Luna Proxy 1(4)

I paused half a block down and looked up at the sky. A few clouds lazily floated above the rooftops. The waxing half-moon glistened among the stars it overshadowed. I sighed and hung my head. I felt like one of those stars, and the whole world was the moon. The bright lights and loud noises of this life drowned out the frustration I felt at my job, my car, my apartment, even my roommate.

"Get over yourself, Leila. . ." I murmured.

I stuck my hands in the pocket of my coat and strode onward. The clack of my feet against the sidewalk was the only noise I heard. I felt like I was the last person on earth.

Then the ugliest of humanity intruded on me. I was five yards from the mouth of an alley when my ears caught the sound of voices.

"Is that all you got?" a rough voice twanged.

"He's gotta have more. Maybe it's in that coat of his," another rejoined.

"I-I don't have anything else, honest," a third, softer voice insisted.

I stepped into the mouth and looked down the alley. The weak light from the streetlights meant my eyes weren't completely useless in the darkness. Two of the thugs from yesterday surrounded a stooped figure who's back was against the brick wall of one of the buildings. The dark red coat looked black in the darkness, but recognized his pale skin and subjugated demeanor. It was the man from my apartment building.

The thugs stood on either side of him and a foot off. The blade of a knife glistened in the weak light behind me. My shadow cast itself over them, and they looked up from their easy prey. The one farthest from me frowned and squinted his eyes before a grin slipped onto his slimy lips.

"Well, well, if it ain't the chick from before. Come to keep your promise to have some fun with us?"

I reached behind me and wrapped my hand around the handle of my gun. "I think you two boys need to run along home. It's past your bedtime."

The man's grin only widened. His companion and he glanced at each other. They tilted their heads back and laughed. The young man between them cringed.

The thug returned his attention to me. "Don't you know it's the one night of the year we get to stay up? And it looks like Santy Claus has brought us a present for being such good little boys."

The coated stranger pressed his palms against the wall and raised himself to his full, short height. "Please leave her alone! She doesn't have-ugh!" The lead thug had slammed his fist into the man's gut. The stranger crumpled to his knees and wrapped his arms around his stomach. The thug sneered down at him.

"Stay out of this, faggot," he growled. He pulled his foot back and gave the man a vicious kick in the side. The stranger cried out and rolled onto his undamaged side. He curled into a fetal position, and I heard his gasps as he tried to breathe through his bruised ribs.

I whipped out my gun and pointed it at the men. "Now, now, boys. That's no way to play."

The thugs froze. The man closest to me turned to the other one.

"What now?" he asked him.

The lead thug loosened and grinned. "She ain't got the guts to-" The bullet flew within an inch of his head and embedded itself into the wall to my right and behind him.

A little bit of smoke floated from the hot barrel of my gun. I shifted the barrel a little more to the left. "I won't miss the second time," I promised.

The closest thug stumbled back until he stood behind his companion. "C-come on, boss, this guy ain't worth it." He turned around and bolted into the deep darkness of the alley.

His boss took a step backwards and glared at me. "You'll regret that, bitch." He turned and fled into the shadows.

I lowered my gun and strode over to the stranger. He breathed heavily and his body was tense. I knelt beside him and looked at his face. I had to give him credit. The guy could take a beating. Both eyes were black and he had a cut lip that bled down the side of his chin.

I put my hand on his shoulder. "You okay?" I asked him.

He raised his head. His slitted eyes fell on me and a blush came to his cheeks. "I-I'm fine."

"Then prove it by standing. I don't know how long those guys will take before they bring reinforcements," I warned him.

The stranger crawled up to a prostrate position and set his palm on the brick wall. He climbed to his feet, but one step forward and he cried out. The man collapsed to his knees and clutched his stomach.

"It feels like my insides are burning," he hissed.

I holstered my gun and grasped his shoulders."We should get you to a hospital so a doctor-"

"No!" I started back. He turned his face away from me. "No doctors. I don't like doctors."

I frowned. "Then what do you suggest we do?"

