Blue Sun Room FICTION - GENERAL

Down the Rabbit Hole - Chapter Nine

Thursday, February 15, 2007

At long last --- Mal and Simon continue to evade the Feds. Not slash. This chapter is for HeWhoKicksAlot, man of extraordinary patience.

CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 2922    RATING: 9.0 (PG)    SERIES: FIREFLY

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The nighttime humming of insects was soothing to Simon as he stepped out onto the porch. Staccato chirps assured over and over that all was well; that the remainder of the night might pass without so crass a disruption as gunfire. Simon listened as he drew in the non-mildewed air, longing to be lulled by the fairytale but keenly understanding the folly of such hope. With a deep breath, he left the cicadas to their repetitions and moved toward the woods, gun drawn.

It seemed a different path than the one he had raced down earlier, what with no shots being fired, and the moon shedding more light between the oaks and conifers. Still Simon edged his way cautiously from trunk to trunk; treading carefully so as not to trip; pausing time and again, one hand resting on rough bark, the other trigger-ready as he scanned the area visible to him. It was not so different, he told himself, from moving through a blackout zone. Just trying to stay quiet, to keep out of sight. Except this was more dark woods than dark alleys. And he was a specific target. And two men had already been killed. And of course his escape, and quite possibly the life of another man, depended upon his quick completion of this errand.

No, the boy who had desperately dared to venture into the blackout zone had had no inkling of what this bleak future would entail. And it was just as well.

He kept the glinting white of the house in his rear sight, as much for reassurance as to maintain what he hoped was a correct trajectory, and he was quietly pleased with himself when he spotted the hovercraft ahead, its manufactured hull an alien presence amidst the flora.

He’d seen hovers stashed in stranger places, courtesy of himself and his friends after they’d “borrowed” the occasional vehicle. More often than not they had escaped detection, and when they hadn’t, they had relied on their fathers

Comments
Thursday, 15 February 2007 22:55
Well now...good to know Simon has learnt something about how to avoid being detected by IR and thermographic scans. And Kaylee will be pleased he paid attention to her;D

Also, I had to give a chortle at Simon mentally flogging Mal for being too stubborn to sit still and wait for either Simon to return or obvious evidence the Alliance was gonna bust down the door with guns cocked, locked and ready to rock;)

BEB
Thursday, 15 February 2007 23:48
Yay! I as wondering what you were up to...

Well done suspense! I totally didn't think Simon would make it back all right, and find Mal still there. But of course something's going to give eventually. The tension grows and grows...

Are you taking bribes to get you to write faster? ;)
Friday, 16 February 2007 00:13
At last, a new chapter! I was hoping you were going to continue this so very happy to get the next part of the story. Loved Simon actually managing to get the hover and make it back to Mal in one piece. And of course Mal wouldn't stay put, he would be too worried about the Alliance not to try to be ready just in case. Ali D :~)
You can't take the sky from me
Friday, 16 February 2007 02:06
This series is an awesome bit of writing, Homespun, and better than many things I've read done by published authors. Wonderful work, wonderfully written, and perfect characterization!
Friday, 16 February 2007 03:20
A very nice little Simon solo piece. I like seeing Simon "operating." He's a smart guy who will always struggle out in the world, so I like to see him getting it right for a change. Granted, Mal can't let this go to his head...


And many thanks for the props. I hate to see a good writer get bogged down. But sometimes you have to take your time to get the details right. Patience is everything.


"Some of our jobs are a bit more interesting than others'."

Rob O.
Friday, 16 February 2007 04:48
YAY!! So happy the series is continuing.
Wednesday, 06 February 2008 13:41
just re-reading this - and it's still great:)

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