by Matthew Fish
“Small comforts, I suppose,” Piper said as she shrugged.
Daniel held the door open for Piper as they entered the somewhat dirty, dusty Desert Road Runner Motel. An old yellowish light above them flickered and a long piece of fly paper hung near the glass and metal entrance. Behind a red counter a heavy-set man in his early fifties greeted them. He placed a pair of tortoiseshell glasses upon his leather-like face. He had tufts of white hair that hid beneath an oil stained blue and white baseball cap. He wore a blue buttoned up shirt with heavy sweat stains at the armpit. A white embroidered square had the name ‘Tony’ sewn into it with black thread.
“You folks break down or somethin’?” The man Daniel presumed was Tony asked as he wiped away the sweat from his wrinkled forehead with a dirty, brown stained cloth.
“Yeah, quite a distance away,” Daniel said as he pulled out his wallet from the rear pocket of his blue jeans and asked, “How much for a room for the night?”
“We can call it fifty even, no tax,” Tony said as he pulled a gold key with a yellow piece of plastic attached to it. “You want me to pick up your vehicle? I got a wrecker, might be somethin’ I can fix overnight.”
“Nah,” Daniel said as he shook his head. “It’s completely shot. Do you run the garage next door?”
“That I do son,” Tony replied as he gestured toward the door near the back of the room. “Me and my wife run this place, she can make you somethin’ to eat if you folks are hungry.”
“I don’t eat,” Piper said casually as she brushed away a few long strands of her shiny, black hair away from her large emerald eyes.
“She means she’s dieting,” Daniel added. “Fad diets, you know.”
“I guess you don’t stay that thin and pretty going an’ eating whatever you want,” Tony said as he eyed the beautiful girl.
“Can she make a good burger?” Daniel added. He was rather hungry, despite the fact that he did not necessarily need to eat. He realized that they looked to be a rather odd couple. His leather jacket was hung upon his shoulder—it had seen better days and had stains from the salt water mixed in with the desert heat and sun. He had a blue sweat stained shirt beneath and a pair of jeans that also had seen much better days. Piper, on the other hand looked as though she stepped out of a fashion magazine, despite their long and difficult trek through the hot day. Her white low cut shirt was stainless and pristine, her tight, form fitting jeans clung to her legs and accentuated her rather appealing features.
“One of the best,” Tony said as he finally took his eyes away from Piper and then began to laugh heartily. “Look what they’ve gone and done to me…but ‘spose having one won’t put you too far out your girl’s league.”
“She’s my fiancée,” Daniel said as he nodded. “We were doing this road trip thing.”
“Good catch,” Tony said as he called back and shouted loudly. “Linda, burger…!”
“But it’s by my choice,” Piper added as she placed her arms around Daniels waist and squeezed him tightly.
“Yeah,” Daniel said uncomfortably. “That’s…that’s the way to do it, right?”
“Sure,” Tony said as he handed Daniel the room key. “The air conditioning in this room works the best—the TV works most of the time. If it starts givin’ you too much trouble just smack it a few times, usually works. Check out is at noon, but if you two want to sleep in any longer I won’t charge you for it.”
Daniel ran his fingers over a stack of bills in his wallet and removed a fifty dollar bill and placed it upon the counter. He was really regretting losing that case with five-hundred thousand dollars in it. “How much for the burger…?”
“No charge there,” Tony said as he took the fifty and placed it in his pocket. “Gives me an excuse to get one made for me as well…”
“Fair enough,” Daniel said as he gestured towards the adjacent garage. “You have any cars for sale?”
“Depends, what are you lookin’ for an how much you got to spend?” Tony asked as he eyed Daniel’s wallet.
“Well…” Daniel said as he let out a short sigh. He had really counted on that payout from the job. He thumbed through the bills and attempted to account for how much they would need for gas and hotels until they reached Chicago. “I could spare to spend about six-hundred.”
