Dragonet

Chapter Ten

Scud clouds had forced Dragonet to drop lower than she liked. Drifting through such an active city even late at night was dangerous to her as light bouncing off the low cloud bank backlit her dark form, revealing her to any who happened to be looking. An occasional gunshot proved this, each event forcing her back into the dangerous cloud. Dangerous because a tenth of the cities structures poked up into the fog that had only an hour ago been rain clouds. A couple of near misses and she'd decided to return home, even with an empty belly.

Below her Patricia Armine was working her normal late shift at Daisy's Donuts, with the cold and damp business had been slow. Looking out the stores huge glass windows she had watched in boredom as rain clouds slowly changed to fog. Here on the outskirts of town fog arrived much sooner than in the inner city where heat, stored in buildings and paved streets tended to create a bubble keeping it out. She checked her watch, another hour before sunrise, almost two before her replacement arrived. If he didn't call in sick again that was. Well... like that other more popular chain liked to say...time to make the donuts so walking to the kitchen she started working.

Daisy's brilliant internally lit sign nearly came to an end when Dragonet slammed into it, barely having time to react she threw her wings into full stop. Their surfaces billowing as they caught air, now facing her direction of travel she felt heavy acrylic bend under her as she slammed into its surface. Between the materials strength and her attempt to stop neither suffered major damage, although small cracks appeared at the aged signs edges. No longer flight worthy Dragonet slammed into Daisy's parking lot from a fall of nearly sixty feet. She lay there stunned but otherwise unhurt. Fighting her temper, she’d known that sign was there, there was no reason to take her pain or shock out on an inanimate object just because she’d been daydreaming. Drawing herself up into a standing position Dragonet looked around. Not the cities most affluent area, middle class. Maybe a dog pack or two around this late. She’d always hated dogs now so more than ever. But the fog was too thick even for her senses, she could barely see a dozen feet and it was thickening. She'd be lucky to make it home before sunrise burned off this blanket. Behind her she heard the sound of a car, might as well get some of those delicious donuts she decided, reaching into a pocket of her cut-offs.

Patricia stopped her work as the stores door tinkled, someone had finally entered. Her first customer since midnight. "Be right there" she called cheerfully, grabbing a towel to wipe flour dust off her hands. Grabbing a clean store apron she walked to the front. A man stood there, dark skinned, not black she noticed, maybe Spanish. Cheap clothing but that wasn’t as unusual for this area as it had been a few years ago. "What can I do for you this morning?" she asked, her voice bright and cheery. Her answer was a shock as the .45 caliber automatic appeared.

"Yer money babe, inna bag now." he demanded.

'Not Spanish' she thought as she moved to comply, 'Wrong accent. White accent but...'

"Hurry up. Aint got all flippin day".

Dragonet stopped with her hand on the stores door. Something odd was going on, a man stood, his raggedly dressed back to her. Then she saw the gun and indecision struck her. She wasn't certain, find a pay phone to call it in or act? It was when Patricia moved into Dragonet's sight her breath nearly stopped. Small, maybe five foot three or a little taller the red haired girl was a sight to behold. Making a decision Dragonet stepped back until she could just see what was going on, now effectively invisible to those inside.

Handing over the bag Patricia waited in silence. There was no way she could trip her alarm, not without being seen. All she wanted to do now was live. Her assailant opened his bag, looking in, "Twelve bucks? That's ALL? This place got more than that."

Fear filled the woman’s body. "It's been slow, I made a drop at two. There isn't anymore" she stammered.

"Bull. Open that safe."

"I can't" she whimpered. "I don't have..." Her words ended as the man slammed his weapon across the side of her head, knocking her glasses flying. As if a switch had been thrown two things happened at once. Patricia hit the floor like a sack of potatoes and Dragonet crashed through the door behind him. He turned, saw an apparition from Hell framed by flying glass and fired.

His heavy weapon bucked, its thick slow slug slamming into Dragonet just below her right breast. Dark ruby blood splashed as she flew backwards out the same door she'd just crashed through. A second, third then forth slug followed though none hit her, all going wild to slam into buildings across the street. He looked back at Patricia's bleeding body. "I'll be back" he promised. "You better have more next time." Unconscious, Patricia never heard a word. Walking through the shattered door he headed for his car.

He never made it to his waiting getaway. Dragonet slammed into him, her claws making short work of the hand holding his weapon. He opened his mouth to scream, a scream that was absorbed by uncaring fog as Dragonet's fangs slid through his flesh, opening his artery like a ribbon. Bright red blood splashed to be greedily swallowed by gravel flowerbeds beside the walkway. A coward since birth he fought to escape, but he was getting tired. Oh so tired. "God" he gasped as his last flicker of life flowed from him.

Dragonet stepped back from the corpse, her face was smeared with blood, her simply outfit soaked. For a moment she thought about leaving but the idea of flying home covered with sticky, slowly drying blood nauseated her. Walking back into the store she went to the kitchen where she found a large sink. It was a matter of minutes to wash most of her filth off after she’d emptied her stomach of what little it held. Blood, she found, tasted as bad as it always had. “What’s happening to me” she whispered to no one, “I killed like an animal.” Using a towel to dry herself off she walked back to where Patricia lay. Kneeling down she felt at the woman’s neck, a pulse, not strong but a pulse. Studying Patricia's unconscious form Dragonet made a sudden decision. Lifting the injured woman she walked outside then stepping into the street she spread her wings wide and started running.

Patricia woke with a blinding headache. All she remembered was her attacker, his face etched vividly in her memory. She tried to sit up but was washed by a wave of nausea, laying back down she moaned. Delicate hands suddenly touched her head. "Shhhh" a gentle, elfen voice whispered, "Rest. That’s a bad skull wound you have. You need sleep, food, care."

“My glasses... Where am I?" she asked. In answer the hands removed something from her eyes. Light burned, causing a lance of pain through her skull. She turned away from her pain, looking towards the darkness. It didn't smell like a hospital and from what she could see it wasn't any kind of building she'd ever been in. "What is this place?" she asked.

"Shhh" the voice ordered again. Something cool and wet was laid across her face, cutting out the painful light. "Sleep, I’ll take care of you. I’m sorry but I couldn’t find your glasses." With no other options Patricia did just that. Closing her eyes against her pain she relaxed as best she could. Needing energy to heal its wound her body pushed her back into sleep, a troubled sleep, but sleep.