DOCILE ● slow updates

2 - cursed imagination

"DID YOU DO something new with the room, Travis?"

The man's dark skin glinted under the flourescents. His light brown coat hung on the metal chair limply, a similar position to how he was lounging directly across from her. The air escaped his nostrils in one hefty breath, and August found herself shrinking backwards when the officer placed his hands on the table with a loud thud.

"Yes, actually," He monotonously stated, black eyes roaming the bare room. "I thought you'd like the new shade."

August narrowed her cocoa tinted eyes and frowned, resting her chin on her hand before replying, "Shame. The other grey was growing on me."

She saw a miniscule twitch of his lip, but other than that the friend she knew was unrecognizable. This cold and calculating Travis Powell brought chills to her skin.

"Now tell me exactly what happened before I arrived at the scene, and this time I don't want to hear about your time contemplating human existence whislt sitting on the toilet."

And so she relayed the information to a emotionless Travis. But she knew he was listening because occasionally his eyes would light up, a dark fire, and his thumbs would rub against his hand.

"Thanks," He declared. "You're free to go."

August quickly got up, the force of her action sending the metal chair flying backwards with a high pitched squeak.

"Don't be too eager. You might just hurt my feelings," Travis chuckled, a teasing smirk on his lips.

No, it wasn't a tease. It was a pointed taunt. Annoyance bubbled inside her like a kettle of tea.

"How's Annie by the way?"

August tried hiding her sneer, but by the way he was glaring at her, she failed terribly. His hands turned white from gripping the edge of the table top hard.

"I'm sorry, but you and I know —"

"— that you don't care. Yeah, it's crystal clear."

Before Travis could call August's name and perhaps really throw her in a cell this time, she dashed out the room with her sneakers squeaking.

The hallways at the police department were a maze, but for someone like August, the way was so obvious it was like there were signs at every corner.

She half expected the officers sipping coffee at the break room to wave at her, but perhaps it was too early, or perhaps the donuts in the fridge were more important than an odd girl that seemed to have trouble nipping at the end of her shadow, so she received none.

With a limp from her cast and no crutches to use, August stumbled out of the Police Department, silently cursing her own clumsiness when she almost fell over from tripping on air.

The way home seemed like an eternity away, and the sweat tickling down her soon to be dirty laundry ignited a flame of irritation.

So, she steeled her nerves and shook her head.

I can totally do this, August thought, and if I can't I could always lay on the park bench like a homeless man.

A sudden thought struck her. It should've hit her much much sooner, but the absence of her father stole the air from her lungs.

Like many other times, her hands started to shake uncontrollably. But before her body and mind could begin deconstructing, an old car idly pulled up to her spot on the sidewalk.

"That broken ankle's not going to take you very far," He spoke, almost condescendingly, like August was just a pesky child he could not care less to deal with.

"I didn't ask," She grunted, sparing the driver a quick glance. She willed her hands to still, and stuck them in her pockets when they didn't.

"Sweetheart, you wanna do this the easy way or the hard way? Just get in the car."

August spun around as fluidly as she could with a broken ankle and fractured ribs. The words fuck you where on the tip of her tongue, but at the sight of his face her mouth closed on its own and her eyes buldged.

He had rainy eyes as deep and vast as the ocean and hair full of waves, with teeth as bright as pearls and an equally stunning smirk etched on.

Everything reminded her of water, and August guessed she wouldn't mind drowning in him.

What the hell?  Where did that come from?

"I'm hot, I know, but we haven't got all day. Travis needs you back home now," He remarked, gesturing to the passenger seat with his sunglasses.

"Of course," August muttered, just loud enough, "this is Travis's doing."

"Princess, I don't see feet moving," He said, running a hand through light brown hair.

She narrowed her eyes and obeyed reluctantly. August moved slowly, grinning in satisfaction as the irritating smirk slipped from his tanned complexion.

He sighed and blinked thrice, "Hard way it is."

One moment August was pathetically dragging her cast-clad foot across the pavement, and the next the tall, dark,  — and dare she even think — handsome stranger was picking her up in one fluid and effortless move.

Her almond eyes found the street she was just walking on perplexingly upside down or upside up (to be honest she didn't really know) and the steady strides of her captor kept her upper half bouncing up and down. Quick witted as she was, August realized he had slung her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Though shocked, August Krimsee-Ray was never one to stay remotely quite.

"Hey! Hey, stranger," She attempted to recapture his attention. That proved to be an absolute failure because his arms were gingerly around her waist and his stone expression was still in place, mouth clamped and all.

"Who the hell are you anyway?" August grumbled, feeling herself being lowered in front of the damned rusty car.

"I'm just someone doing the detective a favor," His grey eyes flashed, similar to how lightning would in a storm. He placed his arms against the passenger door, fully encasing August in a daunting hurricane.

The man closed his beautiful eyes, looked away, and sighed. When he returned, she could spot specks of gold swirling in the grey mixture from their close proximity.

"Diablo," He finally said.

"Huh?"

Diablo looked at her like she had several heads sprouting from her neck. She crossed her arms, feeling defensiveness crawl up her skin.

"I thought we went through this, Princess." Diablo smirked, his eyes practically shining in smugness. August guessed it was the fact that every female immediately lost their train of thought when he stared at them. Herself included.

"You can't take your eyes off me," He stated. August sucked in a breath at the declaration, shocked.

Sure, August was taken aback by the sheer confidence and boldness Diablo wore like a second skin, but she wasn't about to let him know.

"That's cute," She smiled sarcastically. "A lot of times when girls meet guys like you, they tend to feel like jelly. Knees knock and hearts flutter, but strangley enough I don't feel a thing."

Without another word, she slipped under Diablo's arm and sat on his seat.

She left the cocky man leaning there, slightly less cocky as she deduced from his frown. However, it quickly morphed into his signature I-know-something-you-don't smirk.

"I don't have a GPS, so left or right?"