There's the station. Michelle looks up. The morning twilight gives
the sky a pink hue. The station's clock shows 06:41.
Shit! Two minutes.
She begins running for the platform. Warm air hits her face as she enters
the station – and the all too familiar stench of piss. She looks at
the signs. Something's off but she can't quite tell what.
She runs along, looking for her platform, until she reaches the other
end of the tunnel.
It hits her: Wait...
Where the hell is platform 6?
She runs back. Platform 6 is nowhere to be seen.
Someone grabs her by the shoulder.
Michelle?
She opens her eyes and lifts her head, looking around in confusion.
It's dark. A tiny bit of flickering light illuminates the room
around her. Jack leans forward and sets a lantern with a candle on the
table.
Don't you wanna sleep in your bed?
Your body would appreciate it.
She remembers. She was supposed to be on night watch until two.
What time is it?
Three A.M.
Sorry.
All good, nothing happened.
What about the fire?
Still embers.
Phew.
She stands up, holding on to the table for support with one hand while
moving her hair out of her face with the other. She thinks
When did I fall asleep?
Last thing she remembers, it was still bright outside.
8 P.M.? No, it's June. 9 P.M.?
She yawns.
Their attention gets abruptly captured by wolves howling. Michelle suddenly feels very awake. Jack grabs a gun from the safe and checks that it is loaded. Michelle opens a drawer and grabs her bow and quiver with arrows. They walk over to the entrance and look around. It's still dark outside, but barely bright enough to see. The sky over the mountain ridge to the north-east is a faint green, the rest is deep blue with stars. A pack of wolves is down by the river, minding their own business. The two watch them for a while before concluding they probably aren't a concern for now. Jack puts the gun into the holster? on his belt and Michelle lays bow and quiver down and sits by the embers.
She grabs a few sticks of dry fir, needles still attached, and pushes them into the embers. After a bit of blowing on them, they go up in flames. Jack dumps another pile of fir and other sticks onto it and they both blow on the flames.
Soon enough, the fire is back in its full form. Jack goes inside and reemerges with two seat cushions?, blankets, and some snacks. They sit down next to each other on the cushions on the ground, facing the fire. Michelle feels her back getting cold and puts one of the blankets over her shoulders. Jack seems to have other priorities – he opens a preserved can of cashews and starts munching. She grabs a handful and starts eating as well, staring into the warm glow of the flames. The heat that starts radiating from the fire fills her body with a fuzzy warmth.
She wakes up to find herself laying on her side, still facing the fire,
with her head on Jack's lap. She feels him twirling her hair through
his fingers. Everything around them is bright as day.
She says: I didn't know we were close
like that.
Sorry. He stops.
I don't think we are. You were just very
out of it.
Michelle adjusts her pose, moving the arm she is laying on to a more
comfortable position, but stays put.
I'm fine with this. We can cringe about
it later... By the way, what time is it?
Jack looks at his watch. She hears the segments of the metal
wrist band? moving near her ear.
Around 04:30 A.M.
Okay, good night.
Thank you to PineappleJoy for the inspiration
for this wonderful dialog. :)
I'm not sure if I should keep it though, because this isn't
gonna go anywhere.
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