Futuristic No Church in the Wilds

[little-alien]

The thought of imaging her lose the rest of the torn shirt only made his smirk grow bigger, letting out a light chuckled as he turned his back to her. He may have been a guy, a stupid stupid guy, but he had more respect than that. The pond wasn't deep at all, only about three feet, but it was enough to help his muscles relax and feel cleaner than he had since today.

"I'll keep my back turned, I promise. It will help and I don't think we can escape with blood splattered across you like that," He mentioned honestly before ducking his head under. Whether or not Arabella got in, he was going to clean himself up from before. The cool water soothed his aches and burns, the makeshift bandage getting soaked in the process. He knew there was actual medical wrap in his bag and disinfected so it didn't really matter. At that moment, Norman felt peace for the first time in a long time. He let his mind go blank, washing out everything that had happened to him as he focused on the cool water splashing against his swollen skin. His rough hands relaxing, his tensed back relaxing, his sore legs relaxing, every inch of his body was set free; as was his mind.

He still had his long black pants on, sticking to him as he was squatting in the water, but he didn't want to exactly strip in front of a stranger either. They would dry by the morning, knowing the sun would be burning down within seven to eight hours. He splashed the water against his face, feeling the droplets hang onto his sharp-jawline before plopping into the water below. The water ran red with blood, brown with mud, taking away everything that he had done before. Washing away the murder on his hands, but it couldn't wash it out of his mind.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Arabella didn't like the idea. Regardless, she stepped into the cool water, fully clothed. It was heavenly as it rippled around her. She took a deep breath before she ducked under the water, starting to wash the dirt from her hair. The mud and ground washed into the water, leaving her red hair free of dirt. As she resurfaced her hair hung in long, wet, curls that framed her face. Her face continued to blush as she found herself relaxing as the tension seemed to leave her muscles as she began to just float in the water. She lifted her feet from the bottom of the pool and just relaxed there, her head barely above the water. "You were right Norman. This feels amazing," she admitted.

She put her feet back down and resumed to wash the blood and dirt from her skin. The blood soaked into her clothes faded, but not completely. She didn't worry about it, however. Instead, once she felt clean, not daring to linger in the water with him so close, she stepped out of the pool and began to wring her clothes out. The thin fabric of her top revealed the outline of the bra she wore and she quickly moved to sit in the shadows were it wouldn't be noticeable. As if on cue, her stomach growled loudly. She hadn't thought about food all day. When was the last time she ate? She tried to think. They hadn't fed her breakfast or dinner the night before, so it had to be yesterday morning, if not dinner the night before last. She swore under her breath, trying to tell her stomach to shut up.

The young woman sighed, closing her eyes and leaning back against the stone wall. Despite her psuedo-nap earlier, which was more cause she passed out from pain, the girl was exhausted. Sleep was weighing heavily on her eyelids despite her hunger. "So sleepy," she muttered to herself, trying to remain conscious. "Need.... to rest...." Her words were becoming unintelligible mumbles. In an effort to remain away, she slapped herself a few times in the face, blinking her eyes wide open.

 

[little-alien]

Once he felt clean enough, still having his back to her sitting in the corner, he hopped out on the other side of the pond. There was a faint trail of the new blood dripping from his arm, but it didn't hurt nearly as bad as it did an hour ago. Norman shook his hair a little bit, slicking it back before he finally turned around and heading for the bag. They couldn't sleep here, and he knew that. Thinking he may have made things a little awkward, he still didn't make eye contact with her as he dug in the bag. He pulled out the med-kit and two power bars, tosing one over to Arabelle before attending to his arm.

He gently untied the dirty t-shirt, feeling the dried blood pulling at his wound. The more he looked at it the sicker he felt to his stomach, a deep open wound that a knife had dug into was not a pretty sight. With his dry t-shirt firmly in his mouth, the disinfect in the other, he poured the liquid over the swollen area with a scream. The shirt silenced anything he said, his shaking arm now looking for the bandages. Norman spat the shirt out onto the ground, steadying his hand as much as he could while he wrapped the white cloth around his arm multiple times. It was tight and very uncomfortable, but at least he knew it was cleaned now.

