a fable told in palindrome

Post by **sgt.null** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 6:43 am

cast of characters...

Avatar : Lord Baltimore (ruler of Flatonia)

our intrepid crew
Cameraman Jenn : the Killer of Pain
Loremaster : Ned Kelly (from "Australia")
Lurch : the Gravity King
Waddley Gaga : the Ghost of Zero (Northern Tribes)
Creator : Captain John Wheelock
Bossk : Ampersand the Pinkerton Man
Cagliostro : Judge Gallows

various people along the way
the Hangman (Lord Baltimore's most favored)
Richard Sassoon (editor of the SF Oracle)
Vincent : MP and driver

other's from the board
Sheriff Lytton : the Sheriff of Lytton
Lord Foul : Lord Kevin Fowle
sgt.null : OddJack the Acid Clown
Mrs.Null : Mrs.Null
Menolly : Stone-the-Crows
Phyllis : Phyllis, wife of Major Tom

the train
Aliantha : Nona
Stonemaybe : Dr.Winter
Lady Tam : Nurse Kay
Lucimay : Sarah Bresnahan (freedom writer)

Red River
Danlo : the Governor of Electricity
Savor Dam : the Poet Laureate
Damelon : the Affable Mr. Jones

etc
Lord Zombiac : Major Tom (from the Exo-Sphere)
Sgt.Null : Sgt.Null (palace guard)
Doc Six (gunslinger, victim of the killer)
Miller (gunslinger)
Fletcher (bowman)

Post by **sgt.null** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 6:56 am

/death is imminent/

Lord Baltimore met the Killer of Pain during the early August frost. She (and most assuredly she) was wearing her dress of many regrets. Pockets chock-full of pills and elixers. Salts and snake oils. The rucksack on her back contained the following : a brass sextant, quadrants for altitudes, three artificial horizons, the magnetic azimuth of the sun and polestar, pocket and surveying compasses, a two-pole chain for gauging distances and a log-line reel to measure rate and distance.

After the Hangman (and most assuredly he) the Killer of Pain was the most feared of all Lord Baltimore's staff. And this dawn she struck a most confident pose. Off center to the Lord's chosen gathering place stood her family tomb. A large granite structure boldy emblazoned with her family motto; well known to every person of age far and wide. "Plata O Plomo."

Post by **sgt.null** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 6:31 am

Lord Baltimore threw a bag of scrolls down, they spilled out to and fro. "Do you know what those are dear lady?" The Killer of Pain shook her head slowly, the sun catching her pink and copper colored tresses.

"Rebuttals, arguments, topic starters and enders. All sent by Lord Fowle." Lord Baltimore shuddered visibly. "So I want you to travel to his kingdom. Kill him, burn the kingdom and bring me back his head!" He was frothing by this time. "And kill the Clown as well, kill his whole foolish mob!"

"I will need an army then..." The Killer of Pain started. "I have chosen companions for you dear lady." With that Lord Baltimore took his leave. A gruff looking soldier introduced himself. "I am Sergeant Null of the guard, I will be traveling with you and your party."

The Killer of Pain followed him to the stable area, ready to meet the others. Sergeant Null whistled over to a group of four remarkable individuals. One man was floating a foot or so off the ground, holding a telescope to the sky. A tallish fellow was wearing an odd looking suit of armor, and drinking from some sort of blue can. A disheveled man was having an animated conversation with the only female present there. A young looking blonde sporting tattoos and piercings that set her as a member of the wild Northern tribes.

Sergeant Null began to speak...

Post by **sgt.null** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 5:17 am

"This is the Ghost of Zero..." He said introducing the blonde, "Wad-Leh!" the Ghost greeted, holding her two hands up, palms forward.

The Killer responded in kind and turned the Ghost's companion. He stared at her blankly and unblinking. the Ghost stepped between them. "This is Major Tom, I found him during my trip to the exo-sphere." He continued not responding so the Killer turned to the floating man. He smiled broadly and rejoinded, "Have you seen,,, the Cumulus mediocris clouds today???"

"That is Gravity King, he likes stuff like that." the Ghost interjected. "And our last member is Ned Kelly..."

"G'Day mate! Never mind these Jackaroos! Have a Fossies! It's Australian for beer you know." With this he pressed a can into the Killer's palm. "So what bludger we off to smoke? You know we'll hit for six, fair dinkum that!" "We'll need a ute for all us but the budgie up there." "Strewth I need another Fossies, you up for one yet?"

the Killer backed away slightly, nodding her head no.

