Chapter 3- A Knockin' We Come
Canidice:
"SHIT!" I jerk awake, alarmed. I peek out the crack, only to see one of the other 151 collapsed on the ground. He grimaces in pain, and I grasp my ankle, remembering the pain I felt just a day or two ago. A girl who looks to be around 19 comes into my line of sight. She has blond hair and blue eyes, popping in the green lush habitat that is the world outside of The Compound. The boy has white hair, and pink eyes. One of the last albinos. Considering the years, it's amazing that even now we incorporate albinos in the GMO babies. Which he obviously is. I am too, most of the 151 are, but they don't have enough electricity or resources to make enough to sustain the future generations. I have black hair, light skin with freckles and ice blue eyes. The pupils are slits, perfect for seeing in the dark. She crouches down and gives him a concerned look. The sun shines bright, even though it's almost down, which means they figured out pretty quickly that it won't hurt them. Good for them, not so good for me. I wonder if they have radio. I wonder if they're the only search party.
"What happened?" She pushes her hair behind one ear and places her hand on the ground to steady herself. The girl's genetic modification is probably her voice. It's smooth as melted chocolate as it glides across her tongue and bounces through the forest. The boys' seems to be not only his pigment, but his extreme clumsiness (Note my sarcasm).
"I didn't see the ledge. I knew this wasn't a good idea. My ankle, I think it's broken." Well, he obviously didn't take foraging. Or the med course that accompanied it.
"No, silly, it's not broken, just sprained."
"What's that?" His eyes widen and he looks alarmed, as if she's just told him he has a fatal disease or something.
"It just means you pulled a muscle basically. You probably shouldn't walk on that for a while. We'll just have to make camp here. I mean, it's not that bad. Nice clearing, and the ledge'll alert us to anyone coming from behind." She takes off her bag and sits down.
"Well shit." I cover my mouth. Whoops. I've gotten so used to there not being anyone to hear me that I forgot to think, not say. I grab hand fulls of dirt and shove them in the hole.
"Did you hear that?" The boy says, and the girl laughs.
"It's probably just the wind. Or maybe it's the killer bunnies out to get you."
"Ha ha very funny. Ya know, Conner was being serious about that. Speaking of him, how far behind is he?" Another one!? What the hell? How did they even let this many of the 151 out? Why? Are they insane? Do they want the human race to go extinct?!
"Right here, Buddy." The guy, Buddy, apparently, grimaces. I can't see whoever this Conner guy is, he sounds like he's above me.
"You know I don't like my name. Buddel is bad enough. You really have to call me that?"
What do you suggest. Ella? Maybe that old computer thing we were learning about in history? Dell? Or Adell? Maybe Deli?"
"Ladies ladies, let's not fight. We'll be here for at least a day or two more thanks to that ledge." Someone groans, and I internally curse. I start digging at the back, pilling the dirt at the entrance. I leave a tiny portion of the once decent sized crack open to see, but I'm careful to be quiet and discreet. I've been digging down too lately, so I can kneel with an inch or two more space above my head.
"You guys have anything to sit on?" Oh no. Please no. Not the rock. I quickly start piling more and more dirt.
"No, we can find a branch or something though."
"Hey, what about that rock?" I lean back, pressing my back into the ground.
"Maybe later. Too much effort to move that big ol' thing." I sigh in relief.
"Ok. So what are we gonna do? We have to have watches, right?" The girl's voice.
"Ya. I guess. I'll take first shift." I think it's that Conner guy's voice. Can't quite tell. I lay down and take a swig of water from my jug.
"I could have sworn I heard something when we first got here though."
"Leave it alone, bud."
"You can't call me that either, Quincey!"
"What did you hear?"
"A voice! A human voice! I swear! I think it was a girl!"
"But nobody else it out here." Um, what? They're not here for me?
"But-"
"No one is here. It was probably just the wind."
"Go to sleep. The sun's almost down. You should catch some z's so I can hit the metaphorical lights sooner. I'm taking the first shift."
"Ok, Conner. Wake me up when it's time. I'll take second." I'm so screwed. How long are they going to stay? I can't stay in here forever. I mean, it's not as cramped as before, but it's not exactly amazing either. FUCK.
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