... never knew my mother and my father was barely around. Not much to talk about" I say carefully. He takes a bit of toast "so what was your life like before the freeze" I question. He pauses for a moment and I can tell he's thinking "grew up in Pennsylvania, I didn't do too great at school, teachers hated me but I was able to get a place at college to train to be an electrician when I was done there I got offered a place aboard the snowpiercer and the rest they say is history"

He sighs and stands up again "times up, I need to head-" but our conversation is cut short as we freeze when we hear scream outside. I stand up and approach the door to see what's going on when someone barges in, I'm shoved into Ed hard. It's a man, tall, shaved head and dark brown eyes that dart around wildly. He holds a gun out and glares at us "don't make a sound or I splatter your brains" he threatens. Ed stares down the barrel in horror "a gun, an actual gun" he says. I hold my hands up in surrender "please we don't mean you any harm... please get out" I ask my voice shaking. He stares at me in wonder "you?" He says, I frown "do I know you or something?" I've never seen this man before so how does he recognise me.

He grabs me and drags me against him "I'm not going down without taking someone with me. It's what we planned" he snarls. I frown "we, who's that? Your girl?" We here people shouting outside, I recognise Roches voice. Ed then does something utterly stupid and lunges for the gun, the man reacts in a split second and fires the gun, I scream as I notice the stream of red blood. He drags me out and makes his way toward the exit, he point the gun at a jackboot "get down, get down... now!" He barks. She looks at me and i nod urging her to follow orders "chip in" he says pushing me toward the scanner. I press my hand down and it slides open, the group of brakeman notice us and I catch sight of a familiar face "till!" I scream in terror but the door slides shut between us and he drags me further up train.