Iced
Page 30
How did the place blow?
I think back. It happened so fast and we were outside, and he was blocking my view, and I was more focused on getting him off me than anything else. I hate to, but I admit, I can draw no conclusions, circumstances being what they were.
He looks sidewise at me again.
Talking like you, dude, thinking it might get all this stupid fecking stuff over with sooner. Communication is hard enough when everybodys trying.
Isnt that the truth. Give me your hand.
No.
Now.
Theres no way Im giving him my hand.
He says something soft in a language I dont understand. My arm jerks up. I watch in horror as my hand passes to his side of the Humvee, palm up.
He drops a Snickers in it, murmurs something, and my hand is my own again. I wonder when, how, and why my fecking appetite became everyone elses business.
Eat.
I think about throwing the candy bar back in his face or out the window. I refuse to let my fingers close around it.
But I sure could use it.
He brakes, comes to a stop in the middle of the road, turns toward me, grabs the collar of my coat, pulls me across the expanse between our seats and leans in. Locks eyes. Were maybe eight inches apart, and I think the only reason my nose aint touching his is because one of the brackets on my MacHalo is just about touching his forehead. My butts no longer touching the seat.
Ive never seen such clear eyes as Ryodans got. Most folks are crammed full of emotions, with lines around them like battle scars. I can tell by looking at grown-ups if theyve spent their years laughing or crying or resenting the whole world. I hear moms say to their kids when they make faces, Careful, your face will stick like that. And it really does. By middle age most folks wear whatever they felt the most in their lives smack on their kisser for all the world to see. Dude, so many of them should be embarrassed! Its why I laugh so much. If my face is going to stick, Im going to like looking at it.
Looking at Ryodan is like staring the devil in the face. Its obvious what hes felt the mostnothing. Ruthless. Cold dude.
I wont ever hurt you unless you make me, Dani.
You being the one who gets to decide what constitutes the definition of make. Big fat lot of wiggle room in there.
I dont need wiggle room.
Because you annihilate.
Another of those fancy words.
Dude. What did you just do to me?
Gave you what you needed but were too stubborn to take. He closes my fingers around the candy bar with his. I cant shake him off fast enough. Eat, Dani.
He drops me back into my seat, puts the Humvee ingear again and takes off.
I munch the candy bar despite the sour taste in my mouth, thinking how I used to be invisible.
Superheroes are never invisible, he says. Theyre just deluded.
Turning my head toward the buildings flashing by, I screw up my face and stick out my tongue.
He laughs. Sideview mirror, kid. And careful. Your facell stick like that.
I head out into the streets with boxes of freshly printed dailies (I love the smell of new ink!) in a battered grocery cart the minute my time is my own again. I can run with a cart and slap my papers up on poles faster than I can do it on my crotch rocket. My bikes for pleasure, for pure downtime, when I got nothing else weighing down on me, like always saving the world. I dont get to ride it much.
Ryodans reminder that Im to report to work every single night at eight P.M. on the dot is still ringing in my ears, making me nuts. What the feck can he possibly have to torture me with every night? Is he icing these stupid scenarios himself just for an excuse to mess with me?
I head west and begin my usual route. Its a little after midnight. It shouldnt take me more than a couple hours, then Ill start hunting for Dancer again. Im getting a little worried about him. Most times he goes somewhere else without telling me, hes only gone a few days. I dont know all his haunts any more than he knows all mine but Ill keep checking those I do.
Ive got certain posts and poles and benches that folks frequent, like regular newspaper stands, waiting for my latest updates. Folks have probably been a little worried with my paper being late and all. Ive got important info to share tonight.
I glance down at my rag, proud of it. The ink is crisp and clean, and it looks real professional.
The Dani Daily
May 21, 1 AWC
New Unseelie Caste!
Update your DDD Manual!
BROUGHT TO YOU EXCLUSIVELY BY TDD YOUR ONLY SOURCE FOR THE LATEST NEWS IN & AROUND DUBLIN!
Dudes, I discovered a brand new kind of Unseelie hanging at Chesters!
Calling this one Papa Roach, and I dont mean the band! Take notes: its three to four feet tall, with a shiny brownish-purplish segmented body, six arms, two legs, and the smallest head you ever saw, like the size of a walnut, with little fish-egg eyes. It can break down into segments that are the size of roaches that crawl inside your clothes, and get under your skinLITERALLY!
If you see this thing coming, run like heck because I havent figured out a way to kill it yet. You want to carry a can of hair spray or fill a spray bottle with gas and always have some matches on you (I got a blowtorch myself). That way if you get cornered, you can spray them and set them on fire. It doesnt kill them but it sure keeps them busy while you run.
