Iced
Page 45
The sky is platinum, the sea slate, and the river Liffey is sliding down through the city, metallic. Fog spills silver lace over it all. Takes my fecking breath away!
I could admire it for hours but I got a job to do.
People got short memories. They get fear-blind and easily dazzled. Especially during times of war when the world starts looking so dark and gritty that shiny things start looking shinier. I got to keep reminding them of the things they know are true.
Me and Dublin, were peas in the Mega pod. This is my city and my paper and I dont give up nothing thats mine without a fight.
Ive never lost a fight yet.
Well, only to that fecker Ryodan. And theres no way hes behind WeCare. Hes like, the antithesis of WeCare. Hes, like, We-Dont-Fucking-Care all wrapped up with Well-Eat-You-for-Lunch, too.
There goes my mood again. Thats all it takes. One little thought about him. I have to go to work again tonight like some fecking slow-mo Joe, trudging along with the masses, and the unfairness of it all is now that the world has melted down, nobody has to go to work anymore. Except me.
I bristle, realizing I cant go sleep like the dead once I get my rag up because I have to set an alarm. Me. I have to get up at a certain time!
Ive never paid any attention to time. Dancer says Ive enjoyed a luxury most people never have. He hates clocks and watches and everything that has to do with time. He says people already have too many lost days and that most folks live in the past or the future but never the present, always saying stuff like Im unhappy because X happened to me yesterday, or Ill be happy again when Y happens to me tomorrow. He says time is the ultimate villain. I dont really get that but thats probably because until this very frigging moment I never had to look at a clock for anything. I woke up when I felt like it. I went to sleep when I felt like it.
If Im lucky, Ill be able to squeeze in five whole hours of sleep before I have to go back to work.
Im aghast at the horrificness of it all. Clock hands are ticking away my life at someone elses direction.
Its so wrong.
I wake up slow and careful, dont even stretch. I lay still, feeling the boat rock gentle on the waves. I love sleeping on my ship. Got it booby-trapped to the nines. I got caught by one of them today, theyre so good! I dont open my eyes because it takes me a while to get moving. Sometimes it can take me a half hour. Thats why I set my alarm for seven instead of seven-thirty.
My alarm.
Was that what just woke me?
I dont remember turning it off.
I fumble for my cell phone. Signal might be dead but it still plays music and games. And has a stupid alarmclock.
I encounter an obstacle between me and my phone that feels like
Aiy-eeeeeeee! I make a sound I didnt know I could make, part gasp, part shriek, and shoot straight up in bed, eyes flying open. What just came out of my mouth is so girly it makes me cringe so I grab my sword and swing it.
He knocks it out of my hand and it clatters across the floor.
I cant even say anything for a sex. I mean sec.
This is like my worst nightmare ever in the whole world! This is worse than all the ZEWs coming after me plus the devil and all the Unseelie princes, too!
Ryodan is in bed next to me!
Sitting there, cool as you please! Were in bed together! Hes giving me that faint smile and mocking stare. Guess he was watching me sleep. Did I snore? Was I flopped flat on my back with my mouth hanging open? I have no idea how long hes been here! Howd he get in? How the heck did he get past all my booby traps? Obviously Im going to have to come up with some new ones!
I try to push him off the bed. Its like trying to budge a mountain. I hit him. Like a girl. Not even using my superpowers. Assuming I have them at the moment, the fickle fecking things. What good is it to be a superhero if you only are some of the time and you never get to know when?
He catches my fist and holds it.
I cant get my fist out of his hand. Dude, give me some space here! I need room when I wake up! I cant breathe! Move!
He laughs and I want to crawl under the covers and burrow deep and hide and pretend this is just a really bad nightmare and itll be over soon.
Get off my bed!
When he lets me go and stands, the mattress rises four inches on his side. I cant believe I didnt feel him sit down. Yes I can. I sleep hard.
Youre late for work, kid.
What time is it? I glance wildly around for my cell phone. Im so sleep-discombobulated I can barely function. I spot it on the end table next to the bed. Its smashed into a gazillion pieces. You broke my cell phone!
It was smashed when I got here. You must have done it when the alarm went off.
Its not like its my fault, I say crossly, shoving my hair out of my face with both hands. Ive never had to use an alarm before.
Am I giving you shit.
Youre like, here!
Thats because youre late for work, kid. Get dressed.
Clothes hit me in the chest.
