I finally got up and went downstairs. It was more of a limp considering that I was still tired a little. When I got down though, it was crazier than expected. First off, there was a bunch of kids sprinting around the table like little Olympic runners around a track. Secondly, the lady who had greeted us (I didn't know her name) was tossing food onto the table as quickly as possible, trying not to get killed by the track stars. Third, there were actually a lot of people in this place. It seemed bare when Molly and I had walked around, but now the room was packed with people talking, a giant pot roast. and a bunch of little kids. It was like a Thanksgiving back in my time.
I looked around for an open seat. The only two I could find were either next to Molly, or this big guy with a tattered shirt who looked like he hadn't showered in weeks. I sat next to the guy. I wasn't sure whether I should start talking to him, or whether I should just steal a piece of food from the enormous pot roast that was quickly diminishing. Luckily, I didn't have to choose, because the old lady who had greeted us grabbed my arm and raised me to my feet. "Excurse me, Excurse me. We have ourselves a new guess." She shouted and everybody listened. " Tell us your name boy." She looked at me.
"My name is Klarsey. I came here through the 'Retreat' with my partner Molly." I pointed too her, and she quickly shot up at the sound of her name. I was sure she didn't mind the attention.
"Klarseys going to be stayin' wit us a while, so you best be nice." She then looked up at me, "The names Georgia, but friens call me Georgie." She said it more like "GeorgEE" but I knew what she meant.
"Pleased to meet you Georgie." I said kindly and then sat back down. And right as I did, the sweaty man next to me started to interrogate me.
"So you survived the Retreat from what I here. That must have been something." He gave me a wink, and although some weird juices came out of his eye, it was friendly. I let him continue. "You know, I got stuck in there once. Not just last week. That was when he had no idea what a Reaper was. I'm lucky to be alive. You'll never believe this. I ran into a Reaper." Not these again. God, one had nearly killed me a week ago. I thought I was finally done with the bastards. " He was big, and nasty, and, like a young kid would do, I ran. It ran after me, growlin' like they do, and I think it nearly got me..." He paused, as if the memory was choking him, then sudden sped up, as he got excited that somebody was actually listening to his story. "Then it stopped. I saw this man. But he wasn't a man. You see, he had this mask on, but unlike the jerks who destroyed this place, his mask was bright red, like a ruby, or one of those dragons you hear about in stories. He could talk to. He screamed 'RUN JACK.' but this time I didn't run. I watched. First the mask grabbed the monsters face, and jabbed his eye." Now he was intense, his voice lowered, and got slower. " He then flipped over the beastie, grabbed one of the horns that was on its back, and ripped the thing off. After that, he did something that would put anyone in the books. He took the freakin' horn, and he stabbed the Reaper. I shit you not, he jabbed the bone ten inches in. After I saw that I had to run." He then . It didn't hit me until later that this man knew my name. But all I know is that he saved me, and I owed him big time. I owed him."
I looked at Jack, (or so I heard) curious about this mask. I mean, the only masks I actually knew about were the ones that melted stage masks onto peoples faces, and worshiped a demon. I didn't know anyone else. All I knew, is, if this guy could take out a Reaper like Jack had described, we maybe could have a chance. A chance to get the city back. The city back from the masks.
