Act 3.2: Back and Forth; Rest or Run?

'Beep! Beep! Beep!'

"ANSWER YOUR FUCKIN' PHONE ALREADY!"

"FINE, MUM!" Tami bellowed back at her mother, words a bit slurred due to her having just been awakened at the ringing. After accomplishing her self-training goals for the day, which included a fifteen-mile run as well as countless reps with dumbbells, Tami unceremoniously collapsed at the foot of her bed. Spotting a disturbance nestling on her foot she scooted the bags of chips and bottles of sparkling water aside. The high calorie intake of foods proved no problem due to her ability to process everything she ate toward her muscles rather than fat. In order to sustain her daily high energy workouts, she resorted to sugary foods and drinks for assistance… also to indulge every so often.

This routine left little time for comfort inside her own room, creating the situation she now found herself broiled in. Worn tops and panties gone weeks without a wash were strewn over a beige bean bag chair lay blocking one of her few closets, already obscured by a curtain. However, the closet held no clothes to be thought of due to them all strewn in various heaps on the floor instead.

Clean pairs were placed into the dresser spanning from her bedside to three feet below, cabinets aloft with articles hung like sopping rags. Some managed to crawl upon the windowsill. The unique position of her family's shared apartment allowed for a view of Dolemeut park, already under reconstruction after a brief period of wreckage cleaning. The workers in their brightly colored hats barked between each other as they strode along with heavy beams glowering above while being held aloft by several cranes.

For a long while it had yet to be quieted.

Checking her phone, one eye shut while the other squinted, Tami recognized the profile displaying a girl dressed in powder blue overalls. Her burning hair tied in a dual set of braids as her face sat on a birch picket fence. She clicked the speaker then groaned, "Do you know how late it is, Sarah?"

A pause stretched as the caller went to check the time on her phone only to be saddened, "Tam…"

"Yes?" She questioned, a hint of irritation seeping through.

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Of course, I do, it's…" As soon as Tami began to put Sarah down, she saw the clock in the corner of her smartphone switch from 7:59 to 8:00 pm. "Shit," she had promised to eat with her mother for dinner.

'Well, that explains why she was so pissed off when the phone began ringing.'

One elongated breath was let out on the other end. The sigh to end all sighs. "Your sleep schedule sucks. All you do is either sleep during class then go lift weights only to return to sleeping the moment you get home." Some 'tsks' were uttered.

Screwing her face up, Tami wiped her face of its glazed mask. "Is that all you called for?"

"No~. Look out your window."

Tami propped herself from the carpeting using her right fist then jumped to her feet only to begrudgingly glance out to the street level.

There was no way she would come today. Afterall, by this time Sarah should be on her third joint trying to pick up some sucker to pay for her meals. Only reason for her to call Tami was if she wanted in on some of the guy's good patronage, and on occasion she would partake at the risk of leftover guilt.

However, there she was hopping foot to foot, loose hair flinging about. "What's going on, Sarah?"

Sarah stopped bouncing to stick the receiver at her mouth fully attentive to Tami's voice. "Well… ya see… I kind of left my Geometry book at my Uncle's place."

"I don't take Geometry." said Tami in an astute manner that brought out the rings beneath her eyes.

"Oh! No, no, no. I was gonna ask for your help going to Lisa's place so I can borrow hers." Puzzled, Tami was unable to pursue the reason for her help in walking some place before her question was answered. "Just after everything we discussed about her brother, it doesn't seem safe to go by myself. Especially if she isn't there. So, you can come, right?"

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Tami felt an annoyance fester due to this break in her well-maintained cycle yet understood the cause for concern. She drummed up every excuse in her book to get out of going, possibilities to assuage Sarah's fears, but nothing came. In all honesty, she too was afraid of what may happen if the two of them were alone.

Sarah was loud spewing everything that came to mind with little thought for the repercussions. Her alone with Kage of all people was a recipe for a ripe catastrophe. In the same sense, Tami found her skin crawling at having to undergo his stare that pointed disgust at everything. His protectiveness could very well place anyone at danger, a danger that although Tami knew she was stronger, ate at her confidence.

With labored breath, Tami spoke, "Have you called ahead?"

"About that… I tried calling a few times, but it kept going to voicemail. She only ever gave us her cell and not their home phone so maybe she's just sleeping already."

"Maybe." Tami peered down at Sarah from her vantage point weighing the possibilities. Getting her ass kicked by a guy two years older, staying home and letting Sarah get her ass kicked, or grabbing the book before Kage can even hear them at the door.

