Derek heaves a sigh of relief and accepts the man's hand. He's so grateful that he was able to put his point across with so few words. That could have ended badly.
Even with the man's help, Derek still has a hard time standing. His legs are starting to get used to his weight again, but not enough for him to stand on his own. The man weaves his arm around Derek's waist for extra support and helps Derek into a nearby office chair. The material is so soft that Derek feels almost like he's sitting on a throne. This is so drastically different than felled trees or garbage cans. Do these people even realize the luxuries they have?
The high heels approach again, this time bringing the source of light with her. In her hand, she holds a small lamp designed for camping. It has a little solar panel at the top and a little crank wheel at the bottom for manually charging. What a smart thing to have when the electricity has all been wiped out.
The woman places the lamp on the desk to give illumination to Derek as well as the other three people present. The man in the middle that helped Derek into the chair looks to be about six and a half feet tall with broad shoulders, dark skin, and black hair. The other man has a middle-aged face with a balding head, but he has the build of an athlete. The woman has cropped hair that, despite the living conditions, still looks very feminine and stylish which matches her pencil skirt and button-up top.
What an odd bunch. These are three different people that Derek isn't sure he would have put together, but when your life changes, your opinions change as well. We can't be so picky anymore, Derek thinks to himself. Anyone will do when most everyone is dead.
One thing that does match between the three, however, is that they don't show any signs of hardship. Their clothing has no tears, their eyes have no dark bags, their cheeks bones aren't protruding, and they're still trusting enough to accept a complete stranger into their safe haven.
Derek can only imagine what he must look like to them. They look to live the perfect life while he was struggling with death just...wait, how long has it been? Was it just hours ago that he was traversing the desert? Or has it been days?
The older man clears his throat, bringing Derek's attention. "What is your name, boy?"
Derek clears his throat as well, though more in hopes to speak more clearly this time. "Derek," he answers. "Thank you for saving my life."
"Our pleasure," the large man answers with his deep voice. His cheeks perk in a large smile. "We've all got to stick together."
"Don't be so quick, Taye." The older man narrows his eyes at Derek. "We still don't know anything about him. He could be infected or he could be trying to infiltrate us." He crosses his arms across his chest. "What are you willing to do to show your loyalty?"
Derek looks between the three people. Even in this short time to interact with them, he's already starting to see their personalities. The large man, Taye, seems to the most pleasant and warm of the three. The older man seems to be hard and to the point. The woman is harder to read, but based on her dress, she expects organization and perfection. Derek is sure he could offer to do something that would please at least one of them.
What will Derek offer?
1 - Take up arms and offer defensive support
2 - Take up tools and offer maintenance support
3 - Take up the mop and offer janitorial support
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The Path Before Me (A Crowd-Pleaser)
عشوائيMost (if not all) of us know about Choose Your Own Story novels. Well that's what this is, in a way....read the introduction for more information! :D
