Ch. 3 Volunteers?

Horror is a tough genre. Shadow is going to need a team to get those meds to those patients. How will he do it?

Ch. 3 Volunteers?

 

"Hey Shadow, how you doing, sir?", Aimes asks me in a fast, young voice. I don't reply. We touch knuckles as I walk up to him. His dark blond hair is slicked back with grease, tucked behind his ears. His azure deep-set eyes calculating, as if trying to see through my mask. His pale freckled skin appears white against his black cloak and black jeans. He's leaning against the doorframe of the main room.

 

The walls are painted white with spray painted murals of the Rebels, done in all sorts of colors. Every member of the Rebels is required to add their own piece of work to the walls, something that represents themselves. The room itself is enormous. The many pieces of furniture in the room are the huge round table in the center with forty chairs surrounding it, sixteen couches, four against each wall, and a large TV screen mounted in each corner of the room. The only sources of light come from the large window on the other side of the room and the torches mounted on the walls.

 Members of the Rebels are strewn across the room. Some on the couches, others sitting on the large table. Some older members are standing near the large window, watching for any sign of the Brotherhood. Everyone turns their head as I walk across the room and open the door to the locker room. Some call out as I pass:

"Hey boss!"

"How you doing?"

"You look good!"

"Nice boots!"

I enter the lockeroom and stride towards my wide locker near the front of the room. This room is bigger than the last, fifty curtained showers going down each wall along with twenty rows of lockers, each having ten lockers. This used to be the lockeroom of an old Character college, shut down centuries ago due to the decline in students wanting to learn about ancient Fables.

I open the locker and pull out a map of the Dimension. It's a yellowed paper showing all of the gateways between other dimensions. The best roads in and out of the genres are painted in deep blue marker. I pull out my pencil and circle Horror. I then roll the map up and close the locker door, fastening the lock.

I leave the lockeroom and enter back into the main room, or as once called, the gym. Everyone goes silent once again and looks up at me, expecting an announcement. I stand near the front of the room and the few people hanging out near the window move over to give me space. I nod to them and grin under my mask at their obedience.

All eyes are on me. I look around, my emerald and bright violet eyes looking through the wide holes of my mask. Once I hear complete silence, I unfold the map and reveal the small circle around Horror.

"I will be travelling to Horror to deliver some medicines to the hospital there. I hope that some of you will be joining me in this task. There will indeed be a prize. I have not been told what it will be but, whatever it is, we I can gurantee anyone who joins, that there will be at least one hundred coins to any volunteer. I need at least one volunteer, three at most," I say in my deep voice, "if you are interested, raise your hand." Forty people raise their hands. I count down the rejects in my head. All people that are either not fully trained or simply too weak. I need young people but, not children.

"Aimes.", I nod and the tall blonde boy moves his way through the crowd from where he was standing against the doorframe.

 

"Violet." A lean golden-haired girl makes her way through the crowd. Her Bright violet eyes appear to be glowing, even from far away. Her tan skin glowing in the torchlight. She reaches me and bows in front of me. Her golden curls framing her delicate face. She has nice big eyes, long lashes, wide lips, and a straight nose on her freckled face.

 

"And Spades." A slender man weaves his way through the crowd and stands in front of me, giving a slight bow. His short hair is a jet black color. He has soft brown skin, cinnamon-brown eyes, a long bumpy nose, thick eyebrows, and thin lips.

"Thank you for your attention. We will be gone for about a week or so. I need everyone to keep an eye out for the Brotherhood. Dragon is in charge until we return," I jerk my chin to the older man to my left, "listen to him. I just delivered some taxes stolen by the Brotherhood so, you don't have to worry about anyone starving for about two weeks." I give a firm nod to dismiss the meeting. Everyone returns to their previous business: sharpening blades, flirting, or just simply lifting weights where they could find room.

