The bottles were arranged
haphazardly on the wooden dresser. The labels faced outward, watching Dae. They
always watched him when he was about to leave, and they watched him even more
intently when he was sober. He reckoned that he could identify which bottles
contained which alcohol by the feel of their decorations, which would be handy
if he was ever blindfolded and needed a drink. Dae imagined it was the same
process a blind person would use to identify who a person was. His throat
suddenly became noticeably barren, forcing him to turn away from his
collection. If he couldn’t see them, they were not there.
Dae
could clearly hear the wind pushing grains of sand into his government owned
house. Sandstorms were common in Eyad. Logic said his trip to the library could
wait for another day. But it wasn’t often Dae found himself with motivation to
do anything outside of drinking and sleeping, and logic reasoned he needed to
get his ass out the door now.
He
slid his feet into his boots and didn’t take the time to tuck his pants into
them. Next, he began wrapping a two inch wide bandage around his face, covering
the tips of his auburn bangs, his ears, mouth, and when it reached his neck he
secured the end of the bandage with a piece of tape. He took a step away from
the closet, moving to the foot of the bed where a leather jacket was resting on
the floor. The piece of clothing was old, scratched and worn from every day
wear and improper upkeep. Attached to the back of the garment was a silver
sheath, which some master craftsman had somehow managed to work into it. Dae
was fond of the jacket simply because it was one less step he had to take when
getting ready for the day, and he never liked having to wear a sword at his
side.
Once
his jacket was on and zipped up to his Adam’s apple, all he needed to do was
put on his goggles and grab his jade stone from its nest on the dresser,
between a bottle of vodka and whiskey. The hand polished stone was smooth and
small enough to fit into his palm. It was the only thing there that was not
related to alcohol. A detailed depiction of a serpent-like dragon, a guardian
of time, coiled around the gem. He dropped it in his pocket.
A
loud bang on the front door stopped the search for his goggles. He gritted his
teeth as the frantic pounding echoed through his house. As he moved toward the
front door, he knew that whoever was braving the storm to pester him was either
in desperate need of his assistance or they were just stupid.
When
he opened the door, the suction created by the rough elements threatened to
pull him outside. Blocking his path was a frail, older woman who was a few
heads shorter than him. He recognized her instantly as someone who frequently
came begging for his help. She was in her late fifties and wearing nothing but
a long green dress. Sand had wedged
itself between the strands of her gray hair and into the crevices on her face.
Her glasses were dangling around her neck, caught by a cord made of
multi-colored glass beads. Dae grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her into
his living room. He braced his back against the door, briefly struggling
against the furious wind before the door shut. Sand had managed to slip past
him, adding to the clothes, dirty dishes, and empty beer bottles that cluttered
his living space. If the old lady noticed the mess or the stench, she didn’t
show it.
“Mrs. He-“ before
he could finish informing her that he had other things he needed to do, she
grabbed him by the front of his jacket. Her boney hands clung to him tightly.
“You have to help
me. My granddaughter didn’t come home from school today!” Dae looked past her,
to the small, dusty clock hanging on the wall.
“It’s only been
two hours. Are you sure she’s not with friends?” Mrs. Heis and her husband took
care of their five grandkids almost every day of the week. The oldest, Benthal,
was the only male and about to finish his primary education. The other four
were between ages six and fourteen, but he considered them to be pretty much
exactly the same.
“Do you think that
I would be here if I wasn’t sure?” She screeched, causing Dae to grimace.
“You’ve got to do something!” Dae managed to pry her fingers off him, and he
stepped away before she could ensnare him once again.
“Fine,” He snapped,
letting his annoyance flare. He ripped the protective layer of cloth with one
tug and threw it down. “Which of your granddaughters have you misplaced this
time, Mrs. Heis?”
“Ranel,” she
answered, ignoring the barbs protruding from Dae’s question.
“Go home,” he ordered, ignoring the tears that
were cleaning the sand from her face. “Go home,” he repeated when she opened
her mouth to speak. “I’ll bring her back to you.” Like he always did with her
other grandchildren.
The
old woman stared at him for a moment, as if waiting for him to change his mind.
When it didn’t happen, she made her way to the front door and stepped back out
into the storm.
A
deep scowl formed on his lips and he wrestled the door shut once again. Logic
now told him that he probably should have not send the old woman back into the
storm. He reached into his pocket, digging out his stone. He gripped the jade
tightly, feeling its coolness radiate in his palm. All of the grandchildren went
home at about the same time, except for the youngest that stayed behind to work
on art projects or practice the piano. At least logic told him where to start.