After he settled for a moment, putting everything back and shoving it in the bag, he tore into the power bar. The sweet, slightly hard bar explode his tastebuds, not realizing how hungry he was until his mouth was watering.

"I'm sorry to say but we can't sleep here. Unforantually, we gotta climb back up there and farther into the cave before we can rest. Here, it's just way too open. One guard already found you," He spoke with concern, noticing she was mumbling to herself as sleep tugged at her. He grabbed the white, but dirty-brown now, t-shirt and threw it over his body, securing the bag on his back after. He had thrown the pistol on the ground further in the front of the cave, but Norman honestly didn't want it. The thought of it made him sick.

"Catch me if I fall, yeah?" He spoke lightheartedly, using jokes to escape any emotion at all as he walked over to the smaller cliff ahead. Trying his best to use his stronger arm, he began to climb up the damp rocks. Slowly, but steady, Norman was scaling up it. There were only a few times he almost lost his grip due to his arm, letting out a frustrated grunt before steadying his grip again. In what felt like ages to him, he finally pulled himself up on the top, catching his breath before looking down. Norman waited for Arabella to follow behind him.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Arabella was fighting a losing battle against sleep when the power bar landed in her lap. She jolted upright, the landing a shock all together. She blinked sleepily, looked down at the power bar, then back up to see Normal tearing into his. She carefully pulled open the wrapper. Arabella had just taken a bite from her bar when his words graced her ears. They had to climb back up the wall? They couldn't even take a small nap? She knew he was right, of course, but it still didn't make her happy. Instead she ate her power bar with frumpled look on her otherwise lovely face. "Fine. I'll be up there after you, just.... Give me a sec."

Her fingers ran through her wet curls and she slowly stood to her feet. Her sprained ankle was in a lot of pain but at least her foot had stopped bleeding. After wiping dirt and debris from her clothes, not that it mattered since they were tattered and torn, she made her way over to the wall and began to scale it once more. One foot then other. It was a rough climb, rougher than before. Still, she pushed through the pain and exhaustion and collapsed at the top, breathing heavily. Her chest rose and fell dramatically as each breath was a wheeze and the pain in her ankle was blinding. At this rate a sprained ankle was going to become a broken ankle. Still, she didn't have time to worry about that.

 

[little-alien]

"We can nap up here, it's not far I promise," He spoke with a smile, noticing how bad her ankle was starting to look. Thankful that the spot wasn't too much further ahead, Normal still knew she couldn't go much longer on that foot. If she did, it was gonna cause more of a problem in the future. He felt bad for her, remembering everything that she had told them. The thought of someone taking his home away from him, his family away from him, disturbed him to his core. How could someone do that to her? The Council. That was who.

There was a small opening in the back of the wall, no bigger than the size of a small sinkhole, and he made his way over to it. The hole was not fun going into, dirt and rock rubbed against his skin as wriggled through it. However, once you squeezed through it, there was a beautiful opening inside. It was a smaller cave with a few holes through the top that let in the moonlight. It was enough light to see around him, but not too much to blind him. There were a few crystals in the sides of the cave, twinkling when the light hit them right. Norman hollered at Arabella to follow him.

"It's safe here, I promise! We can rest in here for the night before we move again. I can check out that foot of yours too."

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Arabella was still lying on her back, breathing heavily. She didn't want to move. Her bound found like a million tons of bricks. Still, she was a fighter. Slowly she stood to her feet and made her way to crevice Norman had disappeared through. With a wiggle, she managed to get through, the extra flesh in her chest area making things a bit difficult. Still, with just a minor tear to her already torn clothes, she emerged into the cave clearing. It was a truly beautiful sight. She looked up to see the moonlight filtering in, following the beams of light as they flashed against some of the crystals. "This would be a romantic sight in a different circumstance," she muttered to herself. A small, wishful smile graced her lips. She'd never had time for romance growing up and she never found love as a rebel. Romance was just a theme is storybooks....

