Molly - Part 1

Chapter 11

"Motherfucker."

Remmy bit his lower lip as pain reverberated up his hand, throwing another punch to make sure Bull stayed down. Blood ripped from the mouth, and if Remmy was a bit more hungry he might have taken some of that precious fluid, instead wiping his mouth and spitting on Bull's limp body.

The room grew quiet now that it was over, the rest of them wandering away, laughing, speaking in harsh voices.

"He's gonna be angry when he gets up," Spark told him.

"He can go fuck himself."

Remmy forced the chains back as he climbed into the mess-hall, graffiti of expletives and crude paintings covering almost each part of it. Spark ambled in and took a seat next to Remmy, going over and getting one of the bowls of gruel and placing it on the longtable.

Remmy ate with gusto, using his fingers to dig into the white goop and then shoveling it into his mouth. He gasped, smiling as he slapped Spark hard against the back.

"Jesus, man. Watch it."

"I'm just happy," Remmy said as he took in more gruel.

"You're high. How's the kid doing?"

"He's almost done. Too skinny. Too weak. Gave him a little send-off present."

Spark shook his head. "Where do these people come from?" He sighed. "Gonna be crazy if the doors ever open."

Spark reached for his pale face. Remmy grabbed the back of Spark's head, forcing him to look into Remmy's eyes.

"That day...is going to be fucking incredible."

Spark hesitated, then began to laugh, a weird, stuttering thing that Remmy enjoyed despite its diseased-nature.

"It's gonna be a fucking shitshow."

"Exactly," Remmy said. "That's when life is at its best: When everything happens all at once."

A low, blaring beeping, then a voice over the PA:

"Everyone get in the shop. Now."

A few groans, even snickers, but everyone eventually began shuffling towards the double-sided doors, Remmy and Spark included.

"Maybe it's just roll-call."

Remmy snorted, putting on his gas mask. "When's the last time that's ever happened?"

"With Tes running the show maybe things'll get more organized."

"Do you want that?"

"No," Spark said, nearly running into another monsieur. "Just an idea."

"Well fuck off with that shit. It's embarrassing."

Spark tried to laugh it off but it fell flat, the monsieurs piling through the corridor and into the next room.

Above, a great eagle spread its metal wings. Just below it were white scratch marks.

They didn't line up like how they used to not even a couple months ago: no one had done anything so ceremonious since the great shift. But they were still organized in their own way, making sure not to bunch up too much while also preserving their idea of independence. It was a nice reflection, Remmy thought, of what they were.

Tes came through one of the doors seemingly put at-random throughout the complex. She came up to a makeshift podium of books stacked on top of one another. She opened her mouth to speak, then began to cough violently, one of her cohorts coming over and handing her a respirator which she took and sunk into her mouth, breathing in greedy mouthfuls of whatever cocktail she'd ordered.