Land Of F.E.A.R
Amends
We are not interested in the possibility of defeat.
Not within the silence of a deserted ally, nor the clamor of a crowded street.
F.E.A.R. can not be vanquished, we can not be destroyed.
The air was growing thick and the heat was bordering on unbearable, but everyone just had to make due. They had been in the caverns for a day and a half-there was a sand storm swirling above their heads and it wasn’t safe for anyone to go out in that moment. The older girls were trying to keep the little ones occupied-making up games and activities for them, but it was getting to the point where everyone was just laying in their bunks and trying to sleep. Perry wasn’t in her bunk-no she was in a room that was seldom visited and not many knew about.
She and Andy had found it one day-the door had been blocked by an old cave-in and it had taken them hours to remove all of the rock and debris. Finally they had been able to push open the door and what laid behind the broken wood was a treasure trove. Pick axes, mining equipment that could be salvaged for parts, food, helmets, jackets and pants-it had been an old store room for when the mines had been operational all those years ago. Persephone had also found something else, something that not many people knew what it was, except her and a few others-a radio. It was old and didn’t work, but Perry still say in that room every day, turning the old dials and moving the antenna to try and get a signal.
That’s where she was currently-sitting all alone in the small store room, her red hair pulled back off of her neck to try and keep cool and she was biting down on her lip in aggravation. She just knew if she could get this thing to work that they could somehow find the F.E.A.R.-cast and maybe they could get some intel. She had been dream jumping again, but the captured had been moved and so it made things difficult to find people who had been there before. Perry sighed, her bangs blowing up out of her face as she turned one dial and then another-stupid thing. Persephone was so involved in the radio before her that she couldn’t be bothered to notice the person who was standing in the slightly open doorway.
“So this is where you’ve been hiding…” A voice called out and Perry jumped as she turned around and groaned. Mark was standing behind her, his arms crossed over his chest and there was a smirk on his lips. Perry didn’t hate many people, but she absolutely hated Mark.
“Yeah…from you.” She said the last part quietly, but not quiet enough for Mark to not hear. He only laughed as he walked into the room and did something Perry wasn’t expecting-Mark sat beside her on the floor and reached out to touch the front panel of the radio.
“Look I know I’m a jerk…”
“You’re an ass.” Perry interrupted him and Mark only smirked as he looked at her. His nose was sunburned and Persephone knew it was because he had been guarding the perimeter before they had had to come down because of the storm.
“Fair enough, but…would you like for me to fix your radio for you?” He said softly and Perry didn’t really know what to say at first. Was he fucking with her? Was he going to make her watch him take it apart and then just laugh in her face and tell her that he was just lying?
“Y-you can fix it?” Persephone sounded shocked and that’s because she was. Where was this coming from? Why was he being so nice to her? Mark only laughed and Perry smiled as she shut her mouth and nodded her head before moving to the side.
The radio was huge-one of the old box ones that hit her about midwaist and Persephone was kind of doubtful that Mark could fix it. How did he know how to work on electronics? Persephone stood there, watching as Mark moved to first take the back panel of the radio off and then he began to look around inside. She couldn’t really see much because she was facing the front of the radio, but she could hear a soft whirring noise and she knew it was from Mark messing with the wires. Soon enough he had popped his head up, smirking at her before looking around the room. He had a dirt smudge across one cheek and his hair was sticking up at odd angles from running his hands through it.
“Can you find me a wrench?” He asked her as he locked eyes with her and they both smiled. This was strange-they usually never got along, but both of them seemed to be sharing a moment in trying to get this radio to work.Persephone searched around, looking on shelves and behind things until finally she was able to locate an old red metal toolbox that had been sitting on a low shelf.
“So how do you know so much about fixing things? I saw you fix that old car that was sitting outside the saloon…” Persephone asked as she handed him the wrench and Mark only smiled at her before disappearing behind the radio once again.
“My dad liked to tinker-he was an inventor before F.E.A.R forced him into a factory. I used to sit down in his workshop in our basement while he fixed things. I guess I picked some of it up.” Perry smiled as Mark popped his head from around a corner of the radio and smiled at her. Her father had been a lawyer before F.E.A.R, which had afforded them a decent life but it wasn’t nearly as interesting as being an inventor.
