#Adam Corrolla | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

shia-coons-writing · 4 years ago

Text

Chapter Four

“So, David, tell me about yourself.”

“Well, there’s not a whole lot. I’m the oldest of three. I’m pretty quiet. I’m a big history buff, but I like science fiction too. You only have to tell me something once and I can copy pretty well. I like a job well done, and don’t really care to dawdle around.”

The interviewer nodded. “Want to talk about your highschool.. Gap?”

David shrugged. “There were some….personal situations that prevented me from attending. I’m currently studying for my GED.”

Giving him a squint eyed look, the man asked, “Ever been in prison?”

David shook his head. “Nope.”

After a silence for a second, the man nodded decisively. “Cool. You’re hired. You wanted nights, right? Available anytime?”

At David’s silent nod, the man said, “Great. You start tomorrow at six. Ask at the front desk for Tyrone, and he’ll get you started. Six to four, Sunday through Saturday, ten fifty an hour. You get every other weekend off, and once you’ve been here for four months, you get raised to twelve an hour. Any questions?”

David shrugged. “Nope.”

They shook hands, and the man showed him to the door, exchanging last minute information and paperwork to look out. As David climbed into his ‘97 Corrolla, and drove away, he glanced in the rearview mirror at the warehouse. Working at a dockside warehouse in Brooklyn was not what he had planned to do, even just a year ago, but he and Adam needed money if they were ever to move out and start researching how to get back. He sighed. He could hardly wait until they moved out. He loved his parents, he did, but he had missed just being with Adam. And it would be nice to not be asked about his nightmares. At least Mary left him alone.

“Get up, David! We have to go!” His brother’s voice still sounded odd in the new language, even after a year here in this world.

David looked up from the rope he was braiding to see Adam and Rathe standing over him, hands on their hips. Lazily, he leaned back. “Do I have too?” He grinned up at them, giving his already dirty face a wild look. “Why can’t I just stay here?”

Rathe gestured frantically. “Because the army is coming! They’ve sent out another press gang. Apparently, there’s been more and more deserters and they’re getting desperate.”

David jumped to his feet. “Adam, with me. We’ll go to our old house. Rathe, find Heyjuk! They’ll want him too if they see him. We’ll meet up back here after the press gang has left town.”

Rathe shook her head. “Heyjuk already knows. He was with me when we saw them. I’ll go with you two.”

Giving a nod of assent, David quickly moved to the stairs to go up to street level, his brother right behind him. Over his shoulder, he said, “Once we’re in the street, I’m going to move fast, so you gotta keep up.” With that, he was in the street and off.

Weaving through the back alleys, he began to make his way across town. About a few blocks from their hiding spot, however, the press gang spotted them and gave chase. Desperate, he ducked into a dead end and began to climb the rough wall, attempting to reach the roof. It was only when he had reached the top, and lay, panting, that he realized that Adam was not a fast climber, and only Rathe was beside him. Jerking upright, he leaned over the wall. There in the bottom of the alley, he could see Adam being led away, arms held securely by the press gang. His younger brother cast a glance over his shoulder, and gave a watery smile. Any one of David’s string of curses would have made his mother tan his hide.

Rathe sat up. “What’s the matter?” She glanced down. “Oh.” Her own language was no less severe.

Frantically, David thought about what to do. There was no way he could help Adam escape- the new recruits would be watched constantly. But he couldn’t very well abandon his brother. There was nothing for it.

He turned to Rathe. “I’m going to join up.”

She whipped around to face him. “What! Why? David, what good will that do?”

“Maybe if I join up, I’ll have some say over where I go. I might even be able to convince the recruiting master to put Adam and I in the scouts. There’d be less active fighting there.”

Rathe stared at him. Finally, she said, “Fine. But I’m not happy about it. I think it’s a foolish idea, and you’re both going to be killed. I’m not staying around to watch your suicide. ” With that, she was up on her feet and running over the rooftops, wiping her eyes as she ran.

David watched her go, then laid back down. He would wait until evening, when he could sneak out of town to the army encampment easier. There’d be no point in the plan if he got caught by the press gang, too.

