Survival Of The Fittest

Madelaine bit her lip, wondering what in the world to do now that she had run into this little roadblock, keeping both her and the stranger from reaching a resolution. It was obvious from the slight harshness of his words (and possibly, from his voice as well, though it sounded like the poor guy was undergoing a bad case of dehydration) that he was unable to trust her.

Somehow, under all this stress, she managed to keep her voice clear and even. "No, I understand, given the situation all of us are in. But in any case, I'm not asking to be let through...I only wish to know where Adam Dodd could be, only for Amanda's sake. However, if you cannot trust me...."

It was then that an idea suddenly formulated itself into her mind. It was risky, and, should things turn for the worse, may in time result in her demise. But what other choice did she have, other than simply reveal Amanda's current position, and endanger the other girl instead. That, itself, was out of the question.

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her well defined, though pale face as she lifted her chin in a resolute expression. "Okay now look....I'm going to take out the weapons I have and toss them aside, and once that is done I'll be completely disarmed. Then I'll tell you where Amanda is, but ONLY if you promise not to shoot."

She slowly lifted a hand to show him what she was about to do, and deliberately moved it towards her pocket. "I'm going to throw my weapons aside now..." Watching the stranger's movements carefully, she first took her tire iron out and threw it far to her side. It landed with a dull thud against the grass, a few metres away from Amanda. Next, she took out the Smith & Wesson, wincing slightly as she remembered the promise she made not more than a few minutes ago.

"If something happens, I will be able to protect you. I will be able to protect myself. I will be able to protect the both of us."

If all went wrong...then she would never be able to protect anyone at all.

The gun clattered against the iron rod with a metallic sound as it landed. She took a deep breath that tremored only slightly. "....This is all I have with me. I will tell you where Amanda is. However...let me know that I can trust you not to shoot me."

Her body stiffened, and she raised her chin resiliently, as though preparing for anything that might happen to her should the stranger decide otherwise.

Adam watched the girl toss her weapons to the side, and couldn't help a slight smirk as he saw that it was indeed a gun that had been in her pocket.

Heh, it WAS a gun in her pocket after all...

Of course, Adam had no real intention of shooting this poor girl. He'd simply just give her things back to her and let her be on her way. There were already too many people here to begin with, and things could get heated if any disliked each other. There was, however, the one matter he needed to attend to...and he couldn't help having a little fun, if not at her expense, anyways.

"Well, you're looking for Dodd, huh? Well...there are several places he could be around here. You could try looking in those old sheds over there. As far as hiding places go, they aren't too bad. Or..." he motioned to the house with his head. "...or you could take a look inside of the house. He could be hiding out in there. There's a lot of area to cover if you're going to want to try and find the guy...I mean, I'd give you a hand, but I already know where he is, and well...where's the fun in that, eh?"

He chuckled and grinned before he put his shotgun down - a move that was fairly involuntary, but he decided against raising it again anyways. To be honest, point the shotgun at her was making him uneasy as well. He coughed, and spat a little wad of phlegm into the bushes beside him, to which his normal voice returned. He grimaced as he looked at where the disgusting green mass had landed, but then looked back up at the girl.

"Nah, nah...I'm just fuckin' with 'ya. I'm not going to make you look for him. Fact of the matter is, you won't find him...mainly because, well..he isn't hiding anywhere. Not here, at least. No, he's standing right out in the open, and well, a second ago, he was holding a shotgun at you."

He smiled warmly as he held out his hand.

"Adam Dodd, at your service. You can, uh...go get your guns and stuff...just as long as you're not planning on shooting me."

---

Amanda froze as the boy's voice changed, and he identified himself as the guy she'd been searching for. She was overjoyed, but dare not move. Perhaps it was a trick. She waited to see what Madelaine would do.

((Continued from: Start for Girl #5))

Finally reaching the house, David stepped out from the trees. He had fallen behind when he stopped to take care of his neck injury, and had ran the rest of the way, concerned that he had lost the two girls. He saw and heard the conversation between Madelaine and the shotgun-weilding male (he was pretty sure it was Adam, but he couldn't tell yet) and decided to walk within view. Hearing the boy admit he was indeed Adam, he laughed to himself.

"So, you're Adam Dodd. I have to say it doesn't look like the past day and two hours have been good to you."

