Читать книгу Desolation - Derek Landy - Страница 16
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AMBER SPENT MONDAY MORNING in Fast Danny’s. Brenda served her breakfast, then juice, then coffee, and then two hot chocolates, and Amber sat at her corner table with her earphones plugged into the iPad, using the cafe’s Wi-Fi to watch all of the In The Dark Places episodes she’d missed while on the run.
She’d hesitated before pressing play on the first one. Her life in the last five weeks had become stranger and much more fantastical than anything she’d ever seen on a TV screen. She’d witnessed true horror. She’d been subjected to true violence. She herself had killed. She herself had eaten human flesh. She had interacted with beings who existed beyond death, who traded in souls and powers beyond imagining, and she was pretty sure she was being stalked by a vampire. What effect could a dumb TV show have on her now?
As it turned out, an astonishing one.
Watching Dark Places was like going home – but instead of the home she’d always known, that cold place of silence and secrets, it was her other home, the home she had made for herself inside the world of the stories she loved. She knew everything about the actors, knew their birth dates and their pets’ names, but as each episode began the actors vanished and their characters appeared, and Amber forgot about the horrors biting at her heels and lost herself in the stories unfolding before her. She interacted with Brenda when she had to, ignored the curious looks of the people who frequented the cafe, and sipped her hot chocolate. The only part of her, the only part, that she did not relax was the part that was keeping her body from shifting into its demon form. That remained vigilant.
When she’d finished watching the final episode of the season – it had ended on a cliffhanger, of course it had ended on a cliffhanger – she took out the earbuds and sat back, absorbing the drama. The cafe was almost full by now, with people eyeing her table covetously.
Brenda saw that she had emerged from the screen, and came over. “Can I get you the cheque?”
Amber thought for a moment. “No, thanks,” she said. “But I’ll take a look at your lunch menu.”
Brenda made a big deal out of sighing, and headed off to fetch a menu. Amber grinned to herself.
She checked her phone, saw no message from Milo, and logged on to the Dark Places forum. Her bandaged hands made typing difficult, but not impossible.
The Dark Princess said …
I have returned …
RetroGamer! said …
Hi Proncess
*princess
Sith0Dude said …
hey
RetroGamer! said …
Damn typos.
Elven Queen said …
Princess!! We missed u!
Thoughts on finale?
Sith0Dude said …
Hey Elven Queen
The Dark Princess said …
Just saw it. WOW.
Though kinda knew they wouldn’t let Gideon die off so easily.
Elven Queen said …
Yeah, saw that twist coming from 3 episodes ago!
Sith0Dude said …
why is everyone ignoring me?
RetroGamer! said …
Was talking to BAC 10 minutes ago
Balthazar’s-Arm-Candy said …
There’s my girl!
The Dark Princess said …
BAC!
The world is a brighter place once more!
Balthazar’s-Arm-Candy said …
How’ve u been doing? Things been sorted since last time we chatted? *fingers crossed*
The Dark Princess said …
Not really, but I’m bravely fighting my way through it!
Sith0Dude said …
ur all ignoring me
Balthazar’s-Arm-Candy said …
Made up your mind about the con yet? Full cast PLUS Annalith’s gonna be there.
Wish I could go.
Elven Queen said …
Not ignoring you, Sith0Dude.
The Dark Princess said …
Haven’t really been thinking about it, but don’t think it’ll be possible. Things are still screwy
RetroGamer! said …
Everything ok, Princess?
The Dark Princess said …
I’m fine. Life’s just weird at the moment and not looking like it’ll ever go back to normal.
Elven Queen said …
Normal is boring.
Balthazar’s-Arm-Candy said …
You back in Florida yet?
The Dark Princess said …
Furthest thing from it. Alaska! LOL
Sith0Dude said …
the north pole?
The Dark Princess said …
Alaska isn’t the north pole.
Is it?
RetroGamer! said …
No.
Balthazar’s-Arm-Candy said …
Penguins live in the south pole, polar bears live in the north pole. That’s the rule.
Look out your window, Princess. What do u see?
The Dark Princess said …
Cars and people. No polar bears or penguins.
Sith0Dude said …
if you can’t see penguins u must be on north pole.
penguins would be everywhere on south cuz of no natural predators.
