The Mist!

The morning came, and was not very nice. Cassie had a very painful headache, and felt very sluggish as she swung her feet over the bed and stood. Groggily, she walked over to the mirror, and almost didn't recognize herself. Her hair was a mess; frizzled and tangled; her face was pale, and dark lines discolored her eyes.

Never again. She promised herself. Never.

She walked into the bathroom, and proceeded to fill the bathtub with hot water. She then stripped down and got in slowly, letting her body adjust to the heat. She let out a slow sigh, and lay still for a few minutes. She then noticed an array of bottles on a small shelf built into the wall. She took one and read it. It was called 'shampoo', and it seemed to be a chemical for washing one's hair. "Lather, rinse, repeat if desired." She did so, and true to its word, her hair felt much cleaner. She did it once again for good measure.

It was some time before she got out and dried off. She didn't feel much like getting completely dressed again. A bathrobe hung on the back of the door, and she appropriated it, tying it snugly in place with the belt.

Si was still asleep when she walked back out into the main room. Cassie went to the bookshelf and took out the next few volumes of the encyclopedia, placing them in a stack on the floor. She then went to the fridge and bought a bowl fruit salad topped with yogurt. To complete her environment, she walked to the bed and grabbed one of the pillows, dropping it on the floor, and then sitting on it. She then proceeded to browse through the encyclopedia.

 

Si wakes up, stretches and then grabs her head. "Ow, ow, ow, ow." Her head pounded and every noise seemed amplified. "I guess I had a few too many. I'll have to watch myself better next time."

She walks out into the living room and sees Cassie sitting there. Suddenly all of the memories from last night come rushing into her head. Her face turned bright red and she says "I...I...I think I'm going to take a bath." and then turns and goes into the bathroom. Shutting the door behind her, she whispers to herself "I can't believe I did that. Damn, she might not want to be around me any more. Damn it." She shakes her head and thinks "What's done is done I guess. Maybe she drank enough to forget about it or something." As she begins to draw the bath, she sees a bottle marked lavender scented bubblebath. She reads the directions and adds it to the water. It smells great, just like a lavender flower. She strips her cloths and gets into the tub, trying her best to relax.

 

Cassie heard Si moving about, and before long she came out into the living room. It seemed that she, too, was having a rough morning. when Cassie turned to her, she immediately went bright red.

She then turned quickly, and practically ran to the bathroom. Cassie turned back, and bit her lip, recalling what went on last night. She set her book down, and stood. She walked to the closed door and tapped on it gently.

"Si. I just want you to know that everything that happened last night...stays there. We were drunk, we weren't ourselves, and I'm not going to blame you for anything that was said. Okay?"

 

As Si sits in the tub staring at the ceiling, she hears a knock on the door.

"Si. I just want you to know that everything that happened last night...stays there. We were drunk, we weren't ourselves, and I'm not going to blame you for anything that was said. Okay?"

"Um...yeah, it was just because we were drunk, that's all. We weren't ourselves. We'll just go on like it never happened." says Si as a few tears begin to stream down her face. She though to herself "And that's the way it'll likely stay."

 

Cassie thought she heard a note of sadness in Si's voice, and it startled her. And then she began to think. What if Si really had meant everything she had said last night? She had thought the alcohol had altered her, but what if it had just loosened the things that had laid buried? Cassie sighed as she walked away. Si was her best friend in the world; her only friend. And she loved her as much as a best friend could. But anything more than that...Cassie just couldn't go there.

She returned to the room and got dressed, and then went back and tapped on the door again.

"I'm going to see if I can find Dameon." She said. She strode to the door and walked out, making her way down the hall.

 

I had woken up and slipped on a blue t-shirt and a clean pair of blue jeans, then pulled my bronze chest plate over top of it and the leather jacket back on. I smiled and felt nurvious. I looked down at the number in my hand. I didn't even know what a phone was. I'd have to ask someone sometime soon. I ran a hand through my short brown hair in an attempt to smooth it over.

Knock Knock Knock. I jumped at the noise and laughed softly to myself. "One moment." I called not sure if it might be Brenda, maybe she had wanted me to call first thing in the morning. I walked to the door, swollowed and opened it up to see Cassie standing their. I sighed in relief. "Oh it's you." I said and realized that might of sounded bad. "Um, you wouldn't happen to know what a phone is would you?" I asked trying to recover.

 

Ben smiled and chuckled when Dron said they would play riddles. That sounded a lot better than fighting.

He repeated the riddle in his mind over and over again.