I realize I have on my favorite pjs. Theyre flannel and have ducks on them. Maybe he didnt notice. I cant stand it. This is my place. Its supposed to be private.
I could admire it for hours but I got a job to do.
People got short memories. They get fear-blind and easily dazzled. Especially during times of war when the world starts looking so dark and gritty that shiny things start looking shinier. I got to keep reminding them of the things they know are true.
Me and Dublin, were peas in the Mega pod. This is my city and my paper and I dont give up nothing thats mine without a fight.
Ive never lost a fight yet.
Well, only to that fecker Ryodan. And theres no way hes behind WeCare. Hes like, the antithesis of WeCare. Hes, like, We-Dont-Fucking-Care all wrapped up with Well-Eat-You-for-Lunch, too.
There goes my mood again. Thats all it takes. One little thought about him. I have to go to work again tonight like some fecking slow-mo Joe, trudging along with the masses, and the unfairness of it all is now that the world has melted down, nobody has to go to work anymore. Except me.
I bristle, realizing I cant go sleep like the dead once I get my rag up because I have to set an alarm. Me. I have to get up at a certain time!
Ive never paid any attention to time. Dancer says Ive enjoyed a luxury most people never have. He hates clocks and watches and everything that has to do with time. He says people already have too many lost days and that most folks live in the past or the future but never the present, always saying stuff like Im unhappy because X happened to me yesterday, or Ill be happy again when Y happens to me tomorrow. He says time is the ultimate villain. I dont really get that but thats probably because until this very frigging moment I never had to look at a clock for anything. I woke up when I felt like it. I went to sleep when I felt like it.
If Im lucky, Ill be able to squeeze in five whole hours of sleep before I have to go back to work.
Im aghast at the horrificness of it all. Clock hands are ticking away my life at someone elses direction.
Its so wrong.
I wake up slow and careful, dont even stretch. I lay still, feeling the boat rock gentle on the waves. I love sleeping on my ship. Got it booby-trapped to the nines. I got caught by one of them today, theyre so good! I dont open my eyes because it takes me a while to get moving. Sometimes it can take me a half hour. Thats why I set my alarm for seven instead of seven-thirty.
My alarm.
Was that what just woke me?
I dont remember turning it off.
I fumble for my cell phone. Signal might be dead but it still plays music and games. And has a stupid alarmclock.
I encounter an obstacle between me and my phone that feels like
Aiy-eeeeeeee! I make a sound I didnt know I could make, part gasp, part shriek, and shoot straight up in bed, eyes flying open. What just came out of my mouth is so girly it makes me cringe so I grab my sword and swing it.
He knocks it out of my hand and it clatters across the floor.
I cant even say anything for a sex. I mean sec.
This is like my worst nightmare ever in the whole world! This is worse than all the ZEWs coming after me plus the devil and all the Unseelie princes, too!
Ryodan is in bed next to me!
Sitting there, cool as you please! Were in bed together! Hes giving me that faint smile and mocking stare. Guess he was watching me sleep. Did I snore? Was I flopped flat on my back with my mouth hanging open? I have no idea how long hes been here! Howd he get in? How the heck did he get past all my booby traps? Obviously Im going to have to come up with some new ones!
I try to push him off the bed. Its like trying to budge a mountain. I hit him. Like a girl. Not even using my superpowers. Assuming I have them at the moment, the fickle fecking things. What good is it to be a superhero if you only are some of the time and you never get to know when?
He catches my fist and holds it.
I cant get my fist out of his hand. Dude, give me some space here! I need room when I wake up! I cant breathe! Move!
He laughs and I want to crawl under the covers and burrow deep and hide and pretend this is just a really bad nightmare and itll be over soon.
Get off my bed!
When he lets me go and stands, the mattress rises four inches on his side. I cant believe I didnt feel him sit down. Yes I can. I sleep hard.
Youre late for work, kid.
What time is it? I glance wildly around for my cell phone. Im so sleep-discombobulated I can barely function. I spot it on the end table next to the bed. Its smashed into a gazillion pieces. You broke my cell phone!
It was smashed when I got here. You must have done it when the alarm went off.
Its not like its my fault, I say crossly, shoving my hair out of my face with both hands. Ive never had to use an alarm before.
Am I giving you shit.
Youre like, here!
Thats because youre late for work, kid. Get dressed.
Clothes hit me in the chest.
I realize I have on my favorite pjs. Theyre flannel and have ducks on them. Maybe he didnt notice. I cant stand it. This is my place. Its supposed to be private.
