Status: Updated once or twice a week.
After the World's End
Chapter Six
Chapter Six
Max couldn't believe that they actually agreed to let him stay. He was so unbelievably excited and happy that he couldn't even figure out who to thank first. His body decided that for him.
In a split second, he was in Arden's arms, exclaiming, "Thank you! You kept you promise! Thank you, Arden!"
Arden laughed and hugged him back while everyone else looked on surprised. "It wasn't just me, Max. You're welcome though. You're one of us now," Arden said, smiling and ignoring the angry scoff Cohen made. No one else could believe that the two had become friends so quickly.
"Sorry to interrupt this cheery moment but what promise?" Caroline asked, sounding amused.
The two blushed and moved away from each other, suddenly aware that they had been much more friendly than they had led the others to believe. Until then, the others had thought that they had been civil, at most talking in the evenings together, which was a strange enough thing in itself without them suddenly acting like best friends.
"I promised Max that he could stay as long as he wants," Arden explained. "I'm glad I get to keep that promise."
"I'm grateful to all of you, too," Max added. "Thank you for letting me stay."
Stasia looked away, sadly.
Max felt so guilty when he realized that his words could be taken sarcastically. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I understand why you wouldn't want me to stay," Max told her.
She nodded and smiled a little.
Cohen just rolled his eyes, like he was determined to make sure that everyone knew how much he disapproved of Max staying. Everyone ignored him though. They all felt like they'd made the right choice when they saw how happy Max was.
"I guess we should properly introduce ourselves," Alexander said. "I hope you can excuse us for not doing so before, but we weren't sure how long you'd be here. You already know our names, but is there anything else you want to know?"
"Yes," Max said. "How old are you all? How long have you been traveling together? Have you ever seen many other people? Where are you going and what you are going to do when you get there?"
"Alexander smiled. "You do have a lot of questions. I'm 19, Stasia and Cohen are 17, and Caroline and Arden are 16. We've been traveling together for almost four years, but we've known each other for most of our lives. We met because we all lived in the same village. Everyone in our village moved there to hide from the war when we were young. Our village was raided for years ago and they took everyone over 18. They didn't even care that we were probably going to die without our parents. A lot of the kids did die. We couldn't hunt for enough food to keep all of us alive and everyone was starving. Anyone over ten had to start looking for food and a lot of people died either hunting, going after our parents, or from starvation or illness. In less than a year, we were the only ones who were alive and had tried to keep the village together. The worst part was that the raid on our village was one of the last. If they could have stayed hidden for another six months, they would still be here and they'd still be alive," Alexander said and paused.
Max could only imagine what that would be like and murmured, "I'm sorry."
"It's not like it's your fault. Don’t apologize," Alexander said, shaking himself out of his thoughts. "Anyway, we left that night. We've met a few other people. All of them were alone and they were all quite mad-"
Alexander was interrupted by Arden who teased, "Sort of like you are, Max."
Max laughed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Arden. Alexander, please continue," he said.
"We've also seen looters- big groups of them, sometimes as many as 15 people. They're cruel, foul, and they're always drunken and torturing their captives. When they catch people…" Alexander paused, shuddering. "We could hear their screams for hours, no matter how far we ran. I don't think any of us knew that people could scream so loud."
He stopped suddenly at the horrified look on Max's face. He didn't know that Max had been thinking about how they would have left him to the looters less than a week ago- Hell, they probably would have left him to looters a few hours ago.
Arden knew what Max was thinking though and felt sick at the truth of Max's thoughts. "You don't have to worry about that anymore, Max. You're safe with us and we'll protect you. We take care of each other."
Alexander frowned. "We don't like leaving people to the looters. Don't think that we do. We'd help the victims if we could, but we can't. I refuse to lose my friends for a stranger. It's selfish but true."
Alexander fell into a thoughtful silence and Arden took over. "We don't know where we're going exactly. When we left, we thought that there must have been a lot of villages like ours and we were sure they would let us stay with them. It didn't occur to us that those villages would be well hidden. We've never found one. We're just trying to survive now. I don't think that anyone thinks far enough ahead to make long term plans. Things are too uncertain right now," Arden finished.