At first, Madelaine had been frowning in slight irritation and confusion as the stranger rattled on jokingly while she remained frozen in place within shooting range. Her first surprise came when the young man suddenly put down his shotgun after letting out a chuckle.

And now, she blinked, startled. She had never expected him to reveal himself as Adam Dodd. Shotgun lowered, Madelaine could easily make out the features of his form: tallness of height, reddish hair with a goatee....though he was missing the jersey, he definately a friendly disposition, despite the fact that pointing a shotgun at a newcomer was hardly friendly, but it was natural in such circumstances. Judging by his appearance and expression, it seemed that the game had taken quite a toll on him. Even now, he was grinning still widely. Looking at him, Madelaine couldn't help but grin back.

As she reached out to retrieve the iron rod and the pistol and repocket them, she noticed David stepping into the clearing: he had bothered to catch up after all. But at least he wasn't being hostile now.

She stood up and looked towards Adam Dodd, looking relaxed now with a satisfied smile on her face. "I guess I'll have to keep my end of the bargain then." Without looking away from him, Madelaine raised her voice slightly. "It's alright, Amanda. You can come out and meet him now."

Adam took in the appearance of David with a bit of caution. The boy didn't seem to be dangerous, as he walked towards him with an easygoing look on his face. As he, too spoke Adam's name, he couldn't resist blinking in surprise.

"What, is everyone on this island looking for me? Jeez, I didn't know I was that popular..."

He recognized the boy though - it was Dave Jackson, who he had seen play baseball a couple of times when Amanda and some of his other friends had dragged him to the games. Here he was. And apparently, as Madelaine called out, so was Amanda, as a single figure stepped out from behind a tree not a meter from him. He chuckled a bit as he let the shotgun drop at his side. He looked the girl over, and shook his head with a smirk on his face.

"Well hot shit, we've got a party going on here. Amanda...it's great to see you, I've been seeing people that I only know as aquaintances, but hot damn, it's good to have a friend here."

Amanda had a smile as big as she possibly could smile on her face. She was glad to see Adam, and she didn't care who knew it. Unable to stop herself, she almost rushed at the boy, grabbing him in a strong hug which, by the expression on Adam's face, caught him by surprise. He reciprocated, however, and as she pulled away from him, she had a big smile on her face still. She was overjoyed, and for a long moment, she didn't say anything.

Adam, however, looked at the other two, and nodded his head at David's earlier statement.

"Yeah, I am Adam Dodd, and yeah, I have been through the fuckin' ringer. I've run into a whole crapload of people, including a couple dead bodies. Or at least, people who became dead bodies." His tone became somber, but then a little sarcastic. "Yeah, I'd say it's been a pretty eventful day. I've stumbled upon a dead body, had molotov cocktails tossed at me on two seperate occasions, been shot at on more than two different occasions, seen two people get killed..."

He shuddered.

"Yeah, this is all pretty fucked up, I'd much rather be doing anything rather than be here. Hell, I'd rather pass stones than be here."

He looked both individuals up and down, and then glanced at Amanda, who was still composing herself. Adam was a little embarrassed. His friend sure was worked up at seeing him.

"So, uh...guys. Apparently, you both know me...how...I fail to understand, but apparently, I'm like the most popular guy on the island or something. But...I confess...I don't know you guys. Well...actually that isn't true. If I'm not mistaken, I think you're Dave Jackson, right? You're on the baseball team?"

"You are correct, Adam." David said, releasing the light grip he had had on his P99.

Madelaine couldn't help but smile as Amanda practically ran into Adam, holding him in a tight embrace. It was obvious that Amanda was jubilant, having been reunited with her friend, and Madelaine felt happy for her. It seemed as though fate possessed a bit of mercy and kindness after all.

For the sake of being tactful, she silently turned away from the two as they recollected on what had happened to them thus far, about to walk towards the tiny building again. As Adam Dodd addressed her, she casually told him over her shoulder, "I'm Madelaine Shirohara, a recent transfer from Japan, we haven't met, so nice to meet you." She smiled warmly as she walked towards the house.

