Distance Traveled

A Wiff Of Grapeshot

With a hiss, Lori dropped the watch. It bounced off the dirt as it hit the ground, the metal red and smoking. Lori looked at the palm of her right hand, the skin there torn and swelling, like the watch had branded her. Some parts of it were starting to bleed, her hand throbbing and stinging painfully. Infection would not be a good thing at this point. 

"Lori?" Sam's voice was shaking, but she was starting to regain her balance as the dizziness started to fade away. She looked around, letting go of Lori's left hand. The ground was a soft dirt between the two buildings that they had conveniently landed in between. The main streets were cobblestone, from what she could tell. There was something familiar about the place, but she would have to look around a little bit to determine where they were, and when they were. 

Sam turned her head to look at Lori, who was preoccupied with her hand. She gasped, her eyes widening in shock for a few moments. "What the hell happened to your hand?" she asked, moving closer to get a better look at the burned skin. 

"The watch, I held onto it and it burned me pretty bad." Lori said, Sam frowning as she glanced down at the ground where the watch lay. She quickly scooped it up and placed it in the blanket. 

Lori shivered as she became aware of the cold, Sam quickly digging around the bag and pulled out one of the knives they took with them. Lori watched in confusion as she pulled on the hem of her dress and started to cut it off. 

"What are you doing?" Lori asked, Sam glancing up as she sawed away at the material. 

"That's going to get infected if you don't bandage it, and since we are time travelling, we are probably going to be looked upon as peasants," she smiled slightly, "might as well look the part." 

She pulled off a strip of the dress and gestured for Lori to place her hand in hers. Lori did so, Sam quickly wrapping the bandage around the burn, Lori hissing slightly as she tied it tight. 

"We might as well scope out the place," Sam said after a few moments of silence, "so we at least have some idea what language the people speak here and such."

Lori nodded, following after Sam as the two of them exited the alleyway out into the street, nobody noticing a figure watching them from the entrance to a building. 

"More French, wonderful." Sam muttered, looking at a poster by her foot that was laying on the ground, Lori walking up from where she was looking at a few stores. 

"Most of the people here speak French, too." Lori said, Sam glancing at her. 

"I'm going to guess that we are somewhere in France. I'm hoping Paris, but I'm not sure." she explained, then sighed, "it also looks like the watch has stopped working again, also."

"So, is it going to short out every time we use it or something?" Lori asked, taking a quick glance around to see if anybody was listening. Not that they would understand what they were saying. 

"Looks like it," Sam said, glancing around some of the buildings. "I'm going to see if I can find us some place to stay," she chuckled slightly, "wish me luck."

"Good luck." Lori said, deciding to head into one of the alleys to stay out of sight for the mean time, feeling a little homesick. She was so sure that they would end up at home, and she really wanted to get back home to her sister. Even her mother and father. 

"Mademoiselle?" a voice called out towards her, Lori turning sharply towards the woman standing a few feet from her. She looked elegant, Lori guessing that she was probably a noble of some sort. 

"Puis-je vous demander pourquoi vous êtes dans cette ruelle?" the woman asked, Lori staring at her like she had grown a third head. 

French, Lori had to remind herself, she's speaking French...what the hell is she asking me?