Hast Thou Considered The Tetrapod

[Chloe]

Chloe took a bite of her ham sandwich and made a face. Not because of the sandwich, it tasted fine - but when you’re a vegetarian with a jungle cat living under your skin, you have to make some compromises, even if you don’t normally eat meat.

The lake shore was filled with large, flat stones, perfect for sunbathing, getting high while looking out over the water, and having some quiet time to reflect. Chloe wrapped up her food, removed a syrette from a small metal case in her jacket, pressed the needle into her arm and pushed the plunger gently. Before the dope kicked in, she slipped the empty back into another, differently colored case and shut it, securing both in her jacket pocket. The world swam and she breathed through it, letting her muscles release as she lay back on the boulder with her mouth slightly open, eyes shut to the sky but unable to shut out the bright sun filtering through her eyelids. The breeze off the lake was cool on her chapped, cracked lips.

She was far from home, far from school, far from anyone she knew and she’d already had more monstrosities and now, people, trying to kill her in three days than in the five years she’d been helping Dr. Neek out. This was the closest she’d come to actually being dead, too. She shivered, recalling the cold metal of the OR table on her bare back, she fingered the angry, still bandaged wound from the fomori sword that had cleaved its way through her guts.

Cat said this place was dangerous, that she needed to protect Chloe. Chloe found it hard to disagree. But still, Cat had a hard time understanding that things aren’t that simple around here. Sometimes, Chloe was just too tired or hurt or scared of Whisper Hill to argue. That’d gotten Chloe and Cat into some trouble. She hoped the shamans could help her.

In the meantime, she had Rain, and she had her music. Wasn’t perfect, but it was something.

Chloe clicked the latches of her guitar case open, tuned her instrument, and tried to recall how that Mountain Goats song she really liked went.

[Shar]

Hidden from sight behind a rock Pandora is watching the sun on the ice and doing some reflecting of her own. Trying to remember when she was here before, replaying recent events.. tying to remember anything that will help her find her baby before its too late.. before they turn him into a weapon or worse.

She can hear Chloe but says nothing, not wanting to interrupt .