Sgt.Null interrupted just then. "We have transport and a road map, shall we start?"

Post by **sgt.null** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:03 am

The Killer of Pain stood before Zeph; but she couldn't keep track of which incarnation of his this was. He held a short dagger in one hand and a silver ring in the other.

"She was my sister and you KILLED her!" he wailed. "You can not imagine the things we went through!"

The Killer leveled the gun at him, one of Doc Six's favorites. She had taken him from him after finding him alone in a dusty tavern. He did not have a chance to draw before she had killed him. The six shooter was reliable weapon and had served her well in the following years.

She drew back on the hammer...

"Wake up Sheila!" The Killer felt herself being shaken. Groggily she opened her eyes. Ned was sitting in the seat next to her, draining a beer quickly. "Seems the local constable wants to have a dekko at us." He managed to out between drains on the can.

She looked around the Volkswagon van they were driving along in. Null in the navigation seat, Tom slowing the van down to pull to a nearby. The Ghost on her left, Ned on her right, opening yet another can of beer. She looked around for the Gravity King, before remembering he had flown ahead to the next town.

As they stopped she turned around to see the black and white police car behind them, lights on but no siren. "Were we speeding?" she asked but no one responded.

Post by **sgt.null** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:32 am

The officer walked to the driver's side of the van, saying something to Tom. Ned opened the side door as the group spilled out from the back. Tom and Null remained in the van. The Killer stood by her two companions as the officer walked around to confront them.

"I am the Sheriff of Lytton. You are headed to Midlothian?" Ned nudged the Killer forward, forcing her to be the group's spokesman. "That is our first stop, yes." He was dressed sharply, his brown sheriff's suit set smart. His mirrored sunglasses made it impossible for the Killer to read him.

"Well two things then..." he started. "Midlothian is both a person and a place. Remember that." "And you will need this." With that he pulled the star off of his uniform, handing it to the Killer. With that he turned to his car, walked over, got and and drove away. Leaving the group alone on the road.

The Killer stared at the star as Ned pulled out another can. She idly wondered where he managed to keep all the beer. As she heard the van start up again.

Post by **sgt.null** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 9:50 pm

"So who thought the spaceman would be the best possible driver?" The Killer asked her companions. Tom looked at her mutely, she hadn't heard him speak since the trip began. The Ghost was studying a map, seemingly having little luck in figuring out where they were. Ned was off behind a tree, pissing off the seeming endless amounts of beer he drank. Null was on top of the van with a pair of binoculars looking in vain for the Gravity King.

"What is the last town anyone remembers?" The Ghost asked hopefully. Null spoke gruffly, "Not sure we should be this close to the seacoast." The Ghost blanched suddenly, "We should keep moving everyone."

The Killer was irritated, "Null do you see anything at all?" "Yes, to our east there is a road sign... we can navigate from there."

After a brief struggle of who would be driving, Null pulled up next to the road sign. Indianola pop 436 read the sign. "We should not go there!" The Ghost cried from the front passenger's seat. "Ok" Major Tom spoke from the Killer's left and vanished suddenly.

"What the hell!" the Killer cursed. The Ghost stepped out of the car just then. "I'll wait for you here, Tom will find his way back to me."

Null drove on after that, he remained silent. The Killer toyed with the idea of turning on the radio. She now rode shotgun with Ned snoring loudly in the back seat. They drove by wagons parked in the breakdown lanes. Their wheels were rusting in the salt air. The Killer passed the time counting them. She was at thirteen when Null slammed on the brakes.

They were at the crest of a hill, looking down at where the town should be according to the map. But instead lay a bay, with the tops of building barely breaching the water. Null and the Killer stepped out. The sun was low in the west behind them, making it difficult to tell shadows from actual landmarks below them.

"I'll be damned..." Null managed before he started screaming. The Killer turned gun drawn to help him and froze in her tracks. Pale fire had erupted all over Null's body. Ned was at her side pulling her away as Null fell to the ground smouldering. "Leave him be , get to the car!" Ned shouted at her, pulling her along. Ned got in the drivers side, leaving her to scramble to the passenger's side. As Ned reversed the car, the Killer could see Null reaching to them on the ground.

The Killer couldn't remember the drive back to the Ghost, but when at last they stopped she saw Tom standing there along with a third person she didn't recognize.

