Riptyde

Chapter 2: Nightmare

I can still hear the screams.

The incident was five years ago today, but it feels like yesterday. I can still see Johnny, his face is burned into my memory. I can't shake the feeling that I betrayed him by not doing more. But what could I have done, I'm just me. There isn't anything, ANYTHING, special about me. After that day I became a loner, a thief, a criminal. I have over 30 bounties on my head at least. I never got home, I never see mom, I have no one anymore.

This is all YOUR fault. You could've done something, but instead you ran and left everyone behind. You're a disappointment, Jackson Riptyde!!

That's the thought that runs through my head everytime I think about it, how I failed Johnny, how I failed mom, how I failed myself. I've been hunting these bastards for the last five years, and I think I found one of them. I got a tip from a local sheet thug that someone he saw leave the academy go to a local pub. I beat the ever living shit out of him, and I went on my hunt. The little fucknugget was right, I got one of those bastards that took Johnny and blew the academy to hell. As soon as his little buddies where gone I jumped through the window and tackled him, right in front of everybody. My face was red with anger and hate, I didn't care about my consequences I wanted him dead.

"WHERE YOU AT THE HIGH POWERS ACADEMY FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY?! WELL, WHERE YOU"?! I heard his friends come back with there little toy guns and I broke a couple of bottles and threw them at the thugs. "YOU DIDN'T ANSWER ME! WHERE YOU AT THE HIGH POWERS ACADEMY FIVE YEARS AGO"?! 

"Y-yes I was, why so you care so much? Why do you give a damn"?!

"Why do I give a damn? You stupid MOTHERFUCKERS TOOK MY BROTHER AWAY FROM ME! And now, my friend, you die". But before I could off the little shit, the Argo City Police Department (ACPD) busted in.

"FREEZE! Nobody move or you'll be detained"!

'Fuck that, I need to get out of here'! I jumped back through the broken window and ran as fast as I could. I heard sirens all around me, I was about to be cut off by ACPD dickwads. I heard a weird noise and the sewer grate opened. I jumped over it and I felt a hand wrap around my leg.

"SHIT"! I yell as I'm pulled down into the sewer. The figure closed the grate just as fast as it opened it. "What the fuck is going o-"

"Shut the fuck up if you don't want to get caught"! It was a girls voice that came from the figure. I was shocked and even more confused. I did what she told me to do, I stayed quiet and let the cops go away.

It's been five minutes, the cops have gone back to their given stations. I looked at the figure and I felt even more pissed. I just got saved by a FUCKING GIRL! That's a whole new low for me.

"Who are you? Why did you help me? What's with the cloak"? I kept asking questions and she seemed to be getting more and more annoyed.

"I'm Connie, I'm a local 'traveler' you could say. I helped you because you seem like you could help me with something. And the cloak is because it's a symbol of my clan".

She said this shit as if I'm supposed to know what the fuck all that meant. "Okay, 'Connie', why do you need my help"? I'm absolutely furious, this is NOT my day.

"Follow me, uhh... you never told me your name. What's your name"? Connie asked that like she wanted to be my friend, I knew what she was really doing though. She saves me, asks for my help and when my services are no longer required...BAM, I'm dead. But I played along with it, just to seem a little less obvious with my stalling.

"Riptyde, Jackson Riptyde. That's my name". Jesus, just hearing my own name made me feel sick. 'I hope this chick knows what she's doing, or I'm outta here'.

We've been walking for about ten minutes now, I still dont know where she's taking me. "So, Connie, where are we going? Where are you taking me"? She didn't answer. I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this. I slow up enough to where if she does try something, I'll be out this bitch REAL quick. We get to what seemed to be her little hideout, and it was a dump.

"Get some rest, I'll fetch you I'm the morning". Connie jumped up onto the wall and went to bed. I did the same. I found an old sleeping bag and used that. I fell asleep instantly.

I can still hear the screams. I'm on my knees and I can't move. There's screaming and yelling all around me, banging against my eardrums. I hear the explosion of the bomb and hear the sound of crumbling rock. It went dead silent, and I hear a voice. A deep, gragly voice say 'you'll die alone, and I'll be waiting for you'. It starts laughing...laughing...LAUGHING!!!

"...tyde. RIPTYDE, WAKE UP"!! I shoot up and hit Connie in the leg, she falls and hits the ground hard. I rush to see if she's okay.

"Oh fuck, I'm sorry. I-I-I had a-a nightmare and you startled me and-". She starts laughing, like she wanted that to happen.

"Haha!! It's all good, Riptyde. Ow, you got one HELL of a punch". She stood up and stumbles a little. She reached out her hand to help me up. I grabbed her hand and she pulled me up. She walked over to a kitchen type area and grabbed some food on a plate. "If your hungry, grab the other one. If not, heh, more for me".

I grabbed the other plate quickly and sat down at the table. I start eating and I see that she's looking at me strangely, I start to feel uncomfortable.

"So, what do you need my help with"? It sounded like a alien trying to speak English.

"What"?! Connie starts dying of laughter. "Swallow, then talk sport". She continues to laugh. I start to get red with embarrassment. I finish eating and ask again.

"So, what do you need my help with"? Now sounding like an actual person. She leans in and whispers something in my ear.

"I'm looking for someone to join me on a little adventure, you up for it"?