0.2.2 - “The Precipice”
β BETA RELEASE
I stepped out of the house only to be met with the smell of summer. Greenery, flowers, things like that. It was a bit darker out though for the time of day, guess more clouds gathered around. You’d think that since it’s August, it’d be a bit more like fall, but what do I know. Ten fifteen, should be able to get there in time, it’s not that long of a walk, even if I live on the edge of town. So I started walking, down the sidewalks the town never bothers to trim the grass off of. It’s more annoying more than anything, sometimes I have to walk down the side of the road. Speaking of that, though, there’s barely any cars, even for this town. I guess everyone’s just staying at home for today, but I didn’t think it was this bad ten years ago… I wonder what happened to make everyone so paranoid?
It only hit me then. That one post that Finley was talking about, about some guy escaping from… whatever the complex is. I completely forgot to look into that, but I doubt I would have found it online anyway. Maybe more people found out about it, and are scared again? No clue, but this is definitely out of the ordinary… But, I kept walking. No use really worrying about it right now, still have to remember where I’m going. I doubt that the ice cream shop that I pass by every time I walk down this path is even open right now and, well, go figure, it isn’t. Well, that sours my mood.
Sometime later, and I get to a park, on the edge of a forest. Empty, too, that’s kinda surprising actually. You’d think people wouldn’t be paranoid over a playground. I ignored it, again, just walking past the empty playground and into the woods. There’s at least some semblance of a path, mostly because of us three always making our way into here. Before long, a clearing, as well, where Vi and Mel were sitting on two fallen logs. Mel, of course, was swatting at a mosquito, I think.
Melody
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Ugh, every time, even with the bug spray!
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She switches to trying to clap the mosquito out of the air, while Vi was just watching this, snickering a bit to himself before he noticed me.
Vi
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’Ey, slowest kid in the country, there you are. Took you long enough.
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Nate
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Hey, I got here on time.
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Vi
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“Ain’t on time enough”, says your future employer.
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I sat down on a different log, across from the two of them, looking up at the sky. I don’t like how it’s that cloudy today, it looks like it’s going to rain now… should have brought an umbrella.
Vi
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Oh jeez, relax why don’t you? Weather website says it ain’t gonna rain.
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And Mel finally claps the air for the last time, sighing, before she looks over, too. Vi, meanwhile, is just idly leaning back.
Melody
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Probably is, though. Okay, Nate, did you see how empty this place was?
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Nate
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Yeah, actually. What’s going on?
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Vi
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Y’know, town’s on lockdown.
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Me and Mel both flicked to look at Vi as he says this. I don’t know about her, but that completely caught me off guard.
Nate & Melody, in near unison
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What?!
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Vi, shrugging
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Yeah, last minute thing the cops around here put in place. Don’t know why, though. Think DARC’s just overreacting again. One of ’em told me to go home, so I “did”, then just snuck out here.
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Mel was not having a good time with this news. I didn’t like it either, but I can get away with this if I played my cards right. Her family, however, wouldn’t let her do that.
Nate
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Why didn’t you say anything before we left?
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Vi
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’Cause Mel already left? And by the time I knew about this, I already left? And you already did, too? This town ain’t great at getting word out, you know.
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Melody, groaning
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The hell am I going to tell my parents…?
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Vi
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Oh, relax, if you didn’t know, they didn’t either. Just say that you were playing outside and got told to go home or something. Don’t have to let them know.
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While they were talking, though, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Why would this happen all of a sudden…?
Nate
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Hey, you think the complex is actually around here?
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Vi, snorting
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Hah, fat chance. They’d be all over it if it was. It’s probably in Greenland or something.
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We were all cut off by the sound of sirens. Like tornado sirens, but worse. Vi immediately shouted to get our earplugs on, and we did. Except him, he had to plug his ears because he forgot. Even with earplugs on, those sirens are loud. I checked the time, I had a little digital watch for this. Ten thirty. At least it wasn’t at midnight. I turned to look back at the direction I came from, towards the town. While the sirens were going off, I couldn’t see anyone around. Not a single car, or person, or anything. Eventually, the sirens toned down enough for us to have a conversation. You know, at normal tornado siren volume.
Melody
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Speak for yourself…
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Nate
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They really do this every ten years?
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Vi
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Could be worse. Could be going door to door about it, like Jehovah’s Witnesses or whatever. They wouldn’t, though. Don’t wanna risk it themselves. Cowards.
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Nate
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Yeah, I guess. Weird how so many places get away with being incompetent on this sort of stuff.
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Melody, lighting up
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Oh yeah, I did bring lunch. It’s just sandwiches, but whatever. …Wait, remember that thing Finley was talking about?
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Nate
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Oh, I forgot about that.
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Vi
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You gotta remind me? He’s holding it over my head still.
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Melody
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No, not about that, about the guy that escaped. Did anyone look into what he said at all?
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Nate
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About the whole “everything you can imagine” thing?
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Vi
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I did, actually. Took forever, since still on the world’s worst internet connection.
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Both me and Mel looked to face him again. He’s just leaning back on a tree, while still sitting on the log, arms folded up behind him.
Vi
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Sandwich first, I didn’t eat this morning.
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Mel just groaned, digging into the backpack she brought with her. She gave one to him, and offered one for me, too, but I just declined it. Already had my burrito, I’m fine for now. So she just settled into eating one herself. And while I was waiting for those two to finish, I just looked up at the clouds again, wondering if it was going to rain at all.
Been a little bit since I've paid my visits, I've had things to attend to. Regardless, here's her next generation.
"Why could the town be locked down at a time like this? Will it rain? What type of sandwich are they eating? I don't know! Why are you looking at me like that?"
RCP is written by the Whistler SAI.
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https://sai.0ccu.lt
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