The Sad Strange Little Man
It’s a four hour drive to the camp, nothing compared to the day I’ve spent already, bordered up like some sort of animal trapped within a steel cage. Both me and Mr. Thornton still seething with rage from our encounter with the Commander, it seems the journey will be passed in silence.
Much to my surprise I hear several loud bangs on the side of the truck, sounds like someone’s hitting it with a club. Relentless metallic clangs ring around my head, doing nothing for my mood only succeeding in making me angrier.
Dru looks swiftly across to me, motioning for me to follow her to the small black window in the opposite corner of the room. It takes a while for my body to respond or kick into gear but eventually I unfurl my legs, touching them softly to the ground, I begin quietly tiptoeing over to Dru.
Everything runs on quiet, no loud sounds just perfect stillness. Whatever it is has stopped. Air grows thick, breath begins to catch in our throats. Without warning a tight hand encloses around my arm, a sharp gasp escapes my lips but my muscles relax immediately when I realize it’s only Mr. Thornton.
We all share a glance, eyes wide and alert, ears pricked up and hands ready by our chests.
“It doesn’t seem like you’re too good yet.” A rough voice sounds from behind
I suspect everyone else joined in with me, as I yelped a very high pitched ‘Shit!’ and topple to the floor out of sheer surprise. Now I’m completely shot with adrenaline but with nothing to use it on it decides to work at my nerves, gnawing away until I’m nothing but a trembling wreck on the ground. Sad thing is, it only took about 10 seconds.
“Although, one of you isn’t so unfortunate looking.”
The man the voice belongs to crouches down next to me, holds out his large hand towards me. I reach out, intending to take it when he seems to loose patience and lunges forward picking me up by my wrist. Feeling pressure on my veins drives me to nausea. I always hate it when people touch me where my veins show.
“Get off me.” I spit poisonously at him
“Now, now no need to be snippy, was only trying to help.”
His scruffy face peeks out from between scrub-brush whiskers, dimples show as he smiles warmly at me from an arms length. Irately I begin to scrub where he touched me, huge muddy handprints still linger above pink flesh even after 5 minutes of intense rubbing. Brown hair frames my look of disgust at him, seemingly this has no effect on the mans cocky stance, his eyes seems to sparkle an even brighter blue from the attention.
“Who are you?” Mr. Thornton questions as the stranger circles him before rounding back onto me
“A man, just like you.”
If it’s even possible, my anger rises even more. A million obscene thoughts run through my mind, the most PG being ‘What an insufferable man!’. Then I stop to wonder for a moment, how can he possibly be like us? He doesn’t have Onyx Eyes. Could it be that he sees us as equal, after 2 days of being treated like we’re special I was beginning to feel kind of segregated.
“Well, yes, I can see that I meant what is your name? What are you doing here?”
“He’s called Gervais. Gervais Brigin and he’s one of my very best friends.” Takeshi suddenly inputs, I hadn’t even known that he was here, lots of people have been sneaking up on me today and I’m not sure that I like it.
“How did I guess, only someone you like would be as big a jerk as you.” I sigh, flopping back down onto my camp bed which has grown cold without me there.
“Ouch, harsh.” Gervais winces
“Would you please mind telling me what you’re doing in my medical van?” Dru asks, I can see a little pulsating vein throb in her forehead, I guess she’s met him before.
“Dru! I didn’t see you there, how you doing? Been up to much?”
“You mean since you blew up my last van, yes quite a lot, mostly trying to think of ways to avoid you.”
“This is a verbal attack, do they assault you like this Takeshi?”
“Well Abi does, not Dru so much, she’s used to me now I think.” He starts a private conversation with Gervais leaving me time to sidle over to Dru and Mr. Thornton to have a private conversation about the new guy.
