second ➛ video

[backpacking]

Okay, short and sweet. I've got some questions. ... And one comment, which is fuck that last trip. You think you're home free from whatever crap you've got back home, and then... bam. It's in your face. What's that about?

[ huff ]

Name's Ellie. I spent a lot of time reading back home and now that we're not in the trenches anymore, I need some reading material. Suggestions? The library's huge here and I don't even know where to start!

Uh... [ What else... She scrunches up her nose, thinking. ] Anyone up to teaching a kid to swim? Because that's something long overdue that I haven't gotten around to. And -

[ She looks a little more meekly at the camera, then glances away, chewing on the inside of her cheek. ]

There any way to get in touch with someone back home? Like... I dunno, a magic mirror so we can see they're okay? It's important. Thanks.

Comments

[backpacking]

Yeah, but those other guys brought their zombies! Only for a week, or whatever it was, but... still. Doesn't that mean our guys could just show up any second?

[ NOT exactly a nice thought ]

I've got someone on deck for the swimming, but, um - definitely up for book recommendations. What've you got?

[thesamurai]

I've thought about that. They could. The only thing we have going for us, is this place brings us back when we die. At least five times. Well, that and weird shit only lasts for so long before it's on to something else.

[It is the smallest and most dim of bright lights, but they have it, at least.]

I liked all kinds of books before we used them for kindling instead of reading. You have Jurassic Park where you're from? Movie is good, book is great.

[backpacking]

It what?

[ Things she wasn't aware of. Or, maybe she was, but she forgot, since it's so absurd. ]

"Magic," right? Jeez. This is too much.

[ But it's... good that they're brought back. Right? Unless there's a secret cost. ]

Never seen the movie or... read the book, but I've seen some shit from it before. Like, t-shirts with the logo, a poster, that kind of thing. So it's about dinosaurs; what happens?

[thesamurai]

[If there's a secret cost then Michonne would like to know, seeing as how she owes it.]

People think they're smarter than nature, bring back dinosaurs. They're wrong, everything goes to hell and the dinosaurs get loose.

[A beat.]

Basically what you'd expect from a book where people try to control meat eating animals. Before the world turned into its own horror show, I like Stephen King alright. Agatha Christie, too. She's a crime and mystery writer.

[backpacking]

[ Ellie's managed to avoid death so far in the months that she's been here; it's turning into a talent of hers. ]

Well, yeah. Dinosaurs are way bigger and stronger than humans; they could take us out easy.

[ duhhhh ]

I've heard of both of them. Didn't King do, um... the one with the possessed car, or something? That's nuts.

[thesamurai]

[Michonne has to laugh because it honestly sounds like an insane premise for a book.]

Yeah. Christine. But this place is enough of a shit storm without reading horror fiction, maybe. Home, too.

[backpacking]

Sometimes, it's - it helps, you know? Like, it's better to get wrapped up in stuff that doesn't exist and that's just crazy so you don't think as much about what does exist and is still crazy.

[ They both have experience with that. ]

[thesamurai]

[Michonne has to admit, she has a point.]

Then keep Stephen King in mind. Bram Stoker too. He wrote Dracula.

[backpacking]

Alright, cool. I know about Stephen King, but I didn't know the Dracula guy's name before.

[thesamurai]

Let me know what you wind up reading. I'm always looking for something good.