((Bryony Adams continued from The Latest Story That I Know is the One That I'm Supposed to Go Out With))
Sitting on the top floor of the bell tower, staring out to sea, knees tucked up against her chest and arms huddled around her legs, Bryony let out a tiny, delicate sigh.
If there had been anyone else up there with her, they would have almost certainly missed it, caught and drowned out by the wind. As it was, Bryony sighed to herself and the open sky, shivering slightly in the chill of the early morning. She pulled her knees even closer in, and shoved her hands into their opposing sleeves.
She wasn't quite sure how she was feeling right now. She especially wasn't sure how she was supposed to be feeling.
The reunion with Alice and Sandra had been tainted somewhat by the fact that Bryony had barely been able to squeak a word out without crying. Once they had taken shelter in the upper levels of the bell tower, she had wrapped her arms around them both and clung to them as though her life depended on it. She had stayed like that for quite some while, not willing to let go, not willing to let this one good thing go.
Eventually, though, she was all cried out, and they had spent the rest of the day huddled together, safe but alert, discussing what they'd been through over the past few days. Who they'd met, what they'd done, what they were trying to do.
Who they'd lost.
Time had passed. Time had passed quicker than it had yet on the island, now she was finally with her closest friends possible. Eventually they had decided to sleep in shifts, ready to wake up the two sleepers at the first sign of anyone or anything suspicious; they weren't exactly going to be able to fight anyone off alone with the meagre weaponry they had available.
And now it was morning, and Bryony was camped up at the top of the tower, milling her thoughts over. It wasn't a strategy that had worked well for her before now, but somehow, she felt okay. Even with the image of Bridgette's body still fresh in her mind, brought even closer into focus by the reminder on the announcements, she felt okay. She had still cried, make no mistake about that.
But she had finally found her two closest friends in the whole world, and the warm glow that that gave her inside was standing strong against everything that was attempting to douse it.
So Bryony sighed again, and a small, gentle smile appeared on her face. She wasn't going to get many of these. She had to make the most of the ones she did get.
She heard the fluttering of wings nearby, and she glanced to the right. A seagull had perched on the railings close to her, feathers ruffling slightly in the wind. Absentmindedly, Bryony removed her hands from her sleeves, and waved at it.
"Hello."
The seagull turned its head in her general direction.
"I suppose you're wondering why so many people have turned up to disturb your home all of a sudden, huh?"
The seagull didn't reply.
Bryony sighed again, and waited for the other two to find her.
A Moth of Peace
A Moth of Peace
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
((Alice Baker continued from The Latest Story That I Know is the One That I'm Supposed to Go Out With))
It was a beautiful moment, as she came up the stairs to a sunrise and her best friend. Alice smiled a little, watching Bryony from behind as she attempted to make conversation with a bird. The poor thing had been through so much, and yesterday only proved things would get worse for them.
It was funny how far she'd come in just a few days. Her survival had been something she took for granted. Then, in the first two days, she'd been so desperate to ensure it she'd been willing to throw away her relationships to go back home, hiding away. But now, she had come to a conclusion, that it was more important to be with the people you care about for a short time than to be alone for a long time.
She had wondered what that meant here, where her friends were endangered and so was she. But Alice wasn't going to worry about that for now.
"Hey." Quietly, she stepped forward to greet Bree. She sat down next to the other girl and looked at her, still smiling. "It's pretty, huh? The sunrise, I mean. Like a painting."
It was a beautiful moment, as she came up the stairs to a sunrise and her best friend. Alice smiled a little, watching Bryony from behind as she attempted to make conversation with a bird. The poor thing had been through so much, and yesterday only proved things would get worse for them.
It was funny how far she'd come in just a few days. Her survival had been something she took for granted. Then, in the first two days, she'd been so desperate to ensure it she'd been willing to throw away her relationships to go back home, hiding away. But now, she had come to a conclusion, that it was more important to be with the people you care about for a short time than to be alone for a long time.
She had wondered what that meant here, where her friends were endangered and so was she. But Alice wasn't going to worry about that for now.
"Hey." Quietly, she stepped forward to greet Bree. She sat down next to the other girl and looked at her, still smiling. "It's pretty, huh? The sunrise, I mean. Like a painting."
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CondorTalon
- Posts: 450
- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 6:17 am
((Sandra Dyer continued from The Latest Story That I Know is the One That I'm Supposed to Go Out With.))
Sandra had been woken by the creaking of the stairwell, her eyes opened to see a small figure climbing the stairs. As her drowsiness slowly left, she realized it was Alice. Sandra slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. She followed behind Alice, climbing the stairs.
She reached the top as Alice sat down next to Bryony. Sandra stayed back, and stayed silent. She let the wind blow around her, shivering a bit as it did. She took a deep breath, and stepped forward.
The speakers crackled to life.
And then that voice came again. Sandra listened. More people were dead. More names that she would vaguely register, that would pass by leaving a small sting in her heart as the memories of once-or-twice acquaintances would-
"Irene Djezari was too slow on the draw and paid for it when Alvaro Vacanti put a bullet in her."
Sandra's eyes widened. She didn't really her the rest of the announcement, really. Irene was dead. She was really...
