Forget The Rain–– Day 4, February 5, 2317

[Anwen]

"What- oh, right. I was wondering if you'd be interested in a parachute? I only used it once." Gil said with a smile. "Jack are you coming?" He said through the doorway.

[Brock]

"Jack, are you coming?"

"Yeah, Alice doesn't like to be teathered up."Jack said as he tied up the kicking horse. "Go ahead and go inside. I'll be in in a minute."

[Lithium]

"Great!" Perseus said and winked at her. "Everything's on me. You did a good job for your first day. You've earned it."

He grabbed her hand and started to run with her down the street to the now completely lit-up and rowdy saloon.

He paused as a tall, skinny guy with light blond hair dragged a red-haired, young guy by the back of the neck past the saloon.

Perseus shrugged. "Guess Trey had to bail out his brother again. But never mind that."

[Cytherea]

Hazel was not used to guys holding her hand. She hoped she hadn't stiffened or made a face, or anything. This was so new.

"Guess Trey had to bail out his brother again. But never mind that."

Hazel wanted to inquire more about Trey and his brother, but they were already at the saloon. It was very bright and energetic inside, and Hazel couldn't help but smile.

"This reminds me of home." she said, still smiling sweetly.

[Lithium]

"Oh?" Perseus asked. "Really? That's good. Where did you used to live?"

[Cytherea]

"Oh, in a far off town called Willowville. There wasn't very many people living there, so it was normally a nice, quiet town." she smiled. "Sometimes my brothers, sister and I would go to the saloon after our work was done. That's when our town would brighten up and everyone would have a wonderful evening." she fingered the locket around her neck involuntarily. "My oldest brother fell to drugs, and my other brother is a parson. My sister and I were... are very close. I haven't seen her in a while."

[Lithium]

Perseus' eyebrows rose. "A parson and a drug addict in the same family. I am surprised. Where is your sister now? If she's lost, maybe we could find her?"

[Cytherea]

"He's not a drug addict!" Hazel snapped. "He's been trying to get off medications and drugs last I saw him. It's taking a lot out of him, too!"

She slowly let her breath out, and pulled her chocolate hair off into a sideways ponytail.

"I'm sorry. It's just been hard on my family. Touchy subject and all."

She twirled a small piece of her hair between her fingers.

"I'm not sure where my sister is. I'm hoping she escaped the slave traders, but they travel the same routes sometimes, and they saw her."

She looked at him and smiled.

"Sorry for being so depressing."

[Brock]

Elisabeth

"Only used it once? Bring it over here and I'll see what I can get you for it." Lissy said as she cleared off a space for the parachute. "I don't get much parachutes anymore and I'm sure I can get you a good price for it."

[Anwen]

Gil left Jack to his horse and walked over to the counter. He smiled cheerfully at the girl, Elesabeth he presumed, as he pulled the parachute out of his back-pack. "Here you are. I refolded it after I used it."

[Lithium]

Perseus shook his head. "No, you're fine. I'd rather listen to the life story of a beautiful young lady than be back in my lair keeping an eye on the screens." He shrugged. "So, what'll it be? I'm going to get some chips and queso. You game? Or do you want something else?"

[Brock]

Lissy

"That's very kind of you. I don't have many costumers who are thoughtful enough to help me out with little things like that. I think it's worth about 75 dollars." Lissy said as she opened the cash register."Here you go, seventy five dollars."

[Cytherea]

"So, what'll it be? I'm going to get some chips and queso. You game? Or do you want something else?"

"Chips and queso sounds wonderful." Hazel said. She portrayed the room more closely.

Not exactly like home. I don't have my family.

Hazel wanted to hit her head against the doorway a few times to knock some sense of reality back into her.

So she walked to the doorway and banged her head three times against it.

"Oh, that's so much better." she said with a sigh. "I don't feel depressed anymore. Now I can focus on you, Perseus. Do you mind telling me about your life, or is that something you don't prefer to talk about?"

[Lithium]

Perseus laughed. "Well, I'll have to remember that one for when I'm next feeling stormy."

A siren sounded in the distance and the radio behind the bar crackled with static.

"Storm--- no visibility--- [static]--- cover---[static]"

The siren continued to blare as Kit turned the knob on the radio and smacked the casing.

"Oh, no," Perseus said, burying his face in his hands. "Sand storm."

Everyone was dashing about, running out into the street back to their homes and to the storm shelters.

He took hold of Hazel's hand, looked her in the eyes and said with a grin, "Come with me. And run as fast as you can."

[Cytherea]

Perseus took hold of Hazel's hand, looked her in the eyes and said with a grin, "Come with me. And run as fast as you can."

Hazel felt a spring of disappointment start to well up in her.

Great. A sandstorm. Another sandstorm. As if thirty-five bazillion sandstorms during the slave trader encounter weren't enough.

