I surprised myself that I had this thing written out so fast.

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C H A P T E R O N E

“He just… disappeared…“
“Are you suggesting he’s a ghost?”
“No. Not exactly. I’m suggesting that something unlike anything we’ve seen has happened here today.”
“Suggestions?”
“This is the work of a force beyond our reasoning.”
”Such as?”
“I won’t say God, nor Satan. It’s just beyond our reasoning, beyond our thinking. Some fascinating mind thought this through.”
“You’re saying—he had help?”
“Indeed I am, commander.”

A darkly cloaked female figure moved around in the stone room. The desk was wood but needed to be in repair. The knob that the foot ended in was broken away and being compromised with with a large book. Scratches ran deep into the pinewood and the chair was a cheap fold-up metal chair like what you’d see in conference meetings that you hated going to because your butt got sore after ten minutes. The figure fingered some loose paper on the desk: mug shots. Broken and chipped porcelain pictures hung on the walls crookedly. The place was overall dark, with a cut in the wall that shown into a forest behind the female form. A figure stood across from her, also darkly cloaked in black, but obviously male from the size and shape.

“I just don’t know”, the female voice rung out darkly, placing a heavily ringed finger against her lips. Her head lowered, deep in thought.
“If anyone should find him…”, the male trailed off, grinding his teeth.
“I know.” Laughter broke out from under the feminine form’s cloak. “I know.”

----------

“Alaina!”
“It’s been awhile.”
Bluez stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. “Such a gentleman”, Alaina remarked playfully.
“I try”, he chuckled, lowering his cloak hood. Alaina grinned and laughed a bit in return.
“Why… you’re all done up…” he said, pointing towards her gown, “I’ve never seen you in such female clothing.” He laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes.
“I had a formal dance today.” She said, spinning around, laughing.
“I can see that.”
She grinned and smoothed her skirts, “So, would you like to sit down?”
“Here?” He questioned, eyeing the place wearily.
“No. My room. It’s the only one in this… residence… with furniture that you don’t need to use a hurricane to get all the dust off of.”
He chuckled and nodded. She spun on her heel and began to lead him up the stairs.

The way was a dusty one. Bluez sputtered a cough here and there while Alaina gave him sympathetic looks. The stairwell was coiled, spiraled, rather. Bluez looked upward, noticing the large glass dome. Stained glass paintings of angles and devils flashed in the lightning.

“This place used to bustle with mages.” Alaina said, smiling.
“How long ago was that?” She shot him a side-long glare.
“About 20 years ago.” She said, smugly.
“You were a mage, when?”
“I’ve always had a spark for magic.” She paused and closed her eyes, holding a hand out. Suddenly, a large orb of fire sparked up in the palm of her hand. She raised the other hand and produced a large ball of water. She smiled, wild reflections of blue sparkling in her deep aqua eyes. Suddenly they disappeared and she lead on.

“This is the room.” She paused in front of a door with a lost thought before opening it. Bluez passed her into the room and sat down on the chair in the corner.

“Not bad.”
“I think so.”

She placed herself on the bed, crossing her feet at the ankles. “Pull the chair closer if you want.”
Bluez nodded and did so, standing up and shedding his black cloak.
“Isn’t it a bit odd—you arrive during the night. Cloaked.” She smiled and added, “Alone.”
“Long story. There was some weird thing that happened at the camp and I broke out along with 200 other soldiers. You’ve been there, Alaina. You know what it’s like.” He laced his fingers together, “You know though, it’s nothing like that on the inside. You’re lucky you got only two years instead of the males who get four… Anyways—something happened. I don’t know. Someone got out. No one would say who, or how, but he did, and that’s what matters.”
”When did this happen?”
“Two nights ago. I was lying in my bunk when the alarms all started going off. Gaurds came and banged on the door of my ‘cell’, or ‘dorm’ as they call it, and rose us all, commanded us to get dressed, arm ourselves, and look for some run-aways.”
“God I hate this government.”
“Yeah, rough stuff.”
“Anyways, we looked for whoever it was, for twenty-eight hours straight on two hours of rest. My body felt like jello when I got back to my ‘dorm’”, he accentuated that word with much sarcasm, “And then there was another break. They commanded us to all leave, so I did just that—gladly. I packed up my crap and left.”
“I dig.”

A long silence commenced, Alaina lost in thought, Bluez studying his feet. “What about…” Alaina paused and dropped her head, continuing on, “him.”
“I don’t know.”
Alaina drooped on her bed and sighed quietly.
“I’m sorry, Alaina”, Bluez said in a soft voice.
“No, it’s just fine.” She lifted her face and shrugged away a tear. “Besides, that was six years ago.”
“I know…. I know you loved him.”
She shrugged in response, letting her eyes drift to the left.
“There are rumors that they found bodies.” She began.
“Of who?”
“Some of the soldiers.”
“What?”
“It’s been floating around. Come on, Bluez, you know what this small ‘city’ is like. Rumors, it’s all the entertainment we have now days.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Well, I just… maybe…maybe they found him.”
“Him? No. He can put up a fight alright.” Bluez laughed.
“I know he can.” She giggled, lifting a paw to her mouth and attempting to mask it.
“I’m sure he’s fine.” Bluez concluded, “I’m sure he’s looking for you. You weren’t exactly easy to find, you know.”
“I know. I move around a lot.”
“I noticed.”
She laughed lightly, touching the collar of her dress, “Well, I need some rest”, she said, peering out the window. The rain stopped falling so harshly and was down to a soft trickle.
“I’ll sleep on the bench.” He said, eyeing a two-seat couch at the end of Alaina’s bed.
“No, you sleep in my bed tonight. I’ll sleep on the bloody bench.” She smiled, “But I get some pillows. I’m not going to sleep on a mildly padded couch with two folded hands in prayer as my pillow.
“Of course.”
“By the way, need something to wear?”
“Yeah…”
Alaina got up and went to a small closet, pulling out a black tank top for a male form, tossing it on the bed along with some cargo pant shorts.
“It’s all I’ve got.”
“That’s fine. More comfortable than this.” He pointed to his black jumpsuit.
“Yeah.”
“Well, you change, I’ll change, and…. Remember… sweet dreams.”
“Always.”

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`Wildie