"Here, let me help," he came back to reality. Picking up an edge of
the box he heard Nancy sigh. He'd heard that sigh before. "What's the
matter?" he asked, grasping for more to say.
"Oh nothing," she answered. "I just haven't had any sleep in the last 24 hours. I guess I'm a little wiped."
"Well, me and Joe can get out of here if you want. He was wondering what happened to Bess anyway." Frank peered around the cluttered room and said as an afterthought, "I can help you finish this later."
"No, that's ok," Nancy smiled wanly through tired eyes. "I'm sure you have better things to do. I'm a big girl," she flexed her biceps for emphasis, making Frank chuckle. "I can have this done in no time."
"Ok," Frank headed for the door, wistful to stay, "have a good nap then."
As he shut the door and heard a lock click into place, Frank smacked himself on the head with his palm. "Have a good nap?" he mocked himself. "I sounded like her father. Why don't I just tattoo a Loser sign onto my forehead."
"I'd like to see that," Joe said, appearing from nowhere with a soda extended to Frank.
"Ha, ha, and where have you been?" Frank asked his brother through narrow eyes.
"I went to get a soda, oh doubtful one. Where's your girlfriend?" Joe couldn't suppress a grin as Frank growled. He knew he'd hit a nerve.
"Joe, how many times have I told you that she is nothing more than a friend and colleague?" So maybe that was a lie. Frank couldn't deny that he was attracted to her; she was smart, funny, beautiful, and good at what she did. They had kissed twice, but he could never let on how he really felt. There was too much history.
The black clad figure ran through the halls of the dormitory. Darting in and out of shadows, the form skittered out of the way of boxes still in the hall, left for the next morning. So much to steal was the thought running through its twisted mind. I only wish I had the time. I'm here for something else.
Nancy's eyes opened when she heard a thud. Taking a moment to acclimate her eyes to the dark, she fumbled for her shorts. The last thing she wanted was to run into her R.A. in nothing but a t-shirt. Stumbling over boxes, she made her way into the common room. There were eight suites branching off of the common, and she had snagged one of the two singles. Making her way to the hallway, she saw something in black skulking around the couch.
"Who's there?" she whispered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. None of her suitemates had arrived, as far as she knew. The figure rushed to head her off from the door, and she immediately took a ready fighting stance. The figure advanced stealthily, and she could tell he was practiced, determined, and lethal. When he finally decided to strike, she was ready.
Crouching low, she deflected his blows effectively. Consumed with warding off her frantic attacker, she never heard the footsteps of someone creeping up behind her. Her mouth opened soundlessly when something crashed upon her head. The figure in front of her wavered as stars burst in front of her eyes. The black clad strangers were gone before she hit the floor.
"Oh nothing," she answered. "I just haven't had any sleep in the last 24 hours. I guess I'm a little wiped."
"Well, me and Joe can get out of here if you want. He was wondering what happened to Bess anyway." Frank peered around the cluttered room and said as an afterthought, "I can help you finish this later."
"No, that's ok," Nancy smiled wanly through tired eyes. "I'm sure you have better things to do. I'm a big girl," she flexed her biceps for emphasis, making Frank chuckle. "I can have this done in no time."
"Ok," Frank headed for the door, wistful to stay, "have a good nap then."
As he shut the door and heard a lock click into place, Frank smacked himself on the head with his palm. "Have a good nap?" he mocked himself. "I sounded like her father. Why don't I just tattoo a Loser sign onto my forehead."
"I'd like to see that," Joe said, appearing from nowhere with a soda extended to Frank.
"Ha, ha, and where have you been?" Frank asked his brother through narrow eyes.
"I went to get a soda, oh doubtful one. Where's your girlfriend?" Joe couldn't suppress a grin as Frank growled. He knew he'd hit a nerve.
"Joe, how many times have I told you that she is nothing more than a friend and colleague?" So maybe that was a lie. Frank couldn't deny that he was attracted to her; she was smart, funny, beautiful, and good at what she did. They had kissed twice, but he could never let on how he really felt. There was too much history.
The black clad figure ran through the halls of the dormitory. Darting in and out of shadows, the form skittered out of the way of boxes still in the hall, left for the next morning. So much to steal was the thought running through its twisted mind. I only wish I had the time. I'm here for something else.
Nancy's eyes opened when she heard a thud. Taking a moment to acclimate her eyes to the dark, she fumbled for her shorts. The last thing she wanted was to run into her R.A. in nothing but a t-shirt. Stumbling over boxes, she made her way into the common room. There were eight suites branching off of the common, and she had snagged one of the two singles. Making her way to the hallway, she saw something in black skulking around the couch.
"Who's there?" she whispered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. None of her suitemates had arrived, as far as she knew. The figure rushed to head her off from the door, and she immediately took a ready fighting stance. The figure advanced stealthily, and she could tell he was practiced, determined, and lethal. When he finally decided to strike, she was ready.
Crouching low, she deflected his blows effectively. Consumed with warding off her frantic attacker, she never heard the footsteps of someone creeping up behind her. Her mouth opened soundlessly when something crashed upon her head. The figure in front of her wavered as stars burst in front of her eyes. The black clad strangers were gone before she hit the floor.