Choices, choices.

She ran her fingers through her hair, wiping them in the greasiness of its strands. 'Am I really afraid of that punk? That brat who needed help to lift a wrench?' Tami was embarrassed with a touch of scarlet imbuing her face. How could she have gotten so lost so fast.

She always wound up this way with the two of them. Conflicted and muddled as if the earth was attempting to swallow her up but she was never able to reach the stomach with its acid to end her squirming. Looking at the body length mirror attached to her closet, Tami found what many labeled as someone of Amazonian stature. Immense in height while riddled with muscle as well as the accessories of some silver earrings that lined either ear. It was an inaccurate portrayal of her true self which lay bare nothing but a little girl afraid of the next swing.

Due to her ever-remarkable ability there were few times she was put in the spot for a fight, she didn't even know how to throw an adequate punch. Time and time again she made sure not to come close. It would hurt, no matter who won or lost she always saw the same grin trademarked by potholes in place of teeth and plums for eyes, her mother could attest to the description. Yet, when the thought of Kage came to mind, her fist clenched, and bicep livened. Her body knew what would happen if they were to meet as it lusted for it to occur.

Lisa's missing arm was undoubtedly his fault. At the mention of her brother, she would squeeze the phantom appendage drowning the room with a sigh. Tami had to do something to save her. Just as she had done to her family.

Indebted forever.

Swinging open her closet, Tami withdrew a coat stuck to some longer pants to put over the ones she wore. The night was cold, hopefully when she got back home the heating would be better.

Galloping out the front door, Tami wound up in front of Sarah, too busy applying mascara in sharp contrast to the baggy sweater splotched by buckets of paint only to lament the fact of the faded lime green hat with the word "Dastard!" stitched on the front. A word that when explained to Tami went into one ear then out the other while an encompassing scent of cream puffs were kept near.

Bumping Sarah on the shoulder, she motioned for them to depart by a relaxed palm. Undeterred, Sarah hopped to her side casting glances at the encroaching shadows from alleyways and flickering of streetlights persisting all throughout their trek.

The darkness spelled many symbols to her subconscious. Even in school, Tami caught the girl going out of her way to stick to the light of the morning sun and not that of the shadows produced by it. Suspicions and theories arose in the group but not a soul dared to ask her. If they did then the others would have to tell their underlying secrets as well. The others may feel caution at this but to Tami it was not the reason for her astute silence.

There were simply times in which words did not need to be said for meaning to be taken.

Distracting herself from the overwhelming gloom, Sarah, bounced from one topic to the next passing time superficially. During the barrage, Tami halfheartedly responded with a "yes" or "no" then some grunts to entice her further. Wishing to steer clear of any more movie talk, Tami asked, "So, how's your parents been?" a chuckle suppressed due to what her usual reply back would be, "Fine, as always. You really need to come over again!"

However, no such cutesy reply came from Sarah. Instead, her voice then lowered from the high-toned orthoepy. A change which smacked Tami hard into capturing her expression, one downtrodden by her curtains of red shaded by discreet pencil marks. "Doesn't it feel like… we don't deserve to be here?" The curtains drew open, billowing to the slightest breeze revealing a cold stare affixed to Tami. Only then did Tami notice that her once well-manicured tips had been gnawed into geometric abstraction while grime filled under them.

"Wha-

Cowering into her palms, Sarah's voice muffled, "I don't deserve it… I don't deserve it..."

Tami, too taken aback to approach her friend, instead observed rather than spoke. In that instance something had occurred, possibly snapped in the girl causing a rush of emotions coupled with devastating memories to display before her vision. Recent imagery was still fresh just like the soil in her fingers and puddle soaking in the heel of her shoes.

The gnashing of splintered teeth exuding curdling cries of repent against the splint end to a shovel. A normal girl of such a young age would remain in this position for weeks to come, yet a marker was all it took to rouse her from the depths of despair. Sarah stretched out leading herself to the whim of a trail up high in the sky.

"Listen, Sarah. What did you d-" The girl lifted a finger stealing Tami's attention as at its end lay a billowing smoke cloud now whipping up into a larger mess. Tami followed to where the smoke showed its darkest form. An apartment complex had been lit like a candle. The difference was that this candle burned fast enough that she could see the wood and brick dislodge from its position, collapsing whole floors.

Dazed with no semblance of remembering the breakdown she had just incurred, Sarah fumbled through the realization, "I-Isn't that w-where L-L-L-Lisa's home is?" She looked to where Tami had been moments ago only finding her afterimage as she sprinted toward the all too familiar sight.

