Second Chance

Chapter 98

It's been a few days, or maybe a week. Hell, maybe it's been a year. I don't know anymore. All I know is that I hate shopping for girly products and being stranded in the scorching heat. Luckily, I have my motorcycle, and we've been driving down this dead road for so long. It seems like the only people that are here are Maria and I. Not that I'm complaining, or anything.

Eventually, we come across some steep cliffs on either side of us. As if we're at the bottom of a ravine. It seems a little sketchy going this way, but I doubt anything would happen to us. Like I said, no one is here. We are going to be totally fi-

Bang!

I flinch so hard that I nearly crash the motorcycle, as PTSD flashbacks come piling into my head. Riley, Riley, Riley! Although, this wasn't like an explosion, it was more like an echoing gunshot. The initial sound of it sounded so much like that firework explosion though, and that's what caused me to freak out. Now thinking about it, it is quite obvious that it came from a sniper gun.

I screech to a stop, and Maria digs her fingernails into my shoulders, due to the abrupt stop. It doesn't hurt me anymore though, I'm used to getting scratch marks on my back and shoulders. Plus, I'm too busy scanning the rock walls on either side of us to spot the shooter, and I soon come to realize that there are more than one. In fact, there's probably at least ten people hiding in the canyon. So basically, we're extremely outnumbered.

Finally, one of the people far above us shouts down to us. "Get off the motorcycle with your hands up."

Maria and I do what she says, and we both slowly stand up and raise our hands in the air. The girl who spoke before makes some hand signals to the other people around her, and about half of them start climbing their way down to the bottom. Within moments, we're surrounded.

"Who are you?" The lead girl demands. She's tall with brown hair tied in a loose braid, with green eyes and pale skin dotted all over with freckles. Her clothes, like everyone else's are basically mismatched scraps. She's covered well, but it's a very apocalyptic outfit.

"I'm Justin, and this is my girlfriend; Maria." I answer nervously, as she holds her gun up to me.

The girl looks between Maria and I, then finally lowers her gun and holds out her hand. "I'm Beverly, but everyone just calls me Bev." I hesitantly take her hand and shake it, and the other four around us lower their guns as well. "What are you doing here?" She pulls back and narrows her eyes at me in a calculating way.

"We're just....looking for shelter." I answer, not sure if I should imply it as a long term or short term thing.

She gives me another thoughtful stare, then finally says. "Tell you what, give us your weapons and bike for the time being, and we'll give you everything you need to survive."

—-

After bargaining for a bit, Maria and I agreed that we turn in our weapons for now, but I get to keep my motorcycle. We ride back to their village, and it's small, but cute and charming. It actually seems like a peaceful place to live, if Bev would have us, that is. I let Maria go off with a healer to look her over and make sure she's not hurt at all, and Bev invites me over to a large tent, which is probably where the chief of the village lives. I'm assuming this is the part where I plead with their leader to let Maria and I stay here.

I walk in, and am not surprised to see a very tribal layout in here. Bev sits in a chair in the middle of the room, and I look around for an elder to pop up and declare themselves as the supreme leader extra super chief.

No one shows up though, so I ask, "Where's your leader?"

Bev gives me a faint smile, then puts on a headpiece that's on the armrest of the chair, and says, "You're looking at her."

I give her a skeptical look that's probably not respectful in the slightest. "Seriously? How old are you?"

"Nineteen." She answers, giving me a dry look.

"Holy shit, how did that happen?" I demand, goggling at her in a mildly undignified way.

She breathes slowly through her nose, and I'm pretty sure I'm already starting to piss her off. "There was a sickness a few years back, and I was the only one left to run this tribe. I was sixteen when I became the chief of the village."

"Wow. Props to you, queen." I comment, and she raises an eyebrow at me.

"Why are you really here, Justin?" She asks calmly.

"I already told you, we need a place to stay. Maria and I stumbled across this place by sheer coincidence, we didn't even know it existed." I answer, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice.

"How long were you wanting to stay for?" She wonders, giving me a thoughtful look.

"Uhhh....forever-ish. Maybe." I say truthfully, since I have no idea where else to go. "Justin." Bev sighs, but before she turns me down, I add on. "My girlfriend is pregnant. She needs somewhere safe to stay, and I want to be with her when our child is born. Please."

She makes that long breathing sigh sound through her nose again, then finally gives me an answer. "Fine, you can stay." After she says that, a grin breaks across my face, but it fades as she continues. "First though, you need to complete the Tribal Trial."