Chronicles of the Fall- #1- Empty Night

Chapter 9: The Proverbial Jungle

The bus has been strangely quiet, as if everyone is scared to speak of the horrors they had witnessed. The second day of the apocalypse is coming to dark and rainy end. Towards the front of the bus, the mumbling of Faith's prayers can be heard.

She seems to always find something new to ask God for. For safety. For help. For food. For water. For protection. To remain true to herself. To remain true to Him. She even asks for forgiveness, if the time ever comes that she should be broken by this world.

    DJ drives in silence, constantly looking through her mirror at the rag-tag team of teenagers sitting behind her. There isn't much to look for on the road anyway. She catches Tripp's eye as her gaze roves the bus, and refuses to be the first to look away. They hold the look for about a minute; Tripp smirks, noticing DJ's stubbornness, and turns slowly and deliberately away to talk to Lucas.

She hears the whispers of Cora and Jackson. She tries not to let her curiosity get the better of her, but she can't help but wonder what they're talking about. She already knows that they don't trust her, what happens if they decide to act on it? She can't have a mutiny on her hands.

    Laken regards Faith out of the corner of her eye. Laken herself has always been a Christian, but she can't understand how Faith can be so dependent on her religion alone  at a time like this. She stares at the small Bible clutched between the redhead's fingers. God did bring Faith back to them. He has kept them safe thus far. Laken whispers a silent 'thank you' to God or Jesus or whoever is still up there and then stands.

She walks towards the back of the bus and plops down in the seat next to Lucas. DJ's eyebrow raises through the rear-view mirror but Laken ignores her. Lucas turns to her, looking slightly confused, but expectant nonetheless.

"Thank you for helping us get Faith back," she says, finally looking up into his eyes. She finds it almost difficult to remain eye contact with eyes as intense as his. He blinks, confused, and then huffs a laugh.

"She finally speaks," he says with a goofy grin.

Laken's smile falls, 'He's still happy? After what we just saw?'

"Just take the thank you, please," replies Laken, her eyes betraying how much she is confused by his upbeat attitude. "How can you remain so... So comical at a time like this? We just watched a man be torn apart by the monsters that inhabit this earth and you think it's joke time?"

Lucas's face darkens, his expression growing sombre. His thick, dark brows downturn, and for the first time, Laken sees him without a smile or a determined look on his face.

"We look out for each other, that what a group does. I'm happy she's safe," he says, his voice serious. Laken nods, touching him briefly on the shoulder as she stands to return to her spot...

Todd still has his new weapon, the hammer he had pilfered from an auto store, sitting in his lap, his long, thin hands wrapped around the handle of it. His right leg is rapidly bouncing up and down, causing his knee to knock against the empty seat in front of him. Todd is too nervous, too on edge. How can they know they're not all infected, and that they're going to turn into those things at a moment's notice.

Todd runs a shaky hand through his dark hair several times, as if it will shake the paranoia that is clinging to everything; their minds, their actions, even the air itself.

"How ya feelin', William? Jackson?" he asked, leaning over to boys who sat beside them. William's dark, dark eyes are still scanning over the textbook, and he doesn't respond. Jackson turns his head calmly to Todd.

"Given the circumstances, and the world coming to an end as we know it, fine," Jackson replies. Cora nods in agreement, tuning in on the conversation.