Human Spines

Everybody Can Waltz-III

Dumaine

         "Do you have friends back home?" Emmeline asks. She's sitting much closer to me than I think she realizes. Our thighs are touching.

        I'm still working on not breaking out in another fit of laughter over Emmeline's choice in music. I keep picturing her in big gold chains with gold teeth and a backward hat. Definitely not what I should be doing.

        "Not really. There are people I know and people I was regularly in the same area as, but I don't have any friends. It's my dad who makes friends with everyone he meets... why?"

       "Because you're my friend," she answers simply.

        "Then tell me why Hans frightens you." I reason back.

        "Because I'm frightened of my grandfather and the possibility that Hans could be just like him. Persistently stubborn, unwaveringly close-minded, unnecessarily powerful, overly defensive, unbelievably ignorant, and viciously racist. All old men discomfort me." She shrinks as she speaks, while somehow shifting closer to me... like she's hiding from the rest of the room.

        "Emmeline, why are you so afraid? You have power over Demons! You have just as much power as Amistifer! But for some reason you are literally hiding behind me. When you got angry with those Demons that attacked me, you made them flee didn't you? Why don't you do things like that all the time? An old man should be nothing."

        Her eyes widen. She sits up slowly, slower than I've ever seen her move before. "Flee...? I made them flee?" She's jumping up, her feet hitting the floor, her hands on her head. "Because you said I wasn't speaking English! You said it nearly killed you! Oh my, this is making so much more sense now! But wait!" She ducks down in front of me, placing my hat on my head. When'd she take it? "Humans are much harder to control than Demons. Only a few pride themselves on the amount of respect that corresponds with their name enough to make saying it aloud while speaking to them of disrespect harmful. Humans are able to ignore words. Humans are the ones to fear. Humans humans humans." She melts downward, but instead of sitting on the ground, she has decided to sit on my lap. On my lap. Why?

        "You can't see the Demons, but they dance inches away from the humans, never touching them. They seem afraid. Why are they afraid now? They were not afraid in New Orleans. They were always unabashed when killing my friends. Never a fear of humans until now... why?" she whispers, lounging comfortably on my legs, her side facing me, and while she seems to weigh less than ninety pounds, it is most certainly not comfortable for me.

        "Did humans have some part in killing all those Demons in the train station? Maybe it scared the others." I say, ignoring the slight pulse of energy I can feel coming from her.

        "That was Illyvimsius. They were hanging from the ceiling with fishing wire. That's her style. So what's changed? What could frighten a De—"

        "Amistifer. You said he was trying to slow us down. What's he doing that he needs us to stay away from?" I try.

        "If he's striking fear into the Demons, why keep us distracted? I can't find the sense in that." She shrugs.

        "I don't know. I barely know the reason for anything in my life. I was hoping you'd suddenly put it together." I admit. She turns and begins staring at me. Like, really staring at me. Not cool. I thought I was over this. Her doll lips and long black hair. Her excited facial expressions and animated way of talking. Her unwillingness to give up. How do I stop finding her attractive?