Dorothy

Chapter 10

The next morning the quartet set out once more. The alley had been as promised- about as comfortable as sleeping on rocks/Luna's version of pavement can get.

Dorothy resigned herself to another day of walking. She felt absolutely gross. When was the last time that she brushed her teeth? Taken a shower? It had been awhile. In fact, it had been awhile for all of them. Auden still smelled faintly of the blue goo in the tank. Ronan's white shirt was filthy. And they all smelled like sweat. Dorothy thought about the net dramas in which people had adventures. They were much more glamorous than this.

No one talked much that morning. Or afternoon that matter. The immediate danger was gone, but everyone seemed to be holding their breath, afraid that someone would hear the slightest whisper. Rosie led them through alley after side street, with Ronan right behind her. Dorothy came next, and Auden insisted on being the last. Out of the corner of her eye Dorothy could see him looking back. Looking back. Looking back. He was doing it so much it was starting to drive her crazy. She focused on the rode ahead.

The "sun" was starting to dim, and Dorothy's legs were burning. She could tell that the other two weren't doing much better. Auden was lagging behind them now, and Ronan was slowing down, trying his very best to make it look like he was only doing it for her. Rosie turned and could see on their faces that they were exhausted.

"Just a little farther everybody," she urged. "We're close to a good resting place. It'll be safer."

After what seemed another mile (but in reality was perhaps five blocks) the company arrived at a hole in the ground. Literally. They were well away now from most buildings, a novelty in Artemisia, and here was a hole. It looked very deep , but there was a gently slope. It looked as though there might have once been a cover over it, but that was long gone now.

Auden stumbled forward, Dorothy and Rosie at his heels. Ronan stayed back, staring at the hole. Dorothy, turning around to see why he wasn't following, couldn't read the expression on his face in the dark. "Ronan? What's wrong?"

"I don't think that this is a safe place."

"Oh sure it is , come on. Even if it's not, we can't go on any farther today."

Ronan sighed and walked to the mouth of the hole. Stepped inside. Auden was already on the floor breathing deeply. Rosie was finding the best spot of ground to power down on, and Ronan had closed his eyes, though he didn't seem to find instantaneous sleep easy to come by. Dorothy settled down near them. It struck her as she lay there how pitiful they must look. So worn out that earth was the best mattress. The closeness of the others nearby the only source of warmth.

Dorothy had just started to drift toward sleep when she heard something scuff on a rock. Auden was on his feet in an instant. His sleep had not been as deep as it seemed. Dorothy scrambled up next to him and reached for Rosie's power button. If they had to flee, none of them would be able to carry the android. Auden gave Ronan a light kick to the shoulder to get him up, and by the time he stood next to them, they could hear footsteps just out of seeing range.

"I told you this was a bad idea," Ronan mumbled.

They peered into the dark, straining to see anything when a figure appeared. Dorothy's eyes widened and she subconsciously stepped back. Before them stood a man, but a huge man, seemingly made of muscle. His hair was dark, his eyes wild. Hair grew thick on his hands, arms, face. When his eyes had traveled over each of them he opened his mouth as if to smile. His cavernous mouth was all canines, but in the starlight they glinted like blades.

He tilted back his head and howled.