A Day in The Life
of an Assassin-Hour one
Sun May 1, 2005 15:08
Mirk woke up early, to find the bed empty.
He pushed off his covers and stood up. He yawned, stretched, and walked
towards the wardrobe. He pulled on a fresh pair of smallclothes, then
put on black short pants, and a while sleeveless shirt. He scratched
his head as he walked down the stair to the kitchen, where he found
Hether.
"Morning," he said as he sat down.
"Good morning," Hether replied. "After breakfast I’m
going to go into town. We are almost out of food. I didn't realize
how much we’ve been eating." She flipped the eggs on the sizzling
pan. They smelled so good. Mirk’s mouth was watering.
"How long do you think you’ll be gone?" Mirk asked.
"A while actually. I’ve got a lot of stuff to get, and some of
it is very hard to find," she said as she stood up and slide
the eggs, along with fried ham and toast onto two plates. She handed
one to Mirk, who started eating immediately.
"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked around a mouthful
of bread.
"Well, I’d like it, but you can’t. A man arrived earlier, saying
that a man was going to come by some time today to give you instructions
for your next job, or something like that. So you have to stay here,
and you have to stay somewhere where you can hear if anyone knocks
on the door." she said the last part with a grin.
"Are you serious. No, I don’t want to just sit there. It’ll be
so boring."
"Yes, it will, but you have to do it. The man never said what
time he’ll be here, just that it was today." Hether stood up
and scraped off her plate into the dog’s dish. She walked over and
kissed Mirk on the forehead. "I’m sure you’ll find something
to do. And besides, it’ll be worth it if you get a good job. But I
must be off, I’ll see you in a couple of hours."
"Ya, see ya." Mirk said as she walked away. "Oh well,
at least I’ve got ou boy." he said to Mandarin.
"Oh Mirk," Hether yelled from the doorway, "I’m taking
the dog with me. He needs to get out and have some exercise."
"No," Mirk said quietly to himself as he cradles his head
in his hands. Hether called the dog, who went running off towards
the door. Mirk began eating again, and soon his plate was scraped
clean. He put it next to the sink where he’d wash it later. Mirk walked
into the middle of the main room and looked around.
‘What in the light am I going to do? This day is going to go by
so slowly,’ he thought. He walked over to a chest of drawers and
began rummaging through them. His hand hit twisted metal. It was a
bar puzzle made of metal. "Ahah!" he said triumphantly as
he yanked it out. "It ought to keep me entertained for about
ten minutes." He sat down on his favorite chair and began twisting
and turning the small, heart shaped pice that was meant to come off.
He tried pushing it through a ridiculously small hole, and it didn’t
go. He set it down on the table and scratched his nose. ‘All right,
I’ve seen Hether do this a thousand times. How did she do it?’ he
though. It was then that he saw it, the way it would work. He picked
it up and tried to loop the heart around the second horseshoe, but
it got caught on the chain. ‘Blood and ashes.’ he though as
he slammed it down on the table. I’m sick of that. I know, I’ll
draw. No, I can’t give up on this thing after only,’ he glanced
at the clock on the mantle. ‘Six Minutes?!?! I was only at that
for six . This is going to be a long day.’ He picked up the puzzle
again and examined it closely. He looked fore possible way the heart
go slide off, how he could manipulate it. He sat there for a good
ten minutes, twisting, yanking, to no avail. He slammed his fist down
on the table in frustration.
"All right. I’ve got to get this soon or I’m going to freak out."
he said to himself as he kept on pushing. He look at the clock again.
"It’s been seventeen minutes since Hether left, and I’m already
going insane." Mirk put the Puzzle on the table again and stood
up.
"I’ll draw, that what I’ll do." he said as he pulled paper
and pencils out form the chest of drawers. He sat down at the able
and was about to start. "What am I going to draw?" he asked
himself. He sighed as he began drumming his pencil on the table. "What
am I going to draw? What can I draw? Oh, I’ll draw Hether. No, no
no no. That would be too hard. I could draw a knife, but that would
be too easy, it wouldn't take long enough. Mandarin, I’ll draw Mandarin."
he said and set to work drawing his dog. He sketched and shaded and
erased, and drew some more. After twenty minutes of drawing and the
like he was finished. He held it up to look at it, and crumpled it
up into a ball.
