I slept solidly, I don't remember the sand blowing in through the cracks of the shelter. So solidly I slept that I woke up at home, in my bed. Pillow, duvet, the lot.. I was so certain I was home.
I had been dreaming I was back at the park, I had a map, it was useless; I couldn't focus on it for long enough and the black star above was going to explode at any moment.
When I awoke, my frustration boiled over. I thrashed about on the floor with a silent scream when my pillow crystallised and crumbled into sand; when the roof of the shelter materialised above me.
There were cans of food and milk against the wall behind me. Relieved I hadn't knocked over the cans in my fit of frustration, I lay back down to think and to gather what was left of my sanity. After an impromptu deep breathing exercise, I stood slowly to stretch the hard sand floor from my back.
Outside was silver and pearl again, it was calming. I stretched and yawned, looking up into the sky to count the moons and heard laughter.
"Good sleep then was it then?" Someone called out.
They were sitting around at the southern side of the shelter with their food and drink, laughing at my impression of a cartoon character waking up in the morning.
"Actually had the most frustrating dream.." I admitted as I sat down with them.
"100, 101, 67, 108 and 109" Said one of them automatedly, pointing to each quickly; standard practice in the land of look-a-likes.
"103." He concluded, saluting.
With a long stare at the ground I figured who was missing.
"Who's out mapping?" I asked, saving me from mentioning the clearing, and giving me the whereabouts of the others either way.
"96." Answered 67.
I remembered 96's excitement that morning, and realised 75 must have been down at the clearing with 63.
"67 was telling us about how 63 went about re-establishing the order, after the shelter collapsed." Said 101, as a nudge at 67 to continue on from where I had unintentionally cut him off.
"..I was just saying when I arrived there were only three in the order; 63, 65 and 66. 64 was killed when the shelter collapsed." He told me, fidgeting with his water bottle nervously.
"And you didn't have to fight them?" 109 asked.
"No. 63 was building the order up to ten members. We didn't have to fight until 74 appeared." He answered.
"What did you do with the shelter? How did you fix it?" 103 asked, feeling it was his turn.
67 looked uncomfortable with the attention, but managed to get his fidgeting under control, and closed his eyes as if to amplify the memory.
"Well, it was only the eastern section that collapsed.." He recalled. "63 said they died in the full force of the late morning sun; it was a big hole, but there were only a few spots where the structure had actually broken.. We just reassembled it over the next four nights or so.."
Slightly more relaxed, it only took a slight nod from 103 for him to continue.
"..we just copied the weave from the standing part of the shelter. Its a genius design, I can't imagine how they thought it up." He blurted out with a nervous laugh.
"What did you do in the mean time?" Asked 100. "With a big gaping hole in the shelter I mean."
"Oh, we built the repair section by section inside the shelter during the night and used it as a screen to shield us from the morning sun.. from my second night onwards anyway; the morning before we dug holes, and buried ourselves in the sand until after mid-day.. I thought of the screen idea you know." He told us, with an uncharacteristic straightening of his back.
He seemed to remember something. His expression immediately changed back to troubled and anxious, and his back retracted shamefully.
I wondered why 63 and 75 didn't seem to be even close to as traumatised, what had 67 experienced that was so different from the other two?
We all saw the obvious pain he was in. 103 was the first to think of a question to distract him from the weight of his memories.
"How badly burnt was 63 by the collapse?" He asked.
67 suppressed his thoughts long enough to hear the question.
"He was unrecognisable," he answered after a deep breath, glad for the distraction, "but it made him easier to talk to. Well, easy to take the lead from at least; we looked to him for guidance anyway, I mean, he was all that was left of the order.. but, it was almost like the sun had given him a knowledge of this place we could only be granted by being burnt ourselves. I mean, I've read the writings the order made before the collapse over and over, and.."
He thought for a moment.
"He just seems to know. I can't imagine where we'd be without him." He told us, before sinking back down.
"Where are the writings?" Asked 101.
"I don't know. You'll have to ask 63.. they're with the maps. I don't know where he keeps them." He answered.
"But what if he were killed? How would we know.." Protested 101.
67 cradled his head in his hands and began rocking back and forward compulsively. He scrambled to his feet and stumbled away without a word.
101 gave the group a shrug of innocence.
"What?" He asked 100, who had rolled his eyes at him. "I didn't say anything!"
