The Day the Dead Rose

chapter 3: The People Inside

I step up to the bridge and see how high up I really am, with only one way to go and people that need help. "Just don't look down Rye, it'll be fine." I take my first step and the bridge is more sturdy than i thought, but as I make my way further across the shaky wooden bridge, a gust of wind comes through nearly pushing me off. "Oh shit." I get ahold of myself and keep going, the bridge is about 30 yards, made of wooden planks and two thick cables It seems like. Every step I take terrifies me but i gotta hurry.

As I pass the halfway mark I hear, "Fresh meat has come to play." There is a man waiting for me at the other side, wearing what looks like a bone chest plate, and a deer skull on his head? And a spear like weapon in his hands. "Look man I don't want any trouble." I start to inch my way forward now. "Too bad, I want to start alot of trouble." He hisses at me. "Who says that like that?" I say to him, hoping to catch him off guard. "What, what do you mean?" He tilts his head a little He is more in a relaxed stance, I'm now 8 feet from him. "Yeah no one says that's too bad cause I wanna start a fight, that's just weird." 6 feet away. "Seriously? I've been saying that for a while now, no one has said anything before I kill em." 4 feet away. "Well idk what to tell you, you just don't say it like that tho." As he was about to speak, I leap towards him as he's unready, but since my pack is heavy I don't get to high off the ground, he raised his spear to block my kick but I fall sooner than both of us expected and I make contact with his left knee and it seem to be dislocated. "Ah shit!" He falls to the ground on his back, as I pull my bat sword out. "Stay down." He grabs a knife from his right side and throws it at me. "Take this you little shit!" I try to dodge it and move to my right, but it hits my left shoulder. "Eah." I stare at it, I can still use my right arm so with my right arm that has my bat, I take it and swing it up over him. "Wait no I'm sorry kid, I didn't mean it!" I swing it down on his head, cracking the deer skull and hitting his skull, blood flowing down his head. "Wait no, I dwont want...to diwe." He's trying to get to his feet but can't so he scrambles backwards until he hits a wall, I walk towards him, raising my bat, he's crying and pleading with me not to, I lower my bat.

Then all of a sudden I get tackled from my right side to the ground, and before I knew it there was another man on me. "YOU DONT HURT MY BROTHER!" He starts to wail on me, right, left, right, left, my bat was knocked out of my hand, I have my arms up trying to defend but he gets a few good shots in, as he's swinging I remember the knife in my shoulder and with my right arm I grab the knife and pull it out and stab him on his right side. He didn't even noticed I don't think, but I left myself open, and with his left arm he knocks me out.

A little while later...

"Who do you think he is? Just a traveler?" I hear a woman say. "I don't know, but he helped stop the raid by taking out the Gritt brothers." A man says. "When he wakes up let me know, and keep his gear on lock down, dont want to scare him away." The woman says, before I pass out again.

I open my eyes and find myself in a bed, my head pounding, I look to see this place has electricity and 6 other beds with other people in them, a door between the front 2 beds, and a locker at that end, with medical supplies in it. "Where am i?" I ask to myself as I sit up, and as I do a door opens and it's a male nurse? He sees im awake and a smile crawls across his face. "Oh good your awake." He seemed thrilled to see me. He's a smaller man about 5'3 with brown curly hair and brown eyes, he seems about 24, and wearing nurse attire. "It's really nice to meet you sir, thank you for defending us from the Gritt brothers." He sticks out his hand. "Yea sure, um who are they?" We shake hands, head still pounding. "Of course you don't know who, you just climbed the wall, I am so sorry that is the first experience you have with us, I am Dr. Charles, you can call me Charles if you'd like, what's your name?" He says with glee. "Thank you for treating me Dr. Charles, my names Rye, how long was i out?" I ask. "About twelve hours but our head of security would like to speak to you, probably about how you fought and if that was enough to pay off what you owe." That's a lot of words I think to myself. "OK then." I stand up and start wobbling a little, Charles catches me. "Easy there Rye you have a concussion so you might wanna rest a little bit longer." I stand up straight and catch my breathe. "I'll be fine, where's my stuff?" He points to the front of the bed. "Kept it safe for ya, and if you think your good to go, go through those doors, take a right, until you see a set of stairs, go up and first door on the left will be her office." He says this as he puts my pack on the bed. "Thank you Doc, I owe you a drink." He laughs. "Please, alcohol is difficult to make around here, to even get it is like a month's pay around here."
I open up my pack, and grab one of the alcohol jar. "Well here, consider my debt paid for treating me then." I hand him the jar, he seems shocked to even see it, he starts to smile and laugh. "This is the best day ever then, thank you Rye, If you'd like to, swing by and I will pour you a drink sometime." He goes to a locker at the other end of the room, takes a key out of his pocket, unlocks the locker and sets the jar in it, he turns to me once more after locking it. "Now, off you go, Clarissa can't wait to talk to you." I put my bag on and start walking to the door, I push the door open and stumble into the hallway, and to the left I see benches and a string of makeshift lights down the center of the hallway with a few people resting on them, i look to my right and I see a long hallway with more lights.

Doc said to go right so I go right, I start walking through the hallway. This isn't a hospital? I think when I look at the decor, hardwood floor, seems like the carpet was torn up, and the walls have the same wallpaper, this is a hotel that was turned into a makeshift medical station. I pass by two doors and get to a door with a stair icon on it, I open the door, and as I do a woman does the same from the other side. I stand there dumbfounded for a moment of her beauty and because of my concussion. "Well are you going to move anytime soon." Says the woman with a grin. Beautiful messmerizing brown eyes that feel inviting, slightly curly flowing brunette hair, a small cut on her cheek, a red shirt with leather braces on her arms, a leather strap in front of her going from left shoulder to right hip, probably holding her weapon, a ripped pair of jeans and boots, brown hair, about 5'6. "Yea, just I need to go meet....the defence person." I say still stunned. "The defence person?" She chuckles. "I think you mean Clarissa, she's up there right now." She says with a slight smirk. "Thank you." I slip pass her and start to go up the stairs. "Aren't you gonna ask for my name at least?" She say with a sturn look and her hands on her hips now. "Uh...yeah, what's your name?" What the hell am I doing talking to a girl like her?! "I'm Alena." We sit there for a few seconds. "And what is your name?" She says smiling now. "Oh... I'm Rye, im...new here." I say to her. "Okay, you're head must have been hit hard, get up there and see Clarissa." She turns and walks away, I start making my way up the stairs.

Wow she was stunning, that was like the first time my heart I don't know raced? Skipped a beat? how did she know my head got hurt? I get to the top of the stairs and open the door, I think I want to see her again. Let's go meet Clarissa now tho, she might need my help, and then maybe she can help me find my family.