FicWad

Written by me, italics by my sister Jennifer.

When Aeon got to her seat, she felt better, as if the ordeal had never happened. She settled into her seat and looked out the window, careful to avoid the quizzical stares of the men surrounding her. She noticed the landscape slowing down. The loudspeaker crackled on quietly.

"Hello, passengers," The small voice of the conductor barely rose above the muted din of the other riders. "We're making an unexpected stop to refuel. The train depot has a restaurant inside which you can all be comfortable and cozy. Everyone must leave the train, and it might be an hour wait." Aeon had to struggle to hear what he said, and only heard part of what he said next. "Belongings...train..." The sound cut off.

"What was that about belongings," Mikey wondered aloud. "Do we take them or leave them?"

"I'm not sure," answered Ray. "I'll find someone and ask." He rose and disappeared down the aisle. As he left, other passengers started getting up and putting together their things, so
Aeon did the same. Ray came back and addressed the band.

"We can either leave our stuff or take it. He suggests the big luggage be left and the small stuff taken with us, even though no one's gonna be on the train. He also told me the train depot's restaurant is really good. There's an arcade and even a souvenir shop."

"Awesome," said Frank. "I love seeing knick knacks from places I've never heard of." He laughed.

"Let's go," Gerard interjected, perhaps impatient. "Just stop already," He addressed the train, which had slowed to a snail's pace. Finally it pulled to a halt. Gerard sighed in relief. Aeon noticed he was on edge.

As the five of them stepped off the train, Aeon felt herself abruptly pulled to the left. Gerard had her by the arm.

"What happened back there?" He inquired.

"Nothing, what are you talking about," she answered innocently.

"You looked like you were having a panic attack. You were freaking out, and what was that box might I add?"

"It..." Aeon trailed off when she saw his suspicious face. "I'll tell you later. I promise. But right now we gotta catch up with the guys."

"Fine. But I'm holding you to it," Gerard assured her. He stood still for a moment, the un-trusting look remaining on his face. Then he smiled and held his hand out to her. "Come on."

As Gerard and Aeon walked towards the others, Aeon felt something hit her in the neck. She looked down, stunned. It was a clod of dirt. Aeon looked up and saw Frank averting his eyes, whistling. He had a sneaky grin on his face. Suddenly, he threw a hidden clod at Gerard. Gerard narrowed his eyes.

"That's it! You're dead," Gerard yelled lightheartedly. He picked up a small stone and threw it at Frank. It missed Frank and hit Mikey in the leg.

"OW!" He yelled, angry. After a second, he shook his head and picked up a stick. Aeon rolled her eyes, also grinning. She locked eyes with Ray and jerked her head to the left, indicating that she'd be wandering off by herself. He nodded. Aeon walked away from the yelling and laughing. She walked until she found a collection of large boulders. She climbed onto the flattest one and pulled a small notebook out of her pocket. She took the pen out of the spiral and started writing. Aeon found writing to be a therapeutic cure for stressful events. The entire train ride had taken its toll on her.

After what felt like an hour of intense writing, Aeon looked up. She thought she had seen a shadow. It must be one of the men, she thought to herself. She looked back down and kept writing. As soon as her pen started moving, another shadow crossed her path. She ignored it. She assumed it was Frank pulling a prank on her. The shadow stopped moving, but Aeon stopped writing anyway. She could feel someone staring at her. She looked up and was surprised. She was so startled that she gasped and fell backwards off the rock. As she lay on the ground, holding her arm in pain, something blocked the sun. Aeon squinted up at the small face and wondered who it was.

"Come on, let me help you up. I'm sorry I scared you," said the little creature. Aeon sat up and looked around. She saw her guest was a little girl with wild hair and dark tanned skin. The child held her hand out to Aeon, a worried look on her face. Aeon took her dirty hand and stood up, dusting her clothes off.

"Who are you," The little girl inquired.

"I could ask you the same thing. Why are you wandering the desert alone," answered Aeon.

"It's a long story."

"I've got time."

"I-" The child was cut off by a voice in the distance.

"Aeon, where are you?" It was Ray.

"I'm over here, Ray!" Aeon called over her shoulder, still looking at the girl. Ray came over, kicking up sand as he came. He wiped the sweat off his face and glanced at the girl.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Amara. What are your names?" They told her their names and shook hands with her.

"Okay, well it was nice to meet you. Aeon, we gotta go. The train is gonna leave soon.

"WAIT!" Amara shouted loudly, startling the other two. "Please, take me with you."
Aeon and Ray shared confused looks. Amara shuffled her feet sheepishly. "Please," she asked again.

