Season 1, Episode 3 - The Ring Dings V - "Opening Up"

Two empty Dopamine Upper inhalers laid haphazardly on Audrey's coffee table.

Audrey had changed the television channel to some nature documentary on the new Floridian Islands created by rising sea levels. Reed raised a finger to point out that these new islands, full of wildlife, were under the military administration of the Gulf States Confederation and all that entailed, but feeling the high, she decided that it wasn't worth talking about and ruining the mood after all. Audrey put the channel on mute; they needed the fish and seagulls and deer for the visuals, not so much for the sound.

At 10:00 PM Reed twisted a knob on Audrey's radio and the freeflowing jazz music they had been vibing out to came to an end. Replacing it was a long howl, crackling through a slight static, that seemed to echo around the entire room.

"It's time," Reed pointed out. Audrey laughed deeply, listening to the static of the howl. The two felt deeply compressed into Audrey's couch, as if they were sinking into it, as if they were content with sinking into it, because they were. The fabric felt so cool and nice, as if it was ensconcing them, that they almost missed the jumbled opening to the radio show.

"Hooooooooooooowww you doing tonight, folks!"

"That's him?" Audrey asked, still laughing.

Reed managed to tilt her head over towards Audrey. "That's him, alright."

"Welcome back to another broadcast of Narragansett Nightly with your fearless host, Coyote Pete! As always, we are broadcasting from an unspecified point in an uncertain location. Our goal is to provide the citizenry with the news the government doesn't want them to hear."

"Is this safe?" Audrey suddenly asked, paranoia growing in her eyes. "We're not allowed to listen to pirate radio stations."

Reed shrugged. "I've never been caught, except for when I was. But it went over pretty well. You get used to losing meal privileges."

Audrey relaxed back in her seat and started giggling. "How has he not been caught?"

"He's real slippery," Reed explained. "He began the broadcasts as a student at Cambridge University. He must've networked or something, because they never caught him as a student. He told the story one night. He used to broadcast out of empty basements or buildings, always moving because other students gave him tips about the State Police. Now he's graduated and continuing the good fight."

"Good fight?" Audrey repeated. "You sound more enthusiastic than…ever."

"There is no greater rivalry in life than the one between man and his government," Reed answered.

Audrey didn't quite know what to make of that. It wasn't even like she particularly minded the government. The government did government things and Audrey did Audrey things. They rarely overlapped.

"You sound like one of those White Mountain sympathizers," Audrey said. "You know, those hill villages up in northern New Hampshire that always talk about smaller government."

"They're on to something. Being left alone…" Reed closed her eyes and felt the waves of dopamine wash over her. "That would be the life."

"Why don't you do something about it?"

Audrey quickly looked over at Reed, not intending for the question to sound as harsh as it did.

Reed hadn't even opened her eyes.

"That's the tragedy of Reed. I want to be left alone, yet I don't want to do anything that would help me with that. So I sit here and complain and get high and watch television and life goes on."

Audrey let her head rest back down.

"Baby steps, Reed. You learned how to cook something, right? That's one step toward freedom, isn't it?"

Audrey saw a small smile in the corner of Reed's mouth.

"I guess so."

"Alright, New Englanders, time for tonight's top story. The infamous Mystic Killer has claimed an eighth victim in the past three months, finally warranting enough attention for the state-owned media to call attention to it. They got most of their information about the killer right. A young man, dark hair, light build, mean eyes. But they forgot one bit of crucial information…the murders were done using the Rddhi."

Audrey gasped. Reed didn't look surprised.

"I have my sources. I know people in the medical industry, coroners and morgue men. These so-called knife wounds…it's not knives, friends. These killing wounds are caused by a great force of pressure, concentrated into a smaller point. A small point...yet too big for bullets. And unless the Mystic Killer uses a musket ball, and unless a musket ball can make such fine, precise points of impact, deliberate in their targeting and rapid in speed, then the Mystic Killer is a Rddhi user."

"That can't be true," Audrey said.

"It's true, all true," Coyote Pete emphasized. "And what's more, the government has lied to you about the locations of the murders. The state-owned media claims all the murders took place in South Narragansett, because it's easy to blame violence on the New York Quarter and those unfortunate neighborhoods that border it. But the last four murders all occurred in West Narragansett. The victims? All from West Narragansett. Nobody noticed when four junkies had their limbs obliterated. But these last four victims were all high school students, teenage girls who had no idea about the danger in their side of the city because the government doesn't want you to know this!

"Rddhi users are the future of humanity, they say. How would it look if the future of humanity, the secret weapon that will surely place all of America under the righteous New England heel, how would it look if that power was already being used to terrorize citizens? Oh, it already is of course, as more Rddhi users become members of the State Police. But state-sponsored domestic terrorism is okay, kids. It's when private citizens use their powers for terror, that's when the state gets involved…"

As Coyote Pete went on about the evils of centralized economic planning, Audrey realized Reed had gotten up.

"You got any Mountain Brew?" Reed asked, looking through Audrey's fridge.

"…no. I'm more of a New Coke person myself."

Reed closed the fridge door. "That's a shame."

Audrey stood up. "This Mystic Killer business is terrible, Reed! How could you have possibly gone home knowing he's out there? It's scary!"