"I-I live close by. I just need to get there and-" He tried to stand, and again his legs failed him.

"How close?" I asked him.

"The Meyer Apartments," he revealed.

My eyes widened. That was my apartment building. "Which room?"

"Room twenty-two."

I started back. My old room. He looked up at me and tilted his head to one side. "Is something wrong?"

I shook myself. "N-no, I was just thinking how to get you there."

"I can walk. It isn't far," he insisted.

"Hold still for a sec." I hefted one of his arms across my shoulders and sighed. He was heavy, but my shoulders could bear the burden for a short distance. "Come on. Let's get you home."





CHAPTER 5





I helped him out of the alley and down the sidewalk. We were half a block away from the stoop. His weight made it feel like a thousand miles.

"It was yours, wasn't it?" he asked me.

I stopped and frowned at him. "What was mine?"

"My room. It was yours, right?" he rephrased. "I saw you at the apartment, and-" His voice trailed off.

"And what?" I wondered. He turned away. The light from a nearby streetlight reflected off a chain around his neck.

My necklace. Or rather, the one I left behind. So much for the lasting memento of my time there. My attempt at immortality failed within twenty-four hours.

"Is something wrong?" he asked me. He followed my gaze to the necklace. "This?" He pinched the chain between his fingers. "I just found it in the room."

I shook myself and continued us on our way. "It used to be mine."

He winced. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it was-"

"Don't worry, you can keep it. I left it there on purpose," I told him.

"Oh. . ."

We reached the stoop and climbed the short flight of steps. I paused at the front door to retrieve my key to the apartment building. The stop gave me a chance to glance at the last names attached to the rooms on the buzzer board. His apartment, my old apartment, had the name of Mortale scribbled on a fresh piece of paper. So that was his last name.

I unlocked the door and we stumbled inside. The lobby was dark and quiet. Everyone was in their rooms. The door clicked shut behind us. Our shadows spread across the floor ahead of us as we headed for the stairs. The long climb was interrupted by the ring of a phone.

"Damn it," I swore as my phone rang again.

"Shouldn't you answer that?" Mortale asked me.

"I know who it is, and he can wait," I replied. It was Red with his cooked chicken.

My phone rang until we hit the third floor. The silence was deafening, but welcomed. We rounded the last flight of steps to the fourth floor when I heard hurried footsteps from above. A shadow leapt down the flight of stairs above and to our right and landed in the fourth floor hallway. The person spun around and I saw it was Red. His eyes fell on me and his tense face relaxed.

"There you are. I thought you got into some trouble," he commented.

"I did, or rather someone else did," I returned as I nodded at my load. Mortale turned his face away from me, but I noticed he grit his teeth. His body shook and his legs stumbled over the steps. "Are you okay?" I asked him.

His voice was hoarse and strained. "I-I don't know. I don't feel well."

I looked to Red. "Help me get this guy to my old room."

Red turned to the man and scowled at him. I felt the man in my hold shudder and shrink. His face scrunched up in pain and he clutched his stomach with his free hand.

"He can help himself," Red told me.

I glared at my roommate. "You can see that he can't, so stop being such a baby and help me," I insisted.

Red sneered at the man and half-turned away from us. "He's just fine, now leave him on the stairs and let's go."

I ground my teeth together and trudged up the last few steps to the fourth floor. My shoulder brushed into Red and shoved him out of our way as I turned down the hall. "If you're not going to help me then stay out of my way," I growled.

He stumbled back and his eyes widened. His mouth dropped open like a floundering fish. "But Leila-"

"Don't 'but Leila' me," I snapped as I turned my back on him and down the hall to my old room. It seemed like I was always returning there. "I'll be up in a bit. This guy needs my help."

Red reached out to me, but he pursed his lips and retracted his hand. His face scrunched up in anger. He grabbed the railing and swung himself up the stairs.

"I'm sorry."

I started and looked down at the man beside me. His slitted eyes faced the floor and the corners of his mouth were curved down in frown. "Sorry for what?" I asked him.

"For being such a bother," he replied.