Ticking Time Bomb

episode 4

"Get up!"

"Sentryyyyy wake uuuup"

"HEY!"

"pleeaasee get up"

"I SAID GET UP"

BAM

I shoot up in bed to the sound of a gunshot. Realizing I'm not in any danger, I look to see the culprit. Of course, it's jinx.

She's sitting on my legs, Criss cross. I give her the bird as I search behind me for a bullet hole, only to find another hot pink paint splatter on the wall behind me.

"You can't ignore me forever " she taunts, waving her gun around. "What is it, jinx?" I ask her tiredly, attempting to shuffle from under her.

"Weeellllll!" She drags out, adding a dramatic pause for unnecessary effect. "We have to do that Shimmer smuggle with Sevika later, but I showered last night."

I groan and cover my face with a pillow. "What does this have to do with me?" Suddenly my pillow is snatched from me and she begins beating me with it. "You have to do my braids! You promised and Silco did it last week!"

"Ok, ok! I'll braid your hair!" I shout, swatting at her in a useless attempt to stop the pillow beating. "Ok" she cheers and hops off of me and onto the floor. She walks to the other side of the room to wait. Since it's been brought to my attention, I notice her bright blue hair dragging on the floor behind her. "Waterfall" I mumble softly to myself, as that's what it reminds me of.

I yawn and attempt to rub the sleep out of my eyes, still drowsy. I slip my legs over the bed and lift up my left one. "Can you pass me my foot?" I ask her, holding out my hand patiently.

After a few moments I feel a cool metal object placed in my hand. Muttering a thank you, I unwrap the bandages from my leg. I then push the metal foot onto my leg. It clicks with the metal part attached to me and I spin it around before it locks in place.

Rolling my 'ankle' to make sure it's on, I glance up at jinx. She is sitting impatiently in my desk chair, head propped up on her hand, tapping her fingers on the table. I stand up and walk behind her as she is zoned off into space. "Cmon, we need to get the clips" I tell her.

The once quiet girl spins the chair around wildly, hair flying every which way. "Nope! I got em' this tiime! I didn't want to have you all mopey" she holds out her hands and 6-cylinder clips are there.

"Good."

I spin my hand in a twirling motion and she gets the hint to turn back around in the chair. I pull her hair over the back of the chair and grab the brush off my desk. I then begin brushing out the knots in her hair as gently as I can. Glancing over her shoulder I see her with her markers, doodling cats and monkeys all over the side of my candle.

I give a careless shrug and set the brush down, beginning the 3 hour long process that is doing Jinx's hair.

*

"This is so boring, why do we have to do this?" Jinx whines and falls into me dramatically. We are sitting on some Shimmer barrels in the lower deck of the ship.

"The firelights!" I hear faintly shouted. I sigh and shake a purple spray can, handing it to Jinx as my way of permission. "Really?!" She squeals. I nod and without a second glance she races over and begins quickly painting one of her famous monkeys.

A small smile tugs at my lips as I pull up my bandana over the lower half of my face. Thumping is heard upstairs before all movement is stopped. I wrap the trigger line around the poles near the door as I listen.