Bringing herself back to reality, she looked over at Norman. "My foot...." She was mildly confused before she realized he meant her sprained ankle the cut she had received earlier. "Uhm, alright." Arabella took a seat in the middle of the cave where she could look up at the night sky. She hadn't seen the moon or stars in a long time. Not having any shoes, it was a simple matter to just put her feet out. The cut was on her left foot, while her sprained ankle was on the right. She closed her eyes and waited.

 

[little-alien]

Norman turned to face her as she slid through the entrance, noticing the small tear closer to her cleavage. He couldn't but help see how beautiful she actually was, the lighting illuminating her. Her damp red hair clung to her figure, adding texture to her body as she moved. Her curvy figure was squeezed slightly in her clothes, not hiding any part of her figure. Each step she made, her hips followed in a perfect pattern. Her long locks dancing with each step, kissing the tips of her arms as it swayed behind her. Her gentle face, worn and exhausted, was so pleasing to look at, holding mysterious he wanted to explore. The way her smile grew, a faint glow of wonder on her face, Norman couldn't pull away. He wanted to know more about this mystery, dive straight into the trance she was causing him. It wasn't until a few moments later he realized she was talking to him, walking over to him.

Norman coughed slightly embarrassed, feeling the heat rising up his face as he sat down on the cave floor. He moved the bag to in front of him retrieving the med-kit once again as he looked for supplies. He waited for her to sit down beside him, gently placing his huge hands on her shine. He first looked at the left foot, twisting it in a soft manner to examine the wound fully. It wasn't too deep, the swollen area covered lightly in dried blood as he ran his finger around it, tracing the lines in her foot.

"It's not that bad, just a minor cut," he spoke softly, almost in a shy tone as he unexpectedly poured the disinfect over it. He saw the irritated skin bubble under the liquid, feeling the stinging pain in his arm just from seeing it her wound. He continued to trace his finger lightly on her ankle, hoping to distract her from some of the pain.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Arabella was still sitting there with her eyes closed as Normal coughed. It sounded more like he was clearing his throat, not actually coughing. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment. Norman was closer than she expected and Arabella felt her face flush a bright red. "Oh.... Uh...." She bit down on her lower lip and looked away as Norman started to root around in the bag he grabbed earlier. As his hand rested on her shin, she hid her face behind her hair. As she held her long red curls in front of her face, she watched Norman inspecting her foot. She winced at first, his fingers tracing the sensitive cut on her feet. A yelp escaped her lips as the disinfectant ran along her cut, bubbling and pustulating.

"It hurts so bad," she said through tears, crying softly. As she nibbled her lower lip, trying to keep the pain in check, her attention turned to his fingers stroking her good ankle. Her eyes slowly moved to Norman. "I didn't expect you to have such a gentle touch," she admitted quietly. "Th-thank you. I appreciate your help.... Once we escape, I won't forget about you when I go take on the Council." Arabella looked off the side, tracing her fingers along the stone floor.

 

[little-alien]

He smiled gently, finishing wrapping up her foot before checking out the ankle on the other one. "I'm sorry," He offered weakly, knowing there was nothing he could do to help the burning but he still felt guilty for causing her pain. It's one of the reasons he touched her so gently, not wanting to cause any more pain than he had two, the other cause her skin was so soft and warm against his hand.

"When you got after the Council? You really think imma let you do that alone?" Norman asked honestly, keeping his eyes on Arabella's bruised ankle. He did the same small circles as he did on her foot, slowly moving her foot in a circle to find the most painful areas. He listened out for sounds of the pain, finding which side of her ankle hurt the most. He couldn't clean this as quickly as he could an open wound, knowing she would need to rest on it for a few days before it would heal fully. However, they didn't have that kind of time. Norman looked around in the med-kit, double-checking there wasn't anything for it in there.