Reed shrugged. "We literally had a life or death fight in the sewers like a week ago."

"But that's supposed to happen. We were on a mission. But going out into the street isn't supposed to be life or death!"

"Then everyone loses their minds…" Reed muttered, more disappointed about Audrey's lack of soda. She eyed the Bay Mart bag she left on Audrey's kitchen counter. She could have that bottle of soda...but then she wouldn't be able to return it.

Reed narrowed her eyes in thought. I'm not a cheat, except for when I am, but I'm trying to prove a point. I'm returning everything I bought and taking the seven seventy-two in meal privileges back. One way or another.

Reed moved toward the window at the other end of Audrey's apartment, which offered a look out into the city from above Audrey's bed. There was a new moon in the sky, just the ghost of an gray outline visible. The city would be empty because of the curfew, sure, but the sky was also empty; Reed liked to imagine they evened out.

And it would only be an ten-to-twelve minute walk to Bay Mart. All narrow alleyways and cramped corridors. It could be done. And if she got caught...well, she's done worse things before.

An airplane went by, not a patrol plane but a commercial liner, bound for somewhere else.

Somewhere else...

Lost in thought, Reed blinked as she realized Audrey had moved over to stand next to her. Even though she was taller, Audrey seemed smaller at the moment, her face downcast, a sea of sighs emanating from her lips.

"Lot of stars out there tonight," Audrey said softly.

Reed felt a bead of sweat roll down her cheek.

"...sure."

"Hey, Reed." Audrey's voice was gentle and vulnerable. Reed didn't like how close Audrey had stood next to her, close enough that their hands almost touched. "You ever...get lonely?"

Reed thought about it for a moment.

"...well, time to go."

Reed briskly turned and walked over to the coat rack, grabbing her olive green school jacket.

"Reed, we were having a sleepover moment!" Audrey exclaimed, her mouth slightly curled into a pout. "I was about to reveal some of my vulnerabilities to you!"

"I don't do good with vulnerabilities, especially when they aren't my own," Reed answered, throwing her jacket on over her shoulders.

"Are you seriously leaving?" Audrey asked, still standing on the other side of the room.

"Look, it's not you, it's me," Reed explained.

"...did you think I was coming onto you?"

"..."

"We're friends, Reed! We were having a bonding moment! I have some serious stuff I'd like to talk about with someone, and you're my closest friend."

"I feel sorry for anyone who has to have me as their closest friend."

"Knock it off, Reed!" Audrey stormed over across the room, seriously violating Reed's airspace by getting close to her face. "You're a good person, you just have a rough exterior that you rely on to avoid facing any sort of emotional issue! But talking with others and being open is how you grow as a person. Remember? You literally just mentioned the tragedy of Reed, but now you don't like it when I open up to you?"

Reed looked at her dryly. "It was in the heat of the moment. Sometimes I get caught up in those."

"But the heat of the moment is precisely the right time to be honest about your feelings!" Audrey moved her face inches away from Reed's, who was slightly taken aback as Audrey got the upper hand over her. "That's why a sleepover is good. We have all night to talk about issues and fears and worries and wants. We never talk about personal things, Reed, because you try to pretend those issues don't exist."

Audrey sighed and relented her assault. "I just think it would be good for you to open up a little more. And ignoring all of that, I just like hanging out with you. We never do sleepovers." Audrey looked down at her feet. "This was supposed to be fun."

The dry expression on Reed's face didn't change. "It's nothing against you, Audrey. I just don't like sleepovers."

I don't like all that emotional stuff either. But for what it's worth, you really are my closest friend, Audrey...not that I'd ever say that.

Audrey backed off and looked away. "Then at least be honest with me...are you going home, or are you going to return those Ring Dings?"

Reed hoped Audrey hadn't noticed that she had grabbed the Bay Mart bag off the counter on the way to getting her coat. Reed supposed it actually would be quite difficult to miss a big white bag in someone's hands.

Well, I could at least be honest with her.

"I'm going to return the Ring Dings," Reed admitted.

"Then I'm going with you!"

Reed raised an eyebrow. "You're doing what?"

"You heard me!" Audrey quickly threw on her own school jacket.

"You can't come."

"Why not?"

"Well, for starters...you know, this is a delicate operation, a lot of moving parts."

"You're just going in, returning the stuff, and getting money out of the register, right?" Audrey slid on her sneakers and stood at the ready.

"Well...that's exactly what I'm doing." Reed sighed. "Fine, you want to know the real reason you can't come?"

Audrey stared her down.

"It's because you could get in trouble," Reed explained, a little sheepishly, since it's not like she really wanted to demonstrate how concerned she was over that. "I already got a bad record. I can take another hit. But you...you got a future and options, Audrey. Don't ruin that for yourself because you want to help this spiteful girl return a couple of Ring Dings."

Audrey smiled. "This is what friends are for, Reed. Remember last week in the nurse's office? You said you got my back. Well, that means I always got yours too." Audrey's smile turned a little cheeky. "And don't think this is my first around the block, either. I know my way around delinquency."

Reed had to admit, she would love to see that.

Reed realized a slight grin had found its way onto her face.

"Alright, Audrey. Let's go kick some ass."