Sound, like passing under water.
All she could see was darkness, lights flashing behind her eyelids.
The words of whoever was speaking never reached her ears—everything was muffled and loud all at once.
She felt something press into her sternum and a moment later, pain shot through her chest.
Her eyes snapped wide open.
"Hands off!"
Pushing whoever away, her vision swam through shapes blurring together. Gasps slipped out of her when a muffled voice caught her attention.
"—?"
Their voice blurred into a single, continuous sound. She tried to stand, only for her legs to give way. She hit the cramped floor face-first, her shoulder jerked when her jacket caught on something and yanked her sideways.
"Cuidado lady, let me he—"
She pushed the hands away again, and the person stepped back.
She found herself looking into the eyes of a man. Her dark blue hair slid across the floor, hued with faint wine. Her eyes dilated, the blur in her vision gradually fading. She swallowed air before forcing out the words.
"Where am I?"
Bzzzt—bzzzt.
A vibration crawled along her wrist.
She ignored it, her fingers searching blindly until they found the gurney beside her. Gripping the rail, she forced herself upright.
Her head thumped.
Her palms ached, her joints full of exhaustion.
"In an ambulance."
The man answered, his wheat-colored hair gleaming under the cabin lights.
Cold...why's it so cold in here?
Krrrriii—
A tool of some kind screamed.
Metal trembled through the cramped cabin, far too loud and far too close. The sound scraped through her teeth before tapering off a second later.
The air began to warm.
Then a hand shoved itself into her face.
"I can't let you do that. They're outside, and if I need to call them in, I will."
His tone was flat above all else.
"You'd be billed for all the damages."
She stared at the paramedic, looking past the glasses and into his eyes, her grip on the gurney loosening.
She backed off, lifting herself onto the gurney. Her knees throbbed, popping under her weight before she sank slightly into the orange pad, which let out a muffled groan of its own.
Did I call them?...no. I would remember that. Wouldn't I?
"How long...was I out?"
She asked while her body eased enough for her spine to gently curve.
"Veinte—twenty minutes since we arrived."
She looked down at the back of her hand, too exhausted to do anything else.
It was covered in small bandages.
The bracelet around her wrist buzzed again.
She stayed quiet, her eyes drifting to the small white pouch resting along her leg. She stared at it until the man spun her way.
"Está bien, todo looks fine. Nothing's broken except for the mild pain, yes? Any nausea, dizziness, blurred vi—"
"—zhhrr...mm...nn...thh...blah blah bah.."
She blinked once then twice, watching his mouth continue without sound.
The man finished, a few things resting in his hand.
"Yeah...I...I want out."
Her voice was soft, the crash of adrenaline already settling in her blood.
The man only nodded. He turned to his side and opened a cabinet, pulling out a few things before reaching over the desk for a tablet. After pressing at the screen, he finally turned everything toward her.
"Just sign...right...here."
He tapped the bottom of the screen with each enunciated word, ignoring the text above it.
She raised a hand.
One of the bandages on her finger had peeled back just enough for the small black mass to shimmer under the light.
She signed her name, scrolled down with a light swipe and hit accept. The man picked up the few items and set them beside her while the screen finished loading.
Ping!~
She peeled her gaze from the mass.
A list of notifications dropped down the wall behind the man, off to the side, cutting into her field of view. The top notice took center, loading quickly.
The discharge and refusal form—the one she had just signed over. She gave it a brief peek before looking away, the notice fading right after. Her hands reached for the small pile beside her, pulling everything together and slipping it into the white pouch at her side.
She swung her legs over and slid off the gurney, her shoes hitting the floor before taking a quick inventory. Her fingers moved over her pockets and the panel on her right, counting softly under her breath.
"Didn't touch anything."
The paramedic muttered without looking up, catching his breath midway.
"Si falta algo, así te encontré."
The patter of rain outside seeped into her ears, the steady tapping on the roof. Raindrops sliding down the windows. She caught her jacket, sliding down one shoulder, and pushed it on without a second thought.
