Survival Of The Fittest

Do you know what kind of history mankind is known for up to the present?

"Disgusting brat!! You're nothing but a waste of time and money! Stop crying right now!"

The history of humans is simply an account of massacre after massacre.

"Do you know how much we've spent to keep your sickly hide alive?"

Even now, people are still killing one another out of their own greed and beliefs.

"If we'd known any better, we would have let you die!"

Even now, in this supposed time of peace, where we preach eachother about things like human rights and justice...

"Awww, poor thing. We made her cry again? If you'd kept your mouth shut, we would have been a little nicer. We might have been friends

Humans continue to hurt, and abuse, and exploit, and kill others...

"Do you know why I'm doing this to you? Do you? It's all your fault. You deserve this...this is punishment."

Blood is inevitable...

"Friends against friends...kill or be killed. Yada yada. Whatever you want to put it. The Japanese had a neat little slogan like: 'Could you kill your best friend?' Now, you tell me if you all could do that."

But its not a sin or anything....its just something that can't be helped anymore.

"Now, if you can't, be sure that your best friend probably could kill you. Some people get lost in it all. Don't feel remorse."

Humans underestimate their own capabilities at times. Wouldn't you agree?

~~~

Up until this point, Daphne had simply drifted about the island on her own, keeping safely hidden whenever someone passed-by It worked quite well, especially since she had never stood out of the crowd to begin with. Back at home, people rarely ever noticed her. For the most part, they let it be, except for the certain few who somehow found it so hard not to pick on her.

This island was no different. All she had to do was keep herself hidden, remain still, and wait. Thanks to her small form and plain looks, she managed to avoid any sort of confrontation completely.

But it was tiring. Life itself was tiring. Everything about it was tiring. Furthermore, to be honest, Daphne didn't see the point, if no one was about to notice her anyways. The only people who were ever interested in her only treated her like an object. Not even an insect, that could at least feel pain for all its insignificant existance.

Becoming rather tired of hiding, (she was tired of everything, actually) she decided to pass the time simply by crouching low onto the ground, not caring whether her clothes became stained...

Her eyes fell down towards her designated weapon, which she now held in her hand.

It was an odd feeling, holding a paring knife that seemed to be the exact same model and shape of the one she had used to kill that bully from school, as well as her parents. The grip fit her hand perfectly as a glove might. Its weight and size suited her, for she was familiar with it. It was as though she had come accross an old friend.

She looked it over from various angles thoughtfully, then carefully placed it back inside her kit, sitting back to stare at the pattern of faded light reflected from the sheet of the waterfall. Her crouched figure was small and childlike, as were her facial features. At a distance, she seemed a harmless, innocent figure. But the faded bruises and scars along her face, neck, arms, and ankles indicated that before this 'trip', she had been through more than even most adults in the world.

((Continued from: Starting: B27))

Callum had been creeping around the island. He had been proud of that, his stealth. So far it had worked for him- he had run into nobody, but that was both a blessing and a curse. Although he had avoided any serial killer wannabes that would be wandering around, he had similarly made little progress on finding the mysterious girl.

He'd named her Beth. She seemed like a Beth. Beth suited her. He wasn't sure how, but it made him feel better to be able to think of her as having a name. It made his quest somewhat more personal.

Beth, where are you? I want to help you...

He quickly glanced around. A waterfall, great. Well, there didn't appear to be anyone here. Guess it was time to really think about what he was doing. He could find out what was in this rucksack of his. It had been bugging him since he had realised he was wearing one, whilst making his journey here, but he was too anxious to stop, not then, anyway. Now he could collect his thoughts.

He sat down on a nearby rock, and rummaged through his bag. A map? That could come in handy. He unfolded it, and quickly scanned his eyes over it. Well, it appeared they were on an island. At least he wouldn't be looking forever...

He delved further, and his hands came across something round, smooth... he took it out to examine. It was a small bottle, labelled "Potassium Cyanide". Callum was no Chemistry expert, but he knew this stuff was pretty lethal...

I don't want to have to use this. I'm not here to kill... I'm just here to save Beth.

Deep in his thoughts, he stared at the brass knuckles he had put on his hands. Hopefully these would be enough to keep people away. He wasn't here to kill, he was here to protect.

He was abruptly shaken out of his thoughts by a voice. "Hey, kiddo."

Callum looked up quickly, his fist slightly raised, just in case. Oh, it was just Skip. Skip was Callum's best friend. They shared the same taste in music, had the same views on life, thought the same girls were hot... Whenever Callum was lost, Skip would help him out.

Callum smiled. "Hey, Skip. Long time, no see. Where've you been?"
Skip winked. "Oh, you know me. Around, everywhere..."
Callum looked off into the waterfall, while Skip watched him.
"I hear you're looking for someone,"
Callum nodded. "Beth," he said. "She's in trouble. She needs me..."
Skip smiled more warmly. "Good luck with that."

The pair sat together, staring out into the waterfall. It really was a beautiful waterfall... Skip turned to Callum.

"Listen, kiddo, I may not be around much these days."
Callum looked at Skip in dismay. "Why? You're going somewhere?"
Skip smiled. He always seemed to smile. "No. I just think you'll be a bit too busy for me-"

Skip vanished as Callum's attention was focused on something else. A noise. He was sure he heard a noise...

