Part Two
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Behind the stage was a world of jostling actors, thrashing limbs, and voices raised in uncertainty. Castian wove through them. His foot caught on a piece of discarded costume. He smacked against the hard wood, skinning his elbow and the side of his arm. Blood turned his sleeve red as he scrambled up and fled.
Castian burst from the back exit out into the alley beyond. Vellis slid out of a shadow to his right and he yelped. The impulse to punch Vellis in the face for scaring him was almost too much to contain. He also really wanted to.
Down the alley a man stood with the reins of a horse in his hand, looking uncertain. Castian dashed past him. The mount whinnied at him, rearing back as he shot by, Vellis on his heels. The man dropped the reins, leaping clear. Castian didn't look back as he heard the horse break away in the other direction, an explosion of hooves on cobble.
He turned down a side street, still running. His arm burned from the scrapes, and the sleeve of the suit was soaked in blood. He didn't stop. Not until he heard Vellis falling behind.
Castian dashed up another road, finally slowing. His breath came in harsh gulps. Behind him, Vellis panted through clenched teeth. Castian turned to face him.
"You okay?"
Vellis didn't reply hands resting on his knees. Then he vomited onto the cobblestone street. Not okay then. Castian looked away, pretending his couldn't hear as Vellis emptied whatever was still in his stomach. He shoved his hands into his pockets, fingers numb and cold. They closed around the pipe and pouch. He'd already forgotten about those. He pulled the pouch out, bouncing it on his palm.
"What's that?" Vellis asked, scrubbing the back of his hand over his mouth. He looked pale as death.
"Something I stole from the president."
Vellis gave him a very flat, if nauseated look. "You had time to rob him?"
"Honestly, I was just afraid it was going to catch fire and Taff would beat the living shit out of me for burning down Ford's Theater."
A brittle laugh escaped Vellis. "Yeah, he would. Well, what is it?"
"Tobacco, I think." He tossed the pouch at the other boy. Vellis it fumbled it, barely catching the pouch. Good God, his hands were shaking so badly he could barely untie it. "The pipe he dropped was going to light it and the carpet in a few moments."
Vellis said nothing, bringing the pouch to his mouth and ripping the string off. What the hell, couldn't he even untie a knot?
"What is wrong with you?" he asked, the words coming out a snap.
"Nothing."
"I'm in charge."
Vellis laughed, pulling the last of the string off. "Don't flatter yourself, Castian. I'm not taking orders."
He bristled. "Taff put--"
"I don't give a shit what Taff does!"
Castian stared at him, meeting Vellis' dark gaze. Neither of them spoke for a long moment. What was he supposed to say to that? That he didn't like Taff either? Well he didn't, but he respected him. And he owed him. He owed him is entire life.
Finally Castian looked down. He pulled back his sleeve to look at the Link clock. Ten-forty. They'd ran farther than he'd thought.
"We should head back to the Warp hole." Vellis didn't reply, he was handling whatever was in the bag. "Did you hear me?"
No reply. So, they were back to him never talking. Fine. It was better than being condescend at constantly. Castian looked at the watch again. Then wiped the blood off and popped it open. The compass inside pointed back the way they'd come. Back towards the Warp hole and home.
"You know," Vellis said suddenly, voice emotionless as normal. "Nothing says we have to go back right now."
Castian slowly turned to face him. "And exactly what would we do?"
Vellis reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He threw it. Castian's hand shot out to grab it midair. Cool metal greeted him. He opened his hand. It was a lighter.
"We could smoke Lincoln's pot."
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Hope you enjoyed the second half of Time Rewritten! Things get lit in the next chapter XD. But honestly, I love the finishing lines of the chapter, what do you think?
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An Assassin In Time
Science Fiction(ON HOLD) If time couldn't hold you, what would you do? Castian was born inside a Field, outside of time. He has no timeline. He belongs nowhere, and anywhere. The Field he was in was destroyed when he was young, and he and four other children...