"You know you have to tread lightly; just, be considerate.." 100 told him. "He's so messed up, the guy's coming apart.."
"I'm gonna go find them myself." Declared 101, standing.
"They could be anywhere.." 100 argued flatly. "Let's wait till 63 gets back and we'll demand them of him, as a group, OK?"
"Why would he hide the writings?" 96 asked, puzzled.
"I guess someone could throw them into the sunlight.. in a fit of frustration or something." Suggested 100.
"But 101 is right; what if he were killed? I mean, where's the logic in that?" Asked 103.
"Well, he's had five fights after all; maybe he's confident he has the new arrivals figured out; maybe we all do the same thing in a fight you know? ..all he has to do is counter the same every time, and he'd be ensured a win." Suggested 100, disgusted by the thought.
I thought how lucky I was I didn't appear on the planet when it was 63's turn to fight.
"I feel like I'm just here to eat my lunch, you know?" Admitted 101 after a long silence. "We're not doing anything helpful, we're no closer to any answers; I feel we're just going round in circles."
"What can we do?" Asked 108.
We decided we'd take the initiative to cover the shelter with more sand while we waited for 63 to return, as the prevailing wind had blown the eastern side of the shelter bare.
As we tossed sand leisurely, I recalled to the others what 75 had told me about the cave and the cashe of food and water they were collecting. We fantasised about what might be found as a result of the expansion in territory.
"But if we do come across a spaceship or whatever.. it'd have to take us back to our individual dimensions, right?" Said 103.
He thought for a moment about the implications of a spaceship lacking in the design.
"Or else you all would be shacked up at my place." He laughed.
"I don't think it'd be a spaceship.." Said 101. "There has to be some kind of portal somewhere. Something we just step into and, after another psychedelic wormhole, we'd be each back in our own parks again somehow."
"Imagine what Mum's gonna say when we tell her what happened.." Blurted out 109 without thinking.
We all were brought close to tears at the thought.
"There's no way anyone is going to believe us." Said 108. "They'd throw us in the loony-bin for sure."
We all agreed.
"I'm just going to forget this whole thing happened and get back my normal life." I said, accepting it would be best.
"And put a big sign up at the park, with a big BEWARE OF WORMHOLE painted in red." I added, gesturing the font-size.
To drag out the activity, we had covered the shelter as slowly as we could manage, but were soon sitting again, with nothing to do but stare into the dunes.
"But we don't even know what they want!" Argued 101 to himself.
He stood and put his hands to his mouth like a megaphone.
"What do you want from us!" He yelled at the satellite.
108 pulled him back down by his T-shirt.
"What are you doing?" He whispered angrily. "You don't know what they're capable of!"
"Oh, I know what they're capable of alright." He said loudly.
"They're capable of sending us home, that's what they're capable of!" He added, yelling.
I dared not look up, in case the satellite had taken it as a challenge.
"Calm down man." 100 said to 101 calmly. "Yelling's not going to help."
101 rubbed his face with his hands in frustration.
"I'm going for a walk." He declared.
"Don't be stupid.." Said 100.
"No, I'm not going far." 101 assured him. "I just need to walk a bit. All this sitting down, it's driving me insane."
He strolled off down the dune and out of sight.
"He'll be alright." 100 assured us.
101 returned shortly after.
"Hey where'd 67 go?" He asked with a hint of worry.
100 checked the shelter, but it was empty.
We called out into the moonlit dunes but there was no response.
Considering a search party, we calculated the odds of finding him, without getting lost ourselves.
"If he wants to kill himself, who are we to say he shouldn't?" 101 asked.
"Nobody said he's off killing himself!" 100 replied sternly. "He knows the area almost as well as 63. Hes probably just out gone out for an aimless wander."
Just then we saw someone coming up the dune.
It was 96.
We explained the situation. With his now refined expertise in exploration, 96 suggested eagerly that he should set out as a one man search party.
"Let's just wait a while." 100 insisted. "The sun is still a few hours away from rising.. we'll just wait until 63 gets back."
"I'm sure he's fine." 101 agreed unconvincingly.
If an alien got him, it must be close I thought.
We set up positions around the shelter and scanned the dunes for any movement. After a handful of false alarms, 63 returned with an exhausted 75 trailing far behind.
When we told 63 that 67 was missing, he looked genuinely concerned.
"He just got up and left?" He asked, dumping the groceries on the sand to free up both hands to rub the back of his neck.
