Juniper, an empath, fights to save two strangers after reality gives way to a hellscape on Earth. When chaos tears apart the city, she settles in with the darkness. Her job as a sex worker makes for easy living, as she can anticipate client emotion...
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September 30th
When I was first captured, the food was of a thick, oatmeal-like quality. Lately, the gruel He's been feeding us is little more than broth, like he's been adding water over of actual substance.
After consuming said watery snot, I'm hungry an hour later. If I'm constantly hungry, I know Louise and Michael must be too. They don't complain, but it's an unsaid agreement among us that the quality of the food has gone down, dowwwwwn.
Louise ate regularly for the last couple of weeks. Our heart-to-heart didn't get her to start eating right away, but Erin's death did. I think Erin's death changed a lot. It made things...clearer.
We do have to leave, but if we try leaving the way Erin did, we're sure to join her. God knows I want to see my family again, but I don't know if I'm ready. Before Erin's death, if someone had asked me if I wanted to die, I would have told them yes. Lately, with death nippin' at my heels (and claiming my sister), I want to fight.
I want to live.
Louise and I spoke today (after her time with Him, of course), about possible ways to escape. We're hoping The Man will leave the door open again. It would give us a chance. We tried to think of what tricks we might use once the door is open.
Michael joined in the conversation. I expected Louise to ignore him, but she asked him a question instead.
"What do you think, Mike?"
"Oh, well, um." He cleared his throat. "I don't think we should expect Him to leave the door open again. Not after...what happened. We have to think of another way to escape."
"I agree," Louise said. "It's also time for you to tell us about those hunting trips you took with Him."
~*~
October 4th
There was never an astounding number of Wasters around, but the herd has been cut to three. The Man took the last few up the stairs with Him, unusual behavior when He used to let them starve to death.
Yesterday, He took contestant #3 upstairs, and their prize was-----
DING, DING DING:
Torture and/or murder.
Based on the screams and occasional "No, no, please, no's!", it probably wasn't the vacation they were hoping for.
There's two reasons he could be killing the Wasters: for fun, or for food.
"If that's true, I hope he's not adding them to our rations," Michael joked with me.
'Cept, he wasn't joking. Although, I don't think He would do that. Not because He cares about us or because that'd be plain sick (He's beyond sick), but because He cares more about His own survival than ours. I'm pretty sure He's saving the bodies of the Wasters for Himself.
That's what I have to tell myself every time I take a bite of gruel.
~*~
October 6th
Louise and Michael are still figuring out theplan. Escape is more important than ever because there aren't any Wasters left. The Man took the last one this morning.
Marc had the guts to ask what no one else would: "What are you doing with them?"
As if we all didn't know.
The Man only smiled.
Michael asked Louise what was going to happen to Marc and Gabriella once we left.
Louise's face looked as if the answer were obvious. "Why, they're coming with us, of course."
"Louise, they're going to be dead weight. Marc is paranoid and Gabriella is an idiot."
My opinion of Michael had evolved, but never too unfavorably. Right then, I wasn't sure I liked him anymore.
"We're all getting out, despite the qualifications you've made up. Or are you going to next explain to me how children are dead weight as well?"
Michael shut up.
Even so, we haven't told Marc or Gabriella about theplan. Although Louise didn't want to agree with her husband, he had a point; they're not exactly stable people. One whiff of theplan and they might either spill the beans or impede the hell outta the beans in some other way.
And they better not leave me behind! I do so contribute. Heck, I donated the weapons needed for theplan.
The Man really shouldn't have given me a whole pack of pens and pencils. It was rather dumb of him.
Nothing else interesting has happened lately...um....except for that.