Glancing over her shoulder, she found the man typing on his tablet. She reached behind her back for the hoodie and slid it over her head.
"Open it."
Without a word, he leaned sideways and hit a button.
The locks released with a solid thunk.
Her hands found the plumaged tufts on her head, painted a dark amber with the occasional spotted white and brown. She grasped two clips on the hoodie and pinched her tufts with them.
She turned to the rear doors, grabbed the handle, and pushed down.
Wind howled through the sudden gap, cold wet air rushing inside.
She hopped out, the soles of her shoes slapping against the wet concrete. It barely kept her from falling. Flashing orange lights reflected on the puddles. Around her, red and blue lights washed across her body and eyes.
The rain hit harder than she expected, she raised an arm to her face.
Where is it...No. No, no, no. No one would be dumb enough to take it. It was right there. It was right there when I went down...they wouldn't. Paramedics know better. Officers know better. Even thieves know better.
Thmp!
The ambulance's rear doors slammed shut on their own, the thump in her head fading at the same moment.
The clear hoodie gave her an unobstructed view in every direction. She took a few steps forward before an icon appeared in the distance.
Wind pushed against her jacket, the white wool underneath soaking through and weighing her down even more.
The faint icon ahead was shaped like a simple wallet.
It drifted farther away, moving like something had tugged it across the ground. A thin line connected downwards, obscured behind the droplets.
She pushed through until only a few feet remained between them. Her eyes landed on the figure dragging it, visibly struggling.
The icon faded away while her steps echoed around them, slow and heavy.
"What are you doing?"
Her voice came out barren, scraped clean of anything that could pass for patience.
The figure froze for half a second. Then kept dragging.
"Hey." Her eyes narrowed. "You found my things."
"Go away!" The voice cracked, young and rough, trying too hard to sound older. "I found it first!"
"Move or I'll make you."
"That means you're about to give them back."
Her tone turned irritated when the figure ignored her, her patience thinning by the second. She clicked her tongue, and her bracelet began vibrating once more, souring her mood even further.
"I need it more than you!"
Sienna's patience snapped.
Her foot drove into their shoulder, sending them stumbling into the wet street. Her leg snapped toward them again like the thunder high above, frustration driving her foot.
"Ack!"
They caught themselves, one hand slapping against the slick ground. Their hood slid off, revealing a malnourished teenager with depressed cheeks, soaked hair, and anguished eyes far too wide.
Sienna's expression did not change.
The teen clutched their arm and glared up at her.
That was all it was—ranting about the unfairness.
step.
"You don't even know what it's like!"
Step.
The teen dragged themselves backward through the rain.
"You can spare at least so—"
"Move."
The teenager's mouth stayed open, anger trembling at the edge of fear.
Then they turned and bolted into the night. Somewhere she did not care about.
Sienna dropped to one knee and looked through her stuff.
Nothing...taken.
Grey in tone and worn in places, some more than others.
frrshh—rrshh—clk!
WRAA—WRAA—!
Her hands froze at the blare of a siren.
She lifted her head.
A pair of headlights flashed in quick succession through the rain, her silhouette casting long shadows against the wet street.
Dammit...
The back of her head throbbed.
Her tool twitched against the pavement.
Krrk...nnngh...
Then it lifted, slow and reluctant, bobbing up and down like a living beast before settling behind her. Its front angled downward, its body tucking into her silhouette.
FSSHH—!
Ah!—my eyes, you damn imbécil!
The bright, sudden glare forced her to raise one arm over her face. A feeling like she could burn straight through the concrete rose in her.
She stepped cautiously toward the driver's side and window rolled down a little.
The street stayed mostly empty except for a few cruisers and the lone ambulance nearby.
A voice came through the gap.
"Tantos problemas causantes. How are you going to compensate me?"
"..."
Her hand slipped into the pouch hanging at her left. Her fingers brushed against something smooth, bundled together.
She flicked it through the gap.
fwip—fshh.
"Five...do what you want with them."
The window slid upward right after, the driver's command echoing through the closing gap.
