Post Apocalypse: Tyranny & Chimpanzees

4. CONFLICT

After properly explaining to us what a volcano was, and why we should get our butts off the island ASAP, Boro, being Boro, nodded enthusiastically throughout her exposition.

"Like hell we'd believe that ruse."

You did the whole nodding thing just to get back at her sarcasm earlier. Seriously, Boro?!

Neon, however, raised a brow, not seeming too surprised. "Then, would you like to go back with me to see the dead bodies, with your knife at my throat, ready to kill me if I spoken a single lie?" And then added. "That is, if you don't mind the risk of getting the same disease from the corpses."

"Hold on, hold on," I cut in. "You didn't bury them?"

"You expect me to be able to bury over twenty corpses on my own?" She folded her arms, which were gloved, as she replied. "Also, even if I've never fallen ill before, you think I'd have no instinctive fear of the disease that spread and killed every single one of them in three days?"

That shut me up. A story this detailed, I couldn't help but feel it's authentic.

Neon had me feeling a sense of awe. Everyone she'd known since childhood just died, and she hasn't even broken down, just really cranky, with self control at that.

"Yes. I'll take that risk," Boro, very much to my surprise, stated firmly.

"Fine. Let's depart, then. The raft can take two across."

"Boro!" I grabbed him by the arm. "Do you want to get yourself killed?"

"It's a pragmatic decision, Servile. For everyone's safety, so make sure you tell the others," He nudged Neon, prompting her to walk ahead of him, with his spear behind her. "If I find out she's telling the truth and I don't make it due to the disease, I'll tell her the rest of our names."

He glanced back at me once again with an unrelenting look in his eyes. "And if she doesn't know their names or return in a week, Servile, Make sure she dies."

And with that statement, he moved on.

"Then I'm coming as well."

"Don't be a child, Servile." Boro chided. "You're the only one who can tell the others. -Hey, keep moving!"

"My crossbow..."

"Oh of course, why would I forget?" Boro explained. "You should be left armed!"

"It's the last thing I have from my father!"

"Like hell I care! It's a weapon!"

There's just no way on Earth I can imagine this two going there and coming back alive.

One of them is bound to kill the other. They simply cannot work together.

Neon reflexively caught the object I tossed to her, making Boro flinch.

"Why-"

"It's just the pouch, Boro. All it contains are tools and food, " I assured. "And Neon, I'll keep your crossbow safe. So please, both of you, just be cooperative for a while, okay?"

Without waiting for a reaction, I picked up the crossbow and ran into Boro with it, knocking him down momentarily. Then I grabbed Neon's arm and tugged her along with me.

"Sorry, Boro," I shouted as we ran away. "Let's exchange places, I just feel this is safer for the both of you!"

Neon pulled her arm from mine, running ahead and leading the way to the river. Boro also wouldn't risk throwing his spear when I was between them.

Knowing how paranoid and hot headed he could be, he wouldn't think twice about impaling Neon if he had a clear shot, and I think she was aware of that as well.

What the hell I was doing, helping a very suspicious secretive stranger, I'll never know

After a few minutes of running, I didn't hear any foot steps behind us. Thank God Boro didn't insist any further, extreme as my actions were.

In a few more minutes, we arrived at the shore, where a bamboo raft had been pegged on shore, with a single oar on it.

She unpegged and pushed it deeper into the water, before hopping onboard and helping me on.

She paddled hard without taking a look at the direction we'd just run from.

"Thanks..." She muttered after a while.

I reached out from behind and held her arms, witch made her flinch in surprise.

"Let me row," I said said gently. "You look tired."

Recoiling under my grasp, she refused to let go of the paddle. "Y- you've never done this before, it's not as easy as it looks."

"I know, which is why I want to take the burden off you. I will learn."

"You don't need to bother," she insisted, but her voice was even softer than mine.

"No. You rowed all the way here just minutes ago," I pressed on. "I'm sure you're even more exhausted than you realize."

I don't know why, but I was getting this inexplicable feeling from this. I, for some reason, felt that she should rely on me. Or something like that.

"You don't need to care so much.. about someone you just...."

Her grip went lax, as she slumped into my embrace, fully unconscious.