3Grounded, can't get online. :)
"I want you to have this."
Vince opened his hand to view a beautiful diamond. It sparkled like the ocean as it moved to this gorgeous sunset. He gently handed it into Maria's hand. She held it softly and enjoyed its beauty. It was hard for her to let go to brush her chocolate brown hair out of her face.
Venice, Italy
1529
Connection… 2055 Disaster
"Where did you get this?" Maria asked with her voice hushed as she moved closer to him.
"My father, he found it," Vince hesitated. "Well, this was part of it. There wasn't much to it."
"And he gave it to you?" Maria questioned.
Vince looked away. His olive eyes closed as he turned toward the sea.
"You stole it?" Maria faltered.
She tried to force it back into his hands. "I wouldn't feel right taking this."
"I wouldn't feel right not giving it to you." Vince said. "If not for you, keep it for me. Please."
Maria's face softened. She looked at him, her amber eyes providing a warm feeling in Vince and everyone she looked at. "Alright. I'll keep it for you."
Vince smiled.
"I must confess," Maria stated. "I may have stolen too."
"May have?" Vince smirked.
"I did steal," Maria spoke. "But this will benefit you."
She reached into her pack and grabbed a book. The breeze pulled dust off of it and revealed its broken figure.
"My father can't understand the writing, and neither can I."
Vince opened it up. The writing wasn't familiar to him either. "I'll give this to my father."
Maria looked at the sun as it appeared to fall into the water. "I must go. If I'm not home soon my father will send a search party after me."
"Then we will hide together. They will never find us!" Vince smiled.
Maria stood up and pulled Vince with her. "I love you."
She kissed him. A feeling of happiness flushed over them. They felt as if they were standing on gold, alone and together just how they wanted it to always be. Their eyes shut in enjoyment as they felt the softness of each of their lips.
She pulled from him. "But I don't want to see your head over the fireplace. I don't love you that much."
They both smiled and Maria ran off.
"Father!" Vince shouted. "Father I've found something!"
Vince ran so fast he bumped into his father. A very tall thing with steel worker arms but still lean and healthy. He shared his son's olive eyes despite having a little bit of a lighter skin tone. Before him stood Lucio Architetto. Head of Venezia Crisis Protection. Founder of Venezia Crisis Protection.
"My son, what have you found?" He asked sternly.
"A book father. I can't decode wordings."
"I've taught you everything I know. If you can't decode them surely I can't." Lucio stated.
"Not everything. I'm am still a young man."
Lucio smiled and put his hand on his son's shoulder. "It is good you have learned to be humble. But you are fifteen, you are almost a man."
"Thank you father." Vince smiled.
"Where did you find this?"
"On the beach," Vince lied. "It was sticking out of the sand."
"Thank you my son. Get to bed, it is late. You must wake up early for school."
Vince nodded and headed to his room. Lucio went into his study and put on his glasses. The circular lense sparkled as he picked it up. He opened the book and looked at the words.
Most of everything was smudged. Ink blots all over page. Only a few words were indecipherable and confusing, and Lucio could only come across a couple of words.
2055…
Ruins…
US…
NATO…
England…
Italy…
France…
Japan…
China…
SAFE…
SAVE…
Zealand…
Rocket…
WAR!
Each word got more and more drastic. Lucio closed it and put it down. He would handle it in the morning.
"Finnick?" Kacie opened the door to her friend's room. "Finnick, are you up?"
Finnick was sitting on his bed in thought. His eyes closed covering his ocean blue eyes. He flipped his hair back, blonde strands falling down next to him.
"Yeah, Kacie. Come in."
Kacie sat next to him. "We have to go in a few hours."
Finnick slowly shook his head. "I know."
Kacie looked at him. She studied him, like she always did. Her eyes, gray as the moon in the sky, were in motion as she studied the slight redness on his check and forehead. She put her hand on it. "When was the last time you ate?"
"I don't know, sometime yesterday."
Kacie reached in her pocket and grabbed some bread. It was completely fresh but lukewarm for being in her pocket. She broke it in half and out poured deer meat. The smell of delight filled Finnick's nostrils.
"Where did you get this?"
Kacie shrugged. "Something Iggy and I whipped up."
Finnick grabbed the half she held out to him. He chewed and let the delectable taste spread across his taste buds.
"Thanks." Finnick said.
Kacie smiled. "No problem." She brushed her chestnut brown hair behind her ear. Happy to see Finnick happy.
"Better wake the troops." Finnick stated.
Kacie nodded still with a smile on her face.
Finnick walked out of the room and opened the door. He looked around at their environment. Trees scraping and ripping the sky mixed with trees knocked over to the ground. The whole place was full of green for leaves cascading over the fallen trees and random bushes and other plant life.
March 21st, 2055
Somewhere in North Dakota
Finnick walked over to their campsite. The first tent was Iggy's. It was a navy blue color and rather large. Under his feet Finnick heard a leaf crack.
Iggy crawled out of the tree. "Walk a little quieter."