Feed me and I Live
Give me Drink and I Die
What Am I?

Each time he gave an answer in his head. He tried to think of an animal. No all animals needed water to live too. A rock, a fish, aquatic turtle, paper, grass, sand, dirt. None of those seemed right.

Ben sat down crossing his legs and resting his chin in the palm of his right hand as he thought and thought. Suddenly the serious, pensive expression on his face changed to a smile as the answer came to his mind.

Looking up at Dron, Ben said, "Fire!"

 

Dron looked rather pleased with himself. "You are... Correct." He said and then sat down on his rear legs as if he expected this to take a little while. "Now it is your turn to ask a riddle."

 

Ben thought for a moment. A broad grin spread across his face before he opened his mouth to speak,

"It kills without swords and claws.
It never makes a sound.
Its victims never see it coming.
Swords, revolvers, teeth, and claws can't kill it.
Those who have never encountered it usually die.

What is it?"

 

He took only a moment to think before reasponding with his first awnser. "Is it a virus young doctor?" He asked sure of himself. Kills, silent, invisible, can't be killed, and if a group of people have never had it then it will usually kill. He hopped his logic chip was right on this one.

 

Dameon opened the door, and Cassie was a little surprised at his clothing. Of course, she wasn't exactly as she had been when they last parted either. He wore denims and a black leather jacket, but he still wore his breastplate underneath. Cassie couldn't help the grin that spread across her face at his question.

"I see you're fitting in here quite well, too!" She said. She stepped past him into the room and he closed the door. She crossed to the nightstand.

"This would be your phone." She said, motioning to the device. "To make a long story short, it converts your voice into energy that moves through wires to another phone, where it gets converted back into your voice. So, you can talk to someone from miles away. You just pick it up," She took the phone from it's cradle. "Punch in the sequence of numbers that identifies the phone you want to call, and that's it. Easy." She set the phone back down.

"So, what were you up to yesterday?"

 

Dora returned to the group, limping a little, an arrow on her small bowstring just in case. She didn't entirely trust that the beast's capitulation wasn't just a ruse to get her to come into the open. When he had gone away she had followed a cautious distance behind.

When she arrived back with the group Ben was swapping riddles with another beast and the others gave her looks that had various degrees of relief.

 

"So, what were you up to yesterday?" Cassie asked, after explaining in layman's terms what a phone was.

"Thanks." I said and looked down at the number that I still held in my hand. "I went for a walk, or at least initially. This girl ended up dragging me around town for awhile. We saw a..." My mind lost the word for a moment and then it popped up. "movie, and then she took me to get some clothes that'll let me fit in better." I told her and then blushed a bit. "She wanted me to give her a 'call' today on the 'phone'."

I shook off my bit of embaressment and added. "What did you do? How about Si, I'm sure you two stayed togeather."

 

"Did the little girl hurt you little brother?" Teased the one who allways seemed to be in a bad mood. "Not really supprised by that, the queen should really make these tests harder." He continued. The smaller one, limped a short ways away from the group apearing to try and avoid ridicule. He tossed an angry glance at Dora as he stopped.

 

"Is it a virus young doctor?", Dron asked.

Ben nodded his head, "It is a virus; the deadliest kind. Those, such as the Ebola, are almost always fatal."

While waiting for Dron to give him the next riddle, Ben sent his mind questing among his memories for a riddle that could stump this beast. Dron seemed to be intelligent. Oh, what a fabulous accomplishment to be able to deliver a riddle Dron could not answer.

 

Cassie sat down on the couch, letting out a breath.

"Well, the first part of the day went well, at least. I discovered the TV, the fridge, and a few other things. I looked at a map of the city, and started reading an encyclopedia. Si and I got some clothes, then we went to a gun range and got familiar with the weapons of this place. Jacqueline was there, and afterward she invited us to the bar." She paused, looking down.

"And we both got very drunk." Her face reddened. "Things just got worse after that."

 

"And we both got very drunk." Her face reddened. "Things just got worse after that."

I set down the papper I had been holding and sat down next to her. "Care to talk about it?" I asked noticing how upset she seemed. I bet that the commander had something to do with this. "I'm sure it couldn't have been to bad, your not hurt. Si's alright isn't she?" I asked a bit of worry in my voice. I put a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "I'm sure talking about it will make you feel better."

 

"Violet, indigo, blue and green, yellow, orange and red; these are the colors you have seen after the storm has fled.
What am I?" Dron asked with little hesitation his electronic brain faster than any one made of flesh. He appeared to be enjoying himself, thus he gave easy riddles, that would allow things to continue for a while and give Ben the chance to stump him. He silently wished Ben luck he would not awnser wrong on purpose.