"Irene, you idiot..." Sandra muttered. She knelt, pulling her bag in front of her. She sniffled, opening the bag up and pulling the pot lid out.
She felt so useless right now. People were dying. Her friends were dying and she felt so powerless. Oh, sure, she'd found a friend. A good friend, but that was only one of many.
Too many.
She stared at the pot lid. This useless thing she'd been carrying around for no reason. What good was this thing? If she'd had a proper weapon... maybe... maybe she would have actually been able to save someone. Maybe everything up until now would have been different.
Sandra stood up.
And with a shout filled with rage, she threw the lid off the side of the tower as hard as she could.
Sandra had been woken by the creaking of the stairwell, her eyes opened to see a small figure climbing the stairs. As her drowsiness slowly left, she realized it was Alice. Sandra slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. She followed behind Alice, climbing the stairs.
She reached the top as Alice sat down next to Bryony. Sandra stayed back, and stayed silent. She let the wind blow around her, shivering a bit as it did. She took a deep breath, and stepped forward.
The speakers crackled to life.
And then that voice came again. Sandra listened. More people were dead. More names that she would vaguely register, that would pass by leaving a small sting in her heart as the memories of once-or-twice acquaintances would-
"Irene Djezari was too slow on the draw and paid for it when Alvaro Vacanti put a bullet in her."
Sandra's eyes widened. She didn't really her the rest of the announcement, really. Irene was dead. She was really...
"Irene, you idiot..." Sandra muttered. She knelt, pulling her bag in front of her. She sniffled, opening the bag up and pulling the pot lid out.
She felt so useless right now. People were dying. Her friends were dying and she felt so powerless. Oh, sure, she'd found a friend. A good friend, but that was only one of many.
Too many.
She stared at the pot lid. This useless thing she'd been carrying around for no reason. What good was this thing? If she'd had a proper weapon... maybe... maybe she would have actually been able to save someone. Maybe everything up until now would have been different.
Sandra stood up.
And with a shout filled with rage, she threw the lid off the side of the tower as hard as she could.
Bryony absent-mindedly watched the gull for a few moments more, watching how it preened itself and silently gazed upon its domain, eyes like glass, unblinking. It was interesting to watch, but in the end, little more than a distraction as she waited for Alice and Sandra. She was waiting for the sound of their arrival, ears alert and ready for anything that might suggest they had woken up.
So of course, when Alice greeted her, Bryony showed how prepared and alert she was by jumping in her seat and yelping in surprise.
As soon as she turned and saw who it was behind her, Bryony shut her eyes, and breathed in deeply. She held the breath for a few seconds, before exhaling through her mouth, and letting out a small, soft laugh. She shook her head, a flush of red colouring her cheeks, and shuffled up to give Alice some more room. She considered apologising for her startled reaction, but decided against it. She doubted Alice could blame her for being jumpy. Not whilst they were still on the island. Not after what had happened yesterday.
"Hey," Bryony replied. A tiny smile appeared on her face. She hadn't felt like smiling, not exactly, but Alice's was infectious. It always had been. It was warm and gentle, like the first rays of the morning sun, and it always made Bryony feel safe and at home, when home itself couldn't feel that way.
"It... It is, yeah. I didn't, um... I never really thought there'd be anything I could describe on this island as, um, pretty... But here we are, I suppose."
Bryony sighed, and looked down at the ground.
"It does kinda make me wish I, um, had my sketchbook though..."
The crackling sound that signified the announcements cut through the quiet like a hot knife through butter, sending the seagull flapping off out of sight. Bryony's head snapped up instinctively at the sound, catching sight of Sandra as she did so. She didn't want to hear these announcements. She didn't want to. She didn't care how important they might be, she didn't need yet another reminder of what had happened yesterday. The scene was as clear as if it was happening in front of her again. She could feel the rain on her skin, the salt tang of the sea breeze, her throat tightening as she processed what had happened to Bridgette
She got a distraction in the form of Sandra, but she couldn't exactly say it was a welcome one. Clearly, her friend had had her own name on the list that she had been hoping desperately to avoid. Bryony watched as Sandra knelt down, opened up her bag, and pulled the pot lid from it. The only movement she made was a small gasp, as Sandra wound up and launched her weapon off the side of the tower. It hung in the air like a discus, then, like the seagull, it too disappeared from sight.
Slowly, Bryony looked down at the floor again. Last night, she had felt as though this would finally solve all of her worries and issues, that everything would be solved in an instant now that she had found her two best friends, that somehow the universe would give them a bit of a respite, no matter how brief. Now though, it just felt like a tiny stepping stone, the first rock in a causeway meant to span the entire ocean.
People she cared about were still out there. People she loved had already died. And that was just her; Alice and Sandra had people of their own to look for and look out for and weep about when their names appeared on the announcements. It had been days since she'd last seen Alba, and there had been no sight nor sound of the other girl. Was she safe? Was she injured? Had she forgotten about Bryony by now? She-
Oh God. Had Gary gone on the trip as well?
Bryony felt her breath catch in her throat as she desperately tried to think back to them all setting off for the science museum, but it was like trying to grab hold of smoke. Cochise might as well have been an alien planet, and the events there little more than a beautiful dream. She couldn't remember. She couldn't remember if Gary was safe and sound back home, or if he, too, was fighting for his life like the rest of them were.