By the time he got to the camp that evening, the air was beginning to be chilly. Hiding in a tree, he watched the evening patrol go by on their rounds. As he waited, he could feel eyes watching him. After two or three passes, he finally caught on to the pattern and was able to slip in unnoticed. Once he was in, however, he turned and glanced behind him. In the dying light, he caught sight of Rathe’s face. She flashed him a sad smile, then waved, before turning and disappearing back into the brush, heading towards town. He smiled, then grabbed a bucket of water from a nearby tent, and began lugging it around, trying to look as if he were going somewhere, as he looked for anybody who might be in charge of recruitment.

During the time he had been watching the guard, however, he had thought quite a bit about his plan. If he simply waltzed in, no matter what he claimed, any skills he had would not be taken seriously. He had to prove himself in some way, and had to have some form of insurance that he would not be instantly forced into the rank and file.

If he wanted to prove himself to the scout master, one way to do it was to live in the camp for a week or so without being noticed, and when he talked to him, give the man the impression that he could slip away even when watched. This could backfire later, but it gave him the best chance at leverage to make sure he and Adam were together.

It was hard work, he had to admit, avoiding being caught. He spent the better part of the next three weeks hauling water for the cooks and following whatever random orders the sargents gave him. During this time, he frantically memorized names, faces, ranks, habits, anything he could learn. As the days went on, this proved more and more useful. Soon he was able to reliably either lie or distract anyone who began to question which unit he belonged to.

But time was running out. He needed to get himself assigned to a unit, and get Adam somewhere safe before he got himself killed. It’d been a month since he had contact with him, too afraid someone would overhear any conversation they had and figure out his secret. He’d seen him around the other new “recruits”, laughing and joking around, but had done his best to stay out of sight. He was fairly certain that Adam would be able to control himself, but it was better to take no risks.

So about a month after Adam had been taken by the press gang, he waited until nightfall, then walked into the tent of Caeser, the scout master. Caesar was sitting at his desk, busily writing away by the light of a candle. He was a short man, and if David were in New York, he would have guessed he was first or second generation Greek. Caesar was one of the many David had kept tabs on for the past few days. He seemed to be a busy man, awake at all hours of the night, writing and receiving messengers.

Caesar looked up as David came in. “Ah, it’s you. Can I help you?”

David paused. “I’m sorry, sir? You know me?”

Caser snorted. “Well, I mean, you’ve been watching me for the past month, I should hope I know you.”

The worry that had started with Caesar's first words began to develop into terror. “I’m sure you're mistaken, sir. We’ve never met.”

Caesar raised an eyebrow. “Well, yes, that is the point of stalking, isn’t it? Making sure you don’t encounter your target? Now, what do you want?”

David took a deep breath and steeled himself. “I want to join the scouts.” He wasn’t sure he had enough skill to convince Caesar to move Adam out of the way of the fighting. That would have to come later. At least this way, he could be close to Adam.

Now both of the scout master’s eyebrows were up. “Really, that’s it? You’ve been hovering around this camp for a week to ask that?”

David’s heart rose a little. “Well, I have a brother. I was hoping you could move him out of the fighting?”

Giving a half smile, Caesar shook his head. “Sorry kid, no can do. I don’t have any control over that. If he’s good enough, maybe I can have him transferred in six months or a year. You can join the scouts directly, though, if that is what you wish. You have the potential.”

David gave a half shrug. “Sure.”

There was silence in the tent for a moment before Caesar called out, “Oi, Balon, come in here!”

There was a “Ya, ya, ya, no need to yell”, and a man who looked startlingly similar to Caesar came in. He was taller than Caeser, but had the same black, silky hair and the same strong nose. He even gave the same smile. “What do we have here? The little boy has finally come out to play?”

David frowned, but made no comment. Caesar gave him an appraising glance, then turned back to Balon and said, “Yes, and he will need a place to sleep for tonight. Can you put him with Genr? I can sort the rest out in the morning.”

Balon, raising an eyebrow, nodded. “So, we’re keeping the kid. Very well then.” He looked David up and down, then beckoned to him. “Before you sleep, you should eat. Follow me, kid.”

David frowned again slightly at the kid remark, but gave a sharp nod and said, “Very well, sir.”

Both Caesar and Balon raised their eyebrows at that, but neither made any comment. Balon inclined his head towards Caesar and said, “Cousin.”, then turned and left.

David quickly trotted after him.

#accidentallypostedchapterthreetwice #herewego #chapterfour #fantasy #short story #loyalrebel #davidnguyen #adamnguyen #fiction #Ifinishedchapterfivetoo #sothat'llbeheresoon #itswaytoohottothink

0 notes