The clamping of heels echoes throughout the desolate street, Castle-Meyer, with the only source of light coming from distant street lamps. My body sways along with my slick red dress, as I make my way down the sidewalk. The cold winter breeze chills my bare legs with its frosty touch. Across the street, bums litter the sidewalk while drug dealers lurk in the shadows. The sound of their chats and laughter filling the otherwise peaceful street. The neighborhood is bleak, with houses crammed together while sharing yards of dirt. Wooden walls to homes that seem rotten, chips pieces of white paint that lay across their lawns. Some stand outside looking at the sky, probably praying to Isa for salvation, while others stare just stare blankly. No children play here, their bodies too thin for horse playing.
Away from lurking eyes and the poorness of district Marana, a grand mansion comes into view. It looks about two stories tall, with outer walls lined in beige-colored paint and extravagantly massive windows. Surrounding the property is an enormous black gate, which is guarded by two men. They wear clear metallic earpieces and have guns on holsters that stick out their jackets. “Hey there boys! My name is Lidiaaaa, and I am here to see” Hiccup “Mrr... Oh right. Falcone! Yes! I am here to see Falcone.” I slur while leaning on a guard.
“Man, I hate drunks,” he says, pushing me away disgusted. “What the hell are we supposed to do with this drunkard?”
“Let her do what she wants. He’d probably thank us for the good time.”
“I have to pee. Like, really bad,” I say with a giggle.
“Well, how about you ask while I check her?” The guard speaks into his earpiece, while the other pads me down. “Hey! It is rude to touch a lady without permission!” I say lazily. “But if you are interested...”
“She’s clean,” he interrupts.
“Ha! Turns out Falcone knows this broad. He says to invite her in.”
The two men lead me through the entrance, which is decorated with portraits of a man with shiny black hair and warm white-colored skin. Another portrait, who I assume to be his wife and daughter. The floors are a pristine white marble with large decorations like tall gold vases and a grand piano filling the already glorious room. “Woow! It’s big in here, and the walls are so talllll!” Walking up the stairs, I notice several more guards patrolling the area through the windows. Arriving at the room, the guard knocks on the door, alerting Falcone of our presence. Opening the door, he smiles. “Welcome, Lidia! It is so nice to see you again.” Grabbing my hand, he kisses it as he leads me inside. When we enter the room, the door closes with a light click.
“Baby! How come you never see me anymore? Have I been a bad girl?” I ask, tilting my head.
“No, of course not. I’ve just been very busy with work lately, but...” Sliding his hand up my thigh, he finishes. “I know how to make it up to you.” I bite my lip and lower my voice. “What about the guards? Won’t they hear us?”
“No, this room is soundproof.” My lips curl into a smile and I slowly kiss his neck. “So, what do you want now?”
“You,” he says as our lips crash together. Using one hand, I stroke the stubble on his chin. While my other arm drapes over his shoulder, hidden behind his back. There, my nails dig so deep into my palm that blood seeps out. Pushing him onto a nearby chair, I turn my dripping blood into a shiny red solid gun.
He leans back, “Neat magic trick. Now put the gun away before you hurt yourself.”
“Falcone Deanzo, I have come to relieve you of your duties to this district. Not that you did much to begin with.” Laughing, he asks “What do you mean, relieving me of my duty? Sweetheart, I'm sorry to tell you this, but you were manipulated, cheated, lied to. Whatever your pretty little head would like to process it as. You can’t kill me, so I suggest you take yourself to my bed while I am still in a forgiving mo-.”
BANG!
Staring at his foot, his eyes widen in shock. Suddenly, a shrill cry fills the room. “What the hell is that thing?”
“The uprising has begun.”
“What the hell does that mean?” With a pale face stricken with fear, he yells. “What the hell is that thing? Why the fuck am I bleeding?”
“I told you before. There is an uprising underway, but don’t be afraid. You won’t be alive long enough to witness it.” I glance down at my watch. “Now if you don’t mind me, I have a tight schedule.” Pulling the trigger, red dots splatter onto the beige-colored wall. A strong metal odor permeates the room. As I pull my blood back into my hand, I make my way toward the window but hear a low noise. As I return to Falcone's lifeless body, I search the area. Under the chair, the noise boomed even louder. A red light flashed from a blinking button. “Oh, boy!” I sigh from exhaustion. Suddenly, the two men outside the door burst in and begin shooting. Turning my blood into a shield, their bullets fall like flies. Throwing their weapons aside and they start to swing at me. I dodge the punch from the first guy and stab him through the bottom of his jaw to his mouth with a knife I created from my blood. As the other reaches for me, my knife turns into a machete, slicing off his arm. Screaming as his arm spews blood, he falls to the ground. “Please, I’m sorry. Please have mer-.” Shot in the chest, his cries grow quiet. The sound of men shouting and their weight pounding against the floor echo through the mansion as I exit the room. Surprise catches the first three guys as a boomerang with razor-sharp edges slices through their necks one by one. Turning my boomerang into a hatchet, it cuts into the middle of two bodies with a single swing. Their intestines scatter all over the floor while blood squirts out of their bodies like sprinklers. A sting pulses through my back as bullets penetrate my back. You're going to regret that. Quickly, I throw two blood knives into the center of the men's necks and watch as they struggle to take their last breath. Looking around the room, pools of blood now stain the once pristine white floor. Lying helplessly on the floor, petrified gazes are etched into their ghostly faces. With slow, deliberate movements, I use my blood to push the bullets from my back and out of my body. The pain only subsiding when the cling and clang of metal hits the floor. Leaving my back to heal itself, I touch the earpiece inside my ear. “It’s done.”
