Argh. Why Adonis. Why.
How could he not know even the slightest hints of names for their classmates. Kyran knew it was inevitable, he could understand that Adonis Alba was always an idiot back at school. Why change now, right. At least the guy tried. He had some description given to him, but it could fit a good number of girls at their school or on that bus.
"Alright. Whatever. It's okay. Just, point her out for me the next time you see her then."
Kyran started counting his fingers, putting names to the list.
"Who else did you meet, Adonis? Anyone else you think might be trouble?"
It's Kind of Like a Wasteland
"Trouble?" Adonis repeated the last word out of Kyran's mouth. "I could try, I guess." He brought his hand up and cradled his chin as he tried to remember who else had tried to kill him recently. "Well, there's Gun Girl and Tina, but I think you've got them already, right?" He pointed to Kyran. "So yeah, I can probably skip them."
Who else was there? There was Natali and Kyran's friend who was hanging out in a tree for some reason. There was that one Asian girl who was there when he woke up. There was also Lance and Clio, and how could he possibly forget Keiji? None of them were really ringing in his head as dangerous people, though. Well okay, maybe Lance was a little scary, but that might have just been towards him. After all, Adonis did kinda convince him that Kasumi was dead. He wondered if Lance was still mad about that, especially since he knew that Kasumi was actually alive now.
Thinking deeper, there was Trumpet Boy back at the cliffs. But he wasn't dangerous, just annoying as shit. And there was also the crying girl, who...
"Wait!" He reached out to accompany his sudden outburst. "There was this other girl who had a gun. She was at the cliffs and seemed kinda hurt. I didn't notice her for a while since I was yellin' at some asshole with a trumpet." He shook his head to get himself back on track. "Anyway, she had long brown hair in a braid, and a really long skirt..." He racked his brain to come up with more details. "She was short, real short. I remember that." He had a pretty clear visual in his mind, and he was starting to draw on some memories from school that he was hoping were accurate. "Kinda bookish, I think?"
The picture was complete, and now... wait, was he really drawing a name? "Rachael, I think?"
Who else was there? There was Natali and Kyran's friend who was hanging out in a tree for some reason. There was that one Asian girl who was there when he woke up. There was also Lance and Clio, and how could he possibly forget Keiji? None of them were really ringing in his head as dangerous people, though. Well okay, maybe Lance was a little scary, but that might have just been towards him. After all, Adonis did kinda convince him that Kasumi was dead. He wondered if Lance was still mad about that, especially since he knew that Kasumi was actually alive now.
Thinking deeper, there was Trumpet Boy back at the cliffs. But he wasn't dangerous, just annoying as shit. And there was also the crying girl, who...
"Wait!" He reached out to accompany his sudden outburst. "There was this other girl who had a gun. She was at the cliffs and seemed kinda hurt. I didn't notice her for a while since I was yellin' at some asshole with a trumpet." He shook his head to get himself back on track. "Anyway, she had long brown hair in a braid, and a really long skirt..." He racked his brain to come up with more details. "She was short, real short. I remember that." He had a pretty clear visual in his mind, and he was starting to draw on some memories from school that he was hoping were accurate. "Kinda bookish, I think?"
The picture was complete, and now... wait, was he really drawing a name? "Rachael, I think?"
"Rachael?" Kyran furrowed his brow a little bit.
"You mean that girl you made uncomfortable by hitting on her at the cafeteria one time, before I told you to knock it off - before you shoved me into some mash potatoes and punched me in the lip? That Rachael?" Kyran licked at his formerly stitched lip and started to smirk.
It was funny, because his description of her was almost exactly the same as Alba's description of the other Gun Girl. Apparently it was a completely different gun girl, with green clothes and brown hair who attacked him at the Tar Pits though.
"Did she shoot at you? Well, I don't really blame her, if so."
"You mean that girl you made uncomfortable by hitting on her at the cafeteria one time, before I told you to knock it off - before you shoved me into some mash potatoes and punched me in the lip? That Rachael?" Kyran licked at his formerly stitched lip and started to smirk.
It was funny, because his description of her was almost exactly the same as Alba's description of the other Gun Girl. Apparently it was a completely different gun girl, with green clothes and brown hair who attacked him at the Tar Pits though.
"Did she shoot at you? Well, I don't really blame her, if so."