"He was talking with us.. he was fine for the most part, then he got real upset. We just thought he needed to be alone." 100 replied in our defense.
"What were you talking about?" 63 asked, with sudden alarm.
"We were asking about the writings the order made before the shelter collapsed." 100 answered.
"We were wondering, could we.." 103 began.
"What about them?" He demanded aggressively of 100, ignoring 103's request.
"He just said he didn't know where you kept them.." Replied 100, suddenly intimidated by the interrogation.
63 lit a cigarette and stepped away from us, considering what he had been told.
"Well if he want's to kill himself. Fine. His choice." He concluded aloud to himself.
"My thoughts exactly." Said 101, followed by an elbow in the ribs from 100.
63 walked away from the group and sat down out of earshot, smoking his cigarette nervously.
75 finally made it up the dune. He looked drained and pale, but sensed something was wrong immediately.
"67's missing." Was all 96 had to say.
"For how long?" Asked 75.
"A few hours.." Answered 100.
"Should we go look for him?" Asked 109.
"It seems not.." He replied, glaring in 63's direction.
He looked up into the sky to gauge how much darkness remained.
"It'll be starting to get light in an hour or so; not enough time for much of a search, systematic or not." He decided. "I guess we wait it out.."
He sat down with an exhausted sigh and revealed a crumpled pack of cigarettes.
We all sat as he handed out four cigarettes for the seven of us to pass around.
96 lit one and passed it around as 75 lit his own and lay down on the sand.
We smoked in silence.
Every so often, someone would straighten up and gaze into the distant dunes, briefly re-igniting our hopes. But by the time 101 stood up frowning, straining his eyes, hope was in short supply.
"There he is!" He cried out, relieved.
63 raced over to where 101 was standing.
"Where?" He demanded sharply.
He then set off down the dunes with a purpose, yelling over his shoulder for us to stay where we were, no questions asked.
The two met at the middle, close enough for us to translate their postures and gestures.
67 stood up straight, and didn't step back when 63 stormed to meet him nose to nose.
We could hear the distant sound of 63 yelling at him, though we couldn't make out the words.
67's resolve wavered and he began to slouch in submission.
63 yelled, pointing his finger at him aggressively. 67 looked down at the ground and took the punishment deserving of him.
"This is bullshit!" Said 75, flicking a half finished cigarette away.
He sprang to his feet and ran down the dune to put a stop to the abuse. When he reached the two he pushed 63 aside violently. They took turns to yell and point at each other; every now and then including 67 in their argument.
67 said something to 75, apparently in 63's defense. 75 threw his hands up in defeat before yelling one last thing at 63 and walking away, hands on his head in exhaustion.
When he returned he sat down with a huff. 100 passed him his recovered half-cigarette and we waited expectantly for an explanation as he re-lit it with shaky hands.
"He's got some nerve treating 67 like that.." He said finally, pointing at 63 and blowing a frustrated cloud of smoke. "The guy's close to breaking and he yells at him to get himself together!"
He shook his head.
"Bullshit." He concluded with another frustrated cloud.
We sat in silence and watched 63 and 67 walk back together slowly.
67, head bowed low, sunk into the shelter as 63 walked over to where we sat.
"There's an order we must follow if we want to get anywhere in this hell-hole OK?" He told us as he approached, trying to sound controlled but clearly unable to hide his stirred emotions. "67 is a valued member of our order. He's the next in line to take the lead, and we can't afford to lose him."
With that he turned to leave the matter at that.
"..we can't, or you can't?" 75 asked cryptically.
"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" 63 demanded.
75 stared back at him with a look of: "You tell me.."
63 shook it off quickly.
"I've had enough of your nonsensical ramblings for one day 75." He decided, as he reluctantly walked away from the confrontation.
"What did you mean by that?" 103 asked 75 quietly when 63 was well out of earshot.
"I don't know.." He replied, scratching his beard. "But I suspect there's something going on we don't know about.."
When pressed to elaborate, 75 dismissed his suspicions as not yet founded on anything but a hunch.
We smoked 75's remaining cigarettes as the dawning sun stained the sky purple. It was only when it finally breached the horizon did we retreat to the shelter to face the threat of further hostilities.
As we settled down for sleep, 96 was itching to detail his night out mapping to me. I could tell; I could hear him inhale time and time again, as if about to speak. But the silence in the shelter, sustained by the lingering tension, forced him to bite his tongue with loud exhales of disappointment.
