Sands lay back, breathing shallowly. His entire body felt like it was on
fire...and the sun kept beating down mercilessly. He started mumbling to
himself, something he did to keep his mind off something...in this case, his
extreme physical pain.
Trillian, meanwhile, picked up the cheap plastic payphone, punching in a collect number, then the number of her sister. It rang three times, and Trillian bit her lip. Come on! She thought, irritated. Pick up the damn phone! The small click, and the tinny voice of her sister sounded on the other line.
'Hello?'
Trillian sighed with relief.
"Hey, Mona, it's Trill."
'Trillian? Well, haven't heard from you in a while.' Her sister commented. It wasn't true, they had spoken last week.
"Yeah, yeah. Listen, I need a place to stay." Trillian said hurriedly, glancing over at Sands, who was lying down on the ledge of the shop. She frowned sadly, but turned her eyes away.
'Yeah, okay. Just you?' Mona asked. How typical. She needed to know how many kids to get rid of.
"No, me and...a friend." Trillian lied, glancing back at Sands.
'Oh, okay. Sure, that's fine, just let yourselves in. I have to go somewhere tonight, so I probably won't be there to let you in.' She said.
"Okay. Thanks, sis." Trillian said, and hung up the phone. She sighed, and then turned back to Sands. She walked over to him, fiddling with the bottom of her shirt. She stood over him, casting a shadow across his face.
Sands flinched slightly when the sun no longer shone on him, and braced himself.
"It's me." Trillian said.
"Good." Was all he said. Trillian sighed, then placed a hand on her hip.
"How are we going to do this?" She said, more to herself than anything.
"You're not carrying me, if that's what you mean." Sands said defensively, scooting away from her.
"I wasn't planning on it, so chill." Trillian snapped, then shrank back a little. "I'm sorry." She said, lowering her eyes. Sands nodded apologetically, then pulled himself up. He sat there, his face turned so it was almost as if he were looking down the street...But Trillian knew that was impossible.
"So wha—" She began, but Sands cut her off.
"Shh!" He ordered, turning his face so that he looked straight at her.
"What are you doing?" She demanded impatiently.
"Shut up and listen!" Sands commanded, and Trillian realized that he was turned so that his ears had the benefit, not his eyes.
That's sick, she thought. He can't even see...
Sands listened intently down the street. "There are five or six of them." He muttered quietly.
"Who?" Trillian asked, suddenly aware that Sands probably was capable of more than he let on.
"Sh!" Sands whispered fiercely. Trillian squinted, trying to hear what he did. She heard absolutely nothing.
"Do you have a gun?" Sands asked her suddenly.
"What?!" Trillian exclaimed, surprised.
"Do you have a fucking gun?!?!" Sands repeated frantically.
"I am not giving you a goddamn gun. No way." Trillian said, looking around nervously. Sands hopped off the small ledge, standing shakily.
Sands began limping to the right, heading as quickly as he could away from where they were. Trillian's eyes widened, and she followed him uncertainly.
I can't see! Sands thought wildly, limping away from the noise. Trillian was following, he could hear her footsteps. But to where?
Trillian kept close behind, and was surprised when Sands dodged left, into an alley. How the hell did he know there was an alley there? She thought, scratching her head.
She began to follow, but heard loud shouting behind her. About five men were following steadily, all of them heavily armed. Trillian ducked into the alleyway, and pulled out her gun. Sands smiled from his position next to her.
"I knew you had one." He said, obviously very proud of himself.
"Yeah, yeah...get over yourself." Trillian said, sticking her head back out into the street. One of the men raised his gun and took aim. She pulled back just as the guy fired, and raised her own gun. She fired blindly, emptying an entire clip. At least two of them hit the ground, and the rest were getting closer.
The only thing Trillian could think now was...Oh...Crap.
Trillian, meanwhile, picked up the cheap plastic payphone, punching in a collect number, then the number of her sister. It rang three times, and Trillian bit her lip. Come on! She thought, irritated. Pick up the damn phone! The small click, and the tinny voice of her sister sounded on the other line.
'Hello?'
Trillian sighed with relief.
"Hey, Mona, it's Trill."
'Trillian? Well, haven't heard from you in a while.' Her sister commented. It wasn't true, they had spoken last week.
"Yeah, yeah. Listen, I need a place to stay." Trillian said hurriedly, glancing over at Sands, who was lying down on the ledge of the shop. She frowned sadly, but turned her eyes away.
'Yeah, okay. Just you?' Mona asked. How typical. She needed to know how many kids to get rid of.
"No, me and...a friend." Trillian lied, glancing back at Sands.
'Oh, okay. Sure, that's fine, just let yourselves in. I have to go somewhere tonight, so I probably won't be there to let you in.' She said.
"Okay. Thanks, sis." Trillian said, and hung up the phone. She sighed, and then turned back to Sands. She walked over to him, fiddling with the bottom of her shirt. She stood over him, casting a shadow across his face.
Sands flinched slightly when the sun no longer shone on him, and braced himself.
"It's me." Trillian said.
"Good." Was all he said. Trillian sighed, then placed a hand on her hip.
"How are we going to do this?" She said, more to herself than anything.
"You're not carrying me, if that's what you mean." Sands said defensively, scooting away from her.
"I wasn't planning on it, so chill." Trillian snapped, then shrank back a little. "I'm sorry." She said, lowering her eyes. Sands nodded apologetically, then pulled himself up. He sat there, his face turned so it was almost as if he were looking down the street...But Trillian knew that was impossible.
"So wha—" She began, but Sands cut her off.
"Shh!" He ordered, turning his face so that he looked straight at her.
"What are you doing?" She demanded impatiently.
"Shut up and listen!" Sands commanded, and Trillian realized that he was turned so that his ears had the benefit, not his eyes.
That's sick, she thought. He can't even see...
Sands listened intently down the street. "There are five or six of them." He muttered quietly.
"Who?" Trillian asked, suddenly aware that Sands probably was capable of more than he let on.
"Sh!" Sands whispered fiercely. Trillian squinted, trying to hear what he did. She heard absolutely nothing.
"Do you have a gun?" Sands asked her suddenly.
"What?!" Trillian exclaimed, surprised.
"Do you have a fucking gun?!?!" Sands repeated frantically.
"I am not giving you a goddamn gun. No way." Trillian said, looking around nervously. Sands hopped off the small ledge, standing shakily.
Sands began limping to the right, heading as quickly as he could away from where they were. Trillian's eyes widened, and she followed him uncertainly.
I can't see! Sands thought wildly, limping away from the noise. Trillian was following, he could hear her footsteps. But to where?
Trillian kept close behind, and was surprised when Sands dodged left, into an alley. How the hell did he know there was an alley there? She thought, scratching her head.
She began to follow, but heard loud shouting behind her. About five men were following steadily, all of them heavily armed. Trillian ducked into the alleyway, and pulled out her gun. Sands smiled from his position next to her.
"I knew you had one." He said, obviously very proud of himself.
"Yeah, yeah...get over yourself." Trillian said, sticking her head back out into the street. One of the men raised his gun and took aim. She pulled back just as the guy fired, and raised her own gun. She fired blindly, emptying an entire clip. At least two of them hit the ground, and the rest were getting closer.
The only thing Trillian could think now was...Oh...Crap.