She looked up again, looking first at Alice, then at Sandra. She could feel tears sparkling in her eyes. She wanted to say something or do something, something meaningful, something that would solve everything in a few short words, or at least something that would help in their current situation. But she had no idea what that might be. She had no clue what she was even supposed to say right now.
So Bryony said the only thing she could, the thing she said whenever she was in a situation like this.
"I'm sorry..."
So of course, when Alice greeted her, Bryony showed how prepared and alert she was by jumping in her seat and yelping in surprise.
As soon as she turned and saw who it was behind her, Bryony shut her eyes, and breathed in deeply. She held the breath for a few seconds, before exhaling through her mouth, and letting out a small, soft laugh. She shook her head, a flush of red colouring her cheeks, and shuffled up to give Alice some more room. She considered apologising for her startled reaction, but decided against it. She doubted Alice could blame her for being jumpy. Not whilst they were still on the island. Not after what had happened yesterday.
"Hey," Bryony replied. A tiny smile appeared on her face. She hadn't felt like smiling, not exactly, but Alice's was infectious. It always had been. It was warm and gentle, like the first rays of the morning sun, and it always made Bryony feel safe and at home, when home itself couldn't feel that way.
"It... It is, yeah. I didn't, um... I never really thought there'd be anything I could describe on this island as, um, pretty... But here we are, I suppose."
Bryony sighed, and looked down at the ground.
"It does kinda make me wish I, um, had my sketchbook though..."
The crackling sound that signified the announcements cut through the quiet like a hot knife through butter, sending the seagull flapping off out of sight. Bryony's head snapped up instinctively at the sound, catching sight of Sandra as she did so. She didn't want to hear these announcements. She didn't want to. She didn't care how important they might be, she didn't need yet another reminder of what had happened yesterday. The scene was as clear as if it was happening in front of her again. She could feel the rain on her skin, the salt tang of the sea breeze, her throat tightening as she processed what had happened to Bridgette
She got a distraction in the form of Sandra, but she couldn't exactly say it was a welcome one. Clearly, her friend had had her own name on the list that she had been hoping desperately to avoid. Bryony watched as Sandra knelt down, opened up her bag, and pulled the pot lid from it. The only movement she made was a small gasp, as Sandra wound up and launched her weapon off the side of the tower. It hung in the air like a discus, then, like the seagull, it too disappeared from sight.
Slowly, Bryony looked down at the floor again. Last night, she had felt as though this would finally solve all of her worries and issues, that everything would be solved in an instant now that she had found her two best friends, that somehow the universe would give them a bit of a respite, no matter how brief. Now though, it just felt like a tiny stepping stone, the first rock in a causeway meant to span the entire ocean.
People she cared about were still out there. People she loved had already died. And that was just her; Alice and Sandra had people of their own to look for and look out for and weep about when their names appeared on the announcements. It had been days since she'd last seen Alba, and there had been no sight nor sound of the other girl. Was she safe? Was she injured? Had she forgotten about Bryony by now? She-
Oh God. Had Gary gone on the trip as well?
Bryony felt her breath catch in her throat as she desperately tried to think back to them all setting off for the science museum, but it was like trying to grab hold of smoke. Cochise might as well have been an alien planet, and the events there little more than a beautiful dream. She couldn't remember. She couldn't remember if Gary was safe and sound back home, or if he, too, was fighting for his life like the rest of them were.
She looked up again, looking first at Alice, then at Sandra. She could feel tears sparkling in her eyes. She wanted to say something or do something, something meaningful, something that would solve everything in a few short words, or at least something that would help in their current situation. But she had no idea what that might be. She had no clue what she was even supposed to say right now.
So Bryony said the only thing she could, the thing she said whenever she was in a situation like this.
"I'm sorry..."
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
Though she was shocked in principle by the announcements, the sad truth was that in a way, Alice just felt kind of...numb.
Taking a deep breath, she glanced at her friends. Bryony was clearly devastated by proxy and Sandra was clearly infuriated by the death of someone or other. Alice felt guilty about that, because, in a way, she was relieved? Aside from Bridgette, she didn't know most of the people named very well.
But that wasn't right, she argued. She couldn't just go, 'Well all my friends' friends are dead but my friends are still alive so it's all A-OKAY'. That was just, just disgusting. She tried to shame herself, to will despair into herself. But she was also too eager to count her blessings and appreciate the positive.
Selfish, yes. But was selfish okay here?
Mulling it over was giving her a stomachache, so Alice turned to Bryony and held out her hand to gently pat her friend on the shoulder. "It's okay. There's nothing we can do right now, not for everyone." That sounded harsh, so she added, "Not yet, at least. People are gone, but..."
But what? Religious salvation was hardly comfort in dire situations for people not especially devout already. But what else was there, except for the rapidly-diminishing hope for rescue? Alice didn't know.
Taking a deep breath, she glanced at her friends. Bryony was clearly devastated by proxy and Sandra was clearly infuriated by the death of someone or other. Alice felt guilty about that, because, in a way, she was relieved? Aside from Bridgette, she didn't know most of the people named very well.
But that wasn't right, she argued. She couldn't just go, 'Well all my friends' friends are dead but my friends are still alive so it's all A-OKAY'. That was just, just disgusting. She tried to shame herself, to will despair into herself. But she was also too eager to count her blessings and appreciate the positive.
