A few things can really make you feel a bit like a dirty old man. One of them is watching a girl half your age get dressed, and only all the better it be in the same thing she wore the night before.
Now it's not like I was sitting there leering at her. I'm just sitting reading the paper when Elizabeth woke up. I just turn around to see her slipping back into her dress is all. But I just can't help but smile as her curves slip back from reality into tantalizing imagination. Elizabeth caught me watching her and she flashes a shy smile before looking away and zipping up the side of the dress.
Since my little drunk episode a night ago I'd been trying to stay a little more upbeat, even with the thoughts of what Elizabeth really represented for me. It was easier than I thought it would be. She opened the door and looked back at me, sitting at my desk, paper spread out, I probably had a stupid grin on my face. She gave me one of those few genuine smiles.
"You going anywhere today?"
"Not really, maybe checking around Farmer's Market," It was a pretty pointless thing to say, Elizabeth always knew where I was.
"I guess I'll see you for dinner then," she just kept on smiling, "Love you, Booker"
And the door closed.
It was a little strange; I don't think I've ever told anyone I loved them, maybe not since Sandie. But Elizabeth said it a lot and never seemed distressed that I didn't return in. Maybe after the first few times it she figures if she says it enough it'll be true for both of us.
Truth is I don't even know. I thought I might have loved Abby, but Elizabeth was different. I'm not even sure how I feel about her, even now.
I shook my head and went back to the paper. Always best to drown out your thoughts in the news.
There's another Editorial on Atlas. I guess the Tribune has started to get more and more into politics. Nothing good would come from that. What was the editor thinking in putting this shit into his paper? He'll only attract attention, and only the wrong kind of attention at that.
And Ryan has an announcement that he's outfitting his cronies with more advanced plasmids. You can damn well bet those will be on the market in no time. Just what I'd need, people that can create cyclones out of nowhere.
It made sense, didn't it? Given how things were going it seemed like the only real logical way things could go.
In six weeks Rapture would erupt in civil war. Hell if you knew how it ended, it all made sense, that was a bit of the problem, wasn't it?
Still, Elizabeth and I knew about it. She seemed to think we could stop it, save the city.
It was at that thought that I turned the page to find another large article on page five.
Big Daddy Kill's Married Couple.
In all the time since they've been around, even with all the rumors, I'd never seen any story of a Big Daddy actually hurting anyone. Oh everyone assumed they did, but it was Splicers, or 'people no one cares about'
But this one was done out in, for lack of a better term, broad daylight.
'Yesterday in Dionysus Park, a married couple appeared to accost a Little Sister and was then subsequently attacked and killed by its protecting Big Daddy. The couple, a Joshua and Matilda Orden allegedly said that the Little Sister was their daughter, Mavis, missing since August. They hugged the Little Sister and then attempted to take it back home with them.
When the Little Sister cried out, its Big Daddy, a few meters away, charged the couple, slamming into them and killing Matilda on impact. When Joshua Orden screamed and attempted to, as witnesses said, protect the Little Sister from the Big Daddy, the large mechanical man drove its drill into his face. The Little Sister then reportedly, took blood from both victims and the pair continued on its way.
Security forces are saying that the altercation was probably brought on by delusions in the Orden's to see their daughter again. No charges have been brought up against Ryan Industries, however the company is seeking to sue the Orden estate for damage of company property, citing damage to the Big Daddy and the Little Sister's clothing.'
I threw the paper against the wall.
That was just it, wasn't it? First Abigail goes off the deep end and goes missing, and now the Ordens are dead.
Since the Little Sister's were finally shown in public, I had an inkling about Mavis, that she'd been turned into one of those things. It had to of been her. Orden had wiped his hands of the girl, believed her dead, just wanted to get on with his life. But then he and his wife both see their dead little girl walking the streets? What were they going to do?
And Ryan.
God damned fucking Andrew Ryan sues their family over it? The very next day?!
It really was plain as day what would happen to Rapture, it should have been clear the moment Fontaine started speaking out against Ryan but none of us wanted to see it. Whatever dream Rapture was supposed to be it was coming to a close and we were all going to have to wake up.
I got up and pulled on my coat, the self tailored garment slipping over my clothes like a warm embrace. I needed a walk.
Elizabeth figured we could stay here, we could save the city.
But you know what? From where I'm standing the city's too far gone. I had a better idea. I'll find Abigail, talk some sense into her and then we leave. All three of us.
I wasn't going to be buried at sea, that's for damn sure.