I was wondering when Hindsight would turn up this month :) I shall look forward to it!
Disappearance “OW!” William yelled in pain and they all looked at him. Timothy had bitten again, harder on the man’s thin arm, and drawn blood. William let the ghost-gun fall while trying to pull his arm free and as though that had been the intent all along Timothy let go of the arm and picked the ghost-gun up in his mouth instead. “Kill it!” yelled William, throwing himself backwards across the torn-up carpet to the wall, clutching his bloodied arm to his chest. “Kill the damn thing!” Collins stepped forwards intending to seize Tony’s arms as he aimed at the dog, but Tony swung the gun to point at him, the little black hole in the muzzle seeming suddenly enormous when it was pointing directly at his face. “No tricks,” said Tony, his smile breaking out over his face again. “I’m sure the doggy is easy to replace, but how about policemen? Do you have to get them from special breeders too?” Collins half-raised his hands, not exactly surrendering but also aware, from a flat little voice in the back of his mind, that his hands would do exactly nothing to stop a bullet, especially at this short range. He heard a soft thump, and then two seconds later a little click, and he realised that Timothy must have pushed the door open and left the room. “Shooting me won’t get rid of me,” said Collins, surprised at how steady his voice was. “You’ll just have two ghosts on your hands instead of one.” “How does that work then?” William’s voice was strained and when Collins carefully looked over, his movements slow and cautious so as not to excite Tony, his face was pale and there was a lot of blood both on his arm and on the floor. “How do you make a ghost?” The Device stopped its hum, and everyone looked at that for a moment. The Inspectral, finally, moved. He stepped backwards towards the doors but didn’t go through them. “It’s part of the training,” he said. “An obvious precaution so that we don’t just lose officers because of accidents or bad luck, they just discard their mortal skin and carry on. It’s like a disappearance only with a resolution.” “I don’t believe you,” said William. He was trying to sound nasty, but he sounded tired. “Tony, give the Device a kick. I think it’s all powered up.” Tony looked at William, then at the Device, then at Collins, and Collins could see the uncertainty in the man’s eyes. His smile faded as he looked again at the Device. “Hurry up! Let’s get some light in here!” “What, like actually kick it?” Tony looked around him, and then walked backwards towards the Device while keeping his eyes on Collins and the gun pointed at him. “No funny business, either of you.” “Anything,” said William. “Once it’s charged up it just needs setting off. It’s sort of like a safety feature. Actually—” he grunted, and used his good arm to push himself upwards, sliding his back up the wall and bringing his legs under him and straightening out. “Actually, let me get out of here first. I think that damn dog had rabies or something, this bite feels infected. These two can sit here and see the dawning of the Light, you and I will enjoy the Radiance from the airfield.” “Move.” Tony pointed the gun at Collins, and then at the Inspectral. Collins hesitated, wondering what would happen when the Inspectral just stepped through the door and left, but to his surprise the Inspectral came into the room and walked past William who was sucking air through his teeth and holding his arm tightly as he dripped towards the door. “I said, move.” Collins followed the Inspectral over to the far corner of the room.
... I should probably get to writing that today. If I leave it to tomorrow it's going to be... less good.
Timothy is so great. Also, I am impressed with how Collins is doing thus far. Assuming he survives this - or even if he doesn't, I guess? - he's going to make an excellent officer.
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I was wondering when Hindsight would turn up this month :) I shall look forward to it!
Disappearance
“OW!” William yelled in pain and they all looked at him. Timothy had bitten again, harder on the man’s thin arm, and drawn blood. William let the ghost-gun fall while trying to pull his arm free and as though that had been the intent all along Timothy let go of the arm and picked the ghost-gun up in his mouth instead.
“Kill it!” yelled William, throwing himself backwards across the torn-up carpet to the wall, clutching his bloodied arm to his chest. “Kill the damn thing!”
Collins stepped forwards intending to seize Tony’s arms as he aimed at the dog, but Tony swung the gun to point at him, the little black hole in the muzzle seeming suddenly enormous when it was pointing directly at his face.
“No tricks,” said Tony, his smile breaking out over his face again. “I’m sure the doggy is easy to replace, but how about policemen? Do you have to get them from special breeders too?”
Collins half-raised his hands, not exactly surrendering but also aware, from a flat little voice in the back of his mind, that his hands would do exactly nothing to stop a bullet, especially at this short range. He heard a soft thump, and then two seconds later a little click, and he realised that Timothy must have pushed the door open and left the room.
“Shooting me won’t get rid of me,” said Collins, surprised at how steady his voice was. “You’ll just have two ghosts on your hands instead of one.”
“How does that work then?” William’s voice was strained and when Collins carefully looked over, his movements slow and cautious so as not to excite Tony, his face was pale and there was a lot of blood both on his arm and on the floor. “How do you make a ghost?”
The Device stopped its hum, and everyone looked at that for a moment.
The Inspectral, finally, moved. He stepped backwards towards the doors but didn’t go through them. “It’s part of the training,” he said. “An obvious precaution so that we don’t just lose officers because of accidents or bad luck, they just discard their mortal skin and carry on. It’s like a disappearance only with a resolution.”
“I don’t believe you,” said William. He was trying to sound nasty, but he sounded tired. “Tony, give the Device a kick. I think it’s all powered up.”
Tony looked at William, then at the Device, then at Collins, and Collins could see the uncertainty in the man’s eyes. His smile faded as he looked again at the Device.
“Hurry up! Let’s get some light in here!”
“What, like actually kick it?” Tony looked around him, and then walked backwards towards the Device while keeping his eyes on Collins and the gun pointed at him. “No funny business, either of you.”
“Anything,” said William. “Once it’s charged up it just needs setting off. It’s sort of like a safety feature. Actually—” he grunted, and used his good arm to push himself upwards, sliding his back up the wall and bringing his legs under him and straightening out. “Actually, let me get out of here first. I think that damn dog had rabies or something, this bite feels infected. These two can sit here and see the dawning of the Light, you and I will enjoy the Radiance from the airfield.”
“Move.” Tony pointed the gun at Collins, and then at the Inspectral. Collins hesitated, wondering what would happen when the Inspectral just stepped through the door and left, but to his surprise the Inspectral came into the room and walked past William who was sucking air through his teeth and holding his arm tightly as he dripped towards the door. “I said, move.”
Collins followed the Inspectral over to the far corner of the room.
Greg - wonder no more!
... I should probably get to writing that today. If I leave it to tomorrow it's going to be... less good.
Timothy is so great. Also, I am impressed with how Collins is doing thus far. Assuming he survives this - or even if he doesn't, I guess? - he's going to make an excellent officer.
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