“That’s pretty awesome actually. My dad was just a lawyer, but he was still a good dad…” Perry knew as soon as it came out of her mouth that it was probably a mistake, but Mark only gave her a small smile and went back to fixing the radio. The front panel flickered to life, but then went out again and Mark cursed softly.
“My old man was good for awhile, but working in a factory started getting to him I think. Oh well-he’s gone now. I think I may have done all I can do with this thing Perry…” Mark said as he stood up and wiped his hands on the front of his pants. Persephone looked at the radio and noticed that the light on the front had stayed on and there was a bit of a buzzing noise coming from it.
Persephone smiled as she moved to help Mark roll the radio out of the store room and she hadn’t realized that this thing would be as heavy as it is. Thankfully it had wheels and soon enough they had rolled it through the small bunk room, right down one hallway and finally they had made it to the main room. Odessa, who had been in the kitchen making lunch, just stared at them as they passed the small kitchen and soon enough she had joined everyone in the bunk hall. There were kids playing, but when they saw the huge radio come into the room, everyone got very quiet and just sat by and looked. Perry smiled as she locked eyes with Maggie, who had been sitting on CC’s bed reading a book with his head in her lap. They shared a smile and Perry only nodded her head before bending down to fumble around with the dials.
Persephone crouched in front of the radio, her fingers twirling the dials back and forth slowly, but all they could hear was a small bit of static coming from the large speakers. Perry bit down on her lower lip, trying to watch the numbers as she twisted the dials. Everyone had circled her and Perry only smirked as she looked up and locked her blue eyes with Andy’s. If they could get the radio intune to hear a F.E.A.Rcast the maybe they could find out a little more about what was going on in the world. Being out in the desert they really had no connection to the outside world so they really didn’t know what F.E.A.R was planning.
“I don’t think it’s going to work Perry…” CC called to her from his bed and Persephone only sighed as she moved to sit back on her legs. It had been worth a try, but the radio was just too old.
“It has to work!” She said, her voice filled with frustration and Persephone lashed out at the radio, smacking her fist against the panel. The light flickered and then came back on and with it a voice spoke out to them. It was a familiar voice, one that none of them had heard in a long time and one that even now sent chills up Persephone’s spine.
“We are not interested in the possibility of defeat…” It was the Chancellor and he sounded angry. Perry looked up from the radio and caught Andy’s eye again. His blue eyes were filled with two things-anger and fear.
“Not within the silence of a deserted ally, nor the clamor of a crowded street. F.E.A.R. can not be vanquished, we can not be destroyed.” Andy scoffed at this, but there was an eerie silence that had filled the room. Everyone was waiting on bated breath to see what else was being said of their group and their efforts.
“F.E.A.R. will rise up again and control the masses, take back the power and crush the insurgent hoard. As war fades in to the distant memories of enlightened pigs and open wounds. The Rebels will begin to perish - one by one, they should.” Persephone’s eye grew wide as she listened and the next thing the Chancellor had to say made her heart stop beating in her chest.
“For those of you who are listening-to the Wild Ones and their Legion-we know where you hide alone in the desert and we know of your plans. You will not succeed-you will not defeat us. For the ones who remain loyal to F.E.A.R…trust in us, you must.” With that the static came back and the silence and tension in the room was so thick it could be cut with a knife.
Everyone was silent as they all just sat there and stared at the radio. Perry turned it off just as the F.E.A.R anthem began to play, a low sounding tune that made her entire body break out in to chills. The kids who had been playing were all just sitting around, staring at Persephone as she stood in front of the radio. That had not been what she was expecting, but now they had something they didn’t before-they could tune in to F.E.A.Rcasts whenever they wanted. There was something else-something that Persephone had been working on for the past few nights that she hadn’t told anyone about. She had been dream jumping and she finally figured something out…she finally figured out how to get into the very mind of F.E.A.R.
She could dream jump into the dreams of the Chancellor.
