June 2021 - A New Arrival?

[staymods]

A New Arrival?

For the last two months, arrivals in the settlement have all been the same. First an Otherworlder is picked up by the Finnish government, then they are quarantined and questioned, and finally they are brought to the island. There has been no variance to the pattern, and the familiarity of it gives life in the settlement a kind of rhythm to live by.

Or at least, it did. Up until today.

Because at some point in the early afternoon, the air around the settlement shifts. For a few seconds, anyone outside will feel the hairs stand up on their skin, not unlike a static charge. Then there is a, audible snap, the feeling abruptly disappears, and all returns back to normal.

Except for one important detail: there is now another person in the settlement, standing on the sandy, treeless banks of Snake Island.

Comments

[maidofmistakes]

Yeah! I mean, I'm just in training to be a superhero, but by this point, I think I could call myself one. We have done more than the average amount of world-saving before graduation. [She laughs awkwardly.] I'm Supergirl! I know it's kind of silly, but it was already picked for me when I got there. What's your name?

[ghoulserrand]

[His hands go to his hips, head tilting slightly as though genuinely impressed. In truth, he's still kind of amazed. And still half-convinced this is some kind of wild hallucination.]

No, no... it's good... it's cool. [His arms drop at his sides. He takes a moment, looking off to the side as he tries to think. Again, he curses his old stupidity, blotting out a name that might have given him certainty.]

...Teo... I think. [His arms fold in front of his chest.] My... memory is... not good.

[maidofmistakes]

[She looks concerned, but nods.] Teo? I'll remember that. Nice to meet you! Even if it's not really nice to be stuck here, but at least we're all working to make it bearable for everyone.

[ghoulserrand]

[She can't see him smile, and he's fairly she wouldn't want to if she could, but he does.]

Doesn't seem so bad... so far... Nice to see... living people again... It's been a long time.

[maidofmistakes]

You must've been someplace dangerous... Don't worry! Most of the people here are nice. You'll probably get along well with them.

[ghoulserrand]

Zombie apocalypse... living people... get scared... [And frightened people lashed out. He couldn't blame them.] But... that sounds really good... Where does... everyone live?

[maidofmistakes]

The houses in town are all burned out, and we're going to have to rebuild them. So until then, everyone's been sleeping in the Town Hall. It's down that way. There's not much electricity or running water in town, so just letting you know in case you were used to that.

[ghoulserrand]

Hah... Nope... not much like that anymore... [Only the rare light in the city and likely less on the water front. He pauses, then hums.] You must miss it all.

[maidofmistakes]

Yeah... I miss a lot of things. [She looks up at the sky before shaking her head.] But it's okay. We just have to fix this place up and get used to it until they can figure out how to send us back.

[ghoulserrand]

[She says it's okay. He has a feeling that it's not. He debates with himself. He doesn't know the words to say. He doesn't know a lot.]

Would it... help... to talk? What's looked forward to... maybe...

[maidofmistakes]

Looked forward to? Well... we have sheep for the farm now, and we've cleared out the farmland for crops and things. If we can get ourselves making our own food and clothes and stuff, that'll be less things we're depending on the mainland to bring us.

[ghoulserrand]

[He laughs. The sound, even soft as it is, is not entirely pleasant. It's just as raspy as his voice.]

There's that... kind of cool... to be a farmer... but... I mean home... what's to look forward to... at home.