sparked light near Jay's hiding place. But he didn't move, and neither did anyone else.
They were there, though. The other teams watched from hiding, just like Jay. The Enforcers brought supplies: boxes marked with medicine's red cross, barrels rolling moist lines, containers labeled food, clothes, and 'charity' ...charity. A way for people who didn't care to act like they did.
They called charity boxes "Misk" boxes, like miscellaneous abbreviated. Because you never knew what you'd get.
Led by the Chief, the Enforcers put the boxes in small piles in the center of each lamp's light. Then they stood guard, wary and watching. Another Enforcer entered. With him were two teenagers in gray uniforms, like the one Jay wore his first day.
They were obviously frightened.
The blond-haired girl clung the brown-haired boy, hanging off him with both hands. The boy had an arm around her but his eyes bulged sheer panic.
The Enforcers had come all together. Perhaps they'd learned it was no longer safe to deliver new citizens of Morir alone, even if they lacked the manpower. At the thought of Paul, a ball of guilt choked Jay's throat. He swallowed it away. Quickly. Smoothly.
The Enforcers were leaving.
The girl reached out, grabbed the sleeve of the Enforcer who'd led them in. The Enforcer shook her off roughly, pointed at the very center where the surrounding lamps crisscrossed light, forming a pentagon-ish brightness. Even from where Jay was, he could see the shaking in her legs.
Then the Enforcers were gone, except for the Chief Enforcer.
His voice rang out like an ominous chant, echoing, his words bounced into every hidden hole of Haven. "Hide Jay. Hide, because if anyone brings your corpse to me, I'll give them a place in my Kingdom. In my Casa." The Chief Enforcer scanned the darkness and he left.
A bounty had been placed. He expected the bomb tied to his neck would go off at any second.
The girl in Haven's center wilted toward the ground, but the boy held her up and raised a shading hand, peered about, trying to see into the darkness--where all waited.
Many minutes passed. Jay noticed a silhouette shift within a small cavern in the surrounding ruins. It retreated, but moments later Jay saw another shadow rush across the steep surroundings with animalistic grace. Another moment and a brutal scream mixed with another of desperation. Jay pulled deeper into his own recess, but not enough to lose sight of the couple below.
The girl hid her face in the boy's chest. He took her protectively in his arms, and words were spoken--too faint for Jay to hear. The boy huddled her--took a step away from where the screams had come from.
Immediately a cheer arose, loud and angry.
A man with deflated eyeballs strung together as necklace and bracelet stepped into the light. Jay knew he was the Gamer of team "Fate's Eyes." Jay's 'team' was called the "Toothaches." Lame, but fitting.
Three other Gamers seeped into the light, between the stacked boxes of supplies. Freckles, Jay's Gamer was without his gun. The other two, a Gamer with earlobes around his neck and one with fingers as earrings would be the "Whisperers" and the "Finger of God" teams. With names like these, Jay wouldn't be surprised to see someone souveniering noses and calling themselves "Sniffers," or "Snuffers." The laughable names made the situation only more sinister.
Eyeballs crooked a finger at the girl, wiggling it for her to come. She didn't. He laughed, a raspy laugh, unzipped his pants and pointed at his already engorging penis. It looked like a horse's dick, or an extra arm.
She screamed and huddled tighter to the boy. Eyeballs chortled. When the boy tried to step in front of Eyeballs, the three other Gamers seized him, restraining him. He fought, and when Eyeballs approached the girl, the boy cried out right along with the girl's screaming.
They were there, though. The other teams watched from hiding, just like Jay. The Enforcers brought supplies: boxes marked with medicine's red cross, barrels rolling moist lines, containers labeled food, clothes, and 'charity' ...charity. A way for people who didn't care to act like they did.
They called charity boxes "Misk" boxes, like miscellaneous abbreviated. Because you never knew what you'd get.
Led by the Chief, the Enforcers put the boxes in small piles in the center of each lamp's light. Then they stood guard, wary and watching. Another Enforcer entered. With him were two teenagers in gray uniforms, like the one Jay wore his first day.
They were obviously frightened.
The blond-haired girl clung the brown-haired boy, hanging off him with both hands. The boy had an arm around her but his eyes bulged sheer panic.
The Enforcers had come all together. Perhaps they'd learned it was no longer safe to deliver new citizens of Morir alone, even if they lacked the manpower. At the thought of Paul, a ball of guilt choked Jay's throat. He swallowed it away. Quickly. Smoothly.
The Enforcers were leaving.
The girl reached out, grabbed the sleeve of the Enforcer who'd led them in. The Enforcer shook her off roughly, pointed at the very center where the surrounding lamps crisscrossed light, forming a pentagon-ish brightness. Even from where Jay was, he could see the shaking in her legs.
Then the Enforcers were gone, except for the Chief Enforcer.
His voice rang out like an ominous chant, echoing, his words bounced into every hidden hole of Haven. "Hide Jay. Hide, because if anyone brings your corpse to me, I'll give them a place in my Kingdom. In my Casa." The Chief Enforcer scanned the darkness and he left.
A bounty had been placed. He expected the bomb tied to his neck would go off at any second.
The girl in Haven's center wilted toward the ground, but the boy held her up and raised a shading hand, peered about, trying to see into the darkness--where all waited.
Many minutes passed. Jay noticed a silhouette shift within a small cavern in the surrounding ruins. It retreated, but moments later Jay saw another shadow rush across the steep surroundings with animalistic grace. Another moment and a brutal scream mixed with another of desperation. Jay pulled deeper into his own recess, but not enough to lose sight of the couple below.
The girl hid her face in the boy's chest. He took her protectively in his arms, and words were spoken--too faint for Jay to hear. The boy huddled her--took a step away from where the screams had come from.
Immediately a cheer arose, loud and angry.
A man with deflated eyeballs strung together as necklace and bracelet stepped into the light. Jay knew he was the Gamer of team "Fate's Eyes." Jay's 'team' was called the "Toothaches." Lame, but fitting.
Three other Gamers seeped into the light, between the stacked boxes of supplies. Freckles, Jay's Gamer was without his gun. The other two, a Gamer with earlobes around his neck and one with fingers as earrings would be the "Whisperers" and the "Finger of God" teams. With names like these, Jay wouldn't be surprised to see someone souveniering noses and calling themselves "Sniffers," or "Snuffers." The laughable names made the situation only more sinister.
Eyeballs crooked a finger at the girl, wiggling it for her to come. She didn't. He laughed, a raspy laugh, unzipped his pants and pointed at his already engorging penis. It looked like a horse's dick, or an extra arm.
She screamed and huddled tighter to the boy. Eyeballs chortled. When the boy tried to step in front of Eyeballs, the three other Gamers seized him, restraining him. He fought, and when Eyeballs approached the girl, the boy cried out right along with the girl's screaming.
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