threats won't do, either. I know you. You can be quite stubborn."
Marcus grabbed Delaney by a fistful of her hair and pulled her in front of him. She cried out in pain, but then she looked over her shoulder at Marcus, an adoring gleam to her eye.
"What the fuck, Marcus!"
Marcus pressed the blade against Delaney's throat. Her expression never wavered; if anything, her trancelike gaze became imbued with lust. He pressed the blade against her skin, and beads of blood bloomed across the knife's edge.
"Join me, brother!"
"Marcus, please don't. She has nothing to do with this." Jason saw the look in her eyes, her dedication to Marcus unflagging even as he threatened to kill her. He couldn't help having feelings for her, and the jealousy he felt toward his brother.
"She has everything to do with this. And so do you. Join me, Jason, or her death will be on your hands."
The blood beads grew and joined together along the blade, trailing crimson streaks down her neck.
"Okay, fine!"
"Really?" Marcus said, surprised. He looked from Jason to the flint knife and back again.
"Just... just put the knife away. I will follow you. I will do whatever you say. Just, please, no more killing."
Marcus lifted the blade from Delaney's throat.
"Brothers," Delaney said. "There's no stronger bond." She wrapped her arm around Marcus and wiped the blood from her neck. She licked her fingers and buried her face against his chest.
Turning away from his younger brother, Jason had an unsettling feeling twisting in his empty stomach. For the first time in his life, he felt younger in comparison. Naive. Vulnerable.
At some point, he would try to turn the tables on him. But for now, he needed to find out the extent of the calamity and, if the end of civilization really had happened, how to survive in its wake.
Marcus stepped away from Delaney and put his hand on Jason's shoulder. When Jason looked over, his brother smiled. "I'm so glad you could see my side of things. See, I told you I'm a good leader, that people tend to do whatever I say."
Part II
Chapter 6
Someone pounded on the corrugated metal door of the abandoned service station and then opened it a crack, sending a wedge of sunlight across the shop floor near Jason's feet. He sat on a rickety wooden crate under one filthy window to catch the meager light. Dust billowed before him, sure to fall and settle upon a ruined landscape caked in drying river mud.
"Hey, Marcus," said a voice at the narrow gap at the door, "we should probably get on the move like we planned." It was Hector, Jason could tell by his slight Hispanic accent. Hector, who seemed to be his brother's lieutenant, did as he was told and remained outside the ruined shop.
"Thank you for your concern, Hector, but I need a little patience." Marcus stood with his arms folded, staring at a water-logged nude centerfold tacked to the wall.
"Yes, sir." The door closed once again, taking the sunlight with it. Now, only dirty light shone through a few grimy windows, making it difficult for Jason to see what he was trying to write.
Jason would be dead right now if one of Marcus's followers hadn't caught the boy spying on them from inside one of the ruined houses. If the boy hadn't been caught, Jason would've already pushed back against his brother's will, pushed back to the point that Marcus would've had no other choice but to kill him. But… the boy.
"It's a shame. Some things will change that I wish could remain constant." Marcus paused as if testing the words. "Beauty will be measured on a different scale… a scale without artifice." He traced his index finger along the curvy centerfold's curled hair, then down her slender waist. "I suppose sacrifice isn't meaningful without pain. Am I right, brother?"
The putrid air sickened him. The unrelenting hopelessness of his situation did as well. Jason had no answer.
Marcus turned abruptly toward Jason and smiled at his bruised and battered face. Without a word
Marcus grabbed Delaney by a fistful of her hair and pulled her in front of him. She cried out in pain, but then she looked over her shoulder at Marcus, an adoring gleam to her eye.
"What the fuck, Marcus!"
Marcus pressed the blade against Delaney's throat. Her expression never wavered; if anything, her trancelike gaze became imbued with lust. He pressed the blade against her skin, and beads of blood bloomed across the knife's edge.
"Join me, brother!"
"Marcus, please don't. She has nothing to do with this." Jason saw the look in her eyes, her dedication to Marcus unflagging even as he threatened to kill her. He couldn't help having feelings for her, and the jealousy he felt toward his brother.
"She has everything to do with this. And so do you. Join me, Jason, or her death will be on your hands."
The blood beads grew and joined together along the blade, trailing crimson streaks down her neck.
"Okay, fine!"
"Really?" Marcus said, surprised. He looked from Jason to the flint knife and back again.
"Just... just put the knife away. I will follow you. I will do whatever you say. Just, please, no more killing."
Marcus lifted the blade from Delaney's throat.
"Brothers," Delaney said. "There's no stronger bond." She wrapped her arm around Marcus and wiped the blood from her neck. She licked her fingers and buried her face against his chest.
Turning away from his younger brother, Jason had an unsettling feeling twisting in his empty stomach. For the first time in his life, he felt younger in comparison. Naive. Vulnerable.
At some point, he would try to turn the tables on him. But for now, he needed to find out the extent of the calamity and, if the end of civilization really had happened, how to survive in its wake.
Marcus stepped away from Delaney and put his hand on Jason's shoulder. When Jason looked over, his brother smiled. "I'm so glad you could see my side of things. See, I told you I'm a good leader, that people tend to do whatever I say."
Part II
Chapter 6
Someone pounded on the corrugated metal door of the abandoned service station and then opened it a crack, sending a wedge of sunlight across the shop floor near Jason's feet. He sat on a rickety wooden crate under one filthy window to catch the meager light. Dust billowed before him, sure to fall and settle upon a ruined landscape caked in drying river mud.
"Hey, Marcus," said a voice at the narrow gap at the door, "we should probably get on the move like we planned." It was Hector, Jason could tell by his slight Hispanic accent. Hector, who seemed to be his brother's lieutenant, did as he was told and remained outside the ruined shop.
"Thank you for your concern, Hector, but I need a little patience." Marcus stood with his arms folded, staring at a water-logged nude centerfold tacked to the wall.
"Yes, sir." The door closed once again, taking the sunlight with it. Now, only dirty light shone through a few grimy windows, making it difficult for Jason to see what he was trying to write.
Jason would be dead right now if one of Marcus's followers hadn't caught the boy spying on them from inside one of the ruined houses. If the boy hadn't been caught, Jason would've already pushed back against his brother's will, pushed back to the point that Marcus would've had no other choice but to kill him. But… the boy.
"It's a shame. Some things will change that I wish could remain constant." Marcus paused as if testing the words. "Beauty will be measured on a different scale… a scale without artifice." He traced his index finger along the curvy centerfold's curled hair, then down her slender waist. "I suppose sacrifice isn't meaningful without pain. Am I right, brother?"
The putrid air sickened him. The unrelenting hopelessness of his situation did as well. Jason had no answer.
Marcus turned abruptly toward Jason and smiled at his bruised and battered face. Without a word
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