Two Truths and a Liar

XXX • Stranger

Harley

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My lids were heavy. 

As I watched the world blur, shadows eat the light and leak from sewer drains crusted in sleet, surrounding streetlights in armies, every footfall brought me nowhere but another stretch of street feeling just like the last. I didn't feel the cold air, all I felt was tired. Creatures clawing at my stomach. 

The ground wavered, and I grasped onto the jacket back of the figure keeping a steady pace before me to keep myself from falling.

"Bro, you good?"

"I'm… yeah," I let go. Wrapped my arms around my middle and breathed. Leon was concerned, as usual. Jenna was ahead. The small figure beside me didn't say a word, but cast a gloomy gaze in the direction of the deserted street to our right. 

"Thanks,"

I was starving.

Food was something strange to me. It hadn't always been, but it had become something I forgot about or tended to make me feel even worse after I had eaten. It was painful, and forced, and I knew I needed it. But I couldn't bring myself to eat it. 

I was really regretting that now.

"Hey can we stop for a minute?"

Leon tapped Jenna's shoulder, their voices quiet in the dark.

"Harley wants to know if we can stop,"

She shook her head, and her words came 

"We're almost there,  he'll survive,"

He looked from me to Jenna, a mix of exasperated or worried or something else creasing his forehead and tearing his hair across his face in the night wind. He slowed, to walk next to me.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

I bit my lip and nodded.

"Yeah,"

Unconvinced.

"You can talk to me, you know," A smile didn't break the concern on his face, but wavered there in the semi darkness all the same. "If you want to,"

I opened my mouth, to say I was fine. Snap like I was used to doing, raise my voice just enough to make myself feel a little power, but a loud rumble escaped my stomach instead.

"Oh, that's easily solved. Wait up,"

He reached into his jacket pocket, fumbling around and making a series of 'hmm's and 'wait's and then finally an "oh, here we go,".

With a triumphant expression he held his hand out, clutching the battered and crushed remains of a granola bar. I took it in surprise.

"Oh, thanks,"

"Yeah!" He gave a double thumbs up and a broader smile. "Anytime," 

I took a bite, a shaky, stiff, unsteady bite, and felt it fall through my hands as a hard lump slid down my throat, again colliding with the suddenly stopped forms ahead of me.