The Awakening Moment

Max awoke before the dawn, his body soaked in a cold sweat. He sat up on the mattress, his body tingling as if millions of flies were crawling on him. He stretched, working muscles that had been docile since he hit the pillow.

Max reached for his clothes, a pair of jeans torn at the knees and a black t-shirt with an I Want to be an X-Man logo. He began to dress, his mind wandering, thinking of Maggie. Wondering where she was at this particular moment.

He dressed like a solider preparing for war; he tied up his combat boots, tucking a knife in the secured slot. He heard movement just outside his window, reached for Pain & Joy and went to check. He saw a black sedan parked across the street; looked like it was time to punch in.

"Come on girls," Max said to the two pistols. "We got work to do."

Dawn's Early Light

Mags was waiting for the dawn to hurry up and get here. She was tired and wanted to hit the hay, but she just needed to see the coming of the day. The car was parked overlooking a bluff and she could make out the false light of day. She got out of the car and climbed onto the hood. She leaned back using the windshield as a pillow.

The sunlight would offer a safe haven from the night and she could get some rest after the ordeal she had been through. Her body was covered with bruises and scratches. She took a book of matches from her pocket. 

Flipping open the book she counted the matches she had left; only three. She took one and ripped it from its post, closing the matchbook. She looked at the single match and smiled. She waited for a few more minutes before she struck the match and said to the dawn, "All I want is a twelve hour haven, that's it, that's all..."

The matched sparked up, creating a world of fire at the end of the stick that burned a bright yellowish-orange as dawn cracked the horizon, lighting up the area. The spell was said and the ritual was cast.

Maggie smiled and closed her eyes.

What is One Drop of Water to a Rain?

Like ants at a picnic.

Max watched the people moving about, go about their daily routines, oblivious to the truth that their ignorant minds refused to see. He felt like screaming at them, to tell them to open up the passage and see the world for what it truly was. 

What's happening to me? 

His mind on fire, changing hue like a thousand stars going red dwarf. He really didn't know why the hell he wanted to shout at them. He had been through hell, or was it that hell had been through him; he didn't know what version it was.

Like a needle injecting a rational thought into his brain, a tear streaked from his eye just as a rain drop touched his arm. He brought his arm up to see the water droplet as it streaked down his skin, gravity calling.

"Stop it," he muttered looking at the sky. "I get it. I fucking get it okay."

Of Trains and Whistles

The shunting of the train was like a soothing lullaby; Mags found her eyes growing heavy. The music of the city lulling her to sleep like a mother would a child. After the past few days she needed this time off to hone her body. 

I'm so tired, she thought. I could sleep forever.

The sandman's magic enveloping her like a New York City blackout. She closed her eyes and for the first time in aeons she dreamed of home.

Chime.

Her eyes snapped open and she picked up the cellphone. Noticing Angst's number on it.

"Hello there," she said.

"Maggie," said Angst on the other end. "I was wondering if we could hook up for a coffee?"

Maggie paused. Angst didn't really like coffee; she said it gave her nightmares. It was a warning of some kind.

"I'm fine," Angst said.

And this confirmed her suspicions.

"No," Angst said.

She pocketed the phone and grabbed her katana.

Craptacular

Angst blinked. She stared up at the sky and couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Craptacular," Frank muttered. He grabbed the two-way and spoke. "Ah guys, I think we got bigger problems than we thought."

"Tell me," Mags voice crackled over the radio.

Angst brought up the uzi and began to fire. Frank fired off a couple of rounds, holding onto the radio. "If I tell you that Angst is firing an uzi does that tell you something?"

"We're brushing up here and then we'll be there A.S.A.P," Mags stated. "Hold on!"