Kris
It’s been quiet for a couple minutes, and we’ve moved from the ashes to a forest of half-dead trees. Ronin decided to stop talking. Did I make him sad? I mean it’s not that big of a deal, but if he’s a high-ranking official in this Tantu place then that might be an issue.
“We’re here”
What? All I see are gray skies and trees that can barely hold onto their leaves.
“Where is…here?”
He points to a large tree in the distance.
“Your ‘class 3 city’ is a…glorified treehouse?”
Did I just drag a paratana for about a mile to live in a damn tree? I don’t see any lights coming from it, does that mean they don’t have electricity? So this place is just a fancy campsite, I drug a nearly nine thousand pound corpse for a fucking campsite.
“That’s so fucking stupid…” I’m thinking too much again.
Ronin chuckled a bit as we made it to the tree. What’s so funny?
“Yer just like Cherry, y’know?”
“Who?”
“You’ll meet her soon enough.”
He moves his hand to the bark of the tree and suddenly two sides of the trunk open to reveal a small silver room with a window on the back wall and an ashtray in the corner.
“What is…that?”
He stared at me, confused.
“An elevator? Have ya never heard of one?”
There he goes again, acting like I should know this stuff. He must’ve noticed my glare because he immediately apologized.
“Ah, sorry about that, life in the city makes you sheltered..”
"Yeah, it does".
“This here is an elevator. It takes ya up and down in a convenient lil silver box. Nifty, right?”
“...Yeah..”
“Alright, well c’mon now, we got a ‘tana to secure.”
Third Person
They finished dragging the corpse into the elevator. Kris breathedsigh of relief and turns to Ronin, “So how much more do we have to drag this thing?”. “Just a couple more minutes,” He said, pressing the button for the bottom floor of the tree. The elevator suddenly dropped, causing Kris to jump. Ronin chuckles a bit and she glared at him in response, to which Ronin quickly apologized.
“Sorry, Sorry. Elevators are a little scary for first timers.”
Kris sighed and leaned against the elevator wall, “Mhm…”
Ronin glanced at Kris, seeing them trying to mask their discomfort. He sighed and took a cigarette packet out of his pocket, “Well then, today’s been a lot.” He placed the cigarette in his mouth, returning the packet to his pocket while he searched for a lighter. ”I wonder how I'm gonna explain ya to cherry…”.
“Is bringing me here a problem?” Kris asked. She wanted to know who this ‘cherry’ was, but neglected to say anything
“Not really, cherry just hates when I bring kids to Tantu”. Ronin took his lighter out of his pocket and lit his cigarette.
“How many have you brought back?”
“You’d be the fourth.” He took a puff and sighed.
‘The fourth? Is he just- collecting kids?’
YOU ARE READING
Thea's Reprise
Science FictionThousands of years after nuclear war permanently altered the planet, Kris must find her father to gain answers on her past. This one's honestly my baby, any help and/or notes would be appreciated!
