“Any word…?”

The orange glow from the setting sun that came through the giant window gave an orange hue to the entity clad in black that stood before the pane looking out to people of the ruin, busily about their daily business.

Three days had passed after Nate’s incident and everyone seemed to have already gone back to normal.

“No, sire…”

The man with the Mohawk is standing a few ways behind, with his hands in the pockets of his spiky leather jacket.

Why didn’t he take him out when he was vulnerable? What’s his reason? Is he really afraid of that kid? Who or what is he for him to be meticulous? Just what’s he planning?

The man stared as these questions loomed within his mind.

“……”

“What is your wish?”

“…  All is set… Are you ready, little one?”

He craned his neck to the side, to the girl sitting on the conference table swaying her legs.

The man with the Mohawk followed in suit squinting his eyes wearing an expression with a hint of disdain towards the girl.

“Hihihi. I sure am”

She jumped off the table and to join him window watching.

“Brother should be awake momentarily.”

 

Why is everything so dark?

“Nate?”

I hear her… But it’s so faint.

Andrea? Is that you? Where are you? I can’t see you.

… I can’t move. Why can’t I move? Don’t tell me it’s happening again.

“Wake up, Nate. Wake up…”

Andrea?

”Nate… Nate…?”

Speak up.

“Na—”“‘nter”

Huh? That voice… Sounds familiar.

“Hunter, can you hear me?”

So subtle, sweet...

Allora? Why am I hearing her voice?

“You have a guest… Well, she’s been by your side throughout.”

Wake up. I must wake up.

“Don’t disappoint her. She’s waiting on you.”

Come on WAKE UP. Wake up, wake up, wake up!!

This isn’t the time to be weak, pull yourself together and WAKE UP!

I need to be up, to pursue him.

Or is it the fact that part of me wants to see if the little girl was okay?

Damn! All I know is I need to wake up. Wake up damn it…

Yes! My eyes flutter.

Slowly open.

It’s fuzzy… resolves and my sight is greeted by a smiling Allora.

“You’re awake.”

Her voice is so soft, gentle.

It takes me a few seconds to notice that I wasn’t in my room and that I was on something soft.

She reaches to her side and after a moment I hear water dripping, maybe into a bucket filled with water. She turns back to me and something ‘wet’ touches my skin. The soft towel makes its way up my side.

My wounds have healed by now so why is she cleaning me up?

Wait, where’s my shirt? How long was I out?

The fact is I’m bare-chested, quit possibly naked. The flames must have burnt my cloths, maybe that is why… Am I supposed to feel something?

Hmm, I wonder.

My back peels off the bed and I sit myself at the edge of the bed opposite her. I still have pants on? It shouldn’t be possible. It should have burnt with my flames. No, it’s not my pants I had on when I got here, it looks different, new.

At the corner of my eye I catch the small wooden table beside the bed and on top of it my shirt sat, folded.

Why didn’t it go up in flames as well?

There’s a small wooden ornament on the bedside table, it’s vaguely familiar but I can’t seem to remember what it is: it has a round disk on the inside which has numbers on it, a long pointy hand and a smaller one pivoting at the center of the circle and a glass face…

I grab the shirt. It smells burnt but there isn’t many scorch marks on it. I guess my jacket did a pretty job of keeping it from so. After all it’s not the usual normal jacket.

I stand to wear the shirt. (edit here)

My head slips through the neck hole of my shirt and I catch a glimpse of her, subtly smiling my way.

“How long was I out?”

“Three days” She answers with a straight face.

That’s a relief.

The last time something like this happened I was out for over a hundred and fifty years, I think. And when I came to, I was without a clue of who I was.

Wait. No cuts? Even if it didn’t go up in flames there should be cuts and rips from the battle… There are stitches where the cuts should have been.

She stitched my shirt back together?

Perfectly as a matter of fact. If I didn’t look closer I wouldn’t have even known.

I was so focused on getting my shirt back on that I didn’t realize the second pair of eyes looking at me.

The little girl is sitting on a chair to the wall right beside me.

“Hey there, little one.”

Allora stands resting her hands before her.

“She’s been by your side since we brought you in… So I thought to clean her up before you woke up.”

So that explains her looks.

She’s clean and in a new dress. Her hair has been trimmed down to a Pixie cut. Quite the shame, I kinda like it before, long.

I take a knee before her.

Sure, I have only been awake over half a century now but I don’t believe I have ever being in debt. I could not find the words to thank her since I never had anyone do this for me.

But I can’t help but wonder how I was calmed. Was a part of me that felt attached or was it something of her doing?  No, I don’t think so. I feel no such attachment.

All I can remember was a strange feeling when she had me in her embrace.

A ‘warm’ feeling.

I still feel—I can’t explain it but, this eeriness around her. It’s rather comforting than ominous. She’s not like any other humans, that’s for sure.

Even less than before now that she’s clean, she has no scent. I can’t tell or smell anything about her, characteristics or otherwise. Guess she’s just that pure. She is an enigma.

“You look… nice.” Those words slipped out.

First time I’ve ever said that word to someone. But yeah, she’s clean now and looking more cute with the hair.

Rosy cheeks, huh?

Even as a kid she’s smart enough to understand a compliment. Even though she’s looking at me and hiding it so well, I can tell.

Now that I have a good look at her she’s has an uncanny resemblance to Andrea.

Could it all be the reason for my recent behaviour towards her? My subconscious must have realized it that’s why I was acting like that… No! It doesn’t feel like so. It’s all different, like that didn’t matter, like something else was the reason.

