Dead Weight

Dead Weight: Prologue

CHARLES

Clouds broiled in the sky, a storm on the brink of barraging the city. I looked up, trying to remember if rainfall hurt me. I couldn't, so I kept walking.

I was on the sidewalk of a rather busy street, especially given the time. Hard-working people were on their way home from their jobs, going to their families or their apartments or their pets.

'Maybe I should get a pet.' I thought. 'Nah, it won't last.'

I was wishing, no, begging it to just rain already. All this suspense, all this buildup. I'd been hearing people say "Oh, it's gonna be a big storm tonight!" Like it was something to celebrate. Let's all get together and have soup, it's gonna storm! Let's open the windows and listen to the rainfall!

It made me sick to listen to it. I wanted it to just rain and move on.

The cars died down for a moment, so I walked out into the road. The moon was shining through the clouds, illuminating the sky and making it easy for me to make it around with no problems. But a new light source ruined the atmosphere.

A pair of headlights, bearing down on me.

I just stood there, waiting for the car to hit. Just when it would have, the driver having already blasted the horn and slammed on the breaks, I disappeared. A cloud of black smoke, manifesting on the other side of the truck.

The owner clambered out, cursing. "You know how dangerous that was?!" He asked, obviously not comprehending the extraordinary thing he just witnessed. "I coulda' killed your dumb ass!"

I tilted my head slightly, wondering to myself how that might have felt.

He stomped up to me, saying "I've got half a mind to kick your ass anyhow, for givin me such a scare!"

I grit my teeth. He'd just hit me with his car, and I'm the one deserving an ass-kicking? He was going 45 down a 30. He probably would've kept driving if I had gotten hit.

I grabbed his shoulder, as he'd been so nice as to come within my arm's reach. Snapping his clavicle with no effort at all, I pulled him in and bit down fiercely on his throat.

That shut him up.

After he was drained, I let him fall. Looking down on his withered corpse, I contemplated momentarily whether or not I should make him a Thrall.

'Not worth it.' I decided. 'Just another mouth to feed.'

I picked him up, placing him back in the drivers seat of his truck. I buckled the seatbelt, and closed the door, and just like that he almost looked like he'd fallen asleep. If it weren't for his greyed skin, limp arm, and terrified face.

Taking a long, slow breath, I kept walking.