The Wasteland

Chapter 4: 15 September 2192

Chapter 4: 15 September 2192

"So dad, did you hear that Mrs. Spartan is getting fired?" Arix asked my father. "Really, why?" my dad said in shock. He had Mrs. Spartan when he was in school and he hated her. "She told Chrome Myst off. She told him that he was a airhead and that the only reason he was in the school was because of his looks and charm which is exactly correct. I hate Chrome. He only cares about himself." Arix explained. "Really? That reminds me of someone that I know." I said as I gave her a glare. "Oh, shut up, Blaze. It's not easy being the gifted kid's sister." She said as she slapped me on the arm. "Not my fault that I am gifted in math and science. It's just comes naturally" I said with a grin as I tipped back in my chair. "I know that you're gifted so you should know that a chair has four legs for a reason." my mother said with a look. My mother took my plate and attemped to knock me on the head but I dodged it. I stood up from the table and sang, "Hit me with your best shot!" My mother put my plate down and chased me out of the kitchen. "Oh, Lordie. Here we go again." Zade said with a grin and ran out of the kitchen with my dad and Arix following him.

A rush of cold water that splashed on my face awoke me. I slightly opened my eyes trying not to get water in them. In front of me, I saw a girl standing with a bucket in her hand. "What the hell?! Who are you and where the hell did you get the bucket of water?!" I yelled. I looked down at my hands and feet. They were tied to the chair I was sitting in. I tried to break free but the ropes seemed to get tighter. "The more you struggle, the tighter they'll get." the girl said. As the water dried off my face, I saw the girl clearer. She had long, curly light brown hair. Her eyes were light brown, like her hair. She was beautiful.

"Just let me go." I said plainly. "Um, let me think about it.....No!" she yelled. She paced the floor back and forth. "What's your name?" she asked calmly. I couldn't think of anything sarcastic to say. All I could do was stare at her eyes. It was like I was under hypnosis. "Um...Uhh...Um" I babbled. "C'mon. You were talking just fine a minute ago." she said impatiently. ".....Blaze," I managed to say, "Blaze Maddox." She looked at me and said, "Cute." She smirked showing a beautiful smile. "What's your name?" I asked, still struggling. She pulled up a chair in front of me and said, "Artemis Silver." she said. "Isn't she a goddess?" I asked curiously. "Yep. The goddess of the hunt. So that means I can kick your ass." she answered with grin. She got up and pulled something out of her pocket. It was a knife. My eyes widened. "Oh, calm down." Artemis said. She walked toward me and cut the ropes. I stood up and rubbed my wrists. "Where did you learn to tie knots like that?" I asked. "My father." she answered simply. "So, was that you who moved on the bed when I sat down?" I asked. "Yeah. I was trying to sleep. Thanks so much. Hey, who turned on the power?" Artemis asked. "Me. It looked like this hotel was a good place to stay so I thought I'd make it as comfortable as possible." I explained. "Well, thanks 'prisoner'" she said with attitude. "How'd you know that I was a prisoner?' I asked. " Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's the bright orange jumpsuit you're wearing. Didn't they give you clothes for warmth?" I shook my head. "Well, that's a first." she mumbled, "Come with me. I know where we can get clothes for you."

"The person who was last renting this room was a man and he was killed in the bathroom so he never got a chance to pack up." Artemis said. She opened one of the dresser drawers and pulled out a pair of thick pants and a shirt. She closed the drawers and threw the clothes at me. "Go get dressed in the bathroom." Artemis ordered. "But the man was killed in there and---" "Stop being a wuss and be a man. Now go." she ordered again. "Fine." I mumbled. I walked to the bathroom door, took a deep breath and stepped inside. I immediately stepped right back out and threw up. Artemis came rushing over to find me on the ground, kneeling. She knelt down beside me and rubbed my back. "Shh. Shh. It's alright. Just go get changed by the beds while I clean up your, um, stuff." she said gently. As I got up, I thought that maybe she wasn't as mean as I thought she was. When I got over to the beds, I unbuttoned my jumpsuit and pulled on the pants and shirt. I left my prison boots on because they would be good for climbing and walking. Over by the bathroom I could hear Artemis cursing under her breath. I felt bad but I couldn't help that blood doesn't go well with me. I quick looked in the mirror and took a double take. My skin and hair were covered in dirt. I quick bent over and shook out my hair. I looked back into the mirror. I had gotten almost all of the dirt out of my blonde hair. Now my face, I thought. I looked in the drawers and found a towel and some cologne. I knew that I smelt bad so I thought, Why not?. I wiped my face and sprayed myself in cologne. I checked myself in the mirror again and I finally looked normal. I found some hair gel in the drawer and ran some through my hair. That will keep it out of my eyes, I thought. Artemis came in and took a step back. "Well, you clean up really, really well." she said in amusement. "Thank you." "Let's go get some food." Artemis said. "Where in the world are we going to get some?" "You'll see." she said as she turned around to walk outside the door, indicating for me to follow. I stood there for a moment and nodded as I thought, Yep....I like her.