"This is gonna have to do, for now, I'm sorry again," He spoke worriedly as he wrapped the bandage around her ankle very tightly, holding it in a straighter position. He knew it had to hurt like hell, sealing off the bandage with a tight tug. He pulled his hand away softly, feeling the warmth of her skin immediately leave his fingers as he brought them behind his head. He laid back, resting his now pounding head on his hands as he glanced into the dark sky. Sleep soon threatened to take over him, the extent of today's activities catching up with him.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Arabella didn't know what to say. She never expected that someone would be willing to go after the council with her. The blush on her face spread as she turned to look away from him, unable to meet his gaze. Suddenly her body tensed up as his hand moved to her other ankle. As he twirled it around, looking for the tender areas she but down on her lip, biting back tears of pain. Her hands balled into a fist and she let out a squeak of pain as he began to wrap the bandage tightly around her ankle. "Owwie. Ow, ow, ow." Her eyes followed Norman as he pulled his hand away, getting comfy as he laid back on the stone floor. "Thank you Norman," she said quietly, laying back on the ground as well.

She closed her eyes, and rolled onto her side, sliding her hands under her head like a pillow. Sleep weighed upon her body, washing over her quickly. Within a minute she was unconscious. The woman would normally toss and turn in her sleep, however, Arabella was exhausted from her day of running and pain wracked every fiber of her being. Sometime during the night, the young rebel rolled over in her sleep, curling up to Norman and getting comfortable. That is the way she stayed for the rest of the night.

 

[little-alien]

Norman
​

Norman went say your welcome, turning his eyes to Arabella slightly, but she was already fast asleep. He watched her chest rise and fall in a steady pattern, knowing she was at least at peace for now. With a content sigh, Norman closed his eyes and tried to let the night take him. His body ached from the top of his head, a throbbing forcing its way through, to the very soul of his feet, scrapes, and bruises forming from his barefoot journey. There were no painkillers in that med-kit, making him feel every annoying twist and turn on his arm, every throbbing wave of pain it sent through his body. At this point, no matter how exhausted Norman was, it felt like sleep was far away.

It was like an internal battle he was loosing, each time he closed his eyes he'd feel every ache in his body, sleep trying to pull him under but his restless mind wouldn't have it. After what felt like an hour for Norman, he opened his eyes in a defeated sigh. The moon was shining brightly through the cracks, illuminating the structure of the and crevasses of the cave. He stood up on his sore legs, feeling the bones crack with each movement as he slowly paced the cave. A lot of the area around him was dim, the only light was the fluorescent colors reflecting off the crystals around them, leaving the rest a dark mystery. He tried to stay focused on his surroundings, not wanting the images of past events to flood his mind.

(Where they entered the cave before climbing up)




(They slide through the hole on the left corner, deeper into the cave)
​

There were small droplets of water splashing around, dripping from the walls and the smaller holes in the top of the cave. He knew they couldn't be too far from the surface, seeing the sky through them. However, this cave had many different openings if you went farther into it. Norman had never gone past this point, though, never having enough time or reason to. His curious mind decided this may be the time to explore a little bit. They were still elevated on a cliff, not as big as the one they climbed up to get into this area, and he could easily jump down it. There were many tunnels and trails the cave broke off into, another small cliff to their right that looked like it led closer to the surface. Behind him, though, there was a never-ending rocky area that went on forever. He didn't know if some of them lead out, a dead-end, or just deeper into another cave.

Norman walked to the edge of the small cliff, jumping off it and landing in a quiet thud, a few splashes of water around his feet. Throughout everything they had gone through, this sight was still breathtaking. It was enough to just consume him fully and wash out any worry in his mind.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Arabella awoke to find herself alone. She shifted into a seated position slowly, blinking the heaviness of exhaustion from her eyes. The woman was still tired, but her current situation was more pressing. Slowly she let her eyes look left and then right, scanning the area. "N-Norman," she called, her voice cracking from her dry, sore throat. She cleared her throat, albeit painfully, to speak louder. "Norman," she called out again, slowly scrabbling to her feet, wondering where he could have gone. Panic set in and she began to wring her hands together, frightened.

 

[little-alien]

"N-Norman." Norman."

