Tali was dozing when, out of the eerily quiet night, the sound of an aerosol can awoke her from her stupor. Her mind was immediately alert, and her breath caught as she soundlessly shifted so she could see whoever was down in the alley.
It was him.
The person had a man’s stance as he crouched to sort through a bag, cans quietly chinking, sounds Tali’s ears had been itching to hear for days. He had on a dark beanie, a jacket, and black jeans. His boots were worn and faded, but black to fit in with his theme. Even his duffel bag, of which bright colours could be seen inside, was dull and black.
Tali, mutely, pulled out her phone and set it on record. Placing it next to her, propped up on the ledge, it documented every spray he made. She then sat forwardly and eagerly watched his work. It was mesmerising, the coils and lines that emerged to form a pattern. He must have painted for hours, and Tali sat there, not once distracted or bored.
In contrast, Lantern was edgy, jumping at the slightest sounds and always perched on the balls of his feet. He seemed unenthusiastic to be there, and more than once, after hearing something, snatched up his duffel with an instant reflex, prepared to run. As the cans would rattle, before fading to silence, he would realise it was a cat or a pipe creaking and place it down. Tali stopped perching on the balls of her feet too, ready to follow him, after the first three times it happened.
Which was unfortunate, because it was the forth time he grabbed his bag with a swift movement that she needed to be prepared. That time, it seemed different. He didn’t take a breath after grabbing the bag, and he didn’t replace it on the ground. Instead, he turned a full circle, slowly, zipping up his bag as he tried to mute the clinks. Tali shrank back into the shadows, suddenly afraid. What was he so terrified of?
The answer came, of course, in the form of three people. None of them seemed particularly memorable. One man was tall, in grey clothing, and a self-confident stride that led the way. The next was a woman in black and deep maroon, all awkward movements, and her limbs seeming to be too long. Even Tali would look graceful next to her. The last was a tiny man, who at tallest, would reach five feet. Tottering behind the woman who was close to the first man’s height, the man looked positively tiny in his brown and grey. They all paused about six metres away, far enough that Tali could curl in next to the window and be hidden by the brick wall of the alley, which thickened after the ledge.
“Lantern.” The first man- the one in grey- drawled, seemingly making ‘Lantern’ an insult. “What a coincidence.”
“Fraser.” Lantern snarled back. “Just shocking how we always seem to bump into each other.”
Tali watched with a growing apprehension.
“Well, now we’re here, maybe we should conduct that business I’ve been meaning to.” Fraser smirked.
Lantern, whose face was in the shadows, making his features invisible to Tali, still radiated tension. His hands were clenched into tight fists, with one holding tightly to the duffel, and he was swinging lightly from heels to the balls of his feet, his fight or flight instincts making themselves clear.
“You know.” Lantern said. “I’m actually just leaving. I would say maybe another time, but no thanks. Stay away from me.” His voice was low, dangerous.
He turned straight towards the group, and made to go straight through them. Fraser made the same connection, and due to the fact his face was in the gloomy light, Tali could make out his facial expression.
Shocked and alarmed could cover it.
She was too.
While Lantern was tall, taller than Fraser, he was lanky. Tali could see the knife that flashed in the dim light in Shorty’s hand. She would have expected to see Lantern turn the other way and head back towards the light.