Selfish, yes. But was selfish okay here?
Mulling it over was giving her a stomachache, so Alice turned to Bryony and held out her hand to gently pat her friend on the shoulder. "It's okay. There's nothing we can do right now, not for everyone." That sounded harsh, so she added, "Not yet, at least. People are gone, but..."
But what? Religious salvation was hardly comfort in dire situations for people not especially devout already. But what else was there, except for the rapidly-diminishing hope for rescue? Alice didn't know.
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CondorTalon
- Posts: 450
- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 6:17 am
Sandra watched as the lid flew through the air and out of sight. Her rage dissipated as it died, replaced with an overwhelming resignation. She didn't know what to do now. Maybe she should have been happy finding Bryony. After all, it's not like she'd really run into any of her friends in the last few days. Other than Noah, of course. And Rene.
But then again, she wasn't with them anymore. Maybe she should go and try to find them again, before...
Sandra sighed.
"Yeah, Alice is right. Dead is dead, and there's nothing we can do for them now," Sandra said.
She didn't follow that up with anything for a few seconds.
"But..." she continued. She breathed in, then out again. "There are still people out there, there are still friends out there. It's not too late."
Sandra stood up again.
"It's not too late."
But what was the plan? Find her friends, yeah, but what then? Even if she could, how could she keep them safe from the people who wanted to hurt them? There were about three or four recurring names on the announcements. She didn't have anything that could help if one of those people decided to knock on their door.
"We need a weapon," she said quietly, almost subconsciously.
But then again, she wasn't with them anymore. Maybe she should go and try to find them again, before...
Sandra sighed.
"Yeah, Alice is right. Dead is dead, and there's nothing we can do for them now," Sandra said.
She didn't follow that up with anything for a few seconds.
"But..." she continued. She breathed in, then out again. "There are still people out there, there are still friends out there. It's not too late."
Sandra stood up again.
"It's not too late."
But what was the plan? Find her friends, yeah, but what then? Even if she could, how could she keep them safe from the people who wanted to hurt them? There were about three or four recurring names on the announcements. She didn't have anything that could help if one of those people decided to knock on their door.
"We need a weapon," she said quietly, almost subconsciously.
Bryony flinched at first when she felt Alice's hand on her shoulder. Then, as her brain worked whose hand it was and why it was there, she relaxed, shuffling a little closer to Alice, closer to the source of comfort. It was the only thing that really was comforting right now, after all.
'Dead was dead.'
It was an almost too-obvious statement, but it still sent a stake into Bryony's heart whenever she thought about it. Dead. People she'd grown up with were dying around her. People she loved, people she cared about, people she hated, it didn't matter. People she had been expecting to spend decades in contact with and hearing about. Dead.
They were dead, and there was nothing they could do to change that, and there were still people they could find and save and stay with and hope and pray for the best case scenario, but that didn't stop the gnawing feeling of despair inside of her.
There was nothing she could do for the dead now. But she could have kept some of them alive. She could have stopped Bradley from insulting a known killer to her face. She could have persuaded Henry to come with her and not wander off to get killed by Al, of all people. She could have stayed with Bridgette the whole time and maybe they would have both got the upper hand on Caedyn. It was all well and good to say that what was done was done, there was nothing they could do about it, and they should just move on. But it was so very hard to get rid of the 'What ifs?' in her head.
Bryony sniffed twice and hiccupped before she pawed at her eyes to try and force away the ever-present tears. She looked down, took her glasses off, and wiped the dust and tear stains away with a corner of her sleeve.
Sandra was right, though. There were still people out there. There were still friends out there. Everything wasn't completely hopeless. She'd found Alice and Sandra, after all. It still hurt, the knowledge of all the people that had died. The guilt was still pressing heavy against her heart about all the people she thought she could have saved. It hurt, and it would still hurt for a long time. But she couldn't let it break her.
Just keep going forwards.
It took a few moments for Bryony to process Sandra's last few words, however, so quiet had they been. When they finally did hit home, she slowly turned to look at her friend, eyes wide open, mouth slightly hanging open.
"A... A weapon? Like, um... like a gun?"
Bryony didn't have time to focus on how stupid that had sounded before she realised she was blinking back tears. She sniffed again, looking at Alice, and then back to Sandra.
"Why... why would we need a weapon? We're not like those... those... those people, um, on the announcements, we're not going to kill any... anyone, we... we..."
Bryony's voice trailed away, and her gaze drifted off to look down at the floor again, as realisation seeped through her. It was day five on the island, now. There were already people out for blood, roaming the island. There would, no doubt, be more people who started to do the same for whatever reason. People who had been holding out desperately for rescue who had just given up, perhaps. A group of three girls with a deck of cards their most potent source of defence? They would be nothing more than three walking corpses to someone like that.
It was almost impossible to think this way. Almost impossible to imagine herself holding a gun for any reason, or searching for some kind of weapon. The idea had terrified her on the first day. Truth be told, it still terrified her. But to keep moving forwards, she had to adapt. She'd adapted to having to live on the island. She'd adapted to being by herself for a full day and surviving. Now she had to adapt to the fact that they couldn't stay defenceless forever.
