Nell didn't touch the boy, and she watched him awkwardly stand near her. He did not look at Derek or Platform, but was fixated at the broken door.
"You okay?" Nell said quietly.
He was apparently unaware of her presence, or didn't think she was talking to him. Nell raised her hand a bit to get his attention without touching him. She remembered that Walker had said the boy was different. He responded to the movement.
"What's your name?"
"My name is Daniel," he said, as if reciting.
"Do you want to go home."
"Yes, I would like to go home."
"Come with me then," Nell said, at the exact moment that The Afterdark's shadow-coated body breezed past. He was hunched, balancing on the balls of his toes and bouncing a bit like a boxer eager to fight. Daniel watched him, then stared at Nell. When she moved to go out the doorway, he moved with her.
"There was a man who pretended," Daniel informed.
"Seer," Nell said, to show she understood.
"Travis," the boy said. "Travis from the television."
Nell didn't know what he meant, and assumed it was a child-like thing.
For the first time in that building, Derek spoke aloud more than an exclamation. He froze, and then rocked back on his heels in thought. "From the news?"
"Nine o' clock," Daniel said. "Every night at exactly the same time. I keep track of the time. I have a watch."
The Fixer didn't understand. She said, "I saw him. Seer. I saw what he looked like."
"Older guy, blue eyes, brown hair? Straight teeth?"
"Yeah," she responded, puzzled.
"Travis Armstrong," Daniel said, but the Afterdark had started heading downstairs.
"You okay?" Nell said quietly.
He was apparently unaware of her presence, or didn't think she was talking to him. Nell raised her hand a bit to get his attention without touching him. She remembered that Walker had said the boy was different. He responded to the movement.
"What's your name?"
"My name is Daniel," he said, as if reciting.
"Do you want to go home."
"Yes, I would like to go home."
"Come with me then," Nell said, at the exact moment that The Afterdark's shadow-coated body breezed past. He was hunched, balancing on the balls of his toes and bouncing a bit like a boxer eager to fight. Daniel watched him, then stared at Nell. When she moved to go out the doorway, he moved with her.
"There was a man who pretended," Daniel informed.
"Seer," Nell said, to show she understood.
"Travis," the boy said. "Travis from the television."
Nell didn't know what he meant, and assumed it was a child-like thing.
For the first time in that building, Derek spoke aloud more than an exclamation. He froze, and then rocked back on his heels in thought. "From the news?"
"Nine o' clock," Daniel said. "Every night at exactly the same time. I keep track of the time. I have a watch."
The Fixer didn't understand. She said, "I saw him. Seer. I saw what he looked like."
"Older guy, blue eyes, brown hair? Straight teeth?"
"Yeah," she responded, puzzled.
"Travis Armstrong," Daniel said, but the Afterdark had started heading downstairs.
