Beginning

It was so quiet here. That was why she liked it, the quiet, and the serenity. It gave her a sense of being grounded in a world she had no control over. Here, was a patch of green moss struggling to life in the gritty concrete. Here was under an old bridge which led to an island no one wanted to visit anymore. Here was covered in graffiti and littered with Cool Ranch Doritos bags and used condoms. Here…“Stars and Stripes” interrupted Lor’s thoughts. Irritably, she reached into her trench coat pocket and flipped open her new cell phone. The fake forest green view screen winked “Mom…Mom”. With a sigh she pressed accept and held the phone to her ear.

“What.”

“Where are you?” her mother asked, her voice strained and choked. “You didn’t come home last night again. I’ve been trying to call you all day and…”

“Did you ever stop and think that I might be busy?”

Her mother paused briefly. “You have a schedule Lor. It’s fine if you decide not to go to one of your classes or appointments, but you at least have to tell someone where you are going.” Her mother’s voice took an almost pleading tone. “Your piano teacher was worried and called me, if he hadn’t I wouldn’t have even known you were gone until I got home from work!”

“Whatever Mom,” Lor rolled her eyes.

“We’ve had this discussion before Lor! I need to know where you are. What if something happens to you? How will I know how to help you?”

“I’ll be fine Mom. It’s not like I’ve never been on my own before.”

“I can’t know that Lor. You’re all I’ve got sweetie, I’ve got to make sure that you’re okay and you’ve got everything you need.” Her mother sighed. “I don’t know why you constantly…”

Lor held the phone away as her mother ranted on in tears. She had heard it all before of course and could lecture herself on being a model teenage girl later. In truth, she was pissed that her mother had disturbed her peace. She counted to thirty before bringing the phone back to her ear.

“Are you done?” she asked.

“What do you mean ‘Am I done?’” her mother shrilled through the phone.

“You’re always on me…chill out and leave me alone for once.” Lor’s head fell into her palm and she shifted her weight on the metal drainage pipe.

“Lor…,” her mother began. “I just want to make sure that you…”

“I know.” Lor looked up and saw a bald, tattooed man standing in front of her. Lor stood slowly, her eyes taking in the man before her as her mother provided the background music. His eyes locked with hers and he stared at her the way a cat stares at an injured bird. He even licked his lips as she flicked her hair over her left shoulder. “Next time you have a kid…ask first.” She slapped the phone shut and slipped it back in her pocket in one motion. They were silent as they continued to size each other up.

“You’re going to take me right?” she asked.

“Depends on if you’re looking for the world…or just a good time?” His eyebrows arched.

“Yeah,” Lor scowled. “I’m looking for the world, smartass.”

The man gathered his leather jacket about him like a cloak then sat on the grimy concrete foundation of one of the enormous pillars which held up the old bridge. His back faced Lor and he sighed as he let his head relax and fall against the pillar.

“You’ll ruin your jacket that way,” Lor commented. She looked up to the sky, which looked as if it wanted to rain again. Clouds wisped past the stars.

“I can get another,” he replied dismissively. They were silent a moment longer. “I never thought you would ask me to bring you a new world. You actually surprised me that night you asked.”

Lor chuckled as if he had cracked a joke. “Did you really think I was enjoying myself with you?”

“To tell the truth I did. I thought I was enough.” He absently crossed his hands over one knee. “What’d she do to make you want this all of a sudden?”

“Nothing,” Lor replied angrily and stared at the red cross spray painted on the pillar in front of her. As she stared at it, something beneath the paint seemed to move and catch at the corners of her vision. As if the paint hid something she could not see or read.

“That’s a lot of nothing.”

“I could say the same about you,” Lor snapped and tore her eyes from the odd shapes in the paint. “Are you going to take me to her or not?”

“I can take you to her,” he replied and turned out to the gray, slimy water that oozed under the concrete bridge. “But I can’t promise she will want you.”

“Well, that isn’t something that should concern you then. Is it Lucas?” Lor stood and stretched once. “Besides, the world you can bring me can’t be much worse than the one I’m in now.”

“Very well,” Lucas gave her a toothy grin and Lor could see his fangs extend before her eyes. “I’ll take you to her unharmed of course.” The fangs retreated sullenly. “She will decide if you get a new world or not.”

“What’s her name?” Lor asked as she slowly crushed a beetle under her boot. I wonder if beetles scream when they get crushed. Or if they are even smart enough to notice. Lor thought.

“It’s Rikki, and I’ve already told her about you. She seemed interested in at least meeting you.”

“Good. Think she’ll do it?”

“Who can say what an Elder will do. It’s not my place. I just find the volunteers.”

“Stop acting smart,” Lor said peeling a twitching leg of the crushed beetle up off the dust smeared ground. “You have no clue what’s going on do you?”

Lor suddenly found herself thrown up against one of the pillar supports, stars floating through her eyes from her head smacking on the concrete. Lucas held her up against the pillar with a hand to her neck and pinned her body with his own. “I let you talk to me like you talk to your mother because I’m just that nice,” he growled. “If you turn out to be as much trouble for her as you are for me, not only will you die I will too.” His face darkened even more, if that was possible. “I’m not dying for a human like you.”

“I never expected you to,” Lor said around his hand.

Lucas gave her neck one more squeeze before letting her down. “Let’s go.”