"That’s horrible. It barely looks like a dog at all." He
tossed it at the garbage can, and it came very close to going in.
Mirk looked around, stood up and brought the ball back to the table.
He threw it again, trying to get it in the garbage bin. It bounced
off the rim, and landed on floor next to it. Mirk growled and got
it again. He looked at it, and tossed the paper. It bounced off the
wall and into the bin.
"Yes!!" Mirk yelled out. He crumpled up another piece of
paper and tossed it at the same place. It bounced off the wall and
went it. Mirk smiled and nodded in approval. He crumpled another piece
and tossed it, but missed. He stared at the paper as he picked it
up and threw it down into the garbage. He walking back to the table
and began drumming on it. He contemplated going into the basement
to practice. But knew that if he was down there he wouldn’t be able
to hear the door. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his drumming,
increasing the speed. He began getting into it, but then stopped when
he realized it was just repeating itself. He turned around and saw
the clock. Forty five minutes since Hether left. Mirk stood up and
began pacing the room.
‘This is going to a long day.’
Hour Two
Sun May 1, 2005 15:09
Mirk closed the bathroom door behind
him and ran down the stairs. The closest bathroom was on the second
floor, and Mirk had to be quick so he wouldn’t miss the messenger.
He jumped the bottom three steps and ran to the door. He opened it
to see if anyone was outside. There was nobody. It was eight thirty
in the morning, and Mirk had been home alone for an hour and seven
minutes. He closed the door and leaned against it.
‘I’m starving, I’m going to get some food.’ he thought. He
walked to the kitchen and opened the trap door to the cellar. He stuck
his head down to see pretty much empty shelves. He dropped down into
it and grabbed a loaf of bread and some eggs. He pulled himself back
up and walked over to the stove. He set the pan on top an let it heat
up. When it was hot enough he cracked two eggs and dropped them onto
the pan. They began sizzling and bubbling immediately. Mirk buttered
up a slice of bread and put in on the pan to toast it. The smells
rose up and Mirk’s stomach started growling. He flipped the eggs and
the bread and opened the stove. He poked at the fire with a poker,
stoking up the coals. After the food was done he’d let the fire go
out. He took his old plate and put the food on it. He grabbed a fork
and walked out to the main room. He set the food down on the little
side table and began eating. While he was chewing he looked at the
clock. An hour and twenty minutes since she left. He scarfed down
the rest of his food and leaned back in the padded chair.
‘Now this is comfortable. I’ll just close my eyes for a little.’
Mirk jolted awake when he heard a knock
on the door. He jumped to his feet and ran towards the door. ‘Blood
and bloody ashes, it’s about bloody time. Did I fall asleep, oh well,
he’s here.’ Mirk straightened his clothes and opened the door.
Behind it was a man holding a large, velvet covered box, smiling.
He was wearing a lot of gold and silver jewellery, and he had a gold
tooth.
"Can I help you?" he asked. The man smiled again and began
speaking.
"Hello sir. You look like a gentleman who has fine taste. Could
I interest you in some lovely jewelry for men? Before you say anything,
it is quite trendy for men to wear rings, or even necklaces now, it’s
no longer just for women." Mirk stared at the man.
"You’re a salesman? Blood and ashes, you’re a bloody salesman."
The man’s eyes went wide.
"Well sir, it’s obvious I’ve caught you at a bad time. I’ll just
be going now." The man turned to leave, but Mirk stopped him.
‘He’s someone to talk to, don’t let him go.’
"I’m sorry sir, I’m kind of tense. Yes, I am interested in your
wears. Please come in." The man smiled and nodded, and followed
Mirk into the house. Mirk closed the door and led him into the main
room. They sat down at the table and the man put down his box. He
opened it to reveal a very large collection of chains of rings, some
of which weren’t that bad looking.
"Now you see sir, I’ve go the latest styles from around the world.
I have a wide range of sizes, colours, purities, everything. Here,
let me show you this one. It has this.." the man started, but
Mirk tuned him out.
