The Apostate Trials

Chapter 2

       For several long moments Noah just sat there, at a complete loss for words; the chaos that ensued, the soundless vehicle that hovered high above them, dropping a clustered stack of three crates─everyone mistook the sound of the crates crashing for gunfire and proceeded accordingly, rabid dogs so desperately out for the kill. It made Noah's heart sink. His gut twisted. Made him realize just how badly he hated being right.

       Everything they went through, every cruel moment spent surviving, every kill, every life sacrificed─it had all been for their survival, which was quickly blowing up in flames. It was as if it were meant to happen, like everything had been carefully ordained, right down to the smallest letter. It all seemed too forced, the moment too right. And somehow a single boy managed to calm everyone no sooner than the blight of chaos spread; a still silence hung dryly over the landscape with brooding wings and sharpened fangs, as if all the sound had been mercilessly cut to shreds. Everyone's eyes fixated on the boy.

       He stood tall, a lanky Asian fellow with slicked blond hair and narrowed hazel eyes, his jaw square and his expression fierce. "Have you all no shame," He finally asked, breaking the eerie silence; his voice had an air of authority laced deeply within that Noah just couldn't explain. "We are living beings. People! Not the animals we've been so crudely caged and treated as! For the love of Christ, have some dignity and respect!"

       From a top the crates he eyed everyone who'd been fighting wearily, each of which simply refused to meet his gaze, the embarrassment too much. No one dared to make another outburst. They were too afraid to hear his response.

"Now we're going to open these crates and make do with whatever's inside. Any objections?" Silence was the immediate response, earning everyone a small smile. "Guess not..."

       All the others were quick at work scanning the contents of the crates, attempting to process any and everything they laid their hands on. Again, Noah found himself overcome by silence; the three crates contained food and supplies, clothes, and a multitude of weapons, all in that order. The populace was split in between what to go crazy over first─some carelessly poured bottles of fresh water over their heads, others eyed the contents of the weapons' crate intently, and the rest went into a full frenzy over the clothes, Noah carefully among them, doing his best to not arouse any attention.

       He grabbed at what a vast majority seemed so eager to push to the side, a ragged, black trench coat─combined with fitted, dark blue jeans, undergarments, and a pair of boots that brought the outfit nicely together, Noah eased in and out rather swiftly, not bothering to place any of his clothes on as he headed to the nearby stream to wash up. Much to his surprise, every male appeared to be so eagerly doing so; the girls stayed behind, eyeing each and every one with heated hostility, even Noah.

       Once out with his clothes on, Noah tied the strands of his red hair into a ponytail using a piece of string he found─unlike the others who had grown stubble, his face contained not a spec. The lengthened strands of his hair seeped a little past his nose, the ponytail easily reaching to his neck; he had the second longest hair of the male percentage in his group, the Asian fellow the first.

Everyone began to huddle together shortly after everything was swiftly sorted out. Noah stood a short distance away, his back softly pressed to a tree, only close enough to allow his ears to overhear the things currently being said.

"I'm Rylan," He barely caught the gist of the Asian boy's introduction. "Like everyone else here, I don't remember much, at the moment only my name. But we were sent here for a purpose, and I expect everyone to willingly comply by becoming well acquainted with one another, starting off with introductions." His expression turned sour when a few others refused. "This isn't up for debate. Get on my bad side and I'll see to it personally that you regret it."