Third Chances Is For Everyone

Audra sat on the edge of the truck bed. Her legs swung back and forth as she waited for Zephyr to return. She idly kicked at a pebble, sending it skittering across the gravel. It was cold, and she shivered slightly, pulling the oversized coat tighter around her slender frame.

She'd managed to gather her belongings onto Zephyr's truck. Her beloved teddy bear and personal effects were packed securely in boxes, and the electric bike she had been hauling earlier was as secure as she could get it to be.

The task had been more difficult than she'd thought.

Her bionics were strong, but the rest of her body wasn't. Still, she'd persevered as she always had.

She palmed the key fob as she waited, turning it over in her hands like it was a riddle she couldn't quite figure out.

The cool metal surface of the device felt oddly comforting—a solid weight in her palm. She pressed the black button, listening to the click of the lock and the soft hum of the electronics within the truck.

She was still surprised that he'd just handed it over and let her be, considering that she was a stranger who had been living illegally on the property. For all he knew, she could've been a thief or worse.

Ah, wait, she was a thief—albeit an unintentional one.

That thought made her stomach churn. She'd sort of hand-waved away the fact that she'd used stuff from the container without paying, but now that she had time to think about it, it was kind of messed up.

It never occurred to her that the junk still belonged to someone, or that there was an entire process for distributing it in The Bygone.

It was a little embarrassing how little she knew.

She'd read about the island in passing when she looked into places where she could live alone, but she'd never delved deeper into what actually went on.

She only knew the basics: it was an artificial island created in 2070 to handle recycling on an international level. The project was funded by several countries, including the States, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, and Korea, among many others. It wasn't legally a country of its own, but it was still its own entity that governed itself.

Audra glanced around the yard, her eyes scanning the piles of discarded materials that surrounded her. She'd never really taken the time to look at them closely before, but now she couldn't help but wonder where they all came from —what stories they could tell.

The history of each item flitted into mind. There were probably countless tales of joy, sadness, and everything in between hidden within these stacks.

Maybe that was part of the reason why she liked this place. These pieces of junk were like her—here for a reason that nobody else really knew about. Here in the scrapyard, she could just exist without judgment.

Well, at least that'd been the case before Zeph had shown up.

She looked around the piles of rusty containers again, rolling her shoulders.

She'd spent the past week here after leaving home, and it had been peaceful. Sure, it was a bit boring, but at least she didn't have to worry about being bothered or dealing with people trying to 'help'. It was just her, the scrap, and the endless sky overhead to keep her company as she figured out what to do.

Speaking of…

She sighed, her breath fogging in the cold air. She had no idea what was next for her now. She'd thought she could just figure things out as she went along, but that had clearly been a mistake. Perhaps she had been too naive in thinking that she could make it on her own.

She had no money, no real skills, and no friends or family on the island. She was a stranger in a foreign land. And now, with winter just about here, she wasn't sure if she could even survive the cold.

The sound of footsteps crunching gravel suddenly caught her attention.

Zephyr was approaching.

His dark grey hair tousled in the wind, and his silver eyes were filled with an expression that was difficult to read. Despite the fact he couldn't have been more than thirty or so, there was something about him that seemed old, as though he had seen more than his fair share of what the world had to offer.

Meh, she was probably imagining it.

"Seems like you've got everything loaded up," he said, nodding at the truck.

"Yep," Audra replied, trying to keep her voice even.

"Alright, come on then, get in the passenger's seat. I'll drive you to wherever it is that you want to set up."

Audra just looked him up and down. She still didn't know what to think.

"…About that. Are you seriously going to just help me and expect nothing in return? This seems a bit too good to be true."

He sighed, resting his hand on the truck's roof. "The world isn't all sunshine and rainbows, but that doesn't mean there isn't good in it. Just consider it my way of welcoming you to The Bygone."

"…" Her parents had always told her not to get into vehicles with strangers when she was little. However, she'd already loaded up her stuff. She really needed to get better at thinking through things.

"Fine. But don't think that this means I owe you anything."

"You don't; I won't hold anything over your head. Now, come on. Let's go find a spot for you to settle in. Time is ticking."

