Colourless

Chapter Four

(Photo of necklace up top)

The train pulls to yet another stop, and I shift in my comfortably padded seat — a comfort I should have been relishing in, but instead strangely made me want to vomit. The sleek, metal doors open for the sixth time on our journey and the same feminine, robotic voice warns passengers to mind their step.

I begin twiddling my thumbs, inspecting the colourless beds of my nails with newfound interest. Perhaps this had been the reason why I had noticed a translucent quality to my skin, and not the fact that I preferred to linger indoors and swim only in indoors pools.

Malik abruptly shifts in the seat beside me and I look over to see him glancing out of the large window to his left, his eyes narrowed. Curiously following his line of sight, I immediately shrink backwards when I notice a police woman inspecting the passengers on the platform. She then turns, crouching down with a flushed expression to speak to an elderly man in tattered clothes. The presumably homeless man shrunk away when the woman shifted closer and it seemed as though she were reprimanding him for something. Biting at my lip, I watched closely as the woman turned away and the man hung his head.

Against the nagging voice in my head, I delved into my bag and grabbed my wallet. Then tossing the duffel into Malik's chest, I muttered for him to save my seat and ignored his warnings as I silently slunk onto the platform. Using the scarf to cover my face once more, I hurriedly slid before the man. Opening the man's dirt ridden hand, he watched me cautiously until I revealed a fifty dollar note and placed it into his upturned palm.

Before I could turn away, the man tugged on the sleeve of my coat — prompting me to stay a moment. He then dug into his pocket as I spared a weary look around us. "Here," he murmured, revealing a small, silver chain with an omega symbol dangling from it as a pendant. "It was my granddaughter's," he grunts as he drapes the necklace over my palm, "Holly Flanagan."

I smile, quietly thanking him with a dip of my head, before hurriedly sliding back towards the train — jumping inside just before the doors can close. Collapsing beside Malik with a sigh of relief, the train begins to move again and I sigh as Malik chuckles humorlessly to himself. "What?" I whisper, noting the old woman now sitting a couple seat away from us.

Malik paused, before lulling his head to the side to look at me. "You deserve to be normal."

***

The train glides smoothly into the next station and I presume it's ours, as Malik gathers our things — picking up my bag before I can protest. The doors slide open and Malik gently nudges me, "Let's go, cupcake."

We hurriedly maneuver out of the station, remaining close to keep up our facade, and Malik leads me into the parking lot just as morning light begins to break.

Taking in the almost empty surroundings, I smile softly and playfully nudge Malik's shoulder with my own. "You're not going to kill me, are you?"

"I'll decide in the car."

"What car?" I query, briefly coming to a halt, before Malik jerks me onwards. Surveying the three available cars, including a vintage, pink beetle that I favoured, he eventually headed towards a black SUV. "You own this?" I question skeptically, arching a brow as Malik merely smiles toothily and dives into his bag.

Revealing a thin, metal object, my eyes widen as Malik steps closer to the vehicle and begins to jimmy open the door. He curses beneath his breath, until finally hearing the satisfying click of the door. "Now... I hope you know how to hotwire a—"

"Move," I interject as I open the door, before sliding onto my knees and pulling against the pocket underneath the steering wheel. I carefully grab the free hanging wires and maneuver them around — occasionally flicking them together — until hearing the familiar rumble of an engine. Jumping to my feet, I chuckle as Malik watches with a slack jaw.

"Let's go, cupcake," I snicker, sliding across to the passenger.

"I was— I-I know how to hotwire, I was joking and then you... wow."

***

Jolting upright, I exhale something between an abrupt scream and a grunt, causing Malik to jerk the wheel of the moving vehicle. "What the hell was that?!"Malik hisses, scanning his eyes over me fearfully, "Did you just come back from the dead?"

"It felt like it," I groan, shaking away the nightmare as I moisten my cracking lips. "Where are we?"

"I'm getting some gas," Malik informs slowly, still staring at me wearily, "Wait in the car, okay?" I happily oblige, shifting in my seat and checking the clock on the dashboard. "You know, Pearl," Malik begins tauntingly as he slides out of the rumbling vehicle, "There might be a bounty on your head... 40 million dollars for your return to the city."

I scowl, tearing my eyes from the mirror I was checking my reflection in. "Is that all I'm worth? 40 mill?"

Chuckling, Malik slips out of the car and offers me a mock salute. "Don't move, okay?" I nod, reclining back in my chair when the sound of a bullet ricochets through the air.

___

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