"Back off."
step...step...step...
The cruiser rolled forward to join the other two at the far end of the street.
"Hahhh..."
The cold drizzle eased her nerves just enough to face the rest of her worries.
She left the open street and cut into the nearest alley, stepping around a trash bag and a puddle. The red and blue lights faded behind her, swallowed by brick, rain, and the hum of faraway traffic.
Her tool followed her in.
Krrrn...
It settled low behind her, its body tucking into the alley's shadow while she crouched next to it.
She shoved her hand through the space between metal, cloth and hard casings until she pulled out a folded bundle of clothes, sealed in a thin plastic bag.
She changed quickly, peeling off the soaked layers and replacing them one by one.
A loose white top.
A long, oversized beige jacket.
And a pair of thin glasses to frame her face.
She shoved the wet clothes into the plastic wrap, tied it off, and tucked it back beneath the tool.
Her fist clenched in frustration and a single thought pushed through her mind.
⌞Perception.⌝
Its figure began to distort slightly.
She shifted her gaze forward and stepped off, leaving the street for another, then doing the same two more times.
Lifting her left hand—the one with the bracelet—she turned it on with a simple finger flick. An opaque screen materialized above it, its curved edges pulling in the light while she brought up the map.
Her shoes splashed through shallow puddles. Cars cut through the rain and washed the sidewalk in dirty water.
People passed beside her silhouette as though it were just another person.
One man nearly walked straight into her before veering aside at the last second.
A few moments later, the bracelet buzzed again. She lifted her hand and pressed a recessed button. The device came to life, a caller ID filling the floating screen—a lovely cat with brown, black, and orange fur.
She accepted the call after pulling her wireless earbuds from her keychain.
Silence followed, the pitter-patter of rain filling the backdrop of the call. She swallowed once, twice, then spoke after a moment's hesitation.
"H—Hey there...um..."
Her stuttering left her bemused, feeling like a fool while she waited for a response.
A half-laugh escaped her lips as she stepped closer to her destination, looking both ways before crossing the street, too lazy to wait for the pedestrian light.
A soft sigh filled her ear, followed by a feminine voice that massaged her senses, ticking her heart with bliss.
「I've been calling you for thirty minutes... I even made food for us. You were supposed to be home an hour ago, and before that, you said you'd only be gone for a week. Sienna...is my food really that bad?」
「How cruel.」
Sienna stumbled over her words, her tongue suddenly turning useless. Her voice broke into a strangled noise and a giggle rippled through the line, setting her face on fire with shame.
If someone shone a light on her face, it would've put the red of an intersection to shame.
「So? How was it?」
The voice was light and teasing—utensils clinking and the faint sizzle of cooking oil echoing behind it, followed by the soft gulp of someone drinking.
Sienna felt the weight of her unintended failure and rubbed at her eye when she stopped at a busy crosswalk.
"...terrible...absolutely terrible. I ended on the floor, you know?"
The cooking cut off the instant she spoke.
「What.」
"Just kidding..."
The conversation drifted into small talk, unimportant things that filled the empty, the minutes stretching by—the rain still pouring all around.
Eventually, she reached a parking garage entrance.
"We'll talk later okay? I found my car. Mmm. Mm...it'll be a while before I return...so, could you wait until tomorrow?...err...actually maybe three...days..."
She rested against the wall of the narrow booth, sliding down slightly until her finger dipped into a puddle that kept spreading beneath her shoes.
「Come back in one piece okay? Jaa.」
The call disconnected, leaving only the sound of rain to fill the silence.
Sienna exhaled, her shoulders sinking as her reflection rippled in the puddle below.
A raindrop slipped from the edge of her hoodie and struck the water, breaking her face apart. In the shifting reflection, her eyes shimmered red, like a fowl's caught in the dark.
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly.
Then she stood.
The narrow booth sat a few steps away, empty except for the glow of its screen. No one worked this place at such an hour, not unless they were cleaning or desperate.
Sienna walked around to the front.
