Breed and Burn: Faceless

Chapter 7 - Everybody Hurts

That morning, or what they predicted to be morning, was different compared to the rest of the days that they had been stuck in the train. Through the window, they could see a forest filled with bare, brittle trees that shrieked with the weight of the ice. With each gust of wind, the trees let out low, twisted groans.

Cold had begun to stalk through the train carriage. A few of the boys managed to find blankets or pillows to press some warmth into them but the cold just laughed at them. Their body heat didn't drain away gradually. It left at great speed before they even woke up and realised they were shivering viciously.

When Haven began to cry, his tears left frozen track marks on his colourless skin. Muscles of those who were left unprotected from the cold, had begun to grind and ache like cogs in an old machine.

The faint, repulsive screams of the monster slashed through the silence. There was a commotion in the main carriage where Thorne, Sage and a stocky boy were trying to get some answers out of it. Pinning the monster down proved useless so with the help of Sage, Thorne had ripped off the curtains and tied his body to a chair after much resistance. Thorne replied with much of the same ferocious behaviour.

"Watch that thing," said Thorne, screwing his face up as it whined pathetically. The others looked up at him. "There's no point of trying anything until Axel wakes up."

Defeated, he ignored the protests from Sage and the kid whose name he kept forgetting. He did something he knew he had never done before and never had any intention of doing. He walked away.

A wall of darkness lay behind Axel's eyelids. All his other senses heightened. Confusion tinged his mind yet each word rang crystal clear through his mind.

"We can't stay here forever, Roman."

"It's just that the outside world looks like hell, hermano. Whatever this place is, it isn't Earth. We would've seen some sign telling us where we are. Even a nuclear bomb that could wipe out the entire world wouldn't turn the sky all red and get rid of the sun and moon and clouds."

Silence. Scrapping against the wall and the movement of clumsy feet still unacquainted to the constantly moving platform filled his ears. New voices began to enter his mind, thin and tinged with echo.

"Thorne?"

"Trent."

"Shouldn't you be on guard duties?"

"Just because I'm the strongest and all of you idiots are so skinny you probably wipe your own arses with floss? Sage and some other kid is doing it. They can manage for now. We'll get some answers once Blondie wakes up."

"Or maybe because you announced yourself leader," said Trent, coldly with narrowed eyes.

Thorne sucked in a mouthful of air. His patience was running thin and fast. "Me being the leader is the reason you should shut up. Is this really the time to argue? I told them what to do so I can't think of a goddam reason as to why you're here. I need to think..."

"Thorne. Bear said you would be here. Should we feed it or..." His voice was high with excitement despite the situation at hand. It was like he had spent his entire life preparing to be noticed or useful.

"I'm not your mum. I can't hold your bloody hand and talk you through this again. I've neither the energy nor the crayons to explain this to you." His voice was quiet but strong, void of all emotion. "Try to look happier, Aubrey. Now get back to Sage. What are you doing here?"

"It's Ares. Whose Aubrey?"

Several conversations filled Axel's head. For a while, he listened to them as he sunk in and out of consciences. His head felt like it was filled with air and nothing else. He didn't see the point in even trying to wake up since he had no clue what that monster was.