I had been dreaming I was back at the park, I had a map, it was useless; I couldn't focus on it for long enough and the black star above was going to explode at any moment.
When I awoke, my frustration boiled over. I thrashed about on the floor with a silent scream when my pillow crystallised and crumbled into sand; when the roof of the shelter materialised above me.
There were cans of food and milk against the wall behind me. Relieved I hadn't knocked over the cans in my fit of frustration, I lay back down to think and to gather what was left of my sanity. After an impromptu deep breathing exercise, I stood slowly to stretch the hard sand floor from my back.
Outside was silver and pearl again, it was calming. I stretched and yawned, looking up into the sky to count the moons and heard laughter.
"Good sleep then was it then?" Someone called out.
They were sitting around at the southern side of the shelter with their food and drink, laughing at my impression of a cartoon character waking up in the morning.
"Actually had the most frustrating dream.." I admitted as I sat down with them.
"100, 101, 67, 108 and 109" Said one of them automatedly, pointing to each quickly; standard practice in the land of look-a-likes.
"103." He concluded, saluting.
With a long stare at the ground I figured who was missing.
"Who's out mapping?" I asked, saving me from mentioning the clearing, and giving me the whereabouts of the others either way.
"96." Answered 67.
I remembered 96's excitement that morning, and realised 75 must have been down at the clearing with 63.
"67 was telling us about how 63 went about re-establishing the order, after the shelter collapsed." Said 101, as a nudge at 67 to continue on from where I had unintentionally cut him off.
"..I was just saying when I arrived there were only three in the order; 63, 65 and 66. 64 was killed when the shelter collapsed." He told me, fidgeting with his water bottle nervously.
"And you didn't have to fight them?" 109 asked.
"No. 63 was building the order up to ten members. We didn't have to fight until 74 appeared." He answered.
"What did you do with the shelter? How did you fix it?" 103 asked, feeling it was his turn.
67 looked uncomfortable with the attention, but managed to get his fidgeting under control, and closed his eyes as if to amplify the memory.
"Well, it was only the eastern section that collapsed.." He recalled. "63 said they died in the full force of the late morning sun; it was a big hole, but there were only a few spots where the structure had actually broken.. We just reassembled it over the next four nights or so.."
Slightly more relaxed, it only took a slight nod from 103 for him to continue.
"..we just copied the weave from the standing part of the shelter. Its a genius design, I can't imagine how they thought it up." He blurted out with a nervous laugh.
"What did you do in the mean time?" Asked 100. "With a big gaping hole in the shelter I mean."
"Oh, we built the repair section by section inside the shelter during the night and used it as a screen to shield us from the morning sun.. from my second night onwards anyway; the morning before we dug holes, and buried ourselves in the sand until after mid-day.. I thought of the screen idea you know." He told us, with an uncharacteristic straightening of his back.
He seemed to remember something. His expression immediately changed back to troubled and anxious, and his back retracted shamefully.
I wondered why 63 and 75 didn't seem to be even close to as traumatised, what had 67 experienced that was so different from the other two?
We all saw the obvious pain he was in. 103 was the first to think of a question to distract him from the weight of his memories.
"How badly burnt was 63 by the collapse?" He asked.
67 suppressed his thoughts long enough to hear the question.
"He was unrecognisable," he answered after a deep breath, glad for the distraction, "but it made him easier to talk to. Well, easy to take the lead from at least; we looked to him for guidance anyway, I mean, he was all that was left of the order.. but, it was almost like the sun had given him a knowledge of this place we could only be granted by being burnt ourselves. I mean, I've read the writings the order made before the collapse over and over, and.."
He thought for a moment.
"He just seems to know. I can't imagine where we'd be without him." He told us, before sinking back down.
"Where are the writings?" Asked 101.
"I don't know. You'll have to ask 63.. they're with the maps. I don't know where he keeps them." He answered.
"But what if he were killed? How would we know.." Protested 101.
67 cradled his head in his hands and began rocking back and forward compulsively. He scrambled to his feet and stumbled away without a word.
101 gave the group a shrug of innocence.
"What?" He asked 100, who had rolled his eyes at him. "I didn't say anything!"
"You know you have to tread lightly; just, be considerate.." 100 told him. "He's so messed up, the guy's coming apart.."
