Ok, it's not mid week, and it's not even the end of the week, so I didn't know what else to call it. Anyway - here's a teaser for chapter 17! Hopefully, it will be done and off to beta tomorrow.
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I locked the bathroom door, leaned my back against it, and lit one of the Lobelia cigarettes I still had in my belt pouch. I guess I could just go buy some real fucking smokes, but I didn’t have any actual cash on me, and I wasn’t about to ask anyone for some at this point. I still didn’t even have a fucking shirt, for that matter. Shit – I’d have to get some money so I could find a fucking drink somewhere. My head was literally spinning – everything was happening way too fucking fast. I was back where I could get smokes and alcohol and clothes and a fucking hooker, if I wanted one. I didn’t want one. I didn’t want any of that shit.
I just wanted to go back home.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a minute and then took a final draw on the cigarette, which both smelled and tasted of home. Part of it was comforting, but most of it just threw it all back in my face. Everything I wanted and needed was there…or at least, it had been. Now there was nothing there for me, because she was here. But everything else here – everything in the real world – I fucking hated it all. I hated the cities, the shops, the parks, the docks, the airports – fucking hated it. And the people…fuck, I hated them the most. I tossed the end of the smoke into the toilet and flushed it down.
As I opened the door, I heard Bella scream.
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***
I locked the bathroom door, leaned my back against it, and lit one of the Lobelia cigarettes I still had in my belt pouch. I guess I could just go buy some real fucking smokes, but I didn’t have any actual cash on me, and I wasn’t about to ask anyone for some at this point. I still didn’t even have a fucking shirt, for that matter. Shit – I’d have to get some money so I could find a fucking drink somewhere. My head was literally spinning – everything was happening way too fucking fast. I was back where I could get smokes and alcohol and clothes and a fucking hooker, if I wanted one. I didn’t want one. I didn’t want any of that shit.
I just wanted to go back home.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a minute and then took a final draw on the cigarette, which both smelled and tasted of home. Part of it was comforting, but most of it just threw it all back in my face. Everything I wanted and needed was there…or at least, it had been. Now there was nothing there for me, because she was here. But everything else here – everything in the real world – I fucking hated it all. I hated the cities, the shops, the parks, the docks, the airports – fucking hated it. And the people…fuck, I hated them the most. I tossed the end of the smoke into the toilet and flushed it down.
As I opened the door, I heard Bella scream.
***
