•sequel to glitched•
Two years after the destruction of the Machine (and in turn, the destruction of the world as we know it) humankind has adapted to survive- forming large gangs that were constantly at war with one another in the fight for food a...
Boom... I'm updating! Haha I feel so proud of myself. Maybe that month long break was what I needed.
Also I'm kinda going a little bit crazy. I need human interaction, people! Maybe I'm not a extrovert, but as an ambivert I still needs peoplessss!
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Ehehehehe
••• District_45 year 02 post great shock •••
Chelsie POV
I glanced up momentarily from where I was patching everyone's blankets and pretending to be minding my own business and totally not eavesdropping on Vince and Tasha, who were talking in hushed tones a few feet away.
"...another one gone...." "....something's up...." "....rival gang....something else..."
Man, this was getting frustrating. From what I could piece together a few more of us Rattlers had gone missing while out gathering food. Vanished. No bodies found, no taunts from other gangs, just gone.
I hugged sleeping Finn closer to my chest. Whoever was doing this wouldn't get him. I would die before I let them take him.
"Chelsie?"
I was pulled from my thoughts by Vince's nearby voice. He was standing in front of me, muscular arms crossed over his chest. "Oh. Um, yes?"
"Nobody is going to take you, or Finn."
"What?"
"I said, nobody is going to take Finn. Or you, for that matter."
Had I said something out loud...?
"You looked worried, and from how you were not-so-subtlety listening in on Tasha and I's conversation I figured you would already be stressing out about your son's safety."
Wow. He actually knew me pretty well.
I put the blanket I was fixing down and looked up at Vince, trying not to feel intimidated. I hated people looming over me. It was terrifying. I could never place why... it just was.
And once again, as if reading my mind, he sat next in front of me me on a rock. What if he actually could read minds? What if it was like in all those sci-fi novels Amara used to tell me about, the ones where people would gain powers from the radioactivity once the world went askew.
"Hello? Chelsie?" I blinked, realizing I had zoned off. Vince was looking at me, confusion on his face. Okay so maybe he couldn't read minds. That's a relief.
"Do you have any leads on the disappearances?" I ask, cutting straight to the chase.
"None at the moment. I had suspected it was a competing gang, but usually when you are trying to eliminate another group you threaten them, not just randomly snatch their members and stay silent about it."
"Seems like a pretty good strategy to me. They can quietly get rid of you and you'd never suspect a thing."
"True, but there have been rumors among the other gangs that people are disappearing too. I don't think this is just happening to the Rattlers."
I shrug. "Maybe everyone is leaving. Maybe they found a better place to go, with more shelter and food." I knew I was being overly optimistic. The truth was I was just so tired of everything, all this chaos. I just wanted it all to be quiet.
Vince has begun to fiddle with the corner of a blanket. "Chelsie. I will do everything I can to protect you and your child from all of this, but I think maybe it's time we accept that there is something sinister going on."
I look away. "You don't have to protect Finn and I, you know."
"What?"
"It's not like we are giving you anything. Hell, I don't even go out to collect food. I just sit here, sewing blankets, and taking up resources. I wouldn't blame you if you threw both me and my baby onto the street."
"I would never do that. What makes you think it would be acceptable for me to throw you onto the street?"
I wrinkle my brows. "Why wouldn't it be? I'm just a burden. I'm not giving you favors, not paying you, there's no reason for you to want me around."
"Who taught you that you had to do something for someone to want you around? Just because the world is crumbled doesn't mean that I'm going to let the sheer layers of humanity in me crumble as well. It only makes sense to take you in and care for you, because clearly nobody else was going to do it."
"But don't you ever... want something in return?" I didn't know what I was doing, I truly didn't. For once a guy wasn't after me for my body, so why was I suggesting it? Was it because I had come to think of that as the only alternative. Had I lost all my self respect where I would just throw myself away for my son? Actually... yes. I would throw myself away for my son. It's not like I had anything to value in myself anyway. I had already been violated, used, and manipulated.
Truthfully, it had gotten hard to believe that not everybody wanted to keep me prisoner, either physically or emotionally.
"What do you mean, something in return? You don't...oh." I can see realization dawn on his face.
Here it comes, the sheepish 'well there is one thing', I brace myself, ready to agree. Ready to protect Finn.
"Why in hell would you think I wanted that from you, Chelsie? What has this world done to make you believe you have to...." he was talking softly, gently, but the words made me flinch.
"The world hasn't done anything. It was my fault. I was gullible and I know better now. I'm sorry if I've offended you," I say quietly.
"Offended me? God, Chels, you are too good for this world. Nobody here is going to take advantage of you, and if they try I will have them gone faster than you can say 'The Shock'. You hear me?"
I nod numbly. Great. Now I just embarrassed myself. Now he probably knew what a disgusting, weak, horrible girl I was. I bite my quivering lip, trying to hold everything in.
"Wait- did I say something wrong? Why are you crying? Please don't cry...." Vince sits there, eyes wide, obviously flustered.
"No. No you're okay. It's me. I'm a mess." I mumble, aggressively wiping at my tears and taking a few deep breaths.
I could tell Vince wanted to hug me, but wasn't sure whether or not to. If this had been a week ago, a day ago, God, even a few minutes ago I wouldn't have wanted him to even touch me. But right now I just really, really wanted to feel his arms around me, shielding me from everything.
I gently set Finn down, got up, sat myself by Vince, and wrapped my arms around him tightly.
At first he was still, completely so. Than his arms tentatively moved around me, like I was some kind of fragile china glass figure.
