In the weeks to follow the revival of Ferrow, the two had fallen into a respectable schedule. The two would wake to Ferrow making breakfast, Jackii would read the newspaper and discuss it with her during it. After that Jackii would go down into his lab for the remainder of the morning, coming out to make lunch and eat it with Ferrow before retiring back to the lab until nightfall. Ferrow would entertain herself with painting on the old easel Jackii had gotten as a present as a kid years ago and hadn't had the heart to dispose of, either that or people watching through the large tinted windows in the living area. They lived in a good-sized penthouse in the Eurosia prefecture, having a perfect view of the goings and comings of the citizens. Ferrow had been witness to multiple things that have made her glad she chose to drop her questions weeks ago. The ones about if Jackii would let her leave. She knew now she wouldn't have survived a second out there alone. Hell, one look would've had her running back inside.
The two had gotten close, not enough to consider themselves dating, but close friends. He was her only friend and the only person she had interacted with so that wasn't saying much. She didn't know why he didn't want her to leave the apartment, Harvestbe it had to do with the fact that the last time she left alone she died? Either way, she was forbidden from leaving and if they needed groceries or if he needed new supplies he’d go and retrieve them.
It started off as a normal day, the pair had just finished breakfast and were seated at the table, discussing what Jackii had read in today’s newspaper.
“Fucking hell,” Jackii grumbled, leaning in closer to the paper to read it better. Ferrow noticed a while ago that he had bad eyesight, though she never brought it up because she assumed it was a sore spot. He was also her host and she didn't want to give him a reason to kick her out. “The maniacs just torched another school.” He shook his head, though he didn't show much outward concern beyond that.
Ferrow gasped at what he had said, getting out of her seat and going over to his side of the table so she could read what he was talking about. She leaned over his shoulder, scanning the page for the mentioned section about arson and schools. Once she found it, she felt her eyes begin to water from what she was reading.
Yesterday, a group of about seven people stormed a school and doused it with gasoline, burning it to the ground and dancing around the flames. It didn't say if anyone was in the school during the incident but it didn't matter. The fact that there is a possibility a child could've gotten hurt or killed didn't sit right with her.
Based on the last few newspapers Jackii had read in the previous week or so, it was made apparent that there was a group of people who didn't take kindly to the fact that the chancellor of Eurasia began the process of integrating schools into the prefecture. Radicalists thought it was idiotic and a waste of time. Why worry about public education if the only necessary knowledge was how to scavenge, loot, and fight? Ferrow knew from her spotty memory and from Jackii that there wasn't really any order in the world, in any of them for that matter. Sure there was a government system but it was mainly there for show. They did nothing to stop the murders in broad daylight or the looting. There were no laws, even if the government made any they wouldn't be followed. Life had gone on for far too long without any order for any rules to stick.
“Who would do such a thing?” Ferrow asked out loud, wiping a stray tear from her eye. Jackii turned to face her now that he heard the tone of her voice, his gold eyes widening at the sight of her expression.
“You’re really not crying about this.” He rolled his eyes, saying it as a statement. His lips were curled into a smug grin as if she told a great big joke. Ferrow gaped at his sudden statement, furrowing her brows in confusion and slight anger.
“Yes, I’m crying about this.” She punched out her words, articulating her growing anger at him. “Why aren't you as concerned as me? Kids could've died!” She motioned towards the newspaper, tapping against the grainy image of the school up in flames urgently.
“Ferrow, you need to realise that you're the only one with a mindset like that,” He explained bluntly, his grin gone from his face and replaced with exasperation as if explaining this to her was a toll. “If it doesn't affect you, it doesn't matter. That’s the way everyone lives nowadays.” He placed the newspaper flat against the table, turning in his seat to look at Ferrow with a raised eyebrow, daring her to respond.
Ferrow was at a loss for words. She was gobsmacked, her mouth open and practically touching the floor in shock. She couldn't help but rethink everything she thought she knew about Jackii. Couldn't help but rethink even considering him her friend. How could he say that knowing that young innocent kids could've died? How could he look at her as if she was the crazy one, as if being worried about others was unheard of? She didn't care how the others acted, she didn't care what they thought. The only person’s opinion that mattered to her was Jackii, and now she doesn't even know what to think.
“Wha-Why are you doing this? Picking a fight with me?” Ferrow clutched the ends of her shirt, her fists shaking due to how tight they were clenched. Her doe eyes looked into his golden ones, searching for any hesitance, any guilt only to find nothing. Only anger. Her blood went cold at the sight and she took a hesitant step back.
“What ever do you mean?” He rolled his eyes obnoxiously before turning back to the newspaper and closing it, folding it under his arm as he stood to his feet. As soon as he stood up the vibe of the room changed, Ferrow took another step back when she was reminded of the size difference between them. He shoulder-checked her, almost sending her to the ground as he moved towards the entrance to his lab. He chuckled to himself, his stride long and confident.
“What the fuck is your deal?!” Ferrow even shocked herself from her volume. She flinched when he turned back to face her, expression dark. She didn't let that distract her from the dismissive way Jackii was acting. “You can't just do that and walk away!” She yelled, standing her ground at the table. She didn't dare move forward, in fear that he’d retaliate and it'd lead to a physical altercation. She knew she was weaker than him, even with the power of her Tōqen she wouldn't stand a chance.