I think back. It happened so fast and we were outside, and he was blocking my view, and I was more focused on getting him off me than anything else. I hate to, but I admit, I can draw no conclusions, circumstances being what they were.
He looks sidewise at me again.
Talking like you, dude, thinking it might get all this stupid fecking stuff over with sooner. Communication is hard enough when everybodys trying.
Isnt that the truth. Give me your hand.
No.
Now.
Theres no way Im giving him my hand.
He says something soft in a language I dont understand. My arm jerks up. I watch in horror as my hand passes to his side of the Humvee, palm up.
He drops a Snickers in it, murmurs something, and my hand is my own again. I wonder when, how, and why my fecking appetite became everyone elses business.
Eat.
I think about throwing the candy bar back in his face or out the window. I refuse to let my fingers close around it.
But I sure could use it.
He brakes, comes to a stop in the middle of the road, turns toward me, grabs the collar of my coat, pulls me across the expanse between our seats and leans in. Locks eyes. Were maybe eight inches apart, and I think the only reason my nose aint touching his is because one of the brackets on my MacHalo is just about touching his forehead. My butts no longer touching the seat.
Ive never seen such clear eyes as Ryodans got. Most folks are crammed full of emotions, with lines around them like battle scars. I can tell by looking at grown-ups if theyve spent their years laughing or crying or resenting the whole world. I hear moms say to their kids when they make faces, Careful, your face will stick like that. And it really does. By middle age most folks wear whatever they felt the most in their lives smack on their kisser for all the world to see. Dude, so many of them should be embarrassed! Its why I laugh so much. If my face is going to stick, Im going to like looking at it.
Looking at Ryodan is like staring the devil in the face. Its obvious what hes felt the mostnothing. Ruthless. Cold dude.
I wont ever hurt you unless you make me, Dani.
You being the one who gets to decide what constitutes the definition of make. Big fat lot of wiggle room in there.
I dont need wiggle room.
Because you annihilate.
Another of those fancy words.
Dude. What did you just do to me?
Gave you what you needed but were too stubborn to take. He closes my fingers around the candy bar with his. I cant shake him off fast enough. Eat, Dani.
He drops me back into my seat, puts the Humvee ingear again and takes off.
I munch the candy bar despite the sour taste in my mouth, thinking how I used to be invisible.
Superheroes are never invisible, he says. Theyre just deluded.
Turning my head toward the buildings flashing by, I screw up my face and stick out my tongue.
He laughs. Sideview mirror, kid. And careful. Your facell stick like that.
I head out into the streets with boxes of freshly printed dailies (I love the smell of new ink!) in a battered grocery cart the minute my time is my own again. I can run with a cart and slap my papers up on poles faster than I can do it on my crotch rocket. My bikes for pleasure, for pure downtime, when I got nothing else weighing down on me, like always saving the world. I dont get to ride it much.
Ryodans reminder that Im to report to work every single night at eight P.M. on the dot is still ringing in my ears, making me nuts. What the feck can he possibly have to torture me with every night? Is he icing these stupid scenarios himself just for an excuse to mess with me?
I head west and begin my usual route. Its a little after midnight. It shouldnt take me more than a couple hours, then Ill start hunting for Dancer again. Im getting a little worried about him. Most times he goes somewhere else without telling me, hes only gone a few days. I dont know all his haunts any more than he knows all mine but Ill keep checking those I do.
Ive got certain posts and poles and benches that folks frequent, like regular newspaper stands, waiting for my latest updates. Folks have probably been a little worried with my paper being late and all. Ive got important info to share tonight.
I glance down at my rag, proud of it. The ink is crisp and clean, and it looks real professional.
The Dani Daily
May 21, 1 AWC
New Unseelie Caste!
Update your DDD Manual!
BROUGHT TO YOU EXCLUSIVELY BY TDD YOUR ONLY SOURCE FOR THE LATEST NEWS IN & AROUND DUBLIN!
Dudes, I discovered a brand new kind of Unseelie hanging at Chesters!
Calling this one Papa Roach, and I dont mean the band! Take notes: its three to four feet tall, with a shiny brownish-purplish segmented body, six arms, two legs, and the smallest head you ever saw, like the size of a walnut, with little fish-egg eyes. It can break down into segments that are the size of roaches that crawl inside your clothes, and get under your skinLITERALLY!
If you see this thing coming, run like heck because I havent figured out a way to kill it yet. You want to carry a can of hair spray or fill a spray bottle with gas and always have some matches on you (I got a blowtorch myself). That way if you get cornered, you can spray them and set them on fire. It doesnt kill them but it sure keeps them busy while you run.
