The Porgs Between Us

Chapter One

Cold air hit Nina's knee as she limped into Walmart. It stung like all hell, but she knew she had to keep going if she was going to make it in time. There was a grainy announcement on the loudspeaker: "As a reminder, the Star Wars merchandise sale is buy one get one free so be sure to grab yourself and a friend the gift of adventure this Holiday Season." It was read in the same monotone voice of a school child forced to read Shakespeare--awkward pauses and all. Nina was amused for a moment before the squeaking of her sneakers against the glossy floor dumped her foul mood back onto her, similarly to the downpour that caused her to fall a few blocks back.

I only came here for bandages, she repeated to herself as though that would stop her urge to look at the Star Wars merch. She had never watched Star Wars but she was thinking of Sam. He had tried to explain Star Wars to her various times as she half listened to him while doing mundane chores. It never interested her enough to watch it. She knew the general plot: space ninjas fight the deformed baby killer and then it turns into incest because of a kidnapped princess-- that's what she understood from his long ramblings at least. Her attention span had never been great, especially not when working the stove and wielding a sharp meat cleaver. Children always pick the worst times to open up to you.

And so, she wandered into the Star Wars aisle looking at plastic replicas of things she vaguely remembered described to her. She picked up the toys one by one and tried to guess if Sam would like it. It was only when she felt a drop of blood slide down her leg that she gave up. Her right sock was turning pinker by the minute.

There were plush toys of an alien resembling a penguin with bulging eyes at the very end of the aisle. Sam might not like it, but they were cute and would make good decorations for his spacious room. She knew Sofie would like it simply because it was a stuffed animal.

They were about a foot tall and arranged in a pyramid formation, one on top of the other, and Nina rushed (as fast as she could on her bad leg) toward them. She was already off balance when a startled girl turning the corner of the aisle bumped into her, apparently distracted by the same penguins Nina was going for. Nina instinctively grabbed the girl's shirt and the girl grabbed the edge of the table. Neither stayed upright.

Nina was on her back, looking at the hanging Walmart lights in more pain than when she had walked in. Why me?, she thought, I just wanted a stupid penguin. She cursed the monotone voice over the loudspeaker for tempting her. The girl and the penguins were on her like a carelessly draped blanket, though the girl pushed herself up immediately so that Nina was now looking into her brown eyes. Her hair reminded Nina of long strands of tanned wheat.

As the girl began to get up, her skirt brushed up against Nina's knee. She gasped in pain, covering her mouth to keep herself from screaming. She took large breaths and didn't notice the other girl's panicked expression.

"Are you ok? Oh my gosh, how did I do that?" said the stranger.

Nina calmed down enough to look at her.

"I'm fine," Nina said though she knew her voice was strained and whispered. She began pushing herself up slowly and gently like reluctantly getting up early on a Sunday. To her surprise, the stranger started helping her up despite her efforts to show she didn't want it. Her hands were cold on her arm and she had to fight the impulse to flinch.

There was blood on the hem of the girl's skirt turning the blue fabric a morbid shade of purple. "Sorry about your skirt," Nina said straightening out. The girl released her arm and glanced at her skirt briefly not seeming bothered. "The spirit of the person I murdered in a past life likes to target my knees."

"So you fell before I knocked you over?" she said looking more relaxed.

"Yep. Now if you'll excuse me I have to pick up the penguins and then pick up my other penguins." The girl didn't acknowledge Nina's choice of words beyond furrowing her brow.