He was pulled away from his thoughts, turning his attention to the sound of his name. Norman hadn't gone very far into the cave, just a few steps away from where he was supposed to be resting

"Down here! Sorry," He shouted out, pausing to jog back slightly so he was in her view now, "I couldn't sleep and was just exploring a bit." Norman noticed how nervous she was, watching her fiddle her fingers together. He could tell she really did not like being alone, wondering what horrible thing she'd had to go through to get this way. How long was she in isolation? He asked himself, the thought upsetting him as he remembered what she had told him earlier. If she really was the rightful owner to this town, heir of the Thorn family, the could have kept her locked up for months or years. Hoping it wasn't too forward, he parted his lips to speak again.

"How long were you in isolation?" His question echoed against the walls around them, pulling his hand up to scratch at his scruffy beard. It was definitely getting longer since he had last trimmed it, wondering if he'd ever get his hands on a razor again.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Arabella sighed with relief as Norman came into view. His question floated about her head and she frowned. "One year, seven months, and 26 days," she responded. It wasn't like the woman had kept count or anything. She ran a hand through her now dry hair, moving to the edge where she looked down at him. It was a small drop, but her ankle wasn't going to let her land easily. Instead, she curled up and rolled off, curling into herself even more to minimize the possible pain from the fall. It was a decent strategy. She may have a bruise on her side from the fall, but it was better than possibly breaking her ankle. "Did you find anything interesting in the cave? Did that bag have any water in it," she asked in quick succession. She was close to dying of thirst at this point.

 

[little-alien]

“Damn. I couldn’t imagine being alone that long. I’m sorry, Arabella.” He spoke sincerely as he looked up to her as she rolled off the side of the cliff. He shook his head, ready to help her down but she had already rolled. He quickly made it to the edge, catching her as much as he could before she could hurt herself again. Norman could tell she was not the person to let others help her, no matter how hard he tried.

Awkwardly catching her, he caught his footing again before he could stand up straight. “I could of helped you, ya know?” He stated with a light smile, stepping back to give her some space. After, he reached for his bag and pulled out one of the waters in there, offering it to her. “There were only two water bottles there, so that’s all we have until we can find somewhere else,” he added, knowing he would love some water right now but honestly didn’t want to risk drinking it all. Arabella was obviously more important than him, in his mind, and he wanted to make sure she survived.

If he was being honest, he thought a lot about what the future would hold. Arabella had the power to change the world for them, if anyone could it would be her. He decided, determined, he would get her back home no matter the cost. Her life was too important and now he saw why the guards never killer her. She was important.

“So, after we get out this cave, so you have any plans to where we can go? Anywhere to hideout?” He asked, turning his attention back to the winding caves in front of him.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

"My grandfather and I lived with the regular civilians, hiding our true nature. I know the council will be watching my home, but after our escape if I get back to it, they won't risk an incident. I also have a few friends in the neighborhood who could hide if we need it, but I rather try my home first." She took the water bottle and downed it in one go, unable to resist. As she crushed the empty bottle in her fist, she looked about the cave complex. Arabella didn't know which way to go or where to start.

"Which way do you think we should go? I know nothing about caves...." She rubbed the back of her neck, still looking about nervously.

 

[little-alien]

Seeing her demolish the water, leaving them with only one left, he felt worry strike his heart. They only had one left now, Norman scratching at his beard again as he thought about what she said. It was nice that she had connections outside of here, Norman had nothing outside of this fence. His life and friends had been taken from him since the day he got here, never hearing anything from them for the two years he had been here.

“Hopefully those friends of yours will accept me too. After these caves, I don’t know or remember much about the outside world,” he stated as he glanced around the endless caves. To the left of him he could tell there was an exit; however, it didn’t look promising. It seemed too close to be good and they would end up back in the fenced in prison.