"Yeah, that's the one." Adonis quickly turned defensive. "But I didn't do anything to her, I swear!" He pleaded with his reluctant companion. "I was busy yellin' at Trumpet Boy when she pulled a gun outta nowhere, then I just got the hell outta there." He kicked up a knee and rested his shoulder atop it. "Look man, I dunno what happened to her when she got here, but I think she's lost it."
The ex-cornerback leaned forward. "But wait a sec, why are you the only one doin' the grilling around here? Shouldn't I be askin' you the same thing?" He extended a hand. "Some come on, spill it. What jackasses have you run into?"
The ex-cornerback leaned forward. "But wait a sec, why are you the only one doin' the grilling around here? Shouldn't I be askin' you the same thing?" He extended a hand. "Some come on, spill it. What jackasses have you run into?"
The dryness of his throat made it feel scratchy. A cough, several more. More like wheezing actually. Felt like this parched feeling was entering his lungs as well.
He paused then swallowed what little saliva he had to coat his throat with a bit of wetness and relief.
"Already have a list."
Left hand up. Thumb and index finger out.
"Woke up in that warehouse we were just in, early yesterday. Was attacked by Saachi Nidal and Jay Harland. Saachi gave me this little peck right here...."
Kyran peeled back the band-aid from his cheek revealing the diagonal slice, connecting a few of the tiny moles dotting his sun-kissed facial features.
"If I knew you didn't have a weapon, I'd have told you to grab a garden hoe or something, cuz that's what helped me live."
Middle finger out: "There's Tina Luz, she shot at us in the forest." At this point, Kyran tried lifting his ring finger, but it was super hard to do without lifting his pinkie too. So he just opened the full hand and the index on the other.
"Then there's Blaine, who brutally smashed Natali's knee. Probably Rachael too, from what you say and then your friend Gun Girl. That's six on the danger list.
"Six we gotta watch out for."
Kyran paused again, remembering that there were killers on the announcements that morning too, but the overheating and dizziness made Kyran feel too lightheaded to think back to them right now. He'd have to rely on Adonis for the answers here.
"Who was on the announcements, the killers I mean?"
He paused then swallowed what little saliva he had to coat his throat with a bit of wetness and relief.
"Already have a list."
Left hand up. Thumb and index finger out.
"Woke up in that warehouse we were just in, early yesterday. Was attacked by Saachi Nidal and Jay Harland. Saachi gave me this little peck right here...."
Kyran peeled back the band-aid from his cheek revealing the diagonal slice, connecting a few of the tiny moles dotting his sun-kissed facial features.
"If I knew you didn't have a weapon, I'd have told you to grab a garden hoe or something, cuz that's what helped me live."
Middle finger out: "There's Tina Luz, she shot at us in the forest." At this point, Kyran tried lifting his ring finger, but it was super hard to do without lifting his pinkie too. So he just opened the full hand and the index on the other.
"Then there's Blaine, who brutally smashed Natali's knee. Probably Rachael too, from what you say and then your friend Gun Girl. That's six on the danger list.
"Six we gotta watch out for."
Kyran paused again, remembering that there were killers on the announcements that morning too, but the overheating and dizziness made Kyran feel too lightheaded to think back to them right now. He'd have to rely on Adonis for the answers here.
"Who was on the announcements, the killers I mean?"
"Shit."
Kyran's facial slice looked pretty gnarly. Didn't seem infected or anything, but he had a big goddamn cut across his cheek, and that definitely wasn't supposed to be there. Damn, taking that into account, Adonis had been pretty lucky so far. At least he wasn't hurt yet.
So anyway, back to business. Saachi, Jay, Tina, Blaine, Rachael, Gun Girl. Six names they needed to be wary of. But of course, they needed the names from the announcements too, and that was where Adonis could really shine. He had listened real close to find out who Gun Girl was. After all, all he had to do was hear who killed Kasumi White. Of course, Kasumi wasn't actually on the announcements, so that didn't work. But on the bright side, he could recall who all of the previous day's killers were pretty well.
"All right, there was Will, but he died already." He started counting on his fingers each time he added a new name. "There's also Sophie, but it sounds like that was kinda complicated." He wiggled his hand from side to side in a so-so motion before moving on. "Katarina, Jay, who you just mentioned, Bridgette, and Everett. Take out Will and Jay, and that's four more people to look out for."
He put his hands down and reflected on this new information. "Ten people. What the fuck, man."
Kyran's facial slice looked pretty gnarly. Didn't seem infected or anything, but he had a big goddamn cut across his cheek, and that definitely wasn't supposed to be there. Damn, taking that into account, Adonis had been pretty lucky so far. At least he wasn't hurt yet.