I catch the scars and burns on the side of her face, ones that I inflicted on her. She must be in pain.

I wonder how that feels?

My hand reaches for her chin. I give her head little turn—she flinches ever so slightly—and see the scars from the side of her head all the way down to her shoulder. It’s my fault she’s like this.

Knowing what I did why is she still here?

“I’m sorry…”

I hear my own voice, so soft; carry a hint of sadness… maybe—I’m exactly sure what I should feel. I don’t believe I’ve ever apologized to anyone.

Honestly, I’m still not used to my body. There are many things I do not completely understand about it. For over fifty years I’ve tried so hard to control it, understand it… to no avail. I haven’t learned a goddamn thing about my body.

Finally, a chance to look around…

The room is a little bigger than my place and well decorated with well preserved “junk” from the old days, some other ‘modern’ objects and the soft bed I laid. There is also a wardrobe to the wall at the foot of the bed.

“Where are we?”

I stand locking my sight to Allora.

“My place… I figured it was best you were here just in case someone else came looking.”

 “… You have my gratitude…”

My mind is blank. She took time to keep me safe, the little girl, and my shirt. The least I could do is show gratuity. And now I’m in debt, again.

“It was nothing… I just wanted to help, since you went out of your way to protect someone you knew nothing about…”

“Still, I have a debt.”

“Mhm…? Not to worry. You’re welcome… Although I couldn’t save this.”

She grabs my Jacket which was hanging on a nail on the wall. Cuts, scratches and rips. It was beyond repairs, for her.

I meet her half way and she reaches out to me with both hands holding the Jacket.

“…”

“…”

I slip my hands through the sleeves.

Amazement fills Allora’s eyes and the little girl watches with her eyes half closed as my jacket starts emit a light dark smoke from the torn segments mending itself, fabric to fabric, seam to seam, as if nothing had happened.

Time to leave this place.

I may not have gotten what I needed but it’s my only option.

In fact this may even be a setback but if anything like this should happen again the town folks will be in danger, ME! Then again it just looks like I’m giving up.

I open the door and take a step—

“Hunter?”

My foot stops mid-air.

“I… um… nothing.  Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

I set my foot back down. She wants to say something but she’s desperately trying to hide how terrified she is.

“Nate”

“Huh?”

I look over my shoulder

“My name… It’s Nate. Deon”

“Mhm…?” I push the door out and stop when my sight locks onto the little girl at the corner of my sight beside me with that her usual look.

What now? I can’t have her tag along anymore. Plus I have to leave. Allora giggles a little.

“I see you got yourself a fan… You know, you’re going to have to find her a name.”

No! Once I name her she’ll get attached, which means keeping her. And I have no need of that.

“She’s got no one and since she’s taken a liking onto you a name could make her feel like she belongs.”

What a nuisance…

“I’m sorry little one, but where I go you can’t follow.”

Truth to that, my journey is treacherous and she will be a liability, not to me but to herself.

“…you wouldn’t mind looking after her?”

“Hey! What!?” Allora almost screams out these words.

Guess she was caught off guard.

I step out and shut the door, into a hallway that’s exactly like the one on the eighteenth floor but it was the first.

I take to my right looking for the stairs.

Down, I entered right into the inn.

 

Today isn’t quite the busy day for the inn. It would have been empty if it wasn’t for the three customers sitting around to mugs of ale.

 Maybe it’s because of what happened that day. They glare at me as I cut across the room, reaching for their weapons, looking with trepidation.

I guess the other inn attendants heard me coming down; their heads occupy the doorway making it look like a framed work of art. They have no transparent expression or scent that show I was disliked by them. Almost makes me want to feel glad.

I step out of the inn…

It’s early evening.

The dull blue sky holds the last thread of the bright orange glow of the setting sun.

Lanterns are already being hanged to keep the streets bright for the night.

My feet lead me towards the exit of the ruin, the entrance into ruin.

Wandering eyes glare at me as I walk. Fear is still in their eyes. A few shops shut their doors. People make way and others run.

This is not how I wish to be seen, a monster like those I slain. I don’t care about how people see me though, but I guess I would do the same if I were in their place—No I wouldn’t.

I look back to the building at the back and my eyes catch Allora halt, her hands on the shoulders of the little girl before her.

The thick shadow envelopes me as I walk underneath the sleeping building. The wind starts to pick up carrying thick particles from the ocean of sand that is before me. A sandstorm.

I break through the thick cloud of dust.

 

Nate’s Jacket swayed to the rhythm of the harsh storm winds as he slowly disappeared into its depths.

Storms like this weren’t rare. It only passed in front of the town while only mild winds made it into the ruin, brushing over the people, sometimes also entering into the place covering everything in sand.

 

Up in the building the entity watched through the window to Nate. A small part of his jagged teeth, clenched, showed when he cracked a sinister grin.

“See you real soon, brother…”

The little feminine figure joined him.

 

Allora’s hair swayed with the gentle breeze as she blankly watched the silhouette of Nate disappear into the sand storm.

Bye Nate…

The little girl craned her neck, her head over her shoulders up to Allora.

It was obvious. She wondered if Allora would turn her away since her benefactor had left… Allora met her gaze.

“Come.”

She led her by the shoulders back into the inn.

To keep a close eye on her, Allora sat her down at the counter.

“Don’t go anywhere.”

The little girl only stared.

Allora took the small dual door beside the counter into the kitchen.