"Are you serious?" Amber blurted out upon hearing Laura’s decision to leave the base and her lips trembled in disbelief as she looked at June whose features contorted at John.
John’s eyebrows creased as he glared at Laura. "Explain," he said. Laura raised an eyebrow as she stared into his dark eyes and she heaved a deep sigh before her eyelids fluttered close and replied with a grave voice.
"I’m sorry John, but we can’t stay anymore. That madman Michael has marked Amber and he will come looking for us at this base. There’s nowhere else to go as it stands so we have to find somewhere where we’ll be safer."
"What’s the problem?" John asked, quirking an eyebrow, "let him come, I’ll just kill him."
"Don’t you fucking get it!?" June abruptly interjected as her sapphire blue eyes burned with fury, "how could we be the bait, huh!? Why are you treating us like we’re just commodities for your amusement, you sick fuck! You have already...
SLAP!
John’s right hand swiped through the air and slapped June across the cheek. His facial expression twisted with rage as he menacingly stepped towards the orange-haired girl, holding her wrists tight and twisting it so that a soft cry of pain escaped her plump, pale pink lips as she jerked her head down and her pretty lips quivered.
"You have some real guts on you to say something like that. I’ve given all three of you more than you could ever give me and you still have the guts to insult me to my face."
John’s voice was a wintery chill to her ears, and her expression was so pathetic, and fragile at that moment that it could shatter to a thousand pieces at a single touch. Yet John didn’t bother to hold back his anger and continued his tirade.
"So, listen closely, okay? I’m only going to say this once because I’m tired of your attitude. You are here today, safe and sound because I took pity on you, okay? I asked for nothing in return so the least you could do is fuck off silently."
John’s gaze met with hers again and both could feel the rage radiating from each other, and their sharp glares could easily cut through steel as June and Amber felt suffocated.
While John and June stared into each other, Amber and Laura whispered back and forth. Amber wanted to stay, she felt safe in the base and around John, but Laura took the pragmatic approach. Michael seemed to have been enhanced by Luminars and there was also the threat of Theodore’s imminent arrival. She felt the base was not long for this world.
"I’m leaving, and I want you to leave with me." She maintained the conviction in her tone and stared at Amber who appeared conflicted. Her honey-colored eyes swam with her hesitation and Laura knew she had no other choice than to separate her from this place as soon as possible.
Finally, Amber let out a resigned sigh and nodded her head, "we’re leaving."
John simply closed his eyes and shook his head in slight dismay as if he expected such a situation to happen one way or another. He turned his back on them, leaving the lounge. Laura and Amber exchanged a meaningful look and left the base along with June.
And so, the trio travelled the streets under the moon’s guidance, left to find some solace within themselves as they began to question what they were supposed to do and live for now that the apocalypse descended upon humanity. Everything had changed, even they themselves.
As they advanced farther and deeper into the city’s darkened alleys and interlinking streets, the first few sounds of faraway, violent altercations reached their ears which signified that the monsters had moved on into the residential areas.
Laura had no plan other than to leave and find shelter. A safe haven, if such a place could still exist. It was difficult to know for certain what would be considered dangerous now and what wouldn’t. Monsters were not the only thing they had to fear.
Some humans had done unspeakable things during the apocalypse; such crimes of malice, narcissism, hatred, and simple insanity were found with depressing regularity everywhere they looked. Regret flashed through her mind, but she shook it off. She had made a decision and she had to stick to it. John’s base would soon face dangers far worse than this.
John had turned around to see Laura, June and Amber disappear down the dark, abandoned street and heaved a heavy sigh. His cold demeanour was not his true nature. He was afraid too and what he wished deep in his heart was to keep everyone safe, but he was only human and he alone shouldered immense responsibilities. The stress of human connections was the last thing he needed.
His expression hardened again and he entered the base, where Octavia was waiting for him, she sat on the couch and drank some beer straight from the bottle. Her body was wrapped in a piece of loose cloth and she did not hide her weathered skin. His eyes narrowed at her beauty and he walked over, then snatched the bottle of beer from her hands and chugged it down while a helpless chuckle escaped her full lips.
"I heard," was all she said and he sat next to her, and sighed.
"What do you think? Am I running this place as I should?" John asked, turning his gaze towards Octavia who was smiling.
"Nope," she said after taking a huge gulp of the beer that remained in the bottle, "I think you have a lot to learn, but that’s okay."
John chuckled, "you talk like you’re some hot-shot teacher."
"Why, aren’t I? I’m the strongest woman you’ve met, that sure sounds about right," she snickered.
John snorted and bickered with sarcasm, "oh yes, you are so strong. But also, you know what you’re really good at?"
"What is it? Measuring big co-"
John smacked the back of her head, "no, try again."
Octavia stood up and gazed directly into John’s dark brown eyes, "then tell me, what am I good at?"
"I can tell you’re good at one thing," John stated with an impish smirk as he pointed towards a mini-fridge in the corner, "bringing beer."
Octavia held her sides as she burst out in a riotous laughter.
The most uptodate nove𝙡s are published on frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓.
"Well, at least one of us can maintain their sense of humour."
Her smile softened as she stood up and approached the liquor cabinet, fetching a bottle of vodka from the shelf.
"Let’s have a good time, tonight!"