So anyway, back to business. Saachi, Jay, Tina, Blaine, Rachael, Gun Girl. Six names they needed to be wary of. But of course, they needed the names from the announcements too, and that was where Adonis could really shine. He had listened real close to find out who Gun Girl was. After all, all he had to do was hear who killed Kasumi White. Of course, Kasumi wasn't actually on the announcements, so that didn't work. But on the bright side, he could recall who all of the previous day's killers were pretty well.
"All right, there was Will, but he died already." He started counting on his fingers each time he added a new name. "There's also Sophie, but it sounds like that was kinda complicated." He wiggled his hand from side to side in a so-so motion before moving on. "Katarina, Jay, who you just mentioned, Bridgette, and Everett. Take out Will and Jay, and that's four more people to look out for."
He put his hands down and reflected on this new information. "Ten people. What the fuck, man."
Kyran couldn't be sure of the killers who were on the announcements.
There could have been a number of reasons or motives behind them, but until he knew, from first hand experience or from others on the island, they would still have to be placed tentatively on the list of trouble. The one who most stuck out, that Kyran could remember was the terrorist leader's description of Katarina's kill. He'd seen what was probably Yasmin's corpse in the forest when trying to look for his assigned rucksack last night and that result definitely was no accident.
"I remember the terrorist saying that Katarina 'finally managed to hit what she was aiming at', so she definitely has been trying to kill before, but the others yeah, we gotta watch out for them, for now."
He would remember these names the best he can and match a visual of a face he remembered from school. Kyran pondered to himself a little more, looking at the blue sky, at the grey and white graveled area below. He cleared his throat, roughly, the interiors feeling extra parched and scratchy.
"Do you have any friends, Alba?"
There could have been a number of reasons or motives behind them, but until he knew, from first hand experience or from others on the island, they would still have to be placed tentatively on the list of trouble. The one who most stuck out, that Kyran could remember was the terrorist leader's description of Katarina's kill. He'd seen what was probably Yasmin's corpse in the forest when trying to look for his assigned rucksack last night and that result definitely was no accident.
"I remember the terrorist saying that Katarina 'finally managed to hit what she was aiming at', so she definitely has been trying to kill before, but the others yeah, we gotta watch out for them, for now."
He would remember these names the best he can and match a visual of a face he remembered from school. Kyran pondered to himself a little more, looking at the blue sky, at the grey and white graveled area below. He cleared his throat, roughly, the interiors feeling extra parched and scratchy.
"Do you have any friends, Alba?"
"Right. Keep an extra close eye out for Katarina. Got it." Adonis gave a thumbs-up to show his understanding of the situation. Of course, that would be easier if he knew who Katarina was, but at least he knew that much.
As for what Kyran said afterward... shit, that was a lot harder. Adonis crossed his arms and thought really hard. He had friends back when he was on the football team, but most of them haven't really wanted to talk to him that much since he got the boot. Outside of that, he was familiar with a lot of the regular partiers in school, but he didn't really have a lot of people who he could just call up to hang out whenever.
... Holy shit, did he really not have any friends?
He tapped a finger on his arm and tried to think of an answer. He failed at this, and just decided to be truthful.
"I dunno, man."
As for what Kyran said afterward... shit, that was a lot harder. Adonis crossed his arms and thought really hard. He had friends back when he was on the football team, but most of them haven't really wanted to talk to him that much since he got the boot. Outside of that, he was familiar with a lot of the regular partiers in school, but he didn't really have a lot of people who he could just call up to hang out whenever.
... Holy shit, did he really not have any friends?
He tapped a finger on his arm and tried to think of an answer. He failed at this, and just decided to be truthful.
"I dunno, man."
Kyran Dean had not been sure it was possible for him to feel sorry for Adonis Alba. So much happened to Adonis with the reputation at school and the booting the ex-cornerback got from the football team, he hadn't considered what the guy's life had become after that. It was still Alba's own fault and Kyran could still react to the guys' name with "hate that guy" like he did with Richard, but right now, he felt bad for bringing this up.
"Nevermind." Kyran started cracking his knuckles, just to loosen the irritation in his joints as he tried to think of how to move this conversation forward, away from the awkwardness in Adonis' direction, to something productive.
"Look. Me and Natali split, because I needed to find some people and she wanted to lay low. We tried doing that yesterday, but it didn't work out. We couldn't find Kristina Hartmann after Tina shot as us. It's like she just disappeared. I'm still hoping to find her. Maybe a few others."