"We would have to ask the others. Come with us," Ray said slowly and carefully. The three of them walked in the other direction and soon came upon the other men. They were sitting in a circle a few feet away from the entryway of the train depot.
Hearing footsteps, the men looked up. All three of them were shoveling food into their mouths, and as Frank raised his head, a piece of cheese fell from his full mouth. He paid no mind to the food he was eating as he said loudly,

"Who's that?" Due to his full-mouthed state, the question came out, "Oo dat?" Amara giggled. Mikey slapped Frank on the back, making him choke.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, it's rude to the ladies," he scolded Frank. "I'm with Frank, though. Who's that?"

"Her na-" Aeon started

"My name's Amara," the small girl interjected. The men nodded.

"But what are you doing here," Gerard asked, confused and concerned."Why are you wandering around the desert? What are you, eight?"

"I'm ten, for your information," the child informed him indignantly, standing tall.

"Oh," he was humbled. "Sorry about that."

"I'm here because..." she stopped. "I can't say."

"You're gonna have to tell us something, kiddo. We need to know," reasoned Gerard.

"All right, I'll tell you. But only if you promise I can come with you."

"Wha?" Frank looked up again, mouth once again filled with sandwich. "Come wiv us?"

"Yeah, man. She wants to tag along on the train," Ray stepped forward. "If you're mouth weren't so full and your head so empty, I'd have been able to tell you." Frank stuck his food-laden tongue at Ray, who turned his head in amused disgust.

"Yeah, kiddo. We'll take you if you tell us what's up," Gerard assured her.

"Unless you've killed someone," added Mikey. The other men looked at him. He chuckled and said,

"I'm kidding. I AM kidding, right, Amara?"

"Yes. I'd never kill someone," she answered solemnly.

"So. Talk," asserted Mikey. Amara, Aeon, and Ray sat down next to Frank, Gerard, and Mikey.

Amara crossed her legs, sighed, and started talking.

"Well, as you know, my name is Amara. It means strong-willed, and unyeilding.

"It also means grace," Gerard added, looking lost in his thoughts. He almost seemed as if he weren't paying attention. Amara stared at him and finally continued speaking.

"Yes. It also means grace. My mother gave me that name. It's all I know of her. She's dead." As she said this, Frank's eyes widened, and his sandwich was gulped down. He barely noticed the fact that he was choking again, and this time it was Ray who slapped him on the back.

"I've lived all my life in a little town a few miles from here, with people that were acquaintances of hers. Jamie and Matt went to school with my mother, and even though they didn't know her too well, they took me in. She had no one else to turn to. Jamie loves me as her own, and even though she doesn't know much about my mother, she always tells me whatever she can. My mother was some sort of experimental test subject for some company. She decided she didn't want to work with them anymore, and left. The man in charge tracked her down and murdered her. She had already given birth to me, and asked Matt if I could stay with them until she could find a safe place to hide. He agreed, but never saw her again. A while later, they heard of her death." Amara became silent, and looked at the ground. A single tear rolled down her face.

Everyone else were too stunned to move. Gerard sat there with a look of pure shock on his face. His face still absent, he started counting on his fingers. He counted to ten. As he was muttering to himself, Frank got up and held his hand out to Amara. She took his hand, and he lifted her to a standing position. He looked at her, and without a word, hugged her tightly. They stood there for a moment, and when he let her go, he smiled and wiped the tear from her cheek. Mikey got up as well and hugged her. One by one, Amara received hugs from everyone. Gerard was the only one who didn't hug her. He remained on the ground, looking as if he'd either been hit by a bus, or lost his mind. Maybe both, Aeon thought to herself.

A loud whistle cut through the silence, announcing the train's intent on reloading. Amara jumped violently. Poor child, thought Aeon. She's easily startled. When he heard the train, Gerard immediately snapped out of his trance.

"Dude! Come on, we can't miss this train," he yelled at his band mates. He began shoving things back into his pack.

"Gee. Did you hear what Amara said?" Ray inquired. Gerard stopped and looked at him.

"Yes," he said simply, and continued to frantically pack. The other men followed suit. Aeon, who already had all her stuff, stood there awkwardly with Amara. The two girls watched the men in their attempts to hurry. When they all had their stuff, Gerard started running. He didn't look back, or say a word. He just ran.

Mikey shrugged at Aeon, and ran after Gerard. Aeon looked at Amara, who started running after the brothers. Amara passed them quickly. Mikey was so surprised that he stopped. Gerard slowed, but kept running. Aeon, Frank and Ray jogged towards the train, understanding they didn't have to run at breakneck speed to catch a train that was only fifty feet away.

