Bludgeon Ball: Genesis

Chapter 1 Surrounded

Surrounded

The food was... gross. The meat had been put through their best efforts; wrenched and burned out of sulphur. It still tasted like rotten eggs. The only thing to come out right was the bone which tasted like what she imagined wafers tasted. Like it wasn't hard, or disgusting.

It was strange to find pleasure in watching holoflic characters eat.

A three-dimensional image filled the floor and Nati watched them suck and chew. Red meat, white meat, such a gift. Her mouth couldn't water. The taste long sucked out to endure what was in their mouths.

The movie was called 'Through the Shadow', one of her few holoflics at 100% storage. A meta film, one of her favourites, too dark for the old man's tastes.

Over a black mat, light fell and a city of light rose out converting into a three dimensional bedroom from, 'the shadows'.

Orange Verlaine stood from his bed and walked to the window. His room didn't need heating, despite it being night, incredible. No ice at the doors. Wooden door frames that had not burst into flame when the sun rose.

The hero looked tall, he was taller than most in the movie but as he comfortably climbed through the window, it was questionable how large old humans were.

He dove out and landed on a knee. The hero landing.

People had already moved out the way. He ran, out running cars and catching up with ones with sirens. There was gunfire, bullets peppering his clothes and the hero never slowed. The criminals had been masked and the hero, Orange Verlaine flipped the car. It crumpled under his strength. He didn't have to be delicate.

People cheered, the police in their perfect fitting uniforms applauded, they were all so clean, nothing had to be dusted off.

Nati's hand pulled across the air and the applause pulled back and restarted, over and over again.

The snoring old man rolled, his arm slapping over her. She pulled his hand under her arm and interlocked her fingers and played the applause again.

She pressed the air once more and the movie disappeared leaving the black mat. She shut here eyes just running her fingers over his.

It was playing with fire, but also a rush she could not explain. One that kept happening, her body, her heart were writing entire instruction manuals of on 'what happened next'. She had to sleep or watch something else, clear her head.

What was it to be surrounded, on any level? The smell of the old man's breath washed over her anew, it pressed on her hair, tickling her neck. Him pressed on her back.

Orange Verlaine didn't look the way she felt. Maybe what she felt, as tingly and warm as it was, was better? But the people around the hero were so happy. She knew what it was to make the old man smile, how it felt. And he was only one old man, there was nothing bright or shiny about him. And yet he could fill her whole world. And when it did, no blanket over the sky could dampen it.

She squeezed a little longer, pushed closer and let the moment win.