“This is my apartment, Ferrow. I can do what I want.” He spoke in a joking matter but his face remained tense. His brows were furrowed and he looked like he was steaming with anger. Ferrow didn't know why he was so angry at her, she had done nothing to anger him. But then again, did she truly even know him well enough in the first place? Her head began to hurt from the amount of thoughts popping up in her head, causing her to wince and place a palm over her forehead.
“Ferrow must’ve been blinder than you for you to somehow convince her to be your girlfriend. You’re an asshole.” She spat, her tone venomous. She knew it was a mistake as soon as it left her lips but didn't dare take it back. She meant every word.
“What did you say?” He nearly growled out, his face turning red from anger. His sharp needle-like teeth were bared, his lips pulled back to reveal dark gums.
Ferrow opened the compact on her Tōqen and stared at herself in the mirror. The features Jackii spoke of checked out.
“I said, Fer-” Ferrow didn't get to finish her word before she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen that sent her slamming into the table behind her, drawing out a scream from her lips as her back hit the corner oddly. She leaned against the table, panting desperately for air. Her eyes looked up to find Jackii standing over her, his expression full of rage. His mouth. It seemed to stretch and warp. She couldnt tell if it was due to being disoriented from the hit but the lines of his mouth appeared to have elongated up the curve of his cheekbones, giving him an eldritch look.
“HOW DARE YOU?!” He roared, spit flying from his maw. His jaw stretched wider due to the longer mouth, giving Ferrow a good view of the three rows of teeth he had. She whimpered, scrambling to back up and pitifully realizing she was leaning up against the table. She was too winded to run away to escape him. She was also deathly afraid of what he was going to do to her.
“D-don’t!” She stammered, holding her arms up in front of her to protect herself. Her eyes flickered from his impending form to his mouth and then up to his eyes, trying to gauge what he was going to do.
“Don't!” He mocked, raising the pitch of his voice. He lunged at her, grabbing a handful of her curly hair and pulling her towards him until he was all up in her face. “You really must think this is a fucking joke, huh?!” He shook her violently, laughing and taking pleasure from her babbling as she tried to free herself. “I did all of this, worked so fucking hard and you do this shit?!” He wasn't making sense at all, Ferrow was beyond confused but didn't dare speak up for fear of him hurting her even more. “I swear to fucking god I do not want to start over a third time!” He snarled at her before he pushed her back, causing her to land on the table.
Ferrow stilled, her mind racing at what he just said. She didn't want to take the ramblings of a madman literal, especially when her life was on the line but what he said made her blood turn cold. It made her head begin pounding. There was no way that’s what he meant, right? He was just rambling, just spouting bullshit. But it made too much sense, she solemnly realized.
“With a growl, she shook her mind from those thoughts and focused on her survival. She quickly scooted as far away from him as she could, her hands grasping wildly in the air as she tried to will her Tōqen into existence. Her sheer fear had prevented her from thinking straight, from equipping the only chance she had of making it out of this alive. Reasoning with him wasn't possible, she realized. The only option was to fight or die trying.
“Quit running away from me, Ferrow.” He slammed his fists onto the table beside her, his pupils blown to the point his eyes looked fully black. She flinched, swinging her fist in blind fear at him. It was weak and it didn't even touch him since he grabbed it tightly and dragged her over to him.
“NO!” She screamed, kicking wildly at him as she struggled in his vice grip. Her eyes were clenched shut, blocking out his monstrous form from her view. In her wild struggle, she heard the sound of something falling onto the table. She quickly opened her eyes, finding her Tōqen lying on the table beside her. She reached for it, only to be dragged out of range of it and forced off the table. He had released her arm, sending her tumbling to the floor as he quickly took her Tōqen into his hand, laughing at her. She met the floor with a cry, rolling to her side to try and get up only to feel a heel slam into her back, knocking her right back down.
“Are you going to be a good girl, Ferrow?” He suddenly asked, his foot still on her back. She looked over her shoulder at him, panting in fear and exertion. The light above him cast his features in shadow, his white teeth and glossy eyes the main thing visible. Her beloved Tōqen was clenched in his fist, he was patting it against his palm as if it was a baseball bat, as if he was going to bludgeon her with it. Ferrow didn't put the thought past him, tensing up in fear. She didn't know him anymore. She didn't know what he was capable of.
Ferrow tried to get out from under his foot, causing him to dig it further into her spine and drawing out a yelp from her. Her fingers clawed at the floorboards beneath her, grasping desperately at nothing. Her mind raced, guided by fear and desperation as she struggled like a rat in a glue trap.
“Are you gonna be a good girl?” He asked again, putting more weight into his foot on her back. Ferrow clenched her eyes shut until she saw stars, biting her lip and drawing blood. The pain was intense, like nothing she ever felt before. Hot and searing against her spine. She felt like he had broken it, but from the twitching of her legs, she knew he thankfully hadn't. Not yet.
Why was he suddenly torturing her? Why was he so fucking angry? Ferrow was lost, her mind scrambling for an explanation. They were just seated at the table, eating breakfast and bantering. He was so kind to her, smiling at her, complimenting her cooking. It almost didn't seem real, his sudden switch in personality. Was this him all along? Was this some ploy to get her to let her guard down? She didn't know.
And this is where I say this book isn't finished... Also I will most likely rewrite it to all hell, the lore stuff is outdated. I hadn't thought out certain stuff, and I'm kinda unhappy about how it began so uh yeah. I'll still keep it up though.