The Park (Evenstad Media Presents Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

in this fucking nightmare? I
don't get it, and I just worry that she's not strong enough. And if I'm
attached to her, however I'm getting attached to her, that's a weakness to me,
too.
    I'm doing my best not to let her get too close, or let me
get too close. I don't think I can afford that. But I also don't think it's
working. I keep finding myself wanting to spend time with her. I even thought
about what would happen if someone attacked her. Trying to work it out so I
could have some kind of rough escape from the whole thing, if escape was an
option. But I kept on feeling this little tug in my guts. I want to fucking
protect her. Just like I do with every other broken person I find. I try to
protect them, and that's what gets me in trouble.
    You'd think I'd learn my God damn lesson.
     
    ENTRY END

JOURNAL 05CRAIG
    ENTRY 003
    DATE: 1/12/2074
     
    I just about died. I'm good. I think I'm good. But I can't
really say anything for sure. I'm currently with the lady who wanted to kill
me. I think I have her trust, but it's not really an auspicious way to start
off a relationship.
    I was still looking for tools, and hers was the next trailer
in line. The lights were off, so I couldn't see a damn thing. That's where the
problems started. She set up traps. Primitive traps, but pretty good,
considering that she didn't have tools. Or she claimed she didn't have tools. I
probably believe that claim, though. Haven't seen so much as a screwdriver in the
whole time I've been out looking.
    So I fell in a hole. And the lights came on. I saw a figure
and I did the only thing I could think of. Closed my eyes and pressed the
button on the medallion. I could see the brightness of it through my eyelids.
    The hole was shallow enough that I managed to get out, but I
didn't get away. Either she wasn't looking at the flash when it went off or she
grabbed after the sounds I was making, or she just got really, really lucky, I
don't know for sure. But she got hold of me. Threatened to burn straight
through my head. Crazy jabber or justified threat, I wasn't going to take the
risk. So I started talking. The only thing that came out of my mouth was shit
about engineering. With the lights on in the trailer, I could see some of the
traps and shit she'd put together. I started telling her how she could fix
them. I don't know. I wasn't exactly in full control of myself.
    Apparently, she liked what she heard. A little. Not enough
to put the medallion down, but enough to let me go. She kept asking all these
questions about the traps. I figured it was either come up with some possible
fixes for her setup or find out what that medallion could actually do, so I
talked. It was probably an hour. She didn't say much. Very concise. But I must
have pleased her. She offered not to kill me if I could help her out. I wasn't
entirely sure that I could. I mean, no tools, if I was to believe her. But I
went for it.
    So that's where I am: a silent room, sitting across from my
captor. Or ally. I'm still a little fuzzy on the exact nature of our
relationship. Fuzzy enough that I'm planning on keeping a sharpened up piece of
metal siding in bed with me tonight. Just in case. But maybe I'll be okay. And
once I get some alone time with her scrabbled together tools, I can break into
the CESU and get the hell away. At least, that's my best plan right now. Which
means I really am desperate.
     
    ENTRY END

JOURNAL 07JULIA
    ENTRY 003
    DATE: 1/13/2074
     
    I'm so happy that Christina came back again. It gives me
more to cook for and I'm actually feeling pretty good. I feel useful. I haven't
felt useful since I moved in here.
    Christina's finally starting to relax, too. She actually
took her jacket off for dinner, which is a big step. She looks like she takes
care of herself. Her skin is a bit of a nightmare. She probably wore a lot of
makeup. She looks like some kind of businesswoman, to me. Slacks, jacket, nice
shirt. Like she just got yanked off the sidewalk on the way to some