Things happen that may be considered more strange

'Are you okay?' says Mara to the stranger, from a couple of steps away. She turns in Mara's direction, lips pressed together, coat twirling, surprised.

'Who, me?' says the stranger, as Mara bends over, coughing. 'Uh, that sounds bad. Can I see? I'm the Doctor.'

Mara squeaks, out of breath, getting dizzy, failing to straighten up. The other girl reaches a hand out to her and she takes it, reflexively. A breath catches in her throat and a shiver passes through her and suddenly all Mara knows is a foul taste in her mouth. Bile and chemicals and soot. She spits on the ground, gagging, once more certain she's about to vomit, and the girl steps closer, putting a white-coated arm around her shoulders, a thoughtless gesture of support.

'What the butt?' says Mara, spitting again, mouth mostly clean.

'That crap was in your lungs. Better out than in, right? Sorry, I should have warned you. I'm the Doctor.'

'You said. What does that mean?'

'It's what they call me. Because I've got these healing powers.' The girl, the Doctor?, fingers a thing on her wrist, a band of large irregular stones Mara thinks may be pearls. Her eyes are white, with a thin black ring where the iris should be.

'Oh. Huh. I guess that was some really bad smog.' Mara breathes deep, touching a hand to her chest. 'Um. Do I owe you a big bag of money now or something?'

'It's no big deal. It's a bit like blinking when you've got something in your eye, actually.'

'Cool. Thanks. So, what are you doing here all alone, the Doctor?'

'I'm never alone with the voices in my head, but, just watching. The water, the city.' The Doctor faces the river again, hands in her coat pockets.

'I', says Mara, backing away without thinking. 'I won't bother you anymore then. Thanks again. I just moved here today. Don't know the, yeah, thanks.'

'You don't have to go', says the Doctor, with a strange, sad smile, hands dug into her pockets like she's afraid of having them leap out and strangle something.

<-Back | Index | Next->

The eternal question

The girls sit down for pizza at an outdoors establishment with a glass roof where they watch the rain wash over them. The chef pins them for new in town, and gives them each a glass of something strong that tastes like lemon curd. Curious, Mara drinks it down so fast it makes her head spin. Her new rommates laugh along as she starts giggling, dangling her legs in the air where she sits.

'So what do we do now?' says Mara.

'I was thinking turn in early', says Ako. 'Screw Rachel until the cows come home.'

'You're so sweet', says Rachel, touching Ako's hand across the table.

'I guess I could be persuaded to give you some privacy', says Mara.

'Sure, kid', says Ako. 'What'll it take, pizza money? Ah, there might be a weakness in this plan.'

'Nah, I can't think of anything I need, I'm just fucking with you. I kind of really want to look around this place, I can probably spend all night. And you guys should have your alone time.'

'They'll be checking to make sure we're actually living in the place, we've got to put our stink on everything', says Rachel, appearing nonchalant as she puts a piece of pizza in her mouth and becomes preoccupied with its unexpected heat, gasping and grasping for her drink.

'That was a joke? You tell jokes?' says Mara.

'It's been known', says Ako, reaching over to put her hand around Rachel's, with a proud smile. She whispers, 'Put our butts on all the stuff.'

Watching them makes Mara feel strange, happy and lonely at the same time. They just sit there and look into each other's eyes and they both matter so much.

'Here's to keeping it funny', she says, raising her glass, smiling broadly, speaking loudly to keep her voice steady.

<-Back | Index | Next->

They could be heroes

<-Back | Index | Next->

Hearthstown (Eldstaden in Swedish)

<-Back | Index | Next->