Fate and Duty

Decisions

Someplace safe. He didn't know anything about such places! Except at home, Bobby felt a certain level of fear at all times. Almost every spot had cameras. In almost every place someone could scold him for doing something wrong. Safety for him meant not to be noticed, with all the pain that it entailed.

Behind them the trash can quickly disappeared behind the corner, along with his precious minipad. He recognized the street, though. It was one he crossed regularly on his trips between the train station and home. Nearby was a convenience store he frequently bought snacks from, and also...

"Marina, wait. There's a house of a man I used to game with."

She slowed down. Her eyes kept shifting between the windows, and the rear-view mirror.

"Game? Like, hustle people?"

"Like, video games. What century are you from?"

"Sometimes I wonder that, myself. So, this man: will he hide you? is he handsome?"

"He's dead."

"Very helpful, Robbie. Very bloody helpful."

Was she mad about the hiding spot, or the lack of a handsome man?

"Please hear me out. His wife divorced him, took the kids, and destroyed him economically. He had to lifexit so his negative social score won't reflect on his son."

Marina closed her eyes for a few seconds, and sighed quietly.

"The universe is filled with people who took a wrong turn in life."

"I guess."

"In other words, how does this story help us?"

"Oh, right! His house hasn't been sold yet. It's empty."

She smiled at him in some weird, unknown way, and he stared back in befuddlement.

"It's pride, Robbie. I'm proud of you."

Pride. Gives a warm feeling inside. Interesting.

***

A two story house with a small garden, tidy porch, tiles out front, and large glass windows, surrounded by a 1.5 meter stone fence. Before it broke down, the family was upper middle class. Certainly better off than him and mom. The lawn and bushes were taken care of by the real estate agency, which wanted to get a good deal on the property. That also meant there were active cameras around.

"Don't worry about that," Marina said with a sly smile when he mentioned it.

The two of them were sitting in the car, across the street. Her wound still bled slowly, and her wonderful skin tone already turned paler. Bobby started to wonder if this woman's bravery was going to cost her very dearly.

"Does it hurt?"

"Why do you care?"

The rough tone made him shrink in his seat. Was it still about earlier? He needed to apologize. He wanted to tell her that, if needed, he was willing to give her every last drop of his blood.

"Marina, I... I..."

"Robert, I need to heal, and I can't do it here, so we have to move fast."

That didn't make much sense, unless... oh! Some kind of underground clinic, for sure. Like when criminals got injured in movies, and couldn't go to a hospital.

She stared him right in the eye, which naturally made him snap his head away.

"After I get out, count to twenty in your heart, and follow."