She had been right, though. Earlier, in her now-dead speech. They weren't going to kill anyone. They weren't going to go out searching for people to slaughter. She could trust Sandra and she could trust Alice. They just needed something for self-defence.
Bryony was silent for a long time.
"We... um... we need more than one. Um, weapon, I mean. I... Ideally, um, one for each of us, just in case we, um, get separated."
Thoughts of Alba flashed through Bryony's mind. God, she hoped the other girl was okay.
"How are we going to, um, get anything, though? I, um, don't think anyone with a weapon would just wanna... give them up to us..."
Bryony sniffed again, and tried her very best to crack a smile.
'Dead was dead.'
It was an almost too-obvious statement, but it still sent a stake into Bryony's heart whenever she thought about it. Dead. People she'd grown up with were dying around her. People she loved, people she cared about, people she hated, it didn't matter. People she had been expecting to spend decades in contact with and hearing about. Dead.
They were dead, and there was nothing they could do to change that, and there were still people they could find and save and stay with and hope and pray for the best case scenario, but that didn't stop the gnawing feeling of despair inside of her.
There was nothing she could do for the dead now. But she could have kept some of them alive. She could have stopped Bradley from insulting a known killer to her face. She could have persuaded Henry to come with her and not wander off to get killed by Al, of all people. She could have stayed with Bridgette the whole time and maybe they would have both got the upper hand on Caedyn. It was all well and good to say that what was done was done, there was nothing they could do about it, and they should just move on. But it was so very hard to get rid of the 'What ifs?' in her head.
Bryony sniffed twice and hiccupped before she pawed at her eyes to try and force away the ever-present tears. She looked down, took her glasses off, and wiped the dust and tear stains away with a corner of her sleeve.
Sandra was right, though. There were still people out there. There were still friends out there. Everything wasn't completely hopeless. She'd found Alice and Sandra, after all. It still hurt, the knowledge of all the people that had died. The guilt was still pressing heavy against her heart about all the people she thought she could have saved. It hurt, and it would still hurt for a long time. But she couldn't let it break her.
Just keep going forwards.
It took a few moments for Bryony to process Sandra's last few words, however, so quiet had they been. When they finally did hit home, she slowly turned to look at her friend, eyes wide open, mouth slightly hanging open.
"A... A weapon? Like, um... like a gun?"
Bryony didn't have time to focus on how stupid that had sounded before she realised she was blinking back tears. She sniffed again, looking at Alice, and then back to Sandra.
"Why... why would we need a weapon? We're not like those... those... those people, um, on the announcements, we're not going to kill any... anyone, we... we..."
Bryony's voice trailed away, and her gaze drifted off to look down at the floor again, as realisation seeped through her. It was day five on the island, now. There were already people out for blood, roaming the island. There would, no doubt, be more people who started to do the same for whatever reason. People who had been holding out desperately for rescue who had just given up, perhaps. A group of three girls with a deck of cards their most potent source of defence? They would be nothing more than three walking corpses to someone like that.
It was almost impossible to think this way. Almost impossible to imagine herself holding a gun for any reason, or searching for some kind of weapon. The idea had terrified her on the first day. Truth be told, it still terrified her. But to keep moving forwards, she had to adapt. She'd adapted to having to live on the island. She'd adapted to being by herself for a full day and surviving. Now she had to adapt to the fact that they couldn't stay defenceless forever.
She had been right, though. Earlier, in her now-dead speech. They weren't going to kill anyone. They weren't going to go out searching for people to slaughter. She could trust Sandra and she could trust Alice. They just needed something for self-defence.
Bryony was silent for a long time.
"We... um... we need more than one. Um, weapon, I mean. I... Ideally, um, one for each of us, just in case we, um, get separated."
Thoughts of Alba flashed through Bryony's mind. God, she hoped the other girl was okay.
"How are we going to, um, get anything, though? I, um, don't think anyone with a weapon would just wanna... give them up to us..."
Bryony sniffed again, and tried her very best to crack a smile.
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
Alice didn't necessarily agree with Sandra.
As much as she appreciated the other girl's company, her presence on this island full of threats, Alice was worried about the idea of arming themselves. It was all too easy, she feared, to make a situation worse by bringing weapons into the equation. She didn't want people to die, obviously.
She didn't necessarily disagree though, either.
She'd decided to do her best to take care of her companions, especially Bryony. It was nice to think she could protect her friend, but without some kind of deterrent, she couldn't help but doubt her ability to do so. So what could she do? How could she protect Bree without endangering other people?
It was a difficult puzzle. Alice wasn't sure how to decipher this whole thing. So she chose to simply smile at Bryony empathetically, and say, "We'll work it out."
As much to herself as to anyone else.
As much as she appreciated the other girl's company, her presence on this island full of threats, Alice was worried about the idea of arming themselves. It was all too easy, she feared, to make a situation worse by bringing weapons into the equation. She didn't want people to die, obviously.
She didn't necessarily disagree though, either.
She'd decided to do her best to take care of her companions, especially Bryony. It was nice to think she could protect her friend, but without some kind of deterrent, she couldn't help but doubt her ability to do so. So what could she do? How could she protect Bree without endangering other people?