“I got somethin’ I can part with for that,” Tony said as he tossed Daniel a set of car keys. “It ain’t nothin’ new—it’s a 98 Buick, mostly brown. Got working air, should get you to where you need to be, long as it ain’t all the way to New York.”
“That’ll do then,” Daniel said with a short sigh. “Just as long as it can make it back home to Chicago…”
“Can probably do that,” Tony said as he took Daniel’s stack of bills. “Can’t make no promises though, sold as is—but I worked on it, I’ll check up on it for I turn in tonight. It’ll get you there.”
“Thank you,” Daniel said as he shoved the keys into his jacket. A slight sound of metal clinked in the air as it hit against a small firearm. He had managed to pilfer it from the pilot that he rendered useless for the night, that and a clip of ammo. It wasn’t much, but hopefully it would do in a worst case scenario.
An older woman with tight curly white hair emerged from the backroom with a massively sized hamburger with bit of lettuce and a large piece of melted cheese atop it filling a plate full of slender French fries. She placed the plate atop the red counter and waved as she returned to the backroom. In a heavy, smoker voice she quipped, “I’d stick ‘round but my shows are on. Enjoy the burger.”
“Where’s mine?” Tony asked as his eyes widened at the sight of the plate.
“In the back, of course, ya greedy fat fuck,” The old woman said coarsely and crudely.
“She’s just being funny, she loves my body,” Tony spoke as he struck his large belly with the palm of his hand. “Anyway folks, pleasure doing business with you, enjoy the room.”
Daniel exited the room and walked a short distance down an empty parking lot. He came to room 112 and turned the key on a speckled golden doorknob that showed heavy wear. The room was just about as tacky and dated as he had imagined. A bright, obnoxious orange flower print wallpaper filled the small space. A small old fashioned rabbit-eared television sat at the edge of the room on a small stand with its stained fluffy red carpet beneath it. A dresser was next to the television; its wood grain cracked exposing tan bits of the cheap wood beneath. The bed had an ocean themed blue cover, with various brown and white sea shells adorning the fraying fabric. The same design was on the pillow. A light at the other end of the room illuminated a bright yellow tiled bathroom. The contrast of the different colors was almost obnoxiously offensive to the eye. But, ultimately, it was a far cry better than continuing to walk on in the darkness. At least Daniel had procured some form of transportation, and a place to stay for the night. It did not have to be luxurious. It just had to be functional.
Daniel dug into his food as Piper rested against upon the bed. She stretched her feet out wide and let out a content sigh.
“So are we getting married?” Piper asked, remember that Daniel had referred to her as his fiancé. She did not know much about marriage, or did not know if her idea of marriage matched reality. It was just merely a concept to her that she didn’t exactly understand. However, she felt that way about an awful lot of things. So many things in fact, that it troubled her rather deeply.
Daniel nearly chocked as he took a break from his food. “I…I just said that so, we’d look less suspicious.”
“How old are you anyway?” Piper asked as she rose from the bed and stared at Daniel as he turned to face the girl.
“I guess that depends…” Daniel said as he thought for a moment. “I think…I’m forty-eight.”
“So you’re like them then,” Piper said as she nodded. “You don’t mind me asking questions right? I don’t often get a chance for…conversations, you know?”
“I don’t mind at all,” Daniel said as he shook his h
ead. “I’m not really like them. I…it’s complicated.”
“I’m twenty,” Piper said as she smiled. “I think I am at least. I’ve aged, though I haven’t really celebrated the dates…or don’t really remember the date when I was born. But, yeah, I was sixteen when they took me. I don’t know why I remember that. Is that odd?”
“The world is an odd place, Piper,” Daniel said as he headed to the bathroom and splashed warm water onto his dirty face. It was odd seeing himself young again. His features were more pronounced. His eyes were narrow and the familiar cold dark blue tint was the only thing he truly recognized of himself. His hair was short and black, spiked up a bit in the front. His body was much more muscular. He tossed his jacket on a hanger on the door and pulled off his blue shirt. He soaked it in the sink rubbed a bit of soap to get the smell of the day off of it. After noticing a bit of silence had passed, he removed his shirt and hung it against a bar over the shower door. “I mean I thought the world was pretty odd when I was here the first time. But, apparently it’s even stranger than that.”
