Whims of the Dead [Hassun]

[Amber]

Amber never thought she would have enjoyed dying, but then again she had also never really considered her own mortality. Like most people, she lived on a day to day basis. The problems of tomorrow were the problems of somebody else. Always on the run, she never had time to consider what it might be like to settle down or to hold a job. The truth was, she would probably never be very good at that sort of thing. Her life consisted of couches, fast food, and a lot of empty road ahead of her.

Now, as the blood dripped down her throat and this relative stranger cocooned her in his arms, she realized she now had an eternity to consider. As her life began to slip away from her body, she witnessed it with a sort of cold detachment. She knew her skin was going cold, that whatever this undead disease was, was taking her over quickly. But she didn't care. Or better yet, she could not truly feel it.

Her foremost thoughts were, for once in her life, of what lay ahead. What this... change might mean for her. It was a comforting change of pace. Even though she knew she was dying, she felt somehow more powerful. Almost invincible. Whatever was happening to her, she decided, would probably be for the best. Having never put much stock into religion or spirituality, she would now never have to. While those around her would worry about making the most of their short lives and of accomplishing something of note before departing from their proverbial mortal coil, Amber would not be plagued by such insecurities. Only power lay before her now, she had just to reach out and take it.

I don't have to be scared anymore, she thought to herself with more than just a trace of pride. Those who had been chasing her would now be chased. Prey, meet the new predator in town. Struggling against her closing eyelids, she focused her gaze on that of the strong man who had chosen to change her life forever. Bright green orbs glistened with unspoken gratitude as she thought of the events leading to this.

ONE WEEK EARLIER

She ducked into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her. Her fingers fumbled over the lock once, twice, three times before she finally managed to work it properly. Leaning her back against the all too thin wooden barrier, she sank to the ground with her face between her knees. Adrenaline still surged through her, clouding the edges of her thoughts. Focus, she reprimanded herself. You need to get out of here. You're too close to fail now.

She could hear the border guards continuing their search; the way their boots made hurried stomps, the nagging questioning of random passerby. They wouldn't give up the search easily and it was only a matter of time before they tried the door behind her. Move or lose, but it was time to make a decision.

Rising to her feet, she brushed her pants off and sneaked a glance of herself in the mirror. This wouldn't do. Her hands trembled as they lifted to tie her hair into a quick ponytail, using a rubber band around her wrist as the tie. Shoulders lifted and tightened and she abandoned her jacket. Dropping her bag into the sink, she fished out the essentials: little more than a couple of hundred dollars in cash, one plane ticket, and a forged passport. Before abandoning it entirely, she snagged her sunglasses and stuck them on top of her head. Simple changes were key to avoiding detection, a trick she had learned years ago.

Turning to the door, her hand closed on the knob. Deep breathe in, deep breathe out. Steady, girl. You've got this. The lock clicked open and she took her first step into the station. A quick survey revealed the guards at the other side of the terminals, but that wouldn't last long. Locking the door before she shut it behind her, she ensured her belongings wouldn't be discovered easily. If she was lucky, the locked door might even give her a distraction if they tried it.

Her feet began moving of their own accord. Having long ago memorized the building plans, she instinctively knew which direction she need to move. Amber disappeared into the throng of the crowd, brushing past everyone in her way. Losing yourself in a crowd wasn't as easy as most people thought it was. You had to hunch so other people stood taller than you, blocking the view of your pursuers. Your head had to be tilted at just the right angle so that even if one of them saw you, they couldn't really be sure if you were who they thought you were. You also had to move at your own pace. When in a crowd, most people will either walk at the same pace of the people around them or try to rush through it, but when trying to avoid capture, you had to find a happy medium between the two. Going to fast would drawn attention to yourself, but you still had to keep moving.

After an agonizing twenty feet, she managed to find herself in the back of the shortest line through security. This was also a critical moment. You'll subconsciously keep looking around you to see if your pursuers are close, but you have to reign that in. Acting paranoid or impatient draws unwanted gazes in your direction. Forcing her body to remain still, she kept her gaze focused on the metal detector in front of her.

Three people to go. She could hear those annoying boots drawing closer.

Two people. "Have you seen..." Just out of earshot.

One person. Paranoia crept in and she could have sworn she felt their gazes drilling into her back.

Finally, she was through. The security personnel gave her a nod and she kept moving. The plane was going to depart any minute now. Flicking quick glances between the ticket in her hand and the gate numbers above her, she continued to make play up the tourist card. It was hell, standing in one spot for more than a second. But the risk was almost always worth the payoff. Nodding to herself as if she had just figured out where she needed to go, she started moving again.

She spotted the line to her plane moving just a few feet in front of her. They were boarding. Maybe today was her lucky day, after all. Clutching her ticket as she moved into the line, she plastered a fake smile on for the flight attendant who was checking the passengers.

"No baggage?" The attendant asked, curiously sweeping her gaze over Amber.
"Nope, I've had everything shipped."
"Okay then. Have a good trip."

Amber nodded, the flight attendant moved aside to let her on, and that was that. She was on the plane now. As she found her seat, she basked in the realization that she was safe for the time being. She just had to hope the US Marshall Service wouldn't put calls into other terminals before she landed.