CYOA Page 93

[lumy12]

Page Ninety-Three

"We can get head shots easy from up here so it's not like it would take that many bullets," you reason.

"True... but bullets are loud. We could just toss a Molotov cocktail down there. We've got plenty of shit to make more."

"Those aren't exactly quiet," you point out.

"No... but gunshots echo much farther out."

"...Yeah, okay. I'll do it!"

Before you can even wriggle out of your backpack, Joel stops you and whips out an already-made one from his own bag. He hands it to you. "Here, I got a few of 'em."

"Okay. You better." You wouldn't put it past Joel to give you his last one so as not to deplete your supply at all. Of course, when you're fighting together -- and you pretty much always are -- it's all for your mutual benefit anyway, no matter who's got what. Joel carries around more shit than you do, and he likes it that way; even after everything you've been through, all the people that you've killed, he wants and expects to do the majority of the killing.

But these fuckers are MINE! you think triumphantly -- even though there's nothing to feel triumphant about, because it's not like you've defeated them in battle, or that you were even the one who outwitted them to land them in their earthy little prison. You light the bottle and toss it down there. "Bye bye, dickweeds!" you call to them cheerfully.

Joel snorts. "I thought you reserved that name for hunters."

"Yeah, well, these used to be hunters. Probably. Possibly." You watch them start to smoke and burn -- but only for a few seconds, because then Joel's tugging on your arm.

"Come on -- quick -- behind the tree!"

"What? What is it?"

He answers when you're safely hidden in the brush. "People headin' this way. Hopefully they don't see the horses over there... shit..."

You manage to find a decent spot to peek through some shrubbery. "Oh yeah... they're looking over there..." You look through the binoculars. "...but now they're coming towards us again."

It's a man and a woman, each with bags slung over their shoulders, and the man is... tugging something behind him.

"What is that... like a sled?" you wonder out loud. You let Joel look through the binoculars.

"Somethin' like that."

"Do you think they saw us?"

"Don' know. I bet they're goin' to the pit. They don't look like hunters."

"They prob'ly heard the Molotov..." You snatch the binoculars back. "Oh, maybe they're from the hospital! They came down that street, right? Or pretty close to there?"

"Yeah, maybe. They must've been headed this way even before we killed the Runners, 'cause no way could they have got out here that fast, especially luggin' that thing behind 'em. Just be quiet an' watch 'em for a bit."

You watch the pair approach; they're definitely going to the pit. You try to make out what they're saying to each other as they get closer, but they're not conversing loudly enough. ...at least, not for your ears to pick up anything. You glance at Joel; if he can hear them, his expression isn't betraying what he thinks about it. You don't really need the binoculars at this point, but you use them now to try to read their lips. If you had to guess, you'd put their ages at... maybe a little younger than Joel? The woman might be even younger than that. Brown hair, tied back in a ponytail... big brown eyes... the guy has gray in his beard, but not as many lines on his face as Joel... he's skinnier than Joel... and, obviously, nowhere near as handsome as Joel. The woman is more pleasant to look at. What is that around her neck... oh! "Joel, she's wearing a Firefly pendant!" you whisper excitedly.

He just shushes you. Then, to your surprise, he stands up -- stands up and moves out into the open, with his hands up! You do the same, since he made no indication that he wanted you to stay hidden (and you want to stay close to him, always). "Hello there," he says to them jovially, as if greeting a friend. "This your trap here?"

They're standing right next to the pit now. If they have guns on them, they're not pulling them on you. "It is indeed," the woman answers, smiling pleasantly. "We were just wondering why there's smoke coming out of it and what that loud noise was..."

"We took care of them for you," you announce... in case it isn't obvious? Heh.

"I don't wanna hear it," the woman says -- not to you, but to her companion. And the dude didn't even say anything! But there's a teasing texture to her voice. "It's the first time it's happened! And not everyone can read, you know."

...Read what? "We can read," you tell her. "Were we supposed to read something?"

The woman seems amused by your question. "No. Sorry!" She moves toward you and Joel with her hand extended. "I'm Kylie, by the way." She shakes Joel's hand, then turns to shake yours. "And that's Mark." Mark, who looks a bit disgruntled, half-smiles and makes a little salute-type gesture.

