Daryn sat perched on the back of the truck, picking at a pile of rope. It needed to be organized, straightened out or something. Outside the cover over the bed of the truck, the sun was rising, casting brilliant orange and red lights across the makeshift village. No one was really up yet, except the few people who bustled around the vehicle. Daryn watched her father pace in the orange light, scratching the scruff on his chin. He was nervous, probably. She shook her head and stood, nearly hitting her head on the cover.
“Dad, stop pacing. You’re making me jittery,” she said, crossing her arms. The sun was warm out here, shining on her bare shoulders. Better than being under that cover.
“Sorry, Daryn. We’ve never done something like this before,” he said, stopping mid-step. As his foot met the ground again, he let out a big sigh. “The others should be arriving soon.”
Daryn gave him a nod, adjusting her belt. In that belt were her weapons of choice, a motley assortment of nunchucks, metal braces for her hands, metal stars and her father’s favorite pistol. “Well, they better hurry, if we want to get out before everyone in town wakes up.”
The words had barely left her mouth when a man walked up. He carried a brown and green backpack, looking like the desert itself. He was tall, much taller than Daryn, and his hair was black, matching his five o’clock shadow. His arms were covered in tattoos, colorful pictures of women and numbers and words.
**
Sean looked at the woman and man, wondering what relation they were to one another. He knew the Overseer, Darius Lyker, since this was one of the villages he travelled to during the year. He didn’t know the woman, but they shared the same nose, same brown eyes and cheekbones. Darius walked up to him, holding out his hand. They shook, meeting eyes if only for a second. Sean didn’t like eye contact.
“Darius Lyker,” the man said, not recognizing his own architect, “This is my daughter Daryn.” Now the connection made sense. The girl waved at him, going back to playing with her belt. He noticed the weapons one at a time, all hand operated. Sean wondered for a moment if he should have actually brought a weapon. He had a gun, of course, who didn’t. Surely his fists would suffice, or else he would rely on the others like this girl.
“Sean Johnson,” he said quietly, letting go of the man’s hand. “I’ll be inside waiting for departure.” He tugged at his backpack that was full off dried food and scribbles on paper.
**
Molly looked at the truck from a distance, braiding her hair over her shoulder. She glanced down at her shoes, at the now worn thin soles. New shoes would be in order. Good thing she always carried extras, at least one pair.
She pulled tight the jacket around her waist, jogging down the hill towards the two men shaking hands. Her backpack thumped against her back, falling limp when she stopped, sliding in to meet the man. He shot her a funny look, probably because she was covered in a thin layer of sand and dust. It made her skin look darker, although she was tan enough as it was. That’s what happened when you spent to much time out in the sun, running around.
“Darius,” the man said, his eyebrows turning in towards his nose.
“Molly Quinn,” she said, not surprised that he didn’t want to shake her hand.
**
Levi snuck up behind the eccentric redhead. His bag was heavy. One could see the lines in his shoulders where the bag drug him down. Under his t-shirt, his heart raced. He wanted his mother like a child, but he was an adult. He needed to be an adult. Sadly, he had done this to himself. Rethinking his decision was easy when he was suddenly scared.
The older man was shaking his head as the redhead ran off, rubbing his temple as Levi walked up to him. He looked down at the boy, surprised.
“Are you lost?” the older man asked. Levi chucked, despite the knot in his throat.
“I’m Levi Tate, your genius,” he joked, despite the fact he was tired of hearing that joke. The man laughed, patting the boy on the shoulder.
“Apologies. I forgot how young you were.” Levi just smiled. “Go join the others.”
The man moved out of the way, and Levi looked at the group of people. The redhead was sitting on the bed with her leg’s hanging off the edge, swinging them. The man was reading a book, catching Levi’s attention. He walked over, sitting next to the reading man. The man gave him a glance and then went back to reading. Levi sighed and pulled out his own book, a collection of wild plants. He glances at the girl with massive brown curls, turning a tiny blade in her hand, staring at the redhead.
“Dad, stop pacing. You’re making me jittery,” she said, crossing her arms. The sun was warm out here, shining on her bare shoulders. Better than being under that cover.
“Sorry, Daryn. We’ve never done something like this before,” he said, stopping mid-step. As his foot met the ground again, he let out a big sigh. “The others should be arriving soon.”
Daryn gave him a nod, adjusting her belt. In that belt were her weapons of choice, a motley assortment of nunchucks, metal braces for her hands, metal stars and her father’s favorite pistol. “Well, they better hurry, if we want to get out before everyone in town wakes up.”
The words had barely left her mouth when a man walked up. He carried a brown and green backpack, looking like the desert itself. He was tall, much taller than Daryn, and his hair was black, matching his five o’clock shadow. His arms were covered in tattoos, colorful pictures of women and numbers and words.
**
Sean looked at the woman and man, wondering what relation they were to one another. He knew the Overseer, Darius Lyker, since this was one of the villages he travelled to during the year. He didn’t know the woman, but they shared the same nose, same brown eyes and cheekbones. Darius walked up to him, holding out his hand. They shook, meeting eyes if only for a second. Sean didn’t like eye contact.
“Darius Lyker,” the man said, not recognizing his own architect, “This is my daughter Daryn.” Now the connection made sense. The girl waved at him, going back to playing with her belt. He noticed the weapons one at a time, all hand operated. Sean wondered for a moment if he should have actually brought a weapon. He had a gun, of course, who didn’t. Surely his fists would suffice, or else he would rely on the others like this girl.
“Sean Johnson,” he said quietly, letting go of the man’s hand. “I’ll be inside waiting for departure.” He tugged at his backpack that was full off dried food and scribbles on paper.
**
Molly looked at the truck from a distance, braiding her hair over her shoulder. She glanced down at her shoes, at the now worn thin soles. New shoes would be in order. Good thing she always carried extras, at least one pair.
She pulled tight the jacket around her waist, jogging down the hill towards the two men shaking hands. Her backpack thumped against her back, falling limp when she stopped, sliding in to meet the man. He shot her a funny look, probably because she was covered in a thin layer of sand and dust. It made her skin look darker, although she was tan enough as it was. That’s what happened when you spent to much time out in the sun, running around.
“Darius,” the man said, his eyebrows turning in towards his nose.
“Molly Quinn,” she said, not surprised that he didn’t want to shake her hand.
**
Levi snuck up behind the eccentric redhead. His bag was heavy. One could see the lines in his shoulders where the bag drug him down. Under his t-shirt, his heart raced. He wanted his mother like a child, but he was an adult. He needed to be an adult. Sadly, he had done this to himself. Rethinking his decision was easy when he was suddenly scared.
The older man was shaking his head as the redhead ran off, rubbing his temple as Levi walked up to him. He looked down at the boy, surprised.
“Are you lost?” the older man asked. Levi chucked, despite the knot in his throat.
“I’m Levi Tate, your genius,” he joked, despite the fact he was tired of hearing that joke. The man laughed, patting the boy on the shoulder.
“Apologies. I forgot how young you were.” Levi just smiled. “Go join the others.”
The man moved out of the way, and Levi looked at the group of people. The redhead was sitting on the bed with her leg’s hanging off the edge, swinging them. The man was reading a book, catching Levi’s attention. He walked over, sitting next to the reading man. The man gave him a glance and then went back to reading. Levi sighed and pulled out his own book, a collection of wild plants. He glances at the girl with massive brown curls, turning a tiny blade in her hand, staring at the redhead.