13 4.4: A Spiritual Abduction (1/2)
`I said to the Sun, 'Tell me about the Big Bang.' The Sun said, 'It hurts to become.'`
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am gonna save you the nonsense of this journey that seemed to almost not end on this goddamned day, and just sum it up for you.
So yes at the end, after lots of roaming around and shop-exploring, Tobias managed to steal the charger which he exaggeratedly described as an extreme, heart-'re-borning' (you know, since we have no hearts) adventure. In the meantime, I just leaned against the shop from the outside, watching people come and go by, under the harsh sun and under the influence of heavy, noisy traffic as I swatted flies that don't get swatted away (to my immense displeasure) because they obviously can't fucking see me.
I wished at a moment, when a fly literally pierced my heart and left from my back, to return to the Darkoom. And now, really, what I'm doing is, blocking Tobias' animated, repetitive monologues about how he dropped something and freaked a customer out.
”-my hand went through his head!” He breathes out. ”I wondered for a second if his head disappeared, you know-”
”Tobias-” I shake my head. ”I don't care. Really-”
Tobias' lips freeze before curling into a smile. ”Okay.”
I nod and lift the phone. ”We should find a place to charge that-”
Tobias nods. ”Yes, but I think that that should wait until we're transported to someone's house. Maybe your house or something-”
”You don't think we should break into a house for a charge port?” I ask with a smirk, letting my fingers all over the BlackBerry's buttons.
”Well, that would involve me going alone. Again. Really, it's risky if, in that period of time, you get sent to the Darkoom-” He arches a brow and leans closer to me. ”I honestly don't want to get lost-”
I give him a weird look because he was just all alone in that shop two minutes ago, but I decide not to engage in more conversation because I'm sure that there won't be anything on the phone. I mean, what could it possibly hold that would explain Sierra's apparent resentment for me?
I sigh as Tobias holds my hand, and we start walking on the dirtied pavement, occasionally passing through a person or two. The street is crowded and wide with two rows of shops and parked cars on both its sides. We are currently on its right side, walking under the bright sun.
It seems to have gotten hotter cause people everywhere are fanning themselves. A woman on our side with three wailing children attached to her is fanning herself with a brochure about the grand opening of a new restaurant. Another has a small, pocket-sized fan held right in front of her face. And a man in a taxi is fanning himself with a newspaper.
It is amusing and almost draws a smile on my face. Because I can't feel the heat of course.
Tobias swings the charger in front of him and looks at me. ”So what now?” He asks.
”I suppose if our purpose is done here, we're going to be transported soon-” I say boredly as a guy in a baggy, orange shirt, and denim shorts, with a Golden Retriever, approaches us. I prepare myself to get walked through, but it never happens.
The puppy has stopped walking and is grunting, baring its canines, and erratically wagging its tail. Tobias and I glance at each other before stopping in our tracks and staring back at the triggered dog.
I certainly hate dogs. In fact, I hate any breathing creature (sometimes it includes humans). So I sincerely hope it doesn't get to pass through me.
The guy struggles to hold the leash that's keeping his dog in place, and I know this isn't a good sign. Are we triggering him? Can this one creature see us? Feel us?
”I love dogs,” Tobias whispers with a smirk and mischevious eyes as the dog barks and jumps in our direction, despite the guy's struggles to hold him back.
”I think we should leave-” I say, pulling Tobias in the opposite direction, but he doesn't budge.
It's clear to me that we are the cause of the dog's chaotic behaviour. It's like how in horror movies the dogs are the first to get disturbed and the first to die due to a malevolent spiritual presence. It's the same here.
”What's wrong with you, Benji?” The guy shouts out with a frown and pulls him toward himself. Looking at the guy, I can tell that he looks familiar with his tall frame, green, wide eyes, and his mob of dark hair.
I can't just put a finger on it.
Tobias lets me go and kneels down in front of the dog. I sigh wearily, purposefully not reminding him that I might lose him in this dimension.
Well, let him get lost.
”Hey, Benji,” Tobias whispers with a wide smile and rubs the dog's fur. The dog gives in with a whine and stares at him doe-eyed. ”It's okay-” He tells him, and I'm almost repulsed by how nice he insists to be.
