The Remnant of the Past (GXG)

Chapter 7: The Acquaintance

Now what?

All of the things I needed to survive are gone. I literally have nothing left but the fish I am currently eating. I also haven't left the cave yet, just in case a miracle happens and Anne comes back.

Who am I kidding? Of course, she won't come back. I groaned and hit my forehead against the wall of the cave. "Stupid."

I looked outside the cave with the hope that the rescue team will someday find me. I was so occupied with my thoughts that I forgot how I smell. I need to go to the water right now, so I left the cave and walked to the ocean.

I started to remove my clothes as my skin was itching to dive into the water. A content sigh escaped from my mouth when my body finally dipped into the cold water. It really didn't bother me because my body is used to this temperature. 

I swam here and there until I reached the part of the ocean where my foot can't touch the ground anymore. I started to dive deeper and I was amazed at the creatures I first saw. Some fishes weren't shown or taught to us, but before I can dive even deeper my lungs started to need some air. 

I swam back to the surface of the ocean and took a deep breath of the air. I made a vow to myself that I will come back next time to explore the ocean and even the interesting fishes. I swam to the shore and hurriedly collected my clothes when my eyes spotted a figure behind the tree not far from where I was standing.

"Hello? Anne is that you?" 

They didn't respond which only means something, there's someone I don't know standing there. I wore my clothes first before walking to the tree where I last saw the person. 

"Hello?" I called out again for the last time. I prepared myself when my head peaked at the back of the tree but saw no one. Great, another delusion.

I sighed and head back to the shore to spend some time watching the ocean. I sat on the ground and silently watched the ocean upon me. I immediately relaxed to the sound it made and how it smells. If only I wasn't dying out here, I might have called this a paradise.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

My head snapped to the person behind me and was shocked to see the same woman I left sleeping in the cave earlier. I blinked a couple of times to check if I am still in reality. Her laughing and smiling proved me wrong.

"Stop doing that. I am real." 

My eyes followed her as she sat next to me with her eyes trained forward. I was still left in a trance which made her worryingly look at me.

"You still haven't said a word." 

I cleared my throat and composed myself. "I-uh, it's just that a lot has happened..."

I quickly turned my head to watch the ocean and also to avoid her eyes that seems to be holding a power to keep me in a trance.

"Do you mind telling me what happened?"

I sighed and my shoulders slumped in weakness. "My friend...well, I actually don't consider her a friend anymore, she stole everything I have when I wasn't keeping an eye on her. A thing she stole, in particular, was my only way to get back to my family." 

I noticed the sadness in the woman's eyes. She inched closer and rested her palm on the top of my hand with an assuring smile. "I'm sure there will be another way."

I smiled back, although I think otherwise because there's nothing out here but wood and water.

We stayed seated while the woman started to make small talk. Up to this point, I was desperate to at least know her name. Why the hell not?

"Hey, if you don't mind me asking...can I know your name?"

"I thought you'll never ask..." 

I almost hid my face in embarrassment but the woman shook it off by laughing softly.

"You can call me Chantel."

"I'm Angelie." I smiled and offered my hand. She first took a look at it before accepting it.

"So...what sent you here?"

I scratched the back of my neck and was hesitating to answer her. She'll probably think that I am the bad guy here.

"Our group was supposed to go somewhere for our first field training, but unfortunately I was grouped with the troublemakers inside the aircraft. They took something important to me so I let my rage take hold of me...and the aircraft didn't take the excessive movements well. That brought us crashing here."

Pity was written all over her face, which I hated. I never really liked the pity looks the people give towards me, I grew up hating it because the elders in our section normally use it to me whenever they walk past me talking about how I am the only kid there that doesn't have a mother.

I internally groaned but all of it was completely washed off when I felt a hand interlacing with my own. I looked at the hand that belonged to Chantel and gave her a questioning look.

"How about you? You don't seem familiar to me back at the section." It was my first time seeing a face like her which probably means that she's either from another section or an outsider. 

My defenses started to build up when I remember my only goal in life that my father made me swear, and that is to deal with the outsiders, the Remnants.

I slowly slipped my hand from her grip and she automatically gave me a look that I can't quite tell. 

Chantel completely ignored my question which made me stand up and walk a few distances away from her. If my guess is right, then I have to do what I was supposed to do.

"You're a remnant, are you?" I loudly asked. 

Chantel turned around while still sitting. "And here I thought we had a connection. You're just like the rest of them...pathetic." She said with so much hatred that made me furrow my eyebrows.

"Did you come with others of your kind too?" My head started to think that she lured me into a trap and her kind is probably surrounding me right now ready to attack me.

"Your friends are...easy. So why are you so different from them?" Chantel stood up and slowly walked toward me with a devilish look.

Did she... kill them? My rage even started to go higher when my senses picked up that this woman in front of me is the reason why those troublemakers disappeared.

"Back off, Remnant," I warned but that didn't stop Chantel to walk closer while laughing.

"Oh, I am so going to enjoy this."