 

Dameon set a hand on her shoulder and she looked at him and smiled.

"Si's been my best friend since we were kids. We were like sisters. We had no secrets from one another." She sighed. "Last night Si told me that she loved me. That, I passed off because I love her, too; as a best friend. But from how she acted last night, and again this morning...its like she wants a romantic relationship with me." It felt embarrassing, but also a little liberating to say it to someone. She let another breath out.

"And I can't go there. I really can't. I won't ever see her that way. That's just who I am." She looked back into Dameon's eyes. He listened intently, the expression on his face compassionate and understanding.

 

Si finally finishes her bath, and puts on the spare robe for their room. She sits out in the living room and turns on the television. On there she could see a blond haired woman facing off against some invisible monster snake thing. There are two girls behind her laying by a tree, and one of them appears to be a cat-girl.

Si leans forward to see a fiery explosion come from the blond haired woman, which causes the snake thing to run away. The red haired one runs up to her and the blond chick confessess her love. "Like it would ever be that simple." says Si as she turns the channel.

 

"And I can't go there. I really can't. I won't ever see her that way. That's just who I am." I felt for her, people falling for others of the same sex wasn't something that happened often in the wall, but it had been known to happen, and was generally looked down upon by people. I wasn't sure how to awnser her but I smiled softly and nodded, hoping she got that I agreed with her in this. She had to go with what she felt was best.

I waited a moment and decided that she might need my advice good or bad. "You should tell her that then." I said keeping the slight smile. "If she cares then I'm sure she'll understand." I assured her. I glanced around the room and decided that I should figure out how to work the rest of the bathroom and she was here so she could help. "Um, how does the bathroom work. I got the toilet part but didn't want to break anything so I haven't tried anything else." I said and gave a nurvious laugh knowing that I wore clean clothes and hadn't cleaned myself yet. "Not to mention all the other stuff around here, the picture screen scared me pretty good when I accedently turned it on." I said and let out a short laugh.

 

Skraal let a smile grace his face as he watched Dora emerge from the trees. He looked to Madeline knowing she would be next. Yet he somehow found himself eager to discover the use of the Pineapple things. Skraal also picked up the SA-80A2 and slotted the Magazine in the back firmly.

He looked at the dragon.

“What is the nature of these tests beast.” He called.

 

Madeline looked up, wondering how the dragon would react to being called beast. Dora had rejoined them, and Ben had engaged one of the smaller dragons in a intellectual duel.

Her eyes fell to the guns on the floor. They looked completely alien. Skraal had just slid one random piece into another piece as if it were second nature to him.

The nature of these tests was probably to see how many of the group they could kill.

Mad buried her head in her arms, feeling dread bubble in her stomach. If I ran now, I might get away, she thought.

She pushed the thought aside and stood, ready to confront whatever happened next. 'So, what now?' she asked loudly.

 

"So What Now?" Madeline called out from behind Skraal.

Skraal stood firm his gun in both hands the barrel still facing the ground yet Skraal was beginning to wonder what this was about. They had left the Demon city behind and now found themselves face to face with metallic beasts wanting to test the group. Skraal saw no sense in their methods.

"I ask agaion Beast. Why do you see the need to test these travellers what are they to you." Skraal's voice held a certain demand.

 

Cassie nodded.

"I know." She said. "I hope she understands." A bit of silence passed between them, and Cassie did feel a little better telling someone.

Cassie laughed with him.

"Same with me." She said. "I'm still not quite sure of everything, but I have the basics, at least." She stood and led the way. She gestured to the sink.

"This is what we know as a washbasin. Except the pump is built right into it. You turn this tap," She motioned to it. "For cold water, and the other one for hot.

"The toilet, you've already seen. Don't forget to flush." She winked at him.

"And the bathtub is like the sink, only bigger. This is where you do most of your washing. I also found out that if you pull this thing," Again, she pointed. "The water comes out the sprinkler up there.

"These bottles are different kinds of soaps. This one is for your hair, and...I really don't know what the rest of them are for." She couldn't really help the smile that crossed her face. She was extremely lucky to have been placed here with friends she could trust. Friends who were also entering a strange world and leaving behind the only one they had known.

"If there's anything else you don't get, let me know, and we'll figure it out." They left the bathroom.

"So, why don't you call your friend, and we'll figure out what we're doing today?"