Absolute Domain: Two

“TZETZE (or TSETSE) FLY, n. An African insect (_Glossina morsitans_) whose bite is commonly regarded as nature’s most efficacious remedy for insomnia, though some patients prefer that of the American novelist (_Mendax interminabilis_).

            -Ambrose Bierce (1842 – 1914)

            Demy stared at Adrien in the public restroom. “You can’t offer her sleeping pills. What the hell is wrong with you?”

            Adrien looked very legitimately confused. “Why not? You saw her. She’s so sleep deprived she was in pain. It won’t be long before she starts hallucinating.”

            “Jesus Christ, you have a bad memory,” said Demy as he rubbed his face in frustration. “Do you remember her old boyfriend? No, not even her boyfriend. Do you remember her fiancé?”

            “Yeah, that tall guy who was obsessed with coffee. I remember him.”

            “Do you remember how he died?”

            Adrien thought for a moment. You could tell he was thinking hard because his eyebrows were moving around a lot. “Nope.”

            Demy shook his head and let out a sigh. “He died from an overdose of sleeping pills.”

            “Oh, yeah. I remember that now.” There was a pause filled with silence. “Oh, crap.”

            They ran out of the bathroom and went to the table that Branwen was sitting at. She was gone and the bottle of pills was still sitting there next to two coffees. Demy let out a sigh of relief and took a sip of coffee. He started gagging and put the cup down. “How much sugar did you put in there?”

            “Actually, I wasn’t done adding sugar to it.”

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            Swen mounted his motorcycle and put on his helmet. He rode west and pulled into an alleyway. He pressed a button on his bike and waited. He shook his head and drove away.

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            Branwen opened her eyes. Lately she had been falling asleep for moments at a time and having strange dreams. She just had a dream about the guy she met in the coffee shop.

            She was sitting on a bench next to someone fairly older than her. She tried to focus on his face. Did he smile at her? Someone said “Hello.”

            Then, someone else said “Hey.”

            He looked a little confused at her. “Are you okay?”

            She rubbed her eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just haven’t slept in a while. I’m just taking a break here before I finish walking home.” She took a sip from her orange juice. I was warm. “How long has it been raining?”

            The man looked very uncomfortable. “About three days now. Are you sure you’re alright? Maybe you should go to the hospital.”

            “I already went to the hospital. They refused to give me anything.”

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            Swen rode his bike across the great bridge. He rode a little more and came to an alleyway. He pressed a button on his bike and waited. “Damn it.” He adjusted his collar and said “Where the hell is it?” After a moment he nodded and made his way back to the great bridge.

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            Gwen turned to say something else to him, but he was gone. “Damn it,” she said. She had fallen asleep again. She turned the other way and saw a bus driving away. Why did she keep dreaming about the guy in the coffee shop? Did he even exist? Whatever. She would think about that when she had more than thirty seconds of sleep to rely on.

            She got up and started down the street. She stopped and turned around. She knew the city pretty well, but had no idea where she was. She took out her phone and called Demy.

            “Demy? You there?”

            “Yeah, what’s up?” he asked.

            Gwen let out a sigh and a yawn at the same time. “I’m lost. I can’t find my way back to the apartments. I’m at a bus stop on Gate Street.”

            “Don’t worry about it. Adrien and I are on the highway right now. As soon as we finish our business here, we’re going to come find you. Are you safe?”

            “Oh, come on,” she laughed. “You know I can take on anyone in this city.”

            Demy did not sound happy. “Not in your current condition. Can you find shelter in an all night diner or something? There are plenty of those on Gate Street.”

            “There’s one across from me. It’s called Jen’s Diner.”

            “I know where that is. We’ll be there in about half an hour.”

            “Thanks, Bro.”

            “No prob’, Sis.”

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            Demy closed his phone. “Okay, one more car and then we have to go pick up Gwen. She got lost on the way home.”

            “Fine by me,” said Adrien. “Can I pick the next car?”

            “Sure, I’ll hop in the back.”

            Demy opened a door and climbed into the bed of the pickup truck. He sat low, behind a large object covered with a black tarp that matched the truck. Adrien pulled into the slow traffic lane and slowed down to thirty miles per hour. About a quarter mile back, they could already see their target. A yellow sports car was screaming down the slow lane at an excess of a hundred miles an hour. When it came up behind the truck, it slammed on it’s break and it’s horn. Demy took that as his cue to unfurl the tarp and expose the massive harpoon gun.