I turn to my small group of volunteers and think again about who I chose. Aimes: never misses a target, great with any gun, but sucks with arrows or knives, and can easily think things through. Vioet: very clever, trained well with melee attacks, strong, and can shoot a gun pretty with great speed and aim. Spades: amazing with computers and hacking, great with plenty of different devices and equipment, great fighter, pretty funny.

"Pack only what you'll need. Meet me by the jeeps in twenty, we'll go over the plan then.", I say in a careful voice. They all bow slightly and say "yes Shadow", making me smile under my mask.

 

Twenty minutes later and my small group is all dressed in black cloaks, carrying black back packs. They suround me in a semi-circle.

"Alright. I just finished speaking to the hospital administrator in the Brotherhood and, the gates into the genre are currently closed. And they will be staying that way for a long while. The hospital is located in the center of the genre. We need to take these crates," I motion with my map to the crates packed into the jeep, "to those patients as soon as possible before we lose millions of Characters. Horror is very different than Fable. There will be armed Horrors surrounding the hospital, they won't know that we're on their side. To them, we're not delivering medicine, we're stealing it." Violet raises her hand politely. I nod in her direction.

"But Shadow, how are we to deliver the medicine if they won't let us in?", she asks, bewildered. Her voice is strong and urgent.

"That's where it gets hard. Every Horror that approaches us will literally come at us as our biggest fear. Whether spiders or ghosts, we'll take it all. The key to surviving is to embrace your fear. Don't try to ignore it, take it in. Swallow it whole.

"Here's the plan."

　

　

　

I exit the genre gates, scanning my ID card and providing my fake Watcher pass. The man at the booth passes me through, not even noticing that the Watcher pass is expired.

 

Good thing the old dude took the pass, or I would've had to smuggle you in.

 

"So, tell me Shadow, how long have you been living here in fable?", Spades asks casually, his feet propped up on the dashboard of the jeep. "About four years.", I reply, lowering my hat with one hand, while the other firmly turns the steering wheel.

 

Has it only been four years since I left?

 

"Really? It feels like I've known you my whole life!", Spades raises his arms and lets them fall. I scoff, "I've only known you for a year." Aimes chuckles as he loads his handgun.

"No freaking way! How?", Spades asks in mock bewilderment. "Gee, I dunno, maybe because I recruited you from the Brotherhood?", I shake my head. "Oh yeah, huh. I forget things ya know."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's the problem."

"It is!"

"Yeah, yeah. Okay Spades. Whatever makes you feel like a winner.", Aimes scoffs. I laugh aloud.

"Hey Shadow, how come you never take off your mask?", Violet asks suspiciously.

 

She gots nerve.

I've only been asked that once, by a Brotherhood spy.

Back when I first made the group.

He's was put in the hospital by some strange injuries made by a masked man in an alley...

 

"In case a rich man sees me robbing his safe, he can't report me without being put in a mental institution.", I explain in an calm voice. She nods, "Makes sense. But, we aren't spies.

Why do you have to wear it in front of us?"

 

Good point but, I don't know that.

Yes you do Shadow.

Don't be stupid, how can they trust you if you don't trust them?

They're just gonna have to deal with it until I know for sure.

You've known Violet for four years!

You've been training Aimes since he was thirteen!

Spades, he's to stupid to be a spy.

Still... Spades could be fronting.

True, true.

Sorry Watcher, I talk to myself a lot.

 

"I'll take it off when I have to. You're just going to have to wait."

"Why not now? Aren't you hot?", Violet keeps pushing.

 

I am hot..

No.

 

"Vie, shut up.", Aimes warns her sternly. He knows what happened to the last guy who pushed too far. Violet ignores him and keeps going, "Come on Shadow, just show us." "Just be happy you're on a mission with our leader.", Spades warns, all amusement vanishing from his face. Violet still doesn't get the message.

"Shadow, you can trust us."

"How do I know that, huh? You're over here hammering me for a look at my face. What should I think about that? I could easily think of you as a spy and dump you in a ditch with your bones turned to dust. Do you want to keep going?", I snap. She finally shuts up, bewilderment on her face.