Cohen was still sulking about Max's quick acceptance into their group. "I think you've told him more than enough right now," Cohen snapped. "I'm so glad you have decided to throw away all common sense and tell him everything."
"He's one of us now. We voted and the majority of us ruled to let him stay. It doesn't matter whether you voted for him to stay," Alexander said coldly. "He has the right to know everything we know, vote when we know, and be treated like one of us in every way."
Cohen frowned at the meaningful tone of Alexander's voice, knowing that he wouldn't get away with hurting Max like he had before.
Max wasn't all that relieved even though he too understood the meaning of Alexander's words. He knew that this only meant that Cohen would find more creative ways to harass him.
"Whatever," Cohen muttered.
"Do you have any more questions?" Alexander asked.
"When are we leaving?" Max murmured.
"The day after tomorrow. Don't worry, Max. We won't leave you," Alexander said with a smile. Max smiled back shyly. "If you don't have any questions, I'll be going to bed now," Alexander said.
Everyone else nodded and headed back to their own sleeping bags. Arden and Max went to the other side of the fire away from everyone else, so they could continue their whispered conversation.
"I'm sorry that I pretended not to like you. It must have been lonely and confusing to not know whether or not I was really your friend," Arden whispered.
Max looked down, but didn't say anything.
"I had to," Arden insisted, quietly. "I wanted them to give me a chance to explain why you should be allowed to stay without thinking that I'm only saying it because we're friends. Everyone else already thinks I'm too trusting and they know we still want to run into another village and be around more people, so we don't need to add to that by letting them think that I trusted you too easily. I love my friends, but I…I don't know. I feel like there should be more." Arden blushed, feeling that he might have said too much.
Max just smiled and said, "I can understand that. I can't complain right now though because I just traded up from not belonging anywhere to belonging with you guys."
"I'm so sorry! You must think that I'm complaining about nothing-"
"No," Max said. "If we're friends, then you can complain to me."
"Thanks," Arden whispered.
"You're welcome," Max murmured back.
They talked a little long before they drifted into a companionable silence. Max went to sleep, smiling in the knowledge that he finally belonged somewhere.
Max couldn't believe that they actually agreed to let him stay. He was so unbelievably excited and happy that he couldn't even figure out who to thank first. His body decided that for him.
In a split second, he was in Arden's arms, exclaiming, "Thank you! You kept you promise! Thank you, Arden!"
Arden laughed and hugged him back while everyone else looked on surprised. "It wasn't just me, Max. You're welcome though. You're one of us now," Arden said, smiling and ignoring the angry scoff Cohen made. No one else could believe that the two had become friends so quickly.
"Sorry to interrupt this cheery moment but what promise?" Caroline asked, sounding amused.
The two blushed and moved away from each other, suddenly aware that they had been much more friendly than they had led the others to believe. Until then, the others had thought that they had been civil, at most talking in the evenings together, which was a strange enough thing in itself without them suddenly acting like best friends.
"I promised Max that he could stay as long as he wants," Arden explained. "I'm glad I get to keep that promise."
"I'm grateful to all of you, too," Max added. "Thank you for letting me stay."
Stasia looked away, sadly.
Max felt so guilty when he realized that his words could be taken sarcastically. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I understand why you wouldn't want me to stay," Max told her.
She nodded and smiled a little.
Cohen just rolled his eyes, like he was determined to make sure that everyone knew how much he disapproved of Max staying. Everyone ignored him though. They all felt like they'd made the right choice when they saw how happy Max was.
"I guess we should properly introduce ourselves," Alexander said. "I hope you can excuse us for not doing so before, but we weren't sure how long you'd be here. You already know our names, but is there anything else you want to know?"
"Yes," Max said. "How old are you all? How long have you been traveling together? Have you ever seen many other people? Where are you going and what you are going to do when you get there?"
