- WhiteBird -

Chapter Twenty Nine - Amber Glow

Casey sat on a sandstone retaining wall holding sad looking cactuses, struggling from the long scorching days. He was outside a little touristy motel in the next town over from Sole. This town was smaller, but clean and colorful, almost happy as its economy thrived from tourists. A faint smell of savory food wafted though his nose as a red Chevy Impala passed him, sporting rental plates. 

As beautiful as the day was, he felt the tight hold of desperation grip him, turning his blood cold. Kitt had dropped him off here three days ago, much to his displeasure, and returned to Micheal. Casey had been riddled with anger, and confusion most of all, but the distance from everything that had happened gave him a different view of things, like reality had walked up to him from the shadows and knocked some painful sense into him. In the past three days he felt like he had aged ten years. He was so tired, tired of the endless cat and mouse game for information, the expectations he had for his father had fallen through, the man was seedy, like he was bargaining information for favors. 

He could barely grasp the severity of the attacks that had hurt him, it felt surreal, like a movie, it was almost too much for his young mind to bare. He took a long draw from a cheep cigarette, allowing the acrid smoke to rise in a slow haze from his lips, letting all the pain and anger dissipate into the wafting heat of the air. 

He had finally gotten a much needed shower, and his clothes washed, but the money in his wallet was fading quickly, if Kitt did not return soon the motel would kick him out, and he would be worse off than he was in his hometown. A fate he laughed at. 

Recently Casey had dreamed he walked through a barren desert, searching for something, anything. He walked for so long that eventually his body turned to dust and his soul was lost, forever wandering, forever alone.

Even in the conscious world, as his own lungs supplied him life, he felt a bit like dust. He took another draw from the cigarette, and flicked it into the gravel lot, watching as the embers flickered and died. He tapped the watch that had once connected him to Karr, and closed his burning eyes.

"You were right Karr." He said for the first time. 

"I was being so foolish, so naive.'' Casey sighed, squeezing his eyes tighter.

"Please come back to me, who am I in this world without you?"

Casey stood, opening his eyes the to the harsh daylight. The watch remained silent, a lifeless machine of time. He didn't expect it to respond. He had been talking to it for days, but this was the first time he gave it a true apology, hoping that wherever in this world Karr was, he would hear it.

The rough crunch of gravel sounded as he made his way back to his room, longing to escape the heat. Being here had tanned him considerably, if not left him a little sunburnt, it was like the sun sucked away life here, claiming the energy of all living things for itself. The sun exhausted all.

Casey pushed open the red door of his first story room, the faint cool air greeting him with open arms. 

Behind him a low steady whine prickled his ears, tires shifting gravel softly.

Casey remained perfectly still, pain spiraling around his heart like a rattlesnake sinking its poisonous fangs into his tender flesh.

The familiar whine neared him slowly, becoming louder and louder until he could feel it in the parking space behind him. The sound traveled up his spine and tickled the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Kitt'' He said, not looking back.

"I want to go home"

Casey was so ready to go home, he felt stronger for saying it, for this place was nothing but sorrow for him, not even the faint tenderness of Braille made him want to stay. He longed with all his soul an ounce of familiarity, he would be content just sitting in the stands of the cattle auction where he worked not long ago. He felt he could sit there forever if it was the price he had to pay to leave Mexico.

The whine continued steadily behind him, a bit like a growl of a lurking panther, taunting its prey with its ominous voice, but no answer came from it.

Casey dropped his head, dark hair sweeping across his long lashes. 

At his feet, the white rubber of his red converse reflected a faint amber light, dancing back and fourth slowly, sweeping across his heels in a steady pace. 

Casey rose his head so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash, and looked in the reflection of his rooms window, his hand never leaving the door handle, its grip tightening until his hand became solid white, the flimsy old metal strained under the immense power of his hold.

In the dusty and scratched reflection of glass, Caseys eyes were filled with a soft glow of amber light, pacing so slowly, almost as if in a dance of sorrow. Silver paint glittered dully under a coat of red dust, black paint reflecting the glory of the sun.

Casey let go of the door and turned, his eyes burning, his lungs faltering.

"Karr?'