They all approached the line of passengers that were boarding the train. Amara disappeared into the throng of people, and the men lined up as if nothing had happened. Aeon craned her neck, looking for Amara. As they entered the doors, Aeon saw Amara sitting in a nearby seat, looking as if she'd been there the whole time. She silently got up, and followed them to where they had been sitting. Aeon was impressed by how efficiently the child had sneaked onto the train.
The band threw their stuff down on the tables and empty seats and plopped down. All of them were still subdued, and Gerard stared out the window, ignoring all of them. He looked depressed, or angry. Amara looked up at Aeon.

"Hey, thanks for letting me come with you. You don't know what it means to me."

"Of course, sweetie. But it was really these guys," Aeon answered. Mikey tipped his head as if to say you're welcome. Frank looked at Gerard, and then down at Gerard's bag. He slowly un-zipped it and reached inside it. Gerard didn't move, and Frank pulled out the checkers board. He put it on the table and said, a little too loudly, "Who wants to play?"

Amara moved closer and smiled. She grabbed a few pieces and started setting them up. Frank grinned evilly at her and set his up as well. Aeon looked out the window, and saw that the sun was setting. It filled the landscape with a subtle red tint. She was drawn to the beauty of it, and the chatter became background noise. Amara's voice pulled her out of her thoughts, and she turned to listen.

"What's with the instruments?"

"We're a band. Me, Gee, Mikey, and Ray," Frank answered, focusing on the checkers board.

"Really? That's awesome. What are you guys called?" Amara's eyes widened in wonder.

"Mad Gear, sometimes known as the Fabulous Killjoys." Frank grinned widely.
The train started as he replied. It rolled down the track towards its destination, leaving the sun behind.

*

"Coming out of this place in a bullet's embrace."

I don't remember anything. I don't remember what they did to me at that place, I don't remember how I escaped, and I don't even remember anything from before. All I have is an image. An image that I'd think of everyday to give me hope. A face. And a name.

Gerard.

I remember sirens, and running barefoot down cold, gray, long hallways. I see him, my tormentor. Korse. He stands there, coldly glaring, and I'm scared. So I ran away. Then, I wake up in the desert. I'm wearing a dress, instead of the hospital gown I had on. And i'm wearing shoes. But I don't know where they came from. I'm all alone.

I wandered the desert, delirious, confused, and lost. I was desperately trying to remember something, anything. But my mind was blank. All I had was those faces. The one I loved and the one I feared.

It must have been days. I was dehydrated, and felt close to dying. Suddenly I saw a car tearing through the desert. Was it rescue? Or was it my captors come to find me and take me back. I looked for a place to hide, but in the desert there is nothing but shadows. So, terrified, I stood frozen as the driver of the car saw me and turned my way. It stopped in front me, and I held my breath as the passenger door opened, and a figure stepped out. All I saw was the face.

It started coming back

"I got a bulletproof heart. You got a hollowpoint smile."

We were kids, living in small town U.S.A. and BLI was nothing but a blip on our radar. Back when guns used bullets, privacy was a right, and liberty still rang true, we ran around town, the rebellious punks we were. There was nothing we couldn't do together, and the future was ours. But things went south real fast. BLI was taking over. People started disappearing, privacy laws were done away with, individualism was discouraged, and the draft was reinstated, only the armies were all working for BLI now.

"We had our runaway scarves, got a photograph dream on a getaway mile. Let's blow a hole in this town."

He got his letter first. But he wasn't going to go. He told me of an underground group that was growing. They were starting a rebellion, he said. And he was gonna join them. It was better than joining BLI. He begged me to go. But I had to stay. My parents needed me, and I couldn't just leave my home. So he left, and I stayed, regreting the decision. Soon after, his parents disappeared. I wanted to believe that they hade gone underground too, but everyone knew the penalty for draft dodging. Not the BLI needed an excuse. This became clear when my parents disappeared. I didn't wait for my letter. I took a few choice possessions, and hit the road, looking for him.

"Gravity don't mean too much to me, is this our destiny?"

"Jenny?"

Gerard.

"Jenny, what are doing out here?" He came towards me and pulled me into an embrace, and all i could do was stare. "Are you okay? How long have you been out here?"

"Is it really you?"

"Of course it's me. Who else would it be?"

"I suppose you could be a mirage, or a hallucination. Or you could be him."

"Who?" Gerard looked concerned, even scared.

"You could be him, trying to trick me. You could be here to take me back."

"Oh, Jenny. What happened to you?"