Post by **sgt.null** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:10 pm

Tom bowed slightly to the Killer, "May I introduce Sarah Bresnahan?" Standing before her was a women slightly shorter than herself. Dressed in black, sporting a pair of glasses, hunched over some sort of contraption. "Pleased to meet you." the woman muttered in the Killer's general direction. "I have to get this geiger counter working..."

Ned was draining a Fosters and the Killer accepted when he offered her one. Suddenly he fixed her with an intense gaze... "I haif brocht ye to the ring - hop gif ye can!" he said in strange accent.

"psychic residue, he'll be alright in a moment." Sarah proclaimed. It's a less intense version of what killed your escort." "Sorry I didn't arrive sooner, but you were led off course."

The Killer raged at the group, "We were lost because the Ghost's boyfriend wanders around like some sort of zombie.." the Ghost curtly interrupted, "He is not my boyfriend, he has a wife..." "I love her very much",Tom ended.

Sarah stared at them for a moment. "Listen we can all have a pissing contest or we can get back to what you are getting paid for." "I've been sent because you haven't checked in for a while, Gravity King helped me along the way, I've sent him ahead." "We need to get to Midlothian, we can resupply there, but it will take all night."

Ned looked puzzled but then smiled, "Ace, apples she'll be! Let's get outta this gafa while i got a gut full of piss!"

With that, after Sarah mounted the geiger counter on the dash, they were off. Tom was again driving, Sarah took shotgun. Ned took back left with the Killer again in the middle and the Ghost on her right.

This time the Killer knew she was dreaming.

she had a wire that attached to her vein in her left arm. pulling the wire out she found it had two jacks at the end, they plugged into the underside of a pig, where his testicles should have been. there was pain, but like a mild buzz in her arm. they were in a pig sty, but it was clean and dry. she was showing someone how the plug worked, but couldn't see who the man was, she did see that he wore a hat, a large brimmed hat.

the man spoke...

"I am Abraham Mosher, beware the Midlothian. Use what you have collected. There is another piece in the trunk. And beware, one of your companions is working for themselves. You will meet me at a point, but you must not act as if you know me. Now wake up."

She woke up, it was night. Ned and the Ghost were asleep next to her. Sarah was now driving and Tom was asleep in the passenger seat. She heard the radio but it was mostly low static...

Post by **sgt.null** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 4:55 am

They were pulled in at a rest station. The Killer stood alone with Sarah. She decided it was time to press for some answers.

"Sarah, why were you sent after a couple of days, how impatient is Lord Baltimore?" It was dangerous talk, but the Killer was angry. Sarah looked at her startled. "You've been gone for two months. It was thought that maybe Lord Fowle had found you."

The Killer slumped, two months? It was impossible. They had been gone, how long, two or three days? Her head throbbed, it was so hard to remember. "That's impossible Sarah, how did you find us then?"

"Mrs.Null was able to point the way when she lost connection with the sergeant a month ago." The Killer felt a sharp pain behind her teeth. "Luckily I ran across Gravity King first. He gave us an opening..."

"An opening to what?" the Killer interrupted. "The exo-sphere, I assumed Tom dropped you in." "Anyway I have to calibrate this gear." With that she turned to a pile of ill looking electrical equipment.

The Killer moped across the station to find Tom standing by a coke machine. He studied the machine for a moment longer then began to speak.

"The sergeant gave me a map you know, belonged to a friend of his. I am sorry he's gone." "He had promised his wife they would travel when he retired from the guard." With this he pointed to the van,"He left something for you in there."

She trudged over to the van, the back was open. She had to move Ned's 'armor.' Did he really expect it to stop anything? It looked like something he had cobbled together while drunk. Underneath that she found a utility belt. It had belonged to Sgt.Null, he had been wearing it at the begining of the trip. But it had proven uncomfortable to wear when driving. It held a baton, handcuffs, gas canister, radio and various keys.

The Killer strapped the belt around her waist, it should have been too large for her but seemed to fit perfectly. The gun holster accepted her six-shooter easily. Lost in thought she was startled when a voice came over the radio...

"...Nunc laudare debemus auctorem regni caelestis potentiam Creatoris et consilium illius facta Patris gloriae quomodo ille cum sit aeternus Deus omnium miraculorum auctor extitit qui primo filiis hominum caelum pro culmine tecti dehinc terram Custos humani generis omnipotens creauit..."

