Third Chances Is For Everyone

Audra sat on the edge of the truck bed, her legs swinging 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 had managed to gather her belongings and had just finished loading them into 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 had anticipated. Her bionics were strong, but the rest of her body wasn't. Still, she had persevered as she always had, and now she was just waiting for the man to come back.

She palmed the key fob that Zephyr had tossed to her earlier, turning it over in her hands as if it was a riddle she couldn't quite figure out. The cool metal surface of the device felt oddly comforting as a solid weight in her palm. She pressed the black button once more, listening to the click of the lock and the soft hum of the electronics within the truck.

She was surprised that he had just handed her the fob 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 feel bad. She had sort of hand-waved away the fact that she had used stuff from the container without paying, but now that she had time to think about it, it was kind of messed up.

She had thought that something that far in the corner of the scrapyard was all but forgotten about. It didn't occur to her that the junk still belonged to someone, or that there was an entire process for distributing it in The Bygone.

In fact, it was a little embarrassing how little she knew.

She had read about the island in passing when she looked into places where she could live alone, but she had 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 technically 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 had never really taken the time to look at them closely before, but now she couldn't help but wonder where they all came from and what stories they could tell.

She imagined that each item had a history that led it to this place. 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 in a way—here for a reason that nobody else knew about. Here in the scrapyard, she didn't have to explain herself or her situation to anyone. She could just exist without judgment.

Well, at least that had been the case before Zeph showed up.

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

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 hadn't had to worry about being bothered or dealing with people trying to 'help' her through her feelings. 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 had 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.

After all, she had no money, no real skills, and no friends or family on the island. She was essentially 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 on gravel suddenly caught her attention, and she turned to see Zephyr approaching. His dark grey hair was tousled by 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 of him.

"…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 when he got to it. "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."

"…" She hesitated, still unsure of how to proceed—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.

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

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

He got into the truck, and after a moment 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?

She had to believe that.

It wasn't too long until they had exited the scrapyard. The truck began to make 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 can set up on my own."

"Really now? Considering how well your bike-Tetris game went, I'd rather not leave you to your devices. Plus, it's going to get dark soon. If you're not set up by the time the sun is down, you're not gonna have much protection from the elements."

"…" Really, Tetris? Ancient gamer much?

Zephyr leaned into an upcoming turn slightly. "Look, I know you're not exactly happy with how things went but at least let me give you a proper fresh start here. You're already making things difficult for yourself by not going to an org, so at least let me do this for you. What are you going to do if you get hypothermia?"

"…" Audra shifted uneasily in her seat. Ugh. He had a point, even if it annoyed her. "Fine. Can you just drop me off at the beach? Maybe I can find some driftwood or something for a fire to keep myself warm."

That didn't seem to appease him. "Seriously? The beach? You do realize that the tide is going to come in and soak everything, right? That's not even mentioning how rainy things can get there."

"…" She had, in fact, not considered that, but there was no way she was going to admit it.

"Ok, I have an idea, if you'll just hear me out." Zephyr cleared his throat before continuing. "I live near here and have some extra space at my workshop and home. I'll be honest, it's not the coziest, but it'll keep you warm and dry, and it comes with electricity and water."

"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? Do 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? N-no! Why would I want that?!" he exclaimed, interrupting her thoughts.

Ah… That was a mistake. At least she knew he wasn't a creep now.

Zeph shook his head. "Listen here, kid—"

She instinctually butted in. "My name is Audra, not kid."

He took a very long, steadying breath. "…Sorry, force of habit. Anyway, Audra. The only thing I expect in return is that you don't make a mess of the place. I'm not looking for anything else. You're young enough to be my—"

Zephyr suddenly caught himself, and his expression flickered with an unreadable emotion. He shook his head and took a deep breath before continuing, "Look, if you don't want to take me up on the offer, that's fine, but think carefully before you reject it. You're a stranger to The Bygone and it's clear that you have little idea how to survive on your own."

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

"Was that why you were squatting in that container in the first place? Because you were doing 'just fine'? 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? Do I really have to repeat myself again? 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. But she also couldn't deny the truth of his words.

"I just don't know what to think anymore," she whispered, feeling a bit 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 on the beach. 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."

The man 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 paused to consider her words before settling on something inoffensive.

"No, it's just… interesting I guess."