The hypnotic hum of the wheels and the patter of rain on the window echoed in the sound of tapping keys on Ricky’s laptop as the gray skies, empty landscape, and screen of soporific contracts lulled him into drowsiness.
From the lounge at the back of the bus, breaking the peaceful spell, came the moans and dirty sex talk of Bo’s latest video.
“You mind turning that down?” Ricky said.
“Why? Is it a problem?”
“I need to make a few calls and I don’t want it to sound like I’m at a bordello.”
Bo hit the mute button. “Nothing wrong with a bordello.” He folded his arms, leaned back against the sofa cushions and sulked.
Ricky edged against the window and put the BlackBerry to his ear.
The tires sizzled on wet pavement, the rain beat harder against the glass, and from a tiny leak in the window seal, an occasional drip splashed onto the sill. With any luck, Bo wouldn’t figure out he wasn’t calling anyone until they got to town.
He balled up someone’s discarded jacket for a pillow and, soothed by the peaceful sounds of a rainy afternoon on the road, settled in for a nap.
Maelstrom Extra: Late Night Errand
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
reviews (Comments): 7
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Maelstrom
Vic wrapped his leather coat tight against his body and kept to the shadows, not because he needed to but because he found the gloom satisfying. There weren’t many people out at this late hour and he eyed the few he encountered critically, getting a good sniff as he passed them on the pavement. No one appealed, though, and he wasn’t really hungry. For all Ricky’s complaints about his transparent motives, this nighttime mission was, for once, not about food.
He found the door, passed a hand over the lock and slipped inside, ignoring the alarm. It took only a moment to find the display, and he had to kneel to unlock the storage cabinet, but at last he had the item in his hands. He could’ve bought it, but human money was so worthless, what was the point? Besides, human stores weren’t open at convenient times for a vampire.
Vic tucked the box under his coat and slipped outside, with the alarms ringing a clarion as he went back into the night. He, of course, had no use for a pocket-sized DMB television with MP3, JPEG and video capability, but sometimes one had to make sacrifices. He ducked into the shadows as a cop car screamed past, then pulled the box closer and continued walking.
It crossed his mind that maybe he should stop for wrapping paper, but he dismissed the thought as frivolous. There were limits, after all. He chuckled to himself, thinking how surprised the human would be, and murmured to himself, “Happy Birthday, Ricky.”
He found the door, passed a hand over the lock and slipped inside, ignoring the alarm. It took only a moment to find the display, and he had to kneel to unlock the storage cabinet, but at last he had the item in his hands. He could’ve bought it, but human money was so worthless, what was the point? Besides, human stores weren’t open at convenient times for a vampire.
Vic tucked the box under his coat and slipped outside, with the alarms ringing a clarion as he went back into the night. He, of course, had no use for a pocket-sized DMB television with MP3, JPEG and video capability, but sometimes one had to make sacrifices. He ducked into the shadows as a cop car screamed past, then pulled the box closer and continued walking.
It crossed his mind that maybe he should stop for wrapping paper, but he dismissed the thought as frivolous. There were limits, after all. He chuckled to himself, thinking how surprised the human would be, and murmured to himself, “Happy Birthday, Ricky.”
Maelstrom Extra: Taken by Storm
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
reviews (Comments): 3
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Maelstrom
The wind howled and the rain beat in sheets against the window. Ricky tried to see outside. “What do you mean she’s on the scaffold?”
“She was hungry," Nevin said with a little shrug. "Djinns feed on the wind. You know that.”
“But that thing looked ready to collapse.” He headed for the door, no time to grab a jacket.
Nevin tagged after him. “It’s sweet of you to worry, but you need to trust her. She’s much older than you, you know.”
Ricky did know, but this was no time for logic. He made for the elevator, then remembered it was slow and sprinted for the stairwell instead. He took the stairs as fast as he could, stumbling and holding onto the handrail.
Nevin kept pace easily. “This really isn’t necessary. You’re going to get hurt.”
Ricky shoved open the heavy door and ran toward where he had seen the workers earlier in the day. The rain soaked his clothes and chilled his body but the only thing that mattered was the rickety structure ahead and Kalila’s faint silhouette, barely visible in the pounding rain. He stopped at the base of the trembling structure and shouted up at her. “Kalila!”
The scaffold swayed, whether from the wind or the shift in Kalila’s weight as she made to climb down, Ricky didn’t know. He waited, drenched and shivering, yearning that she were just a little more normal, just a bit more like a human girlfriend.
But then she was on the ground before him, her hair streaming and her eyes alight. He no longer noticed the needles of rain pelting his skin or the way his shirt and jeans hung cold and sopping off his limbs. Kalila was fire in the rain, heat in the cold, and even in a moment like this as the scaffold gave a shudder and broke up behind her, Ricky noticed nothing but the way her scraps of clothing clung to her wet skin.
“Did you want something?” she asked.
Ricky shivered and it wasn’t from the storm outside but the one within. “Dinner is over,” he said. “How about you come inside?”
“She was hungry," Nevin said with a little shrug. "Djinns feed on the wind. You know that.”
“But that thing looked ready to collapse.” He headed for the door, no time to grab a jacket.
Nevin tagged after him. “It’s sweet of you to worry, but you need to trust her. She’s much older than you, you know.”
Ricky did know, but this was no time for logic. He made for the elevator, then remembered it was slow and sprinted for the stairwell instead. He took the stairs as fast as he could, stumbling and holding onto the handrail.
Nevin kept pace easily. “This really isn’t necessary. You’re going to get hurt.”
Ricky shoved open the heavy door and ran toward where he had seen the workers earlier in the day. The rain soaked his clothes and chilled his body but the only thing that mattered was the rickety structure ahead and Kalila’s faint silhouette, barely visible in the pounding rain. He stopped at the base of the trembling structure and shouted up at her. “Kalila!”
The scaffold swayed, whether from the wind or the shift in Kalila’s weight as she made to climb down, Ricky didn’t know. He waited, drenched and shivering, yearning that she were just a little more normal, just a bit more like a human girlfriend.
But then she was on the ground before him, her hair streaming and her eyes alight. He no longer noticed the needles of rain pelting his skin or the way his shirt and jeans hung cold and sopping off his limbs. Kalila was fire in the rain, heat in the cold, and even in a moment like this as the scaffold gave a shudder and broke up behind her, Ricky noticed nothing but the way her scraps of clothing clung to her wet skin.
“Did you want something?” she asked.
Ricky shivered and it wasn’t from the storm outside but the one within. “Dinner is over,” he said. “How about you come inside?”