Her Latin was relegated to bad memories of schooling, but she thought it a prayer.

Post by **sgt.null** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 7:01 am

Sarah nudged the Killer, "At least you get some decent reception here." "I'm going to gather the troops up so we can get on the move." "We have to pick up someone one the way to Midlothian."

A voice above her spoke clearly, "We should leave soon... those free-convective cumuliforms,,, are worrying me." The Killer looked up at the Gravity King. She ground her teeth as she spoke, "Did you know we were in the exo-sphere?" "And where the hell have you been?"

He sighed deeply. "Your present reality,,, it may not coincide. With what I have here,,, This is more about you than me. You know I am just - a sideline,,, an observation point." With that he flew down the road.

Sarah chose to drive this time. The Killer took shotgun with the others piling in the backseat. Ned was singing, off-tune and a bit too loud...

"As high above the mountains so beautiful and grand
Our young Australian heroes in bold defiance stand
In bold defiance stand, my boys, the heroes of today
So let us stand together boys, and shout again, "Hurray"

He fell asleep soon after...

Post by **sgt.null** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 7:35 am

it was was close to sun down when the Killer saw the sign reading : MIDLOTHIAN.

At first nothing changed, the road remained empty. And one by one small shacks appeared to their side and disappeared behind them. The Killer saw no obvious signs of life in any of them. Sarah slowed down as larger buildings began to show themselves in the distance.

"The Big Smoke at last! I feel rooted and could use a dingo's breakfast." Ned happily complained from the back. The Killer touched the six-shooter at her side, Sarah took notice. "let's not invite trouble, 'kay?" She offered hopefullly.

Sarah pulled up to the largest of buildings grouped together. No sign advertised there destination, but the Killer thought it likely what passed for the town hall. Sarah was the first out as she headed to the back of the van to grab some equipment. The others also fell out as she cranked a hand held radio intent on her task.

"Wonder where everyone went?" The Ghost puzzled. "Lucy calling for Ricky, do you copy?" Sarah tried, repeating the phrase every few minutes.

Tom was trying the door of the building, it's four stories three more than any of the surrounding structures. The door exploded at the knob, knocking Tom back and to the ground. There was blood and smoke pouring from him. "TOM!" the Ghost screamed as the next shot passed through her, hitting the side of the van.

A figure ran from the building firing as they came out; Sarah caught a shot in her stomach, hitting the front of the van as she slumped to the ground. The Killer was a blur as she drew her six-shooter and returned fire, hitting the spot were their assailant had just been standing. The shadow opened fire on Ned, hitting the armor that he was now wearing, the bullets bouncing off the make-shift gear. Ned returned fire with two impossibly long-barreled pistols; hitting empty air first before tearing holes in the building behind the figure.

The Killer tried to follow the shooter when she suddenly felt the air leave her with a punch to the chest, the shot forcing her down at the back passenger wheel. Darkness was clawing at the edge of her vision as she heard the reports of their attacker and Ned shooting at each other. She noted somewhat distantly that Ned looked ludicrous with his helmet on. She also noted with alarm that blood was pouring down his leg.

Then there was an explosion of noise from the Ghost; the Killer had never heard anything so LOUD. She saw Ned drop his guns and fall to his knees trying to block his ears. The attacker was frozen in place by the Ghost's scream as the Killer raised her six-shooter and emptied her remaining bullets into her enemy. As the scream ended the Killer gave into the pain and closed her eyes...

Post by **sgt.null** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 6:35 am

The Killer knew she was dreaming again...

Sgt.Null stood with his back to her. He was looking down at the ruins of Indianola. She was startled by his voice, dry and distant. "What did you observe?" he asked her. She had trouble speaking; "What did you observe?" he insisted again. The Killer had no reponse. Instead she gagged slightly on the smell surrounding her. Something had died in the Texas sun and she knew... "What did you observe?"

She lay awake on a cot, she could feel the sense of movement. from the lurching she knew it was a train. She heard the clacking of needles from the chair in the corner. "Tell the doctor she is awake." the possesser of the needles spoke to another in the room. A door opened and closed. The seated figure began, "My name is Nona, I've been watching over you."

Just then the doctor strode in with his nurse. "Hello I am Dr. Winter , this is Nurse Kay." "You are very fortunate." as he said this he pulled the bandage on her chest back to look at the stitching. His nurse handed the Killer the Sheriff's badge, but now it had a gouge across the whole of it.