It was a difficult puzzle. Alice wasn't sure how to decipher this whole thing. So she chose to simply smile at Bryony empathetically, and say, "We'll work it out."
As much to herself as to anyone else.
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CondorTalon
- Posts: 450
- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 6:17 am
Sandra didn't say anything in response to Bryony's question. She didn't have a good response to it, really. Looting the dead? It was unlikely that any killers would leave any weapons from their victims' loadouts. Robbing someone? And leaving them alive? Sandra didn't think she could get away with trying to rob a killer, or even someone trying to keep their weapon for self-defense. And if she couldn't, there was no way Alice or Bryony could.
There was of course, the third option, and the option that some of the others on the island had already undertaken. Sandra didn't want to think about it, not because it made her sick. Sandra was well past that point, as uncomfortable as that thought was. But she didn't need those negative thoughts to seep in while Bryony and Alice were still trying to stay positive.
Sandra sighed.
"I dunno, I dunno, but..." she said, her hands going into her pockets, "We can't just... we can't just do nothing."
The last word, nothing, had come out more like a growl than a word, and Sandra immediately looked away. She walked over to the other side of the tower, near the stairs, still in view of the other two girls.
There was of course, the third option, and the option that some of the others on the island had already undertaken. Sandra didn't want to think about it, not because it made her sick. Sandra was well past that point, as uncomfortable as that thought was. But she didn't need those negative thoughts to seep in while Bryony and Alice were still trying to stay positive.
Sandra sighed.
"I dunno, I dunno, but..." she said, her hands going into her pockets, "We can't just... we can't just do nothing."
The last word, nothing, had come out more like a growl than a word, and Sandra immediately looked away. She walked over to the other side of the tower, near the stairs, still in view of the other two girls.
It would have been very easy Bryony's tiny smile to have faltered there and then, as it kept on seeming to do whenever there was the faintest trace of hope presented to her.
Sandra had sounded like she'd come up with the perfect plan at first, the only way to keep themselves protected, able to defend themselves and find the people they cared about. But a few questions had shown that all it was, right now, was the skeleton of a plan. They had a goal. That was it. There was Point A and Point B and no line in between them. Alice had no idea what to do, and neither did Bryony.
No-one capable of rational thought would just give up a gun or a knife or a club willingly. Anyone with a weapon would either want to keep it close to them to protect themselves, or they were the sort of people that Bryony wanted to avoid at all costs, and anyone who'd had a weapon who had now... died had probably had their bodies looted already.
Maybe they could get 'lucky', in the twisted definition of that word that the island was forcing them to use, and find someone who'd taken matters into their own hands, leaving whatever weapon had done the deed behind. But the thought churned Bryony's stomach, even before she began to consider just how unlikely that scenario would be.
But despite all of that, Bryony did her very best to keep her smile on her face, and somehow, it stuck.
"No... No, no, we can't do nothing..."
She tilted her head to one side, and dropped one hand to the ground, finger etching another smiley face into the muck on the floor. Her other hand went to the back of her head, and she ran her fingers through her hair. God, it felt gross. She'd redone her pigtails at least after waking up earlier, but it was still all greasy and dirty. She sniffled again. The smile remained.
"But... but Alice is right. We'll... we'll work it out. We'll, um, find a way. I found you two, after all. And, um, you two found each other before that! I thought, um... I didn't think I'd find anyone I cared about when I first woke up, but... but if we can all manage this... then we can, um, find ourselves a weapon... and we can find Alba and Gary and everyone else we need to find!"
She blinked.
"We'll find a way..."
Bryony felt her lip wobble, and a second later, she burst into tears.
Sandra had sounded like she'd come up with the perfect plan at first, the only way to keep themselves protected, able to defend themselves and find the people they cared about. But a few questions had shown that all it was, right now, was the skeleton of a plan. They had a goal. That was it. There was Point A and Point B and no line in between them. Alice had no idea what to do, and neither did Bryony.
No-one capable of rational thought would just give up a gun or a knife or a club willingly. Anyone with a weapon would either want to keep it close to them to protect themselves, or they were the sort of people that Bryony wanted to avoid at all costs, and anyone who'd had a weapon who had now... died had probably had their bodies looted already.
Maybe they could get 'lucky', in the twisted definition of that word that the island was forcing them to use, and find someone who'd taken matters into their own hands, leaving whatever weapon had done the deed behind. But the thought churned Bryony's stomach, even before she began to consider just how unlikely that scenario would be.
But despite all of that, Bryony did her very best to keep her smile on her face, and somehow, it stuck.
"No... No, no, we can't do nothing..."
She tilted her head to one side, and dropped one hand to the ground, finger etching another smiley face into the muck on the floor. Her other hand went to the back of her head, and she ran her fingers through her hair. God, it felt gross. She'd redone her pigtails at least after waking up earlier, but it was still all greasy and dirty. She sniffled again. The smile remained.
"But... but Alice is right. We'll... we'll work it out. We'll, um, find a way. I found you two, after all. And, um, you two found each other before that! I thought, um... I didn't think I'd find anyone I cared about when I first woke up, but... but if we can all manage this... then we can, um, find ourselves a weapon... and we can find Alba and Gary and everyone else we need to find!"
She blinked.
"We'll find a way..."
Bryony felt her lip wobble, and a second later, she burst into tears.