Daphne had almost overlooked the newcomer completely as he arrived in the area. Upon seeing, and hearing the boy, Daphne frantically looked around for a suitable place to hide herself. Spying a nearby thicket of dead leaves and branches, she quickly crawled over behind it, dragging her kit behind her, holding the paring knife with one hand.

Settling herself in her new hiding place, she observed the boy from a safe, listening and watching distance. It did not seem that he had seen her, for now he settled himself to sort through the kit. Daphne watched cautiously, keeping an eye out for a weapon of sorts.

She caught the glimpse of a bottle, wondering what it was...but oddly enough, the boy had not found any other weapon.

Daphne nearly jumped in fright when he suddenly spoke out, thinking that he had seen her. She froze in place as he continued talking, to no one in particular it seemed. She looked around...there did not seem to be anyone else around....was the boy talking to himself? Impossible...he was addressing someone by the name of Skip. An imaginary friend? Ridiculous...

Deciding to leave the scene quietly, she quickly backed away. Underneath her marked knees, dead leaves and twigs rustled and snapped, letting out a distinct noise. She covered her mouth in fright, cursing inwardly, freezing in place to refrain from producing more noise. She watched and waited to see if the boy had heard her...

Callum was sure he heard something. He stood up now, ready to confront (and, if needs be, fight) whoever was there. Looking around, it would appear that no one was there, but then again, Callum thought, it wouldn't be like people would just walk around in the open in a situation like this.

He tried to locate where the noise had come from. Crouching ever so slightly, he looked keenly in the area it had seemed to echo from. But still, nothing. This guy was good at hiding, whoever they were.

Feeling he might as well give talking a shot, Callum called out, "Look... I know there's someone there. Could you come out, please? I'm not going to hurt you if you don't hurt me..."

He tightened his fists, brass knuckles at the ready.

Just in case.

So it turns out that he had heard her after all. Daphne trembled in fright, and at the same time uttered silent curses to herself. With shaking hands, she clutched the handle of her paring knife with both hands as she began deliberating on what to do.

It would not seem that the boy had figured out that she was hidden behind the dead bush. But now he was telling her to come out. He was telling her that as long as she did not hurt him, he would not hurt her.

Yeah, right...she thought to herself bitterly. All I have to do is be in punching range and there goes my skull.

Then again...brass knuckles versus a paring knife...perhaps she stood a chance, in case the boy tried something...

Maybe the boy was not so hostile....but really, she cared not a trifle either way. Slowly standing up, she brushed away the dead leaves from her grey shorts and dark pink hoodie, revealing herself as she made her way in front of the bush. She still held her knife, keeping it hidden behind her.

She remained passive, not at all self-conscious about the bruises and scars that marked her face, neck, and legs. Her face, though harmless-looking and childish, put on her usual emotionless, passive, Devil-may-care expression. She gazed calmly at Callum and said to him simply in a quiet voice.

"I don't believe you."

She said this without any trace of contempt or scorn. It was as though she were merely stating a fact, with little emotion behind it.

Callum was a little surprised to see a small girl jump up, even more surprised to see her covered in bruises and scars. The battle had obviously taken it's toll on her already... or maybe these were other kinds of battles. He eyed her cautiously, she didn't appear to have a weapon of any sorts. OK, so he could more or less relax around her.

"Really, I'm not," Callum emphasised, brushing some of his wipsy hair away from his face. "I'm just looking for... for this girl. Her name's Beth." He stated this as if he'd known it all his life.

"She's about... well, I don't know how tall she is. Or what she looks like, really." He trailed off, feeling kind of sheepish.

He felt it really would be too much to ask this girl, who obviously didn't feel in any mood for chit chat, if she had seen Beth, so he nodded.

"Well, I'd best be off then..." he began to back away from the girl. She seemed strangely emotionless, her eyes were blank, her voice was plain and monotonous... there was something about her that Callum didn't like...

Daphne's face remained blank as she continued to gaze at him with a dead stare, her eyes never leaving his. She watched with a rather apathetic expression on her face as he slowly backed away. Perhaps she was scaring him away? That was fine...people usually did that, especially once they heard of what she did, just over a year or two ago...as well as what had happened before that.

She pouted her lips slightly and mumbled in a low, sullen voice, "That's alright. I don't want any trouble anyways..."

Actually, she did not care either way. Just as nobody tried to kill her...well, she hardly cared what happened to her.

"If you're looking for someone in a place like this, don't bother...she's probably dead anyways," she said, rather callously.

Callum turned his back and began to leave. This girl really was quite zombie like, she was unnerving. He was about to leave the girl behind (hopefully forever, he thought,) when he heard her say quietly;

"...don't bother...she's probably dead anyways..."

He stopped at this, and turned back to face this girl. What did she know? Beth wasn't dead.

"She's not dead. I know that, because I'm going to be the one that saves her." He looked at her right in the eyes. It was like they were dead... it was chilling. He couldn't stay here much longer.

"If you see her, tell her I'm looking for her, please."

And with that, he turned and left the girl standing there.

((Continued at Makeshift Hospital- Girl #30, Awakening- http://s10.PLACEHOLDERLINK/SurvivalOfTheF...p?showtopic=296))