4
Talho
Talho lay sprawled on her empty bed, allowing the sun's warm rays to penetrate her thin sheet. She was thoughtful this morning, as she had been for weeks. Nightmares had been plaguing her ever since the Gekkostate's stop in Medrina, a small desert town. Waking up to the blankets clinging to her sweat-drenched body, blood rushing to her head, and heart pounding as something more than a moan slipped out of her mouth. When consciousness took hold, she dutifully looked to see if Holland had awoken from her nocturnal struggles, but found him snoring peacefully on the couch across the room. Soon, nausea conquered any other concerns and she quietly ran to the bathroom, collapsing on the toilet, and releasing every scene her mind had portrayed. The vivid images caused her to heave over and over until her throat was on fire, and mind too exhausted to remember why she was sitting on the bathroom tile in the first place.
As she tried to contemplate the meaning of these dreams, which she had been doing for the past five hours, an unsuccessful reason was concluded. She must have been worrying too much over Holland and his past in the SOF. She knew of the things he had once done, though he never told her in such graphic details. Besides, television has gotten way out of hand lately.
Shrugging off the damp bedsheets, Talho searched for her skirt or any wearable clothing item. She suddenly blushed at the remembrance of just what Holland had done to her clothes the night before, and decided to put on her favorite white shorts and glossy indigo top instead. While she slipped the blouse over her head, she noticed a pair of familiar blue eyes staring at her with unease. Instinctively, she screamed and threw the nearest heavy object at the peeping form, and felt satisfied in the responsive thud and agonized yelp. She stomped over to the dazed figure, in which he curled into a protective ball as she drew closer to him.
"And what do you think YOU ARE doing, Renton?!" Talho demanded forcefully.
"I—I …" Renton was cut off from his stammering as Talho continued, "What would Holland do if I told him you were spying on me as I was getting dressed? I guess we will all find that out very soon…"
Talho stepped over Renton and walked briskly out the door until she felt the warm touch of a desperate boy holding on to her ankle as if all their lives depended on it.
"Holland sent me to wake you up and tell you there is a meeting, Miss Talho." Renton managed, with his eyes squeezed closed, awaiting her response.
"Whatever, pervert." Talho replied dismissively and walked away with no more interruptions.
Forty-five minutes later, Talho was flushed with anger and anxiety over the newly voted proposal. Anything involving the risk of Holland and Renton made her cringe and want to throw sharp, metal objects at their heads. How dare they be so selfish and stupid to carry out these crazy stunts. Suddenly Talho made a quick and painful realization, the one which claws at her chest ceaselessly throughout each day; Eureka. The almost creature-like girl that both the people she loved most in this finite life, loved more than her. The one who they would die for without any hesitation, and regard higher in their tormented hearts, would always be this barely human girl.
Talho could feel the familiar ice cold shiver run through her chest down to her navel, and then the rush of warmth crushing her throat. Clenching her fists and swallowing hastily allowed some stability to help her recover from the chronic agony she faced each day because of a stick-figured, albino, purple-eyed freak. What else could they possibly see in this humanoid Coralian?
Talho shoved these thoughts away forcefully and finally locked eyes with Holland's avoiding gaze. She attempted to tell him of her thoughts in this one look, but once he realized what she was doing, he instinctively shut down by sighing and turning his back on her. As he walked out of the room she muttered "Coward," which made him pause and continue out the room all the faster.
Completely frustrated and irrevocably outraged, Talho fell lazily onto the lounge chair and breathed deeply. The only other person left in the room was Renton, who had his usual look of contemplation on his face.
"What's up pervert?" Talho asked casually. Renton did not answer right away, and when he did, it sounded like a struggle to form the sounds.
"This is for Eureka and the Nirvash. We have to do it."
"You don't have to do anything. You're just a kid, Renton. We will all worry about Eureka and the Nirvash. Besides, this has more to do with Eureka than anything. Holland will take care of it, no matter what." The latter was said with an edge of bitterness, undetected by this young boy, whose own growing emotions drowned everything else out of his notice.
Sighing, Talho continued "Really. You don't have to be involved. We can tell the others you can't do it."
"No." Renton said it so huskily and forcefully it shocked Talho out of her own angry thoughts and caused her to take a closer look at Renton.
He loved her; Eureka. That familiar pain crept into her chest again as she realized how Renton Thurston was as lost to her as Holland. Somehow, she always had hope that he would not get entangled by Eureka's consuming web.
Finally coming out of her reverie, Talho stood up from her slouched position on the couch and said to Renton, with some tenderness "Then Freetown it is."