He got into the truck, and after another beat of indecision, she did the same, settling into the worn leather seat. The interior lights started up with a low murmur, and soon they were driving through the maze-like paths of the scrapyard.

The ride was quiet, and Audra found herself lost in her thoughts. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was making a mistake somehow, but that could've just been her.

Maybe, just maybe, things would work out somehow?

It wasn't too long until they'd found the exit. The truck rolled its way down the winding roads until the beach was in sight. It was a desolate, but clean, stretch of sand that led to the cold waters of the Pacific.

"Where are we going?" she finally asked, breaking the silence that hung between them.

"Up to you. Just point wherever you want, and I'll drop you off and help you set up."

"I um, appreciate the drop off offer, but I can set up on my own."

"Really now? Considering how well your bike-Tetris game went, are you certain about that?"

Tetris? Ancient gamer much?

"I'll have you know that I'm a decent camper."

"Okay, I'll believe that. But it's going to get dark soon. If you're not set up by the time the sun is down, things can get even colder."

"I told you, I'm fine. In fact, just drop me off here. I can find some driftwood for a fire to keep myself warm."

"Wait. Seriously? The beach?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"The tide is going to come in and soak everything overnight. That's not even mentioning how rainy things can get there."

Oh. She had, in fact, not considered that.

"Then uh, just take me to some abandoned warehouse or whatever I can use."

Awkwardness settled between them as they leaned into a turn.

"Ok, I have an idea, if you'll just hear me out."

"Hm?"

Zephyr cleared his throat. "I live close by and have some extra space at my workshop. I'll be honest, it's not the coziest, but it'll keep you warm and dry, and it comes with electricity and water."

Alarm bells rang in her head as skepticism soared.

"And let me guess, you'll just expect nothing in return again, right? I've read enough stories to know that this is the part where you tell me that there is a catch. What is it? You want my bionics as payment? My body?"

She almost regretted that last part. She knew that it was a terrible thing to say, but she needed to see if he'd flinch or—

"WHAT THE HELL? No! Why would I want that?!"

Ah… That was a mistake. Maybe he wasn't a creep.

"Listen here, kid—"

She instinctually butted in. "Already told you, my name is Audra. Not kid."

"…Sorry, force of habit. Anyway, Audra. The only thing I expect in return is that you don't make a mess of the place. You're young enough to be my—"

Zephyr suddenly caught himself, and his expression flickered with an unreadable emotion.

"Your what?"

"Nothing. Just… look, if you don't want to take me up on the offer, that's fine, but think carefully. It's clear that you have little idea how to survive on your own."

"T-that's not true! I've been doing good so far!"

"Was that why you were squatting in that container in the first place? Because you were doing good? Face it, Audra, you need help. I don't know what happened to you or why you're here, but you clearly need a place to stay, at least until you figure things out."

Audra bit her lip, and her hands clenched into fists. Despite how young this guy looked, he almost sounded like her dad when he lectured her.

"I'm not some charity case," she muttered, more to herself than to him.

"My goodness, is your head this thick? I'm not trying to be a charity. I just don't want to leave you out in the cold to freeze to death."

She turned away and stared out the window, watching the scenery pass by in a blur of blues and greys. She didn't know what to do. She hated feeling so powerless, so helpless. +

"I just don't know what to think anymore," she whispered, feeling dejected.

Zephyr sighed. "It's your choice, Audra. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to. But if you're willing to trust me, I promise that you'll have a roof over your head and a warm meal."

She remained silent for a long moment.

If she were being honest with herself, she didn't even have many options to weigh. It was either take Zephyr's offer or try and fend for herself out in the open. And considering the tiniest bit of insight Zephyr had already given her about doing that, she had a feeling she would just be setting herself up for failure.

"…Okay. But only for a little while. Just until I can find somewhere else to go."

Zephyr seemed relieved she'd finally made a decision.

"Fine by me. I'm not going to be the one to kick you out. Third Chances is for everyone. Even me. Even you."

"…What was that last part you just said?"

"My shop's motto. Why? Something wrong with it?"

She considered her words before settling on something inoffensive.

"No, it's just… interesting I guess."

It was strangely fitting too for her circumstance. But he didn't need to know that.