Clear Skies

Chapter 2: Empty Thoughts

            Reality shimmered through my wavering vision. I tried to sit up, but pain arced up my spine like volts of electricity. Oppressive memories of torture flashed across my mind. I groaned and fell back down.

A gruff voice beside me said, "I see you're awake."

My eyes were still forced shut due to the pain. "It... hurts!"

"Calm yourself, now. You'll be fine. What's your name?"

I managed to open my eyes to slits and focused on his face. He was an older man wearing a black cowboy hat. His gray hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and a bushy mustache sprouted beneath his nose. Had he helped me? I croaked, "Rain."

"Rain, eh? Interesting name. My name is Klaus. A couple kids and I found you fallen unconscious on the ground north of the crossroads, so I hauled you back here. What exactly happened?"

I closed my eyes again and tried to think through the agony. "What... happened? I'm not sure. I was just walking through town when this pain suddenly hit me."

"That so? Strange. Are you sure nobody attacked you?"

"Nobody was around," I responded. "I was alone at the time. Last night, that is."

"Last night? Hm. I've never seen you in town before."

"Oh. I've never been here. I actually came here to look for somebody. They should have shown up sometime during the last five months."

"That can't be right. We haven't had any new visitors to this town in, well, years. Other than the companies that come here for Dyne, hardly anyone visits other than the folks who live here."

My mouth twitched down. Misty seemed sure this was where he was headed. "What's Dyne?"

"Dyne? It's a mineral used to make duel runners. The mountain here is a huge deposit, so most of the people here mine it. My job is working in the mines- ah! I have to get to work. You stay there, all right?"

"But I'm feeling better now-"

"Then don't go out looking like that," he exclaimed while looking me up and down. "It's ridiculous. If you'll be staying here, you'll need some new clothes. Got any money?"

I supposed I had to stay. He could be coming. "Uh, no."

The man let out an exasperated sigh. He seemed kind of impatient. He was nice to help me out, though, right? Hm. Silence. The Dragon and G were holding their tongues an awful lot.

"Here. I'll lend you some money." He pulled out some green slips of paper and slapped them on the table on the far side of the room. "When you're ready to get up, there's a clothing store to the west of the crossroads. Don't get lost or anything, alright? I'll be back later in the day, probably by sunset. I expect you to not look so..."

He grunted. I wasn't sure how to take it. "Th-Thank you, Klaus. I really mean it. Thanks for helping me."

He raised an eyebrow, shook his head, and left. He was a little sharp-tongued, but he was really nice to me. Still only silence. I must have been the only one to find a lack of voices in my head strange.

Are you guys here or what? I shouted in my thoughts. No response. Heaving a frustrated sigh, I tried to sit up again. Though I had lied to Klaus about being better, it turned out to be true.

Some stiffness remained – especially in my midsection – but I stood with no issue. I grabbed the money Klaus had left on the table and stuffed it into my front left pocket. Paper money? Weird. We only used coins in Atlantis.