The Inception (Book #1 of The Inception Trilogy)

chapter twenty-three

(this is a new chapter style, an entry from Maxie's journal. I thought it'd be cool to try something new, so it's short but let me know what you think? there will probably be a couple other ones. I won't italicize them because I know some people don't like to read italics for long. thank you for all your support xx)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

MAXIE'S JOURNAL - ENTRY #16

January 27, 2086

It started raining not too long after everyone woke up. I didn't mind it. I like the rain, and I haven't seen it for a while. It reminds me of normal times, like I could be walking to the bus stop right now to see Kimberly and listen to her rant about her problematic boyfriend Kris. I never liked Kris, but friends don't always listen to friends, do they? Kris cheated on her. Twice. But she "loved" him so he kept getting more chances.

But I'm not supposed to be talking about the old days. I'm trying to record the new ones. People of the future need to know what happened. They need the truth for history books and documentaries and stuff like that. I may not be the most accurate source, of course, but everything I put in this journal is true. It all happened. I add my theories here and there, but how can I not? These entries are mostly my thoughts, after all.

Wow, I really digress. My bad. Future teachers, I understand if you erase some of these entries for the textbooks. Just make sure you get the important stuff.

Anyways, after everyone got up and moving about, Locke (I really don't like him, as said in previous entries, and I hate that he survived when those vampires attacked. I know that's wrong of me to say but it's true and this journal is nothing but truth) skinned the deer Harry found (unlike Locke, I do like him. He's very kind and let me come even though he knew it wasn't a strategic choice) and we all ate very well. Well, mostly all of us. Eve found some canned milk in one of her packs for Liana to give to the baby, but I don't think he liked it too much. He threw up on Liana's shirt, but she didn't complain. I think she held him tighter.

Once we started walking towards Robbie's camp, I got a little nervous. I heard about the vampire that fell from the tree and attacked Nive. Instead of looking down while I walked, I kept staring up. I also kept running into Harry, but he was either too annoyed to say anything or didn't mind. Ress held my hand after a while and he kept me from running into anything, or anyone, else. I'm really grateful Ress is still here, still with me.

The walk wasn't uneventful, unfortunately. Eve had just said we had walked about a mile or two when Harry told everyone really abruptly to stop. He freaked us all out, and he ran off so fast that we only got more spooked. Eve looked like she wanted to follow him, but Robbie was clinging to her like a leech and so was Sasha, so she stayed and tried to calm them down. Ress was calming me more than I was calming him. You'd think he was older than nine, but this world matures you quick.

Harry came back maybe twenty minutes later, and Eve was mad. She started yelling at him, saying he can't just run off and not come back for so long, and that he scared the kids (I hope she didn't include me, but she wouldn't be wrong). He had pulled her aside and said something that made her go quiet real quick. Then she told Robbie and Sasha she would be back, and then they BOTH disappeared.

I was not comfortable with that at all.

Locke kept looking at me, so I kept looking at the treetops spying for vampires. Ress, Robbie, and Sasha played Rock-Paper-Scissors, and then they had a bet on who could find the tallest stick within close distance. Sasha won, her stick going up to her hip. Ress said that meant she was the queen, and the stick was her scepter. Sasha had blushed but she didn't disagree. I think every girl wants to be a queen, or at least wants to be treated like one. I think that was sweet of Ress to make her feel special.

I had to hold the baby while Liana went to find a place to do her "business." Even after everything I've been through, I still can't pee in the woods. I don't think I ever will. But with the lack of water, it's not too difficult to hold it. Hopefully Robbie's camp would have a toilet, even if it didn't work. I was starting to get the urge myself.

I liked holding the baby. He was sleeping. I'm not sure how, but he looked really peaceful. I felt sorry for him, having been born into this world. He was conceived at the wrong time. Three months earlier and he might've had a chance, but there was still the war going on. Personally, I would've been too scared to have a kid in a world crazed with violence. But maybe Nive hadn't thought about it like that, who knows?

Eve and Harry came back right when Locke was walking over to me, and I probably could have cried in relief. Except for the fact that they had prisoners, so to speak. Two vampires (their eyes are a dead giveaway, but they probably would've been cool contacts back in the old world) walked behind them. I thought they were allies since they weren't tied up, but then I remembered seeing Harry snap the barbed wire. I shouldn't have been outside at that point, but it was for the sake of the journal. (That entry will be a really good addition in the textbooks, just saying.)

I'm ashamed to say this dialogue isn't 100% quoted, but I can only remember so much after so many hours. It's mostly correct, though.

"We have a problem," Eve had said, then frowned. "Well, two, I guess. They've been following us."

Locke had snorted, that stupid sound that scarily resembles the noise a horse makes when it eats. He's an animal, though, so it's fitting for him. "So? Kill them, simple as that."

"It's not simple," Harry had said, challenging Locke's stare. Lock was the first to look away. "I know these two... I used to know them really well. Killing them would be stupid."

"And trusting them wouldn't be?" Locke grumbled.

"I don't trust them," Harry clarified. "But I don't trust you either and you're here."

I couldn't help it, I honestly couldn't. I laughed. Locke's glare had shut me up real quick, though, and I'm still worried about when he'll get me back for it.

Locke rolled his eyes. "So what do you suggest we do, oh clever one?"

Harry shrugged, which surprised all of us. "I don't know. I thought we could let them talk." He glanced over at them. "Sometimes allies are still allies even when they're enemies." (I remembered that line word for word because I really liked it. I don't know why, but I'm glad he said it.)

Eventually, we settled on letting them come with us with really no other choice. One was tall and really skinny with really blonde hair that almost seemed golden. He said his name was Shade, which was ironic to me due to his appearance. The other vampire was similar, but a little shorter and a lot wider. His arms were the size of the tree branches above me, and they weren't the skinny ones. His name was Buffy. I had a cat named Buffy. My mom named it after the television show, you know, the vampire slayer.

Funny.

Now they are still with us, and we are sitting at the tree line confused about what to do. It's early evening now, thanks to all the walking we did (my feet really hurt, and now my hand does too from writing so much). But Robbie's camp is just down the hill, a big convenience store that probably used to rake in a lot of cash on holidays. It's right off the main highway. It looks untouched aside from the three figures Harry spotted through one of the poster-covered windows. He's been listening to them for a while now, trying to figure out if it's worth the risk or if it'll be totally stupid and end in a massive fight. Eve is arguing with Locke about it, Eve saying we risk it if there's food and Locke saying he'd rather not be killed before twenty-five. Eve told him if there's a possibility of him dying, then it's a no-brainer that we risk it.

I like Eve. I wish she had been my sister instead of the one I actually got. I feel like Eve would've actually cared about me.

Plus, we're very similar with our dislikes, and that's always a bonus when getting to know someone.

Harry just said something and I missed it because I was thinking about life with a different sister. Sorry. But I'll leave this entry here so I don't miss anything else.

Oh, yes, we are apparently risking the convenience store.

Hopefully I'll still be breathing afterwards to record what happens.