Decamore

Chapter 2 - Last Resort

A boot scuffing against the ground woke me up and I squinted against the sun that seemed to be getting brighter and hotter everyday.

"Oi, girl. Get up will ya?"

After sheilding my eyes I took in a rather vicious looking boy with scuffed up boots, tigh plaid pants, and a rather tall black mohawk.

I was shocked, I wasn't aware that there were other people like this in Caterwaul; But then again, I never left the saftey of the city. Teenagers only came here if it was on a dare.

"What, are you deaf? Get up!" He grabbed me by the hand and pulled me up. He was suprisingly gentle, despite his apperance and his seeming to being impatient.

But that didn't keep me from collapsing right back onto the ground in a pathetic heap.

"I . . ." My voice faltered. This sun and the dry landscape dried up my throat, and I could barely move.

"My, you're quite the sight. I guess I'm going to have to carry you back to what I like to call 'Paradise' until you can say anything. What a pain in the ass."

He growled under his breathe as he picked me up again and swung my arm around his neck and his arm around my waist, "Now don't make me just drag ya, at least attempt to help move us along. It's just over there, not to far at all."

Standing up caused a sharp pain in my side, but I ignored it and tried to move foward with the strange boy. Whoever he was, he didn't seem to bad. He wasn't like the ravage drug beasts everyone in the city always talked about. He was kind of cute to be honest. In a kind of rebelious, I-hate-everyone-and-everyone-hates-me type of way. Seeing the sun reflecting off his bare chest and the silver stud in his lip didn't hurt either.

"Don't try to say anything until you drink something. Could really mess your throat up. Don't know why I never expected ya to be weak after sitting in this dusty place all night."

I shot a glare at him that could burn holes in the side of his head,  I wanted to respond about how I'm not weak. Or how he would be upset if his Father . . .

My eyes fell to the cracked ground. . . Oh Dad. Why would he do it. I'm sure I would of started crying again right then, if my body wasn't so empty of water. Maybe, I am weak.

We kept walking along in silence until we approached a tall building.

He shifted a little to knock on the metal door, almost dropping me and falling over himself he shouted as he regained balance, "Oi! Someone, come get the door. I found someone hangin' out behind the old hide out!"

Someone from the other side of the door shouted back and there was a bunch of loud footsteps until a rather angry looking woman, around 20, with a bleach blonde pixie cut and a black nose ring answered.

"What the fuck did I say about bringing strangers here?! We just had to relocate!"

"Chill out, she looked like roadkill and I figured you might want to question why she was hangin' around the old place." He grinned in my direction, and it seemed to unsettle the woman more. "But she ain't talking. Too much time out there in the dry air. You don't think you could let us in now, could ya?"

She grumbled and opened the door wider, "Whatever, just get in here. You're looking a little dead yourself."

He half dragged me inside, and the cool air almost made me sigh with relief. I wonder how they kept it so cold in here? Maybe, If they don't boot me back outside I'll get a chance to ask.

"Here girl, take a seat. The others are probably still sleeping. But you'll meet them all eventually." He set me gingerly onto a filthy green couch, and I was suprised at how comfortable it was. It almost felt homey, until I looked around taking in the holes in the ceiling and realized that the blonde girl was still glaring daggers at me. Her black sneaker tapped expectantly on the cement ground and she picked absentmindly at her fraying purple tank top, but her eyes flickered to him with an almost worried expression at his words. As if she was saying, Why? Why is she meeting the others? You don't expect her to stay do you?! 

Oh no, They have a thing with eachother and she thinks I'm going to try and take him.

I wasn't sure whether to be amused, or worried that because of her feeling threatend, they'd all follow her lead in wanting me out.

The cold wetness of an icy water bottle broke my thoughts apart as the mohawk guy thrust one into my hand. "Here, drink it but not to fast alright? Don't want you getting sick before we talk." His deep voice softened as he leaned in and whispered, "I see you've been getting glared at rather viciously, but don't be bothered by her, she's just a little cautious is all. Out here it's hard to trust anyone once you know the truth." I tried not to shiver from his closeness, I've never felt this way. Fancying someone is foriegn to me. But something about this boy made me feel safe. I guess I just automatically connect the safe feeling from him to me liking him. 

The water trickled down my throat and my senses soaked it up eagerly. Never in my life has water tasted or felt so good.

"Alright, while you revive a little I'm going to call the rest down." He grinned at me again and walked over to what I assume was once an elevator. "Hey! Get down here for a second, come see what I dragged in!" 

I winced at how he reffered to me, like I was a dead animal. But then again, I haven't had a look at myself, so I can only assume I look like one.

After a minute, some began climbing down the ladder built into the elevator shaft and some swinging down from the holes in the low ceiling.

 It took me a while to realize it was actually a few people; Six, if you included the mohawked guy and the blonde girl. As they all walked closer to me Mohawk started the introductions. First pointing to a girl who I believe came from the ceiling. She had messy brown hair that reacher her shoulders, no shoes, and a ratty sweater that came down to her knees, "This is Nina, she's the youngest of us."

I was shocked, she looked so very, very young. Why would she be all the way out here? Her eyes twinkled as she smiled at me.

"Those two are Dahlia and Autumn, probably the quietest 16 year olds you'll ever meet. Dahlia's the nearly blind one." He chuckled at two dish water blonde twins, dressed in matching white tank tops and blue shorts, but one had visibly blank eyes, leaving me to assume she was Dahlia. 

"That large peice of man, is Henry; he's Nina's brother and he's one of the oldest." 

"Large peice of man? Is that a fat joke you're making you little twig?" A guy who is at least 6 feet tall and built broadly laughed. He was dressed in khaki's and a loose t-shirt, and had the same shaggy hair as Nina, but it only came down to his stubble covered chin.

 "Don't interuppt until I'm done with introductions you fluffy man," His smile almost split his face in half, "The sassy bitch over there is Oleander, she's the one who so pleasantly let us in, she's the other oldest one" She scoffed and rolled her eyes, "And I, your heroic saviour, am Gage. Now if I may ask, who are you?"

They all looked at me expectantly, even Dahlia with her pale, unfocused eyes looked in my direction. 

"I'm Siren."