“Whatever you do, don’t let him anywhere near the gas and air, last time he got drugged up and accidentally shot the fuel tank of the truck.” Dru growls, definitely annoyed about his presence
“”He looks alright to me.” Mr. Thornton
“He looks like an idiot.” I interject
“Just because you’re standing over there doesn’t mean that I can’t hear you.” Gervais coos right next to my ear
“Will you stop sneaking up on me; it’s really annoying and immature. If you’re hear to see Takeshi then you can speak to him somewhere else can’t you?” Breaking from my normal demeanor of being quite shy around strangers I totally snap and nearly scream this last part at him.
“Ouch, harsh.” Takeshi and Gervais taunt in unison
“I wouldn’t mess with her, she’s quite strong you know.” Dru smirks
I’m a little unimpressed about how she’s using me to get at Gervais but I really want to knock him down a few pegs so I keep my lips shut. Both men look to the only other man in the room for support, instead they’re met with an impartial wall. Mr. Thornton holds his hands up shrugging his shoulders.
Girls stand by the window, boys stand by the door ready for a major square off. It’s insane how I dislike Gervais so much but, it’s like one of those repellant personalities…we just weren’t made to get along. Fact.
As I move my eyes around both boys searching for something to make fun of, they finally come to rest on their large guns nestled in leather holsters. A small part of me tries to persuade the other not to do this that it’s really childish, but like I said this is a small part. More than likely a very small part.
“Hey Dru,” I gently poke her side, gesturing for her to turn to face me away from the boys so they can’t lip read, an evil plan forming in my head. I whisper this evil master plan in her ear earning a small stifled chuckle.
“Yeah Abi?”
We begin to whisper quietly between ourselves, with the occasional laugh for effect and a little side glance or two at both of the bewildered guys who have begun to fidget with curiosity.
“Fine, we’ll play your immature game. What are you talking about?” Gervais inquires aloofly
“We were just wondering, your guns, are you- are you… compensating for something?” I snigger
“Well, Takeshi is but I’m-“
“Gervais! Ignore him ladies.”
“No, don’t ignore me ladies it’s all the truth.”
Both me and Dru high five each other, sure it was immature, sure maybe it didn’t give a very good impression of me to Gervais but it was worth it. They stagger outside trying to look natural but I can see the embarrassment plastered on Takeshi’s face. I bet they’re probably going to punch chunks out of each other now. Very boy.
“That was very quick.” Mr. Thornton smiles, a happy witness to all of these events merely standing there like a lemon while everyone else was engaged in a childish stand off.
“Thanks, I do regret it a little bit now I suppose it was a bit childish of me.” I blush thinking of what Gervais would think of me now
“Yes I suppose we were a little bit juvenile, but it was worth it. After about a week of staying with him you’ll want to disembowel him…trust me. You’ll have had your own personal Gervais I assure you.” Dru laughs still flushed with happiness
“I just hope he doesn’t blow up the medical truck again. Especially while we’re in it.” Mr. Thornton muses trying to listen to Takeshi and Gervais fight outside.
I try not to listen; instead I busy myself helping Dru with tidying medical equipment. Looking closely at Dru, she can’t be more than thirty years old or no grey speckles her ginger hair to tell it. Not a line shows on her pale face but laughter lines around her pale mouth. In comparison Gervais is a bear who has no concept of personal hygiene, blunt and crude.
Diverting my eyes away before Dru can catch me gawping at her, I steer them to one of the metal scalpels, and it gleams in the artificial light like a halo, its stainless steel body cool to touch. When I catch a glimpse of something black, I double take. It’s only then do I realize that the black thing was me.
First I thought that it’s a smudge on the scalpel but as I looked closer I see it moves when I move, a deadly shadow attached to me leeching life off my very soul. I draw a deep breath scarcely able to believe what my own eyes see: instead of being hazel they’re obsidian black; my face is drawn and pale; and my hair has grown to nearly double its length before.
For once in my life I think that I look just about presentable, I admire the way that light seems to be absorbed by my skin as it has a slight luminous glow. While I drift back in memories to try and figure out when I changed into this…new version of me…wait. That sound’s horrible how I can even call myself that, it makes me sound mechanical, like a robot.
“I probably should have told you about the physical changes.” Dru squirms