"Seems the bullet found the badge instead of your heart, entered into your lung, collapsing it. You'll recover well enough. Excuse us, we have to check on your companions. Nona will fill you in on the rest."

With that he and the nurse stepped out of the berth.

Post by **sgt.null** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 6:52 am

Nona refilled the Killer's glass. Dr.Winter makes his own elderflower cordial, says it will help heal you. The Killer nodded, impatient for the promised explanations. "My companions..." Nona held up a hand, "Ok, you've waited long enough. I am sorry to say that the spaceman died back in Midlothian. Sarah survived, she's been gutshot and won't be continuing on with you, but her replacement is watching over her right now."

"Damn..."

"The tall, crazy one?"

"Ned."

"Yes, he's ok physically. But you know what we can understand of him makes no sense." "Claims to be from some magic island."

"The Northern girl is... well she's back with the spaceman."

The Killer nodded. "Where are we headed?"

"The Governor is meeting us at the Red River." "You'll meet the rest of your party and head back south to hopefully complete your job."

With that Nona returned to her knitting as the cordial warmed the Killer up. She soon drifted off to sleep.

"What did you observe?"

Post by **sgt.null** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 6:59 am

The Affable Mr. Jones checked his list again. "You won't find his name on there, he's not from here." the Poet declared for at least the fifth time in the last hour. "And his death doesn't really change anything anyway."

The Governor of Electricity idled nearby, wishing this meeting had never been called. "How much more help can we give her?" he quizzed his two companions.

The Poet was about to answer when Mr. Jones remarked excitedly, "His name is on here now. We can proceed in any manner we wish."

The Governor felt a chill pass through him. "It always ends badly, you both know that..."

Post by **sgt.null** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 6:45 am

The Killer ached all over. Nona had tried to talk her out of it, but she needed to talk with Ned. She found him at the bar, complaining loudly. "I'll have none of your bodgy swill, now give me a Fossies before I make you cark it!!!"

He stopped when he heard her cock back the six-shooter. "Now Sheila let's slow down before we come a guster, fair dinkum?" He groped for the pistol he had left back in his bunk, silently cursing that he was presently sober.

"Your armor, why did you have it on? When the Midlothian came at us, you were suited up." "The truth or they'll have to figure out where your island is..."

"Well I got Buckley's chance here, so deadset? I tried to flog the lot of you." "Now be fair, I'm a battler so when I saw that mongrel jump out, I decide to play fair digger."

She considered this, "Who was your contact then?"

After he confessed, three times to get her to understand they paid a visit to another passenger currently laid up with injury...

Post by **sgt.null** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 7:09 am

The Killer knocked at the berth, when the answer came in a slight opening of the door she led with the six-shooter. The Australian entered after, closing and locking the door.

Sarah laid in the bunk, stitched and bandaged. Tethered to the bed by whatever drugs were in her IV bag. Her companion was a distinguished looking man, dressed in army fatigues. His salt and pepper beard conflicting the message. He adjusted his glasses taking in the scenerio. He spoke deliberately. "My name is Captain Wheelock, how may I be of assistance?"

"I need the truth, Sarah...now!"

She never saw Wheelock draw but suddenly facing his revolver, she was startled to see it was TP-82, who was this man?

"Please lower your weapon dear lady, we can talk about this in a civil manner, no?"

"Bugger this, wish I were off my face."

The Killer lowered her only comfort at the moment. Nothing was going to script.

Sarah finally broke the silence. "There is an explanation to all of this, and I was meaning to talk with you when I felt better. But I suppose now is a good time." "John be a dear and help me sit up..."

Post by **sgt.null** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 7:46 am

Sarah's explanation. [from Captain Wheelock's journal]

"I work for the San Francisco Oracle. Sassoon, my editor sent me to stop this insanity. For years Lord Baltimore has been censoring, imprisoning and murdering anyone who disagrees with his world political view."

"He has shut down the Bulletin, the Express, the Herald-Post, the Times Herald, the Post, and now the Sun.

"So when Sgt.Null contacted me with your mission, I knew I had to act. I had Null pay off Ned. Our plan at Midlothian was to effectively take you hostage. Offer you back for the printing equipment."

The Governor of Electricity offered to let us set up shop across the border, in the Blasted Lands. Null was going to run security for us there. We had the Poet set to write copy. That sort of thing isn't easy to negotiate..."

