Touch down

Joseph ran in the direction of the sound as possibilities raced through his head. Could it be an astronaut who's spacecraft had been attacked? Someone from another planet seeking refuge on this planet? Could it be someone trying to track hi-

Joseph stopped and hid behind the tree next to him. Just ahead was a skinny boy in a torn uniform leaning against a tree holding a gun. The gun was pointed at Amy who was standing a couple of metres away with her hands raised above her head. Joseph tried to think of a plan but he was too slow to reach them in time before the boy would use the gun.

For Amy, she had just finished her first day working for Joseph. She had actually found it quite fun to take all the orders and deliver the drinks. At the end of the day Joseph said he was going for a walk and Amy was free to do what she wanted. Joseph left but Amy quickly realised she had no idea what to do on the island. She left the pub, locked the doors behind her, and looked around for Joseph to ask if she could join him.

Joseph's pub was at the western end of a town that sat on the southern coast of the island. It had a small port where sailors would tie up their boats and go to the pub or visit some of the many merchant stalls set up around a well in the centre of the town. The rest of the houses were for the few people who actually lived on the island but many were vacant. Looming over the town was a large mountain that sat in the north-eastern corner of the island with a forest flowing down it's west side that pooled on the north-west area of the island next to the pub.

Amy barely saw Joseph entering the forest and called but he couldn't hear her. Amy started to briskly jog after him but her left leg still hurt so she was slowed down quite a bit. Once she got quite deep into the forest it was clear she was lost. The next few minutes were filled with her trying to see the sun through the leaves so she could navigate her way back and occasionally calling for Joseph.

Suddenly, the sound of branches snapping above Amy caused her to dive to her right and dodge a metal object crashing into the ground. Amy stood up and looked at the object as it opened up. Inside was a skinny and frail boy in a torn and slightly burnt, black uniform who was swaying from side to side and looking around in confusion. He pulled a gun out from behind him and stepped out of the object. He noticed Amy and pointed at her as he leaned against a nearby tree for stability. Amy slowly raised her hands above her head and dared not move any other part of her body.

"Who... are you?" asked the boy weakly. Amy cleared her throat.

"I'm Amy. Amy Dun." she answered. The boy looked at the gun and threw it away in fear and disgust. Amy lowered her hands and reached one out to the boy. "Do you need help?"

The boy looked at Amy's hand for a second while deep in thought before hesitantly raising his own hand towards her's and placing it onto Amy's. The two of them felt a feeling like an instant sugar-rush that energised every limb and cell. The boy retracted his hand and the feeling ceased but he placed his hand back as his legs gave way. Amy moved under his arm and helped him up. He was incredibly light and his arm was nearly all bone.

Joseph finally revealed himself from behind the tree making it seem like he had only just gotten here. The boy groaned as Amy and Joseph helped carry him back to the town.

Once they got back to the pub, Joseph grabbed a glass and filled it with water. He tried giving it to the boy but he was too weak to hold it so Joseph ended up having to pour a little at a time into the boy's mouth. Joseph gave the glass to Amy to keep going as he scrambled for a medical kit and brought it back. Joseph opened it on a table, selected a blue tube, took off the cap, and pushed the top of the tube onto the boy's arm. A strip of the tube was transparent and they could see the liquid inside slowly being injected. The boy's eyes closed and he fell asleep.

"What was that stuff!?" whispered Amy. Joseph threw the tube and the cap into the bin and closed the medical kit.

"A medical injection a created to help with sailors who turn up here after not eating for a long time. It's come in handy more times than I hoped it would." explained Joseph. They carried the boy upstairs into the other spare room and layed him on the bed.

"I'll stay up and watch over him." offered Amy.

"No, you need to sleep so you can work tomorrow. I'll watch over him so go to bed." Objected Joseph. Amy went to disagree but the look on Joseph's face told her not to. Once Amy had left the room, Joseph walked over to the boy and looked at his uniform. "I should've known they'd find this place eventually."