“Is that so?” Piper whispered softly as Daniel emerged from the bathroom.
“Yes,” Daniel said flatly as his he attempted to speak, but found that words had completely abandoned him. Piper, in the brief time that Daniel had spent in the bathroom cleaning himself up, had removed all of her clothing. They sat in a conveniently folded pile next to her. She reached a hand behind her head and let down her long straight hair, allowing it to collapse against her shoulders and slightly curl up. She playfully licked her lips as she ran a hand down to her breasts and followed a line down with a single finger until it rested against the folds of her soft flesh below her flat stomach.
“You can have me, any way you want me,” Piper said as she gestured for Daniel to join her in bed. “Anything you like.”
“You don’t have to do…what you’re doing,” Daniel protested as he swallowed hard. He definitely found her attractive. Every fiber of his new young self wanted nothing more than to take her up on the offer. However, he knew that she was conditioned to be this way—that doing so at the point would be taking advantage of her. “I mean, how do you feel about me?”
“You’ve been nicer to me than anyone has,” Piper said as she brought her hands up and rested them beneath the back of her head, displaying her body in all of its full and naked glory. “So I’ve…been with people that have been cruel. So, I should be with someone who isn’t.”
“But, we’ve only just met really,” Daniel added.
“Is that wrong?” Piper asked, genuinely confused. “I mean this is usually what I…what I’m meant to do.”
“But, remember you only do things that you want to do, you make choices because you want to make them, not…out of habit,” Daniel spoke as he sat on the side of the bed and placed his head into his hands. “You be with someone because you want to. Because you either love them, or…at least care about them, you no longer have to do this.”
“Am I not…what you want?” Piper asked as she pulled up the blanket and covered herself up as a sad tone carried upon her voice. “I thought that you cared about me, so doesn’t that kinda fit your reasoning?”
“You are definitely, beautiful. You are someone I would want to be with,” Daniel objected as he looked to Piper and nodded. “I do care about you, but I…I want you to know that you don’t have to. Just because I care about you and want you to be free, does not me you are obliged to do that for me.”
“So we can do what I want to do?” Piper asked.
“Yes,” Daniel spoke reassuringly. “Remember, from this point on—anything you do in life, you do it because you want to do it. You are free, Piper.”
“Will you be my fiancé?”
“It’s that what you really want?” Daniel said with a short laugh, which soon faded as he saw the intently serious look upon Piper’s face. “I mean, you don’t know me that well. I’ve gotten us into a pretty crap situation; we could get ambushed by your kind at any point.”
“But you did it to protect someone you loved,” Piper added. “You said that we were, and when you said it—I wanted it to be true. I could get taken back by Corveath, I’m sure he will come after me as well. So, maybe we don’t have time for proper things to be done in the way that they should. So, just agree and we can move on to what I want next.”
“Alright, Piper, you are my fiancé,” Daniel said as he smiled and shook his head.
“Alright, good,” Piper said as she nodded emphatically. “I’m glad we got that sorted out, now we can be what we are. I like that. It’s got a nice ring to it, and it makes me feel good about things.”
“Well then I am happy to oblige,” Daniel added as he moved to lay beside Piper in the tacky, ocean themed bed. “So what do you want next?”
“No one’s…at least, that I can remember—no one’s ever just held me,” Piper admitted. “I would like that.”
“That, I can do as well,” Daniel spoke as he wrapped his arms tightly around Piper’s waist and pulled her naked, warm body close to his.
“This feels right,” Piper whispered as she closed her eyes tightly and placed her hands over his. She ran her soft hands against his rough fingers. “Have you been someone’s fiancé before?”
“I have,” Daniel answered plainly. It had been a long time since he had thought about Amy. It had been many years…many more now he supposed. He still missed her greatly though. In a way, he felt it rather unfair—after all, she was a Perpetual. She was supposed to still be here. Instead he, a mortal, was here in her stead.
