The other girl agreed, but didn't really say anything else. Kathy kept looking up at the smog, looking for more patterns, her overactive (so her friends and parents often said) imagination spinning images across the rather unclean night sky.
She was silent; she didn't really have anything more to say. It was better to bask in the momentary silence, in the momentary peace of the night, though the noise pollution of the city was a bit jarring. Still, it was better than the hectic pace of everyday life.
Well, if she thought about it, sure... most city crimes did happen under the cover of night. And Kathy was surely ill equipped to defend herself, if, say, a mugger came up and attempted to steal her cash or something.
She didn't want to think about it - it was the risk of living in any big city, anyway. Besides, she didn't have any money. Any mugger could see that. There was a reason she went to Detroit High, after all.
Kathy watched the sky, trying to regain that sense of inner peace that she had had just a few seconds before.
"Do you like Detroit?"
The question was out of her mouth before she really thought about asking it - no, even before she even formulated it in her mind. Was that even possible?
Yet Another Night
Detroit Central, Open
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MurderWeasel
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They were silent for a time. Karen didn't mind. Too many people couldn't appreciate silence. She'd always felt most comfortable with people when she could just be near them, not saying anything, not having anything said to her. Society didn't work like that, though. So much stock was put in communication, in dialogue and interplay. So much focus was put on sharing yourself with everyone else, taking what was inside you and forcing it into the light, to be viewed and judged by all those around you. Karen had never understood the social networking craze. She had never understood wanting to be understood, at least, not by the general masses.
The only person who understood her was her aunt, and her aunt was perfectly content to sit in silence with her when that was what the situation called for.
It took some time for Kathy to break the quiet, and Karen liked her for that. The question that eventually came, unfortunately, was a conversation-starter, the sort of thing designed to kick start interaction again. Karen didn't feel like being rude, didn't feel like brushing the query off, but she also didn't feel like going into depth to too great a degree.
In the end, she settled for a middle ground.
"Not really," she said. "I don't feel safe here."
It was that simple, at the end of the day. Anything else would just be restating the same point in new ways.
The only person who understood her was her aunt, and her aunt was perfectly content to sit in silence with her when that was what the situation called for.
It took some time for Kathy to break the quiet, and Karen liked her for that. The question that eventually came, unfortunately, was a conversation-starter, the sort of thing designed to kick start interaction again. Karen didn't feel like being rude, didn't feel like brushing the query off, but she also didn't feel like going into depth to too great a degree.
In the end, she settled for a middle ground.
"Not really," she said. "I don't feel safe here."
It was that simple, at the end of the day. Anything else would just be restating the same point in new ways.
Kathy nodded. She could understand that sentiment - hadn't she been thinking about it just before she had asked that question?
But then again, where would she go? Where would the other girl go, if she had the chance? It was a rhetorical question. There wasn't anywhere where they could really go.
Going to another city, that'd just be like Detroit. Sure, there were other cities with a lower crime rate than Detroit, but the truth of it was, put a lot of people together in a confined space, and they'd get restless. There'd always be pickpockets and muggers and- She really didn't want to think about this sort of thing right now. Especially at night.
Well, there were always suburbs. Little whitewashed houses and moderate financial security... Moderate security, even, maybe for a gated community... Though people could always climb the gates... Her train of thought forged onward, wild images spouting from its smokestack.
She could dream.
Kathy jerked out of her reveries. Where was her mother? It was getting late. Well, it was late. She hadn't really minded waiting, but she was actually getting a bit worried. What time was it?
She checked her left wrist.
...More importantly, where was her watch?
But then again, where would she go? Where would the other girl go, if she had the chance? It was a rhetorical question. There wasn't anywhere where they could really go.
Going to another city, that'd just be like Detroit. Sure, there were other cities with a lower crime rate than Detroit, but the truth of it was, put a lot of people together in a confined space, and they'd get restless. There'd always be pickpockets and muggers and- She really didn't want to think about this sort of thing right now. Especially at night.
Well, there were always suburbs. Little whitewashed houses and moderate financial security... Moderate security, even, maybe for a gated community... Though people could always climb the gates... Her train of thought forged onward, wild images spouting from its smokestack.
She could dream.
Kathy jerked out of her reveries. Where was her mother? It was getting late. Well, it was late. She hadn't really minded waiting, but she was actually getting a bit worried. What time was it?
She checked her left wrist.
...More importantly, where was her watch?
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MurderWeasel
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Silence again. Karen didn't reciprocate Kathy's question, and Kathy didn't choose to provide her own take without prompting. It was nice, a sort of peaceful understanding. Karen felt that she could have even pulled her book out and started reading again without causing offense. She didn't, though; it was too dark to see the words on the pages.
She glanced around, observing the world again. It was strange, how a whole reality could be as bitter as it was. Death, disease, poverty, war—none of it made sense. Karen had always been confused by optimists. There were bright sides to everything, true, but often they relied heavily upon self-deception or distortions of the truth. Maybe somewhere there was a better place. Perhaps some idyllic farming commune. Maybe she'd eventually hitch a bus out into the Midwest and join the Amish or something, but no, they wouldn't appreciate her interest in sci fi.
