Make Some Noise (Danger days)

4. The Marketplace

Show Pony, Cherri Cola and Dr. Death Defying came in about an hour later. Show Pony had a bunch of stuff in their helmet.
"Great news Tumbleweeds we've got some- Poison what did you do?"
"Uh, Fire Fight." He told them.
"Ah. Anyways all the extra machonary and jackets we had I managed to sell to some poor desperate sod for 350 Carbons."
"350!" Jet exclaimed.
"Yep." Show Pony replied. "And the market is in tomorrow near the radio shack. We can stock up on supplies and split the rest for personal stuff."
"Whoo score!" Ghoul was ecstatic.
"One thing. You guys have to chip in a few of your Carbons for a new fan belt." Jet said.
"But Ghoul broke it." Kobra complained.
"Poison got the car dusted in the first place." Ghoul whined.
"No discussions. 5 Carbons each."
Many groans were expressed but they gave the Carbons to Jet.

Excited vibes buzzed around the diner the next morning As soon as the girl had found out she had squealed and leaped about the place.

"So who's taking the girl?" Cherri asked while drinking a tiny mug of coffee.
"My turn." Poison said. "Damn we're out of coffee."
"Yeah, we'll get more don't worry."

"Keep an eye out for the boxes." Show Pony had told them. "They're the best deals even if you don't know what you're getting half the time."

Poison and the girl eyed up the pens at the art supplies store. She pushed a pack of felt tips towards Poison who purchased them along with a journal, metal paint and more art pens for himself.

He then headed to the weapons stall.  The girl wondered through a rack of clothes in the next store over.
"Three packs of ray gun ammunition and uh, I'll take the box too." Poison went to find the girl who held an orangish kimono looking shirt. She looked at him with a hopeful gaze.
"Ok Motorbaby I'll buy that for you." He said as his eye landed on his dream purchase, a box labeled 'Comics. 2 Carbons.'

"Do you have a size 2 fan belt?" Jet asked the lady at the stall.
"Yeah its 23 Carbons." She replied.
"20?"
"I can do that for you."
10 minutes later Jet's money had gone into a set of boxes, one containing real food and the other had books for himself. He had a tin of coffee and a battered deck of cards balanced on top.

Kobra had already brought more medical supplies, an electric laser glove, a carton of eggs and a box labeled 'misc gadgets'.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder, making him jump so hard his sunglasses nearly fell off.
"Hello sonny!" The guy belted in his face. "How would you like to join our contest?"
"Um."
"That's what I like to hear. Go on over there." He gestured to the little course drawn in the sand. Kobra awkwardly joined the five or so people the start line.

"Ok when I say climb into the sacks and go down the track!" The loudspeaker boomed.
"On your mark, get set, Go!"

Kobra clambered into the sack and bounded down the track. Panicking every step of the way. His sunglasses fell off his face and were crushed underneath his feet. Kobra loved his sunglasses.

Ghoul looked over from the scrap yard to see Kobra jumping along in a hessian sack. Proceeding to laugh his guts off as Kobra dove toward the finish line.

Kobra coughed the sand out his lungs. The umpire stood above him.
"Well done sonny. You won!"
"What?" Kobra confusedly asked. He looked to where the guy was gesturing at.
"A motorbike?"
"But I-"
"Take it. You don't have a choice."

Ghoul's eyes caught sight of a shiny white Les Paul guitar. He immediately fell in love.

They all looked as Kobra parked the motorbike up by the diner.
"How did you get that for less than 40 Carbons?" Jet asked, stunned.
"Its complicated." Kobra replied.
"Did you steal it?" Poison asked.
"No. I sort of, ended up in a sack race. And I won."
"Wow. Congrats Mikes!" Poison hugged him. "The bike will be useful."
"Also my sunglasses broke."
"Damn."

