Nodin
SORRY THIS IS SOOOOO LATE AND KINDA OUT OF PLACE.
People added more stuff than I could write(I write slow). XD
Also, this was all written on my phone usually super late at night/early morning. I apologize for mistakes or inaccuracies!
Nodin's still brand new, and is still trying to fit in. XD
Oh, and I'm also trying to use bigger words so I can practice the SAT vocab I'm learning in English class. XD
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Each breath seemed to feed the fire in my lungs. Mucus lodged in my throat was extruded with each cough. I had no other option but to swallow force the slime back down; I could not dispose it properly at this time, for danger had arrived sooner than I expected. Gas infiltrated the house, intruding our bodies mercilessly. Strident coughs and wheezes replaced the casual conversations that were going on just a minute ago. What was going on? I slumped out of my seat as darkness overcame me.
"Wake up!" stirring awake, i felt my body shaking again, but this time it was caused by someone else, their hands pressing firmly against my back and then pulling me from out of the chair. "We need to get out of here!" there was panic in the girl's voice, and then I remembered the gas. Grabbing my small satchel from under my seat, filled a first aid kit, flu masks, my father's dagger, and variety of other things, I stumbled to the door as the girl attempted to wake up the others. My main concern was to escape. With my inadequate physical condition, trying to wake everyone up allotted enough time for the enemy to return. I wouldn't be able to out run them. It's best that I hurry and make my way towards the forest; it'll give us some camouflage.
Drugged and weary, the memories from when we escaped the house to when we reached the inner forest remained drugged and hazy. When regained my ability to focus, i realized half of our group was missing. The remaining members were distraught or distant; with such a decrease in numbers, the morale would have taken a serious blow. Before we do anything else we need to focus on the emotional stability. Otherwise we won't get anywhere on conjuring a plan, let alone execute it. Agony, guilt, fear, contempt-- they're the key to irrational thinking. But how are you suppose to rid someone of these feelings?
Looking around, i saw that many of the members were in pairs, Griffin and Violett, Solana and Tono, Alice and Kateri; each providing physical contact to the other. Looking down at my hands, rough and unsteady, i knew approaching the members in my physical condition would just irritate them more, so I chose to sit apart the group, offering them imaginary embraces, a method of comforting i still find puzzling, hoping to provide some indirect assistance in getting everyone back on their feet.
Griffin and Sebastian had the idea finding the others using the tracking device; it was so obvious, i was surprised that it didn't cross my mind. They came up to me, seeing that they left theirs back at the mansion. I pulled out my phone, hoping to give the little help I could possibly offer. But my efforts rendered obsolete when i found out all the Xenogenesis Lab information on my phone was gone. I chunked my phone at the floor, frustrated and embarrassed by my own fallibility. I have yet to abet to the club. I shook my head to Griffin, apologizing for my lack of assistance when I'm needed the most. The corner of his lips tightened to form a quick, small frown; i concluded he doubted i would be of any help from the start. Pulling my knees close to my chest, i buried my face, ashamed. This feeling of uselessness made me feel more disgusting than my own breath.
Shortly afterwards, I began to tune back in due to the contrast of sound between Violett's piping voice against the jangling of Griffin's.
“Yes. In the very capable hands of my good friend Kuroshiro and Travis,” he explained, attempting to calm Violett's distress. “Nodin, as well, though I feel he will not do much talking.” I perked up at the sound of my name, and eagerly nodded in agreement. Hearing someone else say my name felt like a new experience every time; upon my initiation into the club, I had hoped to hear all of the club members say my name...but that wish is inappropriate for our current situation. I sighed, feeling my dad's dagger in my bag. A being has no right to take the right of life from another; this weapon should only be a last resort. So what else should I do to protect the group if we're ambushed again? What got us this time was the gas. I'm not familiar with the gas they used... But maybe we could use the same techniques people use to avoid breathing in smoke when there's a fire, like wetting a rag and covering your mouth and nose to try and filter the particles. It would only buy us a minute or two, but that could just give us enough time to get away. It would also be convenient for us to be in closer proximity to each other so everyone can be accounted for. With my position i could be taken and they wouldn't notice. Maybe I should get closer...
Approaching footsteps disturbed my thoughts on methods of self-defense. Turning my head, i realized it was just the changeling, and i quickly released my grip on the dagger. Did she want to sit by me?
I displaced myself in order to make room for her, but she quickly took hold of my sleeve and pulled me a bit closer. "Mr. Sick," she started, sounding more mature than usual, "I may call you Mr. Sick, yes?" I basked in this new moment she innovated. A nickname? Don't people usually give those to people they're friends with? Am I a friend? I halted my thoughts, realizing I was staring blankly again. "I'm really sorry, when the gas... came in..." she began trailing off. Is she wanting to know the details of the ambush? With her innocence she probably inhaled a lot more due to confusion and the unawareness of the gas. I tried signaling her to Griffin, assuring her that he would give a more accurate retelling of the story. With his acuteness, he probably would have realized the danger of breathing in sooner than the rest of us.
I was startled when her grip tightened. "No, Mr. Sick, I need to confess something! When the gas came in, I thought it was you. Because- I remembered someone saying you breath toxic fumes and you just came and I didn't... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions and doubted you,"
She leaned in for an embrace, but, realizing our closeness, I backed away in fear of accidentally coughing or sneezing or vomiting on only to end up falling off the rock I was sitting on.
Too limp to get back up, I decided to remain on the forest floor. The dainty hand of Violett reached out to me, offering assistance, but the poor girl ended up getting shoved off the rock by the frisky kitsune.
Sighing, i closed my eyes to rest, overwhelmed by such friendly interspecies interaction. Then, a perturbing thought penetrated my mind. Will the members captured by Xenogenesis still have the amicability they possessed when they return?
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I'll try to have the next Nodin chapter up soon!
Thank you for reading<3