‘Am I so bored I invite strangers into my house? Oh well, I was
going crazy by myself. But I can’t keep this man here. I have to show
interest in something. But what?’ A ring Mirk saw caught his eye.
It was silver, and was made to look like chain. It had a strange symbol
in black on the front. Ir reminded Mirk of a snake. He pointed at
it.
"Tell me about that one." The man picked it out of the box.
"This is one of my more expensive ones. It was found in the lands
beyond the Aiel Waste. The symbol means freedom. You have very good
taste picking this one out. Would you like to try it on?" He
held it out.
"Sure, why not?" Mirk said as he slid it on his third finger.
It looked good but Mirk wasn’t the type to buy jewelry for himself.
"Might I say sir, it looks excellent on you."
"Well, I’m not quite sure. I’ll have to talk it over with my
wife. How about you give me a place where I cn find you and I’ll get
back to you on it?"
"Well, that seems all right. Here," he held out a small
card, "this is where you can reach me." Mirk smiled at took
the card.
"I’ll be sure to drop buy and pick it up. But I’m afraid I have
some personal matters that need taking care of." Mirk said as
he led the man to the door. The man shook his hand and said good bye,
and then walked back to the main road, Mirk closed the door and walked
back into the main room. He crumpled up the card and tossed it at
the garbage, First try it went in. Mirk silently congratulated himself
and glanced at the clock. Nine forty five. He had slept for a good
half an hour. He walked over and picked his plate up off the table
and brought it into the kitchen and began cleaning the dishes.
Hour Three
Sun May 1, 2005 15:11
Mirk paced the room, trying once again
to figure out how to get the heart loose. He was close once, but he
still hadn’t gotten it off. It was five after ten. The dishes had
occupied him, and he had considered taking the card out of the trash
and getting a ring, but he never did. And now he was as bored as ever,
trying to figure out this bloody puzzle. Two and a half hours of boredom
had taken their toil on Mirk. He threw the puzzle as hard as he could
at the wall. It hit with a clang and fell into a pile. There was a
dent, and a chip in the paint where it hit. But Mirk ignored that.
"What’s wrong with me? I’ve been alone for two and a half hours
and I’m already freaking out. I need to calm down. I’ll make tea.
Yes, I shall make tea. No, I don’t want tea, tea is exactly the opposite
of what I want. I don’t even know what I want. I want to get out of
here." He sat down on a chair. "No Mirk, you’re not crazy,
you’re just bored. So damn bored. You can handle it. You’ve survived
missions, you’ve survived tests, you’ve survived living on the streets.
You just need to think about what to do. Light, why am I talking to
myself? Oh well." Mirk sat there, drumming his fingers on his
forehead. Strange thoughts drifted into his head. He began thinking
about Auds at one point, Hether at others, but almost all of the thoughts
were uncontrollable.
‘How would I tell her? I won’t tell her about what happened in
Tar Valon. I’ll just tell her I need to move out. Soon, after this
next job, it’ll get enough money. But then where would I go? Back
to the attic I guess. Where does Auds live? I haven't asked her that.
I guess I’ll find out. Bloody and ashes Mirk, do you even feel bad
about what you’re about to do? Of course, but I can’t control my feelings
can I? Light, this is worse that being bored!! Okay, I have to think
of something to take my mind off of them, both of them ,and my boredom.
But what can do that?’ Mirk stood up and began pacing again, thinking
about what he could do. Fifteen minutes since he had last looked at
the clock. Mirk sat down again, massaging his temples. Suddenly there
was a knock on the door, a single knock, and Mirk jumped to his feet.
He sprinted to the door as fast as his long legs would take him. He
skidded to a halt at the door and pulled it open. A short man, dressed
in black was on the step, holding a stack of papers.
"Mirk Diminoth?" he asked, and Mirk nodded. He handed Mirk
the package and left without another word. Mirk smiled and closed
the door. ‘Yes, finally something to do.’ He walked into his
main room and saw the puzzle in the corner. He picked it up and sat
down and started trying to figure it out again. Once again it wouldn't
work on his first attempt so he threw it back to the same place and
started leafing through the papers.