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
Ooh, Alice hated this. Seeing Bryony so distraught, feeling upset and helpless, it made Alice angry. She wasn't used to being angry; at most, she felt resigned to accept her fate, even at home when Molly was being bossy. But now, Alice's face felt red and she clenched her hands into fists.
Then as Bryony continued crying, she relaxed. Anger wouldn't make her feel better. "Hey, it's going to be okay. We'll find everyone." Alice moved towards Bryony, tentatively putting a comforting arm over her shoulder. She smiled reassuringly.
"Are you sure Alba and Gary are even here? Not everyone in school ended up here, I don't think. Have you seen them?"
Truth be told, Alice was not nearly as confident as she sounded, but anything to make Bree feel even a little better would be good for her.
Then as Bryony continued crying, she relaxed. Anger wouldn't make her feel better. "Hey, it's going to be okay. We'll find everyone." Alice moved towards Bryony, tentatively putting a comforting arm over her shoulder. She smiled reassuringly.
"Are you sure Alba and Gary are even here? Not everyone in school ended up here, I don't think. Have you seen them?"
Truth be told, Alice was not nearly as confident as she sounded, but anything to make Bree feel even a little better would be good for her.
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CondorTalon
- Posts: 450
- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 6:17 am
"Wait... did you say Alba?" Sandra said, after what was probably way too long. It took Sandra a while before it clicked in her brain. It didn't even register to her until Alice repeated it back to her.
Did Bryony run into Alba at some point on the island? No... wait, maybe Bryony had been friends with Alba before this. Sandra didn't know all of Bryony's friends, after all. But it was a stretch, even more of a stretch than Sandra and Bryony being friends, as much sense that analogy made.
But then, if Bryony had run into Alba during her time on the island.
"Did you run into her?" Sandra continued, turning back toward the two girls, and taking some slow steps toward them, "Where was she?"
Alba was here, and Alba was alive, because they hadn't said her name on the announcements. There was still... there was still something she could do.
Did Bryony run into Alba at some point on the island? No... wait, maybe Bryony had been friends with Alba before this. Sandra didn't know all of Bryony's friends, after all. But it was a stretch, even more of a stretch than Sandra and Bryony being friends, as much sense that analogy made.
But then, if Bryony had run into Alba during her time on the island.
"Did you run into her?" Sandra continued, turning back toward the two girls, and taking some slow steps toward them, "Where was she?"
Alba was here, and Alba was alive, because they hadn't said her name on the announcements. There was still... there was still something she could do.
Try as she might to calm down and breathe and force herself out of this, the tears wouldn't stop flowing, and Bryony's sobs refused to cease. She buried her face in her hands, glasses pushed up and tangled in her hair. After a few seconds she felt Alice wrap their arm around her shaking shoulders, and she leaned in against her friend, the comforting, familiar feeling calming her down somewhat, but still not enough to stem the flow of tears.
She couldn't hear Alice's words of comfort, and she barely heard her follow up questions over her own sobs, and Sandra's own line of questioning was similarly muffled. Bryony let out one more stifled cry of despair, before furiously rubbing her eyes, huddling closer to Alice to try and stop herself from shaking so much.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." she mumbled, desperately pawing at her eyes with her sleeves.
It took several more minutes, but eventually, Bryony stopped shaking. Her eyes were red, her throat was sore, and she looked completely miserable, but she had stopped crying for the moment.
"I'm sorry..." She said again, and against all odds, her delicate, sad smile drifted back on to her face. "This is all just... it's all just so fucking hard... I thought... Some stupid part of me thought that when I found you two, everything... everything would magically become better again..."
Bryony sniffled, and rested her head against Alice's shoulder.
"It's not... it's not gonna get any easier, is it? But we can't just, um... give up because of that, can we? We'll... we'll find a way."
Her echo of her previous point, whilst quieter and shakier than its origin, contained more conviction and strength than she had thought was within her. She untangled her glasses from her hair, putting them back on the bridge of her nose. She shuffled slightly, now sitting in a cross legged position, hands clasped in her lap. She looked down at them for a moment, before speaking again.
"Yeah, um, I... I met Alba on the first day. She found me on the beach and she... she, um... she asked if I wanted to join up with her. We spent the first two days together, and then she... she ran off. She was looking for Kimiko, and I tried to, um, follow her, but, um... but I couldn't keep track of her... I haven't seen her since. I want... I want to find her again. I need to make sure she's safe, she... I owe it to her..."
Bryony realised her eyes were misting up again, and she quickly dabbed at them. She couldn't do it, no matter how hard she tried; she couldn't tell Alice and Sandra that she'd almost killed herself on the first day and that Alba was the only reason she was still alive. It was bizarre. She'd been able to tell Bridgette, a near total stranger, but she couldn't tell her closest friends about it?
They had both clearly been through enough already, though. She didn't need to add the mental images of 'what-ifs' and 'what could have beens' on top of everything else they were no doubt dealing with.
"I don't know about Gary, though..." Bryony continued, softly. "I haven't seen him, and I can't... um, I can't remember if he came on the trip. I... I hope he's..."
