Plagues

Chapter 36

That weekend, as August began its swansong and there still being promises of school starting in September, my parents, taking pity on me for having had a let down of a summer, allowed me to go over to Kali's. However, since a decent stay would involve staying into the evening, after curfew falls, both our parents had a chat over the phone about a sleepover. Kali and I agreed to the terms of sleeping in separate rooms and thus the green light was given.

My mom drove me to Donlands station.

“Be careful,” my mom said as I grabbed my bag and rifle from the backseat.

“I will,” I said, shutting the car door.

I took the subway west to St. George station, north to Dupont station, two stops south of Eglinton West, then got a cab to Kali's apartment using money my parents had given me. I met Kali in the foyer of her building where she let me through the security door.

“I can't believe I'm having my first boy-girl sleepover,” Kali said on the elevator, with a smile trying to creep through on every other word.

“I know, right?” I said. “I never thought my parents would let me spend the night in the same residence as a girl unless I was married.”

Kali giggled.

As was customary at most visits to Kali's, upon arrival, we went straight into her room. It was a little stuffy, but she had her air conditioning up and the window open.

“The sun's going down soon,” she said, “so it should cool off in here.”

“It was crazy it hit 40 degrees without humidity,” I said as we sat on her bed and turned on the TV.

I set my bag and rifle down by the head of her bed which was at the window. Eventually, the heat forced us out of her room, it becoming too stuffy to breathe, and we went to her living room where we could sit on her couch in the direct path of her cooling fan. Despite the flow of cold air, we still found exposed skin was sticking to the leather couch like chewed gum.

“Kali, it's getting dark, can you make sure your window is shut and locked?” Kali's mom said, coming into the room. “Also, I've got pasta and garlic bread going if you guys are hungry.”

“Okay,” Kali said, getting up and going to her room.

“Thanks,” I said, following Kali.

Kali's mom smiled and went into the kitchen.

“How much time passed?” I said as we entered Kali's room.

Kali pulled out her phone and woke it up.

“Like, a good two hours,” she said, going to her window.

We stood at her window and looked out over the sprawling city below beyond to the west. There almost seemed to be no horizon. The room seemed to float alone in space, the ground beyond the buildings across the street seeming to reflect the night sky with its scattered lights.

“You've got a nice view from here,” I said.

“Thanks,” she said. She suddenly glanced down. “Oh, look! Down there!”

I looked down to see a mangy figure hobbling through the lights of the alley directly below.

“I haven't seen too many maniacs in a while,” I said.

“I'm still seeing a few,” she said, “though less than usual.”

I got a glint in my eye as a shudder of confidence tickled my body. I reached down and grabbed my rifle.