Kyran glanced at Adonis, careful not to use the word friend. He wasn't sure if Alba would even know any of the people he was going to talk about, because the guy had some trouble putting faces to names and vice versa, as he didn't know who gun girl was. He doubted Adonis even knew who Katarina was. A sudden thought came to Kyran's mind about that, but he'd bring that up for later. Instead he started listing a few specific names.
"Chuck. Michael Crowe. Jason Andrews. Paris."
Hopefully a few of those names would be recognizable for Adonis, or at least memorable enough to stick.
"We were too late with Aaron Chalmers, but the other boys on our team, on that bus," Kyran started to say as he thought again of the guys from the team who were on their fateful bus. "Roy Benson, Brandon Baxter, Johnny Lancer, they're all still alive. I want to find all these guys and maybe someone who knows what to do."
Kyran turned to Adonis, swallowed at the dry itch in back of his throat, then spoke again. It was worth asking.
"Do you know what to do," Kyran lifted one arm in the air and waved it in a circular motion representing the whole dilemma. "...about all this?"
This was probably the most he's ever talked to a majority of people, much less Adonis Alba. Ever.
"Nevermind." Kyran started cracking his knuckles, just to loosen the irritation in his joints as he tried to think of how to move this conversation forward, away from the awkwardness in Adonis' direction, to something productive.
"Look. Me and Natali split, because I needed to find some people and she wanted to lay low. We tried doing that yesterday, but it didn't work out. We couldn't find Kristina Hartmann after Tina shot as us. It's like she just disappeared. I'm still hoping to find her. Maybe a few others."
Kyran glanced at Adonis, careful not to use the word friend. He wasn't sure if Alba would even know any of the people he was going to talk about, because the guy had some trouble putting faces to names and vice versa, as he didn't know who gun girl was. He doubted Adonis even knew who Katarina was. A sudden thought came to Kyran's mind about that, but he'd bring that up for later. Instead he started listing a few specific names.
"Chuck. Michael Crowe. Jason Andrews. Paris."
Hopefully a few of those names would be recognizable for Adonis, or at least memorable enough to stick.
"We were too late with Aaron Chalmers, but the other boys on our team, on that bus," Kyran started to say as he thought again of the guys from the team who were on their fateful bus. "Roy Benson, Brandon Baxter, Johnny Lancer, they're all still alive. I want to find all these guys and maybe someone who knows what to do."
Kyran turned to Adonis, swallowed at the dry itch in back of his throat, then spoke again. It was worth asking.
"Do you know what to do," Kyran lifted one arm in the air and waved it in a circular motion representing the whole dilemma. "...about all this?"
This was probably the most he's ever talked to a majority of people, much less Adonis Alba. Ever.
Adonis sat and listened while Kyran listed off a whole bunch of names at him. Most of them were basically just words to him, although Kristina was pretty easy to guess. A few of the others, like Michael, were in his head somewhere, just because they were easy to point out in a crowd. The football team though, he remembered all of them pretty well. No confusion as far as they were concerned.
But even with all of this information being dumped on him, he didn't know what he was supposed to do with it. He had a list of names, and he knew some of the people who were on the bus with them. What were they gonna do with that? From the sounds of things, it sounded like Kyran expected him to figure it out. Well, that probably wasn't gonna happen. It was hard as hell just getting this far. He didn't have a fucking clue where to go from here.
"I dunno, man." He shrugged. "Maybe go somewhere where there ain't gonna be a lot of people?"
But even with all of this information being dumped on him, he didn't know what he was supposed to do with it. He had a list of names, and he knew some of the people who were on the bus with them. What were they gonna do with that? From the sounds of things, it sounded like Kyran expected him to figure it out. Well, that probably wasn't gonna happen. It was hard as hell just getting this far. He didn't have a fucking clue where to go from here.
"I dunno, man." He shrugged. "Maybe go somewhere where there ain't gonna be a lot of people?"
"It's a start."
Pretty much the same plan Natali told him yesterday, but perhaps that was the way to go. Just add a touch of Mean Dean planning and this could probably work.
"Do you have a map? Maybe we can pick a place, make it a base, to keep the good kids safe and keep trouble out."
Kyran lifted the snapback by the burgundy brim and stared at the bullet hole through the dove print again. He brushed his fingers through his scruffy and tousled golden brown hair, first ruffling it then smoothing it out. He placed the cap back atop his head, in reverse, then scratched along his jawline and upper neck, before speaking up again.