“I’ve onlybeen this far here, I haven’t adventured father. But I do think there is an exit somewhere. I heard water dripping from inside, deeper into these caves. There has to be an exit somewhere through there that won’t send us back those walls,” he commentedas he started to dive into the cave’s darkness.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

This was not reassuring to the young rebel. Wandering about in a cave took time. Time the people of the city couldn't afford. "Fine, let's get moving. We need to get out of here as quickly as we can. No time to lose." She pat Norman on the shoulder and started to wander in a random direction. He said he'd heard water, so that's what she was headed for. As she walked, she clasped her hands behind her back, fighting through the pain that still shot up from her ankle from time to time. Arabella couldn't afford to be in pain, she reminded herself, the pain she felt was incomparable to the pain the people suffered. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. It was a heavy burden for one so young. Arabella was only in her early twenty's after all. Twenty-one to be exact.

She let her mind wander, trying to ignore the pain. Girls her age usually had friends, love interests, they went to parties and hung out in bars.... All luxuries she couldn't afford. Arabella had a boyfriend once. In an effort to get to her, the council killed him. She couldn't allow that to happen to anyone else. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she unclasped her hands, letting her arms swing loosely at her sides.

 

[little-alien]

Norman let her explore randomly, she knew just much as he did with the cave at this point, him following slowly behind her. There were many small rocks and small puddles he had to climb over or jump over, knowing this wouldn't be easy on Arabella's foot. His body was aching himself, he couldn't imagine doing all of this on a sprained ankle. However, the water was getting louder and he could even feel a slight breeze against his sweaty skin. The surface had to be close by now.

Norman hadn't thought about how much he must smell at this point, the only bath he had in two days was the cave water and that didn't leave a good fragrance. And he still had the same clothes on that traped the smell in. It wasn't the worst of his problems right now, but he stayed aware of it. Norman liked to keep himself tidy and clean as much as he could, not liking the dirt that clung onto him since he started working at the prison. They never kept the place clean and cared twice as less about the people there, not offering any good hygiene products.

Out of the corner of his eye, Norman saw a small dirt path that ran upward to a tiny speckle of light; freedom. It was a very small path, knowing they would have to dig a little to get it out of it fully. "Hey, Arabella," he hollered up to her, pointing toward the dirt path to the left of him, "I think this may be promising, but it's going to be a tight fit. We have to dig a little." He stated as he stopped in his place, wiping the sweat from his forehead. It couldn't be that late in the day yet, Arabella had only slept for around three hours if that. So it couldn't be but five or six in the morning at the rate they were moving.

"How is your ankle doing?" He asked, turning his attention to her as she came into his view. He wanted to check up on her before they would have to make another climb, making sure her ankle could handle it. It wasn't as bad as the cliff they climbed up at the beginning, but the dirt was wet and it would be slick.

 

[ChristalynChaos]

Arabella stopped as she heard Normal call her name. She turned back to look at him, listening as he explained about the path he'd found and the potential it had to set them free. With a resolute nod, she walked back to where his was standing. "My ankle is.... Pain shoots up from it every five or six steps like clockwork," she admitted. "I am fighting through it, however." She walked past her, following the path he'd pointed out. On the way, she grabbed a rather large and sharpish rock. "This should help us dig through the dirt. I don't relish the idea of attempting it with our hands." A soft sigh escaped her lips. Despite having gotten some sleep, the woman was still exhausted. Her body was threatening to collapse, but the young woman knew she had to keep pressing forward. She had to keep going.

 

[little-alien]

Norman started to climb up the slightly steep mud hill, slipping and sliding a few times before he gained his balance. He thought they had to be next to some water with how wet everything was around them. With a sigh, he grabbed the heavy rock. He knew he’d probably get twice as disgusted digging through this, mud already splashed across his legs. Once he was sure he had his balance, he slammed the rock into the damp surface. It wasn’t too hard to dig with how sluggish the mud was, but his body was already aching. He’s arms were on fire by the time he started to make a bigger hole. There was light shining down through it and looked like it was only the crack of dawn.

His injured arm was throbbing with pain now, sitting the rock down so he could let it rest for a moment. “I think I’m almost done, just a little more and we should be able to slide through it” he responded, sweat dripping down the back of his neck. He was covered in mud now, the sticky substance covered his body. However, it felt somewhat relaxing on him. Like a cool mud bath.