Disclaimer: Yeah yeah, you know the drill. I own nothing but Trillian.
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Twenty minutes, a broken key, an outburst of profanity, and a broken-down garage door later, Trillian was behind the wheel of a dingy, smelly, disgusting taxicab. She was still muttering about having to pay for the door she drove into in order to get out of the place, and Sands was sitting contentedly in the back.
She looked in the mirror at him, and was surprised to see him twiddling his thumbs.
"What in the name of God are you doing?" Trillian demanded, eyes widening.
Sands looked up, or didn't, rather.
"I've never twiddled my thumbs before." He said blankly, then dropped his hands back to his sides. "Sorry."
"It's alright, twiddle away." Trillian said, feeling foolish.
Sands didn't raise his hands again, and Trillian felt awful. She kept her eyes on the road, looking for any sight of a stray cat or wounded pedestrian that might run into the path of the oncoming car.
"So...what happened?" Trillian asked, her curiosity finally getting the better of her.
Sands said nothing. He just kept staring blankly ahead, the same slightly tormented expression on his face.
Can people stare if they have no eyes? Trillian wondered, pursing her lips. She shook the thoughts from her mind, and continued driving.
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By the time Trillian pulled the cab into her sister's driveway, the dusky horizon was glittering with early evening stars, casting a pale light into the car. She put it into park, and turned around.
"We're here." She said monotonously. Sands didn't move. His head was resting to the right slightly, and his mouth was open a fraction of an inch.
"You've got to be kidding me..." Trillian murmured softly. Sands had fallen asleep. She didn't want to wake him, but didn't want to leave him in the car, either. The frigid cold of the Mexican desert at night would freeze him to death. She opened her door, stepping out of the car. She stretched, worn out by the two-hour drive. She leaned over, peering into the window to where Sands lay. He looked so peaceful, besides the fact that he was covered in blood and dirt. Trillian sighed, and opened his door.
She then went to the back of her sister's villa and looked around. The potted palm that sat next to the door was all that caught her eye, and she headed over quickly. She pulled up the plant, removing the key and unlocking the door. Heading quickly through the house, she unlocked the front door and left it wide open, then made a note of the nearest couch to the door.
Sighing at the task ahead, Trillian walked down the driveway. It was twenty feet long. Twenty feet of carrying a complete stranger into her sister's home.
Trillian unfastened Sands' seatbelt (Oh my God, this guy actually buckled his seatbelt, Trillian thought), and dragged him out of the car. She tried to be as gentle as possible, but she still bumped into quite a bit on her way back into the house.
She heaved him onto the couch, and he didn't move. Trillian raised her eyebrow, but did nothing else. She headed into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and pulled out a bottle of water. She set it on the coffee table in front of the couch were Sands was located in case he woke up, then realized he couldn't see it if he did.
Great. Now I have to baby-sit this guy? Trillian thought, exasperated. She pulled another bottle from the fridge, opened it, and downed almost the entire thing. It had been a long, long day.
She looked back over to Sands, whose glasses had fallen askew. She stood up, and walked over slowly. With extreme hesitation, she reached to adjust them.
Just fix them, Trill. Leave them there. She urged herself, but her morbid curiosity got the better of her. She lowered the glasses slightly, very slightly, only enough so she could see what was under them. She nearly cried out in disgust, but managed to keep her mouth shut.
She fixed the sunglasses, trying hard not to think about the horror she had just forced herself to see, but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't go away.
Trillian sank into the chair opposite him, watching him sleep. For the first time in a long time, she wished that she was able to help someone.
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Twenty minutes, a broken key, an outburst of profanity, and a broken-down garage door later, Trillian was behind the wheel of a dingy, smelly, disgusting taxicab. She was still muttering about having to pay for the door she drove into in order to get out of the place, and Sands was sitting contentedly in the back.
She looked in the mirror at him, and was surprised to see him twiddling his thumbs.
"What in the name of God are you doing?" Trillian demanded, eyes widening.
Sands looked up, or didn't, rather.
"I've never twiddled my thumbs before." He said blankly, then dropped his hands back to his sides. "Sorry."
"It's alright, twiddle away." Trillian said, feeling foolish.
Sands didn't raise his hands again, and Trillian felt awful. She kept her eyes on the road, looking for any sight of a stray cat or wounded pedestrian that might run into the path of the oncoming car.
"So...what happened?" Trillian asked, her curiosity finally getting the better of her.
Sands said nothing. He just kept staring blankly ahead, the same slightly tormented expression on his face.
Can people stare if they have no eyes? Trillian wondered, pursing her lips. She shook the thoughts from her mind, and continued driving.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
By the time Trillian pulled the cab into her sister's driveway, the dusky horizon was glittering with early evening stars, casting a pale light into the car. She put it into park, and turned around.
"We're here." She said monotonously. Sands didn't move. His head was resting to the right slightly, and his mouth was open a fraction of an inch.
"You've got to be kidding me..." Trillian murmured softly. Sands had fallen asleep. She didn't want to wake him, but didn't want to leave him in the car, either. The frigid cold of the Mexican desert at night would freeze him to death. She opened her door, stepping out of the car. She stretched, worn out by the two-hour drive. She leaned over, peering into the window to where Sands lay. He looked so peaceful, besides the fact that he was covered in blood and dirt. Trillian sighed, and opened his door.
She then went to the back of her sister's villa and looked around. The potted palm that sat next to the door was all that caught her eye, and she headed over quickly. She pulled up the plant, removing the key and unlocking the door. Heading quickly through the house, she unlocked the front door and left it wide open, then made a note of the nearest couch to the door.
Sighing at the task ahead, Trillian walked down the driveway. It was twenty feet long. Twenty feet of carrying a complete stranger into her sister's home.
Trillian unfastened Sands' seatbelt (Oh my God, this guy actually buckled his seatbelt, Trillian thought), and dragged him out of the car. She tried to be as gentle as possible, but she still bumped into quite a bit on her way back into the house.
She heaved him onto the couch, and he didn't move. Trillian raised her eyebrow, but did nothing else. She headed into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and pulled out a bottle of water. She set it on the coffee table in front of the couch were Sands was located in case he woke up, then realized he couldn't see it if he did.
Great. Now I have to baby-sit this guy? Trillian thought, exasperated. She pulled another bottle from the fridge, opened it, and downed almost the entire thing. It had been a long, long day.
She looked back over to Sands, whose glasses had fallen askew. She stood up, and walked over slowly. With extreme hesitation, she reached to adjust them.
Just fix them, Trill. Leave them there. She urged herself, but her morbid curiosity got the better of her. She lowered the glasses slightly, very slightly, only enough so she could see what was under them. She nearly cried out in disgust, but managed to keep her mouth shut.
She fixed the sunglasses, trying hard not to think about the horror she had just forced herself to see, but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't go away.
Trillian sank into the chair opposite him, watching him sleep. For the first time in a long time, she wished that she was able to help someone.
