Vending Death

"What's this?" Suki asked when she noticed the vending machine, chained to the wall.

"It's a vending machine, Suki," Mags said with a smile.

"I know that," Suki replied. "But it's cigarettes in it!"

A slight rain fell onto the platform; it was a soothing sound, a comforting sound, a sound like a lullaby that you would hear a mother make to comfort a child. Suki was fascinated with a vending machine which was dispensing smokes; she had never seen one before.

"Yeah, back in the day," Mags replied, she leaned back on the bench. "Well... today in fact."

"You mean to say that cigarette vending machines existed all over at one point?" she asked Mags. She squatted down to make out the brand names that were before each knob, noticing the bright colours.

"Yes," Mags said. She leaned back on the bench and let the rain wash her face.

"That's stupid," Suki said. "When they know how harmful they are."

"Well, considering that kind of logic," Mags said without looking up; you could hear the mirth in her voice, "maybe they should ban cars since they kill a lot of people."

"Oh," Suki retorted.

Pretty Firefight

Max dove for cover as the explosion consumed the room, barely beating being caught up in the inferno by a mere scant seconds. It singed some of the hairs on his head though, and that really got him more ticked.

He hit the ground and rolled, and came up behind a barrier. He didn't know what they were using but it was some futuristic gun that made things explode. He got out his cellphone and dialed a number with his thumb.

"Pretty," Max said.

"I am," Pretty replied. "How can I help thee, Max?"

"You still have that Willis Gun?" asked Max.

"That I do," replied Pretty.

"Can you bring it to me?" Max asked politely.

She's Got It All

Mags danced on the ledge; she was several stories up and she didn't mind it at all. She felt free and alive, Bananarama declaring that it was a Cruel Summer. She never felt more alive than when she was dancing in the crisp cool air, listening to music. They say music soothes the savage beast, and she understood that concept. 

I wish that they had this back then, she thought.

Her phone rang; she jumped from the ledge down to the rooftop and walked over to where a lawn chair and a table was set up. She got it on the third chime.

"Mags here," she said. "If there's anything I can do for you, I am your girl."