"Damn you and your good hearing." Finnick smiled.
Iggy shrugged. "I'm the man who hears the deer that keeps you from dying of hunger. Did Kacie give you the bread?"
Finnick nodded. "It was good, thanks."
Iggy smiled back. He rubbed his hands through his long jet black hair. "I need a haircut."
"We've all been saying." Finnick spoke.
He walked over to the tent holding the youngest of their group. Eleven year old Judy.
"Wake up we have to leave." Finnick kicked her tent.
She jumped out of her tent with a knife in her hand. Her face right in Finnick's. "One more time, I'll cut that smirk off your face."
Finnick's smirk turned to a smile. "Good to see you too."
"Yeah, shut the hell up."
She walked over to the fire started for breakfast and sat next to Iggy. Even he scooted over a little, and he was fourteen.
"Here, it's fresh." Iggy ripped open a mango and handed it to her. Once she grabbed it he sucked the sweet juices off of his fingers.
After one bite she spit it out. "What the hell? Where did you get this?"
"Doesn't really matter, wherever I got it you wouldn't like it anyway." Iggy said.
She got up and messed up his hair. "You know me so well."
Finnick walked over to the pink tent. The entrance was nailed to the ground shut. He got suspicious and ripped it open. Inside was Sean cuddled with his girlfriend Madeline. Her long dirty blond-brown hair was almost covering him like a blanket. When the sun shined in his face, Sean's eyes almost matched with his green eyes and tiny spics of yellow in the middle.
"You know the rules." Finnick stated.
Sean removed Madeline's, who was still knocked out sleeping, arm from his waist. "Relax Finn; it wasn't like we did anything."
"Then what were you doing in there?" Finnick questioned.
"Maddie has nightmares alright." Sean put.
"No she doesn't!" Iggy shouted. "I know my sister, and she does not have nightmares."
Finn stared at Sean. In response, he leaned his head toward Finn. "I wouldn't lie to you man. I don't know what happened, but that raid last week. It got to her. I swear. I mean look at her," she pointed to the girl in the tent. She was still resting calmly even after Sean left. "When have you known her to miss breakfast?"
Finn sighed. "Just let me know in advance next time alright? No need for suspicion."
Sean nodded in thanks and rushed to the fire.
Finn walked to the final tent, skipping Madeline. He peeked inside and saw Hannah reading.
"Breakfast?" She looked up and asked.
Finn nodded. "Fruit and veggies just like you like."
Hannah smirked and threw her book down. Despite that she was the beauty queen of the group; she did not act like it. She was nose to the grindstone, as long as the grindstone didn't mess up her blond curls.
She got up with no hassle unlike the others. That is why, other than Kacie, she was Finn's favorite.
Hannah sat down by her best friend, Iggy. They were friends before the disaster and were traveling together when Finnick and Kacie found them.
She looked at the food Iggy was eating and chuckled. "Carnivore."
Iggy stabbed the deer meat and put it in front of Hannah's face. "You won't even try some?"
She grabbed a piece of celery and put it in front of his face. "That's the equivalent of me forcing you to eat this." She then brought it back and took a big bite.
Iggy faked puking. "I see your point then." He then brought the deer meat back to him and took a bite.
"I'm going to get Kacie." Finnick stated and walked back into the house.
The old door creaked as he opened it. It was unknown who owned it but it was obviously made a while ago. The wood was old and cracked and clearly changed colors about ten times. But having Prize out in the open was too much of a risk.
He looked for Kacie who he found trying to open the case holding Prize. "Problem?"
"You locked it really well." Kacie smiled.
"Can't take any chances." Finnick walked toward the case. He looked at the locking pad and the numbers running around it. He brought his arm up and elbowed it off. The case flew open and revealed Prize. The book. The key to changing the disaster. He got it open and red through the contents for the twentieth time.
2055…
Ruins…
US…
NATO…
Still the same. He motioned Kacie outside with him when he went to speak to the others.
When they got out everyone was still eating their food calmly. He sat and saved a seat for Kacie on his log.
"Alright guys, mission is still the same. We've been out for about," he pointed to Hannah, also the time keeper.
"Two months." She spoke.
"Correct. We're somewhere in North Dakota now. There is a town in Boston that will give rides across the pond. From there we will be in Europe. Who knows what it is probably like now. England is the only safe house from there. We can drop of Prize here, and they will sail it to New Zealand. Then we can relax in England till we die."
They all nodded. Same speech every day. But every time there was something different.
"We had a raid last week," Finnick started.
Here was the difference.
"The raid, we had some deaths on the other side. It is imperative that we move on. It is hard to survive out here, some people have to die. But it won't be us. Not on my watch. Still, let's take a moment for their side."
Everyone silenced. They thought about whom they killed, friends, family. It was harsh. Too much bloodshed. They all raised their heads and saw Madeline next to Sean.
"Thanks guys." Madeline said in her soft tone.
Sean hugged her tightly.
"Alright guys, we have a long way to go. Let's move."
Night. :)