The Pavement Is Slick

Chapter 2

By the time I had woke up, it had been around roughly 4 hours since I'd managed to fall asleep on the 30th episode of the show I'd wandered into watching. I jolted up, realizing with a start that the sun had started to stream through the blinds of the window I had drawn when the sun had started to rise at about oh, 4 am? The exact details didn't matter so much as the fact that I'd managed to be about three hours late for my job. Stupid thing, getting in the way of me sleeping in late. Also, not letting me stay up to times not deemed healthy by most of society. Hey, blame the internet, not me. Anyways, I promptly just about lept out of that same chair I'd fallen asleep in, throwing on just about whatever clothes I could find around me, which ended up being some dark flannel shirt and grey jeans. Could have been worse. I jammed my laptop into that same bookbag, flinging it over my shoulder. I spent just the smallest amount of time I allowed myself to check if I'd put on matching shoes before charging out of the door, hands in a flurry trying to smooth my bedhead into an upright shape somewhat resembling what form it took on a good day. Don't have many of those. I jumped a few stairs, landing hard down onto the cement. I shoved through the doors, flying by a few people with bemused expressions at my signs of pure distress. I ran the nexts few blocks before skidding to a stop. Oh shit. I swung my bag back forward, my fingers fumbling over the latch trying to frantically open it. Please, please. I rummaged through the thing, letting out an audible sigh as I found the plastic folder containing the files I needed for work. Thank god. That could have been ugly. I started to jog forward again, flipping the cover of the bag back over and grappling with the latch. The world went black for a second, and I felt myself stumble backwards, the vibrations of running into someone shuttering through my whole body. I lost my current footing on the sidewalk, falling straight onto the not so forgiving ground there.

A shaped just about blocked the sun out. "What the hell, don't you watch where you're going?" My eyes took a moment to adjust to the sudden lack of light, but finally they zeroed in on the tank of a figure above me. He looked as if his olive skin had been splatter painted over with freckles, which seemed to cover almost every inch of him. The look he was giving me could give Medusa a run for her money. God damn. He'd just about gotten all of the traits that lead to a human elephant. Broad, hulking shoulders, with a matching nose and brow to match. I'd probably guess he was more neanderthal than homo sapien if it hadn't been for the distinctively human traits. Tall, for one. His clothes were an official looking jacket that consisted of a dark grey wool that was buttoned up completely, black pants, and what looked like an extremely uncomfortable plastic box with straps hastily glued to it. Though, it had the same cardinal head with a sword and a candle crossed behind it as all government associated things did. Above the seal typed in a neat, simple font were the words: #3749,Tyde Lynch. Huh.

A cough interrupted my thoughts as I realized I'd been staring at him for an uncomfortably long amount of time. Miraculously, I was still sitting on the ground, staring up towards the heavens for what I hoped wasn't a few minutes.

I could probably warm my entire apartment judging by the sudden rise in temperature I felt flush my entire face. "Uh-uhm," I started to wheeze out, feeling myself glance around, gulping down at the chilled November air. Shit, shit, shit. "Sorry, I just- uh, wasn't looking, and thinking straight and, well-uh, yeah." He raised an eyebrow at that, the frown on his face showing just how pathetic I sounded and, probably, looked. Man, I wasn't thinking straight at all. My head felt like it was searching through a monstrous fog, and as I wobbled up to a hunched standing position, I shook it harshly. I stumbled forward a few steps before feeling a paw dig into my shoulder. That got me to freeze right in place.

"Hey." He paused the grumble for a few seconds before moving on, "what do you think of (common word for neanderthals, kinda like humans, maybe Consor(s), meaning advisor in Latin)?" I could feel his eyes practically burning into my back, my head, my thoughts, causing me to shift uncomfortably to try to shake off the intense glare.