You wait a beat for Joel to introduce the two of you, but since he doesn't... "Nice to meet you," you say, returning the smile. "I'm--"

"We're from Jackson," Joel cuts you off (quite rudely). "We're lookin' for St. John's. Would you happen to know where that is? Is that where you came from?"

You give him an odd look. It's not super close, but it's right there in plain sight... I don't think we need directions?!

"We sure do, and it sure is!" answers Kylie. She's a bit... overly perky for your taste, but you decide you like her. "We can take you there. I didn't realize you were due already... I don't think they've got anything ready for you."

"No, we ain't... we're just here lookin' for someone," Joel answers immediately, just before you start to answer her yourself. He's all eager to talk now, for some reason. "Do you know a guy named Danny? Mother's been sick?"

"Her name's Elaine," you supply, as you're not entirely certain Joel knows her name.

"Oh yeah! We know them," Kylie answers. "Sweet lady. He's been visiting her a while now."

"So he's here? Right now?" you ask. Well, that was easy!

"He's barely left her side," Mark speaks for the first time. "She's only getting worse. Not long for this world, that one."

"We've tried every cocktail we can," adds Kylie. "Nothing's working, I'm afraid."

You're not sure what she means by 'cocktail,' but you'd bet she's not talking Molotovs. "Are you guys both doctors?"

"We're what passes for doctors these days," Mark answers.

"Yes," Kylie adds, shooting Mark a look. "We are. Mark's more into labwork than people, if you haven't noticed."

Yes, you could've surmised that from what little he's said. You keep glancing at Joel to try to guess how he's reading these people. Hard to tell, but he seems... impatient, curiously.

"We hauling these back or what?" Mark grumbles to Kylie. It's almost a growl, really... He sort of reminds you of Joel -- so you decide you like him, too.

Kylie looks down in the pit. "They're still a little... smolder-y. Might be fresh enough to do something more with than just disposal, though, ya think?"

"What do you guys do with them?" you ask curiously. You didn't think infected were good for anything except target practice!

Kylie starts to answer but Joel starts walking, yanking on your arm to get you to follow. "That's none of our business, kiddo." He looks at the doctors. "Look, we're in a bit of a hurry so we're just gonna go talk to Danny now."

You wrench your arm away and glare at him. "Uh, we're not in that much of a hurry. They said they'd take us! And maybe they could use some help?"

"Thanks, sweetie, but we've done this a million times," chirps Kylie.

Mark snorts. "If we'd actually done it a million times, we might be done with this by now."

"Done with what?" You hurry back to the edge of the pit before Joel can even think about stopping you. You look pointedly at Kylie's pendant. "Are you a Firefly?"

She gives you a rueful smile. "That's a good question. It's complicated... let's just say I would be if I could. But this is a good place for me to be, here." She starts pulling some kind of rope contraption out of her shoulder bag. "To answer your first question, we've been studying infection in live specimens. In a very controlled environment."

"You wanted these alive?" you ask incredulously. "Oh man -- we fucked that up for you! I'm sorry!"

Kylie laughs. "Hey, you didn't know. Saves us some tranquilizer, anyway."

Joel is trying to get your attention, but you're ignoring him, and purposely moving farther away from him (to Kylie's other side) to make it more difficult for him to drag you away, if he's so inclined. You figure he's worried about you blabbing about your immunity, even though you've promised him -- on multiple occasions -- never to tell anyone without discussing it with him first. "What are you studying them for? Are you trying to find a cure?" you ask eagerly.

"Kylie." Mark gives her an unmistakable cease-and-desist look.

To your delight, she ignores it! "That would be awesome, but I think we're a long ways off from that."

"Did you leave the Fireflies because they stopped looking for a cure?" you ask her.

"You heard about that, huh? Well, we didn't exactly stop. The incident last year that forced us to--"

"Hey!" you exclaim as Joel practically does drag you away.

"They ain't s'posed to be talkin' to us about this," Joel explains, glancing at Mark. Like he's helping out a bro. As if he would care to. "C'mon, kiddo, we've gotta get goin'. We left the horses unprotected. Thank you for the information," he tosses back to Mark and Kylie -- quite the insincere, perfunctory goodbye.


Turn to page 155.

Comments

Carlos

[(Anonymous)]

Hmm this was a interesting part.

RE: Carlos

[luminations.livejournal.com]

:)