Not within the silence of a deserted ally, nor the clamor of a crowded street.
F.E.A.R. can not be vanquished, we can not be destroyed.
The air was growing thick and the heat was bordering on unbearable, but everyone just had to make due. They had been in the caverns for a day and a half-there was a sand storm swirling above their heads and it wasn’t safe for anyone to go out in that moment. The older girls were trying to keep the little ones occupied-making up games and activities for them, but it was getting to the point where everyone was just laying in their bunks and trying to sleep. Perry wasn’t in her bunk-no she was in a room that was seldom visited and not many knew about.
She and Andy had found it one day-the door had been blocked by an old cave-in and it had taken them hours to remove all of the rock and debris. Finally they had been able to push open the door and what laid behind the broken wood was a treasure trove. Pick axes, mining equipment that could be salvaged for parts, food, helmets, jackets and pants-it had been an old store room for when the mines had been operational all those years ago. Persephone had also found something else, something that not many people knew what it was, except her and a few others-a radio. It was old and didn’t work, but Perry still say in that room every day, turning the old dials and moving the antenna to try and get a signal.
That’s where she was currently-sitting all alone in the small store room, her red hair pulled back off of her neck to try and keep cool and she was biting down on her lip in aggravation. She just knew if she could get this thing to work that they could somehow find the F.E.A.R.-cast and maybe they could get some intel. She had been dream jumping again, but the captured had been moved and so it made things difficult to find people who had been there before. Perry sighed, her bangs blowing up out of her face as she turned one dial and then another-stupid thing. Persephone was so involved in the radio before her that she couldn’t be bothered to notice the person who was standing in the slightly open doorway.
“So this is where you’ve been hiding…” A voice called out and Perry jumped as she turned around and groaned. Mark was standing behind her, his arms crossed over his chest and there was a smirk on his lips. Perry didn’t hate many people, but she absolutely hated Mark.
“Yeah…from you.” She said the last part quietly, but not quiet enough for Mark to not hear. He only laughed as he walked into the room and did something Perry wasn’t expecting-Mark sat beside her on the floor and reached out to touch the front panel of the radio.
“Look I know I’m a jerk…”
“You’re an ass.” Perry interrupted him and Mark only smirked as he looked at her. His nose was sunburned and Persephone knew it was because he had been guarding the perimeter before they had had to come down because of the storm.
“Fair enough, but…would you like for me to fix your radio for you?” He said softly and Perry didn’t really know what to say at first. Was he fucking with her? Was he going to make her watch him take it apart and then just laugh in her face and tell her that he was just lying?
“Y-you can fix it?” Persephone sounded shocked and that’s because she was. Where was this coming from? Why was he being so nice to her? Mark only laughed and Perry smiled as she shut her mouth and nodded her head before moving to the side.
The radio was huge-one of the old box ones that hit her about midwaist and Persephone was kind of doubtful that Mark could fix it. How did he know how to work on electronics? Persephone stood there, watching as Mark moved to first take the back panel of the radio off and then he began to look around inside. She couldn’t really see much because she was facing the front of the radio, but she could hear a soft whirring noise and she knew it was from Mark messing with the wires. Soon enough he had popped his head up, smirking at her before looking around the room. He had a dirt smudge across one cheek and his hair was sticking up at odd angles from running his hands through it.
“Can you find me a wrench?” He asked her as he locked eyes with her and they both smiled. This was strange-they usually never got along, but both of them seemed to be sharing a moment in trying to get this radio to work.Persephone searched around, looking on shelves and behind things until finally she was able to locate an old red metal toolbox that had been sitting on a low shelf.
“So how do you know so much about fixing things? I saw you fix that old car that was sitting outside the saloon…” Persephone asked as she handed him the wrench and Mark only smiled at her before disappearing behind the radio once again.
“My dad liked to tinker-he was an inventor before F.E.A.R forced him into a factory. I used to sit down in his workshop in our basement while he fixed things. I guess I picked some of it up.” Perry smiled as Mark popped his head from around a corner of the radio and smiled at her. Her father had been a lawyer before F.E.A.R, which had afforded them a decent life but it wasn’t nearly as interesting as being an inventor.