She unbuttoned her blazer, removing the sleeves and draping it over her shoulders like a cape. A pure white cotton shirt was revealed, cuffed at the sleeves, with hems draping over the plaid skirt. She smiled to herself. Things was going well for once, at least for now. Amanda was reunited with Adam, and now they were all able to share a hiding place. At least they would find safety in numbers.

She gave a sigh as she stepped through the doorway. She stopped suddenly just as she stepped inside, realizing that she had forgotten that there had been others within the building.

River continued to sit by himself. Geez, he thought, how come everyone decides to come here all of the sudden? Things were moving too fast for him right now. Could any of thhese people really be trusted? Not like River could do anything about it if he didn't trust them, he had a good bet that they all had better weapons than him anyways. Damned hammer. He decides to let the others do the talking, aside from a select few people like Adam, River never socialized with anyone in his class. Heck, even at the end of the year he found himself forgetting some of their names.

No one seemed to notice him for now, that was good, he could make a quick escape if one of them turned out to be psycho. He'd rather not be doing so much running, but it wasn't like he could kill even if he wanted to and most of the others on this island stood more than a fighting chance against him.

Hawley had since moved back into the shade of the house when footsteps, and voices once again brought him glancing about from where he had been looking over his map which rested against the floor before him, pen in hand as he scribbled notes and such about the paper. On the back having made notes of which he remembered who had died these two days, how they had died and in some cases who killed them.

He found himself blinking lightly at the girl who stood in the doorway, he wondering to why she’d just up and walk in without a being ready to attack or be attacked. Picking up the discarded pistol he had placed beside him, he lifted it aiming toward the girl. Though as he thought over the voices he had heard before, he found himself pointing it to the girl for a moment before dropping his aim and sighing.

Placing the gun back against the ground he returned to working on his map, frowning lightly. He didn’t quite like the fact that there could be more people coming… if the group got to large they would be a walking target range for anyone to go crazy on. Raking fingers through his hair he decided on keeping his mouth shut, at least till Adam got back.

Madelaine flinched slightly when a figure, resting in the shadow of the house lifted the gun, aiming at her. (That would be the third time in one day...I had better get used to this soon.) She felt her body tense up again, until she heard a half-hearted sigh from the figure, who dropped his arm, releasing the gun onto the floor.

She raised her eyebrows curiously, though cautiously at the boy absorbed with the map, who possessed a tall, lanky frame. Underneath the shade of the house, she couldn't quite make out his features, but Madelaine was certain that she and this person had never met.

She surveyed the inside of the house, leaning a hand against the doorway. From what she could see, there were two other people inside. One was practically a giant of a figure, with large and muscular frame that seemed intimidating. The other, who seemed an average-looking boy, looked as though he posed less of a threat.

The silence stretched uncomfortably, and by now Madelaine was having the idea that she might not be welcome here, even if Adam accepted her. After all, given the circumstances, trust could mean death.

Still, she felt as though she'd ought to be polite. Stepping back slightly from the doorway, she cleared her throat. "I'm a recent transfer, so I don't suppose we've met..." It had occurred to her that the fact that she was a transfer was something they could care less about, but for the sake of introductions, she thought better to mention it. "Adam is with you guys, right? Just so you know, I'm not playing this game."

"That said...Is it alright if I come in?"

Two-toned eyes once again turned upward on the girl when she begun talking, eyeing her lightly through his glasses. Having not remembered seeing her at the school he figured she was a thrown in on the island from a random school – like Marcus, but it seemed she had been amongst the Barry Coleson kids that were on the plane when the terrorist took control of it.

Her making mention of Adam just proved his thoughts and at her question to come in, he simply shrugged. “Suppose if Adam trusts you… We can’t have too much to say but I don’t care. Standing out there won’t do you any good anyway.” Hawley muttered, before leaning back into the wall he sat before. Pulling the map with him and folding it back up.

Glancing off to the other two whom currently occupied the room; Marcus didn’t seem to be showing in emotions outside his own thoughts. And River… well he also seemed to be occupied in his own thoughts but didn’t seem too happy to see the new girl.

Judging by his manner and tone of voice, Madelaine suspected that he was not exactly all too thrilled with the prospect of meeting a group of newcomers. Perhaps his moodiness came from the condition he was in, bandages and all... but there was no point in brooding over that.