Tripping over her own two feet, Sarah tumbled to the hardened street more than thrice before catching up to Tami, now smack dab before the premature burning. Lungs filling with the ash and dust spreading from the wreckage, Sarah made to cover her mouth and nose with her shirt suggesting that Tami do the same, however, the words never came.

Her sturdy friend had already gone somewhere else, asking the crowding populace if everyone had safely gotten out. Sarah rushed over to hear the end of Tami's conversation with another teenager who held his baby sister across his chest with the help of a harness.

"Yeah! So, the floor above me just lit up, at first, I smelled some smoke, but the guy usually smokes those horrid cigarettes on the balcony, so I thought that's all he was doing. Then, it got to be a lot of smoke. I grabbed my sis' and bucked out of there as fast as I could." The kid exaggerated his hand movements appearing as if the fire was the size of a football stadium due to his large wingspan.

Tami took hold of either side of the boy's shoulders, "Do you know if the sister or brother came back tonight, before the fire?"

Wracking his brain, the boy recounted each thing he heard that night accompanied by the question in order to provoke his strained worry-stained memory. "Ah, yeah! Lisa took the elevator up the same way I did just after three o'clock."

"Did you see her come down with all of you?" Her left foot rattled on the cement causing minor cracks to show off her unbridled strength. The tapping of her foot hypnotized the boy making him fearful of the fact that he was now in the presence of a worried Evolved.

"No… I heard footsteps go up but none coming down." Tami let go of him. Free, he escaped to the depths of the crowd now gawking and recording the sight with their phones.

The stars were blotted out by the graying reality presenting a striking contrast between that and the illuminated building. The place was eaten whole by the barrage of flames. Glass laid out on the sidewalk, debris fluttering in the air or close to diving straight to the head of one of the many still rushing from the inside to out. The front entrance had its roof caved in resulting in ample space for one to travel from the first to the second story, but where to go from there? If Lisa was at the top, then a multitude more of similar collapses could have occurred. Then, Tami saw the red bars to the fire escape. It was latched on tightly standing as the most secure form of passage.

It was the only choice for her.

Thus, her feet sped into a dash before encroaching thoughts caught up. She threw her phone out to Sarah as a lasting idea. Unprepared, Sarah juggled it until it landed on the ground, face down. She checked the screen, finding it a shattered mess, wincing at her misdeed. The letters were jilted and spread in elongated versions both vertically as well as horizontally confusing her to what she was reading. Eventually deciphering the code, she realized it read, "Devil Brother".

She glanced up to see Tami's back to her, already up a flight of stairs and onto the next. Some from behind Sarah were calling out for her stop but were met by a subsequent roar as the innards to a room on the third floor blew with fury. There was no stopping her, Sarah knew this so went along with her request dialing the number, waiting for him to answer from the other end.

'How will I even tell him what happened? Oh shit, I should have just gone with Tami, what if she gets trapped in there?'

While the phone rang, she grew observant of a police car parking a meter from her spot. What appeared to be a rookie and a veteran exited from the vehicle gazing at the fire in awe. The same images from before played on repeat. There was no time to sit idly by here, she had to leave otherwise there would be no way to escape later. This was in fact the greatest chance she would have. All that could be done for Tami and Lisa was a silent prayer for her safety.

Sarah trotted away from the scene, back turned against the brilliance, then the phone left its state of ringing. "Is this Kage… Kage Teller?" She huffed between gulps of air to exterminate the sickening poison that paraded about.

"Sa-ah? is Je-ice?" The other end crackled in and out.

"Listen! You need to get to your apartment, there's been a fire." The recipient of this information didn't speak another word.

Another cop car passed the street wading through the injured that took rest in the center of the small plaza; they simply fell there, unable to take a step further. Charred bits of clothing stuck to their skin while the edges to their clothes simmered. A grotesque sight that Sarah imposed Lisa's face onto.

In her haste, Sarah hung up the phone and took off with it still in her hand. Later she would mail it back but that would be far off from then. Her fear had taken her away from the destruction of a crucial pillar. A decision which lasted longer than she ever thought would happen.

If she could go back would there have been a difference?

In all likelihood…

No.

That is how she was constructed.

Unequal yet equal. Polished but dented. Waxed however stained.

It was her chance to pierce reality and accept all of the sins bearing down on this singular point. A missed opportunity which could now never be sought, forever thrown to the inevitable drain in which pours a sublime chaos.