 

Yeah girlfriend, that just happened.

Man, I'm hilarious.

 

I imagine myself saying aloud while snapping my fingers in a Z formation. I bite down on my lip, holding back my hurricane of laughter.

We keep driving for several hours after dark then finally, I turn into an inn off the freeway.

I jump out of the jeep silently, not wanting to wake my team. I take my satchel out and fling it around my shoulder, making my way to the main office. I untie my mask and flinging it into my satchel along with my fedora, brushing out my thick dark curls.

"How may I help you today, young man?", an old woman at the front desks asks politely. She has a wide, crooked smile, surrounded by a web of wrinkles around her thin lips. Her gray eyes glow with energy despite her old age. The same color as her short hair.

"Yes, I'd like a room please. Two beds please.", I smile at her. She seems taken back for a moment, a common reaction to my smile. She shakes her head and types on her computer.

"Name?"

"Justin Hayes."

"How many people total?"

I give her the rest of the information and a small sack of coins that I had prepared at the Safehaven. She hands me my room key and I leave the office. Once I'm out, I lace my mask back on and brush my dark curls into my fedora.

"Come on guys, I got us a room.", I poke Spades and nudge Aimes with my elbow. "Huh, what? Oh, cool," Spades stumbles out of the jeep grogily, "aye, boss got us a room, get up." "Ah, roar. Ah, roar.", Spades yawns as he stretches out his muscles. Aimes jumps out of the jeep and jogs in place for a few seconds as Violet yawns loudly, already taking out her bag.

"Come on, be sure to shut your door.", I begin to walk towards the direction of our room, Spades and Aimes following at my heels. "Come on Vie.", Aimes calls and Violet comes jogging behind us.

I scan our door and enter the room. Two beds, just as promised. All done in tan and white colors going along one wall of the room. The walls are covered in tan and white wallpaper, matching the striped carpet. A wide couch sits in front of a fireplace to my right, in front of a bed. The bathroom is in the back of the room, along with a small closet with only one hanger and a rugged robe. A small kitchen and round table sit to my left in the back of the room.

Spades runs in with both arms spread out, making airplane noises. He runs across the room to the last bed, throwing himsef on top of it.

Aimes strides over and jumps on the bed, falling asleep with Spades at his side. Violet blushes and drops her bags onto the ground and jumps into the bed next to Spades and Aimes, turning her back to me.

"Don't try anything.", Violet mutters as I close the door behind me. "Who said anything about me sharing a bed with you? I'm taking the couch.", I walk over and light the fireplace. Then I shut off the light of the lamps with only one switch.

She stays silent.

I use my satchel as a pillow and drift off into a sleep thick with nightmares.

Author's Note

Ignore all grammar and spelling problems please, I fixed those. Please just tell me what you think!

Reviews

[Gracie G]

I like the introduction of some new characters although the dialogue amongst them all seems a little awkward to me. They don't really talk to him like he's the boss. I like the description of the Rebel's headquarters and the murals on the wall. I would've liked to have known what Shadow painted.

[Bri]

Yeah I fixed some stuff last night so he's now just their friend/leader.

[SpeedyHobbit Armstrong]

Nice chapter! I'm glad you switch between fonts with notes versus dialogue, etc, it makes the story easier to understand.

[POETIC SOUL 2013]

What do I think? I think its awesome as always

[Lucy Morningstar &heart..]

Another really great addition :)

[Raymond Federle]

This story is really coming along. I think you might really have something here. Like any story it will need tweaks and refining but over all it's seems pretty solid to me. You are comfortable and confident in the characters and this comes out in your writing. At some points it almost reads like a movie script. That's not a bad thing at all. Scripts can run from being very vague to an incredible amount of detail. So what you have here sets the scene very well. If you don't have someone to proof read your work I would suggest at least getting some software that will help. It'd be worth it. Awesome job. I'm looking forward to the next chapter. :)

[Bri]

Thank you. That's very encouraging, I'm working on getting the proper software I need to write correctly.