By Chustang Sundust
Chapter 8
"Castor Cowboy"
June 16. 12:55
Gene flickered his eyes up and down the street. A flash of color
washed down into his mind, and for a moment, the black and white world
seemed to slap him in the face, trying to wake him up. The poison was wearing
off, and every few seconds Gene's real mind would surface just to be forced
back into unconsciousness. A shiver of panic came through the program,
and he forced the burning muscles into running. Time was ticking.
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Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along
the light of day
And head back to the Milky Way
And tell me, did Venus blow your mind
Was it everything you wanted to find
And did you miss me while you were looking
for yourself out there
Exert from Drops of Jupiter by Train
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The redheaded outlaw staggered suddenly, tripping over a lump
in the street he hadn't noticed. With a scream of pain coming from the
thing he'd ran into, Gene was thrown to the ground and the icy pool of
water drenched him as he skidded painfully to a stop on his side. The disturbance
flared up another burning pain and another rib cracked, audible enough
for the whole street to hear.
He gritted his teeth in pain and anger, as the puddle reddened,
and he lifted his hand to keep the broken bones in place. Flashing white
eyes that were growing bluer, he growled at the dark thing bundled up in
a ball, "Watch it…"
Melfina blinked, seeing the handsome face of the puller of the
strings bearing those haunting white eyes, and cringed. "Sorry sir," she
muttered while trying to hide her face, and the android backed away like
a puppy dog in the pound. Her heart was thundering in her throat and ears,
so it was impossible hear if he said anything. It was impossible to know
if he was lifting a fist, gun, a knife, to kill her, or just what he was
doing. Tears were streaking through dirt on her face, and she kept backing
up, muttering, "Sorry, so sorry. Forgive me please, I'm just -"
Suddenly, the sludgy water in the water went flying as the possessed
Gene Starwind lunged at Melfina without warning. She screamed in reply
as he grabbed her ankle, and the bioandroid collapsed onto the street violently.
She was jolted against the tarred road, and she could feel a cut along
her chin. But she had no time to waste. In fear, she began to reluctantly
kick at him, and one hit him squarely in the face.
Gene felt like someone had smashed his face in, and he clutched
at his bleeding nose with an anger boiling up in the Tao Magic program.
His white eyes flickered with their original steely blue color for a second,
but faded again. As the terrified girl staggered up, slipping on the sludgy
water, he lifted himself up against the railing and reached for the castor
at his waist. Breathing heavily with pain, as another mind began to grapple
for control of his body, he shakily leveled the gun, barely able to aim
straight.
It was almost impossible for him to aim, with red-hot pain burning
at the back of his eyes, the darkness, and water and mud from the puddle
dripping down his face. Gene blinked heavily, focusing on the moving shape
only a few feet away from him, then tightened his fingers around the trigger.
It snapped, as he collapsed back to the ground, and the blast of ancient
magic ricocheted off the nearest streetlamp, after missing widely, striking
him in the gut. The real Gene smiled, feeling the raging fire burning through
him, as he was forced back into unconsciousness, knowing that in dying,
he'd really won.
And Melfina turned to see him fall.
End
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Author's Notes:
Don't worry, there's still the epilogue!
Chustang