Madelaine let out a sigh. Finally, a moment's peace, if only a brief one. Though she remained cautious and aloof among the presence of these three, she supposed it could be worse. After all, having a gun pointed at you three times in one day was probably the least of what was to happen to her within the next few days.

A shadow fell over Madelaine's face as it grew downcast. Once again, a sickening wave fell over her, chanting that horrible premonition of her fate over and over again. Death by the bullet in your head? Death by the blade in your throat? Or perhaps death at the hands of the friend you thought you could trust? Don't forget to smile, 'cause you're on camera...

She swallowed hard. She supposed that there were some disadvantages to having the fertile, imaginative mind of a writer.

She wobbled slightly, then quickly regained her composure, stepping at last into the safety of the indoors and slinking against the wall onto the floor, next to the doorway. She was careful to keep her distance from the other three inside the house, eyeing them each cautiously.

Somehow, her hand had mechanically found its way into her pocket. She looked to her side, pulling out her journal, with the pen tucked against the cover. Smiling, she felt comforted as she flipped through it. Pages over pages of musings in faded pencil markings danced from right to left. She stopped at the first blank page she saw.

It was then that she narrowed her eyes, suddenly troubled. On the left side of her diary, there was a whole pile of filled of pages. To the right, there were only a few sparse empty pages left. She was running out of writing space.

She bit her lip, feeling slightly unsettled at this discovery. Though she immedately took out her pen and began writing in an extra-fine script, the discovery continued to nag at her in her mind.

~~Diary entry: Day 1 continued

So this madness continues on without end, as I feel a crack running through myself. It feels as though the bullets that were meant for another had somehow passed through me, leaving behind invisible marks.

Not a single drop of blood has left my body thus far, yet an unseen splinter buried deep in my chest continues to wound me inside.

Tape and glue may hold the fragments of a broken mirror together, but the scars will never fade. All that is left is a distorted image, a ruined sense of perspective formed by shards that draw blood. Become wounded, and then wound others in turn. Is this the mockery of a human, a grotesque caricature that I am to become?

At least, for the moment, I am able to find a small, fleeting moment of peace, knowing that there are people out there that I can trust. That knowledge alone may be the only thing preventing me from falling to shards, at least for the time being. To lose my sense of self in the near end...such is a fate worse than death.

From now on, I'll fight not to survive, but rather, simply to continue living...and in the end, give my life up for whatever it is worth, for the sake of myself. ~~

The pen in her hand trembled slightly as her arm sank, but still she breathed out in satisfaction. Silently, she leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.

Winning this game means nothing to me. I don't need to survive. All I want to do is to live.

As everyone seemed to head off in different directions, Amanda and Adam were left walking around the outside of the building. Adam was thankful to have his friend by his side - as a familiar face would give him something to keep fighting for. His spirit, while high in resolve and with an almost endless supply of energy was beginning to become resolute and a little broken, thanks to all of the near-death experiences that he'd recieved courtesy of those playing the game. Adam was not usually a negative person but he was beginning to think that it was a hopeless struggle to try and survive. But then - one of his FRIENDS, an honest-to-god FRIEND of his that he'd spoken with outside of this sick game had come along, and everything had suddenly changed.

Adam found all of the gears in his mind working again, thoughts going through his head at a million miles an hour. If he could find a way out, it would be perfect. If nobody else, he could save the seven of them. Of course, any plan would likely come at a cost, as there were supposed armed guards around. If nobody else, if he could save Amanda, himself, and Hawley, he figured that it would be okay. Those were the ones that he found himself closest to. He hadn't known Hawley through school but during the last few days he found himself growing closer to the misunderstood youth. It was a shame that Adam hadn't found himself knowing the guy in school, as maybe, JUST maybe, if he had found himself one friend, one person to hang out with and accept him for who he was - maybe things wouldn't have turned out the way that they did. Hell, maybe instead of on an island fighting for their lives, they would have decided to go on a seperate trip, maybe take off for Aruba or something. Could've been him, Amanda, Andrew, Pants, Alex, a couple of Amanda's girlfriends, and even Hawley. Then none of them would be in such a situation now.

Alas, there was no time to really look back and think 'what if?'. The fact was, that the time for action was now - not 'now' in a specific sense, but 'now' in a general sense. And now, as they walked into the area surrounding the house, now it just seemed at a standstill. A state, that Adam knew would undoubtedly not last for long.

