Present Day
Trying to not stagger too obviously as I passed the Immortal Man, I left the Rusty Duck to head home. The night’s evening air was doing its best to sober me up but I was too far gone. The guilt was burning in me now along with the booze. I had made my choice. A part of me whispered ‘you can’t keep lying to yourself.’ I hated that voice.
It must have been because I was……
The cool night air felt refreshing on my skin, I could almost convince myself that the grip of painkillers I had downed might do the trick this time. I threw the two empty sports drinks into the bin along with the mostly full packet of painkillers.
Couldn’t let Celia find the evidence of my nightly ritual. She would just make a fuss and force me to go see more specialists. Having spent over a year being……
10 Years Ago
It was stupid early in the morning as Steve né Levi and Seeker made their way through the cool air to the House of Levi.
The Seeker felt vaguely excited, he tried to not think that this was because he was working on his Mission. He had even managed to hold himself back on the booze and was only nicely drunk unlike Steve who was occasionally having to get very friendly with walls to keep himself going.
They made it to the House of Levi and Steve took the lead, knocking and holding what he must of thought was a……
The colony was in danger. The Silo’s, the living historians of the colony had memories spanning generations. They knew of the Good Times, when we found that entire four leg and had it to ourselves, to the Lean Times when the Foragers had to push further and further from the colony to secure Nutrition.
Then there was the Dark Times, when the Fire Colony attacked and managed to strike deep into the heart of the Colony. When the Queen herself was forced into battle. The tales the Silo’s tell of the Dark Times were to ensure we are ever vigilant against……
Holding my ribs I stepped into the main drag. My nose was well and truly broken and the rest of me was not feeling so hot. Still in the Old Town so ducking into an alley away from the crowds for some quick triage was a bad idea.
Heading towards one of my old watering holes, the Rusty Duck, I kept my head down and thoughts churning. Winding my way through the drunks and hopefuls looking for a score I made sure I did not meet anyone’s curious gaze. My ruined face was enough that the Stars or the Finches would……
“Take the rest of the night off John. I am going to just have a quiet one and I am sure I can scrounge some left overs.”
My body man stared at me for a beat before nodding. “As you say Sir.” He closed the doors and I heard him walk down the stairs towards the Rolls.
I briefly thought about peaking out the stained glass windows beside the doors to watch him, to see if he still walked in an iron-rod spine way even when not around me. He has been my body man for almost 10 years now and I……
Neither Valkyr nor Seeker had said a word since returning to the Skin Drum. Letting themselves back in they headed straight to the bar and Seeker pulled off a pint each. Not even bothering to take a stool down off the bar they both stood there and finished their drinks in one long draught.
“What the FUCK was that?” Valkyr finally managed as he came up for air.
“The fuck was Levi Prime.” Seeker responded “You just saw what it is like being a copy.”
“But he killed a man! No one said anything, no one even reacted!” Valkyr was visibly shaking now…….
You don’t remember when it actually happened. Time had long ceased being a discrete measurement. The endless cycle of light and dark had lost meaning. To begin with the passing of people by you was enough to occupy your thoughts, the relationships both casual and assured taking place in front of you but unable to touch, built a narrative to this existence.
You can remember what caused it though.
The crushing loneliness.
The fading into the background, of becoming a secondary character in your own life. It started subtly as most things do. In real life someone does not approach you proclaiming that……
Draining the vitamin water Seeker softly cursed Valkyr. The man had shown up to the Skin Drum again last night and they had whiled away the evening and early morning drinking and smoking.
What would you do if you knew you were going to die?