Vestige | The Society

Six | Death

As they were about to leave, the door swung open. Grizz and everyone else walked through. Alex watched as they walked in with a girl in their arms. She was limp and still. She turned into Harry, trying not to look.

They walked back to the front. "Don't look," Harry whispered to Alex. Everyone was quiet. Silent.

"It's fine," She slowly turned her head to look at the girl. Her skin pale, as though she were ghost.

"She died from a snake bite," Luke's voice waved as he spoke. A twinge of pain shot through Alex's heart. "Her whole body just shut down. We did everything we could, but we couldn't save her. Everyone stared in disbelief. Wondering how, if they ever got home, they would tell her parents.

"So we're gonna bury her tomorrow. Before it starts to smell. So, I'm gonna need a couple of guys." Grizz explained. His eyes drifted to see Alex looking at him. She looked like a scared puppy. The sense of relief she felt at the beginning now utterly dissipated.

"I'll help," Sylver spoke from beside Alex. She looked and gave him a thankful smile. He smiled back at her, trying to make her feel better.

"Thank you. Clark?"

"Yeah, no problem." Everyone stood in silence for a moment. They all tried to understand what was going on, but it felt like they were stuck in the same nightmare together.

"There's nothing out there, guys," Harry squeezed Alex's hand. She look at him, tears in her eyes. He pulled her into a hug, resting his head on top of hers. She could hear his heart pounding. Everyone felt the same way. "Just a whole bunch of... just woods that go on forever. We're all alone. This isn't our home. The teens held their heads low, the feeling of grief filling them. There was no way out anymore.

One by one, they approached saying their goodbyes. Everyone left. Alex stuck by Grizz. She pulled on his hand, causing him to turn around. She put her hands out and he hugged her. Instantly beginning to cry. "I'm scared too, Grizz. But as Merina would have said, 'fear leads to good heart that knows how to care even in the dark'"

"She was cheesy,"

"Extremely," They both laughed. Grizz pulled away, wiping his eyes.

"Let's go to bed," Alex nodded her head and they began to walk home. Trying not to think about the following day and what they would be doing.

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Alex sat next to Sylver, looking at the grave. "How are you?" He asked her. She turned to look at him biting her lip, a distant look in her eyes.

"Just, trying to come to terms with everything," She muttered, taking a deep breath. "It's a lot to take in,"

"My house is empty for once. It's weird. I always imagined a world without adults to be awesome, yet here we are," Both let out a small chuckle. The sun was just settling in the sky. The blue above them only drowned out by a few white clouds.

"How is it, that nothing seems to have changed, but so much is different now?"

"Things tend to change all the time, we just lose the ability to see it. We cut it out," Alex sat, playing with her fingers. Thinking. Her mind flowing like the clouds above her.

"Hey Alex!" Her head shot up to see Cassandra. "Girls are having a meeting in the church," Her eyes flickered between the two of them. Alex caught on, her cheeks heating up. They had only just began to talk.

"I'll catch up with you later," She said to Sylver, standing up. She gave him a small wave before walking with Cassandra into the church. All the girls were sat on the floor, or on the front pews.

"Boys that we thought we knew, destroyed those stores last night," Alex thought back. She had hidden in Grizz's house. He had tried to comfort her, but ended up calling Sylver to look after her while he tried to stop it. It was one of the main reasons Sylver and her had began to speak more. "And if we don't do something, Male testosterone is going to be the end of us."

"Is that why it's just girls here?" Cassandra nodded her head. Alex Couldn't lie - she agreed with Cassandra.

"I have to agree with her. Have you seen out there?" She spoke up. Everyone watched her closely. They tried to figure out if she was joking; Alexandrea rarely spoke up, not when Grizz was in the mix. She knew he wasn't a bad person. Most of the other boys were. It terrified her.

"Right now it's just pillage. But how long until someone's raped walking home one night and no one gives a shit because that's just how it is?"

"Okay, I'm sorry no one wanted to date you in high school, Cassandra," Alex rolled her eyes and clenched her jaw. "but this war on men feels a little extra."

"Shut the Fuck up, Gwen."

"Oh and, um, have you got your STD tests back yet? Only test you passed huh?" Alex joined in. Her eyes burning into Gwen's. The girl rolled her eyes. Everyone shared looks, a few giggles echoing throughout the church.

"Everything that kept us safe is gone," Alex turned back to Cassandra, her face softening. "There isn't any one to say no. And when you stop hearing no, you begin to think you can do anything. Women aren't safe in a world that's run by brute force and stupidity. If we want peace we need order. And to get order we need to exert our power." Everyone nodded.

Alex curled up. She knew it. She had witnessed it first hand. Once no stopped, yes was used in everything. It got to the point where when she tried to say no, it sounded like yes to him.