[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
top. He led her inside the tank, sitting her down upon a stale mattress that smelled of urine.
I ll be right back, Avy, he said in the darkness. I m just going down to bring some things
up, then stash the car. I love you, babe. Hold tight.
She drew her knees up tight into her chest, indifferent to his sentiment. She listened while
Sebastian made several trips up the ladder, hauling up camping gear. The temperature inside the
metal hull hovered around fifty degrees. She had no jacket to ward off the chill. She had left all her
personal items behind. They had no cellphone to call the authorities. They had no way to report
what had happened to Chubby, or what they suspected had happened to the officers who had been
guarding them. Of course, they were all dead. How could they not be?
She looked around in the darkness, fighting off a shiver. How long could they last in such
a dismal, unforgiving place without going mad? Spurred on by his vendetta, would the Wax Man
run them to ground again?
192 Gate Walker
Sebastian returned, draped a comforter over her shoulders, then lit the wick on a small
Coleman lantern. He turned it down to a tepid glow that provided enough light to see each other,
along with their surroundings. He sat next to her, his armed curled around her waist. She ignored
the gesture, her body incapable of feeling anything like comfort.
I know it looks bad, he tried. I didn t know where else to go. I wasn t thinking straight.
Maybe I should have taken us to the police station. I guess I just panicked.
She didn t speak. She heard his words but didn t want to interpret the meaning. She wondered
if he was just trying to make her feel better. Maybe his attempt at reconciliation made him feel
better. Right now, she didn t trust anybody. Why should she?
I ve got the car hidden, he said. We re safe here until I can figure out what to do. If it s
any comfort, you chopped off one of his fingers. I found it in the Jeep bed. I flicked it out with
a stick, then kicked dirt over it.
She had nothing to say. She fell on her side, drawing the blanket over her shoulders. She
could feel him cuddle close. It sent a chill up her spine
* * * *
She had no concept of the passage of time. No clue how many days they had spent inside
the water tower. She did nothing more than sleep or take occasional sips of water. In spite of
Sebastian s pleas, she refused to eat from the small plates he had offered her, including the MREs
he had found in Chubby s camping gear.
You haven t eaten a thing in two days, she heard him say. It could have been two years
for all she cared. She kicked the plate over.
He took hold of her wrist. Okay, fine. Then we have to leave so we can get you help.
She wrenched her hand away, then fell onto the mattress. She pulled the comforter over her
head, clamping off the sound of his voice. He spoke for ten minutes more before giving up.
* * * *
She awoke in the evening, sitting bolt upright, startled by a terrible nightmare. Sweat
drenched her jogging suit. Her heart thumped in her chest. Sebastian was gone. For a moment,
the loneliness ravaged her. She wondered if that was a good sign, an indication that real feelings
were returning. She relaxed somewhat when she heard the scuffing sounds on the ladder outside,
sending a tremor through the tower.
Sebastian appeared, ducking under the ragged opening. He carried a gallon can of lantern
fuel. When he noticed she was awake, he set the can down.
Jesus, you re up! he said. I was just about to fix dinner. I hope you don t mind, but I
found an old pair of Chubby s sneakers in his gear. I put them on you while you were asleep. Can t
go traipsing around with one bare foot.
Chris Stevenson 193
She looked at the shoes and wiggled her toes. How ironic that they were a close fit. Chubby
had had small feet. He wouldn t need these anymore. She sniffed. He provided for her even after he
was dead. There was still no way to come to terms with his loss. She tried to banish the terrible last
images she had of him from her mind. Instead of thinking about it, she watched Sebastian prepare
a small meal using a one-burner cooking stove. He set a plate by her side when he finished.
Avy, I ve been worried about you. If you need to blame someone, you can start with me.
She looked at the goulash. A tiny plastic fork stuck up from the sizzling little mound.
It s hash, he said. You ve got to eat something, Avy. Please, for both of us. We ve got so
much to live for we need to keep up our strength. Your health is an issue right now.
She took a few small bites. Chubby doesn t need his health anymore, she said monotone.
I know that, sweetheart. I am so sorry about that. He gave his life for us for you. How do
you think he would feel right now if he saw you like this? It would break his heart. You meant so
much to him. You mean so much to me.
Do you mean that?
I mean it with all my soul. I ve been crazy these past few days, out of my mind with revenge.
I apologize for all of it. You re going through something like that now. It s shock. You re here
with me, yet you re gone, somewhere far away. I need you to reach back to grab a hold of those
feelings. I need you to fight again. I need you to realize that you re alive, blessed with a righteous
purpose. Do you know what I m saying?
She understood part of it. In regard to her purpose, she had a morbid conclusion about that
subject.
I m the reason for all of this, she said deadpan. I am not even a real person. I m half
human mixed with half something else. Even the half human doesn t belong to me. It belongs to my
mother. My body is just a container for other souls with their own purpose. Him. He started all of
it. If Janus is so high mighty powerful, why didn t he stop any of this from happening? I hate him!
He can t interfere with destiny. He uses his influence to bring about the best outcome. Even
demigods have limits. We don t even know how many past disasters he s prevented. You think
things are tough now? What if Janus hadn t been around at all? We might not be sitting here talking
about any of this. I m telling you, Avy, you re on a path.
Yeah, right. His path for me is death and destruction. Case closed.
Sebastian raised his voice an octave. You saved three lives that would have ended up in the
bottom of the Atlantic! For your information, one of the greatest figures of history was a mongrel [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szkicerysunki.xlx.pl
top. He led her inside the tank, sitting her down upon a stale mattress that smelled of urine.