---

There was so much going through Amanda's mind as everyone seemed to break off into their own little groups, that she had been almost silent for the past five to ten minutes. It wasn't that Amanda was a chatterbug. In fact, it was almost entirely the opposite. She put on a strong face in the midst of adversity, and much of the time found herself becoming almost monosyllabic. However, that wasn't all that Amanda had to her. She WAS a friendly person and she DID enjoy the company of other people. It was just that sometimes she couldn't help looking at things in a serious manner. She supposed that now was one of those times that occurred in most women's lives. Those times where they just got so crazy about a guy that reason and rationality all flew out the window. In Amanda's case, her loss of those items simply stupified her. She was overjoyed to have found the boy that she was basically in love with, but the hard part was now to come - telling him that.

It was funny in a way, that telling a boy how she felt should be difficult for her. She was honest and at times could be blunt, so telling people what she thought of them wasn't an uncommon occurance, and ordinarily it were as easy as pie. At this point, though...it seemed to be a near-impossibility. As they had conversed while walking around the building, she had, numerous times, tried to open herself up into a point in conversation that she could let it out, and just spill her feelings on the ground. She figured that it was a much better alternative than spilling blood on the ground. However, it sure didn't seem to be any easier. What made it even more difficult was how happy Adam had looked to see her. Perhaps it was just the fact that someone he knew had happened along to his hiding spot. Perhaps it was the fact that he knew they weren't enemies, but allies. It could be any number of things, and which of them; Amanda didn't know for certain.

I have to tell him, for my SANITY, before...before it's too late...but HOW!?

How was something that Amanda Jones was having a great deal of trouble with.

---

Adam's mind couldn't help but go back to the first time the two had met - that chance meeting outside of the audition for the school play. Hockey had kept him late, and he had made up some story for the director so that he would be able to keep his audition. As he got to it, he had met Amanda outside of the drama room. While he hadn't recognized her at first sight, nor after the subsequent times that they had hung around together, it was really after they became friends that he finally realized who she was. In fact, it was one day when they were hanging out in her den, watching television, when her father had come walking in, looking like he had in most every speeh Adam had seen on television. When Amanda had greeted her father, he had simply just gaped, causing Mr. Jones to look at him and make an absolutely dreadful joke. The two had gotten along ever since.

Adam found it odd that he got along well with the Vice President of the country. It was just odd that such a person would be such a normal kind of guy. Over the next few weeks, Adam had found himself conflicted. Something was happening, something that he had found had happened before, and very likely, would happen again. He was, little by little, falling for his new friend. Before long, it had worked its way up to crush, around the middle of grade nine. Adam, however, had done nothing. He had bad experiences, as far as girls were concerned, especially with falling for his friends. The last time it had happened, Adam had been awfully hurt and had lost a good friend out of it. It was an experience he hadn't wanted to have again. As such, he had buried his feelings deep down inside, and simply concentrated on being friends with the girl, and that was where it had stayed since. He had never told her, and she had never found out about it, which was the way he wanted it. They had become too close of friends to have something stupid like a high-school crush ruin their friendship...

...no matter how real it seemed.

He dismissed the thoughts. That had been then, and though the feelings were still buried deep within himself, he had decided never to pursue them. That would be foolish, and the hurt that he had faced in the past months was simply not worth yet another dose of it. The issues with his brother had erected invisible walls within him, causing him to contain his deepest thoughts, his deepest fears, his secrets, and his hidden desires. Adam was a friendly person by nature, and liked to think that his life was an open book, but the true fact of the matter was that he still had so much that he contained within the vault of himself. He had a vault full of gold, but had gone and thrown away the key...

---

But in the end, who knew? Would it even matter anyways? Suppose she told him how she felt. Suppose he revealed similar feelings. Would it even really matter in the end? If they were all supposed to die here, on this island to which there was no escape, would it even matter? If she died she wouldn't be around to regret having said something or not. She simply wouldn't be around to enjoy being in a relationship or not. So would it truly matter?

