| 2: The Woman Clothed In A Trenchcoat "Is this Hell?" asked the girl. She saw a man wearing all-black with a strange occultic pendant around his neck and red sunglasses stooping down and staring at her. "Are you the devil?" The man smiled. "No... I'm just a wanderer. You were dying, and I saved your life." She scowled at him. "Well maybe I didn't want to be saved!" she shouted as strongly as her weakened state allowed. "Maybe I wanted to die." He shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. That's the coward's way." She sighed and looked down. "Well, maybe I'm just a coward then." The man smiled sadly at her. "Do you have a place to go?" She shook her head. "Do you want one?" She sized up the man, figuring he'd charge her favors for it. Oh well, it's payment at least, she figured. "Well... maybe," she said. "What do you want to do to me?" He offered his hand. "I want to give you clothes, food, a place to stay and maybe find you a job if you don't have one." She stared at him. "I-I can't pay you, except for-" "It's free." "This is Generatoph, ain't nothin' free 'round here," she replied. "Well... nothin' but lovin', at least." He smiled at her. "Well it's a good thing I'm not from here, then," he said. "We've never been introduced. I'm Chronos of Augusta. What's your name?" "I'm Angelique." Chronos continued to hold out his hand. She lifted hers up to grab it but couldn't. So he took his trenchcoat off and wrapped it around her exposed form, and carried her on his back to Dive's back door. "I-I'ma not go there, 'kay?" she said. "Bombers own the place." "Bombers?" asked Chronos. "I thought a guy named Timotheus owned the place." "Tim?" she asked. "I think he has the deed, but the Bombers drove him away a long time ago." Chronos sighed. "A friend of yours?" "We fought together in Pendinmortica. Come on, we'll find a motel or something." So Chronos walked down the cold street, Angelique on his back. |