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The Ballad of Honor and Tess
Intermission: Lost
I slept in alley ways, abandoned buildings, and vacant houses like a common vagrant. During the day, I used my psychic abilities to acquire transportation and food – in semi-trucks and trashcans, mostly. To dodge predators and prey on kind strangers, I was forced to use my all-seeing eye nearly non-stop. Of course, I once again found myself unable to stop the flood of visions. At night, I was tortured with dreams of my father in pain. He was trapped and frightened, and he wanted to go home. I wanted to go home, too.
One foot in front of the other, in front of the other, in front of the other.
I grew careless. Sometimes I would stumble and fall, and although I cut my skin and saw it turn purple, I never felt pain. One day I scraped my knee and found the spoiled skin utterly fascinating. I might've sat there forever, memorizing the disturbed chunks of white, pink, red and purple flesh, if a certain black-haired, blue-eyed angel hadn't found me.
"You're alright," said Tess. "You've barely damaged the epidermis. Come on, I'll help you stand."
I took her hand, secretly relishing her tender concern. My mother never encouraged me to feel sorry for my own pain.
Tess and I continued together, hand-in-hand. "I've been watching you," she told me, "You're getting progressively worse… I don't like to think how you'd be if I hadn't shown up. Come on, don't slow down. We've got so much further to go."
She stayed with me all day, recollecting sweet stories from our earliest days – breaking into the Danger Room at Xavier's, traveling to Mutie Con, screaming our voices raw at Johnny's concerts… She pointed out something I hadn't realized: I'd introduced her to seafood, and she'd taught me how to cook rice. We'd shared our prayers of faith without scorn or fear. So much of the foundation of me was built with bricks that came from her. What sort of person would I be if she'd never been my friend? I pointed out something to her: I missed my friend more than my lover. She and I were strong enough to survive alone, but we thrived together. I wanted her in my life.
"I'm always with you," she replied with a strange, peaceful smile. "Watch your step, honey. There's a sharp drop here."
We left the town together and wandered into a wasteland, where we spent the night. She built a fire and fed me water and beef jerky. She stayed with me until I fell into a deep, happy sleep, and when I awoke, she was gone.
I continued on alone. The cities and towns all blurred together. Somewhere in Arizona, I picked up with a group of Mexican pilgrims. They didn't talk to me (even though I spoke Spanish), but they didn't grab at my breasts and ass, either. I followed them as they leapt from a bridge to a moving train. My legs failed as I landed, and I slid perilously towards the edge. I'm sure I saw Tess grab my arm and pull me back to safety, but she was gone as quick as she came. I laid down indifferently, resting my mind and body while the box cart jostled me around. The next time I opened my eyes, the sun was high and relentless. The train was still and the world completely silent. I climbed down, my limbs stiff and sharp with pain. But my spirits were renewed by this flat, arid land.
Texas.