14056
Blue Sparx
Gems: 585
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#40 Posted: 03:15:39 03/02/2015 | Topic Creator
Chapter 7 – The Tour
A couple hours later, when the walls had reopened, Blades sat at a worn, tilted picnic table outside the Homeshack. All he could think about was the hordes of monsters, what their purpose could be, what they did out there during the night. What would it be like to be ambushed by an ice ogre or a pack of chompies. He tried to get the image out of his head, think of something else. The Runners. They’d just left without saying a word to anybody, bolting into the Maze and disappearing around corners. But, try as he might, he couldn’t get the thought of the monsters out of his head. Just then, a tap on the shoulder jarred him from his thoughts, and he looked up to see Bumble Blast standing behind him, arms folded. “Ain’t you looking fresh, get a good view out the window this morning?” he asked with sarcastic kindness in his voice. Blades stood up, ignoring the comment. Bumble Blast shrugged and said, “Me and you, bro, the Tour starts now. No questions till the end, ain’t got time to jaw with you all day.” Blades started to speak, then thought better of it. He didn’t want to spoil his best chance to get answers.
They started at the Box, which was closed at the moment. It was basically just double doors of metal lying on the ground, with yellow and black safety tape around the edges. Bumble Blast pointed down at the doors. “This here’s the Box. Once a month, we get annoying newbies like you sent up with supplies. Once a week, we just get supplies. Got that?” Blades nodded, his whole body itching to ask a question. “I need to put some of that safety tape over my mouth.” Thought Blades. Bumble Blast kept talking, never bothering to look Blades in the eye. “The Glaze is cut up into four sections.” He held up his fingers and counted off the next four words “Fields, Gore House, Homeshack, Deadnecks. Got that, newbie?” Blades hesitated, and then shook his head, confused. Bumble Blast’s eyelids fluttered briefly, as if he could think of a million things he’d rather do than this. He pointed to the northeast corner, where there were some Skylanders picking wild mushrooms and fresh fruit. “Fields, where we scavenge for mushrooms, oranges, peaches and more so our food can have actual flavor, not just that beef in a can or tin of olives. Trust me, before the Fields, no one wanted to eat more than one meal a day.” He pointed to the southeast corner, where there was a massive barn. “Gore House. Where Chop Chop and some other Skylanders get fresh meat. Fryno found some pigs and sheep near the Glaze in the Maze one day, and we’ve been breeding and eating them ever since.” He then pointed at the pitiful living quarters. “Homeshack, stupid place is twice, nearly three, times as big as when it was first built because of all the newbies and injuries we keep on getting. It ain’t pretty, but it works.” Bumble Blast finally pointed to the small, slightly spooky, forest in the southwest corner. “Call that the Deadnecks. Dang forest looks creepy but is very useful. Full of fertilizer, has our graveyard and you can go their to hang in your limited free time.” Bumble Blast finally walked over to the Gore House. “There are certain careers here. Slopper, Runner, Brickneck, Bagger, Track-hoe, Slaughterer, Cook and Med-Jack. Tomorrow, you’ll be working with Chop Chop, keeper of the Slaughterers and a Bagger in his free time. If you’re good at killing innocent animals for spare meat, you can be a Slaughterer. If not, you’ll work with the other keepers until something sticks. Something always sticks.” Blades felt so dizzy with all the new information spiraling around his head, he felt like throwing up. Bumble Blast was about to say something about Sloppers, but a booming, rininging alarm that sounded from all directions. Blades was worried, surely this meant bad news! He looked at Bumble Blast urgently, and then calm down. He didn’t look worried, more confused, or surprised. Bumble Blast didn’t answer, he just ran toward the Box. Blades flew after him and met up with Drobit. “Drobit, what’s going on?” Blades yelled over the blaring siren. Drobit replied hurriedly “The flippin’ alarm means a newbie, fresh meat, whatever, is coming up.”
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