The Dark Princess said …
I don’t think that’s right, Sith0Dude.
Sith0Dude said …
No LAND based predators I meant. But they are prey to a range of top predators in the oceans.
Some penguins can swim up to 22 mph.
They get rid of saltwater they’ve swallowed by sneezing.
Elven Queen said …
Are you googling penguin facts, Sith0Dude?
Sith0Dude said …
no. just like penguins
Balthazar’s-Arm-Candy said …
How’s Wi-Fi in Alaska, Princess?
The Dark Princess said …
Better than expected! In a cafe right now and just streamed 4 eps without a problem. Say 1 thing for those polar bears, they know their Wi-Fi!
Sith0Dude said …
Most people think penguins mate for life, but Emperor Penguins usually take a mate for one year at a time
Elven Queen said …
Shut up about penguins Sith0Dude.
The Dark Princess said …
Gotta go guys. RL has just walked in.
Balthazar’s-Arm-Candy said …
When will u be on next?
The Dark Princess said …
Hard to say, got a lot going on. Laters!
Milo sat at the table and Amber logged off the messageboard.
“The Hounds still where they’re supposed to be?” she asked.
“They are. I followed one of them when he rode around the outskirts. Every so often, he’d test the barrier. Looks like it surrounds the whole town. We would appear to be safe, but I’m heading back out this afternoon, just to make sure. What have you been doing?”
Amber couldn’t help it. She smiled. “Just chatting with my friends.”
“And how are they?”
“Good. Still reeling from the final episode of Dark Places. It was brilliant. I’d tell you about it, but I don’t want to spoil anything.”
“I’m never going to watch that show,” Milo said, beckoning Brenda over.
“You should,” said Amber. “It’s better than those westerns you like.”
Milo grunted, then gave one of his smiles to Brenda that the waitress clearly appreciated. “Hey there,” he said. “Could I have a coffee, if it’s not too much trouble? Black, no sugar.”
“Regular old coffee,” said Brenda, “you got it. Anything else?”
“Nothing I can think of right now, thank you.”
Brenda nodded, practically curtsied, and hurried away.
“Doesn’t that get annoying?” Amber asked.
“Doesn’t what get annoying?” Milo said.
“That,” said Amber. “Women falling over themselves whenever you smile at them.”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, come on. You do that smiley thing and they go weak at the knees every time.”
“That ‘smiley thing’ is me smiling.”
“Yeah, but it’s not, though, is it? You give them the extra big grin to get them blushing.”
“Hate to disappoint you, Amber, but my smile is the same size regardless of who I’m talking to.”
“So you’re telling me that if Brenda was a dude, you’d give him the same smile?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you’re flirting. Just admit it.”
“I admit no such thing because I’m not flirting. You’ll know when I’m flirting with someone because it’ll be really obvious and really bad.”
“You flirted with that lady back in Cascade Falls.”
“Veronica.”
“And did you or did you not get laid because of it?”
“What I did or did not do is none of your business, but that wasn’t flirting. That was talking. I’m okay at talking, when I’m in a talkative mood, and sometimes talking leads to other things.”
“Some people would call that flirting.”
“I call it being friendly.”
The woman at the next table got up to leave, but dropped her purse. Milo picked it up, handed it back to her. She smiled and he winked and she giggled.
As she walked away, Amber stared at Milo. “You winked at her.”
Milo frowned. “What? No, I didn’t.”
“You so did! You actually winked at her!”
“Did I?”
“I can’t believe you just did that.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Milo said. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“What’s your flirting technique like?”
“I don’t have one,” she said.
“Sure you do.”
Amber shook her head. “It is literally non-existent, and I use literally both in the literal and figurative senses.”
“You just need practice,” Milo said. “Find someone you’d like to flirt with and strike up a conversation.”
“Like who?” she said, laughing.
“I don’t know,” Milo answered, looking around. He nodded to a young guy across the cafe. “How about him?”
Amber smiled. “I don’t think so.”
“Coward.”
“He’s just not my type.”
“What is your type?”
She shrugged. “Not him.”
Brenda came over with Milo’s coffee.
“Thanks very much,” he said. Brenda smiled and blushed and hurried to another table before she melted.
Milo took a sip, and didn’t meet Amber’s gaze.
“Shut up,” he said.