She was thinking too much.
Karen closed her eyes for a few seconds. She was tired. It was shaping up to be a long month. A long year, maybe. Soon, though, or at least relatively so, she'd be done with high school.
Soon she'd be in the real world, having to work more and make decisions that mattered.
She could wait a little for that, she decided.
She glanced around, observing the world again. It was strange, how a whole reality could be as bitter as it was. Death, disease, poverty, war—none of it made sense. Karen had always been confused by optimists. There were bright sides to everything, true, but often they relied heavily upon self-deception or distortions of the truth. Maybe somewhere there was a better place. Perhaps some idyllic farming commune. Maybe she'd eventually hitch a bus out into the Midwest and join the Amish or something, but no, they wouldn't appreciate her interest in sci fi.
She was thinking too much.
Karen closed her eyes for a few seconds. She was tired. It was shaping up to be a long month. A long year, maybe. Soon, though, or at least relatively so, she'd be done with high school.
Soon she'd be in the real world, having to work more and make decisions that mattered.
She could wait a little for that, she decided.
It didn't matter - there was no use worrying about the time, anyway. Kathy put her hands together, rubbing them for warmth, though she had never quite figured out how that worked. As long as they didn't catch on fire or anything, she figured it couldn't hurt.
She thought briefly about leaning back, relaxing, closing her eyes, maybe even taking a brief nap. It would be nice. She'd have plenty of homework to do tonight, anyway, and she'd already been waiting for quite a while. More rest was always nice.
No. The other girl was still there, of course. It'd be rude to ignore the other girl and take a nap. Not to mention she'd probably keel over once she fell asleep and start drooling or something, and that'd just be embarrassing.
Lights. In the distance.
Kathy didn't pay much attention to them at first. Just another car, moving along, or a brave pedestrian out on the city streets. With multiple flashlights, or something.
Silver car. SUV. Major dent on the right side from an accident.
She sprang to her feet. The lights turned on inside the car; there was her mother, waving at her from the front seat. It really wasn't necessary. There weren't that many other cars in the parking lot. Kathy appreciated the gesture, though. Abby wasn't in the passenger seat - they'd probably stopped off at home before her mother had come to pick Kathy up.
As the car pulled up at the curb, Kathy shrugged on her backpack again. She walked up to the side of the car, opening the front door, and tossed her backpack in. Her mother was looking past her, probably at the other girl.
Kathy turned around. "Hey, I, uh..." She searched for the right words. What was it she wanted to say? "Thanks for the company. It was fun."
She smiled.
Then she got in the car, and her mother drove her home.
It wasn't until five minutes later that Kathy realized she had never gotten the girl's name.
((Kathy Clements continued in game))
She thought briefly about leaning back, relaxing, closing her eyes, maybe even taking a brief nap. It would be nice. She'd have plenty of homework to do tonight, anyway, and she'd already been waiting for quite a while. More rest was always nice.
No. The other girl was still there, of course. It'd be rude to ignore the other girl and take a nap. Not to mention she'd probably keel over once she fell asleep and start drooling or something, and that'd just be embarrassing.
Lights. In the distance.
Kathy didn't pay much attention to them at first. Just another car, moving along, or a brave pedestrian out on the city streets. With multiple flashlights, or something.
Silver car. SUV. Major dent on the right side from an accident.
She sprang to her feet. The lights turned on inside the car; there was her mother, waving at her from the front seat. It really wasn't necessary. There weren't that many other cars in the parking lot. Kathy appreciated the gesture, though. Abby wasn't in the passenger seat - they'd probably stopped off at home before her mother had come to pick Kathy up.
As the car pulled up at the curb, Kathy shrugged on her backpack again. She walked up to the side of the car, opening the front door, and tossed her backpack in. Her mother was looking past her, probably at the other girl.
Kathy turned around. "Hey, I, uh..." She searched for the right words. What was it she wanted to say? "Thanks for the company. It was fun."
She smiled.
Then she got in the car, and her mother drove her home.
It wasn't until five minutes later that Kathy realized she had never gotten the girl's name.
((Kathy Clements continued in game))
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MurderWeasel
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The silence stretched, but held. Karen enjoyed the peace. Before too long, the quiet was disrupted by a car heading their way. It was too early to be Karen's dad. That meant it was probably Kathy's ride. Sure enough, a slightly-battered SUV pulled up, and Kathy went to get in, thanking Karen for the company. She nodded and replied, "You too."
She actually meant it, for a change.
Then Kathy was gone, into the night.
Karen sat for a time. She tried gazing at the smog again. It still didn't do anything for her. It was still too dark to read. She didn't feel lonely, though. She just sat and waited, shivering occasionally.
And soon, her ride was there too.
((Karen Ruiz continued in game))
She actually meant it, for a change.
Then Kathy was gone, into the night.
Karen sat for a time. She tried gazing at the smog again. It still didn't do anything for her. It was still too dark to read. She didn't feel lonely, though. She just sat and waited, shivering occasionally.
And soon, her ride was there too.
((Karen Ruiz continued in game))