much. Are you two dating?" It was supposed to seem clever,
and a little sly. Like she was trying to needle her over it.
That wasn't her real intent. She
was trying to get an admission, so that she could fire them for a real cause.
It was against the rules for coworkers to date. Other people did , but
that wasn't a thing that Cin had control over and wouldn't matter in court.
"Nope. I do like him
best, but I haven't really dated anyone in years." That was the simple
truth. She hadn't since she'd woken up one day feeling cool inside and seeing
script over the heads of others. It hadn't taken long to figure out why it had
happened.
The woman tried again, cajoling.
"Oh, are you sure? No going
out for coffee? Maybe the occasional dinner?"
That just got her to roll her
eyes.
"No. He's never asked.
Anyway, I need to go. Those IPB people are supposed to meet me for dinner. I
don't know what they want. Probably a free tour guide. Which I can do. Not that
they don't freak me out. I've had nightmares about two of them, after all."
She hadn't, but that wasn't the point.
She just needed to give a reason
why she'd be going with them.
Glenda nodded, her eyes going
wide. They were a blue green, and seemed a little murky. Muddled and confused,
all the time. Especially now.
"I understand. I didn't know
that little girl was the same one from television. All those murders... What...
I don't need this. We don't need that kind of person."
That seemed a little over the top
to her. After all, Glenda was a bigot, but not that huge of one. She was
already coming to grips with the idea that Wally, their buddy, wasn't a bad
guy, no matter what. Even if he turned out to be Infected. Looking up, she saw
that the woman was processing things, and actually trying to just be concerned
about the killers.
Cindy had to fight a smile.
"I hear that one. Still,
they fight for us . We should give them the benefit of the doubt. I mean,
if you were about to be murdered for your skin, wouldn't you want Proxy
to show up and take your place?" Thin, tidy strips of flesh being cut
off... Red trickling out from the knife work...
That got a nod, and the woman
backing up a little.
"Well, I won't keep you. See
you tomorrow? We close at five, I think I saw you on the schedule?"
She was on the thing, which the
woman knew. Put on it, along with Wally, because they didn't have anyone that
would miss them, working on the day before Thanksgiving like that. It was
bullshit, but she could use the money, and it wasn't going to be hard. No one
really slammed the library that close to the holidays. Even if they did, she
wasn't really going to mind doing her easy job. Plus, Glenda had put herself on
it too, all day. She had a family, complete with three kids, so some part of
her was trying to be fair about it all.
"Nine to five. Well, see you
then!"
She got out of there, wondering
if she should be more concerned with her boss working out that she was
Infected, or that Impulse could accidently rip her spine out.
Oddly, the idea that they'd work
out she was the very killer they were sort of looking for didn't even cross her
mind. It was probably narcissism, but she felt like they wouldn't be able to
work that one out very easily. In all the world she was one of the last people
that anyone would consider as being a danger to anyone else.
That was done on purpose, a lot.
Her mind was wicked and so were her hobbies, but she managed to seem fairly
mild, most days. Getting after Glenda about Wally had been a mistake, though
one long in coming. Out of everyone there he was the one that no one
should be messing with. They did it, because he was a little awkward. He wasn't
the biggest, strongest looking guy, and seemed a bit off. So all his hard work,
the extra time he put in... Even his guarding them from possible harm, that
stuff didn't count.
It was kind of pissing her off,
she realized, as she drove away.
Sure, he'd made some difficulties
for her, by being too attentive for
and a little sly. Like she was trying to needle her over it.
That wasn't her real intent. She
was trying to get an admission, so that she could fire them for a real cause.
It was against the rules for coworkers to date. Other people did , but
that wasn't a thing that Cin had control over and wouldn't matter in court.
"Nope. I do like him
best, but I haven't really dated anyone in years." That was the simple
truth. She hadn't since she'd woken up one day feeling cool inside and seeing
script over the heads of others. It hadn't taken long to figure out why it had
happened.
The woman tried again, cajoling.
"Oh, are you sure? No going
out for coffee? Maybe the occasional dinner?"
That just got her to roll her
eyes.
"No. He's never asked.
Anyway, I need to go. Those IPB people are supposed to meet me for dinner. I
don't know what they want. Probably a free tour guide. Which I can do. Not that
they don't freak me out. I've had nightmares about two of them, after all."
She hadn't, but that wasn't the point.
She just needed to give a reason
why she'd be going with them.
Glenda nodded, her eyes going
wide. They were a blue green, and seemed a little murky. Muddled and confused,
all the time. Especially now.
"I understand. I didn't know
that little girl was the same one from television. All those murders... What...
I don't need this. We don't need that kind of person."
That seemed a little over the top
to her. After all, Glenda was a bigot, but not that huge of one. She was
already coming to grips with the idea that Wally, their buddy, wasn't a bad
guy, no matter what. Even if he turned out to be Infected. Looking up, she saw
that the woman was processing things, and actually trying to just be concerned
about the killers.
Cindy had to fight a smile.
"I hear that one. Still,
they fight for us . We should give them the benefit of the doubt. I mean,
if you were about to be murdered for your skin, wouldn't you want Proxy
to show up and take your place?" Thin, tidy strips of flesh being cut
off... Red trickling out from the knife work...
That got a nod, and the woman
backing up a little.
"Well, I won't keep you. See
you tomorrow? We close at five, I think I saw you on the schedule?"
She was on the thing, which the
woman knew. Put on it, along with Wally, because they didn't have anyone that
would miss them, working on the day before Thanksgiving like that. It was
bullshit, but she could use the money, and it wasn't going to be hard. No one
really slammed the library that close to the holidays. Even if they did, she
wasn't really going to mind doing her easy job. Plus, Glenda had put herself on
it too, all day. She had a family, complete with three kids, so some part of
her was trying to be fair about it all.
"Nine to five. Well, see you
then!"
She got out of there, wondering
if she should be more concerned with her boss working out that she was
Infected, or that Impulse could accidently rip her spine out.
Oddly, the idea that they'd work
out she was the very killer they were sort of looking for didn't even cross her
mind. It was probably narcissism, but she felt like they wouldn't be able to
work that one out very easily. In all the world she was one of the last people
that anyone would consider as being a danger to anyone else.
That was done on purpose, a lot.
Her mind was wicked and so were her hobbies, but she managed to seem fairly
mild, most days. Getting after Glenda about Wally had been a mistake, though
one long in coming. Out of everyone there he was the one that no one
should be messing with. They did it, because he was a little awkward. He wasn't
the biggest, strongest looking guy, and seemed a bit off. So all his hard work,
the extra time he put in... Even his guarding them from possible harm, that
stuff didn't count.
It was kind of pissing her off,
she realized, as she drove away.
Sure, he'd made some difficulties
for her, by being too attentive for
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