"You know, save some lives, while we figure out what to do."
Pretty much the same plan Natali told him yesterday, but perhaps that was the way to go. Just add a touch of Mean Dean planning and this could probably work.
"Do you have a map? Maybe we can pick a place, make it a base, to keep the good kids safe and keep trouble out."
Kyran lifted the snapback by the burgundy brim and stared at the bullet hole through the dove print again. He brushed his fingers through his scruffy and tousled golden brown hair, first ruffling it then smoothing it out. He placed the cap back atop his head, in reverse, then scratched along his jawline and upper neck, before speaking up again.
"You know, save some lives, while we figure out what to do."
"Oh hell yeah!" Adonis whipped out his map and held it between himself and Kyran. According to it, there was way more good shelter on the south end of the island than the north, which was mostly forests and stuff. He ran his finger over the map multiple times, trying to measure the distances between each location and the quarry they were in at the moment.
"Looks like we've got some options." He mused. "There anyplace you wanna go?" He paused for a moment before hastily adding. "Except the Warehouse. I've seen enough of that place."
He shuddered, remembering how bloody the warehouse had been during their time there. He couldn't imagine anything good coming from heading back there.
"Looks like we've got some options." He mused. "There anyplace you wanna go?" He paused for a moment before hastily adding. "Except the Warehouse. I've seen enough of that place."
He shuddered, remembering how bloody the warehouse had been during their time there. He couldn't imagine anything good coming from heading back there.
Kyran flinched at Alba's sudden enthusiasm and shout of 'hell yeah', nearly falling off his rock. Well yeah, glad he liked the idea, but jeeze.
"Here."
Parish.
"Here."
Mess Hall.
"...and Here."
Lighthouse.
"That's where Natali went after we separated. I'd consider the cabin, but it's a danger-zone, the farthest away and I heard some shots there yesterday, sounded like an automatic, like my AK.... I think it could have been the same gun girl who attacked you at the pits."
Kyran's left eyebrow went up, remembering what he wanted to ask a moment ago, before he listed names.
"Wait a minute, Adonis. Can you answer me truthfully for a second. Do you know who Katarina is, or what she looks like? She also goes by KK, if that sounds more familiar."
"Here."
Parish.
"Here."
Mess Hall.
"...and Here."
Lighthouse.
"That's where Natali went after we separated. I'd consider the cabin, but it's a danger-zone, the farthest away and I heard some shots there yesterday, sounded like an automatic, like my AK.... I think it could have been the same gun girl who attacked you at the pits."
Kyran's left eyebrow went up, remembering what he wanted to ask a moment ago, before he listed names.
"Wait a minute, Adonis. Can you answer me truthfully for a second. Do you know who Katarina is, or what she looks like? She also goes by KK, if that sounds more familiar."
"Uh-huh, uh-huh." Adonis nodded along with Kyran's logic. So he liked the lighthouse, did he? Well, if he had friends there, then it would probably be the best bet for them. Kind of a walk, though. It was all the way on the other side of the island, so they'd have a pretty long walk ahead of them. Didn't look like they could sneak through the tunnels either, which sucked. Looked like it was gonna be another long day in the sun.
Yeah, he could get that logic. And- hey wait, why's he going on about this Katarina girl now? And they call her KK? What does that have to do with...
"Oh wait, KK?" He came to a mild realization. "Yeah, I think I've heard the name before. What's she look like?"
This was actually pretty great. If Adonis knew what she looked like, then it would be way easier to avoid her later.
Yeah, he could get that logic. And- hey wait, why's he going on about this Katarina girl now? And they call her KK? What does that have to do with...
"Oh wait, KK?" He came to a mild realization. "Yeah, I think I've heard the name before. What's she look like?"
This was actually pretty great. If Adonis knew what she looked like, then it would be way easier to avoid her later.
"She has long, brown hair. Skinny." That's about all he knew of her appearance on field trip day.
"Here's my theory: KK killed a girl and your Gun Girl, tried to kill a girl. You don't know who either of them are."
Kyran recalled the announcements. How the lead terrorist spoke of a Katarina finally managing to hit at what she was targeting.
"They're the same person."
"Here's my theory: KK killed a girl and your Gun Girl, tried to kill a girl. You don't know who either of them are."
Kyran recalled the announcements. How the lead terrorist spoke of a Katarina finally managing to hit at what she was targeting.
"They're the same person."