But then again, this time she was running to escape her death; the other times she was running to escape the slave traders. She had a feeling running for her life was more exciting then running away from a group of kidnappers.

And she'd probably go a bit faster now, too.

"Okay!" She said, grinning back at him. She squeezed his hand excitedly. "I'll follow you, and hold your hand; both your hands! Just don't lose me, because I don't know my way around the town. And because I don't want to die. Oh! And also because, I know you can protect me."

She leaned in close to him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Now lead me to safety."

[Lithium]

Perseus grinned and winked at her. "Leave it to me."

He dragged her through the already sandy wind and pulled her through the street until he reached a metal hatch. He unlatched it and yanked it open, then hopped down the ladder that lead underground.

"Hurry up, Hazel! Close the hatch behind you!"

[Cytherea]

Hazel followed Perseus closely. The wind outside was sandy and already harsh. Perseus yanked open a hatch and hopped down it.

"Hurry up, Hazel! Close the hatch behind you!"

Hazel scrambled into the underground tunnel and pulled on the lid with all her strength. It fought with the wind, and her feet were lifted off the ladder. She jumped and brought her feet down, hard, onto the ladder, but managed to close the hatch.

"Ouch." she said numbly. She quickly walked down the rest of the ladder. "It's shut."

[Lithium]

"Okay! Come down this way. I hope you didn't get hurt. it can be a bit rough, closing it in a dust storm."

Perseus went through the passage way and came out in his apartments. "You'll be safe through here."

[Cytherea]

Perseus went through the passage way and came out in his apartments. "You'll be safe through here."

"Whoa." Hazel said. "What is this place?" she stared in awe at the apartment. A stunned smile slowly broke out onto her face. "Are there these apartments all the way throughout Borderway, under the ground?"

[Lithium]

Perseus smiled. "Well, yes and no. It's kind of a secret to newbies, but, yes. We have most of our facilities underground. Very few people know about this particular area. It's my private place, so I can watch the town in peace. Plus, if it was connected to the rest of the facilities, I'd get disrupted while I'm trying to sleep. They love to wake me up before 2 in the afternoon. Any ways, come on in and make yourself comfortable. They'll radio me when the coast is clear."

[Cytherea]

She walked forward into what she believed was a bedroom. She saw a bed, and, without thinking, she ran over to it and flopped onto it.

"Whoo!" she said, as she bounced slightly on it. She was smiling widely, and her hair tossed over her face. She quickly pushed the hair away, and looked around the room. She saw screens and screens, everywhere. "This is awesome!" She jumped again on the bed. "You don't mind me disrupting your room, do you?"

[Lithium]

"Not at all," Perseus said with a smile. "Anyways, I can have you transferred from the Medic warehouse to our hospital. It's up to you. Our Medic warehouse is mostly for training field medics, while our hospital is more for training nurses, then later doctors."

He shook his head. "Never mind. Let's worry about work tomorrow. I'm always working. I rarely get to––"

Pausing, he looked at one of the screens. He sighed. "Poor Matthew Fletcher. His sister is so worried. I wonder if she'll figure out a way to contact us. Then we can send him home."

He shook his head again. "Never mind. More work. Uhhg! I never get a break."

After turned from the screen, he plopped himself down into a spinning chair and spun it around a few times, before stopping to watch Hazel. He smiled.

Not just beautiful... but blunt. Hard to find in a girl.

[Cytherea]

"Never mind. More work. Uhhg! I never get a break."

After turned from the screen, he plopped himself down into a spinning chair and spun it around a few times, before stopping to watch Hazel. He smiled.

Hazel stopped bouncing on the bed and rolled onto her stomach, facing Perseus. She propped her chin in her hands and smiled back.

"Normally when I don't have work to do, I start going crazy. Before my brother turned to drugs, me and him would sometimes have horse races, or shooting competitions." she grinned delightedly as she reminisced. "It was such fun, except when he accidentally shot my foot one time. Then I had to lay around, without work, for a while." she rolled her eyes. "It was so boring."

[Lithium]

"I hear you," Perseus said. "I've got some snacks in the cupboard if you want some."

He opened up a cabinet to reveal some snacks and a mini fridge. He opened it up and pulled out a can of soda. He popped the top and took a drink. "Eh. Not as good as the real stuff." He pulled out some tortilla chips, a ceramic bowl and some salsa, then poured the salsa in a bowl.

"Here yah go," Perseus said. "Are you okay with salsa?"

[Cytherea]

"Here yah go," Perseus said. "Are you okay with salsa?"

"I love salsa, thanks." she took the bowl and smelled it. "Especially when it's spicy."

After eating for a few minutes, Hazel stared inquisitively at him. She furrowed her eyebrows, and then got off the bed. She walked around him, slowly, taking him in, all the while going, "hmm... hmm..."

Finally she stopped and sat on the bed, grinning.

"After careful consideration, I presume that you also like spicy salsa. Is that true?"