Third Eden - Droned/Forward dated to Thursday

[birthclod]

[Good news and bad news. The good news is that the milk delivered to 502 Ricardo St. had nothing inside it. Clod is both physically and mentally healthy. The bad news? The milk was split into two with Pokey so that both of them would suffer the effects

Comments

A

[strike_you_out]

[Slugger pauses at the feel of something whizzing past him, bat resting over his shoulder. It's that one strange girl who came to visit him and Pokey on that-day-that-must-not-be-mentioned. Oddly, he thinks he knows her name.]

You're Clod?

[birthclod]

Yep! And you're Slugger, my big brother's friend.

How are you doing today?

[The knife withdraws itself for the time being, but it'll come back regardless of whether the boy is carrying a bat.]

[strike_you_out]

[That look in her eyes... It's the same look Luke had yesterday and Edward the day before while they were under a murderous spell. It is not how he remembers her from his memories as a drone. He wonders then if she's attacked anyone yet, specifically, her "big brother".]

Swell. [spoken aridly] How's Pokey?

[birthclod]

Swell!

We drank our milk and ran off to play. Dunno where he is, though. Sorry!

[Slugger appears to be on guard. If he could just turn around once, that's all the opportunity Clod thinks she'll need.

[strike_you_out]

[Drank their milk? This doesn't good. And Clod seems to be eyeing him as though ready to strike. Slugger drops the facade.]

Killed anyone lately?

[birthclod]

Kill?

Silly. Murderers don't exist in Mayfield. You said so yourself!

[Back during the the day that should never be mentioned. While droned, Clod's memories rewrote themselves. Little girls don't murder in an ideal society no matter how "deserving" of a death the victim is.

No, instead...]

Say, Slugger! Where'd you get all those pretty red flowers? Everyone was wearing 'em and it's kinda making me jealous.

[strike_you_out]

[Well, she isn't covered in blood like Luke and Edward were. Maybe it's a sign she hasn't murdered anyone yet.]

...Red flowers?

[birthclod]

[Yes, red flowers.

Just as Slugger repeated it, Clod makes another stabbing motion at Slugger's sides.]

They're so pretty, aren't they?

[strike_you_out]

[Ah, and there she goes. Slugger takes a sideways jump away from her and lowers his bat into a defensive position. His shirt is torn on the side and the flesh beneath is split open in a small gash. It should be bleeding but it isn't.]

Since you're new, I'll tell you...

[He speaks to the drone knowing that at some point, Clod may remember his words later when the droning wears off. The gash on his side begins to mend itself.]

You're droned. But not like Pokey and I were. This is a new kind of droning.

[birthclod]

["Droning". Now that's one word she was going to block out for now. No, the only thing on Clod's mind at the moment was all the pretty, red flowers she could make. Stab once, stab twice, she kept coming at him without losing a single bit of energy.

Slugger's regenerating body only encourages the girl to keep attacking.]

Where's all the flowers? I'm sure at least one ought to have bloomed. Come ooon, are you hiding them from me?

[strike_you_out]

[As hard as she tries, not a drop of blood is spilt. It's as if he has none at all. Instead, the gashes simply mend back up with a speed that nearly matches the rate of her stabs. Even the clothing mends itself.

After two or three strikes of Clod's blade, Slugger seems to have had enough and aims to deliver a hard shove to her abdomen with the end of his bat.]

[birthclod]

[The fragile girl falls back on her back with the shove. The pain from that single push courses through Clod's body. It's amazing how a single push is able to do that when the right spot is hit.]

Hey, oww...!

You're kind of a bully, aren't you? Hitting little girls and stealing their flowers like that... Pokey shouldn't be playing around with such bad influences.

[strike_you_out]

[Slugger smirks. He understands now what she meant.]

You won't get any flowers from me.

[Seeing no point in sticking around, he turns on his inline skates and propels himself forward onto the street.]