I ll be right back, Avy, he said in the darkness. I m just going down to bring some things
up, then stash the car. I love you, babe. Hold tight.
She drew her knees up tight into her chest, indifferent to his sentiment. She listened while
Sebastian made several trips up the ladder, hauling up camping gear. The temperature inside the
metal hull hovered around fifty degrees. She had no jacket to ward off the chill. She had left all her
personal items behind. They had no cellphone to call the authorities. They had no way to report
what had happened to Chubby, or what they suspected had happened to the officers who had been
guarding them. Of course, they were all dead. How could they not be?
She looked around in the darkness, fighting off a shiver. How long could they last in such
a dismal, unforgiving place without going mad? Spurred on by his vendetta, would the Wax Man
run them to ground again?
192 Gate Walker
Sebastian returned, draped a comforter over her shoulders, then lit the wick on a small
Coleman lantern. He turned it down to a tepid glow that provided enough light to see each other,
along with their surroundings. He sat next to her, his armed curled around her waist. She ignored
the gesture, her body incapable of feeling anything like comfort.
I know it looks bad, he tried. I didn t know where else to go. I wasn t thinking straight.
Maybe I should have taken us to the police station. I guess I just panicked.
She didn t speak. She heard his words but didn t want to interpret the meaning. She wondered
if he was just trying to make her feel better. Maybe his attempt at reconciliation made him feel
better. Right now, she didn t trust anybody. Why should she?
I ve got the car hidden, he said. We re safe here until I can figure out what to do. If it s
any comfort, you chopped off one of his fingers. I found it in the Jeep bed. I flicked it out with
a stick, then kicked dirt over it.
She had nothing to say. She fell on her side, drawing the blanket over her shoulders. She
could feel him cuddle close. It sent a chill up her spine
* * * *
She had no concept of the passage of time. No clue how many days they had spent inside
the water tower. She did nothing more than sleep or take occasional sips of water. In spite of
Sebastian s pleas, she refused to eat from the small plates he had offered her, including the MREs
he had found in Chubby s camping gear.
You haven t eaten a thing in two days, she heard him say. It could have been two years
for all she cared. She kicked the plate over.
He took hold of her wrist. Okay, fine. Then we have to leave so we can get you help.
She wrenched her hand away, then fell onto the mattress. She pulled the comforter over her
head, clamping off the sound of his voice. He spoke for ten minutes more before giving up.
* * * *
She awoke in the evening, sitting bolt upright, startled by a terrible nightmare. Sweat
drenched her jogging suit. Her heart thumped in her chest. Sebastian was gone. For a moment,
the loneliness ravaged her. She wondered if that was a good sign, an indication that real feelings
were returning. She relaxed somewhat when she heard the scuffing sounds on the ladder outside,
sending a tremor through the tower.
Sebastian appeared, ducking under the ragged opening. He carried a gallon can of lantern
fuel. When he noticed she was awake, he set the can down.
Jesus, you re up! he said. I was just about to fix dinner. I hope you don t mind, but I
found an old pair of Chubby s sneakers in his gear. I put them on you while you were asleep. Can t
go traipsing around with one bare foot.
Chris Stevenson 193
She looked at the shoes and wiggled her toes. How ironic that they were a close fit. Chubby
had had small feet. He wouldn t need these anymore. She sniffed. He provided for her even after he
was dead. There was still no way to come to terms with his loss. She tried to banish the terrible last
images she had of him from her mind. Instead of thinking about it, she watched Sebastian prepare
a small meal using a one-burner cooking stove. He set a plate by her side when he finished.
Avy, I ve been worried about you. If you need to blame someone, you can start with me.
She looked at the goulash. A tiny plastic fork stuck up from the sizzling little mound.
It s hash, he said. You ve got to eat something, Avy. Please, for both of us. We ve got so
much to live for we need to keep up our strength. Your health is an issue right now.
She took a few small bites. Chubby doesn t need his health anymore, she said monotone.
I know that, sweetheart. I am so sorry about that. He gave his life for us for you. How do
you think he would feel right now if he saw you like this? It would break his heart. You meant so
much to him. You mean so much to me.
Do you mean that?
I mean it with all my soul. I ve been crazy these past few days, out of my mind with revenge.
I apologize for all of it. You re going through something like that now. It s shock. You re here
with me, yet you re gone, somewhere far away. I need you to reach back to grab a hold of those
feelings. I need you to fight again. I need you to realize that you re alive, blessed with a righteous
purpose. Do you know what I m saying?
She understood part of it. In regard to her purpose, she had a morbid conclusion about that
subject.
I m the reason for all of this, she said deadpan. I am not even a real person. I m half
human mixed with half something else. Even the half human doesn t belong to me. It belongs to my
mother. My body is just a container for other souls with their own purpose. Him. He started all of
it. If Janus is so high mighty powerful, why didn t he stop any of this from happening? I hate him!
He can t interfere with destiny. He uses his influence to bring about the best outcome. Even
demigods have limits. We don t even know how many past disasters he s prevented. You think
things are tough now? What if Janus hadn t been around at all? We might not be sitting here talking
about any of this. I m telling you, Avy, you re on a path.
Yeah, right. His path for me is death and destruction. Case closed.
Sebastian raised his voice an octave. You saved three lives that would have ended up in the
bottom of the Atlantic! For your information, one of the greatest figures of history was a mongrel [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]