“That’s pretty awesome actually. My dad was just a lawyer, but he was still a good dad…” Perry knew as soon as it came out of her mouth that it was probably a mistake, but Mark only gave her a small smile and went back to fixing the radio. The front panel flickered to life, but then went out again and Mark cursed softly.
“My old man was good for awhile, but working in a factory started getting to him I think. Oh well-he’s gone now. I think I may have done all I can do with this thing Perry…” Mark said as he stood up and wiped his hands on the front of his pants. Persephone looked at the radio and noticed that the light on the front had stayed on and there was a bit of a buzzing noise coming from it.
Persephone smiled as she moved to help Mark roll the radio out of the store room and she hadn’t realized that this thing would be as heavy as it is. Thankfully it had wheels and soon enough they had rolled it through the small bunk room, right down one hallway and finally they had made it to the main room. Odessa, who had been in the kitchen making lunch, just stared at them as they passed the small kitchen and soon enough she had joined everyone in the bunk hall. There were kids playing, but when they saw the huge radio come into the room, everyone got very quiet and just sat by and looked. Perry smiled as she locked eyes with Maggie, who had been sitting on CC’s bed reading a book with his head in her lap. They shared a smile and Perry only nodded her head before bending down to fumble around with the dials.
Persephone crouched in front of the radio, her fingers twirling the dials back and forth slowly, but all they could hear was a small bit of static coming from the large speakers. Perry bit down on her lower lip, trying to watch the numbers as she twisted the dials. Everyone had circled her and Perry only smirked as she looked up and locked her blue eyes with Andy’s. If they could get the radio intune to hear a F.E.A.Rcast the maybe they could find out a little more about what was going on in the world. Being out in the desert they really had no connection to the outside world so they really didn’t know what F.E.A.R was planning.
“I don’t think it’s going to work Perry…” CC called to her from his bed and Persephone only sighed as she moved to sit back on her legs. It had been worth a try, but the radio was just too old.
“It has to work!” She said, her voice filled with frustration and Persephone lashed out at the radio, smacking her fist against the panel. The light flickered and then came back on and with it a voice spoke out to them. It was a familiar voice, one that none of them had heard in a long time and one that even now sent chills up Persephone’s spine.
“We are not interested in the possibility of defeat…” It was the Chancellor and he sounded angry. Perry looked up from the radio and caught Andy’s eye again. His blue eyes were filled with two things-anger and fear.
“Not within the silence of a deserted ally, nor the clamor of a crowded street. F.E.A.R. can not be vanquished, we can not be destroyed.” Andy scoffed at this, but there was an eerie silence that had filled the room. Everyone was waiting on bated breath to see what else was being said of their group and their efforts.
“F.E.A.R. will rise up again and control the masses, take back the power and crush the insurgent hoard. As war fades in to the distant memories of enlightened pigs and open wounds. The Rebels will begin to perish - one by one, they should.” Persephone’s eye grew wide as she listened and the next thing the Chancellor had to say made her heart stop beating in her chest.
“For those of you who are listening-to the Wild Ones and their Legion-we know where you hide alone in the desert and we know of your plans. You will not succeed-you will not defeat us. For the ones who remain loyal to F.E.A.R…trust in us, you must.” With that the static came back and the silence and tension in the room was so thick it could be cut with a knife.
Everyone was silent as they all just sat there and stared at the radio. Perry turned it off just as the F.E.A.R anthem began to play, a low sounding tune that made her entire body break out in to chills. The kids who had been playing were all just sitting around, staring at Persephone as she stood in front of the radio. That had not been what she was expecting, but now they had something they didn’t before-they could tune in to F.E.A.Rcasts whenever they wanted. There was something else-something that Persephone had been working on for the past few nights that she hadn’t told anyone about. She had been dream jumping and she finally figured something out…she finally figured out how to get into the very mind of F.E.A.R.
She could dream jump into the dreams of the Chancellor.
Notes
Will she do it? Will Perry actually be able to dream jump in to the Chancellor's mind?
Review<3
Love the story Brandie! ;)
7/7/14