You can't run forever

Chapter 22 - Land of the famed

I woke up at 4am in the morning. I glanced next to me to see the bed next to me which was empty and previously occupied by Katy, neatly done and cleaned. In fact, the whole room had been cleaned. I groaned in my head. The group had made a silent agreement to make as large a mess as possible to get back at the hotel staff for summoning the rebel guards. I walked into the shared sitting room where Toby had his hands over his face, and was moaning inconsolably in his sleep. "Toby" I poked his shoulder cautiously. He pushed my hand away and grumbled something. "Toby!" I said shout - whispering and prodding him of the shoulder harder then before. "SHutz Upzzzzzzz" he mumbled punching me. "Oww!" I yelled then walking over to the bathroom which was unlocked. I would definitely get him back for that. I got a jug and filled it up with water. This was going to be fun. I crept back to the living room quietly. Disappointed, I saw the TV on and a figure holding the remote. The figure had really bad bed hair and was softly snoring. Yes! he had fallen asleep again. I crept up behind him.... "MWAHAHAHAHA!" Abe jumped up from the corner of the couch, hidden from my view. I yelped and ended up spilling all the water over myself. Toby turned around and shrugged. "You weren't seriously going to dump that on me, were you?"he looked me in the eye. "Yes..." I said guiltily. "Thank god, Abe the superhero was here to realize, Cassie's foul intentions, BOOM! Abe saves the day! and he...." Abe started flying around the room, jumping on tables wearing the Toby's blanket like a cape. "His mature instincts still haven't kicked in, aye?" said Liam freshly dressed, hair still wet. "Did you just have a shower?" I said horrified. "Don't freak out, I just went in when you came out" said Liam laughing. A sound I had been beginning to miss. "Geez you must be superhuman to have a shower in five minutes, it takes me 3 and a half" said Abe who had stopped prancing around and was now standing on a kitchen bench top. "Well you spent 3 hours and 25 minutes pretending you were a pirate, man, back in Gwela the whole village could hear you" joked Liam. Abe stopped and looked upwards horrified. Everyone laughed loudly. "You may have to keep the showering to a minimum we have to go to the factory in two hours" said Liam seriously walking back into his room. "He was never like this before" said Abe running a hand through his hair. I nodded in agreement. "Stress?" offered Toby as a explanation. The door rattled as the sound of feet clomped up the stairs. "Which room are they in?" asked a voice gruffly. "224" said the sickly sweet voice of the receptionist. The door flung open..

"Hello" the receptionist said to Liam who had just walked back into the living room, she ignored the rest of us. "And to what do I owe this pleasure" said Liam trying to keep a mature aura around him. "You have paid yesterday and last nights fee but you have not made any moves to book another day and night" said the receptionist smugly, "surely you know what this means?" she gestured for two guards to come forth who were behind the doorway. "You have fifteen minutes before...". "Wait!" Abe interrupted dropping his blanket cape in the ground and climbing off the table. The lady rolled her eyes and stopped talking "Yes sir?" she mocked. "It hasn't been a full day yet, the deadline would be midday today wouldn't it?" he reasoned. The lady looked taken aback. "Miss, it would be true, the boy's claims still stand" said one of the guards beginning to back away from the doorway, while his buddy followed suit. The receptionist went red "Fine! I'll see you then!" she raged slamming the door. "That's inappropriate miss" corrected Toby. He turned to me "Leyla, said if something like this happened we could store all our things at the back of the stall where the trucks unload there things, no one would notice and she could give us some boxes to disguise them". Of course she did, I mused, then scolded myself. Leyla was my friend not my competition, what was I thinking? 

We packed up quietly and then me and Toby hauled our things downstairs. Katy passed following the house mistress. The older lady kept talking to herself so Katy slipped down the stairs as quiet as the mouse to meet with us. "Have we been evicted?" she asked worried, her hand signals so frantic, I could barely make them out. "No, no, but we are at midday today, we are storing our things at the market for safe keeping" I said gesturing to the things gathered in various plastic and paper bags in Toby's arms and my pile next to me. "Oh, alright, I have to go now then , we need as much money as we can make" Katy started up the grand staircase again but turned to me as a last thought "Your clothes seem quite wet, before you go you can change into a dress the house mistress gave to me, it didn't fit on me, but I think it will fit on you" she smiled and left. I hoped that dress wasn't as terrible as the clothes I was wearing now. After Toby left early and I persuaded him I wouldn't get lost walking through town. I had a quick shower and found the dress that Katy was describing. It wasn't too bad, It was a victorian inspired blue dress with long frilly sleeves. It reached up to my knees. It had less embroidery then the actual ones and modernized neckline. I still felt like I was walking out of the past. Is this what people in Abe's world dressed like? I realized I didn't even ask him about what era he had come out of. Did he come from the era before or after there was a major cyborg invasion? before pure water ran out? I came downstairs and tried to put my hair in a high bun, which looked messy without my maid. Unfortunately those soft slippers I had gotten from Brayden's parents house would have to do, until I found some proper footwear. As I slipped through the waking city I felt like I blended in more. People in Taweichi seemed to like modernized victorian fashion more then newer fashion. I eventually made it to the market which was beginning to buzz. Leyla was at the counter munching on a apple. She threw one to me a she saw me approaching. I caught it abruptly. "Hey there, Toby told me about what happened and he figured you didn't have any breakfast" she smiled dreamily. "Someone's got it bad" I teased halfheartedly."Mhmm maybe" Leyla replied not really responding to the customer waiting patiently in front of her. "Miss, Miss!" the customer grumbled waking her up from her daydream. Leyla stood up straight, quickly bumping her head on the short tin roof of our stall. I stifled a laugh, "Oh sorry there, how can I help you?" said Leyla shooting me a look, rubbing her head, while trying to look sweet.