The screen flickered, then shifted into a number pad. A barcode blinked at the top, the manufacturer's name printed faintly beneath it.
She lifted her bracelet, opened the app she needed, and aimed it at the barcode.
Tap...tap tap tap.
Before she could lower her wrist, her ticket number and vehicle information appeared, followed by the toll.
"Nine hundred n thirty two pesos."
"...so much for overtime..."
She pressed pay.
A new code appeared.
Sienna stared at it and pushed it forward with a thought. An outline formed in her view, followed by a string of numbers and the same amount marked with a minus sign.
The booth screen changed. A receipt slipped from the side, and a cheerful expression appeared in its place.
Sienna walked through the opening gate.
A few meters ahead, another icon blinked into view—a slim green arrow pointing downward.
She followed it from one floor to the next, descending three levels while the concrete walls repeated around her without change. Halfway down, she unclipped her hood from her tufts and let it fall against her back.
Her car waited near the middle of the row, quiet beneath the low ceiling lights. Only a few others sat nearby.
Sienna unclipped her keychain as she walked up to it. After a brief search, she found the right key and unlocked the door.
She slid off her jacket and tossed it onto the passenger seat, over a small duffle bag, then pressed the button to unlock the rest.
She dropped into the seat and pain sparked through her ribs.
A quick look in the side mirror showed the rear door opening. Her things lifted themselves into the back seat, then the door shut with a clean click.
Sienna grabbed her keys, slipped the earbud back into place, and pressed her right foot onto the brake.
Her left foot found the clutch and pushed it to the floor before she slipped the key into the ignition and turned it once.
The cluster lit up in a soft glow, followed by the headlights washing the concrete wall ahead in pale light.
Her hand closed around the parking brake. With her thumb on the button, she lowered it, pulled the gear stick into neutral, and gave it a quick shake.
Once.
Then again.
Only then did she turn the key over.
The engine cranked for a few seconds with nothing to show for it.
She tried again.
This time, the car roared awake.
Its rough idle climbed unevenly, shuddering through the chassis and up into her body. The whole thing trembled around her like it wanted to shake itself apart before finally settling.
At the same time, her bracelet linked to the stereo. Music bled through the speakers, and the volume knob turned on its own until it landed somewhere comfortable.
Sienna rolled the window down.
The exhaust curled through the garage and slipped into her lungs, intoxicating enough to make her eyes narrow.
At first, the outside came in pieces.
A faraway hum.
The faint bark of a horn.
Wind howling through narrow gaps between buildings.
With the engine finally warm enough, she buckled her seatbelt and shifted into first. She eased off the clutch, let the car creep forward, then fed it more throttle.
After a couple turns, the street opened up ahead of her.
By the time she reached the first red light, the city had consumed her.
People moved along the sidewalks in uneven streams.
A woman in office clothes hurried across the crosswalk, her heels clicking sharp against the painted lines. The smell of oil, rain and cooked food drifted together beneath the glow of traffic lights.
Sienna stopped beside another car.
Red light spilled over both vehicles in long streaks. It painted the glass, the hood and the sharp line of her cheek. She peeled off her hoodie and tossed it over one shoulder, one hand still resting on the wheel.
Green.
She hit the throttle the second the light changed.
Second.
Third.
Then down again as she drove it harder, the engine rising through its mounts. Streetlights streaked across the windshield, every storefront blurring into ribbons of color.
She shot past glowing signs, shuttered shops and crowds.
Over.
And over.
The city thinned just enough for the restaurant sign to appear between the rain and passing headlights lights.
It suited the building just fine.
She killed the high beams and eased the car toward the far end of the lot, the tires rolling over wet leaves and cracked paint.
The sound changed the second she crossed in.
The city dulled behind her, replaced by rain tapping against her windshield, and the low idle of her engine.
She let the car coast a little farther before pressing the clutch and brake together, bringing it to a slow stop beneath a dying lamp.
The stereo kept playing for all of three seconds before the music began to warp.
An opaque screen bloomed above her bracelet.
「Calling...」
What...a farce...