03-03-2009, 01:07 AM
“Some welcoming committee, eh?” Juno scoffed. He placed his hands upon his hips confidently and surveyed their surroundings, searching for some sign of hope. There was nothing to look forward to, unfortunately—all that was around them seemed to be a hopeless abyss of rocks and sand.
The group around him remained relatively silent for a while. At his remark, however, they all showed some sign of life—they glanced up at him, and Juno couldn’t tell whether it was in disgust or admiration of how he had so boldly broken the eerie quiet that had encircled them for so long. At that though, he glanced at his companions; almost immediately, one member of the pair of females caught his eye.
She was strikingly beautiful. Long, blue hair was tied in pig-tails that drooped just below her waist, and tears seeped forth from her violet eyes down her pale cheeks. She had fallen to her knees, sinking down into a crippled, fearful position in the sand; the other woman—young, blonde, but to Juno, not quite as beautiful—had knelt beside her.
The blonde seemed to be trying to calm the other down, but nothing was working. Juno fell into a sympathetic position and crossed to them, standing over the pair, observing. The pair looked up at him, but the blue-haired woman quickly averted her gaze. “She’s scared,” the blonde told him, and try as he might, it was difficult for Juno to find something wrong about her cowardice. He knelt on the opposite side of her and attempted to gaze into her eyes, but she shielded them from him. “I’m Sophia,” the blonde said, distracting his attention.
“Juno,” he replied, and then fixated his thoughts back on the girl who he would come to know as Sage. Reaching out, he wiped a tear from her cheek, and she glanced up at him. “Shhh,” he comforted, running a hand through her hair, “It’s all going to be alright. You’re fine.” And he pulled her head into his shoulder and felt her tears soak into the gray jumpsuit. With his other hand, he patted her back, attempting to calm her nerves. He looked up at the blonde. “I suppose I just have a way with women.”
She smiled, but still did not seem that amused. She stood and looked over the group. Three still had not integrated themselves into the social scene. For one of them, however, that was soon to change. An older man, his hair touching at hints of silver—Oliver Nash, as he would be known—this silence had gone on long enough. “Alright, everyone, group counseling’s done, we’ve got to get moving.”
“Moving where?” Sophia barked. “Can’t you see that she isn’t in any position to be chastised?” Juno stood, pulling Sage up with him. He kept her close at hand, however—he wasn’t about to let a damsel-in-distress get hurt. It just wasn’t gentlemanly. The other two men—both humans in appearance—stood up, wondering what was going on. Their group wasn’t getting split ends already, was it? Juno’s heart sank. They had power in numbers. They wouldn’t survive if they didn’t stay together. Voices began to blend together as arguments began.
“Everyone! Shut up!” Juno yelled across the group. Silence once again reigned as he helped Sage into the arms of Sophia and leapt up onto a small boulder, placing himself above everyone else. “Listen to me,” he began, “We can’t do this. We’re out here alone, and all we have is one another. We have to support each other or we will never stay alive.”
“He’s right,” Sophia agreed, “We have to not split up. We can’t cause tensions now.” The group nodded.
“Survival right now is our only goal. I don’t care if you want the money. I sure would like the money, but right now, I’m more focused on getting my questions answered. We have to stick together. There’s no other way. Those guys—whoever they were—they want us to play their game, so let’s play it smart, okay? We have power in numbers. There’s six of us. So let’s try to keep it that way, okay?”
Juno looked about him, and stepped down from the boulder. He quickly walked over to Sage and made sure she was still alright. Then, he looked over towards the other three guys. They nodded, seeming to know what he wanted. “Alright, guys,” he said, caressing Sage’s shoulder. She shivered at his touch, and he could tell that she didn’t like all of the attention that she was being given. So he retracted his hand and collected himself. “Let’s get moving.”
The group around him remained relatively silent for a while. At his remark, however, they all showed some sign of life—they glanced up at him, and Juno couldn’t tell whether it was in disgust or admiration of how he had so boldly broken the eerie quiet that had encircled them for so long. At that though, he glanced at his companions; almost immediately, one member of the pair of females caught his eye.
She was strikingly beautiful. Long, blue hair was tied in pig-tails that drooped just below her waist, and tears seeped forth from her violet eyes down her pale cheeks. She had fallen to her knees, sinking down into a crippled, fearful position in the sand; the other woman—young, blonde, but to Juno, not quite as beautiful—had knelt beside her.
The blonde seemed to be trying to calm the other down, but nothing was working. Juno fell into a sympathetic position and crossed to them, standing over the pair, observing. The pair looked up at him, but the blue-haired woman quickly averted her gaze. “She’s scared,” the blonde told him, and try as he might, it was difficult for Juno to find something wrong about her cowardice. He knelt on the opposite side of her and attempted to gaze into her eyes, but she shielded them from him. “I’m Sophia,” the blonde said, distracting his attention.
“Juno,” he replied, and then fixated his thoughts back on the girl who he would come to know as Sage. Reaching out, he wiped a tear from her cheek, and she glanced up at him. “Shhh,” he comforted, running a hand through her hair, “It’s all going to be alright. You’re fine.” And he pulled her head into his shoulder and felt her tears soak into the gray jumpsuit. With his other hand, he patted her back, attempting to calm her nerves. He looked up at the blonde. “I suppose I just have a way with women.”
She smiled, but still did not seem that amused. She stood and looked over the group. Three still had not integrated themselves into the social scene. For one of them, however, that was soon to change. An older man, his hair touching at hints of silver—Oliver Nash, as he would be known—this silence had gone on long enough. “Alright, everyone, group counseling’s done, we’ve got to get moving.”
“Moving where?” Sophia barked. “Can’t you see that she isn’t in any position to be chastised?” Juno stood, pulling Sage up with him. He kept her close at hand, however—he wasn’t about to let a damsel-in-distress get hurt. It just wasn’t gentlemanly. The other two men—both humans in appearance—stood up, wondering what was going on. Their group wasn’t getting split ends already, was it? Juno’s heart sank. They had power in numbers. They wouldn’t survive if they didn’t stay together. Voices began to blend together as arguments began.
“Everyone! Shut up!” Juno yelled across the group. Silence once again reigned as he helped Sage into the arms of Sophia and leapt up onto a small boulder, placing himself above everyone else. “Listen to me,” he began, “We can’t do this. We’re out here alone, and all we have is one another. We have to support each other or we will never stay alive.”
“He’s right,” Sophia agreed, “We have to not split up. We can’t cause tensions now.” The group nodded.
“Survival right now is our only goal. I don’t care if you want the money. I sure would like the money, but right now, I’m more focused on getting my questions answered. We have to stick together. There’s no other way. Those guys—whoever they were—they want us to play their game, so let’s play it smart, okay? We have power in numbers. There’s six of us. So let’s try to keep it that way, okay?”
Juno looked about him, and stepped down from the boulder. He quickly walked over to Sage and made sure she was still alright. Then, he looked over towards the other three guys. They nodded, seeming to know what he wanted. “Alright, guys,” he said, caressing Sage’s shoulder. She shivered at his touch, and he could tell that she didn’t like all of the attention that she was being given. So he retracted his hand and collected himself. “Let’s get moving.”