"Very good my dear doll," Dr. Freyr says as he and his living quarters appear before my eyes in a hologram state. "It took you twelve minutes and seven-eight seconds, but I can forgive. You did entrance me with such an enticing display. It was like watching a child play with its food. And nothing entertains me more than seeing a dragon’s brain splattered across the floor or my dissecting table." He says nostalgically.
"It was an honor to be of entertainment," I say with a bow.
"You can carry on with whatever you do. Your services are no longer required. The money has been wired to your account." He says before severing the link, disconnecting the live projector that connects his eyes to mine.
In a dark alley, I turn off the hologram mask I had been wearing to look more like Lidia, Falcone's side project. Putting on my helmet, I get on my shining black hovercycle. Scanning my fingerprint to activate, I can feel it hum to life as it gently hovers over the ground. Pulling out of the alley, my cycle effortlessly cuts through the air. With the wind blowing through my jacket, the air gives me a surge of energy. Leaving District Marana, the worn-down houses start to become skyscrapers as we transition into District Ethoria. Driving past hover cars and vibrant buildings, the world looks surreal and at peace.
Back home at my apartment, my eyes adjust to the dark. Throwing my jacket and kicking off my shoes, I go straight to the bathroom to rid myself of the stench of blood. With the steaming water hitting my face, my headache slowly starts to cease. The hot water burning the memories from my mind. When done, I move in front of the mirror while drying myself off. Steam covering the glass, I wipe it off with my hand. Clearing the image in the mirror, I could see myself. My brown skin and short curly black hair that is more tangled than ever now that it is wet. Bushy dark eyebrows with light brown eyes. All features that remind me of my parents. After drying my hair, I look at my hand. My cuts were gone, without even a scar. Leave the bathroom with a white t-shirt on, my watch blinks from a video message. "Hi, Myra. We just wanted to tell you that we can't wait to see you when you visit," a woman says in front of the camera.
"Hey, Myra. When are you coming back? We miss you! Can we ride on your back when you come back? Mrs. Tanner won't let us ride on hers," several different children blurted from in front of the camera. Trying to talk over the children's questions, Mrs. Tanner says, "I'm sorry about this. We will end the video here." When the video on the watch turns black, the little warmth I felt dissipates. Along with the smile, that just as quickly went away. Going into the kitchen, I grab a bottle of beer from the refrigerator. Popping it open, I drink as I move toward a board pinned to the wall in the living room. On it are pictures of the queen, her children, and her associates. Getting a red marker, I cross out Falcone's picture. In the center, I stare at the queen's photo, my fist clenches from lingering memories. Feeling a sudden rush come over me while finishing my bottle, I throw it at her. Wishing for the glass to stick to her skin and draw her blood if she were really here.
Needing a breath of air, I walk over to the balcony. Climbing onto the stone that separates me from the earth, I stand at the edge. Dark grey clouds engulf the starry night sky. Bare trees whistle soothing melodies through the crisp winter breeze, while the air smells of sweet pungent earth. Along with the wind are the automatic sounds of district Ethoria. The bright lights of buildings and hovercars shine throughout the city. Flashing of colors from stoplights at intersections and luminous colors of fast-food restaurants. Taking both my hands, I shape it as if I was capturing a picture. The picture consists of all the world's beauties. Slowly, I stick out one of my legs. All I needed was a slight push to send me over the edge. Closing my eyes, I try to lean forward if only a little. Then I would be set free, but my legs hold still. Letting out a sigh, I look to the trail of large and small rocks that circle our planet Zena like a ring. Specks of stardust twinkle in the dark, though the moon shines brightest. Slowly, I start to step down until a moth flies by. Landing on my shoulder, it looks at me for a brief moment before leaving just as quickly as it came. Flying toward the light that it will eventually find.
Closing the door to the balcony, I lay down on my couch and grabbed a little white teddy bear sitting on the glass table in front of me. For several hours I just stare at it. Touching its somewhat chard fur and the spot where it's missing an eye, I turn to sleep. Holding it tightly against my chest, I breathe in the smell of smoke that is engraved within its fabric. The smell that seems to never leave my mind, even as time moves past me. Softly, the sound of raindrops fills the silence. Creating a beautiful song, from what seems like tears. Sighing, I close my eyes, but the red of their blood haunts me still. Their screams and pleas for me to join them in the hell I brought upon them echoing through me. In a sea of blood, I can't seem to get free. Their hands dragging me down until I can no longer breathe. Forever drowning in an endless abyss.
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