They all sat around the turn table, listening to Dr. D's new Sex Pistols vinyl and drinking the beer Cherri got.
"So did we manage to replace the supplies?" Show Pony asked, dealing out shots of whiskey.
"I replenished our ammo supply." Poison said. Chucking a set of shells to the guys. "Don't go through it too quickly, these are really expensive at the moment."
"Yeah yeah." Ghoul loaded his ray gun.
"I also got weapons and comic boxes." Poison added.
He cut one of the boxes open with his knife, took out 5 bombs, 6 detonators, a bunch of vintage pistols and more ammunition.
"What comics did you get?" Ghoul asked.
"Let's see." Poison cut open the other box. "Ok wow, the entire Tintin series and 7 Batman comics from 1988."
"Nice." Cherri took a swig of whiskey. "You gonna keep those? They'll be worth a lot otherwise."
"Obviously."

"I found this thing." Kobra took out the electric laser glove. Ghoul looked on with wide eyes. "That's fuckin shiny!"

"Also this weird thing." Kobra took out a small device with a three sided centre piece spinning on bearings.
"I don't know what it is but-" he gave it a spin. "Its kind of fun to spin though."
Ghoul went to spin it and his eyes immediately lit up.
"It's a fidget spinner." Dr. Death said. "They were a big thing in 2017."
"I don't get it." Poison said to Kobra who was fiddling with a small plastic cube.

"What did you find Ghoul?"
"Just this." He lifted up the guitar he found, this time covered in holographic stickers.
"Her name's Pansy."
"Pansy?"
"Pansy." He lovingly stroked the guitar. The others were slightly concerned by this but were glad he had something to do other than light bushes on fire and blow shit up in the desert.
"Oh Yeah I also got more scrap parts and cigarettes, engine oil, the like." He muttered.
"More cigarettes Ghoul?"
"Hey I got them because they were cheap and Tommy hates me." The others looked on, unimpressed.
"The man charges me 6 Carbons for cigarettes. Fuck I ain't paying that."
Jet rolled his eyes."You might wanna lay off on those."
"I'll lay off when I'm dead."
"That won't be too far away at this rate."
"There are a thousand other things that could kill me. What's one more to add to the mix?"

The girl broke the silence.
"I found these." She held up a blue plastic tube. She struggled to read the title.
"O-Oray-Oreos." She said. "What are Oreos?" She opened it up and buy down on the first dark brown and white cookie.
"These are so good." She bounced around excitedly.
"Lemme try." Ghoul took one and ate it.
"Yo you gotta try these." The girl handed them around. Following that was a round of satisfaction and instant love for the sugary food.
"Were there anymore of these?" Show Pony asked.
"Only one sorry." The girl replied.
"Wonder why that is?" They pondered. "They're fucking amazing."
"I'll tell you why." Jet replied. "The use by date is April 2nd 2015."
"Wish you hadn't told me that." Cherri sighed.
"Relax man its sugar, it never goes off." Ghoul assured him.

"I brought some eggs." Kobra said.
"Why?" Show Pony asked.
"So we could have some real food for once." He replied. "Also I can only make omelettes and quiche."
"He does make good omelettes." Poison added.
"What kind of eggs are they?" Cherri asked. Kobra opened his mouth to reply then realized he actually didn't know.
"Um. I actually have no idea." He admitted.
"I don't think we'll ever know for sure but there's a high chance that its vulture eggs." Cherri said. "I mean its better than Power Pup."

The girl snuggled under the blanket on her bunk. Poison sat at the end.
"Poison?"
"Yeah Motorbaby?"
"What are you thinking about?"
He hesitated before answering. "My girlfriend in the city." He told her. "I hope she's doing ok."
"What was her name?"
"Lindsey." Poison said. "I used to sing her a song I wrote once."
"Can I hear it?" The girl asked.
"Ok. I suppose it can be your song now." He replied. My singing may be a bit off though."

Poison took a deep breath and started singing.

"When the lights go out.
Will you take me with you.
And carry this broken bone.
Through six years in crowded rooms.
And highways I call home.

It's something I can't know 'til now.
'Til you pick me off the ground.
With a brick in hand, your lip gloss smile, your scraped up knees"

Poison sang the chorus.

"And if you stay I would even wait all night.
Or until my heart explodes.
How long until we, find our way.
In the dark and out of harm.
You cam run away with me, anytime you want."

His voice faded out as he saw the girl had fallen asleep. He smiled.