"Alexander smiled. "You do have a lot of questions. I'm 19, Stasia and Cohen are 17, and Caroline and Arden are 16. We've been traveling together for almost four years, but we've known each other for most of our lives. We met because we all lived in the same village. Everyone in our village moved there to hide from the war when we were young. Our village was raided for years ago and they took everyone over 18. They didn't even care that we were probably going to die without our parents. A lot of the kids did die. We couldn't hunt for enough food to keep all of us alive and everyone was starving. Anyone over ten had to start looking for food and a lot of people died either hunting, going after our parents, or from starvation or illness. In less than a year, we were the only ones who were alive and had tried to keep the village together. The worst part was that the raid on our village was one of the last. If they could have stayed hidden for another six months, they would still be here and they'd still be alive," Alexander said and paused.
Max could only imagine what that would be like and murmured, "I'm sorry."
"It's not like it's your fault. Don’t apologize," Alexander said, shaking himself out of his thoughts. "Anyway, we left that night. We've met a few other people. All of them were alone and they were all quite mad-"
Alexander was interrupted by Arden who teased, "Sort of like you are, Max."
Max laughed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Arden. Alexander, please continue," he said.
"We've also seen looters- big groups of them, sometimes as many as 15 people. They're cruel, foul, and they're always drunken and torturing their captives. When they catch people…" Alexander paused, shuddering. "We could hear their screams for hours, no matter how far we ran. I don't think any of us knew that people could scream so loud."
He stopped suddenly at the horrified look on Max's face. He didn't know that Max had been thinking about how they would have left him to the looters less than a week ago- Hell, they probably would have left him to looters a few hours ago.
Arden knew what Max was thinking though and felt sick at the truth of Max's thoughts. "You don't have to worry about that anymore, Max. You're safe with us and we'll protect you. We take care of each other."
Alexander frowned. "We don't like leaving people to the looters. Don't think that we do. We'd help the victims if we could, but we can't. I refuse to lose my friends for a stranger. It's selfish but true."
Alexander fell into a thoughtful silence and Arden took over. "We don't know where we're going exactly. When we left, we thought that there must have been a lot of villages like ours and we were sure they would let us stay with them. It didn't occur to us that those villages would be well hidden. We've never found one. We're just trying to survive now. I don't think that anyone thinks far enough ahead to make long term plans. Things are too uncertain right now," Arden finished.
Cohen was still sulking about Max's quick acceptance into their group. "I think you've told him more than enough right now," Cohen snapped. "I'm so glad you have decided to throw away all common sense and tell him everything."
"He's one of us now. We voted and the majority of us ruled to let him stay. It doesn't matter whether you voted for him to stay," Alexander said coldly. "He has the right to know everything we know, vote when we know, and be treated like one of us in every way."
Cohen frowned at the meaningful tone of Alexander's voice, knowing that he wouldn't get away with hurting Max like he had before.
Max wasn't all that relieved even though he too understood the meaning of Alexander's words. He knew that this only meant that Cohen would find more creative ways to harass him.
"Whatever," Cohen muttered.
"Do you have any more questions?" Alexander asked.
"When are we leaving?" Max murmured.
"The day after tomorrow. Don't worry, Max. We won't leave you," Alexander said with a smile. Max smiled back shyly. "If you don't have any questions, I'll be going to bed now," Alexander said.
Everyone else nodded and headed back to their own sleeping bags. Arden and Max went to the other side of the fire away from everyone else, so they could continue their whispered conversation.
"I'm sorry that I pretended not to like you. It must have been lonely and confusing to not know whether or not I was really your friend," Arden whispered.
Max looked down, but didn't say anything.
"I had to," Arden insisted, quietly. "I wanted them to give me a chance to explain why you should be allowed to stay without thinking that I'm only saying it because we're friends. Everyone else already thinks I'm too trusting and they know we still want to run into another village and be around more people, so we don't need to add to that by letting them think that I trusted you too easily. I love my friends, but I…I don't know. I feel like there should be more." Arden blushed, feeling that he might have said too much.
Max just smiled and said, "I can understand that. I can't complain right now though because I just traded up from not belonging anywhere to belonging with you guys."
"I'm so sorry! You must think that I'm complaining about nothing-"
"No," Max said. "If we're friends, then you can complain to me."
"Thanks," Arden whispered.
"You're welcome," Max murmured back.
They talked a little long before they drifted into a companionable silence. Max went to sleep, smiling in the knowledge that he finally belonged somewhere.