"I'm gonna go find them myself." Declared 101, standing.
"They could be anywhere.." 100 argued flatly. "Let's wait till 63 gets back and we'll demand them of him, as a group, OK?"
"Why would he hide the writings?" 96 asked, puzzled.
"I guess someone could throw them into the sunlight.. in a fit of frustration or something." Suggested 100.
"But 101 is right; what if he were killed? I mean, where's the logic in that?" Asked 103.
"Well, he's had five fights after all; maybe he's confident he has the new arrivals figured out; maybe we all do the same thing in a fight you know? ..all he has to do is counter the same every time, and he'd be ensured a win." Suggested 100, disgusted by the thought.
I thought how lucky I was I didn't appear on the planet when it was 63's turn to fight.
"I feel like I'm just here to eat my lunch, you know?" Admitted 101 after a long silence. "We're not doing anything helpful, we're no closer to any answers; I feel we're just going round in circles."
"What can we do?" Asked 108.
We decided we'd take the initiative to cover the shelter with more sand while we waited for 63 to return, as the prevailing wind had blown the eastern side of the shelter bare.
As we tossed sand leisurely, I recalled to the others what 75 had told me about the cave and the cashe of food and water they were collecting. We fantasised about what might be found as a result of the expansion in territory.
"But if we do come across a spaceship or whatever.. it'd have to take us back to our individual dimensions, right?" Said 103.
He thought for a moment about the implications of a spaceship lacking in the design.
"Or else you all would be shacked up at my place." He laughed.
"I don't think it'd be a spaceship.." Said 101. "There has to be some kind of portal somewhere. Something we just step into and, after another psychedelic wormhole, we'd be each back in our own parks again somehow."
"Imagine what Mum's gonna say when we tell her what happened.." Blurted out 109 without thinking.
We all were brought close to tears at the thought.
"There's no way anyone is going to believe us." Said 108. "They'd throw us in the loony-bin for sure."
We all agreed.
"I'm just going to forget this whole thing happened and get back my normal life." I said, accepting it would be best.
"And put a big sign up at the park, with a big BEWARE OF WORMHOLE painted in red." I added, gesturing the font-size.
To drag out the activity, we had covered the shelter as slowly as we could manage, but were soon sitting again, with nothing to do but stare into the dunes.
"But we don't even know what they want!" Argued 101 to himself.
He stood and put his hands to his mouth like a megaphone.
"What do you want from us!" He yelled at the satellite.
108 pulled him back down by his T-shirt.
"What are you doing?" He whispered angrily. "You don't know what they're capable of!"
"Oh, I know what they're capable of alright." He said loudly.
"They're capable of sending us home, that's what they're capable of!" He added, yelling.
I dared not look up, in case the satellite had taken it as a challenge.
"Calm down man." 100 said to 101 calmly. "Yelling's not going to help."
101 rubbed his face with his hands in frustration.
"I'm going for a walk." He declared.
"Don't be stupid.." Said 100.
"No, I'm not going far." 101 assured him. "I just need to walk a bit. All this sitting down, it's driving me insane."
He strolled off down the dune and out of sight.
"He'll be alright." 100 assured us.
101 returned shortly after.
"Hey where'd 67 go?" He asked with a hint of worry.
100 checked the shelter, but it was empty.
We called out into the moonlit dunes but there was no response.
Considering a search party, we calculated the odds of finding him, without getting lost ourselves.
"If he wants to kill himself, who are we to say he shouldn't?" 101 asked.
"Nobody said he's off killing himself!" 100 replied sternly. "He knows the area almost as well as 63. Hes probably just out gone out for an aimless wander."
Just then we saw someone coming up the dune.
It was 96.
We explained the situation. With his now refined expertise in exploration, 96 suggested eagerly that he should set out as a one man search party.
"Let's just wait a while." 100 insisted. "The sun is still a few hours away from rising.. we'll just wait until 63 gets back."
"I'm sure he's fine." 101 agreed unconvincingly.
If an alien got him, it must be close I thought.
We set up positions around the shelter and scanned the dunes for any movement. After a handful of false alarms, 63 returned with an exhausted 75 trailing far behind.
When we told 63 that 67 was missing, he looked genuinely concerned.
"He just got up and left?" He asked, dumping the groceries on the sand to free up both hands to rub the back of his neck.
"He was talking with us.. he was fine for the most part, then he got real upset. We just thought he needed to be alone." 100 replied in our defense.
