MagicAnimalClub: Happenings

13: Hidden Bullets

Stampys pov

After John walked off I sat down, looking around for my phone, sure that it was up on the field. I knew where it was. I wanted to contact Beth or the rest of my family.
David woke up. Rubbing his eyes as he stretched his back, groaning in pain as he did.
"How're you feeling?" I asked him, as he looked up at me and responded,
"B'n better, that's f'r sure." I blankly smiled at him.
"You okay?" He asked me.
"Yeh just.. Headache. John's away out. You don't happen to know where my phone is?" I asked him,
"Oh shit yes- forgot to give it back to you after you fell." He lifted my phone out of his pocket, I sighed with relief.
"Thanks mate, jeez I was worried I'd have to go up and get it."
"No probs mate, sorry I completely forgot about it."
"It's fine." I retrieved my phone, and looked at the previous video, it showed me collapsing and a cut of me pointing a gun to the side of my face, before cursing and David switching it off.
I rested my hand on my hairline. Wiping the sweat away.
"You almost shot yourself Joe." David sighed, resting his head on the wall, "I couldn't have lived with myself if you died. My brother, my friends.. All dead. " I wrapped my arm around his neck,
"The Seeking War." James moaned, from the corner, "that's what they should call it." I raised my eyebrow in interest. "but what are they seeking?"
We all sat in silence, pondering for a few minutes before James Asked,
"Where's John?"
John came back after a few hours. His eyes misty and red. He was panting and covering his face with his hands. We all stood up immediately, shocked at his completely changed countenance.
"What happened?!" David asked, as we both helped him to the ground.
He was breathing loudly,
"Close the hatch!" He croaked, I quickly did as he asked.
"Cap' what.. Happened?" James repeated, clutching as his chest again.
Once John caught his breath he whispered, "bomb."
We all looked at each other in concern,
"A bomb w-was dropped about 100 metres from here.. Toxic.. We're gonna have to stay here.." He explained as I brushed the dust from his cheeks. "Stay off your phones.. They'll track us down. We're trapped guys."
The three of us turned to each other, wide-eyed and completely clueless. This was real.

For the rest of the day we lay lazy, playing cards, trying to make each other laugh again, mostly trying to cheer John up and shake him out of the shock.
This carried on for weeks, for no one had the wit to go outside. Not even John.
We often thought of going up. But we didn't know what was safe. Luckily there was frozen food in the base, and a good bit of booz . We stayed there for quite a while, loosing track of whether it was night or whether it was day.

NICOLES POV

I lay my head on the plush white pillow cases. Feeling my child I sighed. Unsure whether David was coming home. I was seven months pregnant.. And I hadn't had so much as a text from David for months,
I was afraid. I was afraid of the life ahead of me, I guess. I didn't want to bring up this child alone.
I hadn't heard from David, and Joe hadn't uploaded a vlog in over a month. I feared for their lives. I wouldn't assume anything until there was proof... but so far, there was no proof that they were still alive.
I missed David so much.. so much.

Stampys POV

Weeks had passed, James lingered in the corner of the room. Red-eyed and stunned. He didn't speak much, I often found him awake at night. I'd ask him if he was okay.. He'd always just nod.
We would offer him water, he would refuse. Always refuse. In fact he hadn't had a proper drink in days.
He didn't eat much either. Bread for breakfast, bread for supper. Nothing in between.
"James.." I sat down beside him, putting one knee up and one knee down.
"James we needa.. Talk." initiated. James raised an eyebrow, everyone was in the same room. I needed to talk about his health.
James smiled slightly, "I'm serious James. I don't wanna be mean or anything- I just want to know if you're okay.. James.." James went slightly red in the face.
"James..?" His eyes went wide, his pupils were tiny and grey. "James can you hear me? Are you listening to me?" James didn't seem to listen. His eyes were focused on an exact spot, not me, until he spoke quietly,
"Tell me you'll win, in the end.."
I narrowed my brows, confused, "w-what? Mate-"
David and John walked over to where we sat. Their eyebrows pointed to their noses.
"James?!" John called, putting his hands on James' shoulders.
"Please.. tell me you'll win.." James breathed, his eyes drifting. David asked as John proceeded to unbutton James' suit.
"Jesus..." I heard John gasp, we looked over to find a red, bloody bandage wrapped around James' stomach.
"What happened?! When was he shot?!" I asked, unwrapping the bandage.
"James?! James?! Can you hear me mate?!" David yelled, putting his hands on James' grey face which was plastered with tears.
"T-tell me you'll w-win.. you'll beat t-them.." he breathed, his eyes begging into David's.
"W-we will, mate. I promise you, James. We'll win for you." David Replied, his jaw shivering.
"Th-thank you.." whispered James, a final tear streaming down his cheek before his expression halted and he lay still. So absolutely still.
Fragmented in time.

David, John and I took a step back.
"God.. God he's dead isn't he.." David sighed,
I covered my mouth and leant against the wall, "he was too young."
"He didn't let any of us know.." John sighed, I noticed his eyes watering, he had grown as a friend to all of us.

After five minutes or trying to find a pulse, we retreated.

As David closed James' eyes I stood back, taking off my helmet in respect.
Five out of seven had died..

Later that evening, the three of us remained in the base.
All alone.
No one even knew we were alive.