Dreamland

I was looking at that beaming, blazing, hastily built check-line and thought about how to proceed. Should I make a couple of tests before venturing through it or not? If yes, how?

I watched the nervous drivers staying in line and thought about trying to conceal one of their passengers. But even if it worked, what would that prove? They could see it and ignore it, or they could come and check, but if they would find something foul, that would only raise their awareness.

No, the best would be to go all in, put all the camouflage I could on me and try to pass through. If it does not work... then I'll need to fly away and try to hide again. Could they be so crazy to detonate another bomb here just for some glitches? What if I get targeted by some crazy high-tech rockets?

I could, on the other side, try to bust their electronics. Is that what I would call passing undetected? They would know something passed through here.

I could eventually try to run around their barrage. I don't think they have this kind of filter all around the former compound, but on the other side, they may try to make all kinds of checks for the inside area. Probably satellites and drones are checking it through. The longer I stay here, the more dangerous it may become.

I took a deep breath. I'll try to pass through. I swung my wings and flew up a couple of hundred meters, then let myself glide along the highway. Below I saw 'my' truck coming in line. We passed at almost the same time the barrier.

Nothing happened.

It was somehow disappointing; all that tension built, and then nothing.

Probably my camouflage was good enough. I let out a breath I did not know I was holding.

Where was that fast food centre? The French have a saying, it goes something like: emotions are hungry work. They know what they say, the French: I was now starving.

And there it is. I saw the lights from far away. I landed in the parking, behind some trucks and walked towards the food temple.

And then I stopped in front of the door. Fuck, I have no money! What do I do?

I could try to trick some menu-order machine there or a money machine. Flo had already played with my mobile and could make changes without necessarily burning it, so I might give it a try. What else could I do? Beg? Or?

Just at this moment 'my driver' came.

“You!” - I said

He stopped looking at me with confused eyes.

“Are you speaking with me, mam?”

“Yes, you! You threw that hot coffee! Damn, look at me! I am still sticky from that damn sugar! Look, here, my face, everything is sticky! Who comes on the idea to throw hot coffee out the window!”

“I... I...”

“Aye, aye, aye! You owe me a lunch! No, I am not kidding! I'll go into the washroom to wash all this sugar and then come to you. Hopefully, you have at least three big sandwiches for me, or I'll... I'll eat your ears!”

“Ahm... OK?”

I enjoyed seeing him, and I was a little exaggerating, but truth be told, he really did throw that coffee in my face.

When I came out of the washroom, I was surprised to find him sitting at a table with three giant sandwiches besides his food. He pointed at them and then said:

“John, by the way. I'm sorry about that coffee. Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am sure. Lara.” - I rolled my eyes - “OK, I kind of deserved it; I was in a place where I should not have been, but “ - I shrugged - “it happened.”

“Oh.” - he said, surprisingly accepting my story - “I do not usually throw coffee out the window. Are you sure you are not confusing me?”

“Look”, - I said, starting to munch the first sandwich - “here, take this coin for the sandwiches. I have no money with me, and I do not want to remain in debt. You might have forgotten, but we already talked about that coffee!”

“Impossible! I would not forget a beautiful face!”

Ho! He is a charmer too! He took the coin looking attentively at it.

“One? What is this? Is it a one-cent coin?”

I shrugged.

“It is one gram of gold.”

“One gram of gold? Are you joking?”

“No.”

He watched me warily. I shrugged:

“Look, I don't have my purse with me, but I kept that coin for some time. No joke, it is pure gold, worth some sixty or seventy?”

“Seventy-five, if it truly is gold.”

I nodded, munching now at the third sandwich.

“Where do you go?” - I asked.

“Bumbletown. Wow!” - he said - “I would have never believed you could eat one of those, not three!”

“I could eat another couple, to be honest, but people might look me askew if I do it. Bumbletown is my destination, too. Could I hitch a ride with you?”

He shrugged.

“Sure!”

He bet I was just bragging about the additional sandwiches, so I got another two sandwiches he religiously watched how I devoured before we left. On the way, he started to tell me about the aliens crash landing their spaceship and the road blockage, but to my shame, I fell asleep sitting. That damn chair was too comfortable, and the cabin was warm.

He continued to talk, and then he realized I was sleeping. He tried to turn off the light that was above me and touched one horn. It was there in the air, where nothing should have been.

“Oh, fuck!”

He retired his hand fast and looked in front at the street. His heart was beating crazy in his chest.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!” - he mumbled, not daring to speak aloud.

Then he took a deep breath and pushed his hand again to my head.

“Oh fuck, it truly is. Oh Jesus, what is this? Is this a test?”

I slept the whole way. I woke up as I felt something scuttling at my feet.

“Hey! What are you doing!”

“I... I... “

“What the fuck, man, what are you doing there? You...”

He exploded in panic:

“I dropped the coin! I'm looking for it! It must be here! I do not need it! Please take it back!”

“What?”

He was shocked and trembling.

“Honestly, I was doing nothing! I wanted to slip the coin into your pocket, but it fell.”

I sighed. Well fuck, my pocket is only an illusion; clear it fell down.

“Why did you stop?” - I asked.

“We arrived. This is Bumbletown, and I wanted to put the coin back before you leave... I...”

First, I thought it was some pervert with some leg fetish. He was too afraid and shocked as if I would have caught him with something illegal.

“Tell me the truth!” - said Flo taking his kin in her hand.

I felt she did spell something, so I asked:

"Wow, you know truth spells!?"

"Sure"

She answered as if everybody could spell such.

He became suddenly calmer and started to speak:

“You forgot the light on after you checked those fliers we took from the fast food centre. I wanted to turn off the light, and then my arm got stitched into your horn lady, see, here, just a scratch and some blood, there is still some blood there on your horn, then...” - even now, under Flo's spell, he hesitated then continued - “then I was afraid that coin would bring me bad luck. If you are one of them, one of those...”

"Your fucking sharp adamantium horns!"

“When was this?” - wondered Flo ignoring my rumble.

“Several hours ago. After we left...”

“Oh fuck, that's bad; deleting the short-term memory might not help, and besides, it is not good to do it repeatedly.”

“He doesn't know who or what I am. You have a different face, so you can just leave him with his memory.”

Flo sighed.

“Look, that coin is a fair price for the food and travel. It has no repercussions; there is no curse or other consequences if you keep it. You can keep or sell it, do whatever you please with it, and even melt it. Just forget I was here, ok?”

He nodded. I left the truck. A moment later, he recovered from his stupor and came out after me.

“Lady, lady, this is no good neighbourhood for a girl to walk!... Lady?”

He looked around in the empty parking. He took a deep breath.

“Whom am I talking with?” - he shrugged - “Maybe it would be good to find a different place for me to sleep a little.”

As he turned to climb into the cabin, he saw the coin shining in the moonlight.

“Ah, there you were!”

His hand hesitated, then he picked the coin up and murmured.

“I haven't dreamed it after all... It really happened...”

I was already flying towards home, below me the known town.