“What happened, can I ask?” Piper asked as she drew Daniel in closer against her.
“We got married, we had one son, and then…she was murdered,” Daniel said as he felt an overwhelming feeling of sadness come over him. He pulled Piper close and buried his head against her shoulder.
“I am sorry, Daniel. I did not mean to make you upset,” Piper whispered as she reached back and ran her hand through his short hair. “Please do not be upset with me.”
“It’s okay to be sad from time to time,” Daniel said as he attempted to wash away the memories from his mind. “It’s completely natural, and I’m not upset with you.”
“It is okay for me to be sad?”
“Of course,” Daniel answered.
“I was never allowed to be sad about my life, until today,” Piper said as a tear streamed down from her eye. “I cried a lot, I still do…I guess. But, I’d be punished for being sad. Always smile—that’s what they used to tell me. Always be happy. I thought about that a lot when we walked today. What is happiness? I’m really not sure that I know. Can I be happy? I’m…I’m not a real person. I’ve been told I’m a shell, a ghost, memories…”
“Well how do you feel now?” Daniel asked as he brought his hand up and caught a stray tear with the end of his forefinger.
“Safe,” Piper whispered. “Warm and content…worried. A bit confused…always a little confused.”
“Well some of those are positive things, positive things make up what it means to be happy,” Daniel spoke as he rested his hand upon Piper’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “The rest, well…you’ve had a rough day. We both have, that’s natural. You are someone, not just…something empty. I believe that more and more with every passing moment I spend with you.”
“When you agreed to be my fiancé, I felt special, I really was set on you agreeing to that,” Piper spoke as she attempted to work out some things in her mind. “Perhaps that counts as happiness?”
“If it makes you feel good, then I’d imagine that counts,” Daniel spoke as he let out a short yawn.
“Are you tired?”
“Been a hell of a day,” Daniel said with a short laugh. “Do you…sleep?”
“Am I allowed to?” Piper asked quietly.
“Yes, definitely,” Daniel said as he shook his head and rested it against the pillow. He held onto Piper’s warm body as he closed his eyes. “You can do anything. You don’t have
to ask anymore. If you want to sleep, sleep.”
“I would like to sleep,” Piper admitted. She draped Daniels arms around her body and held onto them, she felt the need to be in constant contact for fear that he might slip away or be stolen. She did not quite understand why she felt this way, or whether or not it was even rational. She closed her large green eyes and whispered, “Goodnight, fiancé.”
Chapter 3
“Piper…!” Daniel shouted as he rushed into the bathroom and tossed his leather jacket over his shoulders and pulled out the handgun from the large pocket. He placed his hand upon her shoulder and gave her a firm shake.
“I’m going to choose to sleep longer, if that’s okay,” Piper whispered as she attempted to push Daniel away.
“We’ve been found,” Daniel said as he pulled back a yellow, dingy curtain and peeked out. A helicopter was hovering just outside of the hotel. The whirring blades echoed against the building so loudly Daniel wondered how Piper could have slept through any of it at all.
“No…” Piper whispered as she dressed as quickly as she could. “They’ve come for me. They’ve come to take me back.”
“It’s not going down like that,” Daniel said as he ducked back down from the window and stood near the door. A faint knock came upon the old red door.
“We are willing to negotiate,” a man shouted as he rapped his knuckles once more upon the door. “I am alone, and unarmed—but if you do not open the door, Corveath will unleash one of the creatures upon you.”
Daniel though for a moment, his mind racing—at least that part of his plan had worked. They had moved their attention away from Mark to hunt him instead. He had proved to be a big enough threat. He peeked through the curtain once more and saw a man in a black suit standing at the door. He appeared to be alone and unarmed, as far as Daniel could tell. Daniel unlocked the door and turned the knob ever-so-slightly. With one quick kick he flung the door open and pulled the man into the room and placed the handgun to his head.
“Piper, the door—please,” Daniel spoke as he dragged the man further into the room.