The dog relaxes and stops barking. The guy, of course, thinks that he's the reason why his dog has backed down and takes credit for it. ”Good boy-” He says.
”Tobias, get up-” I demand, and he turns to me with a surprised smile.
”I'm taking that dog from this guy-” He says as matter-of-factly.
”How?” I ask with a smirk, confidently crossing my arms across my chest. It's impossible.
Tobias slowly gets up, and I can see how the dog seems mesmerized by him. Tobias then reaches for the leash and tugs it free from the guy's hand. Surprised that his methodology has worked, he lets go of the leash and grins at me.
”Like this!” He yells out. ”Run!”
I am as shocked as the guy who's staring in his hand at the gone leash. I can't form proper words when I realize the dog's coming for me. My eyes widen, and I absently backtrace my steps.
”Tobias!” I yell out, but he doesn't seem to respond in his excited frenzy, so I stare in fear at the dog running straight in my direction.
”Hold the leash!” Tobias calls out, and I look around confused.
I shriek when the dog leaps at me, and the leash flies right in front of me. My reflex actions quickly take hold of it. The dog has successfully and unfortunately passed through me, but I've got the leash.
”Run!” Tobias calls out again, and I find both him and the dog's owner running toward me and the violently barking dog. It's like a spiritual abduction. It's almost exciting.
And I do. I run as fast as those non-solid legs can take me, and it's either that I don't sweat or I can't feel my sweat which is bloody crazy, amazing.
We obviously have an advantage over the guy because unlike Tobias, he can't see me. I round a corner, into an abandoned, disgusting alley, but we haven't lost the guy yet.
”HOLD THE DOG IN YOUR ARMS!” Tobias yells from a distance, and I look back at him like he's lost it because there's no way that'll happen. I almost feel sympathy for the guy who's clueless to all the scheming that's happening around him and is just yelling 'Benji!' like his life depends on it.
”IT'LL DISAPPEAR-” He continues saying from behind me, and I shake my head at how ludicrous this sounds as I vehemently promise myself that Tobias will get a piece of my mind after this whole mission impossible is over.
I stop in my tracks, look at the dog in panic, and quickly swoop him up in my arms, eyes closed, praying God not to punish me for this vile act. I turn around, to find Tobias, and the guy standing still, Tobias looking triumphant with a flushed face, angry hair, and a wide, toothy smile, and the guy looking everywhere.
”This is crazy!” Tobias announces and laughs to himself as I stand expressionless, holding Benji with his tongue up my nose.
The guy pulls out his phone with a disappointed sigh and calls someone.
”I'm telling God about this-” I pant out, glaring daggers at Tobias. ”This was- this was-” I shake my head.
”Fun, exciting! No, wait, exhilarating-”
”No, no-” I shake my head. ”I hate you-”
”Hey, you -uh-”
”Roseline-” I say absently, shaking my head, and raising my threatening index finger.
Tobias shuts up, and I blink at him.
”What?” I say angrily. ”This is insane! No one- no one does that-” I shake my finger. ”Besides, I hate dogs!” I pant, and he approaches me. ”I strongly dislike them-” I wheeze out. ”And you didn't even ask! You just- you just told me to pick it up and run like a lunatic. You didn't- you didn't warn me-”
”Hey, hey-” Tobias stands in front of me and holds down my index finger. ”Relax-” Then he steps even closer to me and lowers his eyes' level to mine. ”Rosey-”
I stare into his hazel eyes and surprisingly calm down. And it's weird because instead of challenging him by keeping our eye contact, I fail, gulp, and look away.
”Don't call me that-” I say crossly, looking at the damp path beneath us. ”And take your dog-” I shove the calm, suddenly loving dog into his arms, and Tobias lifts his eyebrows.
”Can't you see?” He says, looking at Benji with wide eyes and a small smile. ”He loves us-”
”We stole him-” I say and glance past Tobias' shoulders at the empty, narrow, graffiti-filled alley.
They guy's gone.
”He just joined our dimension-” Tobias replies coolly. ”Rose, please, we're having some fun-”
”My name is Roseline.”