"What were you talking about?" 63 asked, with sudden alarm.
"We were asking about the writings the order made before the shelter collapsed." 100 answered.
"We were wondering, could we.." 103 began.
"What about them?" He demanded aggressively of 100, ignoring 103's request.
"He just said he didn't know where you kept them.." Replied 100, suddenly intimidated by the interrogation.
63 lit a cigarette and stepped away from us, considering what he had been told.
"Well if he want's to kill himself. Fine. His choice." He concluded aloud to himself.
"My thoughts exactly." Said 101, followed by an elbow in the ribs from 100.
63 walked away from the group and sat down out of earshot, smoking his cigarette nervously.
75 finally made it up the dune. He looked drained and pale, but sensed something was wrong immediately.
"67's missing." Was all 96 had to say.
"For how long?" Asked 75.
"A few hours.." Answered 100.
"Should we go look for him?" Asked 109.
"It seems not.." He replied, glaring in 63's direction.
He looked up into the sky to gauge how much darkness remained.
"It'll be starting to get light in an hour or so; not enough time for much of a search, systematic or not." He decided. "I guess we wait it out.."
He sat down with an exhausted sigh and revealed a crumpled pack of cigarettes.
We all sat as he handed out four cigarettes for the seven of us to pass around.
96 lit one and passed it around as 75 lit his own and lay down on the sand.
We smoked in silence.
Every so often, someone would straighten up and gaze into the distant dunes, briefly re-igniting our hopes. But by the time 101 stood up frowning, straining his eyes, hope was in short supply.
"There he is!" He cried out, relieved.
63 raced over to where 101 was standing.
"Where?" He demanded sharply.
He then set off down the dunes with a purpose, yelling over his shoulder for us to stay where we were, no questions asked.
The two met at the middle, close enough for us to translate their postures and gestures.
67 stood up straight, and didn't step back when 63 stormed to meet him nose to nose.
We could hear the distant sound of 63 yelling at him, though we couldn't make out the words.
67's resolve wavered and he began to slouch in submission.
63 yelled, pointing his finger at him aggressively. 67 looked down at the ground and took the punishment deserving of him.
"This is bullshit!" Said 75, flicking a half finished cigarette away.
He sprang to his feet and ran down the dune to put a stop to the abuse. When he reached the two he pushed 63 aside violently. They took turns to yell and point at each other; every now and then including 67 in their argument.
67 said something to 75, apparently in 63's defense. 75 threw his hands up in defeat before yelling one last thing at 63 and walking away, hands on his head in exhaustion.
When he returned he sat down with a huff. 100 passed him his recovered half-cigarette and we waited expectantly for an explanation as he re-lit it with shaky hands.
"He's got some nerve treating 67 like that.." He said finally, pointing at 63 and blowing a frustrated cloud of smoke. "The guy's close to breaking and he yells at him to get himself together!"
He shook his head.
"Bullshit." He concluded with another frustrated cloud.
We sat in silence and watched 63 and 67 walk back together slowly.
67, head bowed low, sunk into the shelter as 63 walked over to where we sat.
"There's an order we must follow if we want to get anywhere in this hell-hole OK?" He told us as he approached, trying to sound controlled but clearly unable to hide his stirred emotions. "67 is a valued member of our order. He's the next in line to take the lead, and we can't afford to lose him."
With that he turned to leave the matter at that.
"..we can't, or you can't?" 75 asked cryptically.
"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" 63 demanded.
75 stared back at him with a look of: "You tell me.."
63 shook it off quickly.
"I've had enough of your nonsensical ramblings for one day 75." He decided, as he reluctantly walked away from the confrontation.
"What did you mean by that?" 103 asked 75 quietly when 63 was well out of earshot.
"I don't know.." He replied, scratching his beard. "But I suspect there's something going on we don't know about.."
When pressed to elaborate, 75 dismissed his suspicions as not yet founded on anything but a hunch.
We smoked 75's remaining cigarettes as the dawning sun stained the sky purple. It was only when it finally breached the horizon did we retreat to the shelter to face the threat of further hostilities.
As we settled down for sleep, 96 was itching to detail his night out mapping to me. I could tell; I could hear him inhale time and time again, as if about to speak. But the silence in the shelter, sustained by the lingering tension, forced him to bite his tongue with loud exhales of disappointment.
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