[Danny]

fun? FUN? grrrr..... [thanks for the encouragement, y'all!]

CHAPTER 2

I can’t remember exactly where I went after I killed him. I was in a daze, and couldn’t think clearly. I wandered the streets of Cyrcit, not caring where I was or where I was going. I don’t think I was actually going anywhere in particular, just generally trying to escape from whatever I had become that night. No one paid much attention to me. They just assumed I was another Mudokon Drifter. They never suspected I was a murderer.

I wasn’t very worried about the police. I had worked for Zell when he had been a forensics scientist, and so I knew from past experience that there would be no investigation. The police in Cyrcit weren’t much bothered with justice. As far as they were concerned, all that mattered was deterrent. They would probably assume it was me, and then go out and grab the nearest drifter to stand in for me at my Execution. As far as the public were concerned, justice had been served. Zell didn’t have many friends, and no relatives that I was aware of, and so there was no one to pay for a proper investigation. It is so often that way; only the Rich get Justice. I wasn’t thinking about any of this at the time, of course. I was just concerned with not being the one the police chose as the culprit.

I remember waking from this daze under a pile of rags that I’d somehow acquired. I didn’t know where I was, but it was warm, and I felt relatively safe. I looked around. It was very early in the morning; it was not yet light. The street I was lain beside was dark and empty, except for the people I could only describe as my fellow drifters. Most of them were either asleep or on guard. I watched them for a while, fascinated. I’ve always had an innate curiosity; it is both a blessing and a curse. I had always looked down on the drifters; I believed them to be dirty and uncivilised. Now, however, I saw that they were surprisingly organised. They seemed to be grouped into alliances of three. One slept, while another stood guard and a third went off scavenging. Every few hours they would swap over. I don’t know how long I watched them for, but it must have been a long time, for I saw several shift changes around me. Looking back, I’m surprised that they didn’t interact with me at all, especially as I was staring at them so much. I suppose they just assumed I was another madman, escaped from somewhere or other.

The first interaction I made was when the mud guarding the group opposite me changed shift, and was replaced by someone else. This mud was younger, larger, and more aggressive. I was oblivious, and continued to stare. The mud noticed me staring, and stared back. I had no trouble staring him out, as I was barely aware that he was looking back at me. He seemed a little unnerved by me, and so approached me.

“What are you starin’ at?”

I looked up at him. “Nothing. Just watching.”

“Well, don’t. We don’t like bein’ watched.” He was about to turn back to his pile, but noticed that I was still staring. “I said don’t stare!” That was louder, and more aggressive than before, drawing the attention of several people nearby, including the sleeping mud he was meant to be guarding. When I continued to look at him, he snarled, and pulled me to standing by my neck.

“Are you makin’ trouble?”

“Oh, leave him! Some of us need some sleep. He was watching us, too. He’s just some harmless nutter, ignore him.”

The tall mud half-turned back to his bunk-mate, who had spoken, then reluctantly returned me to my rags.

“I dunno how he got that pile. Some good blankets there.”

“Just shut up and let me sleep.”

The mud sat back down, looking me and my rags over and muttering: “He has to sleep sometime…”

I didn’t notice the threat, but I looked away anyway. Eventually, through tiredness or boredom, I fell asleep.

[ June 03, 2001: Message edited by: Rettick ]