"After Null... well we tried to find the Midlothian, she proved to be a problem. We really wanted to act before she found you, believe me. We didn't want any of you hurt."

"We need to decide how to proceed. The Ghost is with us, Ned seems so. Gravity King has been from before the beginning. Tom said he was fated to work with us. The only question is your loyalty my dear Killer..."

found amongst papers and personal effects...

Post by **sgt.null** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 3:51 am

4...3...2...1...

/death is imminent/

She hadn't been given a name yet, her mentor promised that soon it would happen. Her companions all had experience over her, even young Miller. He didn't really belong here. He had a wife and a child already at his young age. But the baby had been born deaf and he now needed money more than safety. He was slender, and his glasses gave him an air of intelligence that was mostly undeserved. She knew that he was destined to die in a hail of gunfire. He was something of the amateur magicians, committing small tricks along the lonliness of the road. If he carried a weapon she had never seen it.

Fletcher's weapon of choice was evident at a distant. His bow had gathered him a wide fame. He was brave and handsome and she felt herself more than a bit in love with him. To this point he had proven gentle and kind. But she was hoping he would lose that reserve with more practice. No one in the party talked about the time they spent together. Saving her from having to be defiant.

Doc Six defied even carbon dating. She wasn't sure how he managed such accuracy with his six-shooter. The weapon seemed older than the owner. He was the leader of the group by simple carbon dating. He was more than a bit aloof with her, seeing no use for her if he couldn't bed her.

Other than Fletcher, Jimmy Couch was the closest thing she had to a friend with the group. A small man who had spent the previous seasons living in the mountain. His long hair and full beard proved an interesting contrast to her chosen archer. Couch was a madman in the best sense. She loved his odd habit of looking above and to his right when speaking with someone. She would also spend time studying his tattoos. He boasted that the were self-made, an art he picked up in the northern lands.

Stone the Crows was the other female in the group, her chosen mentor. Crows came from the desert and rarely spoke of her people. Instead she focused on the former orphan, left by her parents unfortunate love of gambling. She had bought her off the black market and raised her as part of the people. An excellen ttracker she was guiding the party through the arroyos and canyons.

She had been with this group only a few short months, but had already begun to think of them as a family.

Post by **sgt.null** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 6:49 am

The group were walking their horses over some rough terrain, Doc had taken the lead as the walked two abreast. Miller was next to him, she and Fletcher were second, Couch and Crows held up the rear. They crested and came to a clearing where two horsemen were dismounted waiting for them. One man leveled a shotgun at them, the other held two pistols.

Doc drew quickly spinning to his right and shooting Fletcher directly in the head, dropping him. "Gareth!!!" she screamed rushing to him, avoiding multiple shots from the pistol bearer. She heard the shotgun explode, catching Miller full in the chest. Crows was on her horse suddenly, putting herself in the way of her charge and Couch, shouting something in her native tongue. The three ahead were firing at will, Couch picked her up, grabbing the reigns of her horse as Crows fired back.

He got her mounted quickly as they headed downhill, >BOOM< she heard the shotgun's report and felt it slam into her back, nearly toppling her, but Couch righted her as they made their getaway. She heard gunfire echo after them as Couch guided them towards safety. She lost her battle to stay awake around then...

Post by **sgt.null** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 6:59 am

She woke up again as her horse fell to the ground, having run on sheer panic the last half hour. Couch lifted her to the back of his horse saying words she couldn't understand...

She woke next laying face down, feeling the warmth of a fire. Couch had torn her shirt open, "I'm going to have to dig the shot out, bite down on the stick, I'll be quick as possible"

She didn't have the energy to scream, instead surrendering to the blackness.

It was the rain that woke her later. "We're safe for now. I'll get supplies in a day or so. Have some water..."

When she woke next it was the fire under her skin, Couch gave her some bitter herbs for the pain and fever. She passed out when he started changing the bandages...

Time passed, the fever passed. Her infection healed. They didn't talk. Instead she recovered her strength. Occasionally he would leave to forage and to check on the people searching for them. Neither of them brought up the rest of their party. She ached to ask after Crows...

She started talking after awhile. As the weather turned colder. He was moving them once a week or so to avoid detection. One bitter morning he announced they would be visiting a safehouse of Crows...

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

a fable told in palindrome

a fable told in palindrome