Amanda thought about it some more. She had hoped that by finding Adam she would be hit with an unbridled optimism. Which she had been...for a short while. It was now, however, that the reality of the situation was beginning to set in. Were they all really going to die here, away from their parents and loved ones, away from all that they held dear? The thought brought a tear to her eye, which she quickly wiped away, hoping that Adam wouldn't noticed as he talked about some meaningless topic which the both of them knew didn't mean, in this time, place, or context, dick all.

But what was the point of not saying anything? If she got out, and Adam did not...she would always regret having not said a thing. That was the flip-side. Everyone was supposed to die - that was what would happen if you listened to Mr. Danya. There was supposedly no hope. But what if they got off? What if her father found them, and saved them all? She could have a life with him, she could be together with him...

God damnit.

Nothing was ever easy, was it?

---

The two walked around the house, having an idle discussion that seemed to be punctuated by the fact that both of their minds were clearly elsewhere. It was during one of the long silences that neither seemed to notice that Amanda came out of her internal struggle, finally noticing the elongated silence in conversation. There was such awkwardness here, that she could feel. She wondered what was on Adam's mind. She touched his hand, and snapped him back into reality. Being yanked out of his thoughts, he too, noticed the silence, and the awkwardness of the conversation. He turned to look at her, and shrugged, the vulnerability in his voice clear.

"So...?"

She looked back at him, and saw the look in his eyes...that look... She had seen it several times before, but it had abruptly disappeared. She didn't know what it meant. But she wanted to.

"So...?"

She responded in somewhat of an echo, staring at him the whole while. She would have given all of the money in the world, given her machete, given all of her water just to know what he was thinking at that exact moment.

And somehow, she wondered if she ever would.

Hawley watched the girl’s movement lightly as she moved into the house, though not that far… as she stopped only a foot or so in before taking a seat near the door, producing a small book from a pocket and had begun writing. Glancing off to his side before allowing another sigh to pass his lips as he pushed himself onto his feet.

This house was growing stuffy again, and now that he actually got to chance to sit and rest he felt as though he couldn’t. As his mind was still racing with thoughts of what was going to happen now… and in the future. Could they get off this island? Was there even a way off the island? How long intill the next psycho showed himself? How many more people would want to come for revenge?

Pressing a hand to his forehead, he gently messaged an area of skin trying to clam the thoughts. If he continued on this way it would just prove fatal in the end, moving forward he pushed past the girl near the door only lightly glancing to her before continuing moving outside the door. Moving into a sitting position a short distance from the door, as he lightly leaned back breathing in somewhat.

None of these things where good to think about… He supposed inside he should just think of better things, and that in the end everything would be okay. But he just couldn’t he continued finding all good thoughts fading into darker ones, he just keep up the fake façade of everything being okay when indeed things weren’t.

People were dying by the hour; in the last announcement eight had been killed… but by now who knew how many. He only knew of two, Alan and the one girl in the coppice. But who knew how many others had met their ends at the hands of those they had shared a class with, or in some cases didn’t even know… or in worse cases by those who they thought to be a friend.

Shaking his head, he lifted his hand removing his glasses from his face, as he went about wiping them on the end of his shirt. Glancing off over his shoulder back toward the house, “So seeing that I suppose we’re probably going to be allies, would it be much if I asked you your name?”

Madelaine awoke from her stupor, noticing Hawley as he moved towards her, only to brush past and come to a stop, resting just outside the door. She eyed his movements cautiously as she quickly snapped her diary shut and concealed it safely inside her pocket (it WAS, after all, a diary.).

She didn't expect for him to speak out, addressing her. She looked up in surprise, looking him over. He had a darkened expression on his pale face, probably due to the strain over the last few days. Madelaine could only imagine the least of what this person has been through.

Allies? she thought to herself, deliberating for a few moments. Is an alliance even possible to keep together in a game like this...? An alliance meant absolute trust, which seemed barely relevant now, belittled to a trivial, yet dangerous concept. Yet still...

Focusing her attention back at him, she gave him a smile that was small and hesitant, yet amiable.

"No, not at all. It's Madelaine Shirohara," she told him. "I came here with David and Amanda. She really wanted to find Adam, you know? I guess those two are one of the lucky ones..." She looked away for a moment in silent contemplation before abruptly turning to face Hawley again.

"Anyways..." she went on. "I've only transferred to Barry Coleson High, so I don't remember seeing you around before. What is your name?"