Bryony stopped herself as she considered her planned ending to that sentence, another hiccupped sob escaping her mouth instead. The more she thought about it, the more she realised that what she'd originally hoped for was the very last thing she wanted to happen to Gary. So, wiping her eyes one more time, she started again, saying the opposite of what she'd originally intended.
"I hope he didn't come on the trip..."
She couldn't hear Alice's words of comfort, and she barely heard her follow up questions over her own sobs, and Sandra's own line of questioning was similarly muffled. Bryony let out one more stifled cry of despair, before furiously rubbing her eyes, huddling closer to Alice to try and stop herself from shaking so much.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." she mumbled, desperately pawing at her eyes with her sleeves.
It took several more minutes, but eventually, Bryony stopped shaking. Her eyes were red, her throat was sore, and she looked completely miserable, but she had stopped crying for the moment.
"I'm sorry..." She said again, and against all odds, her delicate, sad smile drifted back on to her face. "This is all just... it's all just so fucking hard... I thought... Some stupid part of me thought that when I found you two, everything... everything would magically become better again..."
Bryony sniffled, and rested her head against Alice's shoulder.
"It's not... it's not gonna get any easier, is it? But we can't just, um... give up because of that, can we? We'll... we'll find a way."
Her echo of her previous point, whilst quieter and shakier than its origin, contained more conviction and strength than she had thought was within her. She untangled her glasses from her hair, putting them back on the bridge of her nose. She shuffled slightly, now sitting in a cross legged position, hands clasped in her lap. She looked down at them for a moment, before speaking again.
"Yeah, um, I... I met Alba on the first day. She found me on the beach and she... she, um... she asked if I wanted to join up with her. We spent the first two days together, and then she... she ran off. She was looking for Kimiko, and I tried to, um, follow her, but, um... but I couldn't keep track of her... I haven't seen her since. I want... I want to find her again. I need to make sure she's safe, she... I owe it to her..."
Bryony realised her eyes were misting up again, and she quickly dabbed at them. She couldn't do it, no matter how hard she tried; she couldn't tell Alice and Sandra that she'd almost killed herself on the first day and that Alba was the only reason she was still alive. It was bizarre. She'd been able to tell Bridgette, a near total stranger, but she couldn't tell her closest friends about it?
They had both clearly been through enough already, though. She didn't need to add the mental images of 'what-ifs' and 'what could have beens' on top of everything else they were no doubt dealing with.
"I don't know about Gary, though..." Bryony continued, softly. "I haven't seen him, and I can't... um, I can't remember if he came on the trip. I... I hope he's..."
Bryony stopped herself as she considered her planned ending to that sentence, another hiccupped sob escaping her mouth instead. The more she thought about it, the more she realised that what she'd originally hoped for was the very last thing she wanted to happen to Gary. So, wiping her eyes one more time, she started again, saying the opposite of what she'd originally intended.
"I hope he didn't come on the trip..."
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
Alice looked out across the island. She couldn't immediately spot anyone out there, but she knew it was early in the day, so most people were probably not out and about too much.
Alba and Gary. She couldn't recall either of them being here, but apparently Bryony had seen Alba personally. So that was one person to find. And if Bryony wanted to find someone, Alice wanted to help her.
"Okay, so...let's get started?" Alice said suddenly. "If we want to find people, we should look, I guess. Right?"
Sudden enthusiasm for this plan filled her. She started making her way down the tower. She'd been lucky to find her best friend, but other people deserved that, too, right? Especially Bree. She deserved whatever good things Alice could provide.
That's what friends did, right?
((Alice Baker continued in Can You Hear Me Calling Out?))
Alba and Gary. She couldn't recall either of them being here, but apparently Bryony had seen Alba personally. So that was one person to find. And if Bryony wanted to find someone, Alice wanted to help her.
"Okay, so...let's get started?" Alice said suddenly. "If we want to find people, we should look, I guess. Right?"
Sudden enthusiasm for this plan filled her. She started making her way down the tower. She'd been lucky to find her best friend, but other people deserved that, too, right? Especially Bree. She deserved whatever good things Alice could provide.
That's what friends did, right?
((Alice Baker continued in Can You Hear Me Calling Out?))
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CondorTalon
- Posts: 450
- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 6:17 am
Sandra nodded as Bryony explained how she had run into Alba. She explained how Alba had run after Kimiko on the third day. Then, the fact that Alba was still alive...
Bryony was right though... they needed to find Alba. Now that Sandra knew she was here, she had a clear objective in mind to pursue.
She watched as Alice headed over to the stairs, and begin to walk down them.
"I guess we're leaving now, then," she said. She held her hand out to Bryony. "Come on, we can do this," she said, as reassuringly as possible. She flashed her a smile.
Things were going to be okay.
Sell it for Bryony. Because she herself wasn't really buying it.
((Sandra Dyer continued in Can You Hear Me Calling Out?))
Bryony was right though... they needed to find Alba. Now that Sandra knew she was here, she had a clear objective in mind to pursue.
She watched as Alice headed over to the stairs, and begin to walk down them.
"I guess we're leaving now, then," she said. She held her hand out to Bryony. "Come on, we can do this," she said, as reassuringly as possible. She flashed her a smile.
Things were going to be okay.
Sell it for Bryony. Because she herself wasn't really buying it.
((Sandra Dyer continued in Can You Hear Me Calling Out?))