Train
“Cozy, ain’t it?” Hexanna stood back and admired her work.
Sucrose popped her head out of Hexanna’s hair. ”You’re a fantastic decorator!” The tiny robot gushed.
”I know, I coulda made a career out if it but.” She shrugged, then flopped backwards onto the pile of boxes. Her new bed sagged beneath her weight. The string of glowing mushrooms in potion bottles gave the boxcar a nice ambience. It wasn’t bad, as far as dusty, shipping containers went. Hexanna closed her eyes and let the rocking of the train lull her to sleep. She felt Sucrose climb out of her hair, then come down to curl up on her chest.
”Best friend?” Sucrose whispered.
”Mm?”
”Where are we going?”
”To adventure.” Hexanna replied. “Gonna find me another town to hide out in and maybe something for you to do.”
”Like what?”
”I dunno, a job.”
”What kind of job?”
”Professional question asker.” Hexanna said, then she snorted at her own joke. “I don’t know. Go to sleep, kiddo.”
”I’m not tired.”
Hexanna sighed. “Well I am. I have to lug around my entire life’s belongings, my business stuff, and two free loaders. I need to rest these old bones.”
”Okay.”
Hexanna could feel Sucrose fidgeting against her ribcage. She was tempted to reach around and flick her shut off switch, but considering the kid was in denial about being a robot, she was a bit touchy about that subject. A few more minutes passed, then Hexanna sat up and sighed. “Alright, this isn’t working.”
”But I was being super quiet!”
”Quiet yes, still no. Go… play or something.”
”Play?” Sucrose asked as Hexanna gently set her on the ground.
”Yeah. Go have fun.” Hexanna settled back in, then waved her away. She focused on the movement of the train. The grating sound of old steel wheels. The lingering scent of the booze she had spilled earlier.
”Hexanna! Hexanna!” Sucrose squealed, her voice getting a digital quality the higher it got.
”Yes?” Hexanna said through gritted teeth.
”One of these boxes is open and the cargo is spilling out. I tried to fix it, but I’m too small.”
”I literally do not care.”
”But there’s bones everywhere.”
”Bones?” Hexanna opened an eye. “You mean pet treats?”
”Yeah.”
Knowing Potion, he would eat the whole crate full and yarf everywhere if she didn’t get up and take care of it. So Hexanna reluctantly followed Sucrose to the corner. “Where’re all these bones?” Hexanna muttered. She felt around on the floor, then finally found one. It was cool and smooth, not like pet food at all. Hexanna held the object up to the light. “What the fuck?” Hexanna dropped the bone to the floor. She quickly formed a light orb in her palm. Sucrose was wrong, these weren’t pet treats at all. Hexanna had seen dextroluma bones before (grave-robbing is really a victimless crime) and these were one hundred percent genuine. She pulled a knife from her boot and opened the next box. Then the next, the another. Bag after bag of bones.
”What’s wrong?” Sucrose asked. “I’m detecting an elevated heart rate.”
”Oh, my heart rate is elevated alright.” Hexanna started ripping down her decorations.
”What’s going on?”
Before Hexanna could answer, she could feel the train grinding to a halt. The sudden stop threw Sucrose half way across the room. Hexanna shoved her blanket back into her bag, then went to collect her little buddy.
”Hexanna, you saved me again!”
”Shhh.” Someone was coming. Hexanna dropped Sucrose into her hair. The door on the car next to theirs opened, then she heard voices just a few feet away. Hexanna finished getting her things together as quietly as she could. The only problem was how to get out without being heard.
The voices came closer. The door rattled when someone gripped the handle. Whatever shady serial killer shit she had stumbled upon, Hexanna wanted no part of it. She gathered up her belongings and her hangers-on, then backed against the second door. The moment the first door opened, Hexanna chucked a fireball at the silhouetted face.
The woman screamed, then a taller figure started clamoring into the car. Hexanna heard a gun cock. She flipped a second fireball in the dextro’s general direction, then flung the back door open. She went tumbling backwards onto her ass. But she recovered quickly. Hexanna was on her feet and running before either foe knew what happened.
***
”Ralph, the heckity heck was that?” The woman gasped.
”Gee, I dunno, Venetta.” Ralph scratched his head. “Guess someone was squatting in this car.”
Venetta poked the burn on her forehead and winced. “Were we robbed?”
Ralph climbed back into the car and started shining his flashlight. “There are open boxes, but I don’t think anything has been taken.”
”That’s a relief. If we don’t get these decorations to the castle in time for the Halloween bash, the queen’ll kick both our behinds. Again.”
”Don’t I know it.” Ralph said. He left the door open, then continued down the line. “Lucky the squatter picked car twelve, at least.”
”Lucky for us.” Venetta helped him open the door to car thirteen. The pair looked around at the stacks of gold bars and the five bound and gagged guards. “So anyways, Mib is gonna be here soon, you wanna finish staging this hijacking?”
Ralph grinned and held his gun aloft. ”You bet I do.”