Burning Moon (Wattpad Version)

Damien POV 7

I walked outside. The heat and humidity hit me all at once and I breathed it in. It was familiar and associated with so many good memories, I was definitely adding a new memory to that today, too. Lilly.

I glanced around. I had no money. I had no way of getting to the backpackers lodge.. wait, what was I thinking, I wasn't going to be able to pay for a backpackers lodge either. The only way I was going to make any money was if I got to town where all the restaurants and shops were. I could find some work there to tide me over for a few days. But it was a long walk, too long. Especially in this heat.

I put my bag down on the pavement and started scratching through it, maybe I had something to barter with. A T-shirt for a ride into town? A CD for a bottle of water, I was officially dying of thirst- not that I had a CD on me, and I wasn't going to part with my Ipod. My mouth was very dry, though, and in this weather, you actually needed water. I could brave drinking out of a tap in the bathroom, nah, not safe. I didn't want to be homeless with food poisoning.

I found what I was looking for. A smart, expensive collared shirt that I had bought for a friends wedding, along with a pair of cufflinks (I would NEVER wear again) a belt and a shiny pair of leather shoes. I could clean up when necessary. They were the only things I could probably barter with. The street was lined with Tuk-Tuk's and I started walking up it, gazing into each one, looking for the kind of guy that would be down for trading. Not that I knew what that kind of guy looked like.

I finally found him. He was sitting on the pavement drinking a bottle of water, looking like he didn't have a care in the world. His feet were up on his Tuk-Tuk and the guy looked like he was ready for a holiday.

"Hey." I said. The guy looked up. "Do you have another bottle of water?"

The guy looked me up and down and then reached into his Tuk-tuk and pulled out a big, brand new bottle of water. I salivated. Literally. Over water!

"20 Baht." he said holding it out for me.

"20! Are you mad?"

The man smiled at me. "25 now."

"What about this?" I held the cufflinks out for him. They cost way more that 20 Baht, in fact, I won't go into how much the things bloody cost.

The man jumped up and took them from my hand. He rolled them over and scrutinized them.

"You're mad." He said and shoved the bottle of water into my arms.

"What about a lift into town too?" I asked.

The man shook his head. "I'm waiting for someone."

I wasted no time in opening the water and in one sip, downed half the bottle.

"You have something else to trade?" he asked.

I nodded, still downing the water.

"You see that one with the red umbrella on," The main pointed back down the street from where I had come from. And there, right at the bottom of the row was a brightly colored Tuk-tuk that had clearly been decorated by the owner.

"Ask him. Tell him Prasong sent you. Maybe you get lucky today."

I thanked the man and headed back down the street and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw her again.

She had changed now and was wearing a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt. The girls I'd dated would never dress like that- too mainstream. Too boring. It looked like she had attempted to brush her hair too, and it was looking much better. She'd managed to get some more of the makeup off too. I was staring. I knew I was, but I couldn't help it.